Have you ever been in a new city or location or situation and uncertain of where to go and the person who’s supposed to be guiding you keeps getting you mixed up? “This way,” they say as they walk forward slowly but while scanning the signs to the right and left. And then, “Wait no… this way.” And then, “Oops. I meant the other way instead.” If you have, I’m sure you remember the stress and frustration. Now ask yourself, do the dogs I walk at the veterinary hospital or shelter get mixed signals, too? Am I conveying an air

As the discipline of reducing stress during veterinary care grows, it helps to have a place where you can find resources.  In this post, I have gathered the handouts, blog articles, book chapters, and on-line course content descriptions in one place to help you provide a better care experience for your patients. At my practice, Okaw Veterinary Clinic, I found that hanging a framed copy of both the dog and cat body language posters helped me and my staff recognize brewing fear and aggression before it escalated. The posters are available to purchase in packs of 100, which make great

As practices and shelters are looking to incorporate Low Stress Handling skills into their daily routines, our work at CattleDog Publishing continues to grow. I recently traveled to the Midwest to present full day seminars on Low Stress Handling. I had a wonderful group of DVM’s, technicians, trainers, and some of the staff from Indy Humane. Colleen Benson, the head of the behavior team at Indy Humane gave me a tour of the facility. It was there that I found Dr. Liz Rose busily hanging shelves, painting crates, and creating a “cat-astic” space for the adoptable cats. This wonderful area

Africanwildcat2-Blog Today’s domestic cat looks quite similar to its ancestor, the African wildcat. In many ways, our pet cats today are not that different from their wild ancestor, the African wildcat. They even look similar. According to Wild Cats Magazine, the African wildcat is mostly nocturnal, hides during the day, tries to intimidate opponents by making itself look larger, and females defend their territory against intruders. Sound familiar? African wildcats, as well as feral cats, are solitary hunters. This makes perfect sense if you think about it: Their prey might include mice, birds, even insects. Not really enough food to invite

Featured Low Stress Handling Clinic:Zionsville Country Veterinary Clinic (Whitestown, IN) I met Dr. Shari Lyons many years ago at a women’s veterinary practice owners retreat in Louisville, Kentucky. I lost touch with her over the years, but we reconnected when she contacted me about bringing more Low Stress Handling® training into her clinic. As a way of kickstarting that process, she attended my first Master Class Weekend in Tuscola, IL, and she brought photos of her clinic, as attendees tend to do, to discuss ways to enhance the space for a less stressful veterinary experience. Her new clinic had been

Here are three of the most common scenarios for “missing the box:”