Fear Is an Emotion, Not a Behavior
There’s an old saw in the dog world that just won’t go away: “Don’t pet or comfort your dog when she’s acting scared—you’re just reinforcing that behavior.” But fear is not a behavior to be reinforced – or punished. It’s an emotion, like excitement, affection, playfulness, and sadness. Behaviors and emotions are tied together in important ways, but they are not the same, and require different approaches when they become a problem for your pet. Behaviors are Learned – Emotions are Involuntary Take for example the fallacy that forcing a… Continued
Meet LT Taylor, Whose “Hyperfixation” on Dogs Led to a Career in Animal Training
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what you are doing now? My mother is a dog breeder, so our house always had several dogs growing up, from Jack Russell terriers to Old English mastiffs. I became interested in behavior and training as a teenager, but then veered toward humane education and spent several years working at the San Francisco SPCA after graduating college. I loved working in sheltering but wanted to be more involved with the operations… Continued
Dog Training Tip: Build Trust by Creating a Reinforcement History
We need our pets to trust us so that they will follow our cues and guidance, especially when they are feeling unsure about a situation. We can’t always predict when a sticky situation will occur and when it does, we want our dogs to know we’ve got their backs – to keep them safe, or to get them out of there. Earning and maintaining an animal’s trust goes hand in hand with creating a reinforcement history during training. Building a Relationship Based on Positive Interactions Ideally, we start creating… Continued
Starting Off on the Right Paw with New Pet Introductions
Bringing a new pet home is always fun and exciting for us but how might our other furry family members feel? It could be a source of stress or worry so it’s always important to introduce new pets gently so everyone starts off on the right paw. A Good Experience for Everyone You can actually begin whilst your new pet is still with their breeder, foster or rescue organization. Do some scent swapping by rubbing a blanket on your new pet and taking it home so your existing pet becomes… Continued
Advocating for R+ Animal Training—Three Key Documents
Advocating for R+ Animal Training—Three Key Documents Contributed by Don Hanson, Chair of PPG’s Advocacy Division and a member of PPG’s board of directors As you know, positive reinforcement is under attack by some in the dog training community. Therefore, to prepare yourself to successfully advocate for and educate others about the benefits of positive reinforcement, I recommend you become familiar with these three documents: the PPG Guiding Principles, the 2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines, and the AVSAB Humane Dog Training Position Statement. They will be valuable in helping… Continued
Ideal Pairings to Consider When Getting a New Cat
Thinking of adding another cat to your household? In this article, I describe the best combination of cats, based on the advice in professional articles and the experiences of animal welfare workers. Best Cat Pairings What do I mean by best combination? It’s when all members of a group of cats live together peacefully, stress-free, and happy, and with acceptable behavior. International Cat Care (ICatCare) says siblings who grow up together make the best pairings. ICatCare noted that this is especially true if “there was evidence of sociability with each… Continued
What You Need to Know About Puppy Socialization
Socialization is a hot topic, but what does it mean exactly? Is it about your pet being able to play and being social? Well kinda, but not just that. Dogs and cats have a critical socialization period; in puppies this is a period of 3-12 weeks of age, and in kittens their key socialization period is up to 7 weeks of age. During these periods our pets are most receptive to new experiences, and the things they are exposed to -or not- can have far reaching consequences. That’s not to… Continued
Winter Weather Tips for Pets
Like people, some pets love the winter snow and cold, and others hate it. Our dog Dulice was not deterred by the snow but found a terrier’s dream as it allowed winter burrowing. My current dog Muppy, a rescue from Mississippi, hated her first seven winters in Maine. However, Muppy enjoys a good roll in the snow today as long as the temperature doesn’t drop below 30 F. Our cat Boomer enjoys outdoor journeys on a harness and leash and lying in the summer sun, but when it comes to… Continued
Meet Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training
Laura Cassiday takes cat owners from hopeless to hopeful using her feline expertise and force-free training techniques. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what you are doing now? I studied English and professional writing in college and grad school, and worked a couple of writing and editing jobs. In 2017, I was so bored and miserable that I just quit without any real plans. I took some time to figure out what I wanted to do with… Continued
Chat & Chuckle with Joey Lusvardi of Class Act Cats
Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also with PPG’s Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Joey Lusvardi of Class Act Cats. Topics covered include: 🐈 How they each got started as cat behavior consultants 🐈 What sparked their career changes 🐈 Getting experience volunteering with rescues and shelters 🐈 Different courses available to help gain knowledge 🐈 The importance of networking and being a member of professional organizations like PPG 🐈 How to get your business set up and start taking your first clients… Continued
Welcome to Pets & Their People
Welcome to Pets and Their People – Your online tips, tools and resources! You’re busy. You really, really love your pets. So, where do you turn with day-to-day pet care challenges and questions: Can I feed this to my dog? Why does my horse do that? How do I find a reliable pet sitter? Why does my cat think that’s the litter box?? It’s okay – you got this and we’re here to help. We’re on a mission to provide resources and practical tips to pet people…with a dose of encouragement and humor! Our… Continued
Are You a Cat Person or a Dog Person?
How many times have we seen this question posted or have we been asked it ourselves? Becoming a Dog Family In my own family my husband developed cat allergies as an adult. He once stopped to see what had been thrown out of the car in front of him on his way home on a cold dark night. It was a kitten. We named him Buddy and he was the sweetest little guy – followed us around purring, so happy to have been found! Dave’s eyes… Continued
Why is Equine Management So Important?
All of a domestic horse’s basic needs are determined by our own management practices. These practices may range from horses being kept in a fully managed environment to horses being kept in an environment that is as natural as possible. While basic needs are common to all species, the nature and provision of them is species specific (i.e. different for each species). This means that we have to meet the specific needs that have developed during the course of the evolution of that particular species. Providing management solutions in… Continued
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How Many Dogs Should I Adopt at the Same Time?
Adopting a dog is so exciting, not just for us but for the dog as well. I don’t think there is much that can match the feeling of giving a previously unwanted dog a new beginning. Of course, you do have the option to adopt more than one dog; here are a couple of things to keep in mind. Adopting One Dog…At a Time Adopting two or more puppies together is not advisable. Similar to purchasing siblings from the same bred litter, two puppies are double the costs, cleaning up,… Continued
Video Analyis of a Dog Bite
Why You Need to Know About Dog Body Language Dog behavior is complex, and the signals that dogs send are often subtle. The following is not intended to be a treatise on dog behavior. It is intended to alert parents to situations that could compromise child safety around dogs. Parents seeing potential danger signs in their dog’s behavior are encouraged to err on the side of caution and implement dog bite prevention measures (increase supervision and use physical barriers when supervision is not possible) until it can be determined whether… Continued
What Is Enrichment for Animals?
by Diane Garrod When the term “enrichment” is verbalized, its meaning is often not clearly understood. When I’ve asked clients, “What enrichment does your dog get?” I’ve gotten answers like ball play or a walk, or a long pause of nothing because the client is not sure what enrichment is or means. This got me thinking about the differing categories of enrichment for animals and led me to dig deeper into the science and definition of enrichment. Is it the same for dogs as it is for horses and… Continued
Cat Introductions – One Step at a Time
Since starting my cat behavior consulting business in 2019, the issue that I have been most often contacted about is that of cat introductions. While there are some cats that will roll out the welcome mat almost immediately for a newcomer, most need a more structured approach. 1. SAFE ROOM The first introduction step is to start your new cat in a safe room. This room should have all the major resources that a cat needs: feeding station, litter box, scratching post, bedding, and toys. One benefit of a safe… Continued
A New Puppy Affects the Existing Dog(s) in Your Household – Here’s What You Need to Know
In this blog post, we are going to look at how getting a new puppy may affect the existing pets in your home. The safest and most responsible option would be to speak to a qualified trainer or behavior consultant to assist you with a management plan as well as an introduction between the new puppy and the resident dog. Very often, our nervousness gets the better of us and the situation. Our dogs pick up on our anxiety and an introduction might not go as smoothly as it can.… Continued
Canine Enrichment with Scent Detection
By Emily Coleman In early November 2022, my dog Deja and I journeyed off to the sunny climes of Crystal River, Florida, in search of adventure! And odor … By this I mean we attended the Pet Professional Guild’s three-day Scent and Scentability workshop. Expert detection-dog handlers Dr. Robert and Karen Hewings, both retired professional police dog handlers, provided loads of valuable insight. Robert and Karen now run the UK College of Scent Dogs and were kicking off an international tour. In total, they presented five days of quality… Continued
Let’s Talk About Our Dogs’ Feelings
Anthropomorphism, a word that I can’t even pronounce!! The New Oxford American Dictionary helps us out here: An-thro-po-mor-phism – the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal or object. A Shift in Perspective You may have noticed recently that there has been a lot more talk about the welfare and “the feelings” of our dogs. (Thank goodness!) Years ago, I volunteered at a shelter for a period of three years. I admit that I would sit in my car after leaving on those Fridays and cry! … Continued
Fire Safety for Pets
We have all heard news stories about tragic home fires where the pets did not survive. Sadly, incidents where the pet woke the family, and everyone was spared are the exception. A fire is scary for everyone involved but listed below are several facts that are especially important for those of us with pets. Approximately 80% of all fires occur in a private home; therefore, if your pet encounters a fire, they are most likely to do so in your home. We often leave pets alone in our homes,… Continued