An Introduction to Mobile Marketing to Grow Your Business
Do you have all the business and all the clients you want? Do you know that more and more people are searching for local businesses using their phones, and that 60% of those users call after finding the business that way? Wouldn’t YOU like to be the business receiving those calls? In this special webinar…
Are Punishment and “Corrections” the Same Thing?
We were reading a popular mail order pet supply catalog and came across some descriptions of training products using incorrect terminology. We know such confusion is widespread and worth discussing. We’ll tell you right up front that the take home message is that as professionals, it is important to be precise and correct with the…
Why We Have To Read Research Very Carefully
The pet behavior and training literature is full of misinformation that exists because writers either misread or misinterpreted the research of others. One prime example is the frequent claim that synthetic pheromones from dogs can reduce anxiety in a variety of situations. A systematic review of the literature (Frank et al. JAVMA, 2010, 236,…
Are Pets Really Good For Us?
We all know that pets are good for us, right? They keep us physically healthier by reducing blood pressure and heart disease and prolonging our lives after heart attacks. They improve our mental health, reduce depression and make us happier. Don’t they? Maybe not. A recent review paper by Dr. Harold Herzog of Western Carolina…
Education and Certification for Dog Trainers
We’ve had a number of requests lately regarding our opinion of various online schools for dog trainers. Embedded in these requests are questions about where to get the “academic knowledge” an aspiring dog trainer needs, and which certification program would be viewed favorably by people “like yourselves (like Dan and me) and your colleagues” (we’re…
It’s Time For An Adult Conversation About Punishment
A dog trainer in Loveland Colorado has been charged with felony cruelty to animals after an employee of his business witnessed the alleged abuse and called Larimer County Animal Control. The witness reported that the trainer hit, kicked, body slammed and rammed his own dog’s head through a sheetrock wall. Animal Control claims in the…
A Sneak Peak at How Four Behavior Experts Are Helping Dogs Be Behaviorally Healthy and Keeping Dog Owners Happy – and Why You Should Care
Have you ever adopted a dog from a shelter, or knew someone who did? Do dogs from shelters have “special needs” when they first come into a new home? What’s the very first thing you should do with your new shelter dog when he first enters your house? Do you, or someone you know or…
Cat Bite Prevention: It Should Get More Attention
Dog Bite Prevention Week occurred in May and was devoted to educating the public about the dangers of dog bites and ways to avoid them. Certainly dog bites are a serious problem with an estimated 4.5 million people bitten in the U.S. each year. But cats also injure people. And as the popularity of cats…
Dog Bite Prevention: Is There Anything New?
National Dog Bite Prevention Week was held in May and organizations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and The United States Postal Service (USPS) put out news releases encouraging people to be safe around dogs. Raising awareness of the dangers of dog bites and providing…
Low-Stress Handling and Behavioral Health
How often have you seen dogs or cats that struggled when people tried to brush them or clip their nails? How many dogs and cats do you think are comfortable with having a veterinary physical exam? A great many dogs and cats are intolerant, uncomfortable and afraid of such routine handling and some are so…