Rockyview Veterinary Behaviour

11/22/2025

So unbelievably touched by this nomination! We very much appreciate the positive reinforcement for our work in improving behavioural health of pets in Calgary!

04/13/2025

Up in Edmonton today speaking to vets and techs about a plan for seeing Behaviour cases in general practice

04/10/2025

New study!!
Dr. Alexandra Moesta, DACVB has published a paper looking at the effects of chewing on memory in dogs.
The results?
Long chewing (average of 15 minutes) after training sped up re-learning of the same task 24h later. The effect was independent of the nutrients consumed, therefore, it should not matter what type of chew you offer a dog after learning, as long as they chew for about 15 mins.

I find this so exciting because it's so easy for anyone to implement at home or even in training school classes. After you're finished training, give your dog something to chew on for 15 mins and let all the hard work sink in.

Click here to read the full article

PDF | Post-learning interventions, such as exercise or play, have been shown to improve memory consolidation in dogs, but add time and cost to the... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

03/28/2025

Bringing Veterinary Behaviour to Manitoba next! I will be seeing appointments out of True North Veterinary Eye Care in Winnipeg for in two-day blocks starting May 5th and 6th with a second visit in the works for August. I love Manitoba and I'm excited to be able to offer behavioural support to it's people and pets. Please contact True North directly to book!

I will also be speaking at the MVMA Specialist Symposium on May 4th which will also feature lectures in Opthalmology and Radiology.

03/07/2025

Lovely patient today Jinx wins the carnage award for the most ball pit balls crunched in an appointment 😀

02/03/2025

Pain can cause behaviour changes without causing lameness or limping in all species. It is extremely important to consider pain as a potential cause or contributor to any behaviour problem.

01/31/2025

Wonderful information for specialists, general practitioners and veterinary technicians/technologists. Attend in person or online

12/23/2024

A solid holiday message!

12/09/2024

Ringlet thought these two blowing 6ft nutcrackers were absolute nonsense!
Rather than stuffing treats under her nose and trying to hurry by we played Look At That for a little while to help her realize they weren't a threat. This game involves teaching an animal that the phrase "look at that" means look at that thing and then look back at me and I'll give you a treat. We start with things that aren't scary and work up to using it for things that could be scary. You will sometimes see a variation on this called Engage-Disengage which involves waiting for the animal to see something, marking the looking at it and giving a treat when they look back. Both options have their merits but by using a word or phase that we pair with reward under low stress conditions we make the potential scary thing more predictable which is really important.

11/08/2024

We wanted to show off the wonderful space we have for our behaviour consultations! Our space is located inside beautiful Red Tree Animal Clinic in NW Calgary.
Having clinic space allows us to see more appointments and keep our wait list down. The size and amenities of the space allow us to meet the needs of our shy or fearful patients by giving them plenty of space from the veterinarian and lots to occupy them during the appointment. Our space is tucked away from the main clinic so if your pet is reactive to other animals or new people don't worry! They can come right into our space without crossing paths with anyone.
Of course if your pet just isn't ready to leave home we still offer mobile appointments in and around Calgary.
Although our space is inside Red Tree we aren't directly affiliated with the clinic so please contact us directly with any questions regarding your appointment.

11/06/2024

Meet the Veterinary Behaviorist!
Dr. Anneliese Heinrich graduated from Ontario Veterinary College in 2012 and also has a Masters degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. She is currently the only board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist in Alberta.

Dr. Heinrich lives in Cochrane with her husband, two children, two Standard Poodles, a cat and a hedgehog. She spends her free time outside trail running and riding her horse, Ringlet.