Recently, I've been doing a lot of research on hounding as well as consolidating a significant amount of research on shock systems to, hopefully, pass legislation. Since I started behavioral work over 21 years ago, I used positive reinforcement methods from the get go. My first client was a dachshund with food aggression and [...]
The Good Cat Parent's Guide to Feline Behavior Modification Now Available. The Good Cat Parent's Guide to Feline Behavior Modification 188 pages, 75 photos The Good Cat Parent's Guide has sections on cat handling, emotionally bonding with your cat and covers a slew of behavioral problems. I've included sections on kitten development, human-directed aggression, [...]
The Good Cat Parent's Guide to Feline Behavior Modification My new book "The Good Cat Parent's Guide to Feline Behavior Modification" went to press and the anticipated release date is September 28, 2023. It is available for pre-order September 7. The publisher, Routledge Taylor & Francis, is a veterinary and life sciences publishing company. [...]
The main behavioral problems with cats are due to lack of knowledge of feline behavior. © Kazuky Akayashi The main behavioral problems I see are play-aggression, petting aggression, cats being hungry, litter pan issues, and inter-cat conflict. Jumping on counters, wanting the cat to be cuddlier, early a.m. or night vocalizations, and not [...]
© Justin Veenema Puppies go through major developmental changes quickly. They need calories and good nutrition for physical and mental health. All puppies should be able to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full or satisfied. Exercise, how much mental and physical stimulation the dog has, and stress all [...]
© Vivian Shallcross (L) © Anna Kozakova (R) Ear-cropping and tail-docking are two commonly accepted practices. Often this is ‘breed standard.’ However, the process of tail-docking and ear-cropping is not humane, nor is it necessary for health. As puppies, tails are chopped off, usually with surgical scissors, when the puppies are newborn. There [...]
@ Gaelle Marcel Over the last 10-15 years, there has been a growing trend and obsession to have skinny cats, ironically at a time when the human population has gotten fatter. The eating habits and metabolisms of domestic cats are very different than those of humans and dogs. Cats naturally eat 10-20 [...]
Many of us have been taught to carry and hold kittens and cats by the back of their neck because this is how the mother cat carries her kittens. This is an incorrect way to carry and hold kittens. Kittens need to be fully supported when they are held and carried. If this can’t be [...]
© Waldemar Dabrowski Since I’ve been doing behavioral work, I’ve been frequently asked how I cannot use prong collars, choke chains, say ‘No,’ or be ‘dominant’ with aggressive dogs. One of the answers is that I implement passive dog training. I love passive training because it is how dogs learn – 24/7 [...]
I do use the clicker, at times, and have taught with it. This is how I started out. All my human students learned how to use the clicker to teach their dogs, and all the dogs learned how to respond to it. In my F&Q's there is a brief paragraph on why I don’t use [...]