You may have heard of clicker training from a variety of sources, as it has become a popular technique in dog training over the past 10 years or more. The concepts and behavioral laws that support the effectiveness of clicker training have always governed the way animals interact with their environment but the widespread use […]

Dr. Meredith Stepita discusses additional causes of behavior that might appear like separation anxiety in this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201506/separation-anxiety-the-great-imitator-part-2

Dr. Emily Levine discusses some of the difficulties of living with a dog with behavior problems in this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201505/living-my-dog-is

The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists welcomed 4 new Diplomates this year, bringing the total number of board certified veterinary behaviorists to 68.  Would you like to become a DACVB?  All the information you will need can be found at the ACVB website: www.dacvb.org.  Go to the Resources tab, and click on ‘For Veterinarians’ . […]

In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Emma Grigg and colleagues examined the preference of 28 cats, each provided with a covered and an uncovered litter box. Boxes were cleaned daily and waste was measured in each box. The authors found no overall preference […]

Dr. Meredith Stepita discusses other causes of behavior that might appear like separation anxiety in this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201506/separation-anxiety-the-great-imitator-part-1

Dear Dr. Maxwell, We have a 7-year-old neutered male indoor cat named Bruce. Bruce is a nice cat with one big exception: he refuses to poop in a litter box. He pees in it religiously but will poop on the floor near a litter box. This has been going on since he was a kitten, […]

In this video from The Family Dog, a series of photos exemplify well some of the subtler body language and facial expression indicators of tension and avoidance in dogs interacting with children. http://stopthe77.com/

Welcome back to the Trainer’s Ring. Sweet summertime. It could not get here quickly enough! Thank you for joining our summer edition. With the warmer months on our mind, our animals are also going to be a part of the endless fun activities planned with our friends and family. They are our family! Out of […]

Ever wondered why the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians was established? The Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians is composed of a diverse group of individuals.  Examples of fields where our technicians work include:  a college professor,  owners of private training businesses, working in private and specialty practices, an animal shelter, and performing service dog training.  […]