Maria Debono - Veterinary surgeon and behaviourist

27/03/2026

I am so grateful to have been invited by The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, to present my research in their new short online course — The Evolution of Clinical Animal Behaviour: Research and Practical Applications.

The course features talks from leading practitioners Dr Sarah Heath, Dr Loni Loftus and Dr Kevin McPeake, and I'm genuinely honoured to have been asked to be part of it.

But beyond my own involvement, what makes me especially proud to be part of this is what the course represents — the increasing recognition of behavioural medicine as a vital part of veterinary practice, and the importance of vets and behaviourists working closely together. It's a subject that is close to my heart and it's brilliant to see it being given the platform it deserves.

It's free, available from 17 April, includes three live sessions and offers 6 hours CPD — well worth a look if you work in veterinary practice, in the clinical animal behaviour field, in veterinary education or simply have a passion for animal behaviour and mental health.

🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eptS25CQ


The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

The Evolution of Clinical Animal Behaviour provides insights into establishing a career within the field, the benefits of working collaboratively with allied professionals and putting research into practice.

Benefits of this online short course:

- Free
- Available from 17 April, including three live sessions
- 6 hours CPD
- Study online, at your own pace

Delivered by leading behaviour practitioners, including Dr Sarah Heath, Dr Loni Loftus and Dr Kevin McPeake.

If you are working in a veterinary role, in the clinical animal behaviour profession or are passionate about animal behaviour and thinking of taking this interest further, sign up now.

To register: https://www.shortcourses.ed.ac.uk/course/evolution-of-clinical-animal-behaviour

02/02/2026

Adopted a dog recently? Remember: adjustment takes time.

Recent studies suggest that newly adopted dogs need months to settle and be comfortable enough to show their true personality, and possibly much longer than previously thought. More importantly, time taken to adjust can vary between different dogs.

During this transition period, focus on:
✓ Building trust and routine, for example: work on understanding your dog's body language so communication is effective both ways, stick to set times for walks, feeding - be predictable
✓ Being patient with their behaviour and seeking support if needed
✓ Giving your dog space (yes, even though you'll want to shower them with love and attention!)

Your dog is processing a major life change. What you're seeing now may not reflect who they'll become once they feel safe and secure in their new home.

- Of course, sometimes despite our best efforts, an adoption may not be the right fit—and recognizing this is also a responsible decision made in the best interest of all involved.

17/01/2026

🐾 A January Reflection: Saint Anthony and Peaceful Coexistence

Today is the Feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot (January 17), patron saint of animals.

Anthony was a 3rd-century hermit who retreated to the Egyptian desert seeking solitude and prayer. Legend has it that animals became his companions in that vast wilderness—one story tells of a little pig who became his constant companion.

Whether or not these tales are historically accurate, they've endured for centuries, and the symbolism resonates: a human seeking peace, and finding it not in total isolation, but in coexistence with animals.

As a veterinary behaviourist, helping to restore and strengthen these human-animal bonds is a priority, knowing that peaceful coexistence doesn't mean the absence of challenges—it means meeting those challenges with understanding, patience, and compassion. This can in turn pave the way for a deeper, stronger relationship between animal and human.

I only just discovered the story behind Saint Anthony Abbott—the flu gave me no other option but to stop and sit still, and I stumbled upon his story. About time I read more about him, considering my work....and also that my birthday is just a day apart from his feast day!

Here's to another year of honouring that special human-animal bond, one dog, one human, at a time. ❤️🐕

14/01/2026

Due to a high volume of ongoing cases and a long waiting list, I am not currently accepting new behaviour referrals. This allows me to continue providing a high standard of care to existing clients.

I will post here when availability changes.

Thank you for your understanding.

04/01/2026

Let’s normalise imperfection in dog behaviour.

This isn’t about excusing inaction or ignoring behaviours that need support.
It’s about recognising that some dog behaviours may be 'normal', even if they’re inconvenient from a human point of view — and about understanding before intervening.

Behaviour reflects genetics, learning history, emotional state, and environment. When we recognise this, we move from judgment and frustration to empathy — and that’s where effective, ethical behaviour change can begin.

Understanding is the foundation of strong human–animal relationships and of achieving meaningful progress, where needed.

20/12/2025

🎄 RIGAL zghir tal-Milied 😊

Li noffri appoġġ lill-klieb u lin-nies tagħhom huwa wieħed mill-aktar aspetti tax-xogħol tiegħi li nħobb, bħala veterinarja u behaviourist.

𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐥-𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐪𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐫𝐢 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐢 𝐰𝐚ħ𝐝𝐚 𝐛’𝐗𝐄𝐉𝐍, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐭𝐚’ 𝟔𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐚 (𝟏-𝐭𝐨-𝟏), bħala ġest ġenwin biex nagħti lura u ngħin lil min għandu bżonn.

M’hemm l-ebda kundizzjonijiet — m’hemm l-ebda obbligu li tibbukkja sessjonijiet jew servizzi oħra.

Din is-sessjoni tista’ tkun t’ għajnuna speċjalment għal:

🐾 Persuni li 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐛 𝐫𝐞𝐜̇𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐮𝐳̇ 𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐛 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐱𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐣𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐢 𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐮 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚, u jixtiequ gwida dwar kif jgħinuhom jaddattaw u jifhmu aħjar il-bżonnijiet tagħhom

🐾 Persuni li 𝐬𝐞 𝐣𝐢𝐥𝐪𝐠ħ𝐮 𝐠̇𝐞𝐫𝐮 𝐠̇𝐝𝐢𝐝, jew li qed jippjanaw li jġibu ġeru d-dar fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin

🐾 Familji li 𝐠ħ𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐦 𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐛 𝐮 𝐪𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐣𝐚 𝐣𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐞 𝐣𝐢𝐥𝐪𝐠ħ𝐮 𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥/𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐥𝐚, u jixtiequ appoġġ biex kulħadd jgħix din it-tranżizzjoni b'mod pożittiv

𝐊𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐜̇𝐢𝐩𝐚:

Jekk jogħġbok ibgħat email lil: 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭@𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐨.𝐜𝐨𝐦
b’dawn id-dettalji:

• L-età tal-kelb tiegħek u kemm ilu jgħix magħkom (jew meta se jiġi d-dar)
• Deskrizzjoni qasira tas-sitwazzjoni attwali tiegħek u jekk hemmx xi ħaġa partikolari li tixtieq gwida dwarha

𝐋-𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐣𝐚𝐠ħ𝐥𝐪𝐮 𝐟𝐥-𝟏𝟎 𝐭𝐚’ 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐫.

Parteċipant se jintgħażel minn fost l-applikazzjonijiet u jiġi kkuntattjat b'email wara d-data tal-għeluq.

Is-sessjoni tiġi skedata f’data u ħin li jkunu adattati għaż-żewġ naħat, sabiex inkunu nistgħu nipparteċipaw bis-sħiħ u s-sessjoni tkun kemm jista’ jkun t’ għajnuna.

Din hija sessjoni online ta’ gwida fl-imġiba tal-klieb, iffokata fuq appoġġ preventiv — biex ngħinu lill-klieb u lin-nies tagħhom jibdew ħajjithom flimkien bl-aħjar mod possibbli.

Din is-sessjoni mhux maħsuba għal klieb li diġà għandhom problemi ta’ mġiba.

Għal aktar informazzjoni dwari, żur: www.mariadebono.com
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🎄 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 GIFT 😊

Supporting dogs and their people — especially during big life transitions — is one of the things I love most about my work as a vet and behaviourist.

This Christmas, I’m offering 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝟏-𝟏 𝟔𝟎-𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 as a genuine way to give back.

There are no strings attached — no obligation to book further sessions or services.

This session may be especially helpful for:
🐾 People who have 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐠, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬, and would like guidance with settling in and understanding their dog’s needs
🐾 People 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐲, or planning to bring a puppy home in the coming weeks
🐾 Families with a dog 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 and want help supporting everyone through the transition

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫:

Please email 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭@𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐨.𝐜𝐨𝐦 with:

• Your dog’s age and how long they’ve been with you (or when they’re due to come home)
• A brief description of your current situation and if there is anything in particular you would like guidance with

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲.

The recipient will be chosen at random from suitable entries and contacted by email after the closing date.

The session will be arranged at a mutually suitable date and time, so we can both show up fully and make it as helpful as possible.

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 — ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡. 𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒔.

For more info about me, please visit: www,mariadebono.com

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Qualified Veterinary Surgeon providing a professional referral service in canine behavioural medicine in Malta.Using an evidence-based, ethical and understanding approach to support you and your dog in sharing a calm and enjoyable life.  View my services CULTIVATING CALM MINDS • CULTIVATING CALM...

30/08/2025

A must read for puppy owners.

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=10330034&fbclid=IwY2xjawMfuohleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHrRN_C8cxpYh6F_njS3Xt9CZSb4c6wJUHD6nItJmHDDw3cfNdwIcJBwwYCCo_aem_Q6DPPJk-cI192YI8E7B7rw

What you do now for and with your new family member will pay off in significant dividends for the rest of the dog's life

14/08/2025

Educators, educational institutions, owners and rabbit societies — please take note.
I have seen rabbits left out to be touched and handled by many passersby, including children, often in noisy, busy environments such as children’s parties, classrooms and school yards on 'Bring your pet' days. This is not a practice we should be supporting.

"There is no robust evidence that such interactions provide meaningful or lasting benefits to children or participants. In contrast, there is clear and growing concern about the negative welfare impact on rabbits and other small prey animals like guinea pigs placed in these environments."

If you wish to educate or offer animal-assisted therapy, there are other, more ethical and welfare friendly options available.
Read more here: Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund – Use of Rabbits in Educational and Therapeutic Settings

The RWAF doesn’t support the use of rabbits in schools or therapeutic environments, including short-term visits or animal-assisted therapy.

16/07/2025

Travelling with your dog or cat?

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has released a practical guide to help you ensure your pet’s welfare during transport.

🐾 Covers behavioural + medical considerations

Click on the image to have a look:

Whether for relocation, rescue, breeding, or personal travel, transporting companion animals demands careful planning to ensure their safety, comfort, and well-being.

19/02/2025

Breed-Specific Legislation remains a controversial topic, but is it truly effective? In my latest article, I examine the evidence, challenge common misconceptions, and explore alternative solutions. I hope this contributes to the national conversation and fosters informed, constructive dialogue.

A veterinary surgeon and behaviourist’s perspective on canine welfare and policy in Malta