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,

The first step to keeping animals calm is understanding their way of communicating with us humans. We’ve covered the important cues to dog behavior in our Body Language of Fear in Dogs poster. Now we have those same cues in poster form for cats! You can download one for free (or a donation) from our store.

Why am I writing this? It’s not about the choice of Cesar Millan, but about our response as veterinarians. When a company brings a representative that is opposite of proven science and veterinary medicine, it requires a response. Why a company chooses a spokesperson and how much attention they give to the background, integrity and relevancy of the spokesman to the product is just as important as scientific research and safety, in my opinion.

The primary reasons for the use of low stress handling techniques and methods in avian species are no different than with companion dogs and cats. The adverse effects of learned fear, increased escape and avoidance behaviors, increased aggression, generalized fear and even apathy are profound.

By now, you’ve probably heard all about the Low Stress Handling™ Certification Program. You know it’s got these videos you can watch that are… maybe all lectures or something? There might be books involved, but you know it exists. So, what is it, exactly? For Pet Guardians: This logo signifies that the people you are dealing with have spent a lot of time learning Dr. Yin’s methods for reducing stress in animals. They know how to hold a leash, how to offer treats and countercondition animals to having medical treatment, and the perfect way to do a medical wrap. What

For many, being able to read a dog’s body language on the fly is very hard. But you can’t always bring your book or your posters with you wherever you and your pooch go. Thanks to technology, I was able to develop an app called Dog Decoder, ready to use right when you need it. This was an outgrowth of my passion to help owners understand the nature of dogs. The app is colorfully and lovingly illustrated by Lili Chin of Doggie Drawings. You definitely know Lili’s work as the illustrator of choice for Dr. Sophia Yin’s posters on The Body Language of