by Joshua | Oct 31, 2018 | contents, contents
Twenty-odd years ago when I first started practicing veterinary medicine, if a client asked when they should spay or neuter their dog, my response was “6 or 7 months of age,” and then we would move on to the next question. Today, when a client asks when they should...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Cat
This video series shows the training of my cat, Spree, to willingly accept nail trims by using a previously learned behavior of “shaking hands.” Part 1: Before training /wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Kolus-Part-1-NT-Before-Training.mp4 This is what our nail trims looked...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Horse
The performance of your horse is dependent upon both their physical capabilities and their temperament. Performance is optimised when the right match is found between the horse and rider. With 1.3 million regular riders in the U.K., understanding a horse’s temperament...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Dog
For the past decade, I have been training dogs in Chicago’s busy South Loop and the surrounding neighborhoods. Year after year, it seems like the city is growing—new construction, a larger population, and more dogs—all of which makes life increasingly tough for dogs...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Shelter
One of the world’s most popular pets, rabbits are known for their adorable ears, noses, and cotton tails, but little is commonly understood about their behavior. Indeed, a U.K. study revealed that 50% of rabbit owners misunderstood their rabbit’s basic needs,...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | General
I’ve been working with companion pigs for years, and I find them endlessly fascinating. Pigs are still increasing in popularity as household pets after the “mini pig” craze started up about 30 years ago, in part because they make captivating video stars that people...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Parrot
In a little city in Canada, owners are meeting once a month for a dog training class. Except there are no dogs in this class, only parrots! Birds in class learn foundation behaviours like “Step Up,” “Target” and “Station.” They’re introduced to marker training and...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Dog
Control over a dog’s diet and feeding routine is at the discretion and choice of the owner. There are many contributing factors and influences that will determine what, how, where, and when food is given to their pet. These include busy work schedules, other members...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Dog
There are certain truths we all hold as self-evident. One is that basic training is essential for all dogs. A dog whose behavior is “civilized” is able to be a fully participating member of the family. Further, if a dog develops a behavior problem, the foundation of...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Dog
The Missing Animal Response Network is an international network of lost-pet recovery specialists (volunteers and professionals) who are interested in learning as much as we can about the behavioral patterns of lost pets. The foundation for our missing animal response...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Horse
The most commonly used definition of environmental enrichment is by Shepherdson (1998): “an animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli necessary for optimal psychological...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Cat
When one thinks of “enrichment” for cats, typically food-based activities such as treat balls come to mind, along with cat toys. A few cats are unmotivated by the treat ball, and a lot of adult cats couldn’t be bothered to give chase to that tired old mouse toy. Most...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Cat, Dog
Background Si is an approximately 6-year-old domestic short haired tabby cat. He was found as a stray when he was about a year old. At the time, our home consisted of two dogs and two other cats. Si instantly snuggled with the cats but would only observe the dogs from...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Reptile, General
I began training dogs as a teenager almost 40 years ago, and my interest in other species has been expanding as I continue to learn and grow as a professional. I have also worked with cats, goats, pigs, horses, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, chickens, ferrets, and...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Shelter, Cat
How do senior cats end up in shelters? For over a decade, I have volunteered in the cat areas at Dallas Animal Services (DAS), a municipal shelter which has the fifth highest intake volume of animals in the United States. I routinely see senior cats on their rescue...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | General
Cooperative care involves training an animal to not only tolerate handling and husbandry procedures, but to be an active, willing participant in these experiences. Cooperative care is quite common in zoos, where large or potentially dangerous animals cannot otherwise...
by Joshua | Oct 25, 2018 | Parrot
In my childhood household, you weren’t an actual human until you could play the card game Rummy. Our family comprised two parents and four kids, and my poor youngest brother only became fully and properly recognized when he was finally able to hold some cards, count,...
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