The magazine for force-free pet professionals

No results found.

Visit our pet owner publication!

Filter by Categories
Animal Behavior
No results found.

Latest Behavior Articles

Navigating the Storm

Navigating the Storm

By Mary Jean Alsina “I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.” - Louisa May Alcott Many dogs who come into this world quickly learn that there are many storms of which to be afraid. These storms come in many guises: other dogs, bearded men, men in general, vacuum ...
Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

By Dorothy Heffernan With a growing interest in ‘least intrusive, minimally aversive’ (LIMA) training methods and the ‘least intrusive effective behavior intervention’ (LIEBI) model, many equestrians of today are increasingly starting to consider the option of riding their horses without ...

More Articles

Onset of Noise Sensitivity Might Indicate Pain in Dogs

Older dogs who develop noise sensitivity might be in pain. Other behavior changes, like a normally friendly dog showing aggression to children or dogs, have long been regarded as potential indicators of pain. But a study published in February ...

Mama Dogs Don’t Use Treats…..

By Yvette Van Veen Many people seem enamoured with the idea that we should emulate what dogs do in the wild.  “Mama dogs don’t give treats in the wild,” is one of the more common expressions.  This one carries quite a punch.  People have a ...

The Pet Professional Guild Position Statement on the Use of Shock in Animal Training

It is Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) view that electric shock in the guise of training constitutes a form of abuse towards pets, and, given that there are highly effective, positive training alternatives, should no longer be a part of the ...

Clicker Training for Cats (5/6)

By Paula Garber and Francine Miller Introducing Cats to Each Other In a nutshell, cats should be gradually introduced to each other one sense at a time: first by scent, then by sight, and then physically. Throughout the process, positive ...

The Neurological Benefits of Counter Conditioning Leash Reactive Dogs

Creating new and better associations for dogs on leash when exposed to fearful/stressful stimuli is crucial, as it is better for all involved for the dog to be less stressed and less fearful. The goal is potentially a positive association is ...

A Plug for Play

By Julie Naismith Just like humans, dogs need play time too. And one of the many beautiful things having dogs has taught me is that you’re never too old to play. You might be asking: “But, where does play fit into separation anxiety ...

Talking to Dogs

A newly published study finds that dogs pay attention to both the way we talk to them and to what we say. Alex Benjamin and Katie Slocombe's ‘Who’s a good boy?!’ Dogs prefer naturalistic dog‑directed speech looked at what they term ...

Added Brainpower!

Quite a 'buzzword' bandied around at the moment is 'enrichment', so here I'm going to take a look at what it actually means and involves. Enrichment? So lets start right there - what is enrichment? Put simply, enrichment is an all ...