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 prepare for the impending change of seasons.
With this change comes our realization that we, too, also need to modify our behavior to prepare for cooler weather. This theme of change comes to mind when our animals communicate their needs to us when their environmental, physical, nutritional, medical, and emotional needs are also changing.
Canine Vocalizations
It’s no secret that puppies and dogs possess various vocalization patterns to communicate important needs. Dogs utilize this broad spectrum of canine talk to navigate through their day-to-day lives in an ever-changing world.
Julie Hecht, MSc, is a canine behavioral researcher and science writer in New York City. She writes a behavior column for The Bark. Follow her at http://www.dogspies.com/Dog_Spies/Home.html
She wrote an excellent article for The Bark (http://www.thebark.com/content/dog-speak-sounds-dogs): Dog Speak: The Sounds of Dogs
Trainer, Kiki Yablon, offers useful tips in her article published by Karen Pryor Clicker Training: The ABCs of Barking (http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3968)
With a better understanding of the how and the why canines communicate through vocalizations, we can then offer useful management and behavior modification tips to dog-loving families that are looking for our expertise and support.
Change in a dog’s environment will set the stage for them to use canine communication to express emotions. Those emotions are expressed in a variety of ways. One way is through their vocalization patterns.
In some scenarios, frustrated owners feel the need to use punishment-based methods to stop the puppy or dogs barking. As professional educators, we know that there are concerns regarding those types of aversive and punishing approaches. Especially when the vocalizations of concern are based out of fear.
Dr. llana Reisner, DVM, PhD, DACVB, wrote an excellent article that was published in Psychology Today: It Makes No Sense to Punish a Fearful Dog (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/decoding-your-pet/201412/it-makes-no-sense-punish-fearful-dog)
Ready … Set … for Groomer & Vet!
As your AVSAB training contributor, I am delighted to share our recent chin rest video that highlights voluntary vaccination injection and ear care. This is a personal goal as well, for this is myself partnered with my five-year old Rhodesian ridgeback, named Santino. These two videos highlight what can be achieved with wonderful veterinary collaborations. A special thanks to the Medical District Veterinary Clinic at Illinois for their continued support and enthusiasm toward our canine husbandry programs.
Canine Chin Rest Behavior: Voluntary Injection and Ear Care (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z8CdwQibgA)
Canine Chin Rest Behavior: Suture Removal (https://www.facebook.com/laura.monacotorelli/videos/10206226418772563/)
Happy Training!
Laura
Laura Monaco Torelli
