WHY “SIT” HAPPENS: CUES VS. CONSEQUENCES Click Here for Original Post By Dr. Jen Summerfield Today’s topic is one that you might not have ever given much thought to, but it has more impact on your training than you might think! What makes behavior happen?  Or to put it another way… why does your dog […]

Advances in animal behavior has helped veterinarians provide less stressful care to many patients, both large and small. The ability to correctly read the body language of stress before it reaches aggression, and then respond to this by changing the exam room, treatment and hospitalization areas has helped keep staff safe and prevent aggression1. There […]

Dog Training Methods Affect Attachment to the Owner Originally posted on Companion Animal Psychology Dogs trained with aversive methods are less likely to show a ‘secure base’ effect, study shows. Image Credit: Well Pet Coach When people use aversive methods to train dogs, it is associated with risks to the dog’s welfare,  including fear, stress, and […]

Are cats who spray stressed out? Mikel Delgado PhD, CAAB• January 20, 2020 A new study compares cats who spray with those who urinate outside the litter box…and their feline housemates. As I like to say, nothing sends cats to the pound quicker than urine around the house…whether it’s in the form of spray on the […]

From “Stop it!” to “Good Pup!” – Problem Solving With Alternative Behaviors By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM Hey there, gang.  Today, it’s time for another installment of “problem solving at Dr. Jen’s house.” (For another example of this, see my previous post about my dog Clint, and his habit of launching himself at the TV.  Still doing great […]

Many clients have called me in to address their dog’s bolting behavior. Bolting refers to a dog’s tendency to run through an open door and off into the wild blue yonder, often then refusing to come when called. I’ve written before on how to improve a dog’s response to the Come command and I focus […]

Drop It! by Megan Maxwell, Ph.D., CAAB One wonderful option for owners interested in playing with their dog is tug-of-war, but tug toys (e.g., ropes or stuffed toys) have a bad reputation because some owners have heard that tugging with their dog will make their dog aggressive. This is one of many old dog training […]

Separation Anxiety: The Great Imitator, Part 4 By Meredith Stepita, DVM, DACVB It’s hard to believe we have been able to cover so many differentials for behaviors associated with separation anxiety in just 3 blogs! The only other differential I want to briefly mention is predatory behavior. Destructive behavior (and even vocalization) may occur when your dog is […]

Separation Anxiety: The Great Imitator, Part 3 By Meredith Stepita, DVM, DACVB Another common symptom of separation anxiety is urination and/or defecation in the house. First, all medical causes (e.g., intestinal parasites, urinary tract infections, etc) need be ruled out by visiting your veterinarian. Then, other behavioral causes should be considered. When it comes to urinating in the […]

Separation Anxiety: The Great Imitator, Part 2 By Meredith Stepita, DVM, DACVB One of the first natural remedies most people try when their dog is destructive to the house is confining the dog to a crate. Unfortunately, most of my patients with separation anxiety DO NOT improve when placed in a crate. Their anxiety is actually worse as […]