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Latest Behavior Articles
Why Counterconditioning “Doesn’t Work”
By Angelica Steinker
A common criticism of counterconditioning is that it does not work. While there can be many reasons why a behavior modification protocol based on counterconditioning fails, it is, in fact, almost always user error. Here are four common reasons that cause ...
Examining Bird vs. Human Expectations
By Sheila S. Blanchette
Anthropomorphism is quite a mouthful of a word, defined by Lexico (2021) as “the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.” Anthropomorphism is commonly seen in our day-to-day lives through social media, television, cartoons, ...
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Perfect Dog? What You Put In Is What You Get Out
So many times people say to me - your dog must be perfectly behaved right? Well...yes, he responds very well to what I ask him to do in various situations, but it doesn't 'just happen.' It's not something that miraculously occurs - it takes ...
The Elephant on the Stairs
By Bob McMillan
Positive training is not a new idea. With starts and stops over the last century, it has been used by empathetic individuals to bring out the best in their animal companions. A recent book, Elephant Company by Vicki ...
They Call Him Rocket Man
Dog trainers enjoy the privileged opportunity of influencing the life and welfare of other people’s pets. With that comes great responsibility to only use methods and equipment which are modern and effective, while promoting a positive ...
The Power of the Clicker
By Donna Savoie
Dickens’ family purchased him from a breeder when he was five months old. The breeder did not allow the family to see the entire litter nor the dam and sire before they took him, but brought him up a flight of stairs and ...
When Food Toys “Fail”
By Eileen Anderson
How many of us have heard about food-toy failures from our friends and clients? “I tried the Kong with my puppy, but she didn’t like it,” or, “My dog is not smart enough for those puzzle toys!"
There is an ever-increasing ...
On the Danger of Dog Collars
By Karolina Westlund Ph.D. of PPG corporate partner Illis Animal Behaviour Consulting
There’s a debate raging in Sweden about whether choke collars are potentially dangerous to dogs.
Pros and cons of choke collars? Photo: Elf, ...
All Hallows and…..All Positive
By Anna Bradley
October 31 (and the following week up until November 5 here in the United Kingdom) might be exciting, colourful and full of fun and entertainment, particularly for youngsters, but for pets and pet parents it can be a ...
Encounter with a Poisonous Toad: How Positive Cues and Scent Games Saved the Day
In the early morning hours of a wet April in 2015, I found myself rushing my gorgeous Staffordshire bull terrier Jambo to the emergency vet. As a result of what happened on that stormy night, I shared our experience and the information that ...