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…
Behavior Reports: Facilitating Communication
The connection between mental and physical health and wellness in human medicine is by now well established. We accept that our thoughts and behaviors influence our health and that in turn keeping physically active, managing our weight, not smoking, etc., gives us more energy and helps us feel better about ourselves. The mind-body connection for…
What’s the Best Help for Fearful and Shy Dogs?
Most anyone who works with dogs in a professional capacity knows that fear motivates behavior in a variety of situations. Dogs that struggle and snap during nail trims, are difficult to restrain for blood draws, or growl or threaten other dogs that approach too closely are more often fearful than not. Dog owners sometimes fail…
TASERS® for Animals?
TASER International, the creator and manufacturer of the TASER brand electronic control device, has just released the TASER X3W for use on wildlife. They claim it is a “… humane means of animal control for wildlife.” They go on to say “These devices have been proven effective for wildlife and are available today for wildlife…