Dr. Susan Friedman is a leader in the field of applied animal behavior. Her website, www.BehaviorWorks.org, provides a treasure trove of valuable information relating to the application of behavior analysis to improve the behavior and enrich the lives of nonhuman animals living and interacting with people in a variety of settings. Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., […]

Applied animal behaviorists and veterinary behaviorists typically are called in by pet owners to address a variety of behavior problems and training deficits exhibited by their companion animals. Our job is to assess the situation, provide a functional characterization of the problem behavior, and offer interventions that can help pet owners reach a satisfactory solution. […]

Dr. Wailani Sung provides several useful strategies for managing pet behavior and avoiding its escalation until a reliable behavioral intervention plan can be developed. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201501/practical-management-tips-dogs-behavior

I wanted to share an AZA job posting for those of you who might know someone interested in behavioral work with elephants. Requirements include “college degree in Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Communications or related field preferred.” Primary responsibility: “Comprehensive elephant behavior management, utilizing creative, positive reinforcement in a choice-based, behaviorally progressive, PRT environment.” Sounds like fun! […]

Many animals have a natural tendency to guard access to valuable resources, such as food, mates, and territory. Dogs are no exception, and when companion canines begin growling over the food bowl, this resource guarding can present quite a challenge for owners. Food guarding in dogs can be characterized along a continuum of aggression intensity. […]

Review of Jane Killion’s “Puppy Culture”: The Powerful First 12 Weeks That Can Shape Your Puppy’s Future Video Set January 19, 2015 Sometimes life brings delightful surprises and I can’t wait to share one that recently arrived, beautifully packed in my mail. The five DVD set, “Puppy Culture” by Jane Killion, turned out to be […]

In this blog post from Psychology Today’s Decoding Your Pet series, Dr. Wailani Sung discusses ways to decrease pets’ fearful behavior exhibited in the veterinary clinic. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201501/my-pet-hates-the-vet

Those interested in some current directions in canine behavior and cognition research should check out the most recent issue of Behavioural Processes, Volume 110, which is devoted entirely to the subject: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03766357/110 The Editorial in this issue, written by Dr. Monique Udell, is copied below. It has been just over five years since the first […]

Dog owners cherish their canine companions for many reasons and interact with them using a variety of styles and training strategies. In turn, some dogs are relatively easy to train, while others present their owners with greater training challenges and frustrating behavioral habits. In either case, one of the most commonly prescribed and generally beneficial […]

In this blog post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series, Dr. Carlo Siracusa discusses how humans can use empathy and an understanding of species-specific communication to build healthy relationships with our dogs and cats and avoid common cross-species communicative pitfalls. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201412/different-perspective-the-human-animal-bond