Archive for category: General Behavior

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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