by Joshua | Jul 31, 2017 | Cat, contents, contents
History Medical history On March 1, 2017, I picked up Sal, a long-haired orange tabby from the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL). Sal was brought to the ARL with injuries consistent with being hit by a car. Sal’s right front leg was broken and his left back hip had...
by Joshua | Jul 25, 2017 | Shelter
Playgroups are undoubtedly a beneficial practice in shelters and rescue groups, and over the past few years they have increased in popularity. As with most tools, though, playgroups can be implemented with varying degrees of skill, or misapplied altogether. While my...
by Joshua | Jul 25, 2017 | Sciences
This issue, we talked to Lauren Robinson, recent PhD graduate from the University of Edinburgh. Lauren’s work focuses on how we measure personality and welfare, and how these two areas interact. She has worked with many different species, from puppies to penguins, but...
by Joshua | Jul 23, 2017 | Other Topics
Concerns about litigation can potentially limit dialogue about issues such as fear aggression. For example, if my dog is uneasy near strangers, I may be counseled not to talk openly about the dog’s bite risk or put a “Do Not Pet” sign on the...
by Joshua | Jul 23, 2017 | News
Events and conferences IAABC Conference 2018 Our next conference is going to be bigger and better than ever, with a full three days of presentations, discussions and social events for all our Divisions. Join us on the 20th to the 22nd of April in Burlington,...
by Joshua | Jul 23, 2017 | Small Animals
We humans are always looking for evidence that our animal friends really do love us. That’s probably why videos like this one, which was described as a ferret mom insistently “showing” her human her new babies by leading him by the hand, are so consistently popular....
by Joshua | Jul 23, 2017 | Business of Behavior
As professionals in the field of applied animal behavior, we are well-placed to understand the antecedents that cause an animal to act in a certain way. In cases where an animal has been implicated in causing injury, nuisance, or destruction of property that has...
by Joshua | Jul 20, 2017 | Parrot
Before I was a Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant, I started promoting companion bird education while volunteering at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) at Nevins Farm in Methuen, Mass.. When I began volunteering back in 2010,...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Cat
This new column will highlight some of the great training you and your cat can do together. We’ll start with how to train a foundational behavior, and build up to showing off some of the fun and useful tricks that build on that groundwork. Our first installment will...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Working Animals
The unique dog-human relationship has led to the dog’s integral place within our society. As well as being our companions, dogs’ adaptation to our lifestyle has resulted in their exceptional ability to work in a wide variety of roles, such as military dogs, police...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Parrot
This is a continuation of the counter-conditioning diary I started last issue. I am working with my Eclectus parrot, Kokoda, who I would like to teach to happily accept wearing a harness. In the last issue, we had made a start on the process of gradually introducing...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Dog, Case Study
The way a behavior consultant approaches a case is dependent on their education and background. As an applied behavior analyst, I approach my work as a behavior consultant with a bias toward that science. I want to understand the antecedent-behavior-consequence...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Shelter
Appropriate housing is essential for animal wellbeing in shelters. Without clean, comfortable, spacious housing, no amount of enrichment will be sufficient to maintain low stress levels. An animal may receive enriching interaction with staff, trainers, or volunteers...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Sciences
This is the fourth 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 | Jul 19, 2017 | Horse
“But restraint is the only one sort of control, and absence of restraint isn’t freedom. It’s not control that’s lacking when one feels ‘free’, but the objectionable control of force.” B.F. Skinner, Walden Two Traditional training and...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Business of Behavior
In previous Journal articles I have shared what I’ve learned about writing for an internet audience and things to consider when choosing how to publish to get the most out of the medium. There a few more things to touch on before wrapping up this series. Promoting...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Horse
Over the last couple of years, we have increasingly seen the behavioural side to hoof care featured in videos that have gone viral on social media. One recent example showed “the duct tape method” of getting a fractious horse to stand still for the farrier. Numerous...
by Joshua | Jul 19, 2017 | Parrot
Introduction: A rocky start in 2010 Shortly before I became a student of applied behavior analysis, a new parrot came to live with Steve and me. Ozzie, an adult female green Quaker parrot (hatch date April 11, 2004) was relinquished to the Quaker Parakeet Society...
by Joshua | Jul 18, 2017 | Dog
Animal Control Officers (ACOs), first responders in dangerous dog situations, have a difficult role in maintaining safety in the community. The Colorado statute1defines a “dangerous dog” as one that has Inflicted bodily or serious bodily injury upon or has...
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