Like most of her colleagues, she knew from a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian. Sophia worked in kennels, veterinary hospitals, any animal experience she could. She majored in one of the most rigorous college science majors: biochemistry. In 1993, she achieved her dream and graduated from the University of California–Davis School Read More

All it takes is a quick internet search, and you will be met with an overwhelming, never-ending list of animal trainers. It can be confusing to navigate this. There are several training programs, certifications, and credentials available for trainers and behaviorists. Be aware that ‘behaviorist’ is not necessarily a specific legal term: those with an MS or PhD in behavior are called ‘behaviorists;’ people without these or any credentials may be allowed to self-adopt the term ‘behaviorist.’ Additionally, while some credentials can be beneficial in many cases, they are not a guarantee that your trainer is using ethical, humane, or

Every year hundreds of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal behaviorists, and others search for new and better ways to treat and train animals both in the veterinary practice and in the home. A few years ago pioneering animal behaviorist and veterinarian, Dr. Sophia Yin, developed a system for recognizing brewing fear and aggression, while reducing this through specific handling techniques that decrease stress by improving patient comfort and safety. The program: the Low Stress Handling™ Silver Certification. As of October 2016 the program has certified hundreds of individuals, clinics, hospitals, and other agencies. In trying to gauge the success of the Low Stress Handling™ Silver Certification program,

In Jack London’s classic, White Fang, the main mutt of the same name (W.F. for short) developed one strong bond with his man. So tight was this bond that when master departed temporarily, the mutt refused to eat and chose to pine away in agony. As a kid, I was enamored by this romanticized display of loyalty between dog and owner. But now that I know better, when I recall the story I just wanna shout, “Hey! That dog has separation anxiety. He needs help.” London’s main character is not the only dog who has ever had separation anxiety. He’s

As I watched the video my friend sent me, I saw a reactive dog, named Frankie, lying down in front of his human. The owner was trying to reward quiet, calm behavior while other dogs were far away. Frankie fidgets and keeps moving, gets up and then lies back down, but he’s focused on his owner much of the time. The problem?  The owner’s timing of rewards is way too slow to effectively reward a calm down-stay. It’s like the owner is moving at the speed of The Lawrence Welk Show when the speed the dog wants is along the

This is the overall approach to the fearful or reactive dog in a nutshell. It’s all about addressing the dog’s overall ability to look to you for guidance, and your ability to be aware of his emotional state and to reward desired behaviors and remove rewards for unwanted behaviors.