January 26th, 2008
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
Position Statement on Adverse effects of Punishment
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=118
Adverse Effects of Punishment
Punishment can be effective in specific cases, but it must be used carefully due to the difficulties of performing it properly compared to positive reinforcement and due to its potential adverse effects. The following is a description of the difficulties and adverse effects that one should be aware of when using punishment (aversives). Continue reading AVSAB statement on effects of punishment
January 14th, 2008
(Thanks to Christy Hill for this great post on how to select a good dog. Her post was specifically in regard to service dogs; but is so applicable to all areas of dog training and behavior that we have re-posted it here.) Continue reading How to have a good dog
April 25th, 2007
Excerpts: Dogs have been used successfully for years by military and law enforcement. Dogs and their handlers are the most widely used, accurate, durable and flexible system available for detecting illegal drugs and explosives. A critical aspect of canine performance is their effective duty cycle.
Continue reading Detector dog duty cycle
April 25th, 2007
Relationship between Emotional Status and the Cognitive & Learning Abilities of Domestic Canines
by Iain Macdonald Continue reading Emotional status & learning ability
April 25th, 2007
Melatonin as Rx for stress
Dr. Linda Aronson of PetShrink in Norfolk, Mass., said that melatonin works for about 80 percent of her patients and can turn their fears into acceptance or indifference in 10 to 15 minutes. Aronson said that melatonin is safe to use as long as necessary as there appears to be no habituation. Continue reading Melatonin for stress
April 25th, 2007
Should We Dominate Our Dogs, Or Lead Them? by Stephen C. Rafe
The concept of dominance and submissiveness in dogs has been debated widely by behaviorists, ethologists, and trainers, throughout the world. And there are almost as many definitions for each term as there are participants in the debate.
A Good Concept
I support the concept, but prefer the term “subordinance” over “submissiveness” because it conveys status or rank and is more clear-cut than “submissiveness,” which is an attitude and attitudes are more vulnerable to interpretation. I believe we should examine a canine’s standing in the pack separately from the behaviors it shows in occupying that position. Continue reading Dominate or lead?
April 25th, 2007
Alphabetic listing of Links to animal behavior websites Continue reading Animal behavior links
