The pet behavior and training literature is full of misinformation that exists because writers either misread or misinterpreted the research of others. One prime example is the frequent claim that synthetic pheromones from dogs can reduce anxiety in a variety of situations. A systematic review of the literature (Frank et al. JAVMA, 2010, 236, 1308-1316) indicates that the evidence is extremely poor for the positive effect of pheromones on dog fears of noises, travel, veterinary visits and adaptation to shelters. Yet the claims continue.
We recently read a paper that is ripe for mis-interpretation. The title is “Puppy power! Using social cognition research tasks to improve socialization practices for domestic dogs (Canis familiaris).” Wouldn’t you think that an article so entitled would be about things that improve socialization in puppies? We did. Read More
Below is a recording of a consult we did with a BEN member concerning a case that she has been working on. It concerns a 4 month old neutered male Bassett Hound X Beagle mix. The dog has been showing serious aggression to other dogs and has bitten one of the people caring for him. Our BEN member had been asked to evaluate the dog and give the caretakers (elderly parents of the owner) an opinion of his behavior. She wanted us to comment on the dog and answer a few questions: Is there any research to give an indication of the long term outcome of a puppy showing this sort of aggression at this age? is there research to indicate whether this aggression will transfer onto people? If the puppy is rehomed what would be the plan to change his behavior? Would we recommend euthanasia for this dog? Read More
In our recent BEN Pro Member webinar on Myths and Misconceptions of Drive and Motivation, we talked about the confusion that sometimes arises between explanations of motivation and explanations of personality. Questions arose about what we know about personality in animals and particularly in dogs. This is has been an area of intense research in the last few years, but the research has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. So we decided to provide you with a few basic articles to introduce you to the research, its limitations and some of the findings.
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Dr. Hetts delivered this presentation at the APDT conference in 2009 and at the BFF (Best Friends Forever) conference in Exton, PA in 2010.
If you want to discover how scientific research about animal behavior is conducted this presentation is a great starting point. Suzanne discusses the scientific method, why behavior research can be tricky to conduct, how to define variables and gather data and much more. As examples, she uses common beliefs from the dog training world for which we have very little data – if any – to support them. For example, yawning has a calming effect on its recipient, "dominant" dogs are more likely to urine mark, "spoiled" dogs have more behavior problems, and more.
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“Unrecognized Fears:
The Effects of Fear on Behavior and Behavior Problems”
Housesoiling, barking, destructive behavior, aggression, home alone problems – these are some of the most common types of behavior problems in dogs. Which of these can be fear related? All? None? Some? And if they can be, how do you distinguish a housesoiling problem that is fear-related from one that isn’t?
That’s what we’ll discuss in this complimentary one-hour webinar coming up on Monday, November 8th at 2pm Mountain time. Some signs of fear are easy to recognize, but others aren’t so obvious. And when one is focused only on the end result – such as housesoiling – it often takes some detective work to link the result with what can be the fear related cause.
Once we’ve identified a fear related problem, what do we do about it? This will NOT be a session on behavior modification techniques, but we will touch on the options available for working with fear related problems.
We are offering this webinar to non-BEN members to give them a peek at what we have to offer. But they will only have one week to view the replay – Pro BEN members will have their usual unrestricted access and Pro-D members will be able to download the mp3 audio.
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Awhile back, our car was broken into in the parking lot of our health club, and my purse, and all its contents including cell phone, wallet, credit cards, checkbook, etc. was stolen. To put it mildly, this was a traumatic event, especially for me more than Dan, because it was my personal effects that were taken. The sense of violation and being taken advantage of was quite intense, and both of us, although me more so, were quite emotionally upset.
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