Positive Reinforcement is More Effective at Training Dogs than an Electronic Collar, Study Shows By Zazie Todd, PhD Link to original post We’ve known for a while that training dogs with aversive methods, including electronic collars, has risks for animal welfare. Positive reinforcement training is effective and does not have those risks. New research...
Sudden change in your dog’s behavior? He could be in pain. Click Here for Original Post In our practice, we are regularly presented with dogs whose behaviors appear to have changed abruptly. Often once we take a deep dive into their histories we uncover signs that the behavior problem...
Survey Shows Which Treatments Are Effective for Fireworks Fears in Dogs Click Here for Original Post By Zazie Todd, PhD Many dogs are afraid of the bangs and whistles from fireworks, up to half according to one study. A new, large survey by Dr. Stefanie Riemer (University of Bern) shows that treatments...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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