Fear Free Happy Homes
Reading Time: 5 minutes Clicker training techniques allow us to communicate with our animals using positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement (which you may sometimes see abbreviated as +R) is one of the quadrants of learning. It involves adding something desirable to the interaction to increase the likelihood that an animal will repeat a behavior. To enhance its benefits, positive reinforcement […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes When cats spray urine in the home, humans consider it a problem behavior, but for cats, spraying is a normal means of communication. Domestic and wild cats use spraying to mark their territory. “It’s found throughout the feline kingdom,” says Mikel Delgado, Ph.D., of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “It’s a way to […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes When your dog does something you want her to repeat, you offer a reward. You may think of a reward as a tasty treat, a cheerful “Good dog,” or a pat on the head. These are all rewards that work for most dogs, helping to show them you’re happy about what they just did. But […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes As a certified yoga instructor as well as a veterinary behavior technician, I have found many similarities between yoga in humans and relaxation cues in our pets. In humans, yoga has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and regulate the fight or flight response. Animals do not have […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes A dog’s nose is a wondrous thing. He has the ability to separate breathing from smelling, to exhale without blocking incoming air and scents, and to use each side of his nose separately to determine the source of an odor. Paired with a remarkable scent memory, dogs can learn to sniff out cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The car salesman would not stop talking about cupholders. “This model features seven cupholders! That’s one cupholder for each person! More cupholders than our leading competitor!” he exclaimed. I sighed, a little impatiently. I needed a van for a specific purpose, and it wasn’t drinking. “I don’t care about cupholders,” I explained. “Just please hold […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The destruction was everywhere. Shredded furniture. Bent window blinds. Gnawed baseboards. Scattered throughout the house were shreds of random papers, from magazines to bills. The area rugs reeked of urine. As I took all this in, the distraught woman pointed at her leather couch, which featured a giant, ragged hole in the once-plump cushion. “He […]
Reading Time: 3 minutes The doorbell rang. Rudy the Miniature Schnauzer erupted into a frenzy of barking. He ran to the door and back to his parents, back and forth, with increasing urgency. At times, his bark reached such a high pitch, you were certain it physically penetrated your brain. Even after his folks had retrieved a package and […]
Reading Time: 6 minutes Sixteen-year-old Winifred is a grande dame. She is stubborn and opinionated but sweet and affectionate with people, prefers not to interact with the other cats she lives with, and lord help the cat who gets in her favorite spot in the catio. Winifred is also deaf. Leslie Cobb, cat artist, adopted Winifred in 2018 from […]
Reading Time: 4 minutes Behaviors such as jumping, stealing, and chewing can be challenging to live with, whether this is your first dog or your fifth, but you can learn how to manage and prevent these behaviors and teach your dog new habits, setting your new dog up for success, and creating less frustration for both of you. If […]