Help Cats Cope with Stressful Situations
by Misty Hampton It’s not uncommon to hear that someone is using calming supplements, a safe space, or a ThunderShirt® for their dog during stressful events, such as holidays, when there are fireworks going off, or strangers coming to visit. There are lots of tools to help dogs cope with stressful situations. So, what about cats? Here, I’ll explore the use of tools like supplements, calming music, pheromone sprays, aromatherapy, and medications to help create a calming feline environment. Specialty Foods and Supplements In my experience, clients are more open… Continued
Behavior Pros Say Your Pet Wants You to Do These Four Things Starting Today
by Tasha Attwood A recent Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Panel discussion centered on the question, “How can guardians and professionals work together to create a kinder world for pets?” It was a follow up to two previous discussions about helping to make our pets’ world a little more friendly and kind. This series of PPG podcasts began with asking specifically what we, as pet guardians, can do. The next discussion explored how pet professionals can help. And now, this third installment brought it all together by asking how guardians and pet… Continued
Would You Know If Your Dog Was in Pain?
“Your dog wouldn’t be able to run like that if she was in pain.” “My dog isn’t in pain. They can play fetch for hours!” ”My dog loves his walks. He’s crazy when I pick up his harness and he races out the door, pulling me the whole way! How could he be in pain?” All of these are real statements that I’ve heard, including about my own dog. The problem is that, sadly, they aren’t true. Dogs can and will do many things when in pain that seem counterintuitive… Continued
Weathering Your Dog’s Fear of Thunderstorms
Thunderstorm season has begun. There are 80-90 million dogs in the USA alone, and I have read that 20% have noise phobias. It can be debilitating for dogs, and life-changing for their people. My friend, Lisa, lives with such a dog, Sweet Min, who was very fearful of storms, fireworks and other sounds. Lisa has worked diligently to improve Min’s quality of life, and I wrote this post to tell her story of discovering what has helped, from a pet steward’s perspective. Is Your Dog Frightened of Thunderstorms? Many dogs… Continued
Ensuring Your Dog’s Mental Health & Well-Being
It’s that time of year for various walks to benefit one nonprofit cause or another. Several of you will undoubtedly participate, running or walking and doing your part to help others. Thank you! Some of you with dogs will even bring your dogs to this mass gathering of humanity and semi-organized chaos. Based on my many years of experience at these events, many of your dogs will proclaim in various ways, “Why didn’t you let me stay home?!” Does Your Dog Enjoy Public Events…? …Or would they rather stay home?… Continued
Sudden Tension Between Cats: Could It Be Non-Recognition Aggression?
Each year, countless cats and their guardians are affected by non-recognition aggression, a phenomenon in which a cat returning home from an outing is suddenly treated as an intruder by a cat who remained at home. This situation often occurs after a visit to the vet, but it can also happen after a trip to the groomer, an outdoor excursion, or a visit to a home with dogs. Experts believe scent plays a key role in triggering non-recognition aggression. If left unaddressed, the at-home cat may attack the returning cat,… Continued
Think Your Dog Is Stubborn and Willful?
When a family recently submitted a puppy training application, I looked for key words to gain insight as to their relationship with their pup. I saw words describing 13-week-old Bella as strong-willed and stubborn, dominant, and growling when verbally or physically punished. Their verbal corrections were a harsh “Eh, eh!” and “No!” to which Bella responded “aggressively.” They also complained about hard mouthing and declared that they did not play tug, but they did mess with her food while Bella was eating. Yikes! I knew that our first appointment would… Continued
Is Your Dog Feeling Fearful, Anxious, or Stressed?
I highly recommend that we all try to identify the signs and causes of stress in our lives, and our pets’ lives, so that we can begin to eliminate or reduce the stressors that may be adversely affecting our mental and physical well-being, and that of our pets. Dogs show many signs when they are fearful, anxious, or stressed. Here are some of the canine body language signals indicating fear, anxiety, or stress that you could learn to recognize: Identifying the triggers – those stimuli such as smells, sounds, or… Continued
Your Brain Is Hardwired to Generalize Fear…And So Is Your Dog’s
This story is an illustration of something Kristina Spaulding, Pd.D., CAAB explained so clearly in her blog on The Development of Fear, published on April 1, 2021. Dr. Spaulding is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist who has worked with dogs, and now focuses on education. To read her excellent blog, follow this link. Barking and Lunging at Cars Recently, I worked with a three-year old Sheltie who had no training beyond performing “shake” on cue and following a food lure into a down position. For this article, I will call… Continued
Behavioral Changes in Cats: Could It Be Pain?
Did you know cats instinctively hide signs of pain, often leaving pet parents unaware of serious health issues? Unlike dogs, who might whimper or limp noticeably, cats tend to rely on quiet behavioral changes to communicate their discomfort. These changes can be easy to overlook but can provide crucial clues that something isn’t right. Recognizing these signals can make all the difference in ensuring your feline friends receive the care they need. The Link Between Behavior and Pain Understanding the connection between your cat’s behavior and their physical state is… Continued
Taming the Dreaded Oreckosaurus Rex
Some dogs run and hide at first sight of the vacuum cleaner or unleash a barrage of barking, lunging and biting at the dreadful thing. Others quickly identify the vacuum cleaner’s lair and the fear response begins as soon as the person reaches to open the closet door. Cleaning house soon becomes stressful for dog and person alike. A Canine Perspective Imagine what a vacuum cleaner appears like from a canine perspective. Dogs are conscious of height, size and elevation as it relates to their sense of security. With more… Continued
Help Pets Overcome Their Fears with Counterconditioning
If our pet doesn’t like something that we need them to tolerate, like vet care or grooming, we need to help convince them it’s worth it. Focus on Feelings We spend a lot of time training our animals’ behaviors (stationing, picking up feet), but sometimes the problem is emotional (fear, stress). We want to approach these situations from a more classical psychology perspective. It’s important to start by making the thing they dislike as small and mild as possible. So, whether you make it quieter, smaller, slower, or further away,… Continued
A Puppy’s Tale of the Yellow Brick Road
My understanding of the “Wizard of Oz” film is that it’s about a group of individuals who struggle to deal with fear and then seek recovery from it. This is a story about Juniper’s journey along that “Yellow Brick” road. I think that we all travel along that particular road at one time or another. Juniper’s mother was a stray, pregnant and struggling to stay safe, living in a deep southern state. She was captured with her pups and taken to a local shelter, eventually packed into a truck with… Continued
What is Reactivity in Dogs?
‘He’s reactive’ or ‘I have a reactive dog’ is quite commonly heard nowadays, and is a bit of a catch-all label that gets put on dogs who respond in a certain way. So, what is reactivity really, and what is a ‘reactive dog’? A dog who is reactive is generally one who overreacts in certain situations, or to certain things (science calls these stimuli) in their environment, and this overreaction can vary in intensity, how long it goes on for (duration), or volume. What triggers reactivity in dogs? Common triggers… Continued
How to Interact with a Dog – Respecting Personal Space
While many people recognize and address the physical health of their pets, the same cannot always be said for their pets’ mental well-being. Sadly, I’m not surprised, as some people fail to recognize the importance of mental health in humans, believing behavioral issues are character flaws rather than symptoms of illness or distress. Behavior problems with pets are on the rise. Often, they occur due to an aspect of a pet’s mental health and emotional well-being. Feeling Safe Every dog, like every person, has a personal space bubble. Each person… Continued
Do Pets Experience Emotional Trauma?
[Trigger warnings: abuse, hostage-taking, kidnapping, threats of violence] I recently met a gentleman who, upon learning I worked with animals, stated “I don’t know how you feel about this, but I demand my dog do whatever I ask him to do, immediately when I ask, and I have no problem hitting my dog.” He also was quick to tell me his dog loved him and they had a great relationship. I later learned his dog is 14 years old. Well, no dog should be treated that way, but older dogs… Continued
Rocket Man vs Squirrels – What to Do When Dogs Overreact to Things in the Environment
Do you live with a dog who goes bonkers upon seeing squirrels or rabbits during walks? I often hear that complaint from pet stewards. Five years ago, I taught Rocket basic manners. He learned quickly but his family reported that, true to his terrier nature, he became very excited upon seeing squirrels and rabbits and launched himself toward them, earning the moniker of Rocket Man. The result for the person holding the leash was sore knees and shoulders, as Rocket unexpectedly bolted ahead. It was particularly concerning during winter conditions… Continued
Fear Is an Emotion, Not a Behavior
There’s an old saw in the dog world that just won’t go away: “Don’t pet or comfort your dog when she’s acting scared—you’re just reinforcing that behavior.” But fear is not a behavior to be reinforced – or punished. It’s an emotion, like excitement, affection, playfulness, and sadness. Behaviors and emotions are tied together in important ways, but they are not the same, and require different approaches when they become a problem for your pet. Behaviors are Learned – Emotions are Involuntary Take for example the fallacy that forcing a… Continued
Trigger Stacking in Pets Explained
The holidays, a busy time of year, are quickly approaching! This time of year can be stressful for everyone, including our pets. Your home may undergo many changes, including decorating and adding a tree that may be so tempting for cats to climb or dogs to chew on! Not only that, but we’ll also have a lot of visitors and people coming and going, which can all contribute to trigger stacking, but what exactly is trigger stacking? When a series of minor incidents pile up to the point where your… Continued
Let’s Talk About Our Dogs’ Feelings
Anthropomorphism, a word that I can’t even pronounce!! The New Oxford American Dictionary helps us out here: An-thro-po-mor-phism – the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal or object. A Shift in Perspective You may have noticed recently that there has been a lot more talk about the welfare and “the feelings” of our dogs. (Thank goodness!) Years ago, I volunteered at a shelter for a period of three years. I admit that I would sit in my car after leaving on those Fridays and cry! … Continued
Why Does My Pet Do That?
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why does my pet do that?” The reasons why pets do what they do and behave the way they do will always have a function, whether we understand it or not! Reasons, Emotions and Needs Behind Pets’ Behaviors Behavior is a complex subject, and when we examine our pet’s behavior, there are many factors to consider, such as: Physical health – pain, disease, hormones, age, and general health Genetic – species, breed, breeding lines, hereditary Temperament – personality, breed type History – socialization, early… Continued
Would You Invite Your Best Friend to a Restaurant with Cuisine They Don’t Like?
Doogie and I walk together every day and run every other day. Doogie only ever runs 6 miles on roads, and then she goes home to snuffle mats and frozen KONGs while I clock up more miles. Doogie often prefers to walk. But whether we choose to walk or run, the focus is always on OUR enjoyment, the collective! This video shows the beginning of one of our outings. We are walking to warm up and collect important peemail. Watch Doogie’s body language change when I say, “are you… Continued
I Saved a Dog’s Life Today!
An Urgent Call A few months ago I received a voicemail on my business phone from a man who was very distraught. He asked that I call him back right away, and I could tell that it was urgent. I called him back and he told me that his dog had bitten him in the face the night before. I asked for more details and he told me that he could tell that she didn’t want him to kiss her in the face because she was backing away, but he… Continued
Let Pets Decide Whenever They Can
When waiting to cross the street with your dog, it’s nice to use the word, “Wait.” I say, “Sally wait. Let’s watch.” I want her to understand that we should check before we cross just like you would with a small child. HOWEVER, I don’t make her sit. The way she wants to wait is up to her. Sometimes she sits; sometimes she stands. If it seems like the wait is too long, she may even lay down. That is her choice. Sometimes we feel like we have to micromanage… Continued
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