For eight years, I worked remotely from a home office for organizations that were in different time zones. Perhaps that is why virtual consultations came so naturally to me. However, if you are not used to spending 30 to 40 hours a week online, the concept may be somewhat daunting. My goal herein is to provide some guidance to get you thinking about if and how you might add virtual consults to your list of behavioral services, which can be appropriate for any species, from dog to cat, from horse to parrot, and from pig to bunny.
Why bother?
Perhaps the most important question to ask is why bother considering virtual consult services? Of course, there are many cases that are not at all conducive to virtual consults, ones where you must be in the home, or working hands-on with the animal and directly interacting with the family. For example, working with a leash-reactive dog is not necessarily suited to virtual consults. Additionally, virtual consults will not likely be the only service you offer. However, they can serve as a nice supplement.
On the other hand, I find there are many cases where not being in the room can actually be beneficial to the session. For example, shy, skittish pets who hide when visitors are around will benefit from your absence. Virtual consults also work well for quick follow-ups or refresher sessions. Also, let us not forget the pet owners who live in an area where there is no professional who specializes in the species they need assistance with. Finally, virtual consultations are a great option for colleagues working on cases they are struggling with who need outside input from a more experienced professional.
Options
Virtual consultation service options can include phone, email, live video, or pre-recorded video sessions. Which service options you offer will be dependent partly on your comfort and skill and partly on your client base’s comfort and skill. If you serve mostly millennials, you can probably be much more technically inclined. For example, these clients will likely enjoy live-streaming apps that record sessions to the cloud, for you and them to discuss together. If you serve mostly older baby boomers or their parents, you may want to have more low-tech options, such a telephone consults with video recorded by a family member. I personally like to offer something in between, as that is what best suits my client base.
The other main factors in determining what service options you offer are the type of behaviors you are treating, the severity of the case, and the level of the client’s skill. If a case is not something I feel is appropriate for virtual sessions—for example, aggression toward first-time dog owners, especially with a bite history—I will try to refer. If that is not an option, I may offer a virtual session for management options and make it very clear to the client that we are working on management only. However, other cases, such as litterbox avoidance, can work quite well with virtual consults all the way through to the resolution of the issue.
I personally do not offer email or phone consultations, as they tend to require extensive written details and/or video clips, which I find take too much of my time. For example, a full video tour of the home and yard can result in a very long video. I primarily offer live video consultations, as I like to see the client’s face when I am explaining things to them, and I like to have the option of watching the pet in action and guiding training. In this article, I will be focusing primarily on video consults.
Technology
First and foremost, it is critical that you become familiar with whatever software you plan to use. There are a variety of free and paid options out there, but personally, I like Skype. It is free, has been around for a while, and most of my client base can figure it out. Further, I find Skype to be compatible with most hardware and operating systems; it has its limitations, but for the most part is reliable and widely available. Whatever you choose, learn it inside and out so you can verbally walk a client through various troubleshooting steps. You may also want to look into recording services, so you can record your consultations for you or your client to review later.
Whatever technology you plan to use, you will want to become very comfortable with all of it. If you have limited experience, I recommend setting up meetings with friends or family, or even free “test” consults with clients. If a client needs tech help, you may want to consider offering a free dry run to troubleshoot any issues.
Preparing your client
As behavior professionals, we all know that a key component of stress reduction is knowing what to expect! We also know the worst time to try to learn how to perform a skill is in the midst of the situation that requires it. The same is true for your human clients. It is important that your client is well informed and prepared ahead of your virtual consult.
You may want to consider whether you will need the client to “show” you around the house or follow the pet. Let them know if they should be prepared to take their webcam along for a walk, so they can let you know if this is even an option, and figure out if there are parts of the home where wi-fi does not work.
I recommend providing your clients with a clear, succinct, instructional handout or video ahead of the consultation. The instructions should very clearly outline various details of the session, including but not limited to:
- Who will call whom
- Step-by-step instructions for making a call
- What will happen in the case of technology malfunction
- A back-up plan
Gathering background information
With in-person clients, a completed history ahead of time is optional. In virtual sessions, however, I make a history form mandatory so that I can be as prepared as possible. I review the history and make note of what areas require additional details or information. All of us know all too well that clients can take the time constraints of a session off the rails! I find this to be even more true in a remote session. Additionally, some clients may send video of the behavior ahead of time to review.
How you gather your background information is entirely up to you. You can email the form, use online file sharing software such as DropBox or Google Docs, or you can create an online form. If you create your own history form to email, be sure the document formatting does not get all wonky when opening in another software version or operating system. You will also want to clearly instruct the client on how to get the details back to you. I personally use Jotform, a free web service that lets me create forms clients can fill out and submit online, so I have access to them in case I forget a file. No emailing of documents is involved, and it is minimal work for clients.
Conducting the session
When the virtual session begins, the biggest issue you may encounter (besides technical glitches) is running over time. Virtual sessions by nature tend to require more lengthy discussion, so I try to lay out the timeline from the start of the session. I let clients know the planned start, wrap-up, and stop times for the session. I tell them ahead that I may interrupt them if we start getting off track, let them know the time we will need to begin wrapping it up, and also inform them of any overage charges if they decide to extend the session. I always communicate if the session can go over, or if my next appointment is too tight to allow it. You don’t want to end a session mid-conversation!
I have a printed timeline I keep next to my computer to help me stay on track. If my schedule does not allow an extended session, I always let them know. For example, I may say “If we end up going over time today, there will be an $X per minute charge.” OR “I have an appointment immediately after ours, so I will need to wrap up by X o’clock and am not able to extend the session.” Set the ground rules from the start, and stick to them.
Wrapping up
I always allow 15 minutes at the end of the session for housekeeping. This is when I schedule any follow-ups and collect payment. I try to collect payment during the session, rather than having them pay me later, because we are both thinking about it. That way, I do not have to remember to track it down later in case either of us forgets. Also, the best time to secure a follow-up is when you are in direct contact with the client. This is when they are most invested, so it’s wise to schedule the next session then, rather than having them let you know later. As I would during an in-person session, I remind the client I will be sending a written summary of our session as well as instructions for follow-up or questions.
There is no one right way to conduct virtual consultation services, but I hope this information answered some of your questions and got you thinking about this option. Over time, you will modify the process to suit your needs and services. You may find virtual consultations are not for you, or you may find it is a wonderful way to round out your services and income.
Katenna Jones, ScM, ACAAB, CCBC, CDBC, CPDT-KA, has been working professionally with cats and dogs since 2000. She has served as a behaviorist for the American Humane Association, contracts with the ASPCA Behavior Team during hoarding, fight and cruelty cases, and has extensive experience working with both cats and dogs in shelter and private home settings. Katenna offers private behavior consulting and professional development services through her business Jones Animal Behavior.
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Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of 
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.