For many new learners, negative reinforcement is one of the more confusing introductory concepts in the field of behavior analysis and applied animal behavior. Yet it’s a process at work in all of our behavior and one that is essentially involved in so much pet behavior as well. Negative reinforcement is defined as the behavior-environment […]

In this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series, Dr. Melissa Bain introduces a series she will be sharing on assessing risk in pet behavior problems. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201509/risk-analysis-behavior-problems-overview-part-1

Dr. Megan Maxwell summarizes a recent paper in The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, in which authors present a taxonomy of assistance animals to clarify a currently murky area of label confusion and misuse. Parenti, L.P., Foreman, A., Meade, J. & Wirth, O. (2013). A revised taxonomy of assistance animals. Journal of Rehabilitation Research […]

In this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series, Dr. Liz Stelow follows up on her assessment of canine barking with a quick overview of some common strategies for reducing it. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201509/excessive-barking-pt-ii-how-do-i-stop-my-dog-barking

Crash! Boom! Bang! Addressing Fear of Thunderstorms with Systematic Desensitization Every year as thunderstorm season rolls around, I get a flood of calls from concerned dog owners whose beloved pooches are chewing through beds, clawing at crates, or drenching themselves in drool while the thunder booms and the lightning flashes. In some cases, mere raindrops […]

In this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series, Dr. Liz Stelow discusses some of the functions or causes of excessive barking in dogs. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201509/excessive-barking-part-i-why-does-my-dog-bark

The Veterinary Behavior Symposium (VBS) was held July 10, 2015 in Boston, MA.  This well attended meeting featured a intriguing keynote address “An Ethological Approach to Understanding Animal Behavior” by Dr. Ray Coppinger, and a day full of research papers on a wide variety of topics including ‘Outdoor Containment Systems for Dogs’, The Use of […]

The Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians is launching a new state of the art website in early September.  The current web site is still online, but has been downsized in preparation.  SVBT also now has its own private Facebook group where members can ask questions, share information and hold discussions on a variety of topics. […]

Fall is in the air! One of the most beautiful times of the year is right around the corner.  A time filled with change and an abundance of color. Mother Nature has a lovely way of communicating. Of telling various species of animals and plants that its time to prepare for the impending change of […]

Dr. Maxwell summarizes and reviews a recent paper published in The Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science titled “Effects of Caregiver-Implemented Aggression Reduction Procedure on Problem Behavior of Dogs” Full Reference: Echterling-Savage, K., DiGennaro Reed, F.D., Miller, L.K., & Savage, S. (2015). Effects of Caregiver-Implemented Aggression Reduction Procedure on Problem Behavior of Dogs. Journal of […]