Archive for category: General

What if your Therapist had a Dog in the Office?

Megan Maxwell, January 31, 2015, General, Recommended Articles, 0

In this post from Psychology Today’s Decoding your Pet series, Dr. Theresa DePorter summarizes a study that examined the possible benefits of assistance dogs in the psychotherapeutic context. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201501/what-if-your-therapist-had-dog-in-the-office

Website Recommendation: www.BehaviorWorks.org

Megan Maxwell, January 27, 2015, General, Recommended Websites, 0

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...

Job Posting: Associate Animal Care Specialist (Elephants)

Megan Maxwell, January 22, 2015, General, 0

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...

Recent Issue of Behavioural Processes devoted to canine behavior research

Megan Maxwell, January 13, 2015, General, 0

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...

A Different Perspective on the Human-Animal Bond

Megan Maxwell, December 31, 2014, General, Recommended Articles, 0

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

Book Summary – Dogs: Domestication and the Development of a Social Bond by Darcy F. Morey (2010).

Megan Maxwell, December 13, 2014, General, 0

Book Summary: Dogs: Domestication and the Development of a Social Bond by Darcy F. Morey, 2010. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY. Dr. Darcy Morey is an anthropologist specializing in archaeology. He has focused his research in part on the study of dog remains (particularly dog burials) at archaeological...

The Dominance Down

Megan Maxwell, December 2, 2014, General, Recommended Articles, 0

Dr. Radosta discusses the problematic “dominance down” – the forced down position mistakenly used by some owners (and recommended by some trainers!) for achieving dominance over one’s dog. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201411/the-dominance-down

Selections from Dr. Sophia Yin

Megan Maxwell, October 3, 2014, General, 0

Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Sophia Yin was an excellent speaker and writer who conveyed a clear understanding of behavioral principles as they are applied to the behavior of pet dogs. Her influence in the world of dog training and behavior therapy is broad and she will be dearly missed by...

Interactive Dog Toys Review

Megan Maxwell, September 21, 2014, General, Reviews, 0

Certified Pet Dog Trainer Pat Miller throws a Paw Lickers Puzzle Party and lets some dogs test out a series of new interactive puzzle toys designed by Sweden’s Nina Ottosson (including the Dog Tornado, the Dog Smart, the Dog Pyramid, the Dog Spinny, and more). She provides some fun...

Book Review: Vet Clinics of N. America: Small Animal Practice "Behavior: A Guide For Practitioners"

Megan Maxwell, September 6, 2014, General, Reviews, 0

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice “Behavior: A Guide For Practitioners” with guest editors, Dr. Gary Landsberg and Dr. Valarie Tynes (Link to: http://www.vetsmall.theclinics.com/issues?issue_key=S0195-5616%2814%29X0003-3) Review by Dr. Amy Pike In May of 2014, Elsevier published their quarterly compilation of clinical review articles which focused solely on small...