Lupologic GmbH

First, we received an 11-page questionnaire from the Lupologic practice regarding our Hovawart's medical history. It covered everything from his puppyhood to his diet, walks, and so on—everything down to the smallest detail. We weren't even supposed to bring our dog to the appointment, which took place in the spartan rooms at Fesserstrasse 21 in Neuss. Only after our veterinarian, who had recommended the appointment, inquired, was our dog allowed. We acquired our Hovawart from a breeder registered with the RZV (German Hovawart Club), believing we were getting a healthy, well-adjusted dog to join our family. Unfortunately, both the parent dogs and the breeding conditions were far from ideal, despite appearances. To use Lupologic's words, we had unfortunately ended up with a "black sheep" (a dog with a very low profile). We had hoped that Dr. Behr would help us manage our dog's aggressive territorial and food-related behaviors at home. Unfortunately, we received neither training tips nor any other assistance, except for the suggestion that we practice muzzle training at home. At the end of the appointment, Dr. Behr informed us that she expected videos of the situations from us next. How was that supposed to work? Was I supposed to ask our dog to wait until I turned on my phone to record a video for Dr. Behr when he growled or attacked? During the "interrogation"—because the appointment couldn't really be called a conversation—we had the impression that the sole purpose was to label our dog a "dangerous dog." However, on walks, he behaved completely normally towards us, strangers, and other dogs. There were also no problems at the Hovawart training grounds, which we had been visiting from the beginning. Dr. Behr sent us a bill for €194.80, including €90.42 for a neurological examination and clinical behavior assessment. This consisted solely of her taking a treat in her hand, holding it to her chest, and looking at us indignantly when our dog jumped up at her and licked her face to get the treat. Furthermore, Dr. Behr asked, somewhat perplexingly, whether our dog had been regularly dewormed—something she could have gleaned from the 11-page medical history. It's important to know that we had previously informed Dr. Behr that we had been advised at the Hovawart training grounds not to discourage our dog from jumping until after his youth evaluation. In my opinion, Dr. Behr is a pure theorist who cannot offer any practical help to pet owners seeking assistance. She made absolutely no attempt to address the problem we had in the first place. She showed no interest in the dog whatsoever. I cannot comment on her online courses and continuing education programs. Since there is unfortunately no 0 stars option, I have to give this rating less than 1 star.

Pet friendly

I tried to reach the practice for several days in a row, but without success. After three days, they finally replied to my email. But instead of telling me when the next available appointment was, they sent me an 11-page questionnaire to fill out, and only then would they contact me about an appointment. I'd really like to know in advance approximately how long the waiting time for an appointment is, as I don't want to wait forever. And you can't ask this by phone, as no one ever answers. Well, at least I've now found a great behavioral therapist in Hürth.

The appointment with Dr. Behr consisted almost entirely of discussing the questionnaire. After that, there was a brief mention of "homework": a video and the latest blood test results from the vet. The video was fine...that's okay. I even brought the blood test results with me, but no, they'd rather look at them in peace. Keep in mind, the appointment was scheduled for two hours, and I was allowed to leave after 1 hour and 5 minutes...they could have easily spent another 55 minutes on it. Then they wanted to call the vet and my trainer...I have no idea why. In any case, I felt completely disregarded, and my dog ​​was totally ignored. Now they've charged me 40 euros for "examination, clinical behavior." My dog ​​was either lying under my chair or in the furthest corner of the room...apparently, you pay 40 euros just for her to have seen him, simply because he was there. Dr. Behr sat at the table in front of me for the entire appointment and talked to ME. It was very disappointing.

Technically competent, certainly, but unfortunately totally unreliable. After we got an appointment super quickly, which I was very happy about because we were completely desperate, the session went really well. We spoke via Zoom and I finally got some help. Unfortunately, four months later, we haven't received a follow-up appointment or an invoice, despite repeated inquiries. They were supposed to get back to us the following week after speaking with our regular vet. That never happened. As I said, I inquired several times, and I was assured that Dr. Behr would be reminded and that this is how the billing process always works. Well, we've managed to sort it out ourselves now and are looking for a new, reliable behavior therapist. I find it incredibly difficult when statements are made in conversation like, "Pet owners always claim they do more than they actually do," and then the therapist doesn't stand by their own words.