by Joshua | Jul 31, 2018 | Dog
The relationship between companion dogs and their humans can be a deep and mutually supportive one. Our dogs give us so much: joy with their company, laughter at their antics, comfort by their presence. Yet sometimes we do not have the specialized knowledge and skills...
by Joshua | Jul 31, 2018 | contents, contents, Editorial
Although the title of this editorial is a wink at Tim Steele’s recent blog for the Academy for Dog Trainers, I applaud his discussion of the Humane Hierarchy. I admire anyone who believes there is an opportunity for improvement and takes meaningful action. Similarly,...
by Joshua | Jul 29, 2018 | Archives
“I was actually planning to be a veterinarian.” And so were declared the earliest professional aspirations of Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova, PhD, a scientist whose work is finding a varied and eager audience in the animal welfare world these days. With a doctorate in...
by Joshua | Jul 22, 2018 | Horse
Horsemanship is the skill of managing and working with horses that is developed through experience and knowledge (Goodwin et al., 2009). Natural Horsemanship (NH) trainers are those who work closely with horses and use understanding of equine natural behaviour and...
by Joshua | Jul 22, 2018 | Cat
Periodically, bloodwork may be required as part of your cat’s annual exam and in times of illness. Blood draws require the cat to be exposed to various novel stimuli that may result in anxiety. Getting kitty accustomed to the technique, sights, sounds, and...
by Joshua | Jul 22, 2018 | Dog
As behavior consultants, we often focus on classical conditioning and the four quadrants of operant learning, but there’s so much more to consider. We don’t necessarily think about what’s happening internally—especially beyond an animal’s immediate...
by Joshua | Jul 21, 2018 | Working Animals
Working dogs give their hearts and souls to meeting their disabled handlers’ needs. The relationship between dogs and their handlers is deeply personal, interdependent, and intimate. This article addresses reducing mental stress for service dogs and improving the...
by Joshua | Jul 21, 2018 | Cat
Over the past twelve years, I’ve trained five cats in agility (three of whom are still part of our family), and from them I’ve gained insights into cat behavior. Some insights were not unfamiliar to me due to attending dog training classes. For example, each animal...
by Joshua | Jul 21, 2018 | Cat, General
One of the most common questions IAABC gets is about how to get started working with pets and their people. The truth is, there’s no set career path, and no single qualification that prepares you for this uniquely challenging, endlessly fascinating work. In this...
by Joshua | Jul 21, 2018 | Parrot
When we discuss nutrition, we usually focus on its impact on physical health. However, brain health is just as important. Science has proven that an animal’s diet must include all essential nutrients or both physical and brain health may suffer. If a balanced,...
by Joshua | Jul 21, 2018 | Horse
The isolation of equines has been proven to negatively affect their welfare (Mal et al., 1991 and Hartmann et al., 2011), with horses stabled with no contact showing significantly more stress than those in group living situations (Yarnell et al., 2015). Even with...
by Joshua | Jul 16, 2018 | Dog
Enlisting compliance and follow-up contact from veterinary behavior clients for behavior modification, with or without medical treatment, has often been tricky. Researchers (Lindsay, Posage, and Engel, 2002; Posage et. al, 2002) found that good compliance was likely...
by Joshua | Jul 4, 2018 | Shelter
Shelter dogs can vacation too! Participants in our animal shelter’s Weekend Getaway program are provided with a much-needed break from the kennel, fresh scenery, and new friends to meet — both furry and non-furry. Weekend Getaways have increased foster volunteer...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Shelter
Working in animal sheltering, we are all faced with combating the levels of stress experienced by the animals in our care. Animals are subjected to a wide array of psychological stressors, including loss of control of their environment, unpredictability of daily...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Conference
Here are a few of my thoughts on what I learned and what I intend to implement from the business track on Friday and the cat track on Saturday at the 2018 IAABC Conference in Boston. Since learning theory applies to all species, I greatly enjoyed information from the...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Shelter
I work for the Society for the Improvement of Conditions of Stray Animals or SICSA, a private nonprofit shelter and adoption center located in Kettering, Ohio. Our animal population is composed of dogs and cats from owner surrenders and transfers. We transfer dogs in...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Parrot
In my last column, I talked about how I trained the crows that visited my garden to come to me on cue, using food to reward them for visiting. Now that I had “my” crows reliably visiting the garden and could attract them whenever I wanted, it seemed like a good time...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Parrot
If you have ever shared your home with a feathered friend, you more than likely understand why I added two exclamation points at the end of that word. For us as humans, screaming is one of the most annoying, painful, and downright unacceptable natural behaviors of...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Parrot
Working with wild, captive, or domestic animals of any kind, the more skills you can develop in the varying areas of their care the more comprehensive your knowledge will be when it comes to assessing individuals and overcoming challenges in your field. For example,...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Cat
Whenever I tell people that I cat-sit in a house that has been decked out with features specifically for the four cats who live there, they shudder. The idea of cat furniture instantly summons the image of a home where it snows cat hair and smells like kitty...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Dog
Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans; it is a “progressive age-related neurodegenerative condition that affects cognitive function”. The disease, both in dogs and in humans, affects many parts of the way an individual thinks,...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | General, Dog
Dr. Tammie King works at the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition in the U.K., the fundamental science centre for Mars Petcare that is engaged in a variety of behavior-related projects, in addition to conducting research on pet health and nutrition. Tammie has published...
by Joshua | Jul 2, 2018 | Conference
Last April, as part of the team of the new IAABC Español Division, we traveled from Chile to our first annual conference of the IAABC. We are Uli Grodeke, trainer and behavior consultant, Wen Bautista, dog lover, and Carmen Arroyo, veterinarian and dog trainer....
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