'Dog whisperer' ready to straighten out the mongrels

Recidivist dogs whose bites are as bad as their barks or cats that spray their owner's sofa may be offered fresh hope thanks to an animal expert who specialises in behavioural problems.

Professor Natalie Waran's Animal Behaviour Centre at Auckland's Unitec aims to get inside the minds of her four-legged clients to establish the root causes of antisocial animal behaviour, whether it is biting the children or destroying the furniture.

Professor Waran said research had shown more than 40 per cent of all pets have some form of behavioural problem but the clinic of five specialists, which includes two qualified dog trainers, was ready to deal with a range of issues and species. MORE>>