How Accurate are Those Dog DNA Tests? Insights and Challenges in Decoding DNA

For a purebred dog and, on occasion, even a first-generation hybrid, breed-inference services often just confirm what the dog owner already knows. Sometimes a pedigree is available, tracing back through...

By Linda Boettger, PhD and Diane P. Genereux, PhD

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...

By Tiro Miller, PhD

Literature Review: Behavior Modification for Canine Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety (SA) and separation-related behavior (SRB) are significant welfare concerns for companion dogs (Cannas et al., 2014; Lund & Jorgensen, 1999).

By Brian J. Burton

Boo! Training a Bear

Boo is a male grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), born in 2002. He weighs 550 to 600 pounds in the spring, and up to 750 to 850 pounds in the winter...

By Cindy Peacock, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP

Behavior Theory and Stallion Management

Stallions can be used in different disciplines and they may stand at stud either as retirement or alongside their "career." Traditionally they are managed with little regard to their natural...

By Emily Talbot

Rural Dogs

Often times in sprawling country areas, such as the one I'm writing from now, the overall majority of dogs (and cats) brought into shelters and rescues are what I typically...

By Mallory Robinson

Reinforcing Change

All done!" I cried. Amid applause and cheering, the retired police sergeant hopped up from his position prostrate on the folding table. We had accomplished our crowd-sourced training goal-using a...

By Ashby Cogan

Cat Training Corner: Training a Kitten to “Go to Box”

Go-to-box training is a very useful tool. It enables you to not only relocate a cat, but more importantly to refocus him. It is an excellent tool for teaching impulse...

By Patience Fisher

Embracing Anthropomorphism

As any animal behavior consultant can attest, one of the greatest challenges we face is dissuading owners from anthropomorphizing their pet’s behavior. In many respects, anthropomorphism is the proverbial gorilla...

By Karen Fazio, CDBC

Expressive Writing for Resilience in Animal Care Professionals

Helping professionals of all kinds are exposed to a variety of stressors related to both their workplace systems and the ongoing exposure to direct and indirect trauma. This complex combination...

By Jessica Dolce

Perspective: IAABC’s Aggression in Dogs Seminar in Chile

When the APDT Chile announced its intention to become part of the IAABC and to host a congress on aggressive dog handling techniques with Trish McMillan Loehr and Michael Shikashio...

By Uli Grodeke, CDBC

Career Paths: Katenna Jones

Animal behavior consultants come from all walks of life. One of the most common questions IAABC gets is about how to get started working with pets and their people. In...

By IAABC Editing Team

Is “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,

By Carolee Penner

Issue 7 | FEBRUARY 2018