Welcome back to the Trainers Ring! This time around, we’ll be talking about puppies. With summer break coming up, many families are preparing to bring home a new puppy while the kids are out of school for a few months. Here are tips for families to best prepare for the new four-legged addition. Before the […]

There are certain situations in which a dog with a history of aggression should or must wear a muzzle during behavior therapy or otherwise to ensure the safety of those around the dog. A basket-style muzzle is ideal for this because it allows the dog to take treats, drink, and pant while wearing it. Here […]

With Guest Chatters Emma Grigg, Ph.D., CAAB and Tammy Donaldson, Ph.D., CAAB “In writing this book, Tammy and I wanted to provide an easy-to- use resource for dog owners or guardians who want to provide the best possible lives for their dogs, have questions that need answers, and who want to be secure in the […]

In this excerpt from her pet behavior advice column, The Teacher’s Pets, Dr. Megan Maxwell, CAAB, addresses a reader’s question about what to consider when adopting a second dog. Hi Dr. Maxwell,  I was wondering if you could give me some insight on adding a second dog to our family. In addition to our two […]

In this recent blog post, Dr. Patricia McConnell, CAAB, discusses a recent attribution of guilt to a dog’s behavior and the importance of differentiating between “guilt” and social appeasement behavior. The page includes a great video demonstration of pseudoguilt as well. Sorry to Say (Dogs and Guilt, Revisited)

In this recent CAAB Chat, Dr. Alexandra Protopopova, Dr. Nathan Hall (Texas Tech) and Dr. Jessica Hekman (University of Illinois) discuss their current project correlating behavior, physiologic measurements of stress, and respiratory disease in shelter dogs. They talk specifically about their methods – how exactly do you measure behavior, stress, and respiratory disease (three fuzzy […]

Teaching your dog to respond to his or her name is an essential part of establishing clear lines of communication between the two of you. Whether you have a new puppy, or have just adopted an adult dog and would like to use a name of your choosing, you can begin at the same place […]

Is a word of praise as effective as a clicker sound for dog training? Read more from Dr. Stanley Coren in Psychology Today’s Canine Corner. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201704/is-clicker-training-the-most-effective-way-train-dogs

Follow this link to read the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists’ guide to selecting a dog trainer for veterinarians. http://www.dacvb.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-select-a-trainer-A-guide-for-veterinarians.pdf

Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Patricia McConnell’s new book, a memoir titled The Education of Will, brings up many issues related to the experience and treatment of trauma in both people and companion animals. In conversation with Drs. Suzanne Hetts and Dan Estep, the book is used as a starting point to discuss: * Is […]