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Behavioral issues can cause a lot of stress — whether you just brought a dog or cat home, or the furry family member you’ve had for years is struggling. You’re upset, they’re upset. It can be a vicious cycle, but behavioral training could help.
Learn about the different types of training for your four-legged friend — and how pet insurance could help you shoulder related costs.
MetLife Pet can typically help provide coverage for behavioral training. The most straightforward way is through our optional Preventive Care add-on plan. This add-on allows you to be reimbursed for behavioral training for any reason — according to your reimbursement percentage and up to your annual limit.1,2
You may also be eligible for coverage with one of our standard insurance plans in very specific circumstances. If your pet receives a vet’s diagnosis for anxiety or aggression that isn’t a pre-existing condition, and the vet recommends behavioral training as a treatment, the training could be covered. Check out our coverage and exclusions page for more details.
Behavioral training isn’t the same as obedience training, which refers to teaching pets things like how to gently take treats, walk on a leash without pulling, and listen to basic commands — like sit, stay, and speak.
With behavioral training, potentially problematic behaviors are addressed. Some of these behaviors can look like excessive barking or licking, aggression toward people or other animals, resource guarding, and destructive behavior — like chewing or scratching.3
The type of professionals who offer behavior training can include trainers, certified professional dog trainers (CPDTs), applied animal behaviorists, certified applied animal behaviorists (CAABs), and associate certified applied animal behaviorists (ACAABs). The level of education and training varies among these titles, but all share a goal of helping pet owners identify, understand, and treat behavioral conditions.3
Pet behavior training can include a variety of approaches, including:4
The trainer or veterinary behaviorist you work with may even combine techniques, depending on your pet’s needs.
Standard pet insurance usually doesn’t cover standard obedience training. But in certain circumstances, pet insurance may provide coverage for behavioral training. For example, if a vet diagnoses your pet with a new condition and also recommends behavioral training as treatment for that condition, standard pet insurance may help you cover related costs. In most situations, a preventive care add-on like MetLife Pet’s can help you with behavioral training costs.
Standard pet training alone likely won’t help resolve all behavioral problems. In that case, a dog insurance policy or cat insurance policy might be a good idea to help you offset the costs of specialized behavioral treatment.
Let’s go over some common behavioral issues in dogs that could be helped by behavioral training.
Aggression in dogs may look like something as harmless as a change in posture or growling, but it can escalate to biting — which is why controlling aggression in dogs is important. There are many reasons a dog might become aggressive. For example, if they’re being defensive of their food, perceive a threat, or are being protective. They can also be specific types of aggression, like maternal aggression, or aggression related to pain or illness.5
MetLife Pet may be able to cover some of the costs for dog training that helps with aggressive behaviors.
Many pets miss their owners when they leave, but separation anxiety is when your pet exhibits extreme reactions when left alone. This could include destructive behavior, constant whining or howling, and trying to escape. A dog may also seem depressed or anxious if they can tell you’re about to leave.6
Coverage through MetLife Pet might help offset costs associated with training that helps with anxious behaviors.
Dogs can suffer from fears and phobias — just like humans — that stem from environmental triggers, like fireworks, or traumatic experiences. Dogs may also feel fearful in large crowds or other loud environments and may show this fear through signs like shaking, pacing, or whining.7
Costs for behavior training that helps address fear-based issues might be partially covered with MetLife Pet.
While it may be easy to think of dog behavior challenges, cats can also experience them. Let’s look at some cat behavioral issues that you might be able to help address with behavioral training.
Cats may become aggressive for many reasons, including if they’re feeling territorial, stressed, or afraid. Similar to dogs, there are also different types of feline aggression, like redirected aggression and pain-induced aggression. If your cat is feeling afraid or aggressive, you may notice changes to their pupil size and ear placement. They may also hiss, scratch, or bite. These behaviors can be more prevalent as cats approach maturity, so spaying or neutering them early on could help reduce the likelihood of them happening.8
Coverage through MetLife Pet might help offset costs associated with cat training aimed at treating aggression.
If your cat is going beyond normal grooming habits and excessively licking, biting, scratching, or chewing themselves throughout the day, it could be a sign of stress or even a medical condition. Also called overgrooming, this can cause cats to lose their fur, which can have other negative consequences if left unaddressed.9
MetLife Pet might be able to cover some of the costs for cat training that helps treat behaviors resulting from stress or health conditions.
It may not be pleasant for pet parents, but some urine marking or spraying is actually normal in cats. However, if your cat is continuously urine marking or spraying outside of their litter box, it could be a sign of frustration, lack of enrichment, or even health conditions and behavioral illnesses.10
Costs for behavior training that helps address marking or inappropriate urination issues might be partially covered with MetLife Pet.
At MetLife Pet, we know how important your pet’s health is. We also know you don’t just want your dog or cat to be physically healthy — you also want them to be happy and stress-free. Addressing any concerns affecting their mental and emotional health is just as important, and that’s why we’re here to help.
If your pet is exhibiting signs of a behavioral issue, MetLife Pet could help you pay for exam fees, behavioral training, and prescribed medications to help treat the issue. That way, your focus can be on your pet’s mental and physical health, not vet bills. Enroll your pet today, starting with a free quote.
