The Power of Collaboration: When Everyone Works Together, Dogs Win
- Believe in Magic Dog Training & Behaviour
- Oct 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 21
Yesterday I had a fantastic consultation with Chris Wilson of Neighbourhood Vets, accompanying a client to their appointment so that all three of us, vet, behaviourist, and owner, could sit down together to discuss a complex case.
This is how I wish every case could begin.
That level of collaboration allows us to piece together a far richer understanding than any of us could build alone. The owner lives with their dog 24/7 and holds the most detailed insights into daily patterns, subtle changes, and emotional shifts. As a behaviourist, I look for patterns in data and context, what influences behaviour, how emotion and learning interact, and where stress or discomfort might play a role. The vet analyses from a medical perspective, drawing on results, physiology, and clinical presentation.
When we add a veterinary physiotherapist, ideally ACPAT-registered like Nikki Grant or a similar professional trained in measurable assessment, the collaboration becomes even more powerful. With data such as weight distribution, stance analysis, range of movement, and imaging when appropriate, the physiotherapist bridges the gap between what we see and what’s happening inside the body.
Together, this professional trifecta, vet, physiotherapist, and behaviourist, keeps the owner and dog at the very centre of the process. Each professional stays within their lane, grounded in evidence and ethics, yet the combined perspective creates something that none of us could achieve in isolation.
There were moments in that meeting where Chris and I caught each other’s eye and smiled, those shared “yes, that’s it” moments of real understanding. It’s not always feasible to bring everyone together in one room, but when it happens, it highlights exactly what best practice should look like: communication, collaboration, and curiosity all working in harmony.
This experience also reminded me why I created The Way They Move, my upcoming webinar exploring how posture, gait, and movement influence comfort, confidence, and behaviour. The same collaborative principles apply: when we learn to observe movement clearly, record it responsibly, and share those observations effectively with vets, physios, and other professionals, we can advocate far more powerfully for the dogs in our care.
Because whether we’re analysing data, behaviour, or movement, the goal is always the same, to understand the dog in front of us and work together to help them feel their best.
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