National Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 15 to May 21, 2011, is coming to a close today. I hope you’ve enjoyed the articles and downloads. Here is a listing of the resources we’ve provided this week both on this website as well as on the Huffington Post Blog and Victoria Stilwell’s Positively.com.  We will add a few more related prevention articles in the upcoming two weeks too. So stay tuned! Thirty-second animated Dog Bite Prevention PSA for adults and teens shows the precursors to bites and the result of ignoring them.  Please share this PSA. If we have enough views on youtube we will be

Download these illustrations in our “How to Greet a Dog” poster here. The consensus among animal behavior professionals is that the major cause of dog bites to humans is related to the failure of owners and dog bite victims to recognize when dogs are fearful and know how to approach and greet dogs appropriately. But what exactly is the correct approach and why do so many people fail to do it? One issue is that we humans have an instant gut reaction to the cuteness of some dogs. It’s the same reaction we had as a child when we saw a

        This poster clearly illustrates both the overt and more subtle signs of fear and anxiety in dogs. Feel free to make copies for your clients, colleagues, and friends. Check out our “Free Posters” blog post here for more posters and handouts!            

Back in 2004 when I first developed the Treat & Train for the Sharper Image (now the MannersMinder sold by Premier Pet), my official  designated use for the product was to solve unruly behavior that dogs exhibit when guests come to the house. But at the time, I had so many thoughts on how I wanted to use this device. Just imagine what you could do if you could finally reward your dog away from you, right as they were performing the desired behavior, and you could set the exact treat rate? And you could basically follow portions of the

If I were judging this book just on it’s overall cuteness and character, this book would get a top score. The cartoons are engaging, the rhymes catchy, and the overall message of “dogs are fun” is great. It’s clear that the intentions of the book are good. The authors are encouraging children to make the pet an active member of the family.  The problem is that a number of the recommendations are actually dangerous. In fact, the recommendation from which the book takes its title is the most dangerous recommendation of all. While the authors suggest to kids to, “Smooch

Presidential Pup’s Trainer Has the Right Idea Back in the Spring of 2009, I remember clearly the drama preceding the announcement of what lucky dog would be appointed to join the Obama family in the White House.  As a dog-loving resident of the DC area, I too was caught up in the excitement swirling around the kind of dog they would get—puppy, adult, purebred, mixed breed, or rescue pup.  But as the president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, I was much more interested in the kind of training the Obamas would seek for the newest member of their