BARKS from the Guild September 2020

BARKS from the Guild Issue 44 / September 2020

BARKSfromtheGuild.com

CANINE An Unexpected New Lifestyle PUPPIES Preventing Resource Guarding BEHAVIOR Examining Ethograms RESCUE Enrichment Boxes and Skill Building TRAINING The Role of the Handler

© Can Stock Photo/evdohaspb

FELINE Stress in Multicat Households EQUINE Rethinking Dominance

Cats in Crisis: Are the Behavioral, Social, and Environmental Needs of our Pet Cats Being Met? What Guardians Can Do to Alleviate Feline Stress

f r o m t h e e d i t o r

BARKS from the Guild Published by the Pet Professional Guild 9122 Kenton Road, Wesley Chapel, Florida 33545, USA Tel: +1-844-462-6473 Pet Professional Guild BARKS from the Guild BARKS on Facebook Editor-in-Chief Susan Nilson Images © Can Stock Photo (unless otherwise credited; uncredited images belong to Pet Professional Guild) Pet Professional Guild Steering Committee Daniel Antolec, Kelly Fahey, Paula Garber, Don Hanson, Kelly Lee, Judy Luther, Debra Millikan, Susan Nilson, Mary Richards, Louise StapletonFrappell, Niki Tudge BARKS from the Guild Published bi-monthly, BARKS from the Guild presents a collection of valuable business and technical articles as well as reviews and news stories pertinent to our industry. BARKS is the official publication of the Pet Professional Guild.

Submissions BARKS encourages the submission of original written materials. Please see Submission Policy Procedures for detailed guidelines prior to sending manuscripts. Please submit all contributions to the Editor.

Letters to the Editor To comment on an author’s work, or to let PPG know what topics you would like to see more of, contact the Editor via email putting BARKS in the subject line of your email. BARKS reserves the right to edit for length, grammar and clarity.

Subscriptions and Distribution BARKS is a digital publication available to all subscribers free of charge.

Print-on-demand copies are available to subscribers by special order. Sign up at barksfromtheguild.com/subscribe. Subscribers can access all current and back issues, PDF downloads and the option to order print-on-demand copies at barksfromtheguild.com/members.

Please contact PPG membership manager Rebekah King for all subscription and distribution-related inquiries.

Advertising Please contact Kelly Fahey to obtain a copy of rates, ad specifications, format requirements and deadlines. These are also available at barksfromtheguild.com/advertise.

Pet Professional Guild does not endorse or guarantee any products, services or vendors mentioned in BARKS, nor can it be responsible for problems with vendors or their products and services. Pet Professional Guild reserves the right to reject, at its discretion, any advertising.

To be in any way affiliated with the Pet Professional Guild, all members must adhere to a strict code of conduct. Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean that no pain, force or fear and no shock, choke or prong are ever employed to train or care for a pet. © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Pet Professional Guild, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please email the Editor.

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eptember already. Where has the time gone? And what a strange year it’s been! And so, as we head into the fall, or autumn for our British readers, I am pleased to present you with a feline cover feature and a host of other great content in this issue.

Here’s the good news. There are currently more than 94 million cats living in American homes compared to 90 million dogs and, of cat guardians, 57% consider their feline friends to be as important as the hu­ mans in their lives while 86% consider their cats to be loyal companions.

The not so good news is the fact that cats may be struggling to adapt to the indoor, designed­for­humans environments they often end up living in. They are safe yes, but their needs are not always being met.

As Dr. Liz Bales, author of our cover feature, explains: “Enclosure­ free, human­free, outdoor living can be fraught with risks, but it does allow cats to design their lives according to their natural instincts, i.e. where to live, who to live with, how to communicate, what and how to eat, and where and when to eliminate. We humans bring them inside, however, so we can keep them safe and enjoy their companionship.”

With cats, as can also be the case with our pet dogs, we may make many, or even all, of their decisions for them, including what they eat and drink, and where they sleep and eliminate. As Dr. Bales explains: “We choose if they will have roommates, who those roommates will be, and how many of them they will have. We decide how big the space will be and what goes in it. The cats get no choice. And when the giant enclo­ sure is not equipped to meet their needs, cats are unable to perform their natural behaviors and fulfill their natural instincts.”

Personally, I have experienced life with both indoor and outdoor cats. Anecdotally, I can report that two of our group (who are ex­street cats) are far calmer and happier when they have free access to the out­ doors. When they live indoors, for example in winter when they prefer not to go out, they very obviously become more stressed, which is mani­ fested in their behavior. To accommodate this, we have to be sure to ele­ vate their indoor environment accordingly based on their individual preferences. Our elderly cat, meanwhile, is quite happy to remain in­ doors, even though she has the choice to go outside (although she will make an exception on a warm, sunny day), and our remaining cats gener­ ally elect to hang around in the house or on the terrace. All our cats have the choice as to where they go and when and we are lucky that we live in the kind of surroundings where we can safely allow this. And it’s interest­ ing to see what their individual preferences are. If we were to live again one day in an environment where they would have to live indoors, we would have a good idea of who would need more help to adapt.

The really bad — and sad — news is that the number one cause of euthanasia for cats is due to them being unwanted — because of behav­ ior problems. But fortunately for cats, cat guardians and behavior profes­ sionals everywhere, Dr. Bales is on hand to explain that there are some simple steps cat guardians can take to alleviate their pets’ stress levels to ensure improved physical, mental and emotional well­being. It’s a fasci­ nating read, and one that dog training and behavior professionals will also find helpful for their clients who have both cats and dogs.

There’s so much else to talk about in this issue, including the role of ethograms in the study of animal behavior, the importance of a dog han­ dler’s body language, early onset joint issues in a young pit bull pup and how his guardian has had to adapt their lifestyle and environment, and suggestions on how the horse world can rethink the concept of domi­ nance to build a better bond with their equine charges.

I am delighted to also present in this issue some of the selected en­ tries from our Phoenix Writers’ Competition, where contributors were in­ vited to submit their tales and experiences of any aspect of their lives in animal rescue. In this section, you can find out more about enrichment boxes and other enrichment protocols, tales of dogs who have inspired and left a very special legacy, and a program for training shelter dogs at a facility for mentally ill youths.

Finally, don’t forget to subscribe and get your free digital subscrip­ tion if you haven’t already! If you are already a member, you can find all the current and back issues right here. Till next time...

n Susan Nilso

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

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N EWS Geek Week, PPAB Fee Waiver Extension, new corporate partners, PPAB in New Zealand, the Pet Rescue Resource, Project Trade, events, workshops, webinars, podcasts and more

C ATS: IN CRISIS

Dr. Liz Bales explains why the behavioral, social, and environmental needs of our pet cats are not always being met and how cat guardians can help reduce their cats’ stress levels

T HE N EEDS

OF THE

M ANY

Andrea Carne presents suggestions for solving toileting issues in multicat households based on a new study that examines cats’ stress hormones

T HE I MPORTANCE

OF

E THOGRAMS

Dr. Sheryl L. Walker explains how ethograms, questions, observational skills, and documentation all fit together in the study of animal behavior

H ELP

THE

H ANDLER …H ELP

THE

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D OG

Suzanne Clothier explains how the handler’s behavior, body language and emotional state can affect a dog’s behavior and learning

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P UPPIES B EING P UPPIES

Sally Bradbury provides tips on how to prevent resource guarding in puppies and how to address play biting

A N U NEXPECTED D ETOUR

Gail Radtke presents an account of pit bull Porter who started having joint issues at 5 months old, and how his guardian is adapting his environment and lifestyle

C REATING P UPPY Z EN

Anna Bradley explains how to ensure life with a new puppy remains stress-free, and details the steps guardians can take to set up a calm, positive environment

W ORKING

TO

A DDRESS S TRESS

Jerri Colonna introduces the enrichment box as a tool to alleviate canine stress in a shelter environment

C HOICES M ATTER

Maria Zarate presents three options she uses in the shelter environment to provide enrichment for the resident dogs

A R OUGH S TART

Kim Jukes relates the tale of abandoned German shepherd puppy Zeus and how she helped him learn social skills and impulse control so he could find his forever home

U NDERSTANDING B EHAVIOR

Kimm Hunt explains why the saddest of experiences inspired her to be the professional she is today

L EARNING C OMPASSION

Charleen Cordo introduces the plan she devised for training shelter dogs at a facility for mentally ill youths

R ETHINKING D OMINANCE

Dorothy Heffernan explains how, by rethinking the concept of dominance, we can build a better bond with our horses

A SK

THE

E XPERTS : C ONTROLLING A CCESS

Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner dogbiz discusses the importance of flexibility in times of uncertainty

E MBRACING C HANGE

Kathie Gregory examines life during and post-pandemic and how we can adjust our thinking to become more creative in the way we engage with our animals

S UFFERING

IN

S ILENCE

Beth Napolitano examines elements of animal cruelty syndrome and what current research can teach us about individuals who are more likely to engage in animal abuse

P ROFILE : S OMETHING M AGICAL

Featuring Michelle Martiya of Essential Animal Training in Boca Raton, Florida

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

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Canine Training Technician – All fees waived. Save $90 Professional Canine Trainer – All fees waived. Save $90 Professional Canine Behavior Consultant – All fees waived except examination. Save $115 Transfer Your Existing Credential Transfer application fees waived. Save $50

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n e w s Geek Week Extends Early Bird Rates

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PG’s virtual event Geek Week, taking place online on November 11­ 15, 2020, has extended its early bird rates to September 30, 2020 to give you more time to register. The same applies to exhibitor rates.

New Survey on Shelter Dogs’ In-Kennel Welfare

Early Bird (before September 30, 2020): Member* $200 / Public $380 Regular Registration: (post August 30, 2020): Member* $220 / Public $440

Geek Week Features: • • • • •

•

85 globally respected presenters delivering education at less than $1.55 per hour (see full presenter list on p.64).

Sessions running 24 hours a day for five days to suit all time zones.

Live Q&A sessions.

More than 130 presentation sessions with access for 12 months to recorded content (see full schedule).

Daily competitions, fun sessions and sponsor spotlights, vir­ tual exhibitor booths, virtual swag bags, competitions, prizes, networking, geek apparel and more...

Early bird discount till September 30, 2020 – register today!

*Members of APDT Australia, Canine Arthritis Management, INTODogs, PPG Australia, PPG British Isles and PPG – discount codes are available on your respective websites.

Want to find out more about Geek Week? Listen to Niki Tudge and Denise O'Moore, chair of INTO Dogs, discuss PPG's virtual November event in this BARKS Podcast. (See also p.2 and p.64 for more details.)

© Can Stock Photo / Kosobu

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re you an animal behaviorist? A trainer? Do you have experience and/or education in animal welfare or behavior? If so, Dr. Nathan Hall, assistant professor of companion animal science at Texas Tech Uni­ versity, and his PhD student Allie Andrukonis invite you to participate in a survey for a new study on the welfare of people and animals in the shelter environment.

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to answer a few ques­ tions about your experience and education in the field and then watch 10 videos of dogs in kennels and answer 1­4 questions about each video. It should take no more than 20 minutes. Ultimately the goal of this study is to use the data collected to create training programs and/or protocols to improve the in­kennel welfare of dogs. Please share far and wide!

n e w s PPAB Gains CANZ Accreditation

Pet Rescue Resource Releases Playgroups Toolkit

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he Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) is now an accredited organization with Companion Animals New Zealand (CANZ). CANZ believes there should be legislation that ensures certain standards of welfare for animals and is a respected national organization represent­ ing a diverse range of animal welfare groups, including the SPCA, New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA), Dogs NZ, New Zealand Cat Fancy, the New Zealand Veterinary Nursing Association (NZVNA) and the New Zealand Institute of Animal Management (NZIAM).

There are currently three PPAB titles available: ● Canine Training Technician (Accredited) (CTT­A). ● Professional Canine Trainer (Accredited) (PCT­A). ● Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (Accredited) (PCBC­A).

Special Notice: Effective April 1 ­ December 31, 2020, PPAB is waiving many of its appli­ cation and submission fees for PPG members. Apply today and save: ● Canine Training Technician – All fees waived. Save $90. ● Professional Canine Trainer – All fees waived. Save $90. ● Professional Canine Behavior Consultant – All fees waived except the proctored online examination. Save $115.

If you hold an existing credential and are thinking twice about re­ newing, now is the time to transfer it! Save the application fee of $50 and all other submission fees until December 31, 2020. (See also ad on p.5).

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he Pet Rescue Resource (PRR) has released its much anticipated Dog Playgroups resource, which features in­depth information on science based, data driven, positively inspired dog playgroups and explains why these are so important for shelter/rescue dogs.

The Academy for Dog Trainers and the PPG shelter and rescue com­ mittee went live earlier this month to discuss the project and to provide a glimpse of some of the top level content that will be available to the public at no cost.

PRR is an online toolkit for shelters and rescues designed to improve adoption and retention rates of homeless pets. The resource includes articles, step­by­step training plans and videos designed to support staff and volunteers in addressing common behavior and welfare issues. Its first project, Jumpy/Mouthy Dogs, launched earlier this year, with the Cat Project currently underway.

The PPG shelter and rescue committee welcomes any feedback to the new resources. Please contact them via their Facebook page and let them know what you think!

Are You a Writer? BARKS Is Looking for New Contributors

© Can Stock Photo/damedeeso

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ARKS from the Guild is looking for new writers to contribute on both a regular and an ad hoc basis. BARKS is all about pet professionals sharing their individual knowledge and experience with others as we work to grow the force­free community and spread the message.

BARKS’ online audience is comprised tens of thousands of pet profes­ sionals and pet guardians all over the world; being featured in BARKS is great for your business, for your fellow pet professionals, and for the clients and pets we serve! Please read the BARKS FAQs page for more information on submitting articles or contact the editor for further de­ tails.

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

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n e w s PPG Signs Four New Corporate Partners: The Gundog Trainers Academy, 2 Hounds Design, TheDoGenius Ltd. and The International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour Ltd. - All Join with Special Member Offers

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PG is proud and delighted to welcome TheDoGenius Ltd., The Gundog Trainers Academy, 2 Hounds Design, and The International School for Ca­ nine Psychology & Behaviour Ltd. as new corporate partners.

TheDoGenius Ltd.

2 Hounds Design

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heDoGenius Ltd. offers online, self­paced courses, learning anytime, anywhere. All DoGenius online dog courses have been written by highly qualified professionals with in­depth knowledge and years of ex­ perience on their chosen subject. Care has been taken to create a course collection that is based on only the most up­to­date dog­centric science, taking into account both human and canine perspectives and that advocate for canine well­being. Courses will only ever follow the science of positive reinforcement and reward­based training. CEUs are available from PPG, CCPDT and IAABC.

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Hounds Design makes the Freedom No­Pull Harness with double connection leash as well as fun and flashy martingale collars, buckle collars, and leashes.

Special Offer: Try the Freedom No‐Pull Harness for FREE! And send your feedback for 25% off your first order at wholesale pricing!

Special Offer: 10% discount on course prices for PPG Members (ex‐ cludes sale or discounted prices).

The Gundog Trainers Academy

T

he Gundog Trainers Academy (GTA) is run by Helen Phillips and Jules Morgan (who are also presenting at Geek Week). Its mission is to support, nurture and encourage high standards of ethical, science backed, non­coercive and effective methods of training for gundogs in the U.K. It aims to build an extensive network of like­minded, qualified gundog trainers to fulfil the demand for ethical gundog training for shooting, for competition and for pleasure.

GTA offers educational courses in practical and theoretical formats with a final assessment process which accredits teachers to become GTA instructors. Handler only courses are devised to improve and ex­ tend upon gundog handling skills to owners and trainers by delving deeper into the learning process and applying it to field work.

Special Offers: 10% discount on 2021 Teachers Course for PPG mem‐ bers / 5% discount on 2021 Handlers Course for PPG members.

The International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour Ltd.

T

he International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour Ltd. (ISCP) provides distance learning courses, webinars, and in­person practical study days in reward­based dog behavior, training, nutrition, handling and other related aspects. Currently, the ICSP has students in 60 countries.

The ISCP is the only education provider that offers a 50% discount for members involved in dog rescues and in any charities which involve dogs (such as guide and service dogs, veterans with dogs, emotional support dogs, etc.) on its most popular behavior course which enables graduates to work professionally with dogs.

Special Offer: 10% discount on all ISCP courses. To take advantage of this offer, please use the PPG member discount code in the coupon code box in the course enrollment form.

For more details on all available offers, see Vendor Discount Programs in the Members’ Area of the PPG website. Note: You must be logged in.

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BARKS BARKS fromfrom the Guild/September the Guild/January2020 2018

n e w s PPG Names June, July Project Trade Ambassador

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ongratulations to Emily Blythe of Homeward Bound Animal Behavior & Training, LLC in Wisconsin, USA for trading three shock collars and who was named Project Trade Ambassador for June 2020. She was also named Project Trade Ambassador for July 2020 for trading one choke chain. Congratulations too to Daniel Antolec of Happy Buddha Dog Training in Wisconsin, USA for trading one shock collar in July.

Emily Blythe exchanged three shock collars (left) and one choke chain (inset) for service discounts and has been named Project Trade Ambassador for June and July 2020

Find out more about how Project Trade can help your business in Helping Dogs, Helping Families, BARKS from the Guild, March 2017, pp.20‐25.

Project Trade is an international opt‐in advocacy program for PPG members that promotes the use of force‐free training equipment by asking pet guardians to swap choke, prong and shock collars (and any other devices that are designed to change behavior or care for pets through pain or fear) for service discounts. Join today!

Now Available on Anchor Platform

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ARKS Podcasts are now available on the Anchor platform from where you can select your preferred app to listen any time or down­ load. Make sure you follow BARKS Podcasts on whichever app you choose so you can stay updated with new releases. In the most recent podcasts, join PPG president Niki Tudge as she chats to: July 31, 2020: Denise O'Moore of INTODogs discussing Geek Week.

July 24, 2020: Kelly Duggan of Kelly Duggan Design discussing marketing and websites, and how you can best leverage your site to service more clients and help more pets.

July 17, 2020: PPG Summit 2017 keynote speaker Dr. Eduardo Fernandez talking all about science, ethics and data collection.

New Dates for Shock-Free Pledge Drive

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he Shock­Free Coalition has announced new dates for its Pledge Drive.

The event will now take place March 1 ­ May 31, 2021 (see below).

The key purpose of the Shock­Free Coalition is to build a strong and broad movement committed to eliminating shock devices from the supply and demand chain. This goal will be reached when shock tools and equip­ ment are universally unavailable and not permitted for the training, man­ agement and care of pets. The Shock­Free Coalition believes that pets

have an intrinsic right to be treated humanely, to have each of their indi­ vidual needs met, and to live in a safe, enriched environment free from force, pain and fear. Members of the Shock­Free Coalition consider it to be their responsibility and utmost obligation to be vigilant, to educate, to remain engaged and work toward eliminating shock as a permissible tool so it is never considered a viable option in the training, management and care of pets. Sign the Shock‐Free Pledge (see also ad on p.7).

n e w s PPG Appoints Social Media Coordinator

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PG has appointed Warwick, New York­based veterinarian Pam Shultz DVM CVA (right, with her cat Tesla) as its social media coordinator with immediate effect. Dr. Shultz had already been assisting PPG as a proofreader on its bimonthly trade publication BARKS from the Guild, and now comes onboard in a more official capacity as the organization looks to ramp up its online presence across its social media platforms.

"Perhaps many training and behavior professionals will be able to relate when I say that there were times when it was lonely and exhaust­ ing being a force­free proponent in the pet industry," said Dr. Shultz.

"Then I discovered PPG. Ever since getting involved, first as a Shock­Free Coalition regional coordinator for New York, then as proofreader for BARKS, I have met the most inspiring people and thoroughly enjoyed every opportunity to share ideas – and I'll be honest – commiserate at

times. I am proud to be part of a community that is so sup­ portive, dedicated, insightful and compassionate to both pets and people. In this new position, I hope to continue to learn, while assisting PPG in sharing information and re­ sources that help pet profes­ sionals and guardians work together toward a world that is kinder to all species."

Read press release.

SPECIAL NOTICE: PPG is still offering a range of services to support members and their businesses during the current pandemic. These include free member webinars, Facebook Live sessions offering business and marketing advice in the PPG members’ Facebook group, virtual PPG Social events, and more. Check listings in the PPG Members' Facebook group for event dates and times. See also Business Contingency Planning section in the Members’ Area of the PPG website.

Earn Your CEUs via PPG’s Webinars, Workshops and Educational Summits!

Residential Workshops (Tampa, Florida) Reactive to Relaxed: Next Steps in Control Unleashed with Leslie McDevitt (see also ad on p.37) Saturday, February 13, 2021 ­ Sunday, February 14, 2021

Webinars Stressed Out: Dogs, Hormones, and Stress ­ Presented by Dr. Jessica Hekman Friday, October 2, 2020 ­ 1 p.m. (EDT) The Role of Habit in Behavior ­ Presented by Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Monday, October 12, 2020 ­ 2 p.m. (EDT) How to Recognize Signs of Pain in Dogs ­ Presented by Catarina Santos Saturday, October 24, 2020 ­ 1 p.m. (EDT) Revisiting Respondent Techniques ­ Change the Behavior by Changing the Emotions ­ Presented by Alexandra Santos Tuesday, November 3, 2020 ­ 1 p.m. (EST)

Educational Summits PPG Geek Week 2020 (Virtual) (see also ads on p.2, p.6 and p.64) Wednesday, November 11 ­ Sunday, November 15, 2020 PPG Summit 2021 (Phoenix, Arizona) Friday, September 17 ­ Tuesday, September 21, 2021 For a full, up‐to‐date list of webinar listings, see: petprofessionalguild.com/Webinars

Your PORTL to Shaping with Mary Hunter (see also ad on p.55) Saturday, March 20, 2021 ­ Sunday, March 21, 2021 Interactive Play Skills Instructor Course with Craig Ogilvie (see also ad on p.59) Saturday, October 9, 2021 ­ Sunday, October 10, 2021 Advanced Agility Workshop with Marita Davies (see also ad on p.51) Saturday, October 16, 2021 ­ Sunday, October 17, 2021 Canine Scent Instructor Program with Dr. Robert Hewings Saturday, November 6, 2021 ­ Wednesday, November 10, 2021 Canine Scent Advanced Handling Program with Dr. Robert Hewings Wednesday, November 17, 2021 ­ Sunday, November 21, 2021 Learn How to Train Dogs to Detect Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Nightmares with Dr. Robert Hewings Wednesday, November 24, 2020 ­ Thursday, November 25, 2020

PPG Webinars On Demand Listen any time!: petprofessionalguild.com/Recorded­Webinars

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

For a full, up‐to‐date list of all upcoming summits and workshops, see: petprofessionalguild.com/Educational‐Summits

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c o v e r

Cats: In Crisis

© Canva

Cats are both hunters and the hunted — this is what motivates their behavior and providing for these needs should be the baseline minimum of care

Dr. Liz Bales explains why the behavioral, social, and environmental needs of our pet cats are often not being met and the simple steps cat guardians can take to alleviate their pets’ stress levels to ensure improved physical, mental and emotional well-being – as well as how dog trainers can help 12

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merica loves cats! In fact, we have more cats than dogs living in our homes. We currently live with more than 94 million cats, compared to 90 million dogs (Daily Dog Stuff, n.d.). Nearly half of all millennials have cats: 57% consider their feline friends as important as the humans in their lives and 86% consider their cats to be loyal companions (Purina, 2015). But even the most passionate cat lovers among us are not always aware that our cats are facing something of a crisis in our homes. While debates rage on about what food to feed your cat and whether you should get your cat from a rescue or a breeder, the most important health crisis facing cats has been getting almost no attention: The number one cause of death for cats is being unwanted due to behavior problems (Alley Cat Allies, n.d.; Rodan, 2016; Salman et al., 2000; Zito et al., 2016).

Veterinarians and feline behavior scientists have devoted decades to re­ searching this issue and the answer is clear. Cats are very different from hu­ mans. This fact may seem obvious, but it is also the root of this epidemic.

Enclosure­free, human­free, outdoor living can be fraught with risks, but it does allow cats to design their lives according to their natural instincts, i.e. where to live, who to live with, how to communicate, what and how to eat, and where and when to eliminate. We humans bring them inside, however, so we can keep them safe and enjoy their companionship and it is here that the problems

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

c o v e r can start. We may not even think about the indoor environment we are providing or whether it meets the cat’s needs. Or maybe we just assume that it does, just like it meets our own needs. Spoiler alert – it doesn’t.

Through a cat’s eyes, a human home may be regarded as some sort of giant enclosure where everything is preselected for them. We decide what they eat and drink, where they eliminate, and maybe where they sleep too. We choose if they will have roommates, who those room­ mates will be, and how many of them they will have. We decide how big the space will be and what goes in it. The cats get no choice. And when their giant enclosure is not equipped to meet their needs, cats are un­ able to perform their natural behaviors and fulfill their natural instincts.

In short, cats are unable to be cats (see infographic, ‘Innate Differences,’ right).

To make matters worse, humans and cats interact socially in entirely different ways. Humans are “in charge,” so we do what we want and our cats just have to cope with it. This may mean they become even more stressed — and we may then get angry or frustrated with them.

Inappropriate Behavior This daily reality can be extremely stressful for cats and that stress can cause them to redirect their needs into behaviors that we do not always like. When cats behave in ways that we do not like often enough, we may get fed up and give up on them, relinquishing them to a shelter, abandoning them outside to become strays (perhaps ending up in a shelter), or even having them euthanized. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ National Rehoming Survey, “pet problems are the most common reason that owners re­ home their pet, accounting for 47% of rehomed dogs and 42% of re­ homed cats. Pet problems were defined as problematic behaviors, aggressive behaviors, grew larger than expected, or health problems owner couldn’t handle.” (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, n.d.). Shelters do their best to manage but may be under­ funded and overcrowded with stray and unwanted cats. Tragically, they may have no choice but to euthanize unwanted cats. Without being hy­ perbolic, this is an epidemic.

There is a clear, proven, direct correlation between understanding and providing for cats’ innate behavioral needs and their physical health. Stress has physiologic consequences. It activates the central stress response system (Buffington, n.d.) which has an impact on nearly every body system and plays a role in the most common health prob­ lems that cats face.

Physical and behavioral manifestations of stress go hand­in­hand.

Short­term stress in cats has immediate effects on a cat’s body in that the heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and body temperature increase. In the bloodwork, we see a decrease in lymphocytes and an in­ crease in neutrophils, monocytes, and blood glucose, which can spike so high that it mimics diabetes. Long­term stress causes a variety of ill­ nesses, behavior problems, urinary disease, cardiovascular disease, en­ docrine disease, dermatologic disease and gastrointestinal disease.

Many cats experience a combination of these over a lifetime (Karagian­ nis, 2016). We call these comorbidities (Buffington, 2011) (see Fig. 1, bottom left on p.14 and Fig. 2, top right on p.15).

The good news is, we know the solution to this problem and it is not difficult. Cats’ behavior, social needs, and environmental needs are clearly understood and relatively simple to provide. Fixing this problem requires one very important missing component. You. You see, reaching cat parents to educate them can often be more difficult than reaching dog parents. Dog parents tend to have more contact with educators, like veterinarians, trainers, groomers, dog walkers, doggie day care workers, and friends at the dog park and on dog play dates. In fact, half as many cats as dogs see a veterinarian annually for wellness exams (American Association of Feline Practitioners, 2013). It is entirely possible that a cat parent can spend a lifetime without interacting with an educator.

© Canva

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

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c o v e r While debates rage on about what food to feed your cat and whether you should get your cat from a rescue or a breeder, the most important health crisis facing cats has been getting almost no attention: The number one cause of death for cats is being unwanted due to behavior problems (Alley Cat Allies, n.d.; Rodan, 2016; Salman et al., 2000).

What Makes a Cat a Cat? What is the essence of a cat? When we understand what motivates a cat’s behavior, we understand what to expect from a cat — as a human companion and a companion to other cats in our homes. With this infor­ mation, we can rethink the criteria for a minimally satisfactory physical living space in the confinement of our homes.

Well­being for all living things begins with basic survival. How do cats survive and stay safe? How do they eat, drink, and sustain them­ selves? What are the threats to a cat’s safety, and how are they innately programmed to protect themselves from these threats? How do cats communicate and interact with the world, and each other? This is basic survival for a cat.

Just about everything you need to know about cats comes down to one thing. Hunting.

Cats in the Wild

© Can Stock Photo/evdohaspb

Cats are not innately designed to accept another cat into their territory but are more likely to be able to live with other cats if there is ample food to hunt and safe shelter

Fig. 1

© Canva

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Cats are exquisite hunters. They need to be. One cat needs to hunt, catch, kill, and eat 8­12 mice every single day to stay alive. It takes about 80% of a cat’s waking hours to accomplish this. Nature gave cats a strong innate drive to hunt to ensure they stay alive, even if there is plentiful food (iCatCare, 2019). A cat’s stomach is only the size of a ping­ pong ball, just right for a mouse­sized meal, one at a time. Mice do not hang around in groups all day waiting to be eaten. They hide from cats, and scurry around alone, usually at dawn and dusk when the darkness can help protect them. So, cats are instinctively driven to hunt at dawn and dusk. They do not rely on their sight, like you and I do. Cats use their sense of smell, hearing, and perception of movement to locate their prey (see Fig. 3, bottom right on p.15).

So much about a cat’s feeding behavior dictates the rest of their lives too. Mouse­sized meals are not enough to share, so cats hunt and eat alone. You don’t see a group of house cats working together to bring down a deer and dining on the carcass together. One cat hunts, kills, and eats one mouse at a time.

If a location has more cats than meals, cats starve. Eight to 12 mice every single day is a lot of mice, so cats are careful to protect their food sources. The result? Cats are extremely territorial. And if you are going to have to hunt and eat alone, you had better be able to depend on yourself to stay safe. And that is exactly how cats evolved. Cats are soli­ tary survivors. They do not defend each other, protect each other, or count on each other to sustain life. If they are sick, hurt, or have a need, no other cat is coming to help them. This is not malicious, vengeful, or unkind, it is simply the way nature made them. Therefore, it is of no benefit to them to show that they are sick, hurt, or have a need. Show­ ing this vulnerability will not bring assistance but is highly likely to tip off a predator that they are easy prey.

Groups of related mothers and kittens may live together, if there is enough food and safe shelter to meet all of their individual needs and the needs of the group. These mother cats grew up together, have lived together, and smell like each other. They are not receptive to new cats entering the group (iCatCare, 2018b).

If it comes down to a territorial fight between two cats, it is highly likely that one or both of the contenders will be injured or killed. In the

c o v e r wild, injury from fights often leads to death. So, nature designed cats to do everything they can to avoid con­ flict and even interacting with the competition. So, cats find ways to communicate with each other with­ out being present.

To avoid unwanted interactions, cats leave lots of communication around their territory. Often one “sign,” like urine marking or leaving claw marks on a tree, communicates in many ways, including smell, pheromones, and visual cues.

Cats’ sense of smell is far superior to that of hu­ mans. The olfactory epithelium in cats is 20 cm2 where they have 200 million scent receptors. By comparison, humans have only 2­4 cm2 of olfactory epithelium and have only 5 million scent receptors (College of Agricul­ tural, Environmental and Consumer Sciences, n.d.).

In addition to smell, cats have a sophisticated chemical messaging system using pheromones.

Pheromones are odorless chemicals produced by spe­ cialized glands on a cat's cheeks, under the chin, at the base of the tail, on the foot pads, and around the anus, genitals, and mammary glands. Cats deposit these messengers when they do things like rub their cheeks on things, urinate/defecate and when they scratch things. The receiving cat actively has to draw the air containing pheromones into the roof of their mouth, an act called flehmen, and then, further, into an organ called the vomeronasal organ to detect the message.

Only another cat can perceive these pheromones and when they do, the receiving cat has a specific, innate response.

Cats depend on smell and pheromones. In short, if it smells like “me,” it is safe. Cats deposit their smell and pheromones throughout their environment and on the other cats they choose to live with by rubbing on and grooming each other. Cats also use scent and pheromones to communicate fear, danger, and terri­ tory without having to be physically present.

Urine and feces contain waste material and odor and pheromone information. There are times when cats wants their urine and/or feces to communicate a message. We call this urine or fecal marking. Most of the time, cats simply need to eliminate and are careful to bury their urine or feces so as not to tip off a com­ petitor or predator of their location. Outside, cats choose when and where to urinate and defecate to ac­ complish all of these goals, and to keep themselves safe.

Cats are a preferred meal for coyotes, foxes, large reptiles, hawks, owls, and other birds of prey. In fact, nature made cats keenly aware that their lives are con­ stantly in danger. Cats innately climb to the highest point available and choose a perch not much bigger than their body or squeeze into a small space to stay safe (Bradshaw et al., 2012).

Fig. 2

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Fig. 3

Cats in Our Homes As solitary survivors, cats are designed not to commu­ nicate their needs and vulnerabilities. In the absence of information, we presumed cats were aloof and vengeful tiny little hairy people that were very difficult to get along with.

© Canva

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c o v e r ...half as many cats as dogs see a veterinarian annually for wellness exams (American Association of Feline Practitioners, 2013).

Now that we know what makes a cat a cat, we understand what mo­ tivates our cats’ behavior. The next step is to use that knowledge to pro­ vide for their needs in our homes. Instead of working against our cats and forcing them to make do in a world that does not suit their nature, we can work with them so we can both live in happiness. And it’s easy.

Again, well­being for all living things begins with basic survival – stay­ ing safe and eating. Cats are both hunters and the hunted. This is what motivates their behavior. Providing for these needs should be the base­ line minimum of care, not considered enrichment above and beyond.

To feel safe, cats need to know that they have places to climb and hide, even in the relative safety of our homes. When cats know they have the option to escape any situation by climbing and hiding in their living space, they can relax and are more likely to engage with and enjoy human company.

Give your cat commercially available cat trees and shelves, or even an old bookcase for climbing. Beds can be store­bought cat caves and cat beds, or a cardboard box with a towel inside. When your cat chooses to spend time resting on their high perch or inside of their cozy bed, leave them alone. Let them know that these spaces are truly safe.

Cats are hunters. Seeking out food, catching it, and playing with it is their mental engagement and physical exercise. It is their reason to be awake. We know a cat’s stomach is only the size of a ping­pong ball and that they hunt and eat at least 8­12 times in a 24­hour period, mostly at dawn and dusk. We know they are solitary survivors that hunt and eat alone. So, why are we feeding them from a bowl and taking away the most important activity in their life? Removing this natural behavior risks making our cats bored, overweight and/or sick.

Without a way to express their hunting instinct, cats can become ag­ gressive or destructive (iCatCare, 2018a). Nature is telling them to hunt, so they find a way. It is common for them to wake their person in the early morning hours to be fed, even if there's food in the bowl. Cats are programmed to hunt at dawn, and without prey, they are getting their hunting interaction by hunting you, and then eating that food in the bowl.

Despite decades of debate over what a cat should eat to be healthy, our cats tend to be getting more and more overweight. Currently, 60% of cats in America are overweight and obese and that number is going up every year (Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 2019). And, cats are still experiencing lower urinary tract disease. The answer to these uncomfortable, and sometimes deadly problems is unlikely to be found in the bag or can or anything you put in the bowl. Research shows that idiopathic urinary disease is caused by stress, not food or water intake.

The stress is reduced or solved with places to climb, places to hide and ways to hunt for lots of tiny meals in different locations around the envi­ ronment many times over the day and night.

Hunting Instinct

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You could release 8­12 mice in your house every day. But mice also come with parasites and, you know, they are mice. So, what is the an­ swer? Hunting feeders and puzzle feeders. Hunting feeders are mice that have a fabric covering for cats to use their teeth and claws, and a plastic inner container to hold the food. On the top of the mouse is an adjustable opening, so the food dispenses easily or can provide more of a challenge. A cat’s complete hunting cycle is met when you fill and hide at least three mice during the day and another three overnight around the house. Puzzle feeders are food containers that your cat must inter­ act with to get their food. They may need to move a flap, spin a con­ tainer, or reach into a hole to extract the food.

c o v e r

There is a clear, proven, direct correlation between understanding and providing for cats’ innate behavioral needs and their physical health (Annotations by Paula Garber) © Can Stock Photo/iagodina

When cats are exposed to a new feeding solution, they may reject it entirely, which may make us feel frustrated and disappointed that we wasted our money. Slow down. It is not a waste. Remember that cats are both hunters AND hunted. A prey species is on high alert for danger and reluctant to engage with new things. We also know that cats com­ municate by smell and are more likely to engage with things that have their smell and their pheromones. Use this information to help your cat feel safe. You can gently wipe a towel over your cat’s cheeks and face while they are happy being petted or eating a snack, and then wipe the towel on the new thing. You can entice your cat with new food and treats and even catnip to overcome their natural reluctance. And, we know that cats are solitary hunters. Give your cat time alone with the new feeding solution to interact and explore. Soon enough, the bowl will be a thing of the past (iCatCare, 2018a).

Litter Box Urinating outside the litter box is the most common and most undesir­ able cat behavior problem (Ellis et al., 2013). People sometimes mistak­ enly refer to the entire syndrome of urinating outside of the litter box as a “UTI” (urinary tract infection), but : “Urinary tract infection (UTI) refers to the adherence, multiplication and persistence of an infectious agent within the urogenital system that causes an associated inflammatory re­ sponse and clinical signs. In the vast majority of UTIs, bacteria are the infecting organisms.” (Dorsch et al., 2019).

In fact, bacterial UTIs are uncommon in cats, with only 1–2% of cats suffering from a UTI in their lifetime and are most common in female cats older than 10 years old (Dorsch et al., 2019). A UTI is diagnosed only with a culture of a urine sample taken directly from the bladder, and not based on clinical signs of urinating outside of the litter box or

painful urination.

So, what DOES cause cats to urinate outside of the litter box? The list is long and should start with a thorough veterinary examination to rule out medical conditions, including diabetes, kidney disease, hyper­ thyroidism, bladder stones, cancer, and many other conditions. If a cat gets a clean bill of health, the next step is to evaluate litter box hygiene, placement, size, accessibility and litter.

Indoors, a cat has limited options for where to eliminate. As far as people are concerned, there are two choices, in the litter box and out­ side of it. A cat is more likely to use a clean litter box, so scoop out your box at least once a day. Cats need to be able to move around in the box and dig and cover their urine or feces. They need a lot of room to do all of that. Cats prefer a box that is 1½ times their size with about 2 inches of litter inside. Different cats like different litter and some may only use one particular kind. The cat needs to be able to get to the box and get in and out of it. This may seem obvious, but your cat may have arthritis that makes it difficult to climb basement stairs or get into or out of a box. If you have all of that correct, however, it could be stress that is causing your cat to urinate outside of the box.

How Cats Interact with Other Cats in our Homes Let’s review. The natural state of the cat is as a solitary hunter. Cats may live in social groups of related mothers that have grown up together and their kittens only if there is ample and constant food and shelter. Cats will establish a territory based on food and shelter and then protect it.

As conflict avoiders, cats will use messages like urine marking and claw­ ing to communicate their territory in an attempt to resolve conflict with­ out a fight. This is how cats are designed to experience the world.

Without an abundance of food, water, litter boxes and safe resting

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c o v e r

© Canva

To feel safe, cats need to know that they have places to climb and hide, even in the relative safety of our homes; when they know they have the option to escape any situation by climbing and hiding in their living space, they can relax and are more likely to engage with and enjoy human company

places, distributed throughout their living space, cats are unable to avoid each other to get what they need. The fact of this alone increases each cat’s stress level all day every day. This stress level will spike when a direct interaction occurs over a shared resource.

Cats are not innately designed to accept a stranger cat into their ter­ ritory. Full stop. As solitary survivors, cats do not “need a friend” like people do. People are communal animals, cats are not, or at least, not usually. When you have a cat at home and bring home a new feline to be your cat’s friend, it is realistic to expect that your resident cat will not accept this new cat. If you want more than one cat, adopting sibling cats, kittens of a similar age, or a pair of cats who have been living to­ gether in harmony may be a good way to address this.

To best facilitate a new cat relationship in your home, go back to the natural state of the cat. Cats are most likely to live with other cats if there is ample food to hunt and safe shelter. To feel safe in your home, each cat needs separate places to climb and hide in the rooms where they spend time. Each cat is a solitary hunter, designed to hunt and eat alone, and a conflict avoider. A big bowl of cat food in the kitchen not only denies cats their hunting behavior but is forcing them to share a space Cats are hunters and seeking out food, catching it, and playing provides mental engagement and physical exercise

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to eat. Provide multiple feeding and water stations around the house.

Better yet, feed with hunting feeders and puzzle toys in separate loca­ tions around the house. With this style of feeding the cats can fulfil their hunting needs, and their need to hunt and eat alone. They can interact only when they choose to and avoid interacting under stress.

Cats communicate through smell and pheromones and feel most at ease with things that smell like them. You can use this to help your cats get along. When your cat is feeling happy and safe, rub a towel on them and then repeat on your other cat. You can swap beds between the two cats as well. You can buy commercially made cat pheromones to put on objects or into the air that convey the message of acceptance and calm between cats.

Many cats in a house need many litter boxes. Cats need a choice of locations throughout the living area to find a litter box. The rule for the number of boxes is the number of resident cats, plus one more, in dif­ ferent locations around the home.

Cats at Play Play is a great way to bond with your cats and give them a healthy way to express their hunting instincts. Two five­ minute play sessions every day is all it takes to meet this need. So, grab your cat’s fishing pole toy and get busy! Play with one cat at a time. Your job is to use a toy to mimic prey. This is harder than it sounds.

Prey does not launch it­ self at a cat. Prey is near a cat and then flees with jerky, unpredictable movements in the air or on the ground. A jerking object that is moving away from a cat is what stim­ ulates chase and play instincts. Remember © Dr. Liz Bales the hunt, catch, play, eat cycle? Finish the

c o v e r Cats are solitary survivors. They do not defend each other, protect each other, or count on each other to sustain life. If they are sick, hurt, or have a need, no other cat is coming to help them.

This is not malicious, vengeful, or unkind, it is simply the way nature made them. play session by letting your cat catch the prey, then give them a treat so they will be content.

Message For Dog Trainers Cats need our help. Dog trainers have a unique opportunity to identify and help cats whose needs aren’t being met or who are experiencing problematic interactions with a dog in the home. So here’s my message to dog trainers: “You’re not there for the cat, but you can be there for the cat!”

When a dog trainer is in the client's home, they can offer to check out the cat’s stuff and ask about interactions between the dog and the cat. ● Each pet should have a private core area including food, hunt­ ing feeders, water, appropriate litter boxes, scratching items, toys, perching, resting, and hiding areas. Baby gates or a mi­ crochip cat flap in the wall or door can easily allow the cat through but not the dog. ● In non­core areas, provide easy escapes for the cats, like verti­ cal space and small nooks. ● Trouble spots tend to be doorways, narrow hallways, blind corners, and stairways. Create bridges, underpasses, and belt­ ways to help the cats navigate each other and the dog.

Understanding and providing for basic survival should be the mini­

References Alley Cat Allies. (n.d.). Cat Fatalities and Secrecy in U.S. Pounds and Shelters American Association of Feline Practitioners. (2013, July). Bayer-AAFP study reveals half of America’s 74 million cats are not receiving regular veterinary care American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (n.d.). Pet Statistics Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. (2019). 2018 Pet Obesity Survey Results: U.S. Pet Obesity Rates Plateau and Nutritional Confusion Grows Bradshaw, J.W.S, Casey, R.A., & Brown, S.L. (2012). The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat, 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: CABI: 16-40 Buffington, C.A.T. (n.d.). Pandora Syndrome in Cats: Diagnosis and Treatment. Today’s Veterinary Practice Buffington, C.A.T. (2011). Idiopathic cystitis in cats--beyond the lower urinary tract. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 25(4): 784-796 College of Agricultural, Environmental and Consumer Sciences. (n.d.).

Special Senses/Chapter 6: The Cat’s Olfaction Daily Dog Stuff [Steve]. (n.d.) U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics 2018/2019 Dorsch, R., Teichmann-Knorrn, S., & Lund, H.S. (2019). Urinary tract infection and subclinical bacteriuria in cats: a clinical update. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 21(11); 1023-1028 Ellis, S.L.H, Rodan, I., Carney, H.C., Heath, S., Rochlitz, I., Shearburn, L.D., Sundahl, E., & Westropp, J.L. (2013). AAFP and ISFM feline environmental needs guidelines. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 15(3): 219-230 iCatCare. (2018a). Feeding Your Cat or Kitten iCatCare. (2018b). The Social Structure of Cat Life

mum standard of care for all cats, not the fortunate few. You can help reframe what is reasonable to expect from a cat, both as a human companion and as a companion to other cats in the home. You can also help cat parents rethink the criteria for a minimally satisfactory physical living space within the confines of their homes. Finally, when the minimum standard for cat care is the norm and not the exception, then behavior incompatible with the human­animal bond is mini­ mized, relinquishment to shelters becomes unnecessary, and the grue­ some truth that euthanasia is the leading cause of death for cats will become part of a shameful past.

Armed with this knowledge and the materials offered with this ar­ ticle, you can help educate the dog parents in your life and business that may also have a cat. You can help us reach cat parents every­ where. A cat’s life just might depend on it. n Dr. Liz Bales VMD is a 2000 graduate of The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine who has gained a special interest in the unique behavioral and wellness needs of cats. Dr. Bales is a writer, speaker and featured expert in all things cat around the globe including appearances on Fox and Friends, ABC News, SiriusXM The Doctors, NPR’s How I Built This, The Dr. Katy Pet Show and Cheddar.

Dr. Bales has been a speaker at The Penn Annual Conference, at The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and The University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She sits on the Dean’s Alumni Board at The University of Pennsylvania School, the Advisory Board for AAFP Cat Friendly Practice, The Vet Candy Advisory Board and the Advisory Board of Fear Free. She also serves on the Human Animal Bond Social Media and Continuing Education committees and the Pet Professional Guild Feline Committee. She is the founder of Doc and Phoebe’s Cat Company, and the inventor of The Hunting Feeder for cats. She is launching a full line of feeding solutions for cats in 2020. iCatCare. (2019). Understanding the Hunting Behavior of Pet Cats Karagiannis, C. (2016). Stress as a Risk Factor for Disease. In Rodan, I., & Heath, S. (Eds.), Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier: 138-147 Purina. (2015, December 8). Meet Generation Meow: New Purina Study Shows Nearly Half of Millennials Surveyed See Cats as a Purrfect Pet. PR Newswire Rodan, I. (2016). Importance of Feline Behavior in Veterinary Practice.

In Rodan, I., & Heath, S. (Eds.), Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare.

St. Louis, MO: Elsevier: 1-11 Salman, M.D., Hutchison, J., Ruch-Gallie, R., Kogan, L., New, J.C. Jr., Kass, P.H., & Scarlett, J.M. (2000). Behavioral reasons for relinquishment of dogs and cats to 12 shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 3(2): 93-106 Zito, S., Morton, J., Vankan, D., Paterson, M., Bennett, P.C., Rand, J., & Phillips, C.J.C. (2016). Reasons people surrender unowned and owned cats to Australian animal shelters and barriers to assuming ownership of unowned cats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 19(3): 303-319 Resources American Association of Feline Practitioners. (2004). Feline Behavior Guidelines Buffington, C.A.T., Westropp, J.L., & Chew, D.J. (2014). From FUS to Pandora syndrome: where are we, how did we get here, and where to now? Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 16(5): 385-394 Lund, H.S., Sævik, B.K., Finstad, Ø.W., Grøntvedt, E.T., Vatne, T., & Eggertsdóttir, A.V. (2015). Risk factors for idiopathic cystitis in Norwegian cats: a matched case-control study. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 18(6): 483-491

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The Needs of the Many Andrea Carne presents multifaceted treatment suggestions for solving toileting issues in multicat households based on a new study that examines cats’ stress hormones he Star Trek character Spock once said: “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many out­ weigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” (Meyer, 1982). This movie quote popped into my mind upon reading the findings of a new study into stress levels of multicat households experi­ encing toileting issues. Stay with me on this – it will all become clear!

I’m sure most cat behavior con­ sultants would agree that the number one behavior problem reported by cat guardians is inappropriate toileting – both urine spraying and toileting out­ side the litter box.

As behavior consultants, we know that, when all potential medical issues have been ruled out by a veterinarian, the most likely cause of inappropriate toileting is stress. Any number of stressors in the cat’s environment could be involved – alone or in combi­ nation – including but not limited to: a new addition to the household (human or animal); the departure of a © Can Stock Photo / Vapi member of the household (human or A recent study found that in multicat households where one cat was spraying, every cat in the home was stressed animal); a physical change such as and not just the one (or ones) engaging in the behavior moving house or renovating the exist­ ing one; the appearance of a new cat in the extended territory; a change to routines and a decrease or cats from multicat households. These households were specifically ones change in available resources. experiencing either urine spraying or “latrine issues” (i.e. toileting out­ And what we would normally do is focus on the cat that is doing the side the litter box, but not spraying). The feces of all cats within each inappropriate toileting and work out what is needed to make that cat household were examined, regardless of whether they were the ones feel safe and secure again. Lower the cat’s stress levels and toileting carrying out the unwanted behavior. problems should eventually be resolved. However, a new study has re­ Just to clarify the difference between spraying and latrine issues: vealed that perhaps we should widen that focus to include all the cats in Urine spraying is generally territorial marking behavior and usually per­ the household (the many, not the one – get it?) and assume that, if one formed on vertical surfaces. The term latrine issues refers to otherwise cat is stressed, they are all stressed – and it is the environment that normal elimination of urine or feces but in places other than the litter needs the primary focus, not the individual cat. tray. Both are very distressing situations for cat guardians and are fre­ quently cited as reasons for relinquishing cats to shelters and rescue or­ Stress Hormones ganizations.

Both are often complex problems, particularly in multicat house­ Brazilian veterinary behaviorist Dr. Daniela Ramos and her colleagues holds, with a solution requiring a good deal of detective work, a range published the findings of their study earlier this year. Their project in­ of modifications, lengthy periods of time and very dedicated guardians. volved examining the level of stress hormone present in the feces of

T

What Dr. Ramos and her team found was, in households where urine spraying was being displayed, all cats were stressed. There was no difference in the stress hormones detected between the cat that was carrying out the urine spraying and the rest of the cats in the household. This was also the case for the cats in a latrine issues household, although, as a whole, cats in a latrine issues household were not as stressed as those in one with urine spraying. (Ramos et al., 2020).

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f e l i n e But the interesting thing about the Brazilian study is that it calls for a much more holistic approach to the problem, rather than only focusing on the individual cat carrying out the behavior (Ramos et al., 2020).

What Dr. Ramos and her team found was, in households where urine spraying was being displayed, all cats were stressed. There was no difference in the stress hormones detected between the cat that was carrying out the urine spraying and the rest of the cats in the house­ hold. This was also the case for the cats in a latrine issues household, al­ though, as a whole, cats in a latrine issues household were not as stressed as those in one with urine spraying (Ramos et al., 2020).

What’s important, from a behavior consultant’s point of view, is that, regardless of whether the toileting problem is urine spraying or la­ trine issues, all cats in the same household had similar stress levels in terms of the stress hormone in their feces. In other words, the individ­ ual cat carrying out the behavior was not more stressed than the rest of the household and that they were instead all similarly stressed. The cats of each household were also put under an observational test which sup­ ported the fecal findings – while those in the spraying households were more restless than those in the latrine issues households, there was no difference between cats of the same household (Ramos et al., 2020).

In an interview on the study’s findings in June of this year, Dr. Ramos remarked that “…giving it some thought and digesting the results, this now makes sense as stressors can potentially trigger cats known to urine spray to spray while triggering non­sprayers to perform other be­ haviours linked to stress but not as clear as spraying behaviour. Other behaviours may include aggression and active avoidance of the stres­ sor(s).” (International Cat Care, 2020).

In other words, this study indicates that we should not assume that it is only the cat carrying out the inappropriate toileting that is stressed.

The other cats are likely to be just as stressed and perhaps exhibiting that stress in other ways which are not as immediately apparent as urine or feces appearing where it shouldn’t. Cats, as we know, are very good at hiding their emotions due to their inbuilt instinct to hide any­ thing which may show them to be vulnerable.

What we can take from these findings, then, is that we should be undertaking a holistic approach to the problem, focusing on the envi­ ronment shared by all cats in the household. Our aim should shift from “What’s upsetting this cat so that he/she feels the need to spray or toi­ let in inappropriate places?” to “What is it about the environment that is upsetting these cats?”

The more cats in a home, the more resources are needed so the cats do not have to compete for their preferences, thus lowering resource­related stress levels

Environmental Change

pheromones may help the cats feel calmer. These can be found online and in pet stores and there are versions made specifically for multicat households.

Part of the problem could be the stress caused by the actual inappropri­ ate toileting behavior being carried out by the individual cat. Just as hu­ mans find the smell of cat urine and feces offensive, cats and their keen sense of smell may not be overly happy with it either. But the smell of

© Susan Nilson

the inappropriate toileting did not start the issue – there had to be something that came before – and the environment needs to be looked at in close detail.

So, apart from cleaning with an effective enzyme­based product made specifically for the problem, positive changes to the environment need to become the priority. These might include:

Limiting Change: Determine any changes to the environment and try and remedy them. For example, if there’s a strange cat hanging about, find a solution by talking to neighbors or council authorities to see if the cat can be kept off the property. If the resident cats are indoor only, place screens or other preventative measures to stop the visiting cat being seen until a more permanent solution is found. Try to limit any big changes to the physical environment of the house (renovation, new fur­ niture) until the toileting issues have been resolved and then seek help on a smooth transition for such things in the future.

Pheromone Therapy: Diffusers emitting synthetic versions of cat

Adding More Resources: I, for one, think you can never have too many resources in a multicat household! Try adding more choice of food

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

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f e l i n e ...guardians should remember that all cats are individuals and it is important that care and attention is individualized for each cat in the household. Ensure all are getting the amount and type of human interaction they prefer and the amount and type of play that is appropriate. and water stations, litter trays, tray and litter types, resting spaces, hid­ ing spaces, perching areas, raised areas, toys, scratching posts and mats.

The more cats you have, the more resources you need. And the more choice you provide, the less cats have to compete for their preferences and the lower their resource­related stress will be.

Adding More Enrichment: If the cats are indoor only, added space can be found by going up. Consider, if practical, creating a cat “super highway” where the cats can move around the rooms at height via vari­ ous shelving, platforms, steps, etc. Ensure there are plenty of safe entry and exit points and various resting spots along the way. If the cats have safe outdoor access via a contained garden or cat enclosure, consider further enrichment in those spaces too. Ideas include an herb garden with cat­safe plants, a dedicated outdoor latrine area in a secluded spot where the “digger cats” can spread some dirt around to their hearts’ content, climbing structures, insect­attracting plants and water foun­ tains.

Apart from the physical environment, enrichment can be taken fur­ ther to include human interaction, but guardians should remember that all cats are individuals and it is important that care and attention is indi­ vidualized for each cat in the household. Ensure all are getting the amount and type of human interaction they prefer and the amount and

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type of play that is appropriate. One cat might prefer a good snuggle with their human, another may love a brushing session, and another might like active play with a wand toy. Offering predictable routines for feeding, play etc. and sticking to them as much as possible is also an im­ portant measure in lowering stress levels.

While these modifications are happening, the cats’ guardians should be encouraged to be patient, move forward at a slow pace and give it time. If the findings of Dr. Ramos and her colleagues are anything to go by, and harmony within the environment is restored for all of the cats, then hopefully the toileting issues will decrease and eventually diminish altogether.

It seems Spock was right: looking after the needs of the many can be a logical solution, even in the world of cat behavior. n

References Meyer, N. (Director). (1982). Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan [Film].

Paramount Pictures Ramos, D., Reche-Junior, A., Luzia Fragoso, P., Palme, R., Handa, P., Chelini, M.O. and Mills, D.S., (2020). A Case-Controlled Comparison of Behavioural Arousal Levels in Urine Spraying and Latrining Cats. Animals 10(1) 117 International Cat Care. (2020). Spotlight on Science: New research on spraying and house soiling Andrea Carne is a graduate of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia where she majored in journalism and drama before, later in life, following her dream to work in the field of animal behavior. She is a qualified veterinary nurse and dog trainer and member of PPG Australia. Her special area of interest is cat behavior and her passion for it led to the establishment of her own cat behavior consultancy Cattitude, based in southern Tasmania, through which she offers private in-home consultations.

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behavior

The Importance of Ethograms Dr. Sheryl L. Walker explains how ethograms, questions, observational skills, and documentation all fit together in the study of animal behavior

© Can Stock Photo / Enjoylife

A dog’s ethogram would include social context, including feeding, greeting, grooming, and play; the placement of each body part, accompanying vocalizations, the configuration of each body part and the movement of these body parts

W

ith a background in behavior analysis and animal behavior, I am easily captured by behavior in the wild. I was driving to work a couple of weeks ago and stopped to watch a family of geese walk across the street. One adult was in the front, one adult was at the back, and they were separated by four juveniles. The adult at the back was moving his head back and forth with his beak open, I’m as­ suming making some type of noise.

Those 30 seconds reiterated to me how important observation skills are in the field of animal behavior, whatever your specialty may be: vet­ erinary medicine, zoology, marine biology, training, behavior consulting, breeding, sheltering, large animals, small animals, companion animals, wild animals, exotic animals, insects and so on. Whatever you may be interested in, you must have sharp and precise observation skills, as well as a questioning mind. Why were the geese lined up in that particular

It’s important that we humans, who share our homes with our furry companions, are familiar with both typical and atypical behaviors for each of our animals, so that we can provide them with the best welfare and quality of life possible. By being aware in this way, we will be better placed to determine when the animal is in pain or something else is wrong.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

order? Why was the last adult moving his/her head like that? What type of vocalizations was he/she making, and why? If they were in line near a pond, would that situation be likely to occur, or was this happening only to cross the street? I’m sure that in whatever field of animal care you’re in, you can relate to these types of questions.

Ethograms So, I started thinking a bit more about observation skills and how they relate to animal behavior. One thing I learned during my externship at Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana in 2004, was the importance of hav­ ing an ethogram when documenting and observing behavior. An ethogram is a collection of operational definitions, along with illustra­ tions, of what behaviors look like. This can provide a common language among colleagues who are in similar roles or professions.

Ha and Campion (2019) explain it as follows: “An ethogram catalogs an animal’s behavior, comprising the placement, configuration, and movement of body parts and behavioral contexts, including locomotion and travel. The behaviors contained within an ethogram are typically defined as objective and mutually exclusive, thus making them individu­ ally recognizable to any observer. Ethograms can include a wide range of information, such as the social context, gestures, facial expressions, vo­ calizations, initiators, and recipients. For example, a dog’s ethogram would include social context, such as feeding, greeting, grooming, or play; the placement of each body part, including the head, tail, torso, and legs; accompanying vocalizations; the configuration of each body

behavior An ethogram is a collection of operational definitions, along with illustrations, of what behaviors look like. This can provide a common language among colleagues who are in similar roles or professions. part; and the movement of these body parts…Each observed body posi­ tion would have a specific name…The descriptions of these behaviors would be specific enough to allow independent observers to reliably agree with one another on what they were seeing. From nose to poste­ rior, a detailed ethogram would enable observers to reliably document and decipher the behaviors of a species.”

At Wolf Park, during the winter mating season, wolves are especially active. Staff and volunteers keep watch 24/7 regarding which wolves in­ teract with others, how they interact, and when they interact. A plethora of behaviors is seen, and in order to communicate effectively with other staff and volunteers, as explained above, a common lan­ guage has to be used. It is easier to document behaviors when staff un­ derstand what “airplane ears” look like (e.g., ears held out to the side, inner surfaces down, like the wings of an airplane), what an “agonistic pucker” looks like (e.g., a vertical retraction of the lips), or what a “rally” looks like (e.g., three or more wolves pressing together with tails wag­ ging while greeting).

Ironically, a book I purchased seven years later while visiting Wolf Park with my husband, continues to be a resource for my dog behavior career. Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook by Barbara Han­ delman (2008) is an extremely thorough ethogram for dogs. The book’s foreword is written by Dr. Lore Haug, a board­certified veterinary behav­ iorist, and reviews by three of our industry’s highly respected col­ leagues, Ken Ramirez, Suzanne Clothier (also a regular BARKS contributor, see pp.28­30 – Ed.), and Dr. Sheila Segurson, are quoted, adding to the merit of how valuable the work is. Canine Behavior gives photo examples of behaviors, alongside operational definitions and commentary about what each photo depicts.

Real World Applications The week before my husband and I adopted our German Shepherd/rot­ tweiler puppy Luigi, we sat down and discussed what the boundaries of the household were, as well as the behaviors and foundation skills that we thought were important to teach our new puppy right away. Before we could teach puppy anything, we had to define what our cues meant; “sit,” “crate,” and “go pee” were so much easier to teach Luigi since we were aware of each cue’s definition and what the behavior physically looked like when it occurred.

Fast forward to now, there are some behaviors that 11½­year­old Luigi will do that my 12½­year­old Beagle never did. There are some be­ haviors that my 8½­year­old domestic medium haired cat will do that, obviously, her brother can’t do because he’s a different species. Luigi

Author Sheryl Walker has identified 25 different vocalizations in her own cat

© Can Stock Photo/orla

can “silent bark” and “moo,” wades in the water, and plays in the snow.

Spud could “oink” and “beagle bay,” catch rabbits, moles, and possums, and spend hours in the sunshine. Katy Purry has at least 25 different vo­ calizations; the one my husband and I are most familiar with is her “hangry meow” where the corners of her mouth extend to either side of her head. She climbs on a cat tree and uses a litter box.

These are all observations of behavior. It’s important that we hu­ mans who share our homes with our furry companions are familiar with both typical and atypical behaviors for each of our animals, so we can provide them with the best welfare and quality of life possible. By being aware in this way, we will be better placed to determine when the ani­ mal is in pain or something else is wrong.

When I wear my puppy training hat and have private clients, one of the very first things I discuss is what the dynamics of the family look like, as well as perceptions and expectations. Who will be the primary caregiver? What is the family’s current daily routine? How will that change when puppy arrives? Who will interact with the puppy the most? After I discuss their perceptions and expectations, I explain and emphasize the importance of the human members of the family to be able to recognize dog body language. What do play behaviors look like?

What does stress or anxiety look like?

Canine Behavior is a wonderful tool to use to show clients what dif­ ferent behaviors are. Alongside that, I use the Puppy Start Right pro­ gram (developed by Dr. Kenneth Martin and his wife Debbie Martin) to discuss how force­free training will work, and I provide the book to every client. I advocate for environmental management, positive experi­ ences during the critical periods of socialization, and marker training, with a clicker being the most common marker that I use. Ethograms and operational definitions of behavior are extremely useful when teaching new skills to puppies.

Ethograms can be extremely useful to other professionals, such as

Member Profiles: bit.ly/2y9plS1 Case Studies: petprofessionalguild.com /CaseStudyTemplate

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

25

behavior veterinary behavior technicians and certified applied animal behavior­ ists (CAABs), as they are often the liaison between veterinary behavior­ ist and client. Veterinary behaviorists often treat patients who have anxiety, fear, aggression, or other problematic behaviors. Along with prescribing psychopharmacology, veterinary behaviorists often develop behavior modification (B­Mod) plans for their patients. These B­Mod plans will only be successful if there’s a common language between the veterinarian, technician, CAAB, and client. Ethograms and operational definitions of behavior act as that common language.

Being involved in professional organizations such as the Animal Be­ havior Management Alliance, Animal Behavior Society, International So­ ciety for Anthrozoology, and International Society for Applied Ethology has opened my eyes to a world of professionals who not only use ethograms, but also use their observational skills on a daily basis, espe­ cially with husbandry and enrichment. Animal care staff in zoo and aquarium settings, as well as those professionals who conduct field re­ search (e.g., Dr. Kay Holecamp, from Michigan State University, re­ searches hyenas in their natural habitat), build their careers around observing and documenting behavior about wild animals in captive and natural environments.

Documenting Behavior I am a researcher. That means, partly, that I document everything. I also work as a quality assurance auditor in the bioanalytical industry with regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That means, mostly, that I observe and then document my observations. “If it’s not documented, then it didn’t happen” is a commonly heard phrase. How true for the animal behavior field, too!

Behavior can be documented several ways with several different variables (e.g., occurrences, frequencies, durations, time of day, focal

behavior vs. group behavior). Behavioral coding involves training people to observe and score behaviors in accordance with pre­determined cri­ teria. This type of standardization is more objective than ratings on a questionnaire, which may be subjective. Often, ethograms are used in behavioral coding research so that behavioral definitions are clearly stated and the respondents are trained to observe those behaviors.

As a fellow behavior geek, I am absolutely fascinated by behavior, and am honored to be featured here in BARKS, helping the collective ef­ fort to move our profession forward with evidence­based best practices.

Having spent over 14 years working professionally (over 30 years per­ sonally) with animals, I can say with confidence that these operational definitions and ethograms are imperative to being successful with shar­ ing our homes, lives, and careers with animal companions. n

References Ha, J.C., & Campion, T.L. (2019). Dog Behavior: Modern Science and Our Canine Companions. London, UK: Elsevier

Resources Handelman, B. (2008). Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook. Norwich, VT: Woof and Word Press Martin, K. M., & Martin, D. (2011). Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog. Waltham, MA: Karen Pryor Clicker Training Sheryl L. Walker holds a master’s degree in behavior analysis and a Ph.D. in animal behavior and sheltering. She also operates WAGS: Wonderful Animal Guidance Services in Lafayette, Indiana, specializing in puppies. She is currently working toward her Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) certification, and her current research interests are puppy socialization and training.

Free movement and COMFORTABLE support behind the armpits, and a SECURE fit at the shoulders

training

Help the Handler…

Help the Dog Suzanne Clothier explains how the handler’s behavior, body language and emotional state can affect a dog’s behavior and learning

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hile much of dog training seems to be focused on the dog, smart train­ ers know that handlers can and do affect their dog’s behavior and learning. Mas­ ters of body language subtleties, dogs are finely attuned to us, aware of how we move, act, speak, breathe. Many training problems are rooted in communication issues, caused by a handler’s body language and unintended messages.

A dog’s understanding of a handler’s be­ havior is built on the details of how the han­ dler typically moves, laughs, smiles, speaks, breathes, etc. in familiar and comfortable set­ tings. But under stress, in unfamiliar or chal­ lenging situations, things can change. Shifts in the handler signal to the dog that the person he relies on is alarmed, angry, worried, or even afraid. Depending on the dog, this can have significant impact on behavior.

The handler may not notice the changes in themselves, but the dog will. And sooner or later the handler will notice the changes in the dog’s response. © Can Stock Photo / Madrabothair A confident dog may be able to maintain Skipping or dancing can be an effective way for a handler to see how a dog responds to more movement their equanimity or even perform well with a and greater relaxation in the joints stressed­out handler. Such dogs are truly gems in their stability and their ability to work under less than ideal support heck out of Dodge before something really bad happens. This has al­ from their teammates. ways struck me as an intelligent response. How long would you stay in a But often, dogs find the shift(s) in the handler upsetting. When the movie theater if your friends were nervous, vigilant, and worried in­ handler seems alarmed, stressed, fearful and/or anxious, the dog may stead of relaxing and enjoying the movie? correctly decide that this is not a good situation. They can respond in a “My, Isn’t This Interesting over Here?”: These dogs offer many sig­ variety of ways. nals that they are feeling pressured and worried by the handler’s behav­ ior. They tend to move away from the handler, watching from the corner “Goofiness”: Some dogs become clowns, racing around, offering play of their eye and sometimes sniffing the ground with intense interest. bows, bouncing off the walls, etc. What these dogs know is that when The dog is aware and watchful, but also sending signals that he has no people laugh, they relax. Handlers are often exasperated by these dogs, intention of engaging the handler. This is a wise response to others particularly if they mistakenly believe the dog is avoiding work or trying (human or dog) who are overly excited and seen as perhaps dangerous. to “get away” with something. Do you know someone who tries to de­ fuse tense situations with humor?

“See Ya!”: Viewing the handler’s signs of alarm as a signal that there’s something scary about this place/situation, some dogs decide to get the

Dogs know that there’s nothing smart about running quickly and directly towards someone who is clearly upset. Faced with someone who is agitated, alarmed, uptight, the wise choice is to avoid approaching them.

“I’ll Just Wait Here”: Dogs know that there’s nothing smart about running quickly and directly towards someone who is clearly upset.

Faced with someone who is agitated, alarmed, uptight, the wise choice is to avoid approaching them. The dog may stay put and look away, though still keeping the handler in his peripheral vision. Handlers often think this reflects stubbornness or a refusal to work or perform. In fact, the dog is being ultra polite and notifying the handler that their behav­ ior is upsetting and frightening.

Helping Handlers How, then, do we help the handlers, and thus help the dogs?

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training ...under stress, in unfamiliar or challenging situations, things can change. Shifts in the handler signal to the dog that the person he relies on is alarmed, angry, worried, or even afraid. Depending on the dog, this can have significant impact on behavior.

Step 1: Identify how the handler is sending the wrong or mixed mes­ sage. This requires the trainer to be aware of some of the many ways human body language can spell T­R­O­U­B­L­E for the dog: • Orientation.

• Tension (throughout body or in specific areas).

• Intense staring/focus.

• Changes in blink rate.

• Tight jaw, compressed mouth.

• Facial expressions.

• Stiff movements, locked joints.

• Leaning or reaching forward.

• Clenched hands.

• Breathing.

Step 2: Bring the handler’s awareness to these areas. You will need a variety of techniques in your toolbox, but it’s usually fair to say that a good starting point is an exaggeration of the desired body language. Ini­ tially this may feel awkward or artificial to the handler. With practice, more subtle, deliberate and intentional body language becomes natural.

As a bonus, dogs are wonderful at providing immediate feedback when handlers make changes. Handlers do love seeing their dogs respond well to the changes, and that’s lovely reinforcement for the human end of the leash.

Step 3: Select specific changes for the handler to make. What is alarm­ ing or upsetting or shutting down the dog? Is it movement and ges­ tures? Breathing? Facial expressions? Stillness and tension? While it would be great to turn all handlers into flawless communicators, focus on what handler body language is bothering the dog. Your pet peeves or preferences don’t matter. The dog is the only one who can say, “Yep, that’s right” or “Nope, that bugs me.” Make some changes, and then ask the dog, “How is this for you?”

Making Changes Relaxed Jaw: People can carry a great deal of tension in their jaws, which affects their breathing in a negative way. To relax the jaw, put the tip of the tongue between your teeth, at first with some exaggeration (as if sticking the tongue out) and then with practice, learn how to keep the jaw soft with the tongue resting against the back of the front teeth.

Exaggerated Breathing: Help handlers become more aware of their breathing in specific situations while training. To bring the handler’s at­ tention to their breathing, have them exaggerate with deep inhales and audible exhales. With practice and increased awareness, the audible, exaggerated breath can be faded to quiet deep breathing – something the dog will notice and appreciate. A calmly breathing handler is one a dog can trust!

SuzanneClothier.com

TM

RelationshipCenteredTraining

training guage, the same approach can be threatening, whether subtly or overtly. A slight turning of the body sideways to the dog is useful for handlers who may, without realizing it, be pushing dogs away or even frightening or overwhelming a sensitive dog.

Core to the Dog: When in a tense situation, the handler needs to ori­ ent their core to their dog’s shoulder. When the handler aims their hips and core to the dog, this orientation can send a powerful message: “The incoming thing/person/dog is not even worth my full attention, but I am aware of it.” For handlers of reactive dogs, this simple “core to the dog” technique can be immediately put to use long before they have mas­ tered other aspects of helping their dog.

Soft Hands, Small Gestures: Fine motor control reflects arousal and

© Can Stock Photo/evdohaspb

Dogs may find shifts in their handler’s behavior upsetting so that if the handler seems alarmed, stressed, fearful and/or anxious, the dog may decide that the current situation is not a good one

Singing: When you sing, the breathing pattern changes for the good.

The sillier the song, the better, since giggles help further relax you. The simple alphabet song (A­B­C…) or nursery rhymes are easy and fun. As a bonus, many folks automatically move with little bounces while singing silly songs. Flexion of the joints and relaxed bouncing movements are not threatening to most dogs, no matter how the handler may sing off key.

Soft Eyes and Blink Rate: Intense stares, hard/focused eyes, a slow­ ing or absence of normal blink rate – all are used by dogs to warn or threaten. Many handlers frown and stare when concentrating, which can be alarming to the dog. Work on blinking in a calm, regular fashion, with your jaw unlocked, while breathing deeply, with a tiny head tilt and loose joints and a smile. Your dog will let you know how pleasant he finds that version of you!

Head Tilt: In both dogs and humans, a tilt of the head is a nonthreat­ ening gesture that indicates no harm meant. Exaggeration of the head tilt is key to handler awareness. With practice, handlers will find that the tiniest tilt of their head will be clear to the dog.

Joints Relaxed: A truly friendly greeting involves flexion of the joints; a threat or warning has a lot of stiffness and tension in the joints. Han­ dlers often unconsciously hold great tension in their jaw, back, neck, arms, legs and pelvis. To free this tension, move in relaxed exaggerated ways, like the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, until practice and awareness help develop the habit of flexion and relaxation.

Skipping and Dancing: Skipping or dancing is a great way for the han­ dler to see how the dog responds to more movement and greater relax­ ation in the joints. Skipping is viewed as childish by most adults, and giggles usually accompany this return to childlike movement. Dogs often love silly handlers!

Go Sideways: For humans, a straight on, frontal approach to others is often considered to be confident and polite. Unfortunately, in dog lan­

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

emotional state. When a handler is tense or excited, they tend to use large gestures and have tight hands. A tight hand prevents a handler from using fine motor movements, resulting in large, often jerky move­ ments. Soft hands permit fine motor movements and softness through the handler’s body (and mind!). Teach handlers effective leash handling so they can remain soft as they work with their dogs.

Videoing the handler before and after, being sure to include the dog’s behavior and reactions, can help handlers see themselves in new ways. There is no one specific starting point. Typically, as you help the handler work on one area of their body language, others automatically fall into place. It’s a lot like dominos!

Help the handler, and you automatically help the dog. Help the dog, and you’ll have a far happier handler. n Suzanne Clothier has been working with animals professionally since 1977. Currently based in St. Johnsville, New York, she is well respected internationally for her holistic Relationship Centered Training™ approach to dogs and the people that love them. Her background includes training, instruction, behavior modification, kennel management, temperament assessment, physical assessment and conditioning, early puppy development, class curriculum development, obedience, agility, Search and Rescue, conformation, breeding and more. Since 1991, she has taught workshops and seminars on a broad range of topics throughout the United States and internationally for a wide variety of groups from training clubs to international conferences in 11 countries. An award-winning author of multiple books and DVDs, her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) has received widespread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in the Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog Books. She has served on the American Humane Association’s Task Force for Humane Training, the AKC Agility Advisory board, and is currently a consultant for Frankie & Andy’s Place, a senior dog sanctuary in Georgia. She has also developed multiple assessment tools CARAT™, RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool), as well as puppy and adult dog tests. These tools have been used by guide and service dog organizations, therapy dog groups, AAIA organizations, shelters and rescue groups, and trainers. In her work as a consultant to guide dog schools, her Enriched Puppy Protocol™ served as the structure for the updating of their puppy raising programs. Since 2007, more than 10,000 puppies have been raised in programs built around The Enriched Puppy Protocol™. Meanwhile, with fellow trainer Cindy Knowlton, she developed CCC: Connection, Cooperation & Control™, a puzzle-based program that builds joyful relationships between handlers and dogs. Her newest program, FAT Functional Assessment Tracking™, helps caretakers assess a dog’s well-being day-to-day as reflected in physiological, cognitive and social aspects.

training

Puppies Being Puppies Sally Bradbury provides tips on how to prevent resource guarding in puppies and how to address play biting

© Can Stock Photo/Antonio_Diaz

© Can Stock Photo/mexitographer

Allowing a puppy to eat in peace and feeding dogs separately if there are more than one in the home, can help reduce instances of resource guarding

Guardians can teach their puppies to drop toys and other items that they may be inclined to guard by using treats as a reward

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Giving vs. Taking

reventing food guarding at mealtimes is usually pretty straightfor­ ward: simply allow puppy to eat in peace. If you have more than one dog, feed them separately and teach them that the presence of a human near their food bowl always means they are there for the sole purpose of adding a tasty treat to the bowl. Don't be persuaded that you need to take your dog's food away or put your hand in the bowl while he eats to make him tolerate or accept you being nearby – because you risk doing exactly the opposite and triggering resource guarding.

What can be slightly more difficult when you have a puppy is pre­ venting guarding of found or “stolen” items. Puppies tend to investigate everything they find by picking it up in their mouths, whether that be stones from the garden, the children's toys, or anything that you hap­ pen to have left within reach. This can be particularly relevant to gun­ dog breeds because they are hardwired to pick up and carry and like to have something in their mouths.

By forcibly taking an item from your pup's mouth – especially if ac­ companied by getting a little cross with him for picking it up – you run the risk of teaching him to avoid you, and when caught, to guard the possession that is now his and you are trying to “steal.”

Ensure your tug toys are long enough and soft enough for your puppy to happily bite. Your toy should touch the floor while you are holding the other end. This allows you to animate the toy and keep the game low to the ground and not encourage jumping up. It also puts distance between teeth and hands.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

The solution here is to teach your puppy to “give” so that you never have to “take.” To do this, sit on the floor with a pile of toys and encour­ age your pup to bring them back after you have rolled them away. By sitting on the floor, you will not be tempted to move towards him.

When he comes close while he is holding something, tell him what a good boy he is while giving him rump or shoulder scratches. Do not put your hand near his mouth. Do not want what he has in his mouth. At some point, he will probably drop the toy and then you can throw it again. If he's a foodie, then a food reward for dropping is a good plan.

Don't use food as a bribe though; only fetch it from your pocket after he drops the toy.

Once your pup is happily bringing toys and dropping them in your lap or your hand, add in other items, coasters, tea towels…anything that he might like to “steal.” Then, start working with him to fetch stationary items as opposed to something you threw for him. Next, generalize this to anywhere in the house. Leave things for him to pick up and deliver to you, so you can praise and reward him for doing so.

You should, if you approach this the right way, end up with a dog that will bring you anything he finds – regardless of whether he should have it or not – while satisfying his need to find, hold and carry. Some people may consider it a chore to have their dogs bringing things to them all the time, but it's preferable (and safer) to “stealing” and guard­ ing and it can be toned down later, if required, by only rewarding the behavior if you actually ask him to “fetch.”

If your puppy is already guarding “stolen” items, then it is even more important that you don't leave anything dangerous or valuable within his reach while you work on the above. If he does get hold of something, then either ignore it and let him have it if it's safe. If it isn't,

training create a diversion such as a knock on the door, scattering food on the floor, or getting his leash out for a walk. This will probably only work once or twice though, so keep it for an emergency.

If your puppy is already guarding food, resting places, toys or even you then please seek professional advice from a reputable force­free trainer or behavior consultant. See also Resources.

Puppies tend to investigate everything they find by picking it up in their mouths, whether that be stones from the garden, the children's toys, or anything that you happen to have left within reach.

Puppy Biting and Play

the floor to also keep them interesting. Do not play with your puppy un­ less you have a toy for him to grab. Don't let anyone in the house rough­ house with him or roll about on the floor with him.

Meanwhile, invest in a puppy pen for young pups so they can be safely confined for short periods – especially if you have children. This also provides a barrier you can play through with a long tug toy before puppy has learned the concept of “bite toy, not body parts.”

Start by animating the toy on the floor and saying, “Get It!” every time your pup grabs the toy. You hold on to the toy and let him grab it and shake it. Let go of the toy sometimes so that puppy is encouraged to come back to you to get you to start the game again.

At some point, you can also teach a word for letting go. To do this, you simply stop the game by gently sliding a finger in the pup's collar and releasing the pressure on the toy (while keeping hold if it) so it be­ comes boring. As soon as pup lets go, say “Thank you” and immediately invite him to grab it again with a “Get it.” He will quickly learn to let go when you stop playing in order for the game to start again. Eventually, “Thank you” (or your word of choice) will become his cue to let go.

Once your pup is getting the idea of the game, then you can start to add in a “Sit” and an “Are you ready?” before the “Get it,” and before you know it you will have a dog sitting and waiting patiently for the game to start. n

Biting is a normal puppy behavior. Puppies investigate the world through their mouths and, if it is within reach, it will probably be picked up and chewed! If it is exciting and moves fast, it will definitely get bit­ ten.

Dogs play by using their mouths because they don’t have hands.

Puppies need to bite and they need to play. When a puppy mouths or bites, he is simply trying to elicit play. Play is by far the best way to bond with your pup and is also a great way to reward him during training – so you don't really want to tell your puppy you don't want to play with him.

Don't get cross, don't make noises that may startle or excite him more, and don't ignore him or use time outs as this is time wasted that could be taught teaching him how to play appropriately. Don't just give him a toy to play with. If he's biting you, it's because he wants to play with you and not with a toy on his own.

Use tug toys that he can bite. These can be old knotted towels or a favorite toy with string attached. Unwanted bathrobe cords are ideal.

You need to encourage him to bite one end of the toy while you hold the other end. Then you can have a great game together without get­ ting bitten.

Ensure your tug toys are long enough and soft enough for your puppy to happily bite. Your toy should touch the floor while you are holding the other end. This allows you to animate the toy and keep the game low to the ground and not encourage jumping up. It also puts dis­ tance between teeth and hands.

Interactive Keep these interactive toys out of your pup’s reach while they are not being played with. It will keep them more novel, which means the pup is more likely to want to bite and play with them when given the opportunity.

Plant toys around the house and garden (out of puppy’s reach) so you have them easily acces­ sible and, as much as possible, take the game outside. Ro­ tate chew items that you leave on

Resources McConnell, P. (2013). Resource Guarding: Treatment and Prevention Pet Professional Guild. (2015). Understanding Resource Guarding and Knowing When To Seek Help!

Steinker, A. (2016, September). The Language of Resource Guarding.

BARKS from the Guild (20) 24-25 Sally Bradbury has worked with dogs all her adult life, from RSPCA kennel maid in her teens to founding and running her own very successful dog training business for 20 years. She was also a founding member of the APDT (United Kingdom). Her passion is helping and supporting new puppy owners raise their puppies to avoid the many pitfalls that result in so many youngsters being handed into rescues in their first year. She is now retired and living in Wales and has recently published the children’s book, Jack and Billy: Puppy Tales, featuring two puppies who experience vastly different journeys in their new homes.

Ideally, a tug toy is long enough and soft enough for a puppy to happily bite and keep play low to the ground so the puppy does not feel the need to jump up © Can Stock Photo/Sehenswerk

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

33

c a n i n e

An Unexpected Detour Gail Radtke presents an account of pit bull Porter who started having joint issues at the tender age of 5 months old, and how his guardian is adapting his environment and lifestyle to ensure it contains plenty of mental enrichment and appropriate physical activity

© Sam Gilbert

© Sam Gilbert

At the tender age of 1 year, Porter had his first elbow surgery

P

orter came into Sam’s life at the age of 8 weeks old as a healthy, happy, and adorable American pit bull terrier pup. Sam had met both Porter’s breeder and his biological mother and could not have been happier to bring Porter home and start raising her puppy.

Sam works as a veterinary assistant at an animal hospital in the Lower Mainland in British Columbia, Canada, and is well experienced in canine care. Porter was your typical happy, playful, and goofy puppy and Sam enrolled in puppy training classes right away to make sure he got the best start in life.

During the next three months, Porter enjoyed an active lifestyle with his new parents and all the attention of being an “only child.” But when he was about 5½ months old, Sam noticed that standard puppy activities such as running, tumbling, and playing would leave him limping slightly on his front left leg. Not thinking it could be anything more significant than him just overdoing it and needing some rest, she continued to mon­ itor Porter for any lameness on that leg. But things did not get better. In fact, they got worse and soon, after any of these activities, Porter started to have more and more difficulty bearing weight on his leg.

Sam took him in for an exam and had radiographs (X­rays) done,

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

Porter and his guardian plan to continue enjoying their active lifestyle

which showed abnormalities (sclerosis) in both of his elbows. And so Porter’s journey had begun. He was prescribed Metacam (meloxicam), a nonsteroidal anti­inflammatory (NSAID) medication used to treat pain, stiffness, and inflammation. His range of activities was also amended to avoid bringing on lameness, but Sam balanced this with enrichment ac­ tivities such as short walks with more sniffing, foraging for treats in the home and outside, and lots of stuffed food dispensers. Sam also worked on helping Porter maintain a stable weight by monitoring his diet strictly, so that he did not (and still does not) gain any extra body weight and add more stress to the physical issues in his joints. With the reduction in his physical activities, this meant making sure to keep his food consumption in check. Porter’s carefree puppy days had changed forever.

Preventative Measures Unfortunately, Porter’s condition didn’t improve over the next couple of months, even with all the preventative measures Sam had put in place, so at just 8 months of age, Porter was off to have a computerized to­ mography (CT) scan. A CT scan combines a series of X­ray images taken from different angles around the body and uses computer processing to

c a n i n e create cross­sectional images (slices) of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues, thus providing more detailed information than a regular X­ ray (Mayo Clinic, 2020).

Porter’s CT scan certainly did not provide any positive news for Porter, showing that his left elbow had a fragmented coronoid process (FCP). FCP is a developmental defect of one of the coronoid processes, two small bony protrusions on the end of the ulna within the elbow joint. In this condition, one of the coronoid processes develops a fissure or crack and separates from the rest of the bone (Hunter & Yuill, n.d.). It was also found that Porter’s right elbow had medial coronoid disease.

There are many forms of the disease, which vary from wearing of the cartilage, to small cracks developing, to FCP where fragments of bone break away (Manchester Veterinary Specialists, 2020).

Even worse, it was found that both elbows had medial compart­ ment disease (MCD), the most severe presentation of medial coronoid disease. MCD refers to extensive cartilage erosions of the medial com­ partment of the elbow joint (Coppieters et al., 2012). Now remember, our Porter was only 8 months old at this stage and was already facing multiple surgeries in his future. As is typical of dogs, however, through­ out all this pain, discomfort, and invasive tests so early on in life, Porter remained stoic and, if the opportunity ever presented itself, would play like nothing was wrong. Throughout everything Porter remained his lov­ ing, cuddly, and silly self.

Surgeries When Porter turned 1 year old in January 2020, he had his first surgery.

His left elbow was in worse condition than his right so that what was op­ erated on first. During the surgery, the surgeon also conducted an exam on Porter’s knees, only to discover that he was also suffering from bilat­ eral stifle effusion ("water on the knees"), with a rupture to his left knee’s cranial cruciate ligament (known as the ACL in humans). Cranial cruciate ligaments are extremely important stabilizers inside a dog’s knees (Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas, 2018) and what that meant for Porter was that his second surgery was already on the horizon.

Sam, meanwhile, remained focused on Porter’s recovery from his elbow surgery. I can only imagine how much he wanted to run and tum­ ble around like young dogs his age but, thankfully, Sam made his well­ being her number one priority and carefully monitored his activities. She also presented him with enrichment­type puzzles as part of this daily routine to provide mental stimulation and help him combat boredom.

Fast forward a few months and Porter was again having surgery, this time on his left knee to repair the cranial cruciate ligament. And so the recovery process began again. Sam was planning to utilize the warmer

Porter enjoyed an active lifestyle with his new parents and all the attention of being an “only child.” But when he was about 5½ months old, Sam noticed that standard puppy activities such as running, tumbling, and playing would leave him limping slightly on his front left leg. summer weather as an opportunity for Porter to engage in swimming activities as soon as he was cleared by his medical team. Sam and Porter live in an area of British Columbia where there are beautiful lakes nearby, providing the perfect opportunity for this type of exercise.

Swimming, if recommended by your veterinarian for appropriate post­ surgery activity and, of course, if your dog enjoys it, can be a fabulous low impact activity to engage in if your dog has physical restrictions.

Most recently, in June 2020, Porter underwent another surgical pro­ cedure. This time it was to repair a new tear in his left cranial cruciate ligament, most likely caused by a subtle injury as Sam had not wit­ nessed any trauma that should have caused him to have this type of reinjury. At the time of writing, Porter was once again at home recover­ ing from surgery, his rehabilitation process beginning once again. Sam was advised that Porter will most likely need his other elbow and knee repaired in the future, making it all four joints in total, and yet Porter re­ mains such a happy­go­lucky boy. Despite the setbacks, Sam remains optimistic that he will be able to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle throughout the years to come.

Prevention FCP, one of the conditions that Porter suffers from, is a developmental defect and is thought to be to be hereditary. As such, “affected dogs should not be used for breeding. If your dog is a purebred, you should notify your breeder. Many breeders of large breed dogs have their breeding stock cleared for this condition (called elbow certification) prior to using them in a breeding program.” (Hunter & Yuill, n.d.). When Sam got Porter as a puppy, as I have already mentioned, she met his breeder. Although Porter wasn’t a registered dog with a pedigree, which would show his family lineage, and the breeder hadn’t screened for ge­ netic problems before breeding, Sam never imagined her boy would face so many severe health issues within his first year of life. With the wisdom of hindsight, had she known about the risks, there are many things Sam would have asked for from Porter’s breeder. If she had, per­ haps this journey Pmay have been a bit different. Prevention is every­ thing.

Porter (left) was a typical energetic playful puppy but at the age of 5½ months, started to have difficulty bearing weight on his front left leg. In the coming months he faced multiple surgeries for a number of issues and, after each one, had to have his movement restricted. His guardian created a comfortable area (below) where he can have his meals, enjoy his enrichment toys, and stretch out whenever he wants to

© Sam Gilbert

© Sam Gilbert

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

35

c a n i n e Education and awareness are an integral part of prevention. We all know there are excellent responsible breeders who are diligent at en­ suring they do all they can to screen for hereditary diseases. Their goal is to breed the healthiest dogs possible. But there are also people breeding and selling dogs who do not necessarily put the health and welfare of the dog as a priority and/or who will breed dogs who have known health and behavior issues. So I encourage people to become ac­ tive in conducting their due diligence and researching breeders before buying puppies from them. The Humane Society of the United States has an excellent handout that details what to look for when you are planning for a puppy, and also sets out guidelines and questions you can ask, which are all part of the prevention plan.

In my recent article Let Them Be Little (see BARKS from the Guild, January 2020, pp.28‐29), I wrote about the importance of recognizing a puppy’s physical limitations and ensuring we do everything we can to prevent injuries from activities that are not age appropriate for their stage of physical development. I was surprised at how many people commented on the article and said they were unaware that many of the activities they engaged in with their younger dogs were potentially not good for them or their development.

For Porter, his journey continues. I will be paying him a visit soon to drop off some “feel better” treats and a Kong Wobbler to add to his en­ richment activities while he is on containment rest. Sam created a rest zone for Porter post­surgery and recovery so he would not have to be confined solely to a crate. You can see what an excellent job she did with this (see photo, bottom right, on previous page) – Porter is restricted in his movement but has a comfortable area where he can have his meals, enjoy his enrichment toys, and stretch out whenever he feels like it. n

Sam took [Porter] in for an exam and had radiographs (X-rays) done, which showed abnormalities (sclerosis) in both of his elbows.

And so Porter’s journey had begun.

References

Coppieters, E., Samoy, Y., Pey, P., Waelbers, T., & Van Ryssen, B. (2012). Medial compartment disease in a young Large Munsterlander.

Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift 81(2), 88–92 Hunter, T., & Yuill, C. (n.d.). Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP) in Dogs Manchester Veterinary Specialists. (2020). Medial Coronoid Disease Mayo Clinic. (2020). CT Scan Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas. (2018). Knee (stifle joint) Problems

Resources

The Humane Society of the United States. (2020). How to find a responsible dog breeder Radtke, G. (2020, January). Let Them Be Little. BARKS from the Guild (40) 28-29 Gail Radtke owns and operates Cedar Valley K9 in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. She is a certified Fear Free animal trainer and certified professional dog trainer and holds a diploma in canine behavior and science technology. She is also a DogSafe canine first aid authorized instructor, FitPAWS master trainer and certified canine fitness trainer.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

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c a n i n e

Creating Puppy Zen Anna Bradley explains how to ensure life with a new puppy remains stress-free, and details the steps guardians can take to set up a calm, positive environment

W

e all know what puppies are like…enthusiastic, rambunctious, energetic…I could go on and on with the adjectives. Of course, this is how every puppy should be, but there comes a point where all that energy can start to sap the strength of even the most resilient guardian.

It doesn’t matter how experienced we are or how many puppies we’ve brought up, all are individuals with their very own idiosyncrasies. Puppies will widely vary in personality and temperament and we may find that we mysteriously forget what we did the first time round and how we coped with puppyhood. In addition, during the lifetime of a dog, train­ ing techniques, products, philosophies and theories change dramatically and that means so should we. For the benefit of our dogs, we should move with the times and embrace positive change.

A successful and stress­free puppy period means creating a calm, positive environ­ ment. If we’re constantly butting heads with our new acquisitions, the formative weeks and months can be distressing for all. Yet they needn’t be. This is a time we should be able to look back on with joy and maybe a tiny bit of regret for a precious time we can never get back. In­ deed, if we put in maximum effort now, we can make sure this most special time is a moment we will always be able to cherish.

When I am working with new puppy guardians who are struggling, I begin by asking them to tell me a little about their puppy and then rework any negative terminology into something more positive. For example, one guardian said their puppy was “spiteful” due to his hard, persistent biting (the puppy was crated for around four hours per day prior to my visit), which I reworked into something like, “he is just a bit lonely and frus­ trated stuck in his crate and is seeking out some attention, so let’s work out what we can initially do to change this and also soothe his painful mouth.” These initial first steps and icebreaking are what I like to refer to as the start of a “Puppy Zen” process.

Calm Environment Puppy Zen is all about keeping and maintaining calm and promoting self­control. If we can achieve this, life with a puppy is much easier.

Calm Areas: As soon as puppy comes home, allow him to have a designated place to sleep and rest away from everyone else and the busy household. Puppies will usually sleep 18­20 hours per day (Reisen, 2019). That’s a lot of sleep! Sleep is “essential to healthy growth, contributing to the necessary development of his central nervous system, brain, immune system, and muscles. All of that sleep also helps him rest up during growth spurts.” (Reisen, 2019). Buzzing noises and lights from household appliances, external lights and peo­ ple walking past can all contribute to puppy simply not being able to rest. Personally, I like crates or home created den areas, especially when covered, simply because they are a great safe space where the pup can sleep uninterrupted.

Routine: New puppy guardians will be beginning a housetraining regime pretty much straight away, but think, too, about everything else that you’ll slot in here – feeding, walking (when your pup is able to go out), sleep schedule, play, training (e.g. if he will be allowed on furniture, upstairs etc.). Make sure you are consistent because a set routine instills calmness and confidence. Similarly, setting boundaries now and sticking to them means you’ll have fewer issues later on. If you allow your puppy on the furniture now but will not want him to leap up on the sofa when he’s fully grown, you will end up giving out mixed messages and your dog will be confused and unsure as to what you expect of him.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

Puppies need a calm, quiet place where they can get a lot of sleep, which is essential for healthy growth and development

© Can Stock Photo/Hannamariah

Impulse Control: Puppies live very much in the moment. This is to be expected and there’s nothing wrong or unusual about that. But we also have to help them understand manners. Impulse control is all about waiting and being patient and polite so you’ll receive what you originally set out to achieve. We can start with lots of things here. Puppies are ab­ sorbing their world like a sponge, so we can capitalize on that. I like to work on “stay,” which simply means staying put and waiting patiently for a few moments or steps until I return. To make this fun, we can incorpo­ rate “stay” into ‘stay to get your food,’ ‘stay then go get your toy,’ etc.

There are so many ways you can incorporate this kind of training in a fun way and making it into a game.

I also like to work on “leave it.” Puppies experience much of their world via their mouths. It always amazes me what goes in and (thank­ fully) comes out of puppies! If we can teach a great “leave/drop it” cue, then we won’t have an issue when she starts picking up stones, tissues, deceased and decayed animal parts, etc. Possessive type behavior is­ sues can often stem from puppyhood if a pup has not been taught how great and positive it is to relinquish an item. Unfortunately, guardians

c a n i n e If you allow your puppy on the furniture now but will not want her to leap up on the sofa when she’s fully grown, you will end up giving out mixed messages and your dog will be confused and unsure as to what you expect of her.

havior you don’t want. Teach calm replacement behaviors, which can be slotted into place any time you might need them.

Manage your dog’s environment also. Give him a calm place to hang out in the evening and take away all stimulating squeaky, pully and raggy toys, perhaps leaving only safe chew toys. Stay calm and quiet around him. Evenings are a time when you should all be able to relax.

Bedtime: I do not recommend trying to wear puppy out right before sometimes chase their pup, so he learns that it’s great fun to run off with an item. Some guardians may chastise their pups or forcibly re­ move the item and in such cases, a pup may learn to hide away and/or become aggressive when challenged to give up his precious item.

Build Your Relationship: You cannot get this time back, so spend the time learning about your puppy’s characteristics and personality. It takes time to get to know one another and connective processes like early training (such as the puppy learning his name, coming back when called, sit on cue, and lie down on cue, wait when asked etc.) and, of course, socialization and habituation, all help greatly. Take some time just to sit and be in each other’s company and observe.

My Puppy’s “Wild!”: No, she’s got the FRAPS! Puppy guardians may allude to a time, or several periods during the day, when their puppy goes a little wild. This is known as a frenetic random activity period (FRAP), i.e. a period of pent­up energy which is released in an explosive manner for a short period of time. Quite often there are specific times of day when these occur; 5­8 p.m. is one such common peak time.

What can we do when this sort of behavior occurs? First of all, some puppies will be more prone to excitement and generalized reactivity than others, just as some people are more chilled than others. Some breeds are more high drive and have a higher energy expenditure re­ quirement. During the day, various environmental stimuli will contribute to a puppy’s “arousal bucket” and if we do not manage the bucket level correctly – i.e. help arousal level to plateau and lower – it may tip the threshold and his behavior risks being labeled “inappropriate” or similar.

The key is to recognize when puppy is becoming a little too emo­ tionally aroused and stop what you’re doing just before the situation es­ calates rather than have to react to what follows. So if the dog gets a little bouncy during play, stop and pause and ask for a nice calm sit, then resume, rather than continue uninterrupted and risk getting be­

bedtime. Ideally, she should already be settled by now. Try to keep to the same bedtime hour each night so a routine is created. Take your puppy out for a last pee break and then bring her in for bedtime with minimum fuss.

Life with puppies, whether you’ve shared your life with dogs for years, taken a break, or are a first­time guardian, can be stressful, but it shouldn’t and needn’t be that way. With a little bit of thought and plan­ ning, negatives can be turned into positives and the whole period can be the memorable chapter it should be – for all the right reasons. n

Reference Reisen, J. (2019). How to Make Sure Your Puppy Gets Enough Sleep.

American Kennel Club Anna Francesca Bradley MSc BSc (Hons) is a United Kingdomebased provisional clinical, certified IAABC animal behavior consultant and ABTC accredited behavior consultant. She owns Perfect Pawz! Training and Behavior Practice in Hexham, Northumberland, where the aim is always to create and restore happy relationships between dog and owner in a relaxed way, using methods based on sound scientific principles, which are both force-free and fun.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

39

r e s c u e

Working to Address Stress Jerri Colonna introduces the enrichment box as a tool to alleviate canine stress in a shelter environment This article is a Selected Entry in our PPG Writers’ Competition which invited entrants to submit an article on the topic of Animal Shelter and Rescue. Find them all on the BARKS Blog under the Shelter & Rescue category.

I

am a shelter volunteer on the behavior and enrichment team at In­ dianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) and we have worked very hard as volunteers to develop some great enrichment for our dogs.

We are a very large, inner city, open intake shelter and many of our dogs only get to go outdoors once every 24 hours, so it can be a stress­ ful environment for them – especially if they are there long­term. Be­ cause of this, we have an enrichment group that focuses on things we can do, as volunteers, to improve the quality of life for our dogs while they await their forever homes. One of the enrichment ideas I have worked on and promoted is the “enrichment box.” An enrichment box can be as simple as to include things found at the shelter, or more elab­ orate to include a selection of healthy and interesting items.

To create an enrichment box, it all starts with a cardboard box (or an egg carton). Ideally, the box will be one that is shallow and wide with flaps that can be partially open or closed depending on the inter­ est level of the dog. It can also include several boxes within a box.

Things that are very commonly found at the shelter that we can toss in the box include: tennis balls (two usually), Kong filled with peanut butter, frisbee, squeaky toy, empty toilet paper/paper towel roll with hot dogs or chicken inside, rope toy, snuffle mat containing

© Jerri Colonna

A dog can easily spend 20­30 minutes investigating an enrichment box and interacting with the toys and edibles inside

© Jerri Colonna

Ideally, an enrichment box is shallow and wide and can be partially open or closed depending on the interest level of the dog

40

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

The enrichment boxes are a really effective way of providing a stimulating enrichment for dogs at the shelter who, in this case, are confined to a small kennel for around 23 hours a day. It is also a great way to interact one-on-one with the dogs given that providing a leash walk to every dog, every day is just not a possibility. In addition, it is amazing to see a less confident or shutdown dog start to develop confidence and more of their personality emerge.

r e s c u e dog food, and Nylabone and treats rolled up in packing paper. This is usually the most basic kind of enrichment box and can be thrown to­ gether very spontaneously with little effort (see videos How to make a shelter enrichment box and How to make a shelter enrichment box from things found in the shelter).

Items that I have included for more elaborate enrichment boxes that need to be prepared in advance can include: cut up veggies/fruit (carrots, green beans, cucumber, apple, blueberries), yogurt, cooked sweet potato, canned pumpkin puree, hardboiled egg (including shell), canned tuna/salmon, cat food, and cream cheese/cheese spray smeared inside. Very small amounts of these can all be added to a muffin pan, tennis balls placed on top and then everything placed inside the box. I recommend being conservative with the items to prevent the possibility of an upset stomach.

The dogs thoroughly enjoy investigating these boxes and can spend 20­30 minutes going back to them and interacting with the toys/edibles inside. The activity is supervised so nonfood items are not accidentally ingested. The boxes are great for stimulating the dogs’ sense of smell since they have such a variety of different items and it is especially inter­ esting to watch dogs who may have never had an opportunity to play with toys working on their boxes (see videos Shelter enrichment box, Shelter enrichment box 2, Shelter enrichment box 3, Shelter enrichment box 4, and Shelter enrichment box 5).

Mental Workout At the shelter, we have some fenced outdoor play yards where we are able to interact with the dogs when they are working on their boxes (and clean up the mess that is almost always made). This means we can also alleviate any guarding issues that may present. When it’s cold out­ side, we have also given the boxes to the dogs in some of the meet and greet areas, but we avoid placing them inside the individual kennels due to possibility of ingesting a foreign object or resource guarding.

The enrichment boxes are a really effective way of providing a stim­ ulating enrichment for dogs at the shelter who, in this case, are con­

fined to a small kennel for around 23 hours a day. It is also a great way to interact one­on­one with the dogs given that providing a leash walk to every dog, every day is just not a possibility. In addition, it is amazing to see a less confident or shutdown dog start to develop confidence and more of their personality emerge.

Enrichment at our shelter has become much more diverse these days and we are always trying to implement creative new ideas. We have an amazing group of staff and volunteers who work incredibly hard for the homeless animals in our community. n

Resources Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). Shelter enrichment box [Video File] Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). Shelter enrichment box 2 [Video File] Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). Shelter enrichment box 3 [Video File] Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). Shelter enrichment box 4 [Video File] Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). Shelter enrichment box 5 [Video File] Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). How to make a shelter enrichment box [Video File] Colonna, J. (2020, July 11). How to make a shelter enrichment box from things found in the shelter [Video File] Jerri Colonna is a shelter volunteer at Indianapolis Animal Care Services Services (IACS) who works on the behavior and enrichment team. She first learned about “enrichment boxes” on the Canine Enrichment Facebook group a couple years ago and has since modified the concept to adapt it to items that can be found at the shelter. She has also created and posted “how to” videos in her online shelter group so any volunteer or staff interested in making one can do so and then offer it to a dog. She has recently become a member of PPG to start the process of getting her own dog training business started. Previously, she has completed a dog training academy and has logged many hours of hands-on training as a volunteer with the shelter behavior team to gain experience.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

41

r e s c u e

Choices Matter Maria Zarate presents three options she uses in the shelter environment to provide enrichment for the resident dogs This article is a Selected Entry in our PPG Writers’ Competition which invited entrants to submit an article on the topic of Animal Shelter and Rescue. Find them all on the BARKS Blog under the Shelter & Rescue category.

A

s a veteran shelter professional, I’ve always sought outside the box to find effective and efficient methods to help residents build skills. Here are three “go to” methods we use regularly in the shelter environment and I hope you find them helpful too.

Pillow Case Feeds What to do with all those donated pillow cases? Don’t toss them, use them instead to feed the residents who eat quickly or who enjoy a good game of “find it”. Pillow case feedings make meal times fun and help slow down fast eaters. They can also be incredible tools to use with resi­ dents who struggle with food bowl guarding as well as with dogs who are noise sensitive. In addition, they help dogs save staff time with bowl upkeep.

Kong Wobbler

© Maria Zarate

Another neat practice is using Kong wobblers for feeding time. I find that placing the wobbler in a bowl with a little kibble in the bowl is a great way to initiate the “find it” game. Kong wobblers can be scary to a fearful dog and confusing to a stressed dog to use and a mistake han­ dlers sometimes make is to overfill it. To avoid this, the mix of some kib­ ble in the bowl and some in the wobbler is a great combination.

Another tip: add a little wet food to the mix.

Go Find It ­ Save Lives Anyone who does kenneling work can attest that stress brings out the worst in some of the resident dogs. One negative behavior that can arise is lunging forward towards a handler’s feet or legs. Even allowing residents to practice this behavior can have detrimental effects. We train staff to always use treats with residents that fall into this category.

Know your dogs and what motivates them on the food spectrum. Once you have that information, start to deliver a few pieces in front of them first, then slowly start throwing them behind the dog to encourage him to go back. Teaching dogs to go backwards is more desirable for cases like these. Exit calmly while facing them and throw enough reinforce­ ment to keep them busy in the game. n

© Maria Zarate

By feeding creatively, shelter professionals can find effective methods to help resident dogs build skills

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

Shelter residents Chico and Lola; Chico would lunge at people’s feet when they were leaving the kennel

Maria Zarate CPDT KA KPA CTP CBCC (in progress) is the Enrichment Lead and Kennel Manager at Camp Papillon in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania where she and her staff dedicate their effort to improving the quality of life of shelter residents.

r e s c u e

A Rough Start Kim Jukes relates the tale of abandoned German shepherd puppy Zeus and how she helped him learn social skills and impulse control, leading to him being adopted into his forever home This article is a Selected Entry in our PPG Writers’ Competition which invited entrants to submit an article on the topic of Animal Shelter and Rescue. Find them all on the BARKS Blog under the Shelter & Rescue category.

Z

eus had a rough start to his days at Fuzzy Friends Rescue in Waco, Texas two years ago. Early one morning, the staff came in to find that someone had thrown a young German shepherd puppy over the fence. When they did, he had cut his underside on the fence. The staff at Fuzzy Friends Rescue, being compassionate as they are, took him in, neutered him and doctored his wounds. Then, they found out how high spirited he was. As a young pup, they couldn’t keep him in a cone and he ran as much as he could run whenever he got the chance.

Once he was all healed up, rescue staff put him in the outside yards with all the other large dogs, but quickly found out that he could scale any fence he put his mind to.

Learning to Focus He would escape out of his night pen only to be found running the grounds when the staff got there the next morning. But Zeus was full of love and he gave it to not only the Fuzzy Friends Rescue staff, but to me as well, a volunteer trainer. I started visiting him every week. The staff had put him in a day yard, from which he could not escape, and I worked with him to teach him not to try. I taught him how to focus, how to leave it and also how to wait at the door to the day yard until he was given the cue to come through. He loved working for me and I taught several of the staff how to work with him as well because a dog like Zeus loves to have a job to do.

Meanwhile, the Fuzzy Friends Rescue staff had tried to put Zeus with other dogs but had found his social skills to be somewhat lacking.

How could they not be, when he had had so little interaction with other dogs in the time he had been there? Eventually, knowing that he would pay attention to me, I asked one of the rescue staff to help me intro­ duce him to another dog. We carefully chose another dog to be one that had a calming presence around other dogs.

Although Zeus was VERY excited to get to play with someone else, he did rather well and paid attention when I asked him to stop and take a break. This was the first time he was being taught how to interact with and engage in healthy play with another dog. After the session, the staff were able to put him with other dogs, one of whom was a beautiful husky named Athena, on a regular basis for play sessions. His exuberance gradu­ ally lessened and he was able to play appropriately. All Zeus needed was some training and enrichment to be the dog he was destined to be. After two years at the rescue, and several adoptions and returns, Zeus finally found his forever home and is now doing wonderfully. n Kim Jukes is the owner and certified dog trainer at People & Pups, LLC in Waco, Texas. She volunteers at Fuzzy Friends Rescue in Waco once a week and assists Akita Rescue of Northwestern Pennsylvania when she can. She also heads the local Meals on Wheels for Pets project that gathers donated toys, treats and other items to make and give goodie bags to Meals on Wheels customers who have pets.

© Kim Jukes

© Kim Jukes

Energetic, undersocialized German shepherd puppy Zeus was thrown over the fence of Fuzzy Friends Rescue in Waco, Texas, getting injured in the process

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

43

r e s c u e

Understanding Behavior Kimm Hunt explains why the saddest of experiences inspired her to be the professional she is today This article is a Selected Entry in our PPG Writers’ Competition which invited entrants to submit an article on the topic of Animal Shelter and Rescue. Find them all on the BARKS Blog under the Shelter & Rescue category.

I

n my second week as an animal control officer, a few heartbeats away from my 21st birthday, I had a rude awakening about the real­ ities of working in animal welfare. The incident set the course for my professional career, including my current work in animal behavior and training almost 30 years later.

A 14­week­old pit bull­type puppy I picked up had just completed his seven­day stray holding period at our shelter and I was crushing on him. He was sociable, wiggly and adorable. The sympathetic woman who found him expressed interest in adopting him. Our administrator, Dr. Boyle, asked me to call her to confirm her intentions. She informed me she had changed her mind.

A few minutes after relaying this information to him, I walked back into the kennel. I saw that little puppy in a soft, crumpled heap at his kennel door, already drugged in preparation for euthanasia. I think I cried out because he looked up at me in his stupor and started slowly thumping his tail and groggily trying to get up to greet me. He looked like a sad and confused drunken newborn foal.

Breed Specific Legislation I ran to find Dr. Boyle, who made the euthanasia decisions and per­ formed most of the procedures. He patiently explained that because of new citywide breed bans enacted in our county, and all the contro­ versy surrounding them, we were not moving pit bull­type dogs into the adoption population until further notice. And that, as they say, was that.

I ran into the bathroom and vomited. Then I sobbed. I thought my heart would break. That velvety, lovable boy that I happened to have a strong attachment to would be dead in a few minutes. I felt over­ whelmed by the injustice, absurdity and bias that was literally killing this puppy. He was about to become a casualty of the initial wave of community panic over potential behavioral and public safety issues as­ sociated with fighting breeds. Several well­publicized human maulings and deaths attributed to pit bull­type dogs had sent local governments scrambling for a preventative. There was much initial public support for breed bans, and they were hastily and widely enacted. Like any other unnuanced solution to a complex problem, we now know breed bans are ineffective at protecting the public from dog attacks and bites. More than a dozen states have even banned breed bans.

We also know a lot more about what contributes to the develop­ ment of aggressive behavior in dogs, which are the same factors that contribute to shelter euthanasia—poor socialization, management

...we were doing so much good for the animals and residents in our county. I can think of few occupations as disparaged as dogcatcher, but it’s important work. Few people are cut out for it. And the emotional toll can be significant.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

© Can Stock Photo/MountainKing

Due to citywide breed bans enacted in author Kimm Hunt’s county, her shelter stopped moving pit bull­type dogs into the adoption population

and training practices. A lack of understanding of normal dog behavior and the best practices to modify it can have fatal consequences—rarely for humans but frequently for dogs. It’s the number one killer of young, healthy dogs.

Surrender In defense of underinformed guardians, poorly trained dogs are not fun to live with. Lack of training almost guarantees behavioral problems in the dog and in the guardian. I think we can all agree that running away is unacceptable behavior, and so is chasing and screaming at a dog as it runs away. Both parties end up frustrated and confused by the other’s behavior, creating a relationship founded on mistrust and misunder­ standing. It inhibits the formation of a powerful bond between dog and human. And when “life” happens, many overwhelmed owners find that giving up their dogs makes sense. When people surrender their dogs be­ cause they’re moving, having a baby, or changing jobs, frequently the subtext is, “I love my dog, but he is annoying. Getting rid of him will be a relief.” Shelter staff see this all the time. (They also see owners crushed by grief because surrendering a beloved pet is their only option due to catastrophic medical, financial or other challenges. But the former is the more frequent scenario).

I can’t say for certain why that puppy ended up as a stray at our shelter, but I do know what sealed his fate that day. Back in the bath­ room, after a few minutes of abject horror, I realized I had a decision to make. Although euthanizing a healthy puppy was an anomaly at our fa­ cility, I knew there would be more distressing euthanasia decisions. This is the reality of working at an open admission shelter. Animals die here, by human hand (although we were really only the facilitators). Did I want this job or not?

On balance, we were doing so much good for the animals and resi­ dents in our county. I can think of few occupations as disparaged as dog­ catcher, but it’s important work. Few people are cut out for it. And the

r e s c u e A lack of understanding of normal dog behavior and the best practices to modify it can have fatal consequences—rarely for humans but frequently for dogs. It’s the number one killer of young, healthy dogs. emotional toll can be significant.

In a rare youthful moment of objective self­awareness, I decided that animal welfare needed me. I was intelligent, compassionate, driven to serve, and had the skill set needed for this role. I also made it my mis­ sion to learn all I could about how managing dog behavior affects adop­ tion permanency to help staunch the flood of dogs streaming into shelters because owners, despite their best intentions, were at their wits’ end. Acknowledging my grief and the inherent injustice of eutha­ nizing that precious, vibrant baby dog, I swallowed hard, washed my face, and got back to work.

I’m so grateful I made that decision. In the years that followed, I res­ cued countless sick, injured and orphaned wild animals that we relieved of their suffering or rehabilitated and released. I helped dozens of own­ ers obtain the skills and resources needed to care for their animals. I rescued hundreds of pets from neglect, abuse, and the squalor of hoarding situations. I matched countless adopters with pets that were suitable for their families and lifestyles. I started an in­house dog train­ ing program and taught kids in treatment for substance abuse the beauty of using reward­based training to change behavior. I conscien­ tiously brought people to justice for acts cruelty that turned my stom­ ach and almost broke my spirit, culminating in the highest penalty for a single count of animal cruelty in the state of Illinois. I screwed up some

stuff, too. But on balance, I did well and was proud of my work. I was proud that, in the greater scheme of things, what I did mattered.

It is my personal opinion that euthanasia is an integral part of ani­ mal welfare and that, for some animals in specific circumstances, it’s the most humane outcome available. I also believe that, next to population control (spay/neuter), the most effective way to decrease gratuitous eu­ thanasia is through reward­based training. Thoughtful socialization, compassionate responsiveness to a pet’s needs, and ongoing R+ training that makes daily life with a pet pleasant is the most effective inoculant against owner surrender and euthanasia of young, healthy pets. What we do as behaviorists, consultants and trainers is critical for keeping ani­ mals in their homes and reducing euthanasia rates. And I wouldn’t be a behavior professional today if it weren’t for the unjust euthanasia of that delightful puppy, may he rest in peace. n

Resources Authier, P. (2018). Quebec abandons ban on pit bulls in Bill 128.

Montreal Gazette Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. (2016). Dog Bites: what’s breed got to do with it?

Michaels, D. (2020). Breed Specific Legislation – It’s in the mind not the math National Canine Research Council. (2020). Breed-Specific Legislation FAQ Kimm Hunt CPAT-KA has been working with animals since 1989 and owns and operates Kimm Hunt Dog Training in Alpharetta, Georgia.

She provides training and behavior consulting services for owners and rescues in her local area, approaching training from an animal welfare perspective and uses evidence-based practices.

ANIMAL COURSES DIRECT

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

45

r e s c u e

Learning Compassion Charleen Cordo introduces the plan she devised for training shelter dogs at a facility for mentally ill youths This article is a Selected Entry in our PPG Writers’ Competition which invited entrants to submit an article on the topic of Animal Shelter and Rescue. Find them all on the BARKS Blog under the Shelter & Rescue category.

F

or 15 years, I worked at an established training and adop­ tion facility for shelter dogs at a facility for mentally ill youths. I felt that, judging by their behavior, the dogs, who mostly came from a rural community, had not always been treated very well. Many of them had worms or were prone to eating anything they could, some had mange, and most were just not very healthy. Among the behaviors they exhibited were jumping up, shyness around the approach of hands, lack of leash manners, and fearful urination. All of the dogs, upon eval­ uation, showed a desire to be with people but were insecure.

After much trial and error, I came up with a plan that was both enriching for the dogs and for the youths I worked with.

The process brought out the best in the dogs to the point that they were completely different dogs at the end of the 10­week training period. The following was the result: 1. We first and foremost groomed the dogs and kept their environ­ ment clean.

2. We tried our best to keep a routine that was easy to follow (e.g., out for a walk first thing and take them to the same spot to potty followed by praise and treats – this was repeated four times a day).

3. We integrated short training sessions using positive people inter­ actions, clicker training and treats.

4. We introduced the dogs to each other one at a time until we were sure they were going to get along and then ended each work session with free play session.

5. The dogs, after about the second week, were used to the routine and could be let out of their pens without leashes to all go potty together.

6. We were fortunate to have many business offices that the dogs could visit, as well as a variety of animals to interact with and out­ door areas to run and play. This played a big part in their social­ ization and they were able to go in and out of buildings, up and down stairs, and meet a variety of people.

New Tricks When we finished the training, the dogs completed the Canine Good Citizen test and were all successfully adopted out to families. We fol­ lowed up with the adoption, making sure all was well. During this entire process, I felt our main accomplishment was the bonding that occurred between the dogs, their trainers, and me during the process.

By the end of the program, all of the dogs accepted grooming, went potty on cue and were crate trained. They were allowed to investigate, play, do agility training, interact with numerous people, play games, and also learned to pay attention to what was asked of them. Their fears were addressed by allowing them to investigate on their own. They were never forced to do something they felt uncomfortable with. We

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

© Can Stock Photo / ESIGHT

During her 15 years at a training and adoption facility for shelter dogs at a facility for mentally ill youths, author Charleen Cordo successfully adopted out 240 dogs into homes, with both boys and dogs benefiting exponentially from the program

also played a variety of music for them. It was so nice seeing the dogs become confident and willing to investigate and learn new behaviors like tricks. For me, routine was the key, as well as treating each dog as an individual who was allowed to express their wants and fears so they could become a confident, happy individual – as opposed to being pushed around and forced to do things.

My experience in this program was truly rewarding and enlighten­ ing. The youths involved learned compassion and the dogs became happy and personable. We also had a lot of laughs and many of the boys went on to continue their work with shelter dogs when they left the facility.

During my 15 years there, we successfully adopted out 240 dogs into homes. Amongst the dogs was a dog who alerted the father of a paraplegic boy as to when a seizure would occur, a dog who got help for his guardian when he needed medical help on a walk, and a dog who became a boat dog with his guardians. I provided ongoing assistance to the families who adopted the dogs to make sure they were settling in their new homes. I am proud of my success using “throwaway” boys and dogs and having them both benefit exponentially from their joint interactions. n Charleen Cordo of Be SMART Dog Training in Aurora, Colorado, has been training with force-free methods since 2002. Upon attending multiple professional conferences and workshops, she implemented the methods she had learned about with the shelter dogs and pet dogs she was working with, since there were no other trainers in her rural community. Working with mentally ill youth and helping them relate to and train dogs was the most fulfilling experience of her.

She currently conducts private training sessions in clients’ homes and participated in Nosework and Freestyle dance with her own dog as she works to become certified in canine massage.

r e s c u e If you are a Pet Rescue Hero, Adopter, Foster Home, Professional Pet Trainer or Pet Care Provider Brought to you by

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Includes articles, step-by-step training plans and videos.

Designed to support staff and volunteers in addressing common behavior and welfare issues.

Designed to be used by handlers – with or without behavior modification experience – to minimize additional work for busy staff and volunteers.

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The A-Z of Training and Behavior Brought to you by L is for...

Learned Helplessness: In the phenomenon called learned helplessness, a pet is first exposed to inescapable and severe aversive stimulation. Eventually the pet gives up and stops attempting to avoid or escape the situation. Common term: Shut down. Inexperienced trainers may label the pet as ‘calm’.

Learned Irrelevance: Also called the preexposure effect. A psychological phenomenon that occurs when repeated exposure to a stimulus not connected to a contingency causes the stimulus to become meaningless. There is no fear present when learned irrelevance occurs, instead it addresses how repeated cues or other stimuli can come to become meaningless.

Learning: A measurable change in behavior as a result of an experience. Learning does not impact how an individual behaves; it impacts the individual’s ability to

modify its behavior given a different set of events.

Learning Set The phenomenon that occurs when a pet learns the patterns by which he is being trained and thus is able to learn more quickly. This is why force-free training is such a great gift to pet trainers: It helps pets learn to learn, increasing their abilities to problem solve. This ability can then be applied to other learning situations.

Limbic System: The area and pathways in the mammalian brain that controls emotional behaviors, feelings and moods.

Luring or Prompting: Prompts are antecedents as they come before the behavior, they can be food, targets, verbal prompts. Lures and prompts, while able to get behavior quickly, require the additional work of fading them out of the final behavior topography.

From: A Lexicon of Practical Terms for Pet Trainers & Behavior Consultants: The language you need to know!

by DogNostics Career Center. Available from: dognosticseducation.com/p/store

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

47

e q u i n e

Rethinking Dominance In this first of a two-part series, Dorothy Heffernan compares the human and equine perspective of the concept of dominance in horses and explains how, by rethinking it, we can build a better bond with our horses

I

n 21st century horse keeping, we require a range of behaviors from our horses. Some of these involve the horse staying near us and not leaving, such as grooming, tacking up, leading, waiting to have a head collar, halter or bridle put on, not moving away when we climb on their backs, walking next to us when led, not mov­ ing away when we ask them to lift their feet, when we use clippers, give injections, and administer medica­ tions. At the same time, we have a whole range of behaviors where we expect the horse to move away from us and stay away. These include lung­ ing, loose schooling and not crowding us when we’re in their stable or pad­ dock. We also expect horses to follow us in certain situations, e.g. walking into an enclosure like a pen, a stable or a trailer/float/truck, walking through gates and gaps, or walking © Can Stock Photo/Zuzule past other horses.

Human conclusions about equine behavior may not necessarily match with the science that describes how animals Although we may think we are, we behave in herds and why horses behave the way they do are not necessarily always completely methodical when we train these behav­ iors. For example, we train leading, but are often surprised when a This makes systematic training much less necessary. In such a case, all horse tries to move away from us when asked to walk with us through we have to do is become the horse’s leader, the one who moves their more challenging environments. We train a horse to stay close and not feet, i.e. the “dominant” or “alpha” herd member. Once that happens, move away when we clean his hooves and groom him, but then we may all the behaviors we find desirable will automatically happen without be displeased when he stays close and won’t move away during lunging. the need for training. Or will they?

We may also tend to attach labels to our horses’ failure to perform To continue the analogy, we may then consider the failure to per­ as we expect they should, without necessarily having the insight to label form any of the behaviors listed above either as an attempt by the horse it “poor training.” Instead, we might make it an attribute of the horse to “dominate” us or to “disrespect” our perceived authority. If she fails herself, e.g. “she is disrespectful,” “she is bargy or baulky,” “she is domi­ in a “proximity” behavior – for example, moving away from the mount­ nant,” etc. This is a very human trait – undesirable things done by others ing block, pulling hooves away when being shod or trimmed, running are often attributed to something inherent in them, but when we do away when we approach with a halter, attempting to bite when the the same thing ourselves, it’s a completely different situation. girth is done up, refusing to load or pulling away from us during leading A common argument is that if a horse “respects” us, acknowledges – we might say she is testing us to discover whether she is more “domi­ us as their ”leader,” or is properly “submissive,” he will automatically nant” or that she has no respect for our authority. defer to us in the way that we believe he would defer to another horse.

Again, if a horse fails in a “distance” behavior, such as running at us

In 21st century horse keeping, we require a range of behaviors from our horses. Some of these involve the horse staying near us and not leaving, such as grooming, tacking up, leading, waiting to have a head collar, halter or bridle put on, not moving away when we climb on their backs, walking next to us when led, not moving away when we ask them to lift their feet, when we use clippers, give injections, and administer medications. At the same time, we have a whole range of behaviors where we expect the horse to move away from us and stay away.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

e q u i n e We...tend to attach labels to our horses’ failure to perform as we expect they should, without necessarily having the insight to label it “poor training.” Instead, we might make it an attribute of the horse herself, e.g. “she is disrespectful,” “she is bargy or baulky,” “she is dominant,” etc.

This is a very human trait.

ments, aka confirmation bias (Nickerson, 1998). In fact, then, our con­ clusions, while seeming accurate to us, don’t actually match with the science that describes how animals behave in herds and why horses be­ have the way they do. The conclusions of science are based on the study of many thousands of horses in different settings and over decades, tak­ ing into account all the behavior rather than choosing behaviors that support what the observer wants to believe. n

Reference Nickerson, R.S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. Review of General Psychology 2: 175–220

when we are loose schooling him, falling in on the lunge, bucking and kicking out at us when we’re in his paddock, crowding us in his stable, we may say he is testing us, lacking in respect, or trying to dominate us.

Expectations In the modern world of horse keeping, many of us have an additional class of behavior requirements in that we want our horse to like, love or care for us. We may attribute soulful properties to him along the lines of him being able to sense our emotions or thoughts and/or unite with us in a spiritual sense. Yet again, however, if he fails to demonstrate these attachment behaviors in a way that is desirable to us, we may see it as a way of testing our leadership, or simply treating us as the submissive partner in the relationship. We may say things like, “He only has to work an hour a day,” “He’s stubborn,” or “He’s so ungrateful,” etc.

We may also take our expectations and beliefs and look for evidence of them when we watch our horses. For example, if we see a horse chase another horse, we may say the one chasing is dominant. If we see a horse take food from another horse, we may say she’s dominant. If we see a horse kick out or strike out at another horse, we say he’s domi­ nant. We observe that other horses tend to stay a safe distance from the kickers and chasers, and not try to take their food, and so we think this means the other horses respect them. It’s a short jump for us to conclude that the kickers, chasers and biters are the leaders. They are the bosses of the other horses, and bosses are leaders, because bosses decide what everybody else should do and they insist on prompt obedi­ ence to requests, backed up with threats and followed up with aggres­ sive action.

The problem with these types of conclusions is that they only pro­ vide a snapshot of horse behavior. This often occurs in situations where the horses are not members of a family group and are not in a natural environment. Add to that the fact that, as observers, we have a ten­ dency to see what confirms our beliefs and to either miss things that don’t agree, or explain them away using sometimes contradictory state­

BARKS from the Guild

Resources Bourjade, M., Thierry, B., Hausberger, M., & Petit, O. (2015). Is leadership a reliable concept in animals? An empirical study in the horse.

PLoS ONE 10:e0126344 Briard, L., Dorn, C., & Petit, O. (2015). Personality and affinities play a key role in the organisation of collective movements in a group of domestic horses. Ethology 121: 888–902 Cameron, E.Z., Setsaas, T.H., & Linklater, W.L. (2009). Social bonds between unrelated females increase reproductive success in feral horses. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106: 13850-13853 Fureix, C., Bourjade, M., Henry, C., Sankey, C., & Hausberger, M. (2012). Exploring aggression regulation in managed groups of horses Equus caballus. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 138: 3-4 216–228 Krueger, K., Flauger, B., Farmer, K., & Hemelrijk, C. (2013). Movement initiation in groups of feral horses. Behavioural Processes (103) 91–101 Dorothy Heffernan is a Scotland, U.K.-based psychologist who applies her knowledge of learning, cognition and neuroscience to help horse owners improve their horses’ lives through a changed approach to management, training and environment. She uses a force-free approach to training and enjoys making science fun and relatable. Since 2013, she has written the blog Horses Under Our Skin to help people understand why their horses behave the way they do. She is an endorsed trainer of the World Bitless Association and helps horse owners transition to bitless riding using positive reinforcement techniques. In addition, she works with horse, pony and donkey guardians using an evidence-based approach to resolve behavior issues from handling, riding, transporting and husbandry problems.

She has been a chartered member of the British Psychological Society for nearly 20 years.

BARKS from the Guild is the 64-page bi-monthly pet industry trade magazine published by the Pet Professional Guild, available internationally to Pet Professional Guild members, supporters and the general public via a free lifetime digital subscription.

Widely read by pet industry professionals and pet guardians alike, BARKS covers a vast range of topics encompassing animal behavior, pet care, training, education, industry trends, business AND MUCH MORE! If you would like to reach your target audience, BARKS is the perfect vehicle to achieve that goal.

To contribute an article, please contact the editor, Susan Nilson: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com

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To advertise, please contact Kelly Fahey: Kelly@petprofessionalguild.com

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

49

business

Ask the Experts: Controlling Access Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner dog*biz discusses the importance of flexibility in times of uncertainty

Q

: Things are starting to open back up in my area, and I’m slowly getting back to some in‐person training. I’m a little nervous, though, about what will happen if we go back into lockdown, or if I start feeling like it’s not safe to train in person. Last time I had a hard time convincing clients to finish their training with me online. That was hard on me financially and I felt awful about all the lost training progress, too. Is there a way I can avoid this happen‐ ing again? ‐ A Worried Trainer A: We sure learned a lot from the first go­round of this pandemic. Many, many trainers experienced the same situation you describe of clients deciding to wait until they could train in person again—to the trainers’ financial dismay and the clients’ training setback. We definitely don’t want to see a repeat.

We’ve counseled our business consulting clients and THRIVE! mem­ bers to update their private training and class contracts with policy language that gives the trainer license to provide services as he or she sees fit, including transferring a pri­ vate training package or group class to online. The language should specify that doing so is not grounds for cancellation or refund.

The idea here is that what clients Some trainers and stu­ have found that dents pur­ clients still prefer in­person over chase from virtual sessions you is access © Can Stock Photo/adogslifephoto

Showcasin best of theg the industry to pet chuckle an chat, d share Join hosts Niki Tudge and Louise Stapleton‐ Frappell with their special guests discussing news and views on force‐free training, behavior, and pet care!

barksfromtheguild.com/podcasts

© Can Stock Photo/Razvanjp

Under current conditions, dog trainers are advised to provide services as they see fit, taking local and current advisories into consideration

In an era of uncertainty, with so much we cannot control, it’s critical that we build businesses that are flexible...what clients and students purchase from you is access to your knowledge, expertise, skill, and guidance. How you provide that access is up to your discretion. to your knowledge, expertise, skill, and guidance. How you provide that access is up to your discretion.

In an era of uncertainty, with so much we cannot control, it’s critical that we build businesses that are flexible. This sort of policy is one effec­ tive way to do that, and we hope it helps you worry a bit less. n Veronica Boutelle MA Ed CTC is founder and co-president of dog*biz (dogbizsuccess.com), and author of How to Run Your Dog Business and co-author of Minding Your Dog Business. dog*biz offers professionally designed positive reinforcement dog training class curricula, including Open-Enrollment Puppy, Open-Enrollment Basic Manners, and short Topics classes built for retention.

Do you have a question for the business experts at dog*biz?

Submit your question for consideration to: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com

Learn how

can help your business:

www.dogbizsuccess.com 50

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

Not For Beginners!

ADVANCED AGILITY WORKSHOP

Limited Working Spots

October 16 & 17, 2021

Tampa, Florida

Marita Davies International Championship Agility Competitor representing Team GB at the European Open, Team England at the World Agility Open and at Crufts.Â

In This Course You Will...

-Run a selection of courses in small sections -Experience different handling options -Find the best line on the course -Determine different approaches to running coursesÂ

Advance Your Agility Skills Over the two days several courses will be worked. Each course will be broken down into sections to discuss, plan and run sections with different handling options based on the handler, course and the dog. Courses will allow for independent course walking with consultation on the different options that can be taken and why certain handling skills are the fastest, best line for the dog. After independent walking and consultation attendees will run the course in section including discussions on the best way to train contacts. This is an advanced course and requires that each working spot attendee and their dog has solid fundamental agility skills. Auditor spots are welcome for those wanting to learn without participating in the action.

CEUS: PPAB 12, CCPDT (pending), IAABC (pending), KPA (pending)

PetProfessionalGuild.com

consulting

Embracing Change Kathie Gregory examines life during and post-pandemic and how we can adjust our thinking to become more creative and intuitive in the way we engage with our animals

I

n these ongoing strange times, we are finding ourselves faced with what people are calling the “new normal.” I don't think any of us know exactly which parts of life will change completely, what will go back to how things were before, and what will be somewhere in­be­ tween, but there are many people who are already doing things differ­ ently. I am very well aware that this is not necessarily a positive situation, and so many are struggling with lost income. Some have lost their jobs, and some their homes. Some have lost their lives.

We can't change what people have gone through, but we can hope for a positive future. With that in mind, I wanted to look at the opportu­ nities that are emerging from the world being in lockdown. We have the chance to look at what and how we do things with the animals we live and work with and find inspiration to improve.

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail As the world changed, many of us had to change our ways to comply with government guidelines to keep us safe. Once the coronavirus hit, measures to keep people safe were communicated ahead of time so we could think about how to change the way we do things and live within the restrictions imposed. You may be wondering what this has to do with animals, but one of the things that helps both us and them be suc­ cessful is preparing, as opposed to winging it. If we fail to prepare, we are leaving things to chance, and we may well find ourselves and our animals in a situation that could have been avoided. This is relevant to everything we do, particularly when we do something for the first time, and when we consider the emotional mind and how moods change throughout the day. We need to think through what we are going to do, the possibilities of what might happen, and potential strategies to counter potential unwanted outcomes.

With this in mind, think through what you might expect to en­ counter if you are taking your young puppy out somewhere new. Pre­ pare for how he might react to new experiences and plan ahead what you can do to support him. The same applies to a young horse. What training do you have in place? Is this enough for the situation you are going to be in, or will your horse be overwhelmed and not able to listen to you?

© Can Stock Photo/photocreo

Try Something New In these changed circumstances, we have had to think of new ways to do what we did before. In some instances, this has proved to be less ef­ ficient and not the best solution, but there are many things that are ac­ tually better. We often do things the same way because we have always done it like that. This may be because we don't like stepping out of our comfort zone, and do not like change. Often, we do not change unless forced to do so. But, without change we stagnate and may miss oppor­ tunities to do something we wouldn't otherwise have done if we had re­ mained in the same old comfortable, familiar situation.

We can take advantage of how we have had to try new ways of doing things and apply that to how we teach and interact with our ani­ mals. Change is more scary when you don't have any clue as to the out­ come, but we have all managed to make changes and we have coped.

This means we can all be brave and step out of our comfort zone.

52

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

© Can Stock Photo/sonyae

(Top and bottom) By being in front of behavior and making sure they have a plan in place, trainers can anticipate what their animals are likely to do in each situation

consulting Think about things first, so you make good decisions as to what you want to change. To some extent you need to use your intuition – what doesn't sit right with you? What feels wrong in what you do? Do you want to change the way you interact with your animals? The way you teach? Where you want to take your training? What you do together?

Acknowledge those things that you know are not quite right. Now use your head, do some reading and explore other options. Can you map out a way to progress?

We are often held back by thinking we can't do something, but we actually can; we just need a plan and help along the way from those who have already traveled that journey. Obviously, we must ensure the welfare and safety of the animals we are with, so we go back to prepar­ ing. By doing this, when we try something new, we can do it in a con­ trolled manner. If it doesn't work out, we can discard it; if it does, we can pursue it. Don't forget to also acknowledge what feels right in what you do. It is really important too to take the time to think about what we have achieved with our animals, what we know we can do, what we enjoy. Reminding ourselves of these things helps with our sense of self­ esteem, confidence, and ability to have a go at something new. It also gives us emotional resilience, so when we try something new that does not turn out as we hoped, we will be able to put it aside rather than dwell on it, or think we are not good enough.

Be Creative The time spent in lockdown has also given some people more free time.

We have seen people taking up hobbies and activities they did not have time for previously. We can be creative with the time we spend with our animals too. Ask yourself what you have wanted to try but didn't feel confident enough to do. What activities would your animal enjoy? Say you have a breed of dog that is not commonly seen in agility but loves agility type activities. He may not be fast or master the weaves, but so what? You don't have to take up agility with the aim to compete. And, as long as you do not push your dog to do something he is not physically or psychologically capable of doing, then it doesn’t matter if he is not great at the sport. If he thoroughly enjoys himself and you enjoy teach­ ing him, then you have a great activity and partnership. It's all about the experience and enriching both your and your animal’s lives.

Use Your Intuition Doing something differently or learning something new can be worry­ ing. It can result in not knowing what to do, never mind how to start.

And our intuition is something we often tend to ignore. While we may have some sort of unspecified feeling, rather than explore it, our intel­ lect kicks in and tells us not to be silly. However, listening to our intu­ ition is so important. It can keep us safe. That gut feeling of unease or something not being right is our mind and body telling us to take note of something before our intellect responds.

Not only can intuition keep us safe, it can also help us on our life journey. We, hopefully, know deep down what fits with us, what feels right, what we want to do, and where we want our lives to go. We have

...think through what you might expect to encounter if you are taking your young puppy out somewhere new. Prepare for how he might react to new experiences and plan ahead what you can do to support him. The same applies to a young horse. What training do you have in place? Is this enough for the situation you are going to be in, or will your horse be overwhelmed and not able to listen to you?

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

53

consulting ...we do not want to teach animals in a way that stops their inquisitiveness and ability to try things, so how we do things is as important as what we do. Being aware of the effect of what we do and how we do it can then show us the way to teach and progress, while avoiding any outcome that has a detrimental element to it.

the same intuition when we think about our animals, as in how we in­ teract with them, what activities we do with them, and how we teach them. We may not be sure what direction we should go in but we can explore and try out different things.

We can start by trying something that is easy and small to see how we feel as well, as how the animal feels. Then, by examining the out­ comes of pursuing that particular activity, we can identify the possible pitfalls. For example, we do not want to teach animals in a way that stops their inquisitiveness and ability to try new things, so how we do things is as important as what we actually do. Being aware of the effect of what we do and how we do it can then show us the way to teach and progress, while avoiding any outcome that has a detrimental element to it.

Set Up for Success Setting up for success is not just about thinking through new things, it is also about what we do every day. Most of what we do will not be new; rather, we will be engaging in familiar routines and teaching sessions.

So, we can take a two­pronged approach. Firstly, be in front of be­ havior, not behind it. What I mean by this is that you know how things go, so you can anticipate what your animal is likely to do in each situa­ tion. There are often parts of the usual things we do that are not ideal, or don't go smoothly. This may be due to any number of elements, but instead of waiting for it to happen, get in front of it and adjust what you do so you can counter it and achieve a different outcome.

Secondly, think about which parts of your routine would improve if you changed them. Sometimes, it is not any individual component of the routine that is the issue, but the whole routine. Take time to think about what is important. What are you trying to achieve? Is it really im­ portant? What if you changed your goal? Would that be an improve­ ment? Starting a new routine begins with these questions. It opens your mind and makes you think about what is really important rather than what you thought was important. From there, you can work towards a harmonious, mutually beneficial relationship with your animal, and a life that is full of positivity, solutions, and the ability to adjust for what­ ever comes your way. n Kathie Gregory is a qualified animal behavior consultant, presenter and author, specializing in advanced cognition and emotional intelligence. Passionate about raising standards and awareness in how we teach and work with animals, she has developed Free Will TeachingTM, a concept that provides the framework for animals to enjoy life without compromising their own free will. She has authored two books, A tale of two horses: a passion for free will teaching, and A Puppy Called Wolfie: a passion for free will teaching, and her work is currently divided between working with clients, mentoring, and writing.

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BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

Enter the PORTL The tabletop game that will help you learn more about animal behavior and learning

Learn the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab

A Two Day Workshop in Tampa, Fl Saturday, March 20 - Sunday, March 21, 2021

YOURÂ PORTL TO SHAPING PRESENTED BY MARY HUNTER, M.S.

Limited Spaces Available

Join Mary Hunter for two intensive days of lectures and hands-on exercises using PORTL - The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab, a tabletop game that will help you learn more about animal behavior and learning. This workshop will focus specifically on the topic of shaping.

You’ll learn about behavior principles and techniques that will help you create optimal learning situations when working with both animals and people.

Play the Game and learn to problem-solve and think more creatively when designing training solutions giving you more insight into how people and animals learn.

PetProfessionalGuild.com/PORTL-Workshop/

advocacy

Suffering in Silence In an ongoing, occasional series of articles on dogs and abuse, Beth Napolitano examines elements of animal cruelty syndrome and what current research can teach us about individuals who are more likely to engage in animal abuse

A

ccording to Payne et al. (2015), for the last 15,000­30,000 years, humans and dogs have lived together. In fact, the evidence strongly suggests that the two have coevolved (Ollivier et al., 2018; Leathlobhair et al., 2018). Likely, our early ancestors kept the friendlier, tamer wolves around their settlements to help them with hunting and guarding and, in turn, those tamed animals stayed because of the food and shelter they shared with them (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2001). MacLachlan (2010) notes that the more modern tradition of keeping pets may be a “leftover” behavior from our ancestors’ days of working with animals.

The tendency to share our homes with our pets, according to Brad­ shaw (2017), tends to run in particular cultures and families. Children often imitate their parents, and recent research has discovered that some people have a “pet­keeping” gene (Jacobson et al., 2015). That same research shows that people who tend to love animals also tend to have a greater concern for nature in general (Jacobson et al., 2015). Ja­ cobson et al. (2015) have also documented that the pattern of how one interacts with their pets has a genetic link in that 37% of the various pet interaction “styles” are genetically influenced. Environmental factors, lifestyle and early experience account for 63­71% of the variation in in­ teraction style.

Canadians for Animal Welfare Reform (CFAWR) (2010) notes that, in homes where early experience and lifestyle include abuse and domestic violence, children raised in that environment are three times more likely to be cruel to animals than children living in nonviolent households.

Thirty­two percent of battered women report their children “had hurt or killed animals” and approximately “60% of college students who wit­ nessed or perpetrated animal cruelty as children also reported experi­ ences with child maltreatment or domestic violence.” (CFAWR, 2010).

The New York Times (2010) documents, in letters from several con­ tributors, cases where the family dog is seen as “disposable property” and taken to the veterinarian for euthanasia, “not because they were aggressive or ill but because they ‘shed too much’ or ‘bark too much.’”

Mersereau (2010) continues by noting that, “Until more people come to view themselves not as ‘owners’ of their pets but as ‘guardians’ of their animal companions’ well­being, the current cycle of violence, neglect, abuse and abandonment will continue to increase, passed on from one generation to the next.” Words matter.

Terminology and Motivations According U.S. Legal (2019): “Zoosadism is a term used to refer to the pleasure that an individual gains from the cruelty to animals. The pleas­ ure may be a kind of sexual pleasure. Zoosadism is getting sexually ex­ cited by causing harm to animals. It is different from zoophilia (sexual attraction of a human towards a nonhuman animal).” The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (2017) lists animal cruelty as a conduct disorder, “a repetitive and consistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others...are violated.” Conduct disorder is a di­ agnosis that is also associated with those who abuse humans.

CFAWR (2010) lists several motivations for animal abuse, including: • Enhance own sense of aggressiveness.

56

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

© Can Stock Photo/chalabala

Animal cruelty typically starts to be seen at the age of 12+ years occurring along with other antisocial behaviors

• •

Shocking others for amusement.

Sense of loss of control over own life­control is gained by abusing animals.

• Retaliation against someone by harming their pet.

• Sadism­joy of inflicting pain on others.

• Imitation­social learning, child imitates parent.

• Sexual gratification.

• Boredom­abuse of others enhances mood.

• Venting of anger­animal is the scapegoat.

• Animal hoarding.

As for children who are cruel to animals, according to Johnston (2011), mental health professionals take a child’s age and level of matu­ rity into account when determining if and when professional help is needed. She outlines the following categories: • The Experimenter: (ages 1­6 or developmentally delayed).

This is usually a preschool child who has not developed the cognitive maturity to understand that animals have feelings and are not to be treated as toys. This may be the child's first pet or s/he doesn't have a lot of experience or training on how to take care of a variety of animals.

• The "Cry­for­Help" Abuser: (6/7 ­ 12). This is a child who intel­ lectually understands that it is not okay to hurt animals. This behavior is not due to a lack of education, instead, the animal abuse is more likely to be a symptom of a deeper psychologi­ cal problem. As previously noted, a number of studies have linked childhood animal abuse to domestic violence in the home as well as childhood physical or sexual abuse.

advocacy •

The Conduct­Disordered Abuser: (12+) Teens who abuse ani­ mals almost always engage in other antisocial behaviors—sub­ stance abuse, gang related violence. Sometimes the animal abuse is in conjunction with a deviant peer group (an initia­ tion rite or as a result of peer pressure), while other times it may be used as a way to alleviate boredom or achieve a sense of control (Johnston, 2011).

CFAWR (2010) agrees that teaching and incorporating acts of kind­ ness into our everyday lives is essential to helping young children learn how to interact appropriately with others, including animals. CFAWR (2010) also points out that the link between animal abuse and interper­ sonal violence is becoming “so well established that many U.S. commu­ nities now cross­train social service and animal control agencies in how to recognize signs of animal abuse as possible indicators of other abu­ sive behaviors.”

Animal Hoarding Animal hoarding is another form of animal cruelty, explained as a “poorly understood phenomenon which transcends simply owning or caring for more than the typical number of pets… [It] is not about ani­ mal sheltering, rescue, or sanctuary, and should not be confused with these legitimate efforts to help animals. It IS about satisfying a human need to accumulate animals and control them, and this need super­ sedes the needs of the animals involved.” (Hoarding of Animals Re­ search Consortium, 2020). The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC) (2020) references this “pathological accumulation of animals” via the following criteria: • Having more than the typical number of companion animals.

• Failing to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanita­ tion, shelter, and veterinary care, with this neglect often re­ sulting in illness and death from starvation, spread of infectious disease, and untreated injury or medical condition.

• Denial of the inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals, the household, and human occupants of the dwelling.

• Persistence, despite this failure, in accumulating and control­ ling animals (HARC, 2020).

HARC (2020) explains further: “The stereotype of an animal hoarder is that of a single, older woman, living alone and socioeconomically dis­ advantaged. There is support in existing data for that broad generaliza­ tion. However, it is important to recognize that hoarding knows no age, gender or socioeconomic boundaries. It has been observed in men and women, young and old, married as well as never married or widowed, and in people with professional or white­collar jobs. There have even been hoarders among human health professionals, veterinarians and

Scientific research can help us understand who is more likely to abuse and neglect animals.

Research can also help us understand the motivations behind those who abuse animals.

But only the legal system and social service agencies have the ability to change laws and rescue animal from abusive conditions. veterinary technicians. It is not uncommon for hoarders to be secretive, living essentially a ‘double life’ at work versus at home.”

Frost (2000) explains that “several psychiatric models have been suggested for problematic animal hoarding (Lockwood, 1994) and sum­ marizes them as follows: • The delusional model suggests that people who hoard animals suffer from a highly focused form of delusional disorder.

• Patronek (1999) suggests that animal hoarding may be a "warning sign for early stages of dementia," which would sug­ gest a dementia model.

• Lockwood (1994) suggests an addictions model based on simi­ larities to substance abuse, including a preoccupation with an­ imals, denial of a problem, excuses for the behavior, isolation from society, claims of persecution, and neglect of personal and environmental conditions. Other evidence consistent with this model comes from research on impulse control problems.

• Small numbers of animal hoarders may be explained by a zoophilia model, in which animals serve as sexual gratification (Lockwood, 1994). Although in a few cases reported by the popular media collected animals were the objects of sexual activity, there is little evidence to support this model as a major determinant of this behavior.

• Another possible model for animal hoarding is an attachment model in which the individual suffers from early developmen­ tal deprivation of parental attachment and is unable to estab­ lish close human relationships in adulthood.

• Two major features of animal hoarding are consistent with the OCD model. People with this syndrome appear to experience an overwhelming sense of responsibility for preventing imag­ ined harm to animals, and they engage in unrealistic steps to fulfill this responsibility. OCD patients experience this same sense of excessive responsibility for preventing harm and en­ gage in unrealistic ritualization to prevent it.

• In addition, Patronek (1999) indicated that over 80% of animal hoarders also hoarded inanimate objects. (Frost, 2000).

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advocacy Legalities and Science Scientific research can help us understand who is more likely to abuse and neglect animals. Research can also help us understand the motiva­ tions behind those who abuse animals. But only the legal system and social service agencies have the ability to change laws and rescue ani­ mals from abusive conditions. Tudge et al. (2019) report the following: “As a result of political pressure applied by constituents to local govern­ ments, fueled by the general growth of the Animal Welfare Movement from the early 20th century onwards…anticruelty laws have become more commonplace and fines increased. Nevertheless, ‘in many coun­ tries, states and counties, laws are woefully inadequate to protect the lives of dogs…Where such laws do exist, they are often weak, poorly written and/or not well­enforced, leaving gaping loopholes for perpetra­ tors of animal crimes.’ (Steinker, 2018).

“According to the Humane Society of the United States (2019), a majority of anticruelty laws are ‘limited to cases involving aggravated cruelty, torture or cruelty to companion animals.’ All in all, 48 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have laws mak­ ing certain types of animal cruelty a felony offense. (Note: North Dakota classifies it a Class A misdemeanor and South Dakota as a Class 1 misde­ meanor.) While 46 of 50 states’ felony provisions are first­offense provi­ sions, some state laws allow felony charges ‘only if the perpetrator has a previous animal cruelty conviction…Four states (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa and Mississippi) have laws that apply felony charges only to subse­ quent offenses.’ However, ‘only a fraction of animal cruelty acts are ever reported or successfully prosecuted.’ (Humane Society of the United States, 2019).”

As emotional beings, dogs (and other animals) experience physical and emotional pain, yet, sadly, they will continue to suffer in silence until laws and attitudes universally change to afford them the protec­ tion they deserve. n

There Is No Excuse

FOR ABUSE

It’s time to ban shock collars I would say that, as with any helping professional, your first and primary obligation is to do no harm, and we have compelling evidence that applying shock, either systematically or randomly, to domestic dogs increases their general level of stress and discomfort. So given that knowledge, there simply is no ethical rationale for using it.

Janis Bradley,

Director of Communications and Publications, National Canine Research Council

If there’s a tool which causes pain or discomfort, it has the potential of creating other problems. As animal care professionals, I feel that if we...can’t find kinder, gentler ways of doing something, then maybe we are in the wrong profession.

Ken Ramirez, Executive VP and CTO, Karen Pryor Clicker Training

“Until these devices are illegal, consumers must protect themselves and their dogs by looking beyond the marketing messages of those who profit from their sale and use. It is not necessary to use electric shock to change behavior.

It is not necessary in humans, in zoo species, in marine mammals or in dogs.”

Jean Donaldson, Author, Train Your Dog Like a Pro

References American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association Bradshaw, J. (2017). The Science Behind why Some People Love Animals and Others Couldn’t Care Less. The Independent Canadians for Animal Welfare Reform. (2010). Animal Cruelty Syndrome Casey, G.C., Sullivan, M., Mersereau, M., & Katz, E.M. (2010, June 25). The Animal Cruelty Syndrome [Letters to the editor]. New York Times Frost, R. (2000). People Who Hoard Animals. Psychiatric Times Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium. (2020). FAQs for Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium. Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University Jacobson, K.C., Hoffman, C.L., Vasilopoulos, T., Kremen, W.S., Panizzon, M.S., Grant, M.D., Lyons, M.J., Xian, H., & Franz, C.E. (2015). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Individual Differences in Frequency of Play with Pets among Middle-Aged Men: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis. Anthrozoös 25(4): 441–456 Johnston, J.E. (2011). Children Who are Cruel to Animals: When to Worry. Psychology Today MacLachlan, M. (2010). Perceptions of Animals across Cultures: Man’s Best Friend or Dirty Beast?

Payne, E., Bennett, P.C., & McGreevy, P.D. (2015). Current Perspectives on Attachment and Bonding in the Dog-Human Dyad. Psychology Research and Behavior Management (8):71-9 Tudge, N.J., Nilson, S.J., Millikan, D.A., & Stapleton-Frappell, L.A. (2019). Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People. (n.p.): DogNostics Career Center Publishing Zoosadism [Def.]. (2019). In U.S. Legal

Resources Antolec, D. (2018). Living in Fear. BARKS from the Guild (31) 54-56 Coppinger, R., & Coppinger, L. (2001). Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution. New York, NY: Scribner Frost, R.O., Patronek, G., & Rosenfield, E. (2011). Comparison of Object and Animal Hoarding. Depression and Anxiety 28(10):885-91 Gorman, J. (2016). The Big Search to Find Out Where Dogs Come From. New York Times Leathlobhair, M.N., Perri, A.R., Irving-Pease, E.K., Witt, K.E., & Linderholm, A. (2018). The evolutionary history of dogs in the Americas.

Science (361) 6397 81-85 Ollivier, M., Tresset, A., Frantz, L.A.F., Bréhard, S., Bălăşescu, A., Mashkour, M., Boroneanţ, A., Pionnier-Capitan, M., Lebrasseur, O., Arbogast, R-M., Bartosiewicz, L., Debue, K., Rabinovich, R., Sablin, M.V., Larson, G., Hänni, c., Hitte, C., & Vigne, J-D. (2018). Dogs accompanied humans during the Neolithic expansion into Europe. Biology Letters (14) 10 Patronek, G. (1999). Hoarding of Animals: An Under-Recognized Public Health Problem in a Difficult-To-Study Population. Public Health Report 114(1):81-7 Beth Napolitano worked as a staff nurse in hospitals for 40 years.

Since retirement, she obtained certification as a pet care technician, level 2, and is currently working for certification as a dog trainer.

She volunteers at Courteous Canine, Inc. in Tampa, Florida, and is an AKC Star puppy kindergarten instructor.

ShockFree.org

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Children often imitate their parents, and recent research has discovered that some people have a “pet-keeping” gene (Jacobson et al., 2015).

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

Today’s PPG Junior Members are Tomorrow’s Pet Industry Leaders

The Journey Starts Here - Join the PPG Junior Membership Program Loads of Benefits Including: Individual level member badge Membership Certificate A moderated chat group on PPG’s website FREE Participation in the Pet Dog Ambassador Program FREE Junior Member PPAB credentialing Listing in Junior Membership Directory on PPG’s website A FREE e-book – A Kid’s Comprehensive Guide to Speaking Dog Participation in the Annual Training Deed Challenge

3 Membership Levels to Grow With as You Learn - Increasing Skills, Increasing Benefits: Provisional Junior Basic (8-12 years) Provisional Junior Advanced (13-17 years) Provisional Apprentice (18-20 years)

LET’ S GET STARTED

uild The Association for Force-Free Pet Professionals

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p r o f i l e

Something Magical In our ongoing series of PPG member profiles, this month BARKS features Michelle Martiya of Essential Animal Training in Boca Raton, Florida

M

ichelle Martiya was a dog groomer for over 20 years but had started to feel burnout and the need to branch out into another area.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, how you first got into animal behavior and training and what you are doing now?

A: I felt like I needed something new to breathe life back into my ca­ reer so I decided to take a dog training course and was totally hooked!

I became obsessed with learning about animal behavior and training. I started training dogs and horses for the first few years and later added exotic pets. These days I offer virtual coaching services to help people train their dogs, equids, and exotic pets via positive reinforce­ ment. I specialize in helping people bond with fearful and unap­ proachable animals.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your own pets.

A: I own a Manchester terrier, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix, two Bengal cats, and one domestic long­haired cat. All of them are clicker trained to varying degrees. I also own a 24­year­old American mus­ tang, named Robin Hood, who came to me through a rescue that had deemed him "untrainable." He has proved to be very trainable with positive reinforcement though.

Q: Why did you become a dog trainer or pet care provider?

A: I became an animal trainer because I was passionate about under­ standing animal behavior and wanted to help people connect with their pets on a deeper level.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?

A: Those lightbulb moments in both animal and human are my favorites parts, plus seeing the connection those moments form between them.

Q: What do you consider to be your area of expertise?

A: I feel I excel most working with animals, or coaching people in work­ ing with animals, that are fearful and unapproachable. My forte is help­ ing people create trust and build relationships with animals that are feral or wild.

© Michelle Martiya

Michelle Martiya favors the Treat­Retreat technique to build trust with the animals she trains, from dogs to foxes and horses to zebras

Q: Are you a crossover trainer or have you always been a force‐free trainer?

A: Luck was with me when I decided to take a dog training course. The course I selected was my first introduction to animal training and my mentor throughout the course was a positive reinforcement trainer. It all made perfect sense to me and I’ve never trained any other way.

Q: What drives you to be a force‐free professional and why is it impor‐ tant to you?

A: Since I was a child, I had always wanted to be able to communicate with animals. For a while I lost that and animals were just, well, animals.

Learning about behavior and positive reinforcement opened lines of communication that I never knew could exist between myself and the animals I work with. I want other people to be able to experience the kind of relationship that only comes with being force­free.

Q: What are some of your favorite positive reinforcement techniques for the most commonly encountered client‐dog problems?

A: Treat­Retreat* is probably the one positive reinforcement technique that I use most. I’ve used variations of this technique to build trust with everything from dogs to foxes and horses to zebras.

Q: What is the reward you get out of a day's training with people and their dogs?: A: There is something magical about seeing those "lightbulb" moments when the animal "gets" the behavior and the client has that “lightbulb”

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

61

p r o f i l e ‘There is something magical about seeing those "lightbulb" moments when the animal "gets" the behavior and the client has that “lightbulb” moment as they watch their animal figuring it out.

Watching the very first exchanges in communication between animal and human leaves me feeling like I've just taught someone a secret language.’ - Michelle Martiya

moment as they watch their animal figuring it out. Watching the very first exchanges in communication between animal and human leaves me feeling like I've just taught someone a secret language.

Q: What is the funniest or craziest situation you have been in with a pet and their guardian?

A: Probably the funniest situation I've been in was when we were teach­ ing the client's horse to station at a target. While I was explaining some­ thing to the client, her horse picked up the target and moved it. It was funny because he was still stationed at the target, just in a completely different spot than where we left him!

Q: Who has most influenced your career and how?

A: When I was younger, I worked on a small farm for about four years.

Actually, I lived and breathed that farm. It was my entire world outside of school. Valorie Goldenbrook, the farm’s owner, is the person that most influences my work with horses today. She taught me to have great respect for the horses on her property, and that respect is the

Pet Professional Guild has partnered with BarkBox to provide all members with a 20% discount. * Order a monthly box of dog goodies for your canine friend! * Special rates available for gifts for dog friends * A portion of proceeds from each box will go to help dogs in need The promocode can be found in the Member Area of the PPG website: PetProfessionalGuild.com /benefitinformation

www.barkbox.com 62

BARKS from the Guild/September 2020

foundation of how I approach all my work with animals today.

Q: What awards or competition placements have you and your dog(s) achieved using force‐free methods?

A: My Manchester terrier Bosco has his beginner and intermediate trick dog titles. Other than that, we don't compete.

Q: What advice would you give to a new trainer starting out?

A: Always remember that when you’re working with people and their pets, it’s the people who really need your help, and they learn the same way their pets do. When you’re writing up your training plan for their animals, don’t forget to write up your training plan for them also.

Q: How has PPG helped you to become a more complete trainer?

A: PPG has given me a sense of belonging to a community of like­ minded individuals who are very supportive. I am confident as a trainer because even though it sometimes feels like I'm the only force­free trainer for miles around, I know I have an entire force­free organization backing me. n *Treat‐Retreat was developed by Suzanne Clothier back in 1994, inspired

by Dr. Ian Dunbar’s story of how he got into a rough spot with an Akita, and used thrown treats to help him and the dog save face and avoid confrontation. Clothier’s approach is different – it’s about teaching the dog a skill set that promotes confidence (suzanneclothier.com, 2019).

Essential Animal Training is located in Boca Raton, Florida.

To be featured in the BARKS Profile section, please complete this form: bit.ly/2y9plS1

We Invite You to Become a PPG Corporate Partner If you are aligned with our Guiding Principles. No shock, No pain, No choke, No fear, No physical force, No compulsion based methods are ever employed to train or care for a pet.

If you want to help shape the future of the pet industry with the Pet Professional Guild and enjoy numerous benefits and discounts.

If you want to expand your reach and grow your customer base through access to a core targeted market of pet industry business professionals.Â

Three Options to Suit Your Business Goals Ambassador $850 Annual Partner Membership

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$650 Annual Partner Membership

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We are the only membership organization for professionals who subscribe to the view that aversive methods should never be used - or even deemed necessary - in the training, care or behavior modification of any pet.

Great benefits at every level

1

Ambassador

2

Diplomat

3 Delegate

Let’s Work Together Creating a better life for our pets as a Pet Professional Guild Corporate Partner. Become a Pet Professional Guild Corporate Partner today!

For more information please contact Kelly Fahey Kelly@PetProfessionalGuild.com www.PetProfessionalGuild.com/Corporate-Partnerships

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uild

Your FOR THE LOVE OF SCIENCE

Dr. Lisa Ackerman Jane Ardern Dr. Liz Bales Kristi Benson Irith Bloom Veronica Boutelle Dr. Conor Brady Cristina Budzinski AurĂŠlien Budzinski Dr. Hannah Capon Sharon Carroll Ryan Cartlidge Peta Clarke Suzanne Clothier Dr. Amy Cook Jamie Damato Migdal Dr. Mikel Delgado Malena DeMartini Dr. Laura Donaldson Jean Donaldson Coleen Ellis Dr. Robert Falconer-Taylor Dr. Eduardo Fernandez Sarah Fisher Sarah Forge Louise Ginman Dr. Katrina Gregory Dr. Lisa Gunter Dr. Nathan Hall Kaye Hargreaves Dr. Naomi Harvey Dr. Dorothy Heffernan Dr. Morag Heirs Dr. Robert Hewings Barbara Hodel Dr. Lynn Honeckman Dr. Adam Honeckman Robyn Hood Joan Hunter Mayer Dr. Deborah Jones Lara Joseph Dr. Robert King

PRESENTERS

85 Presenters, 134 Sessions, 5 Days, 24 Hours Per Day Presented by

The Pet Professional Guild

Co-hosted & Sponsored by:

www.GeekWeek.Rocks

Tabitha Kucera Emily Larlham Kay Laurence Claire Lush Judy Luther Leslie McDevitt Casey McGee Sara McLoudrey Pat Miller Jules Morgan Dr. Kathy Murphy Craig Ogilvie Dr. Chris Pachel Chirag Patel Gina Phairas Helen Phillips Dr. Sasha Protopopova Dr. Lisa Radosta Mary Richards Laura Ryder Veronica Sanchez Alexandra Santos Justine Schuurmans Kathy Sdao Carrie Seay Toni Shelbourne Frania Shelley-Grielen Mike Shikashio Dr. Kristina Spaulding Claire Staines Louise Stapleton-Frappell Angelica Steinker Dr. Jennifer Summerfield Amy Thomson Dr. Zazie Todd Emily Tronetti Niki Tudge Lynn Webb Dr. Karolina Westlund Karen Wild Laurie C. Williams Sherry Woodard