Latest Articles
Thinking Outside the Shelter
Behavioral services for companion animals can be so resource intensive that shelter administrators may consider in-house behavior programs to be a luxury rather than a necessity.
When shelter leadership does take a chance on starting up a behavior department, minimal funding is often ...
Dog Parks: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality
According to the most recent report issued by the Trust for Public Land (TPL) (2019), dog parks “are among the fastest growing park amenities in the combined parks systems of the 100 largest US cities. There are currently 810 dedicated dog parks in the 100 largest cities, an increase of 37 ...
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What Makes a Good Temperament?
It is a common misconception that “All a dog needs is love” or “It’s how you raise them” to increase the chances – or even “guarantee” – a dog will have a good temperament. And although these things are very important, there are a lot more ...
Found in Translation
Vocalizations are part of communication, and we have a pretty good idea of what it means when we hear a horse squeal, or a dog growl. But these are generalizations. Even vocalizations that seem to have one specific meaning (because they are ...
Understanding, Identifying, and Coping with Canine Stress
Just like us, our dogs can and do experience stress. And just as stress can make us feel afraid, hyper, edgy, or irritable, it can do the same to our dogs.
As a pet behavior consultant, I have observed that most behavior problems with ...
The Emotions of Reactivity
Reactivity refers to canine behavior whereby a dog is over aroused by something in the environment. For some dogs it may be the sight of another dog. For others, it may be a child riding a bike or a jogger passing by the window. Or any ...
Resource Guarding vs. Rule Setting: Training and Management
How do we know if we’re dealing with resource guarding or rule setting? For me, the answer lies in a constellation of observable behaviors which, taken together, tell the tale. I think of this as The Zones.
Ownership ...
Playing It Safe
“Predation by domestic cats Felis catus can be a threat to biodiversity conservation, but its mitigation is controversial. Confinement and collar-mounted devices can impede cat hunting success and reduce ...
The Complete Picture
A tail held high usually means a high emotional state of arousal or excitement, but that on its own does not tell you whether an animal is in a positive or negative emotional state.
High arousal can be appetitive, meaning the animal ...
Resource Guarding or Rule Setting?
In my experience, it appears that for dogs, possession is truly 9/10ths of the canine “MINE!” law, i.e. if it’s in your possession, you have the right to retain possession. These seem to be the details of what constitutes “mine” in the dog ...