by Joshua | Nov 14, 2020 | Parrot
Although birds are a relatively common pet around the world, compared to dog and cat lovers I think it’s fair to say that “crazy bird people” are few and far between. Of course, what they lack in numbers they more than make up for in passion – something families and...
by Joshua | Nov 14, 2020 | Dog
Summary: There’s no clear evidence that dogs need a “cortisol vacation” of 24-72 hours. The existing scientific literature does point to high cortisol levels impacting learning and stress, but the way that stress is processed by a dog’s body is...
by Joshua | Nov 14, 2020 | Dog
Summary: Working with clients’ children as well as their dogs introduces an additional level of challenge. Involving children in a dog’s behavior intervention can be beneficial for both, but comes with risks. Understanding more about the developmental...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Cat
Summary: How can a shelter help its most frightened cats? The Fraidy Cat behavior program at Friends For Life was designed for severely undersocialized cats who cannot live outside safely. It is an intensive program that requires a high level of resources, but data...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Horse
Summary: 1200lbs of frightened horse is a lot to handle, so how can equine veterinarians minimize that fear in their patients? Restraint techniques that depend on pain are still common practice. Understanding how to use behavior modification to establish a less...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Zoos & Exotics
As a puppy trainer, zookeeper, and zoo animal trainer working in an industry where we do a lot of presentations, the question I get asked the most is how can one keep up good presentation skills and get the message across whilst presenting with animals, in front of an...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Shelter
Summary: Shelter personnel and consultants are always looking for new tools that to introduce dogs into a new home, help resolve inter-dog aggressive behavior within a household, or form shelter playgroups. This article describes how a single evidence-based protocol...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Shelter
Summary: Shelters are a part of the communities they serve, and should be aware of the needs and challenges people and animals in those communities face. Socially Conscious Sheltering (SCS) is a framework for helping shelters change the way they operate and make...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Working Animals
Summary: Geometry is important to successful dog training. When doing any kind of training that involves distance from a trigger or target, paying attention to the angle you’re asking the dog to approach from can help you reach your goals more quickly. This...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Dog
In April of this year, my sister died during the COVID-19 pandemic. The four of us sisters had a pact, and typically we coffee klatsched by conference call on weekend mornings from different parts of the country. We would belly laugh at the zaniest things –...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Shelter
How often do we use observation as a tool? We tend to monitor, assess, and weigh whether what we observe is what we would like to see. We question ourselves and judge the responses we observe to assess whether we are getting closer to our goal or nearing the outcome...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Dog
Our County of Monterey, California went into shelter in place on March 17, 2020, and we had no choice but to cancel all classes and refund clients any money for remaining classes. Our once-robust training and behavior program was at a crossroads. I have worked for my...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Business of Behavior
A FEW DEFINITIONS Entire books have been written about these legal terms, but for the purposes of this article, let’s agree on the following: Negligence: The failure to use the care that a reasonably careful person would use. Gross negligence: A voluntary act or...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Shelter
Summary: What better way to teach college students about canine learning and behavior than inviting sheltered dogs into the classroom? This article introduces a program at Saint Francis University that matches dogs from a local shelter with psychology undergraduates...
by Joshua | Nov 7, 2020 | Dog
Summary: Critical self-reflection is an important part of being an ethical and effective animal behavior consultant. Animal rights is one framework for thinking about the practice of animal training and behavior modification, and noticing how what we do expresses what...
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