Issue 6 | October 2017 — Applied Behavior Consulting
Riggins and Wallace – A Tale of Two Pitties
Background My intake form is pretty basic. I use it primarily for triage. Is the dog being an unruly adolescent in an adult-only home, or do we have a just-turned-adult snapping at toddlers? This intake rose to the top, not because there was imminent danger, but...
By Erika Lessa, CDBC, CPDT-KAIssue 3 | October 2017 — Applied Behavior Consulting
Attachment Scales as a Tool for Behavior Consultants
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 Melissa McMath HatfieldIssue 2 | February 2017 — Applied Behavior Consulting
Case Study: Linda and Joe – Part Two
Case information Client’s name: Linda Dog’s name: Joe Breed: Dutch Shepherd Age: 3 years Additional animals in household: Two dogs The first part of this case study, covering Joe’s initial presentation, background, and history was presented in the June 2016 issue of...
By Renee HallDrama-free DRA for Barking
A dog barking and charging at the front door is by no means a new or unexplained phenomenon. Many of them do it with encouragement from their owners as “protectors,” and some breeds were specifically bred to be guard dogs. However, as a behavior consultant living in a...
By Adria Karlsson CDBCIssue 1 | October 2016 — Applied Behavior Consulting
Case Study: Linda and Joe
Case Information Client name: Linda Dog’s name: Joe Breed: Dutch Shepherd Age: 3 years Additional animals in household: 2 dogs Background The client is a friend of mine, and the attack happened to me during a training session. There were no prior incidents of...
By Renee Hall, CDBCCountering Counter-Surfing
When my cat Lassie was young, she had springs for legs. I’ve never seen a cat jump as quickly or with as much agility as she would, especially when it came to accessing canned cat food as we opened it on the counter. We took video of her doing this once because it...
By Adria KarlssonCase Study: Blade
Case Information: Cat’s Name: Blade Breed: Domestic Shorthair Sex: Neutered Male Age: 7 months Background: This kitten was presented at my practice for pouncing, biting, and scratching at both owners in the household. He was adopted through another veterinary clinic...
By Sally FooteChoices, Not Labels Help Birds Learn
Dreyfuss, my pionus, is a bird who—if I’d let her—would spend much of her day sitting next to me or on me, frequently with her head down for rubs. So why was it that this sweet girl would lunge at my arm and even bite it, whenever I’d put my arm in front of her...
By Lisa DesatnikBrie Breathes Easy: Training a Cat to Enjoy an Inhaler
When I took Brie to the emergency vet, his respiration rate was over 80 breaths per minute. His two-day stay in the oxygen kennel receiving IV fluids and additional medications brought his respiration rate back into the normal range. The veterinary specialist...
By Robin Bisha