Archive for category: General Behavior

Risk Analysis of Behavior Problems: Overview Part 1

Megan Maxwell, September 24, 2015, General Behavior, Recommended Articles, 0

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

"Science Friday!": A Revised Taxonomy of Assistance Animals

Megan Maxwell, September 18, 2015, General Behavior, 0

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...

Fall 2015 Trainers Ring

Megan Maxwell, September 1, 2015, Dog Behavior, General Behavior, 0

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...

Separation Anxiety: The Great Imitator (Part 1)

Megan Maxwell, June 7, 2015, Dog Behavior, General Behavior, 0

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

Talking Terms – Positive Reinforcement

Megan Maxwell, April 25, 2015, General Behavior, 0

There is no shortage of recommendations for the use of positive reinforcement in today’s pet training and behavior books. Pet behavior professionals of various backgrounds have embraced positive reinforcement as a scientifically sound and effective way to change behavior without reliance on physical force or aversive stimuli. The increased...

Kitty Play Saves the Day

Megan Maxwell, March 23, 2015, General Behavior, Recommended Articles, 0

In this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding Your Pet series, Dr. Karen Sueda some play options for your feline friend. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201503/kitty-play-saves-the-day

Using Treats: Bribe or Bonus?

Megan Maxwell, March 21, 2015, General Behavior, Recommended Articles, 0

In this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding Your Pet series, Dr. Karen Sueda reviews the differences between treats when they have become bribes and treats as effective positive reinforcers. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201503/using-treats-bribe-or-bonus

Housetraining Tips

Megan Maxwell, February 10, 2015, General Behavior, 0

Housetraining a new puppy can be a real struggle for many families. This process involves much careful observation, consistent rewarding (reinforcement) of good behavior, and avoidance of accidents. Here are three important steps to successful housetraining: First, be sure to reward all successful urinations and defecations outside of the...

The Role of a Behavioral Consultant

Megan Maxwell, January 25, 2015, General Behavior, 0

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...

Book Review: Animal Madness

Megan Maxwell, November 8, 2014, General Behavior, Reviews, 0

Animal Madness Book Review Author Laurel Braitman has a fresh perspective on animal psychology. Her PhD work is in History of Science and she provides interesting historical context for the early days of mental illness diagnoses in animals, and the development of modern-day psychopharmacology. She gets her point across...