One of the best parts about being a part of a strong network of animal behavior professionals is that I get to learn about interesting experiences with animals, clients and behavior products from a completely different perspective. For instance, last month at the North American Veterinary Conference, I met up with Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board certified veterinary behaviorist who lectures extensively and runs Florida Veterinary Behavior Service.  I don’t have any human kids, nor do I want any, but Lisa does and, as a result, she was able to make a statement about the Treat&Train®, the remote controlled reward-based dog

These are simple common sense tips that should guide interactions with patients on a daily basis. By keeping them in mind, pet care professionals can not only improve the experience for the patient and client, they can also improve their own satisfaction with their job.

A vet who knows how to handle their patients in a calm, gentle manner is a vet who will earn the goodwill and loyalty of their clientele.

“A month ago we couldn’t even take Boo, our Lhasa Apso mix, out on walks because he would bark and lunge at other dogs no matter how far away they were. It was embarrassing and even dangerous,” says Theresa Montemayor. That changed in October, after Theresa and her husband David attended Dr. Yin’s Reactive Dogs Workshop in Davis, California. After just a couple of weeks, Boo was good enough so that he could participate in a class full of dogs. “Now, with a gentle leader head collar, he can go on walks with no problem—even when he has to pass a lot

Veterinarians, technicians and other dog enthusiasts often ask me about the most efficient way to learn about animal training or to become a trainer. Currently, my best recommendation is the Karen Pryor Academy and others agree. Just ask veterinary technician Debbie Martin, a KPA graduate and co-author of Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog. Martin was no beginner when she took the KPA trainer course in 2008. She had been teaching puppy socialization classes in the veterinary hospital where she was employed starting in 1997 and, for three years, she had been the animal behavior technician for Veterinary Behavior Consultations,

Whether your cat’s as shy in public as a student with stage fright, or enjoys being the center of attention, chances are still good that a trip to the veterinary hospital has him retreating into his shell. According to the Bayer veterinary care usage study funded by Bayer HealthCare LLC, Animal Health Division, fear and stress prompt 39% of owners to take their cats to the vet hospital only in cases of emergencies, and 37.6% of owners feel stressed just thinking about going to the vet. This fear of veterinary visits can be prevented early on by proactively providing kittens with many