Since 2004 in the UK, the Centre of Applied Animal Ethology (COAPE) has been developing EMRA, a revolutionary and highly successful way of treating behaviour problems in companion animals. EMRA is based on emotional assessment of the individual dog or cat rather than the quasi-diagnoses of behaviour problems of old that have often lead to standardised and unnecessarily complicated approaches to treatment. EMRA is a practical, easy to use, yet powerful approach that assists the therapist in identifying key emotional aspects of a problem behaviour and the factors reinforcing it, and defines how best to approach precise treatment. It is a kind and effective holistic method that enables the therapist to develop bespoke treatment plans for all common pet behaviour problems, and helps unravel and treat more complex and bizarre challenges far more effectively. Simply by placing how the pet feels at the heart of the treatment, the EMRA approach can take the pet, owner and behaviourist on a journey that is always enlightening and often fun and surprising on the pathway to improved behaviour and relationships.

Robert Falconer-Taylor is veterinarian, COAPE-Partner, as well as co-developer and lecturer at many COAPE-classes. He advises veterinarian and animal protection organizations and is involved with "the Puppy Plan", a big cooperation between the British Kennel Clubs and "Dog Trust", an organisation for animal protection.Peter Neville is founding partner of the COAPE-institute and (co-)author of 15 books, including the international bestseller "dog behaviour explained". He works as a lecturer, advisor of various organisations and regularly leads safaris in Africa to study the behaviour of wild dogs and large cats.Val Strong, COAPE-partner since 1977 did her master's degree in the area of pet behaviour consulting, with the speciality being the effects of food on behaviour. Strong is one of the leading experts in the training of assistant dogs and of seizure-alert dogs for people with epilepsy.

From the contentsAssessing emotions in problematic situationsAssessing life quality Understanding emotions and self-rewarding behaviourSix case studies for assessment and therapy of behavioural problemsBonus chapter: Case study of the usage of the EMRA-System for cats