Issue 26 | February 2023 — Working Animals
Environmental Cues in Service Dogs
Navigating one’s daily tasks isn’t always easy — especially while living with a disability. Fortunately, there are service dogs that can be trained to do all sorts of tasks for their humans, and make significant improvements to their handlers’ lives. They might open...
Written by Matthias Lenz KPA CTPIssue 25 | February 2023 — Working Animals
A Review of Detection Distance for Search Dogs Based on Environment and Target Odor
Summary: Working dogs are expected to perform well in a huge variety of environments. Understanding what the research tells us about the effects of different environmental factors, as well as target odor, could help handlers modify their search strategy and...
Written by Kayla Fratt, CDBC, Rachel Hamre, and Heather NootbaarIssue 24 | October 2022 — Working Animals
Everybody loves Fido! The Ethics of Including Animals in Mental Health Work
Summary: Animals have been used as adjuncts in therapy since the time of Freud, and there are more and more programs that use animals to help patients communicate and heal. Animal Assisted Play Therapy is a combination of play therapy and animal assisted therapy,...
Written by Tara Moser and Jodi SmithIssue 23 | June 2022 — Working Animals
COVID-sniffing Dogs One Year Later: New Studies Show Promise
Summary: The canine nose is the most sophisticated tool we have for detecting odors in real-life environments. As soon as the pandemic hit, researchers started looking at whether dogs could be trained to detect if a person is infected with the COVID-19 virus. One year...
Written by Kayla Fratt, CDBCIssue 20 | February 2022 — Working Animals
Behavioural Care of the Elderly Farm Dog Retired (or Not) from Work
Summary: After their working careers are over, senior farm dogs are still a vital part of the life of the farm. They’re role models for puppies learning on the job, as well as trusted companions for the humans living and working in this often isolated rural...
Written by Pat Tagg M.Sc, CABCIssue 19 | May 2021 — Working Animals
Weak Links in the Canine Scent Detection Behavior Chain
Summary: Training for detection dogs involves creating a chain of behaviors with a reward at the end. When backchaining behaviors, there is always a risk of inadvertently reinforcing unwanted behaviors, which can make for a less reliable detection dog. This article...
Written by Carla Simon, BSc, MD, MBACOVID Sniffing Dogs: Where are we at with the Research and Implementation?
Summary: Within weeks of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 first being detected, preliminary studies on detection rates by working dogs were available. This review article examines two of the most promising early studies and discusses their methodology, potential...
Written by Kayla FrattIssue 18 | February 2021 — Working Animals
Angles of Approach in Dog Training
Summary: Geometry is important to successful dog training. When doing any kind of training that involves distance from a trigger or target, paying attention to the angle you’re asking the dog to approach from can help you reach your goals more quickly. This...
Written by Matthias LenzIssue 17 | November 2020 — Working Animals
Being a BAME Woman in the Gundog Training Community
I have no doubt you are aware that the gundog community is heavily dominated by white men, whereas the general dog sports community is mainly dominated by white women, at least when talking about those who actually compete. I am a mixed-race woman. My father is Black...
Written by Cecilia ErhaborThe Politics of Identity in Hunting Dogs
My insights into the hunting dog’s world begin with my own experiences of Cypriot hunting dogs, and an engagement with data that exists in my home and workplace in Cyprus. It makes its presence known to me continually and is not to be ignored. Indeed, the...
Written by Teresa Tyler, MAIssue 16 | July 2020 — Working Animals
Tossing Food in Service Dog Training
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official position on the topic of the organization he is working for. There is a huge variety in service dog tasks, and there are some core skills every service dog should...
Written by Matthias LenzIssue 15 | April 2020 — Working Animals
How the Clever Hans Effect Leads to Errors in Canine Scent Detection
Dogs are experts at human body language, but communication is a two-way street. Since you’re reading this article, you have probably gone to great lengths to understand their nonverbal communication, but how well you understand your own body language? Dogs learn to...
Written by Carla Simon, MDThe Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Dog Behaviour
Environmental enrichment (EE) is a technique designed to enhance the quality of life of captive and domestic animals, by providing environmental stimuli to promote psychological and physiological well-being (Kogan et al., 2012; Tarou and Bashaw, 2007). In dogs, EE can...
Written by Rebecca Hunt and Dr Helen Vaterlaws-WhitesideService Dogs, Students, and Environments They Access
Service dogs are working more and more with students. Those present in schools, colleges, camps, and other similar environments often struggle to understand the laws defining service dogs, what to expect from trained service dogs, and how to embrace them....
Written by Kristin HartnessThe Gift of Sam
I close my book, place it on the bedside table, and turn off the light, the signal for Sam, my yellow Lab, to jump up on the bed for one last goodnight snuggle. My room is dark: I no longer have to sleep with the light on and under the covers. I no longer see...
Written by Skye AndersonThe Dog’s Nose in Prostate Cancer Detection
Puppies are born blind and deaf, and stay this way until approximately 14 days of age, so their lives depend on finding the mother’s nipple through smell. This early stimulation of olfactory organs allows them to reach adulthood with the ability to smell the...
Written by Raul MarotoIssue 14 | January 2020 — Working Animals
An Interview with Michele Pouliot
Michele Pouliot is widely credited with introducing positive reinforcement-based training to the guide dog world and promoting the expansion of Clicker Training internationally within the guide dog field. Before she started working with guide dogs in 1974, Michele was...
Written by Sarah Dixon, CDBCWhat Dog Behavior Doesn’t Teach You About Sheep
Anna and I were standing at the back of a queue of woolly bottoms. Anna is my German shepherd dog, and the woolly bottoms belong to my 200 Poll Dorset sheep. We all work together on a small farm in Dorset, U.K., where we study traditional herding techniques,...
Written by Pat Tagg, M.Sc, CABCIssue 13 | October 2019 — Working Animals
Environmental Cues in Service Dogs
Navigating one’s daily tasks isn’t always easy — especially while living with a disability. Fortunately, there are service dogs that can be trained to do all sorts of tasks for their humans, and make significant improvements to their handlers’ lives. They might open...
Written by Matthias LenzIssue 12 | July 2019 — Working Animals
Therapy Dogs: Preventing Stress and Fatigue, Promoting Welfare
In the past four years as executive trainer for the Good Dog Foundation, I have been witness to moments that have left me gratified, awed, deeply moved, and absolutely certain of the substantive healing capacity of therapy dogs in animal-assisted interactions. I have...
Written by Melissa SchiraldiIssue 11 | April 2019 — Working Animals
Shaping Service Dogs to Overcome Fear of Unknown Surfaces
A central tenet of service dog training is fostering non-reactivity to various stimuli to ensure a resilient and reliable service dog for the client. Service dogs should remain relatively unfazed by dogs passing by, people talking to them, and other types of...
Written by Matthias LenzDirectional Control: Not Just for Working Dogs
Moses leaps into action, darting across the field and vaulting onto a platform located 25 yards away. Happily holding there, he waits for the next cue, then runs to the next target. A total stranger is directing him while I stand out of the picture. I spent two...
Written by Robin GruebelIssue 10 | February 2019 — Working Animals
Your Questions about the Joint Standards of Practice
On September 11th, 2018, IAABC, APDT, and CCPDT announced an agreement called the Joint Standards of Practice. This document, adopted by all three organizations, lays out the principles we believe should govern competent, ethical animal trainers and behavior...
Written by The IAABC Foundation Editing TeamIssue 9 | December 2018 — Working Animals
Mental Stress in Service Dogs
Working dogs give their hearts and souls to meeting their disabled handlers’ needs. The relationship between dogs and their handlers is deeply personal, interdependent, and intimate. This article addresses reducing mental stress for service dogs and improving the...
Written by Barbara Handelman M.Ed, CDBCIssue 8 | July 2018 — Working Animals
Canine Search and Rescue
In recent years, canine search and rescue (SAR) has become popular. In the not-too-distant past, most people did not know what it was. For example, when people saw members of my unit with the K9 SAR logo on their uniforms, they would comment that it was nice that we...
Written by Susan BulandaIssue 7 | April 2018 — Working Animals
Hen Power! Engaging a Community Through an Animal-assisted Intervention Project
Animal-assisted interventions can have specific therapeutic goals of improving physical or cognitive functioning, or they can provide general “opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life” (Morrison,...
Written by Tiro Miller, PhDIs “Dominance” a Four-Letter Word?
I had occasion today to think about how we working livestock guardian dog (LGD) owners view dominance in our dogs. Before we get into any further conversations about training, I think we should take a closer look at what dominance is and, perhaps more importantly,...
Written by Carolee PennerIssue 6 | February 2018 — Working Animals
A Perfect Human-Animal Bond Storm
Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion. Arthur Koestler Although many items appear on my list of enjoyable activities, reading mysteries remains a lifelong favorite. This ongoing exploration of the who, what, where, when, how, and why of hundreds of plots...
Written by Myrna Milani, DVMIssue 5 | October 2017 — Working Animals
Service Dog Temperament Versus Behaviour: What to Measure and When
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...
Written by Helen Vaterlaws-Whiteside, PhDIssue 4 | July 2017 — Working Animals
Toward Greater Awareness of Welfare in Animal Assisted Interventions: The Animal Assisted Play Therapy™ Model
The broad field of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) has grown in popularity and publicity in the past decade. One hears more and more reports in the media about the value of animals involved in visitation programs to hospitals and schools, reading-to-animal...
Written by Risë VanFleet, PhDIssue 3 | April 2017 — Working Animals
Animal Assisted Play Therapy™
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...
Written by Lucy LlewellynIssue 2 | February 2017 — Working Animals
Service Dogs: Ethics and Education Part Two—Certification, or Common Sense?
This is the second part of Barbara Handelman’s series on the ethical issues around service dogs, which started in Issue 1 A persistent myth exists that service dogs have been granted rights to access places where pets are not allowed. No government agency grants such...
Written by Barbara HandelmanTherapy Animals
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou One of the very first things I learned when I started visiting hospitals with a therapy dog was that...
Written by Patricia TirrellIssue 1 | October 2016 — Working Animals
Service Dogs: Ethics and Education
Most Americans are familiar with the presence of service animals.[1] From the standard-bearer guide dog for the blind to the much photographed but rare service mini-horse, their stories are more and more visible. Sometimes we tell those stories in order to laud an...
Written by Barbara Handelman
Mike is an emerging animal behaviorist sitting in Minnesota in the US. He carries an MSc in social science research methods (U. of Kentucky) and brings a passion for understanding how the methods we favor shape the knowledge we privilege. Coming from careers in teaching and non-profit program evaluation, he found companion animal behavior by accident helping anxious feline friends in a unique shelter in Ohio. It is a privilege and a joy to combine these and advance the journal in this exciting time of growth.
Alexandra is a certified dog behavior consultant and holds a PhD in neuroscience. She has spent over a decade in academic research and is author of numerous scientific articles on different aspects of brain development, including olfaction, neurogenesis, and memory formation. Her work as a behavior consultant focuses on creating trusting relationships between humans and their dogs through communication, respect, and science-based knowledge. Alexandra is very dedicated to promoting more science within the dog training world. She supports dog guardians and professionals to build a solid understanding of scientific principles and provides guidance on how to apply these to life with dogs. She runs Canine Mindscape in Alicante, Spain.
I’m an Argentinean-Italian dog trainer and CSAT who spent eight amazing years in Brazil learning and working with dogs. Now based in Europe, I volunteer with the IAABC as a translator and, in my free time, help rehomed dogs settle into their new families. I love bridging languages—and hearts—between people and their dogs.
I’m a translator, editor and journalist, as well as canine educator for children and families, specialized in canine body language. I am part of the IAABC Family since 2019, as Language Director at the IAABC and Translators Team Lead at the IAABC Foundation, at the moment. I volunteer at local shelters and promote bite prevention and animal welfare at schools and events all over my country, Uruguay.
I’m a Chilean veterinarian and certified dog trainer, based in Madrid and working at a veterinary clinic. I’ve been volunteering with the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation for over seven years. In my free time, I help dogs and their guardians strengthen their bond, and I love spending quality time with my own dogs.
Master’s Degree in Natural Sciences, with a strong interest in environmental sustainability and the protection of natural ecosystems. Passionate about writing and science communication, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams on research projects, such as Equine International, and with non-profit initiatives in the environmental and cultural fields. She is writing for different magazines, including IAABC Foundation. Her major goal is to improve horse’s welfare through behaviour research and empirical practice.
Adrienne Hovey is the copy editor for the IAABC Foundation journal and the owner of
I believe that knowledge from a wide range of disciplines fosters a more empathetic, curious, and engaging world. I am passionate about social, environmental, and minority rights issues (both human and non-human), and this has invariably led me down the road of multi-species anthropology. Perpetually curious about the world we live in, I hope to contribute towards making the world a kinder place for all of us earthlings to live on!
Beckie Wheldon is based in England, UK, and has been supporting the IAABC Foundation Journal team as a volunteer journal content editor since early 2025. She has a BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and has recently completed a MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour. With a passion for both practical and theory, Beckie is proud to be a part of the journal submission journey and support the process of applied animal behaviour information and research getting from our writers to the readers. As her full-time career, Beckie is currently part of the UK veterinary charity, PDSA, as a Learning and Development Business Partner for Veterinary, where she supports the professional development of people in their Veterinary Hospitals. Her last position was with the rescue charity, Dogs Trust, as a Canine Behavioural Welfare Manager, where she worked on embedding evidence-based behavioural welfare best practices throughout policy and practices, with both internal and external professional stakeholders, such as the police and military. With a varied background in kennels, caregiver education, and charity dog training classes, Beckie is also an accredited Animal Training Instructor (APDT UK) and an Associate Clinical Animal Behaviourist (APBC).
Erin Jones, PhD, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CANZ-ATI, CANZ-ABC, is the Journal Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal. She holds a PhD in Human–Animal Studies, an MSc in Anthrozoology, a PG Dip in Animal Welfare, and a BSc (Hons) in Anthropology and Psychology. An international presenter, editor, writer and mentor, Erin’s writing bridges research and practice with a focus on the intersection of philosophy, ethics and dog-centered behaviour practice. She is the author of Constructing Canine Consent and co-editor of Topics in Non/Human Coexistence and numerous academic and trade journal publications.