Petsimonials

We rescued Murphy as a puppy during the pandemic, and although he was a pretty carefree young pup, once he turned one, serious issues with noise phobias started to set in for him. At its worst, we couldn’t even get Murphy to go on a walk, as he would just shake uncontrollably the whole time, sit down and refuse to go further. We were worried that his anxiety and fear was starting to really affect his quality of life.

We started working with Dr. Malamed, who took the time to get to know Murphy and his specific triggers and reactions. She taught us how to help him with training and gentle exposures to certain noises, while incorporating high-value treats to help Murphy reassociate some of his negative triggers with something more positive. This, combined with her ideas for certain medications, especially for ones that would be helpful during extremely stressful times like the Fourth of July or New Years Eve, has made a massive difference in Murphy’s life. On his day-to-day, his anxiety symptoms rarely bother him anymore. He’s back to loving walks and going to the dog park, and when a sound does trigger him, he manages it better and comes out of his fearful state quicker. We also got through the last Fourth of July with tremendous success. It was still stressful for Murph, but so much more manageable.

Murphy’s quality of life is greatly improved thanks to Dr. Malamed, and we know we have her as a resource throughout his life for any other struggles he encounters!

Paying for a dog psychiatrist was the most L.A. thing I have ever done (and that is saying a lot because I work in the film industry), and it was also the best money I spent in 2023.

When we approached Dr. Malamed, our bichon was exhibiting separation anxiety, demand-barking incessantly when he wanted attention, engaging in destructive behavior if the attention was not given, and refusing to be crated or confined (oh, but only when he was at home; he was fine being crated at the groomers or doggie daycare, just not with us, because of course!).

After a year of working with various trainers and reading all kinds of dog training books, nothing had worked. I felt at times as though I was an unpaid intern for the dog, and on the other hand, minoring in dog training. I was getting nowhere and seriously considering rehoming him.

I no longer feel that way, and as I write this, the dog is curled up in his crate, where he went of his own volition, happily chewing on one of his toys.

After one consultation, Dr. Malamed gave us a detailed behavioral program and prescribed both situational and daily meds. The behavioral program was so effective that we never ended up taking advantage of the daily meds and only use the situational meds extremely sparingly.

In other words, I wish we had retained her a year ago because it would have saved me a fortune and hours of my time 🙂

Kristina

Dr. Malamed was a life saver. My sweet dog, Bree, had an extreme amount of anxiety and fear. I had tried a number of solutions myself, but nothing worked. It seemed that poor Bree was never going to have the comfort and security she deserved.

I had to take Bree on a plane with me across the country. I couldn’t even imagine how terrifying it was going to be for both Bree and me. I was mentally preparing for a nightmare.

Luckily, I found Dr. Malamed before the trip. Dr. Malamed worked with Bree and taught me how to help Bree feel more secure. She also prescribed medicine that helped make the flight, the airport, and all the travelling so much easier! It was a miracle.

Bree and I still practice what Dr. Malamed taught us. Bree has a much better quality of life, it’s amazing. I highly recommend Dr. Malamed for help with any dog that has behavioral issues, she truly makes everything better.

Lynne

We rescued our sweet Olive and her brother Henry from a dog meat farm in South Korea a year and a half ago. For the first six months of their life at the dog meat farm, our dogs only knew abuse, deprivation and terror.

After we rescued the dogs, Olive had trouble becoming comfortable with her new surroundings. While her brother loved going out for walks, meeting new dogs and smelling new smells in his new neighborhood, Olive shook in fear for the entire walk. Any new person, car, dog, trash can, paper bag, even any abrupt sound, or the wind blowing through the trees, terrified her. She was anxious and unhappy.

We started working with Dr. Malamed about a year ago. Dr. Malamed worked with Olive and both of us to make sure that we were meeting Olive at her level, and implementing behavioral training that increased Olive’s trust for us and her confidence in the world around her. Due to the severity of her deprivation and her mistreatment as a young puppy, we also worked with Dr. Malamed to develop a pharmacological treatment plan to help ease Olive’s anxiety.

As a result, Olive has transformed. She is so much less anxious on her walks, when meeting new dogs and meeting new people. Olive has genuine quality of life. Her personality has started to shine through (as I write this testimonial, she is having a great evening playing with her brother, and more than holding her own during their wrestling matches). Olive is a happy, smart, well-behaved and very, very sweet dog.

We would not have been able to give Olive the full and happy life she deserves without Dr. Malamed’s help.

I’ll be honest, I was skeptical at first of dog behavior therapy. I just pictured a little psychiatrist’s office for dogs. So LA .I was afraid it would either be very new age, or like a certain TV show where we’d have to assert our dominance and push our dog around. But, we had to go as our recently rescued, frequently ill boxer, Hank started lunging and biting veterinarians.

My mind was eased as soon as we met Dr Malamed. She has a very balanced approach, keeping the people’s and dog’s needs in mind while also keeping everyone safe and happy. We instituted immediate, but not severe changes at home and at the vet’s office, and started on some slower, longer term goals, like getting him comfortable with being handled in areas he wasn’t so sure about, and not being so needy. We are still working on those, but he has come an incredibly long way. My husband and I have heard many remarks about his vastly improved behavior and attitude in the office and on the street (Hank has inflammatory bowel disease, so we are frequent vet goers.) He hasn’t tried to bite anyone in almost a year, and he is so relaxed while waiting at the office that he’ll take a quick snooze. When his temperature is taken, he doesn’t even flinch now, it’s amazing.

I didn’t expect how fun it would be to work with Hank. It’s amazing and exhilarating to see positive everyday changes. When we see a behavior we are not sure about, or have to change our routine in some way, I can email or call Dr Malamed for a follow-up. She is quick to respond and give advice or just confirmation that we are on the right track, or she will suggest changes if we are doing things that would make Hank uncomfortable. When I haven’t emailed in a while, she’ll contact me to make sure Hank is doing fine. I really value that. I highly recommend Dr Malamed to anyone whose animal has a behavior issue.

Valerie

I am the pet mom of a 3 1/2-year-old miniature poodle, Siggy, who at the age of six months suddenly became terrified of noises and people. Walking down a quiet residential street, he would try to run away if he saw someone a block away on the other side of the street or heard a car start up. A trip to the vet would leave him so drained that he would sleep for hours upon returning home and not return to normal until the next day.

I was referred to Dr. Malamed by Siggy’s vet after socialization exercises with an excellent trainer did not resolve the issues. Dr. Malamed really got 2 patients, as I have medical challenges of my own that she needed to work around. With love and understanding of everyone’s needs, she worked miracles with Siggy. Siggy is no longer fearful of noises. While still very shy, Siggy’s tolerance level for people stressors is much higher. We can go on walks without him becoming so stressed that he is in obvious pain. When he does become stressed in unavoidable situations, he recovers quickly. He is a much more confident, comfortable, relaxed, and happy Siggy who is a joy to be with!

Marqie

We had already tried two private dog trainers before finding Rachel. Our rescue dog came to us very leash reactive. We had been making some progress using positive reinforcement techniques but Rachel really helped us take behavior modification to the next level. Our dog has made noticeable progress working with Rachel.

Rachel has a very calm and easygoing demeanor that will put both you and your dog at ease. Her professionalism is reassuring and her approach is very thorough. You are in good hands with Rachel!

For 13 years, I lived in fear that Cosmo, my vet phobic cat, would have to go to the vet. Recently, at the age of 15, that became a necessity. The trip, with its unexpectedly positive outcome, was only possible because of Dr. Malamed’s brilliant guidance and support over the preceding months. The blend of behavioral therapy and anti anxiety medication made this outcome possible and even resulted in the vet tech describing Cosmo as a “good boy”. These certainly were not words I had ever heard anyone in the vet’s office use in relation to Cosmo. I cannot honestly say that I look forward to future visits to the vet, but I can now rest assured that I will be able to get medical help for my cat should it become necessary. The most amazing part of the process has been that Cosmo thinks our crate training is play and often initiates the start of a training session by going to the closet where his training reward toy is kept. Through the training, his fear of his crate has disappeared completely! I am truly grateful, with all my heart, for the highly effective behavioral plan developed for us by Dr. Malamed.

Sherry

Dr. Malamed,

Jeter has been doing great! He has been an absolute changed dog since our appointment. He is much more relaxed, happy, and care-free. When he has something to guard, he trusts me. It is amazing! When he would guard things at first, he would keep them in his mouth, growl and attack when someone approached. After our appointment, and ignoring the guarding, he would keep the object next to him. He will now lay down about a foot away from the object. He rolls on his back and accepts the affection without growls or any negative behavior. I have even kissed him on the head while an object seemed to be guarded. He has become such an amazing dog. The house is a much more relaxed and happy environment. Thank you for giving me my dog back!!

Kelly

When we adopted Larry 2 years ago, he was a petrified, trembling little ball of anxiety and aggression. He had been to countless foster homes, put through a litany of medication regimens, alternative diets, and training courses. Nothing seemed to work. He suffered severe abuse and almost complete isolation as a tiny puppy – when we got him at a year old he was completely unsocialized, untrusting and independent. We tried every recommendation in the book to make him comfortable, and although he progressed a little, he had severe behavioral and emotional issues that we had written off as unsolvable – until we found Dr. Malamed.

Her understanding of animal behavior and body language far eclipses any of the other programs we have been through. She was able to understand Larry on a level that no previous vet or trainer had before, and set us on a path to rebuild trust and reduce his general level of anxiety, moving extremely slowly so as not to push Larry too fast. This proved to be exactly what he needed. Other programs suggested cookie-cutter training methods that were far too anxiety provoking for such a sensitive dog, and in hindsight made things worse.

Under Dr. Malamed’s program, Larry’s results have been nothing short of remarkable. Within a few short weeks, we have seen Larry transform from a fearful and reactive dog to a pup who trusts us and is able to (finally) relax in his own home.

In addition to the suggested behavioral and household modifications, Dr. Malamed worked with us to go over Larry’s prescription history and identified medications and dosages that proved extremely helpful in taking the edge off of his severe anxiety.

She communicates in a way that is gentle and understanding and is a true pleasure to work with. We couldn’t be happier with our results and look forward to a continued partnership! By far the best thing we have ever done for our pup.

Thanks again!!!

Avery

I took my pitmix rescue, Wilco, to Dr. Rachel Malamed at the California Veterinary Behavior Clinic in March of 2011 as he was suffering from severe separation anxiety. When I say severe, although he was not intentionally destructive, he pooped, peed, barked, sobbed, paced, drooled constantly while we were gone and would not touch his food or treats (he is ordinarily a glutton). Although he was fine in his crate when we were home, when we left he was even worse, eventually breaking out of it. He was absolutely miserable, a pathetic mess. This was all confirmed by video. Fortunately we work from home and he loves doggie daycare so he doesn’t need to be left alone often but no one wants to be held hostage or not be able to go out to a movie or dinner.

After an extensive written history, watching our videos and personal observation, Dr. Malamed prescribed a treatment plan to implement before leaving in addition to a detailed behavior modification plan. Over the course of 6 months Wilco gradually improved. Fortunately he had no adverse side effects from any of the meds. He was better with each subsequent departure. We weaned him off the medicine in November and although I won’t say he looks forward to out departures) he is calm, happy, enjoys his treats, no longer barks or shows any signs of anxiety while we’re gone.

Dr. Malamed is an excellent vet and has terrific “bedside manner” with both human and canine clients. And sure, people look at you funny when you tell them your dog has a shrink but you know what; when there is treatment available, why suffer? Whether you are a human or a dog.

Randi

Helios is a 7-year-old domestic short hair that I picked up off the street when he was approximately 3 months old. He’s been a wonderful love-bug and massively cuddly. He mostly gets along with my two other cats. However, when he was about 5-years old (after I had moved to a new place with a new roommate), he started urinating in inappropriate places (the couch, my bed – while I sleeping in it!, piles of laundry, and my shoes). He was still friendly and affectionate with me, but sometimes would pick fights with the other cats. I had tried extra play time, extra litter boxes, adding cat trees, adding extra feeding/watering stations, and still had trouble with this! I just accepted that my apartment was going to smell like cat pee, since giving him up to a shelter was not an option.

I took him to the vet for his annual check up and was referred to Dr. Malamed for more behavioral help due to the lack of a medical reason for the inappropriate urination. Dr. Malamed was very thourough in her assessment of Helios to make sure she had a good medical and behavioral history before she offered any interventions. Her positive energy was inspriring – it brought me hope that I could live differently. She helped me find some additional ways to help redirect him back to the litterbox, which has, for the most part been successful. He still “relapses” sometimes, but it is usually because I wasn’t as strict on the plan that Dr. Malamed had suggested and he can’t be blamed for that. With the help from Dr. Malamed, Helios and the other cats are happier, I’m happier, and guests like to come over since the apartment doesn’t smell like cat pee!

Cadyn

I was about to consider putting my cat down or relinquishing him to a shelter due to severe aggression (he bit my nose which required 30 stitches). I’ve had many cats during my lifetime but had never had one that acted like this. I soon discovered that Matchka was having stress related issues and within 2 weeks of seeing Dr. Rachel Malamed and following her recommendations he became much calmer and relaxed. PLEASE make an appointment with a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist to identify why the cat is acting the way it does and what the issue is. You could not find a more caring, loving, intuitive, or knowledgeable Doctor than Dr. Malamed. If not for her and her expertise I may have gotten rid of Matchka and not be enjoying the tight bond I now have with my boy! And because of Dr. Malamed’s knowledge, the human/animal bond grows stronger with each passing day. All I can say is thank you so much Dr. Rachel! You are worth every penny!

Kelly

I was impressed with Dr. Malamed even before I met her! Her credentials as a Veterinarian and board certified animal behaviorist were exactly what I was looking for. Extensive intake forms that I completed and returned before her home visit assured that she was going to know as much about my two kitties and the situation before her arrival. Dr. Malamed is kind, knowledgeable, and thorough. Before her home visit, one of my cats had an inappropriate urination problem, meaning that he was marking furniture and other things outside of his litter box on nearly a daily basis. I knew that Cowboy didn’t want to be a “bad” kitty, but I needed help understanding what to do about the problem.

Dr. Malamed made absolutely on target recommendations. The result of Dr. Malamed’s visit and care is that Cowboy’s marking outside the litter box has decreased from nearly every day to maybe once a month, and usually only during a particularly stressful time such as when I am out of town. Even then, he has only marked on one particular item that is easily washed. This has made for much greater peace in our household, for humans and felines alike!

One of the things that I really appreciate about Dr. Malamed is her willingness for follow-up care and recommendations. I really felt that she was always accessible and that she was monitoring Cowboy’s progress even after her visit. I really enjoyed working with Dr. Malamed. She has done a great job with Cowboy, and his behavior is MUCH improved!

Kim

Nothing is more frightening than to have a pet in distress! Knowing we needed an expert, we came to Dr. Rachel Malamed to address behavioral and separation anxiety issues being displayed by our ChowChow Nakita–often considered a very difficult and stubborn breed to handle or interact with from the outside.With a very clear and customized action plan set forth by Dr. Malamed, we had success! The tools and information we gained from Dr. Malamed and her supportive staff fundamentally changed the quality of life for our dog and family. In our case, through behavioral techniques and medication we were able to change Nakita’s behavior and become proactive, rather reactive to her needs. As our dog became deaf and blind, the skills we gained helped our dog transition during very challenging physiological changes. She was able to overcome profound levels of anxiety and live a more productive life.We will always be in gratitude!

Mark and Melinda

Giggsy (our four and a half year old Corgi) has been a patient of Dr. Malamed for about six months. As a puppy Giggsy suffered a traumatic event which caused her to be extremely anxious and fearful of going outside. At her worst, Giggsy wouldn’t go outside (even to go to the bathroom) at all during the day.

My husband and I had tried a variety of different strategies to help Giggsy overcome or at least cope with her fears. Unfortunately, all the products, training, and private sessions with various different trainers never worked. At the point that we had reached out to Dr. Malamed, Giggsy’s fear had gotten progressively worse from all the differing approaches.

It wasn’t until we started working with Dr. Malamed that we really began to see Giggsy’s behavior improve. One of the benefits of Dr. Malamed is that she comes into your home and is able to observe your pet’s behavior where it matters most. Additionally, because she is a veterinary behaviorist she helps treat not just the behavior, but also get to the underlying psychological and physiological source of the problem. We had consulted with veterinarians and obedience trainers, but it wasn’t until we started working with Dr. Malamed who is overwhelmingly skilled in both that we have really been able to address Giggsy’s issues.

We continue to look forward to Giggsy overcoming her fears, and cannot thank Dr. Malamed enough. Dr. Malamed really took her time to get a handle on Giggsy’s issues, was extremely understanding and responsive to any of our follow –up questions, and checks in on her progress often.

Lulu Belle, my rescued long haired Chihuahua, has had issues with loud noise; fireworks, hammering, nail guns etc. Regular vet and I had tried everything from tranquilizers to holistic Rescue Remedy. Nothing worked, with the first noise Lulu would start pacing and panting, which rapidly turned to her frantically running around the house. Last year (2014) after several months of reacting to loud noises coming from next door neighbor she finally broke thru the fence. She was hit by a car several miles from the house, which resulted in a dislocated hip, broken ankle and 14 weeks of recuperation time. Besides cementing the fence closed, I knew I had to do something to help Lulu learn how to deal with loud noises. My regular vet recommended veterinary behaviorists, Dr. Malamed. Of course, most of my family and friends thought I was crazy to take my dog to see a behaviorist. Lulu’s well-being was more important and so the appointment was made and off to LA we went. Dr. Malamed was our last hope, as I said I had tried everything short of rehoming Lulu! Initially we tried anti-anxiety medications in addition to the behavior modification exercises, but in the end the medication did not work well with Lulu. However, the behavior modification has worked perfectly. I’m happy to say Lulu Belle made it through this year’s 4th of July with flying colors. Six months out, I can use the command without the treats and Ms. Lulu is a calm and happy young dog.

I will be forever grateful for Dr. Malamed’s guidance and methods.

Teri

My orange tabby and I moved-in with my fiance and his two bengal cats. Unfortunately, my fiance’s bengals did not welcome my tabby. Both of the bengals were very mean to my cat. One constantly hissed and growled at my cat, and the other attacked my cat whenever he could. We had to keep my cat locked in a room to keep him protected from the bengals when we left the house, or when could not closely watch them. He was either locked in a room or being hunted by the bengals. He always had scratches on his face where the bengals had drawn blood during attacks. He even got an infection from one of the bad scratches he got from the bengals. Eventually, my cat began marking inside our house many times per day. Our home was a stressful place to be.

We tried creating positive associations and working with the cats on our own, but after months of having to either keep the cats separate or break-up fights when the cats were together, we decided that we needed professional help. Our vet recommended Dr. Rachel to us.

Rachel helped us to provide the cats with more enrichment and positive associations. With her assistance, my tabby stopped marking and one of the bengals started to like my tabby. The other bengal was more difficult, but now sleeps with my tabby and they even groom each other! Often, all three cats sleep together on the same bed.

Rachel took what appeared to be a hopeless situation, and caused a miracle for us. My tabby no longer has to be locked in a room when we leave the house; and he almost never marks. The bengals seem to like my tabby, and instead of playing referee every night, we have a peaceful home life.

Rachel is down-to-earth and very intellectual. She is great at what she does. We are so pleased with her work; we highly recommend her.

Elizabeth

When my husband and I found Dr. Malamed, I was at the end of my rope and she was truly our last resort. We adopted Mosley Bear, our 2 year old Pitbull, in December of 2013. Though he is the sweetest, most loving dog you will ever meet, we learned very quickly that he suffered from a severe form of separation anxiety. When we left the house with the dogs in the backyard, Mosley displayed destructive behavior such as chewing through our wooden fence.

We replaced those gates with thick iron plated gates. He took to chewing on the side of house, and actually even chewed through a metal door frame and broke multiple teeth. We tried crating him and he would escape the crate and severely injure himself in the process. Both of us work full time and although we never leave the dogs alone for more than 6 hours at a time, even an hour was a problem for Mosley. At this point our other dog had just torn her ACL and had to have surgery, we found out we were expecting a baby, and were just desperate for help.

Dr. Malamed came to our house to meet Mosley and to evaluate him in his environment. She was knowledgeable, friendly and extremely accessible and responsive to emails throughout the process. She was always willing to look at our “departure videos” and give us feedback on his progress. It took about 3-4 months and a combination of behavior modification and the correct dosage of the medicine. Mosley was a completely different dog. Seven months later, I am happy to report that Mosley is doing amazing and can be left inside while we are at work. All of us couldn’t be happier! We are so lucky to have found Dr. Malamed!!

Christina

Fear and aggression issues with my cat Ava, that had been going on for years, led me to call Dr. Rachel.

So glad I did. With her help I have been able to bring my cat around again to her old happy self.

Erik D

We were referred to Dr. Malamed by our vet after our otherwise delightful and charming 22 month old standard poodle, Tax, showed signs of “stranger induced aggression.” He had never bitten, but he began to bark aggressively at strangers and visitors to our home, even visitors he knew and loved. Our vet told us that although he had never bitten anyone, “you can never trust him around strangers and you may need to put him down.” Needless to say, we were terrified and jumped into action.

For our initial session, Dr. Malamed came to our home. Her bedside manner was relaxed, honest, funny and accessible; we were immediately at ease. After speaking with us for almost an hour, she had us bring Tax into the room on a leash, and she did a series of diagnostic exercises with him. It was clear that he was suffering from anxiety, and that his anxiety took the form of aggression. She gave us a detailed training/treatment protocol.

We were compliant and followed her instructions to the letter. His improvement was almost immediate. By the end of six weeks, we had a different dog: calmer, more obedient, and most importantly, there has not been a single incident of aggression since the day Dr. Malamed came to our house. His follow up was at her office, and she could not believe he was the same dog! He was completely relaxed around her and all of the strangers in her office, and thankfully, he does not need medication.

We are realistic about how we need to manage Tax, and that training him will be a lifelong endeavor, but we now have the tools and the knowledge to keep him and our human friends safe. Her diagnosis and treatment protocol were spot on, and we are so grateful for her assistance.

Mindy & Nicolas

Dr. Malamed was recommended to me by my dog’s Canine Good Citizen trainer when she realized I was having a hard time training my dog Malta effectively because Malta was too scared in public places to focus on learning commands or to be comfortable accepting rewards.

When I met with Rachel, Malta was unable to go anywhere outside my apartment complex without a lot of fear. Rachel accommodated us by meeting us at my apartment and observing Malta’s behavior. She gave me a detailed list of clear, simple instructions to help train the fear out of Malta in combination with medication. I was very hesitant to put my dog on medication, but I trusted Dr. Malamed and the medication had a life changing effect on Malta. She finally calmed down enough to eat and sleep regularly. She stopped pacing around all the time and she started to make eye contact, to focus more, and to enjoy being a dog. My neighbors who often care for my dog when I’m at work and who were also skeptical later kept telling me Malta was a whole new dog.

Dr. Malamed was great about follow up and her instructions really trained me how to manage my dog’s issues more effectively. Malta has since become less scared of the car and even did a three block walk around the neighborhood along side the neighbor’s dog recently. The progress has been slow, but would have been impossible without Dr. Malamed’s insight, instruction, and treatment. I have recommended her to several friends and I am grateful she was able to intervene with my dog so that Malta and I could both live happier lives.

Ali

I am the mom of Lexie a 5 year old Dachshund. Lexie has been suffering from separation anxiety since the first day of adoption when she was 8 weeks old. At that time I thought that she would get better as she aged but that didn’t happen!!! As she got older her anxiety worsened and I was afraid that she would hurt her self. She tore up the carpet badly. I couldn’t believe that such a small dog could do this!! I began to place a heavy object on top of the carpet where she would chew but she managed to move it. This is when I decided to contact Dr Rachel Malamed.

She suggested to video tape her to see her reaction when she was home alone, so I did. When I saw the video it broke my heart. Dr Rachel showed me how to help Lexie to relax and how to teach her that it was ok for her to stay home alone. Not only did she help Lexie but she did helped me as well. As Lexie developed separation anxiety, I did too. I worried and was in such a hurry to comeback home for her. Now those days are gone! Thank you so much Dr. Rachel. You are a life saver!!

Norma

When we moved to Los Angeles with our severely anxious 8 year old dachshund Lucy, we were devastated to leave our former behaviorist behind. Our pup was worse than ever after the big move and we were at the vet with her at least once a month for anxiety-related issues. We were no longer able to leave her home alone for any length of time–she began howling, pacing, drooling, and shaking the second we went for the keys. We were miserable. Prisoners in our own home, terrified we would lose our apartment due to noise-complaints if we so much as ran to the grocery store.

Finally, our vet referred us to Dr. Rachel. We were hesitant to see yet another Dr. because we felt like we had tried everything (years with a behaviorist, several different long and short term meds, etc.).

Dr. Rachel was calm, patient, and confident about helping the three of us and worked with us to create and fine-tune a treatment program. Fast forward a year later and we have never been happier. Lucy actually enjoys spending time alone when we leave her! We couldn’t believe it the first time we video taped her and discovered her playing with her toys and sleeping the entire work day! We recommend Dr. Rachel to friends and neighbors any time someone mentions an issue with their pet. We are so grateful to have found her!

Sydney, Stuart, and Lucy

Our cat Muffin had anxiety and behavioral issues that got worse and worse over a couple of years. We were referred to Dr. Malamed by our (wonderful) vet at Mohawk Alley after Prozac helped some but not all of them. The one thing we couldn’t solve was the persistent way Muffin behaved around feeding times, sometimes waking us for breakfast by way of face-biting at 4:00 in the morning. Dr. Malamed recognized Muffin’s anxiety and attention seeking actions, but it was more than that. Dr. Malamed understood her! After we felt like we’d tried everything, she provided simple, concrete enrichment activities for Muffin that worked, I’m not kidding, immediately. Muffin went from a cat who seemed unhappy and was preventing us from getting sleep to a content and even playful cat.

So far, our sleep and our beloved kitty’s well-being have been restored. I can’t overstate what a gigantic help Dr. Malamed’s advice was! She knows her stuff. She knows pets.

Danielle

Wally is a sweet and loving terrier, and my husband and I love him very much.  He’s a very smart little guy who learns very quickly, but he is extremely sensitive to stimuli.  He would not be able to stop himself from reacting – it was like he had zero impulse control.  No matter what we did, no matter how many positive training classes we took him to, we could not draw him away or calm him down from whatever was upsetting him at the time without physically removing him from the situation. After several intense reactions that we could not pinpoint the true cause, we became concerned that there was a medical issue.  After ruling out a physical illness with our vet, we were led to Dr. Rachel Malamed.  Dr. Malamed came to our home, and as she walked in, she knew exactly how to approach a very sensitive, very reactive little terrier.  She was kind, professional, and extremely patient with us and Wally.  Through our sessions with her, Wally has shown huge improvements in his desensitization, and his fear-based reactions have become less and less as time goes on.  Dr. Malamed helped us give our little guy some relief from his own anxieties and showed us new ways to help train him to handle his impulses better.  He’s a much happier dog because of her help, and we are so very grateful to have worked with her.

Lauren

I’ve owned Clancy for 10 years after rescuing him from a shelter when he was 2. I have owned many dogs in my life, but Clancy was by far the most difficult. He is extremely sweet but his separation anxiety had gotten so intense over the years that it became impossible to ever leave him alone. If he was left outside of a cage he would scratch at doors or pull down our curtains. If he was left in a cage, he would panic and, most of the time, try to escape the cage. This lead to him destroying multiple wire cages and severely hurting his teeth. I spent quite a bit of money on a fairly intense behavior training that involved shock collars and extreme discipline. This seemed to temporarily work, but after a few months I realized that he was basically the same but now terrified of us hurting him with the shock collars. Besides literally not being effective, I now felt my training was inhumane. At my wit’s end, a recommendation from my vet lead me to Dr. Malamed. Dr. Malamed came to my home, thoroughly evaluated Clancy and came up with a plan that combined medication with a (much more humane) training method that would get Clancy to be comfortable being left alone. The regiment made sense, but I was skeptical as I have essentially been trying to accomplish this over the course of 10 years. To my surprise, within 3 weeks Clancy totally took to the training and could be left alone. 8 months later and he is doing just as well. I can leave him at home, outside of cage for hours and when I come back, he is relaxed and happy. A total miracle.

I cannot express how drastically Dr. Malamed’s interventions improved our situation. My entire life was at the mercy of protecting this dog from ever being alone (for fear he would hurt himself.) No more. Moreover, the methods for training Clancy were not punitive or painful. They were humane and involved positive reinforcement (high value treats) for good behavior (as opposed to punishment for bad behavior.) I can not recommend Dr. Malamed enough and am truly thankful for the work she did to improve the life of me and my dog.

Adam

Rachel has been instrumental in the emotional health of our dog Mikey. Mikey has always been a giant ball of love and energy, but Rachel has helped us find the right approach to help Mike feel more calm, safe, and less anxious when he is home, when guests come over, and when people walk by our home. We’ve seen a direct improvement in Mike’s happiness and arousal level since working with Rachel. It’s not an overstatement to say that finding the right behavior modification techniques for Mike changed our life and our dog’s life for the better. Thank you Rachel!

Todd

Aki is a sweet well-behaved Golden Retriever that gets along with everyone from humans, other dogs, and even cats. He is a pleasant dog to live with and I and everyone in my family loves him very much. However, he is very fearful and sensitive around loud sudden noises, especially fireworks. It started to affect his quality of life as I could not take him outside without a loud noise triggering a panic attack. He also started to generalize that fear to other noises such as car engines and gun shots. I live in an area where fireworks occur frequently and there there’s a shooting range attached to the park where I walk him daily.

I knew that I had to do something to make things better so that he could live a full happy life. Initially, I sought help from a certified pet training professional, but the trainer recommended that I should get help from a veterinary behaviorist as well. This is when I found Dr. Rachel Malamed.

Dr. Malamed knew exactly what Aki had been going through. Aki was given some desensitization/counterconditioning regiments and medications for his noise phobia. With her intervention, unsurprisingly, he has made major improvements. He can go out for walks and play without panic attacks now. He is no longer fearful around car and gunshot noises. Although he still does not like the sound of fireworks, he does not go into a full blown panic attack.

I know with what Dr. Malamed has taught me, I can continue on the regiment and get him to where he needs to be. Her methods are completely humane, force-free, science based, and best of all: effective. Aki and I are forever grateful for Dr. Malamed and I cannot recommend her enough!

Tyler