by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Cat, Sciences
In the 1940s E. R. Guthrie and G. P. Horton designed an experiment to test feline problem-solving ability using a test box and cats that met the scientific standard. In the experiment, they placed individual cats inside a test box, outside of which they placed a food...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Shelter, Sciences, Interviews, Small Animals, Rabbits
According to the House Rabbit Society, rabbits are the third most commonly surrendered pets in the United States. Rabbits have also been steadily gaining in popularity as indoor pets in many parts of the world, with an estimated one million pet rabbits in the United...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Cat
I have never understood the difficulty that some people have training cats. I find them intelligent, interested and engaged when I work with them, so I assume it should be the same for other trainers. However, I frequently hear that people are having trouble and...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Dog, Sciences
Lives of Streeties is an ongoing study that I am conducting on the street dogs of Bangalore, India. Streeties is a term of endearment that Bangaloreans use to refer to the dogs that roam free on the streets of the city. I spent most of 2015 flying back and forth from...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Dog
I sat on the grassy hillside near a field, running the leash through my hands, trying to catch my breath in the fresh air. Feeling alone, frustrated, and lost, I had attempted unsuccessfully to run away from the hurt until my legs gave out and my heart pounded in my...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Business of Behavior
For eight years, I worked remotely from a home office for organizations that were in different time zones. Perhaps that is why virtual consultations came so naturally to me. However, if you are not used to spending 30 to 40 hours a week online, the concept may be...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Sciences
This is the third installment of our Stats Trek series, where we talk about all things data! In the current series, we systematically dissect a paper from the scientific literature and discuss some of the things that we should consider when reading primary literature...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Ferrets, Shelter, Small Animals
When I first started volunteering with a ferret shelter, I had owned ferrets for over 13 years, but I still knew very little about them. I understood my own ferrets, but the species and its behaviours were something of a mystery. What I didn’t know at the time was...
by Joshua | Feb 3, 2017 | Husbandry, Horse
In this video, Certified Horse Behavior Consultant Lindsy Murray promotes the concept of group living for equines. This is Lindsy’s herd of horses that have lived together for over 20 years. The majority of the horses and ponies were taken on as rescues in need of...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Sciences
One of the precious few things the Internet could agree on in 2016 was that capybara are awesome. The giant South American rodents supplanted 2015’s darling, the three-toed sloth, as Esoteric Animal of the Year, as videos of them chilling with ducks, eating various...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Working Animals
My name is Lucy Llewellyn, and my dog and I are “Paws4Play.” I am a qualified social worker, qualified play therapist, and Certified Animal Assisted Play Therapist. I work mostly with children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma. I help these children work...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Other Topics
A number of IAABC members attended the recent Human Behaviour Change for Animal Welfare conference, held in early October in Dorking, U.K. The conference was the brainchild of—and almost single-handedly organised by—Certified Horse Behavior Consultant Suzanne Rogers....
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Applied Behavior Consulting, Dog
Human-dog interactions have many of the same components of human-human interactions: They amount to a relationship based on trust with mutual physical, psychological, and social benefits. The history-taking part of a consultation isn’t just about finding out what the...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Parrot
Parrots (Psittacines) are the most popular companion birds. However, most species are not domesticated, and they retain the behavioural traits seen in the species in the wild. Many conditions in which they are kept as pets are counter to the conditions to which they...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Dog
Over the many years of dog ownership, I have developed an extensive system of tracking behaviours in an effort to monitor progress (or the lack thereof) in the various interventions I try with my dogs. My background as a social worker encouraged this, as I’ve used...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Other Topics, Ethics
Conflicting interests in dog playgroups Dear Ethics Committee, At a recent dog trainer conference, I saw a video of canine socialization within a shelter context that I found troubling. A number of dogs were potentially traumatized for the sake of helping one problem...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Interviews, Cat
Patience Fisher discusses Dr. Ellis’ research and new book with her, uncovering additional details and insights on how to train a cat. Sarah Ellis’ life of research, consulting, and educating people about cats has been focused on undoing the decades-long acceptance of...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Husbandry, Dog
Oh, how I dread the sight of an obese dog. I feel bad for the dog and have the usual quick scroll of all the medical complications run through my head, but I also wince in anticipation of the upcoming discussion with the client about their dog’s weight. The range of...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Business of Behavior
You love your job. You wake up every day with a passion for working with animals and their people, for making the world a slightly better place one case at a time. You shed light on challenging situations between humans and their critter companions and place valuable...
by Joshua | Feb 2, 2017 | Business of Behavior
So you have taken the time to sit down and carefully write out your thoughts on dogs, training, behaviour, management, or some combination thereof. Now what? Publishing your writing on the Internet seems like a simple problem to solve. There are just so many options....
by Joshua | Feb 1, 2017 | contents, Shelter, Dog, contents
I have worked in the animal industry for over 18 years. I currently work at the Arizona Humane Society, where my original title was canine welfare specialist. My role is to provide mental and physical stimulation to the dogs in our care. We get a lot of medically...
by Joshua | Feb 1, 2017 | Horse
My 18-year-old thoroughbred is a warrior in most respects. He barely flicks an ear at a motorcycle speeding past as we cross the road; he nods politely and winks at a large coyote standing at the trail’s edge (in truth, the wink may just be a tic in his bum right...
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