Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice: Fall 2004

Animal Behavior
Consulting:
Theory and Practice
A publication of
The International Association
of Animal Behavior Consultants
Vol. 1, No. 1
Fall 2004
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2004

Vol. 1, No. 1 Fall 2004
President
Lynn Hoover, LSW, CDBC
Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor

Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC Jolanta Benal, JD
Journal Review Board

Brenda Aloff, CDBC Rachel Friedman, MSW, LISW, CABC Valerie Pollard, CDBC
Darlene Arden, CDBC Jan Gribble, MA, CDBC Veronica Sanchez, MEd, CABC, NA-
DOI Endorsed
Jolanta Benal, JD Chris Hamer, MS, CDBC
Becky Schultz, CPDT, CDBC
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC Lynn Hoover, LSW, CDBC
Barbara Shumannfang, PhD, CPDT,
Kelley Bollen, MS, CDBC, CABC Pam Johnson-Bennett, CABC CDBC
Susan Bulanda, MAT, CDBC Trish King, CPDT, CDBC Pia Silvani, CPDT, CDBC
Kayce Cover, MEd, CDBC Myrna Milani, DVM, CABC Thomas Van Winkle, MBA, CABC
Steve Dale, CABC James O’Heare, MA, PhD, CABC Dani Weinberg, PhD, CDBC
Jean Donaldson, MA, CDBC Joanne Oliva-Purdy, PhD, CABC Liz Wilson, CABC
Ian Dunbar, PhD, BVetMed, MRCVS, Merope Pavlides, PhD, MEd Debbie Winkler, CPDT, CABC
CPDT, CDBC
Editorial Associates
Rachel Friedman, MSW, LISW, CABC Veronica Sanchez, MEd, CABC, NADOI Endorsed
Merope Pavlides, PhD, MEd Debbie Winkler, CPDT, CABC
Valerie Pollard, CDBC
Beth Adelman, MS, CABC, Publications Consultant
The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Inc. is a professional association for the field of animal
behavior consulting. The association represents the professional interests of behavior consultants throughout the world. It is
involved with the problems, needs, and changing patterns of animal-owner relationships, and helps to ensure that the public’s
needs are met by trained practitioners. The association provides the tools and resources animal behavior professionals need
to succeed. It works tirelessly to nourish the animal-human bond.
The association’s members meet rigorous standards for education and training and are held to the highest ethical standards
of the profession. Clinical members qualify as Certified Animal Behavior Consultants (CABC). They work with multiple species,
including dogs, cats, horses, birds, and other animals. They have met the highest standards of the profession for education
and clinical experience. Associate members are consultants in clinical practice, on the path to Clinical membership. The IAABC
facilitates research, theory development, and education. It develops standards for education and training, professional ethics,
and the clinical practice of animal behavior consulting. Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice is the professional
journal of the IAABC and is published semi-annually. All published work contained within is copyright 2004 The International
Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, unless otherwise indicated.

Fall 2004
Submission Guidelines
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice is published in accordance with the purposes of the sponsoring
organization, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Inc. (IAABC) and the International
Association of Dog Behavior Consultants (IADBC), a division of the IAABC. The IAABC’s mission is to advance
the professional understanding of animal behavior, the most effective management of animal behavior, and
humane, scientifically-based plans to modify the behaviors of distressed animals, and to promote the animal-
human bond. Toward that end, Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice publishes articles on research,
theory, clinical practice, and training in animal behavior consulting. We accept submissions of manuscripts on
behavior consulting for all animals. We accept book and video reviews, commentary on practice, case studies,
research, and essays.
Articles are selected on the basis of appropriateness, clarity, significance, timeliness, and contribution to the field
of animal behavior consulting. Papers published in Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice are selected
from papers submitted directly to the IAABC editor-in-chief. Authors need not be members of the IAABC to submit
manuscripts. No remuneration is paid for accepted manuscripts.
Business matters are handled by IAABC’s business office. Inquiries should be addressed to IAABC, 505 Timber
Lane, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025. Phone: (412) 384-2677, or e-mail journal@iaabc.org. Copyright on all materials
published in Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice is held by the IAABC and authors must agree upon
acceptance of the manuscript to transfer copyright to the IAABC. Permission to reproduce such copyrighted
materials must be obtained through IAABC. Requests can be made by emailing journal@iaabc.org. No portion
of an article may be reproduced without permission in writing. Reprint orders for individual articles are handled
by the IAABC business office. If the manuscript contains more than 100 words of material previously published
elsewhere, the authors must obtain written permission from the copyright holder to include this material in publication
of their manuscript in Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice. Any costs associated with obtaining this
permission are the responsibility of the author or authors.
Manuscripts should be submitted to the editor-in-chief, Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice, 505
Timber Lane, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025. E-mail: journal@iaabc.org. Electronic submission is preferred.
Manuscripts are accepted for consideration with the understanding that they have not been published previously
and are not being considered simultaneously for publication elsewhere. The right to reject any manuscript or return
it to the author for format, style, or other revisions before accepting it for publication is reserved by the editor-
in-chief. Submission of a manuscript by the author(s) assumes acceptance of editing by the Animal Behavior
Consulting: Theory and Practice editorial staff.
Papers should be submitted in a form that will permit “blind” refereeing. The author’s name and other obvious
identifying notations should appear only on a detachable title page. Manuscripts may be submitted electronically
as an e-mail attachment in rich text format (.rtf) or in Microsoft Word to journal@iaabc.org. E-mail is the preferred
submission format. The Editorial Office acknowledges receipt of the manuscripts and reaches a decision concerning
publication as quickly as possible. Page proofs will be sent to authors via e-mail and must be returned within 72
hours. Changes are limited to correcting of printing errors, spelling, dates, and grammar. Substantive changes
such as adding phrases, sentences, and paragraphs are rarely permitted.
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Specific deadlines for issues are determined by the editor-in-chief
for solicited manuscripts. Contact the editor-in-chief at journal@iaabc.org for specific deadline information.
Manuscripts should be formatted for 8-1/2” x 11” paper with a 1-inch margin on all sides. The entire manuscript,
including footnotes, references, and quoted materials should be double-spaced. Total manuscript length, including
references, tables, and figures, should not ordinarily exceed 30 pages using a 12-pt. font. Manuscripts should
be ordered as follows:

Fall 2004
Submission Guidelines (continued)
1. Title Page. The title page should give the title of the article and each author’s name along with his/her primary
(current) professional affiliation, if applicable. Underneath this information, please provide: (1) asentence about
each author that includes author’s name, highest earned degree, professional certifications (e.g. CPDT, CDBC),
current professional or departmental affiliation if applicable, and location; (2) any changes in affiliation subsequent
to the time of the study if this is a research submission; (3) previous presentations of the paper, grants, or thanks
and acknowledgments; (4) contact information including name of author, complete mailing address, and e-mail.
2. Text. Following the introduction, papers should be divided into appropriate sections with headings. First-
order headings should be centered on a separate line, bold, all caps. Second-order headings should be placed
on a separate line, begin with the left margin, and be completely italicized. Third-order headings should begin on
the same line with the first sentence of the section, be indented five spaces, have only the first word capitalized,
end with a period, and be italicized.
3. References. Citations should be given in the text by enclosing in parentheses the surname of the author(s)
and the year of the publication. The page numbers are included when a direct quote is used. Example: (Hanley,
2002, p. 204). References for all citations should be typed, double-spaced, and listed alphabetically on a separate
sheet(s) following the text. References should be in hanging indent format. Journal and book titles are italicized.
Page numbers must be included for book chapters.
4. Notes. Notes should be typed, double-spaced, and numbered consecutively on a separate sheet following
the references. Notes should be used rarely.
5. Figures (Tables, Charts, Graphs, Photographs). Each figure should be given on a separate sheet. The
desired location of figures in the text should be noted, and figures should be numbered appropriately so that they
correspond to mention of them in the text. If photographs are submitted that include a person or person(s), written
permission from the subject(s) of the photo is required. Please contact the editor-in-chief at journal@iadbc.org
for the standard photo release form. Photos electronic files must be at a resolution of 300 dpi or higher.
6. Style. The style calls for formal usage. Contractions, slang, and abbreviations should be omitted, except in
direct quotations, or when usage is specifically demanded by the context and set forth in quotation marks. For
manuscripts primarily focused on presenting the results of a research study, the use of the first person should be
avoided unless it facilitates greater clarity in expression than would use of another form. All accepted manuscripts
are subject to editing. For a copy of the style guide, contact the editor-in-chief at journal@iaabc.org.
A note regarding terminology: There is controversy, frequently quite heated, over whether a person who
keeps a companion or service animal should be called that animal’s “owner” or its “guardian.” Because usage
here often reflects a writer’s strongly held ethical beliefs and political opinions, to impose another term may
effectively misrepresent his or her point of view. The editors of Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
have concluded that it is best to let each writer make the choice of terminology. Therefore, the use of terminology
regarding animal ownership or guardianship is a reflection of the author or authors’ own beliefs and not necessarily
a reflection of the beliefs of the editors or the IAABC. We ask our readers and members to bear in mind that
whatever our differences in this respect, we are united in our goal of working with animals and people in the most
scientific and compassionate way possible.
The guide for citation style is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). This guide
can be obtained from the Order Department, American Psychological Association, PO Box 92984, Washington,
DC 20090. The guide can also be ordered on the American Psychological Association’s web site, www.apastyle.
org/pubmanual.html. Our editorial staff can assist you with APA style as well.

Fall 2004
Vo1. 1, No. 1 Fall 2004
Table of Contents
President’s Message........................................................................................ 6
Association and Member News......................................................................... 8
Feature Articles:
Principles of Animal Behavior Consulting: An Ethological Approach........................ 15

Myrna Milani, DVM, CABC
Triangles in Family Assessment......................................................................... 22

Lynn Hoover, LSW, CDBC
The Behaviorist’s Road Less Traveled................................................................. 27

Pam Johnson-Bennett, CABC
Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge............................................ 31

Joanne Olivia-Purdy, PhD, CABC
CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me!......................................................................... 36

Tom Van Winkle, MBA, CABC
CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked Aggression in a Dog..................... 41

Debbie Winkler, CPDT, CABC
GOOD DOG: A Program to Help Dog Owners Address Aggression Problems in Dogs 46
Sue Alexander, CPDT, CDBC
REVIEW: Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression............. 65

Dani Weinberg, PhD, CDBC
Letters to the Editor may be sent to journal@iaabc.org.

Fall 2004

Message from the President

by Lynn D. Hoover, LSW, CDBC
On Values in Animal Behavior Consulting
With the founding of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consulting (IAABC)
and its divisions, and the emergence of the profession of behavior consulting for animals living in
relationship with humans, the importance of ethics cannot be overstated. Most readers will agree
that there is an inherent ethical dimension in all forms of animal behavior consulting, because
consulting necessarily involves influencing others in a way that accords with a set of values and
questions relating to how humans and animals should live together (Doherty, 1995; London,
1964; Margolis, 1966; Prillelytensky, 1997). Until now, the values of practitioners seemed either
not to have been made explicit or to have leaned toward the judgmental. As we IAABC members
embrace the ethics of the helping professions, we must examine more closely the moral and
ethical dimensions of our work and ultimately answer the essential question, “What, therefore,
must we do?”
“What, therefore, must we do?” leads to more pointed questions. How do we best
treat our clients and colleagues with respect and dignity? How do we protect others’ right
to self-determination and free speech, while also promoting social justice for animals who
are dependent on humans for their care? The answers lie in maintaining a balance between
accepting differences and adhering to just practices.
Without this balance, one can fall into extremes. At one extreme, if we are too rigid in
our approach we have the danger of being moralistic and, in the interests of what we perceive
as justice, interfering with clients’ and colleagues’ self-determination. At the other extreme, if
we were to declare that anything is acceptable, this non-judgmental approach and openness to
differences leads to moral relativism and numbness to issues that have an impact on animals.
Because we all share the common ground of IAABC’s Standards of Practice and Code of
Ethics, our members do not have to be of one mind to enjoy support, protection, and positive
regard from their professional association, and all members have an equal opportunity to
emerge with distinctive voices.
While no two practitioners could ever be alike, going a step further to actively encourage
diversity makes the consulting environment richer and more stimulating. When we are accepting
and respectful of clients’ and colleagues’ autonomy and avoid telling them how they err and
how they ought to behave, that is when we embrace a non-judgmental approach (Tomm,
1988). This spirit of respecting differences within a clearly defined ethical framework is, in turn,
echoed at the organizational level (e.g. diverse membership, journal contents) and throughout
the profession (e.g. the work of the social justice committee in setting a standard for animal
Fall 2004
Message from the President
behavior consulting even as it emerges as a new field).
This is an unusual issue of Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice. It provides
us with our first formal opportunity to express divergent beliefs in a setting resplendent with
referees. The editors and the review board assess submissions for reliability and validity.
They seek to compile a journal of high quality, while being equally committed to creating an
environment that encourages individual expression and respects differences.
We envision communities filled with qualified IAABC members who work tirelessly to
improve the lives of animals. At the same time, these professionals avoid a rush to judgment
or shunning others over differences. Towards these ends we embrace the values of a non-
judgmental approach, tolerance for differences, positive regard, confidentiality, self-awareness,
and the outgrowth of such high-minded principles: Justice for all.
References
Doherty, W. (1995). Soul searching: Why psychotherapy must promote moral responsibility. New
York: Basic Books.

Fall 2004

Association and Member News
Association News
Dog Fancy Magazine and Animal Planet Radio. Dog Fancy magazine introduced
the IAABC in the December 2004 issue. Thanks also to Pam Johnson-Bennett for giving the
association its first radio and television coverage, and to member Steve Dale for inviting us to
talk about the association on his popular Animal Planet Radio and including IAABC in his keynote
address at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference in Denver. Thanks to every member
who uses their resources to help the association achieve its goals.
Mini-Conference. IAABC will host its first mini-conference in Columbia, Maryland.

Scheduled for the weekend of June 4 & 5, 2005, it will be held at member Ruth Chase’s Coventry
School for Dogs and Their People. The conference will be for IAABC members only.
Logos. We encourage all members to use the IAABC logo on their own web sites and in
marketing materials. E-mail Info@iaabc.org for logos.
Brochures. The Education Committee labored over the brochure, “Dog Behavior Consulting:

A Consumer’s Guide” for members to use for public education and marketing. They are available
to Certified Dog Behavior Consultants (CDBCs) via e-mail attachment. E-mail Info@iaabc.org
for the templates. Members add their own contact information. Many thanks to the pioneers
who contributed so generously to this effort: Veronica Sanchez as Chair, Robin Pool for her
design; Becky Schultz, Sue Kapla, Jen Shryock, Barbara Handelman, Barbara Shumannfang,
Parvene Farhoody, and Beth Adelman for her superb editing skills. This publication will serve as a
template for a second brochure, “Animal Behavior Consulting: A Consumer’s Guide.” Parrot, cat,
and horse behavior consulting brochures will follow.
Animal Behaviorists. The IAABC is reaching out to applied animal behaviorists and board-
certified veterinary behaviorists. We would like to have them on-board and supportive of our
efforts. The animals and their owners need thousands more qualified behavior consultants than
are currently available. As we all know, animals are being inappropriately punished, discarded,
and euthanized—in droves—with resolvable behavior problems. Collectively—that is, if the
responsible professions join hands—we can both build and meet the need.

Fall 2004
Association and Member News
Long-Term Planning for Animal Behavior Consulting Education. Many thanks to

Barbara Shumannfang as Chair, Janice Triptow, and Virginia Hoffman for investigating all aspects
of accreditation and other long-term planning for animal behavior consulting education. As a
result of their exhaustive research, the association has a clear vision for transitioning the field to
more formal standards.
Education Collaborative. Chris Hamer, as Chair of the Education Collaborative (EC),

is working closely with Accreditation to develop standards and application procedures for
Continuing Education Units (CEUs). IAABC mandates that certified members receive 24 CEUs in
a two-year period, ending December 31.
Chris is working out an innovative program to approve self-study options for CEUs; some
options may be used by Associate members to meet requirements for certification. All members
are welcome to submit seminars, books, videos, and CDs for review; you will be asked to
prepare tests to measure learning. Contact Chris at trainerhotline@msn.com.
APDT Conference. Thanks to an inspiration from Chris Hamer and support from members
attending the conference, IADBC was represented at the APDT conference in Denver. Judging
from the large number of inquiries and applications that followed, the members succeeded in
their mission.
Membership Certificates. Designing certificates suitable for framing is more time-

consuming and complex than might be imagined. When there are volunteers to carry out this
important task, IAABC will issue certificates to Certified and Associate members in 2005.
Parrot Behavior Consulting. We welcome Joanne Oliva-Purdy and Liz Wilson and the other
leading avian behavior experts who came aboard to grow the Parrot Behavior Consulting division
of the IAABC. We expect all will benefit from the creative exchange and the swapping of insights
and information.
Journal. Our deepest thanks to pioneering editors Mychelle Blake and Jolanta Benal,
the Journal Review Board members, and our authors for their stunning achievement, Animal
Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice, the first of its genre. Calling all authors! Please
contribute to the next journal. Submission guidelines are posted to the website at www.iaabc.
Fall 2004
10 Association and Member News
org/journal.htm. The editors are looking for commentaries, case studies, formal research, and
more.
Service Animal Consulting. Are you interested in service animal consulting? A group of
experienced, high-integrity members founded the Service Animal Consulting (SAC) division of
the IAABC, with Veronica Sanchez as Chair. This is with the thought that:
• There’s a need for service animal consultants in the communities. Behavior consultants
are likely providers of these services because they have many skills necessary for working
both with animals and with humans who have illnesses and disabilities.
• A high percentage of service dogs are stressed and members of the service animal
division can get the information out there that’s needed, i.e., how to reduce stress and
improve lives.
• Many IAABC/ IADBC members tell us they want to learn service animal training, and to
adapt techniques to serve people with disabilities.
• Professional service animal handlers tend to know a lot about optimal development and
socialization and prevention of behavior problems. We expect that the SACs strong presence
in the IAABC will enrich us and improve the lot of animals and owners. If you are interested in
the SAC listserv and in SAC approval, visit the SAC website, http://www.iaabc.org/service_
animal_consulting.htm.
Web Content. If you have a training/consulting-related product to sell, or a seminar to promote,

you can list them now under DBC Resources on the IADBC website, www.iaabc.org. E-mail Info@
iaabc.org.
All members, please check your listings on the web for inclusion and accuracy. Certified Clinical
members are listed under Consultant Locator, http://www.iaabc.org/consultant_locator.htm, by
division and region. All members are listed under Member Locator by region, http://www.iaabc.
org/member_locator.htm. Member Locator was established to encourage regional networking and
referrals; you will find many accomplished trainers in Member Locator. If you want to make changes
or do not wish to be listed, please e-mail Info@iaabc.org, and allow time for a response.

Fall 2004
Association and Member News 11
Social Justice Commission. The Social Justice Commission wrote a position statement on
breed-specific legislation, which can be found on the web site. Congratulations on a job well done!
Tom Van Winkle is Chair; Jan Gribble, Jeff Silverman, and Becky Schultz are members.
Dogwise. Dogwise is giving IAABC members a discount on purchases: Ten percent for Clinical
& Associate members and five percent for Affiliate members. To use the discount you have to
enter your member number in your Dogwise account records. E-mail jlrhoover@comcast.net for
your membership number.
Membership Renewals. All members must renew by December 31, 2004. We would prefer that
if no one had to pay to belong, but of course we need money to grow the profession. Please e-mail
jlrhoover@comcast.net for a “bill.” Founding members (the first 200) will receive a discount.
Small Dog Issues. Darlene Arden and Lynn Hoover are developing a section of the website
devoted to the needs of small dogs. We encourage practitioners to look to the website, www.iaabc.
org, for insights on small dog behavior and the article, “Rehoming Small Dogs.”
IAABC Listservs.
• IAABC-L. If you would like to be added to the general listserv for case discussion, join
IAABC-L. E-mail: jlrhoover@comcast.net. Many thanks to Michael Burkey, listserv manager, for
helping to keep our list discussions grounded. Thanks also to the participants for the respectful
and creative exchange. Visit groups.yahoo.com/group/IAABC-L for a description.
• CAT_IAABC. If you want to learn about cats, e-mail jlrhoover@comcast.net to be added

to the list. Thanks to members for the high-level discussions.
• SACIAABC. E-mail Sue Alexander at sue@nestnature.com to be added to the list. SACIAABC

is the “place to be” if you want to learn about service animal consulting.
• PARROT IAABC. Listserv for members interested in learning about behavior consulting
for parrots. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Parrot_IAABC/.
• IAABC TUTORIAL. The tutorial is here to support learning about dog behavior consulting
through discussion of the major disorders, with particular attention to systematically discussing
clinical practice issues among members. Tutorials will follow for the other divisions. Members can
use their participation in the tutorials to help them on the path to certification. http://groups.
yahoo.com/group/IAABC_Tutorial/.

Fall 2004
Ethics Committee. Thanks to Michael Burkey as Chair, Niki Lamproplos, and Carolyn DeFiore
for being there when needed. The SAC especially appreciates your feedback on documents.
Publications Consultants. The IAABC must be on the right path to attract the talented editor
Beth Adelman as Publications Consultant. Also, the widely respected Pam Johnson-Bennett is
serving as Consultant for feline behavior education and feline-related journal submissions. Thanks
for being there with your support, Beth and Pam.
Therapy Animal Consulting. Members Steve Dale and Patricia Hanley-Kallen are dedicated
to building a Therapy Animal Consulting (TAC) division of the IAABC.
IAABC Approved Supervisors. Clinical members: We have members in all categories, but

Fall 2004
Association and Member News 13
especially Associates on the path to Clinical membership, who will benefit from supervision of their
clinical practice experience. If you are interested please apply now to become an IAABC Approved
Supervisor. E-mail Lynn Hoover, jlrhoover@comcast.net and note if you are willing to supervise
from a distance or on-site only. The Standards Commission has the right to accept, ask applicants
to meet supplemental criteria, or turn down applications, without explanation. Confidentiality is
guaranteed.
Please help us develop a database of IAABC Approved Supervisors. Check with your liability
insurer for coverage; there is reasonably priced insurance out there that covers supervision.
The Association Is Its Members. The IAABC is doing what it can to change social norms.
When members ask, “What can your professional association do for you?” please also ask, “What
can you do for your profession?”
Member News
NOTE: Please consider purchasing your books through the Resources section of the web site,
www.iaabc.org. Members get a discount while generating revenue for the association.
Darlene Arden. The Angell Memorial Animal Hospital Book of Wellness and Preventive Care for
Dogs, (Contemporary Books), which was released last year in hardcover, was released in paperback
last month. It has a chapter devoted to training and behavior.
Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can’t Get Unless You’re a
Dog (McGraw-Hill) was published last month. It’s about the human-animal bond since it covers
everything you can do with and for your dog, even doggy things you can do without your dog.
Included are travel, positive training, canine activities like freestyle, agility, and Dog Scouts of
America, and much, much more. The book is international in scope.
This fall, Darlene presented seminars at GroomExpo (also a Training Expo), on wellness, working
with toy and small dogs, and four hours of dog writing seminars. She also filled in for Shirlee
Kalstone who was ill and delivered a seminar on allergies.
Trish King. Trish’s new book, Parenting Your Dog, was published in September by TFH Publishing.
It is available through Dogwise and major booksellers. It’s a book for the public, drawing on parenting
experience to effectively and humanely raise a dog—it has sections on puppies, adolescents, adults,
aging dogs, and behavior problems.

Fall 2004
Riggan Shilstone. Riggan wrote the groundbreaking protocols on the “Ethical Use of Service
Dogs” that will be promoted with full support from the association. She will present on this topic at
the Assistance & Therapy Dog Conference on September 2-4, 2005. For conference information,
go to www.paws-up.net/conference.html.
Lynn Hoover. Lynn authored and recorded an audio CD set, The Family in Dog Behavior
Consulting. It is available at www.PEHNinstitute.com. To follow will be an interactive CD-based
courses, The Person of the Animal Behavior Consultant, and Service Animal Consulting, co-authored
with Debbie Winkler.
Pam Johnson-Bennett. Pam’s new book, Cat vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More
Than One Cat, was published this summer by Penguin Books and is available at major booksellers.
Cat vs. Cat is a one-of-its-kind guide to setting up and maintaining a peaceful multi-cat home.
Jean Donaldson. Jean’s new book, Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog
Aggression, is a guide to the treatment of dog-dog aggression; this down-to-earth manual will teach
you how to use behavior modification to retrain a dog that bullies other dogs, or becomes fearful when
approached by other dogs. It is available through Dogwise and the other major booksellers.
Dee Ganley. Dee is offering seminars for shelters. The Upper Valley Humane Society has been
nationally recognized for its innovative sheltering programs. Their creative, but practical, “retraining”
programs were designed and instituted by Dee Ganley, who has over 25 years of experience training
self-control skills for pets and for competition and working dogs. Dee’s methods are especially
successful for both owned and shelter dogs with aggression issues. UVHS has been setting a

Fall 2004
15
Principles of Animal Behavioral Consulting:

An Ethological Approach
by Myrna Milani, DVM, CABC

Given the varied backgrounds of those who do animal behavioral consulting, formulating
principles that all agree upon seems unlikely. On a personal level, however, such principles can
save consultants time and energy because they enable one to sort the wheat from the chaff
in sometimes very complex situations. The following principles have been drafted as research
into and experience with domestic animal behavior and the human-companion animal bond has
evolved over more than three decades. They are presented as a guide for those seeking to tailor
their own unique approach to animal behavioral consulting, one that will best enable them to
meet their particular clients’ and patients’ needs.
It also bears noting that the author defines herself as a veterinary ethologist rather than a
behaviorist. The distinction between an ethologist and a behaviorist is important, because the
conclusions of the former are based on observations and studies of animal behavior as it occurs
in its natural environment, whereas those of the latter are based on studies of animals, usually
rodents, in controlled laboratory settings.1 Further insight into this difference may be gained by
comparing the work of Jane Goodall and B. F. Skinner: Goodall wanted to know how animals
learn and how they teach each other, whereas Skinner wanted to know how people can get
animals to learn what they—humans—want the animals to learn.
The Principle of Behavioral Consulting Priorities
It is not enough to enjoy working with animals. An animal behavioral consultant must enjoy
working with people as much or even more. The more complex the animal’s problem is, the
greater the need for quality human communication skills.
A sincere enjoyment of working with people and the ability to communicate with them in

Fall 2004
16 Principles of Animal Behavior Consulting: An Ethological Approach
a meaningful way, even under the most trying conditions, is paramount in animal behavioral
consulting, for three reasons. 1. The nature of the human-animal bond guarantees that all
clients are intimately involved in their animal’s problems whether they choose to acknowledge
this or not; 2. The client and other people often serve as the primary source of information
regarding the problem, and the ability to interact comfortably with that person (or persons) is
essential to gain that information; 3.The responsibility for making any changes necessary to
resolve the animal’s problem lies with the client; the less rapport the consultant has with that
person or persons, the less compliance.
The Principle of Ethological Relatedness
It is impossible for humans or domestic animals to change their behavior without changing their
physiology and relationship with one other. Similarly, their relationship or physiology cannot be
changed without changing their behavior.
This principle results from an on-going survey of the literature on the effects of behavior
on physiology and vice versa, literature that describes the effects humans have on domestic
animal physiology and behavior, and the findings of studies exploring these same two animal
parameters as they affect humans. Low thyroid levels may lead to canine aggression; canine
aggression may lead to low thyroid levels. Owners who fear their animals will bite them or others
experience physiological and relationship changes that enhance the probability that their animals
will display this behavior: their heart rate and blood pressure increases; they interact in a way
that communicates a lack of trust rather than confidence. Although any discomfort associated
with her hip dysplasia may cause Cupcake to become snappy, her owner’s response to her
dysplasia also will contribute to that result, as will the negative effect on behavior exerted by
rear-end instability with or without concurrent pain.
The Principle of Client Conservation of Energy
Most people will not treat a problem until the amount of energy required to deal with the
consequences of the problem exceeds that required to treat it.
This principle explains the occurrence of three otherwise exceedingly frustrating situations
in animal behavioral consulting. First, it explains why it is sometimes so difficult to get people
to make even the most rudimentary changes to resolve issues that will lead to more serious
problems later. Second, it explains the desire for a quick fix for serious problems that may cause
the animal a great deal of stress, but around which the owner can work with minimal effort, such

Fall 2004
Principles of Animal Behavior Consulting: An Ethological Approach 17
as the destructive animal who spends most of her time tranquilized in a crate. Third, it explains
why it can be so difficult and unrewarding to work with clients who seek help for their animals
because someone else forced them to do this. If owners do not share that view of the problem
(or even that a problem exists, in some cases), then the treatment process represents, in their
view, an unnecessary waste of energy.
The Principle of Historical Significance
The validity of the diagnosis of any animal behavioral problem is directly proportional to the
quality of the history gathered.
Without a good history, nothing of value can be said about any animal’s behavior, let alone its
proper treatment. Although reducing a behavioral problem to “food aggression” or “separation
anxiety” superficially appears to simplify matters, the effect is comparable to putting blinders on
a horse. While researchers conducting studies seek to eliminate as many variables as possible
to increase the probability that others can repeat their experiments and get the same results,
recognizing all those variables is what enables a consultant to precisely diagnose an animal’s
problem and formulate a treatment program that will best meet that animal’s and his/her
owner’s needs.
The Principle of Credible Reference Points
Nothing can be said about what constitutes abnormal animal behavior unless what constitutes
normal animal behavior is known.
Knowledge of normal animal behavior is essential when dealing with problem behaviors,
because many times what people define as a problem is actually a normal animal behavior under
those circumstances. That is, the animal is displaying a normal behavior that creates a problem
for the owner. Understanding a problem behavior’s normal roots confers several advantages:
1. It provides the consultant with an awareness of what circumstances among

conspecifics (members of the same species) precipitate such a display. Understanding how
the relationship between littermates and pack mates differs from that between mature adult
and young animals, for example, plays a crucial role in the analysis of companion animal
aggression.

Fall 2004
2. It reduces the temptation to project emotion-based, rather than knowledge-based

meaning, on animal displays. For example, a dog who wants to signal higher rank may grab
another dog’s muzzle. Dogs who bite human faces often attempt to communicate this same
message. Those lacking knowledge of normal canine behavior may erroneously conclude the
latter animals are “going for the jugular” or otherwise engaging in predatory displays.
3. Clients who recognize that their animal’s behavior, though inappropriate and
unacceptable, is also normal given their particular environment and relationship gain
a tremendous psychological advantage over those who believe their animal is mentally
deranged of otherwise flawed. This benefit always enhances client commitment, but it is
particularly valuable in cases of aggression, where clients’ confidence in their animals as well
as themselves plays a vital role in successfully resolving the problem.
4. Knowledge of normal animal behavior provides insight into possible ways to resolve
the problem. The more any behavioral/bond modification program parallels the way animals
of that same species normally would resolve similar problems, the more natural the solution.
The more natural the solution, the more readily the animal can comprehend what is wanted
and respond accordingly.
The Principle of Behavioral Context
No behavior has any meaning unless the context in which it occurs is known.
Because humans are so highly dependent on language as the primary form of

communication, it is easy to forget that animals use behavior as their primary form of
communication. However, just as a word may have different meanings depending on the context
in which it is spoken, so may an animal’s behavior. For example, the display many associate
with canine subordination may signal dominance in certain contexts. And just as we cannot say
that a person who always uses a certain word in a certain context will use it that same way in
a different context, we cannot say that dogs who routinely display dominant behaviors in one
context will do so in others.
Because of this, although it is acceptable to label certain behaviors within a certain context, it
is best to avoid labeling animals. This prevents the consultant from applying labels that might be
misleading, and that also may negatively affect the human-animal relationship. For example, labeling

Fall 2004
a dog “dominant aggressive” on the basis of the animal’s behavior within a specific context may
elicit such frightening images that the owners of the dog may opt to euthanize rather than treat
him. This is not to say that all aggressive animals can or should be treated, but rather that such
a decision should be based on solid knowledge of the exact circumstances in which the problem
behavior occurs, rather than assumptions.
The Principle of Domestic Animal and Human Relativity
One size does not fit all; beware of applying platitudes and generalities to specific cases. These
may apply, but they may not.
Unlike those who teach classes, who seek to meet the needs of the majority of animals
and humans involved, those who deal with problem animal behavior must meet the needs of a
particular human-animal combination in a particular environment. Platitudes and generalities
that may seduce both consultants and clients include: castration calms male dogs and prevents
roaming, aggression, and prostate cancer; genes cause aggression and other problems;
“positive” training is the most natural and humane; pets love us unconditionally; puppy
socialization classes benefit all pups. Although such absolutes may sound good on paper, and
some may even be true for the majority of animals, given the variability of animals, humans,
and the human-animal bond, the only truism of any value in behavioral consulting is, “Never say
never or always.”
The Principle of Directed Results
It makes no difference what an animal does for the consultant; what matters is what the animal
does for the client.
When working with clients and their animals, a strong urge sometimes exists to take the
animal away from clients, show them what to do, and maybe even do it for them. Sometimes
this occurs because the consultant feels more comfortable working with animals than people.
Not only does working with the animal put the consultant on more intellectually solid ground,
he or she may also gain all the positive physiological and emotional benefits offered by the
intimate interaction with the animal. However, at the same time as the consultant gains these
benefits, the client loses them, and this may undermine that person’s confidence. Other times
consultants may believe that a demonstration is worth a thousand words. It may be, but only if
the majority of time is spent ensuring that clients can duplicate those actions themselves; clients
who lack physiological, behavioral, and bond qualities comparable to those of the consultant may
not experience the same results. Still other times, consultants believe that seeing how well an
unruly pet behaves when skillfully handled will inspire clients to comply with the recommended
Fall 2004
program. Although some clients do respond in this manner, others may find the gap between the
consultant’s skills and their own so overwhelming that they become discouraged.
The Principle of Client Involvement
The more involved clients are in the development of any treatment program, the better the
program and the more committed the client to its success.
Given how many variables are involved in any one case, it makes sense to involve clients in
the design of any treatment program because they know themselves, their animals, and their
environments far better than any specialist. Essentially, the consultant’s function is to teach
clients the skills they need to teach their animals the skills those animals need to resolve any
problems. An excellent summation of how that consultant-to-client and client-to-animal teaching
should occur comes from Lao-Tzu:
“Good teachers are best when students barely know they exist,
Not so good when students always obey and acclaim them,
Worst when students despise them.
Of good teachers, when their work is done and their aims fulfilled,
The student will say, ‘I did this myself.’”
The Principle of Disengagement
To obtain lasting results, at some point clients must accept full responsibility for implementing
any needed changes, and the consultant must willingly grant them this freedom.

Fall 2004
Fortunately, most clients recognize when they possess sufficient confidence to ensure the
desired animal behavior and relationship on their own, although it may take some clients
longer than others to reach this point. However, there are those clients who would much prefer
to remain dependent on the consultant than assume responsibility for the resolution of their
animals’ problems. If the consultant feels a certain bond with those clients and their animals
and/or enjoys the feelings that accompany client dependency, there is a temptation to maintain
the dependent relationship for however long it takes to resolve the problem. Unfortunately,
many times it is these clients’ unwillingness to accept responsibility for their own and their
animals’ behavior (i.e., a lack of leadership) that contributes to the negative behavior. When that
is the case, the consultant’s failure to let go may actually perpetuate the problem.
Occasionally, interaction with the consultant may serve to fulfill a client’s emotional needs
rather than benefiting the animal. Some clients may consciously or subconsciously perpetuate
the problem in an attempt to retain the consultant’s attention, a variation of Munchausen by
proxy syndrome seen in human pediatric medicine.2 Others may attach symbolism to the
animal that is dependant on the existence of the problem behavior. Still others may suffer from
mental or emotional impairments that undermine commitment to any program.
Because of all this, it is beneficial to set limits on the interaction and define expectations up
front. That way the consultant can disengage in a professional manner.
The Principle of Serenely Doing Nothing
There are times when the ability to calmly and confidently do nothing is far, far more effective
than anything the consultant or client might do under those same circumstances.
When communicating with clients, the more information they convey the better. Consultants
who provide clients with time to collect and express their thoughts will gain more information
than those who feel obligated to fill every minute with chatter. When observing animals,
confidently avoiding any direct interaction with the animal will provide more information about
how that animal relates to the environment and owner and how the owner relates to the animal
than anything the consultant could do. At the same time as consultants gather this information,
they also communicate to the animal the energy-conserving behavior characteristic of those with
the highest status. This, in turn, will preclude or abort many negative animal behavioral displays.
Similarly, owners who can confidently ignore attention-seeking behaviors communicate a higher
status relative to the animal than those who cannot. Because many problem behaviors occur as
a result of human-animal role reversal, the ability to serenely do nothing is as powerful a tool for
owners as it is for the consultant.

Fall 2004
22
Triangles and Family Assessment

by Lynn Hoover, LSW, CDBC
“The self of the blind man includes the ground he is walking on.”
- Salvador Minuchin, MD
Do you ever notice what happens when tensions begin to rise between you and another
person? Perhaps you launch into a discussion with a friend, expecting that you and she will have
the same perspective, but discover that you have less in common than you realized. Your friend
looks uncomfortable, and you sense that she is not responding favorably to your ideas. Casting
about, you hit upon a way to salvage the situation: triangulation. That is, you are able to restore
equilibrium, to calm things down, by referring to a third person whose ideas are even less
appealing. The two of you reunite against that third person, who has the misfortune of not being
present to create his own exculpatory triangle.
Triangulation can serve more constructive purposes than satisfying the togetherness needs
of a duo at the expense of a third party. In well-functioning families, members negotiate issues
through triangulation but succeed in shifting alignments flexibly, depending on the issue. For
example, a wife may feel that a dog’s place is indoors, as a loved member of the family, while
the husband was raised to believe that dogs should be relegated to the yard. The wife wins
support from a child, and together they assert that it is “cruel” to leave a dog out of doors. The
problem is resolved when the husband relents. He even grows to enjoy having the dog in the
house.
Now the child hopes to press “togetherness” and “compassionate care of animals” a step
further by sharing his bedroom with the dog. The mother, who is the primary housekeeper,
worries about dirt. However, the father has grown fond of the dog and now remembers how, as
a child, he used to sneak his outdoor dog inside and under the covers of his bed on cold nights.
The child knows this and, so armed, turns to the father for support. He wins his father over, and
the mother relents.
In this family, the triangles are flexible. The husband and wife are, we will posit, more
often the team with the stronger voice, but the son is able to join with his father or mother at
Fall 2004
Triangles and Family Assessment 23
opportune times, to further a “good cause.”
A dysfunctional pattern is at work when an alliance becomes fixed, dominant, and

inflexible. Some such stable coalitions are consistently in alliance with another member of
the household, typically one who is outside the alliance. Another form of stable coalition is
the detouring coalition, characterized by its intent to defuse stress between its members by
designating another party as the source of their problem and assuming an attacking or solicitous
attitude toward that person. It may work, and reinforcement is all the coalition (often a couple)
needs to continue using that third party as a scapegoat.
The concept of the triangle and the process of triangulation are central to the application
of family systems theory to animal behavior consulting. As described in the examples above,
triangulation refers to the tendency of two-person systems to draw in a third person—or an
animal—when tension develops between the two. Sometimes one of the original pair will seek
to join that third party against the other; or the third party may find it necessary, for whatever
reason, to cooperate first with one and then the other of the opposing parties.
That “third” might be an animal, who will be stressed by the competing expectations of
the relationship system. But just as often the “third” is the animal behavior consultant, who is
brought in to resolve relationship problems between the couple owning the animal. Equally,
the conflict or potential for conflict may exist between animal owners and their veterinarian,
groomer, or rescue organization, or a relative or neighbor, and the animal behavior consultant is
called in to help people who have an agenda other than simply helping the animal.
Do you ever wonder why some families do not follow through with your carefully constructed
training plans? Perhaps the family does not have the time or energy, or is confused; or your plan
may be off-target. In your search for explanations, however, do not overlook the possibility that
a family’s failure to comply may be motivated by relationship needs.
Typical Triangles
Perhaps the most familiar triangles are those that fit cultural norms. For example, the wife
may be appropriately concerned for a dog, while the husband is more distant and harder to
engage. The animal behavior consultant might conclude that the wife cares for the dog and the
husband does not. But it may be that the wife is the “carrier” of the couple’s concern for their
dog. That is, perhaps the husband wishes to dote on the dog but was raised to believe that “real

Fall 2004
24 Triangles and Family Assessment
men don’t fuss over dogs.” So the wife expresses caring on his behalf.
In another arrangement, a couple may discover that they can avoid their own conflict
over issues having nothing to do with an animal by rallying in a united front of mutual concern
for their animal. As long as they are focused on the animal’s “issues,” there is peace between
them. If the animal’s problems are resolved, what is the couple left with but unresolved
interpersonal issues? If they lack coping skills, they may be motivated to undermine the animal’s
progress rather than work through couple issues. Triangulation can, of course, be more benign.
Couple’s frequently squabble over a pet’s or a child’s behavior problems, then unite to respond
productively as allies.
Another scenario involves parents at war. They are able to let go of their conflict when they
unite to blame, or scapegoat, the family pet. This a common occurrence, with the spouses
swapping stories about the misbehaviors of the “bad” pet and their unsuccessful efforts to
rehabilitate her. Owners drawing together at the expense of their dog may find dominance
theory most attractive, because it offers a rationale for using muscle to “put the dog in her
place.”
I worked with a family with a Houdini cat who ran off at opportune times. The family joined
together routinely to chase after him … and when he finally allowed himself to be caught, they
punished him severely. In this way, the family guaranteed that the problem would continue,
and that the searches would be long and challenging. You may find yourself wondering why,
when punishment is so ineffective, so many families use it. But sometimes the family needs the
problem more than the solution.
We also often encounter owners who are kind but amazingly inept at fixing problems with
their animal. If they remain incompetent in spite of our best efforts as highly skilled behavior
consultants and trainers, we might suspect triangulation. Again, the need for an animal with
problems can outweigh the need for problem resolution.
Suppose a child has brought home a bad report card. The family dog is not allowed on the
furniture. The child, knowing that a parent is due home, invites the dog to find a comfy spot for
himself on the couch. When the father arrives, the dog is “caught” and the father focuses on the
dog’s misbehavior. In scolding the dog, he “forgets” to discuss with his son the drop in grades.
In this scenario, the father does not enjoy confrontations with his son, so both parties collude to
divert attention from the real issue of the child’s performance in school. The dog’s motivation is
simpler: She enjoys sleeping on furniture because it is soft.
Pets living with single owners are not immune to triangulation. A third party does not have to
Fall 2004
Triangles and Family Assessment 25
be present to affect the emotional processes between a dyad. For example, a young woman in
her twenties is living alone. She adopts a puppy for companionship. Her parents might call often
to criticize her handling of the puppy. The young woman might “feed” her parents information
about a “naughty” puppy that confirms their view that the daughter could not get by without
their advice. Thus, the daughter keeps her parents engaged. Or, the daughter might reject
all advice from her parents and do everything in opposition to them. She ends up rejecting
even useful advice. If the behavior consultant rolls in with similar advice without establishing
leadership, the woman will reject that too.
Coalition
A spouse may form a coalition with an animal, against or to the exclusion of her significant
other. It is a familiar scene: The wife (usually) is closely bonded with a dog, and the dog
becomes intent on “protecting” her, his precious resource, from the husband. The excluded
party, the husband, supports this pattern by keeping his distance.
Who caused this problem? Chances are the dog has inherent tendencies to guard, but the
problem is perpetuated and escalates because the dog’s response meets the emotional needs
of his owners. Typically, the husband may grumble that the dog is coming between him and his
wife, but unconsciously he may feel relieved that the dog is meeting her needs and thus sparing
him fuller responsibility for maintaining intimacy in the marriage. The downside for the man is
that he also has unmet needs, but when the dog runs interference both spouses are protected
against intimacy.
An owner might form a coalition with the dog against outsiders. I know of a dog who will
not let anyone near his elderly owner—but they are a “good-enough” team because the woman
does not care much for socializing. She is afraid of people. Does the dog sense his owner’s
vulnerability and fearfulness, himself feel afraid, and take matters into his own paws? I also
know a number of dog owners with phobias—irrational fears—whose dogs have also developed
inappropriate fearfulness. These dogs might well exhibit better behavior in a home with a strong
leader who makes the dog feel safe and protected. A strong, skillful leader would ask the dog
to defer to her better judgment about strangers, and would communicate that humans are not a
threat.
In another arrangement, the triangulated member assumes the role of go-between for
family members, thus balancing loyalties and regulating tension and intimacy. As a behavior
consultant, how often do you feel called upon to serve as go-between for a couple, helping
them to regulate tensions by deferring first to one, then to the other? For example, perhaps a
husband is intent on showing you that the wife is inept, the evidence being that their dog is not
housetrained. The husband does not mention that he habitually ignores signs that the dog needs
Fall 2004
26 Triangles and Family Assessment
to eliminate—in other words, he is not giving either the dog or his wife the support they need.
You are supposed to fixed the problem, but without the husband’s support.
Families triangulate according to the level of tension in the system, and as a measure of
how much tension they can tolerate. In sum, when you assess animals living in relationships
with humans, consider family dynamics and stay alert for triangulation. Triangles can facilitate
problem-solving—but more often than not, there is mischief in the air.
References
Minuchin S. (1990). Family therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Geurin P., Fogarty T., Fay L., Kautto J. (1996) Working with relationship triangles: The one-two-
three of psychotherapy. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Fall 2004
27
The Behaviorist’s Road Less Traveled

by Pam Johnson-Bennett, CABC
I am often asked how a person gets into the field of animal behavior. Almost every day,
people tell me how they’ve had animals their whole lives and could probably do what I do. I just
politely smile because if they really knew the amount of hard work, dedication, and heartbreak
involved on the way to being an animal behavior consultant, they wouldn’t be so flippant.
Happy Accidents
My life as a behaviorist has been a 20-year journey that is, to say the least, unconventional.
It was not the life I intended, but I wouldn’t change one day of it.
If I had intended to be a behaviorist from the start, I would have taken the more traditional
route. I would have become a veterinarian and then worked to become certified in behavior. Of
course back then, who knew this career even existed?
My decision to become a behaviorist was entirely accidental. It started when I impulsively

adopted two four-week old kittens that were in danger of being dumped in the snow and left for
dead by a teenager.
Like so many people, I had grown up a “dog person.” I knew nothing about cats and wasn’t
even sure I liked them. I wasn’t about to walk away from these two precious kittens though, and
so I scooped them up and headed toward my car.
Although my heart was certainly in the right place, I wasn’t prepared for being a cat owner.
I took care of all the basics—love, vet visits, spaying, litter box, food, water—but I didn’t
understand how cats think and I certainly didn’t have a clue as to what very young kittens
needed in order to develop into confident, well-behaved adults. Being a dog person, I kept trying
to use those tried and true dog training methods on my kittens, only to fail time and time again.
As the kittens grew, they developed many misbehaviors because of my misinformed training
attempts. They became so bad that my veterinarian recommended euthanasia. His opinion was
that there were so many “worthwhile” cats in the world who needed homes so why waste my
time with these two. I know this seems shocking to you, but keep in mind the mentality of some
of the less-than-caring veterinarians who practiced many years ago—animal behavior education
was not part of the veterinary curriculum.
Fall 2004
28 The Behaviorist’s Road Less Traveled
That veterinarian’s recommendation actually served as the most important turning point in
my life. I went home and looked at these precious creatures and realized I was the one who was
guilty of “misbehaviors” and not them. Determined to educate myself, I went to the book store
to read about cat behavior. To my disappointment, there were hardly any books available on
cats at all. Behavior and psychology were not as well-defined and popular as they are today. The
books I had to choose from were still basically viewing cats as interchangeable with dogs when it
came to training.
I read whatever was available and I also picked up books on child psychology because I
figured there would be many similarities in behavior. I also made the wise decision (finally) to
use the most valuable resources that were right under my nose—my cats. I stopped trying to
make them into what I thought they should be. I began truly observing them and how they
communicated with me and with each other.
The Road To Discovering My Passion
A funny thing happened as I began this new journey—I became fascinated with how
incredible cat communication and animal psychology are. The behaviors my cats had been
displaying that I previously labeled as “bad” were now making perfect sense.
To learn more about other cats as well, I began pet sitting for friends so I could watch and
learn about feline personalities and how they coexisted with others. As I became more familiar
with the cats of my friends, I started understanding how their so-called misbehaviors were
connected to the attitudes and personalities of their owners. So back to the bookstore I went to
read up on human psychology and even marriage and family counseling. I was getting a good
understanding of how family dynamics affect all members in the household—human, canine,
feline, etc.
As my awareness grew, my relationship with my cats improved tremendously. By

understanding what cats need emotionally, physically, and psychologically, it seemed as if I had
learned a whole new language.
Friends began commenting on how incredible my cats were. They asked me to work with
their cats as well. Word began spreading that I knew about cat behavior and I started getting
calls from veterinarians. I also received more than my share of ridicule. Many people believed
(and still believe 20 years later) cats to be untrainable. I became the joke among some of my
non-cat friends, and as word spread about my abilities and I became more visible publicly, I
even received a few death threats from cat haters.
My original career or day job was as a musician, so even though I was spending so much
time working with cats, it hadn’t occurred to me to charge for my services since I had no
credentials. As more and more calls came in though, I realized my true career was staring me in

Fall 2004
The Behaviorist’s Road Less Traveled 29
the face. It would certainly be a tough road but all I had to do was look at how happy my cats
were now to see that the benefits far outweighed the disadvantages.
Devising a Career Plan
In order to call myself a behaviorist, I knew there was so much more to learn. I knew I
needed some kind of medical background but I didn’t want to become a veterinarian. I became
a veterinary technician instead, so I would have some understanding of the connection between
illness and behavior. I also learned about pharmacology, laboratory procedures, how to interpret
results, and what diagnostics were needed in order to diagnose certain behavior disorders. The
busy clinic I worked for was also the official veterinarian for our local humane organization, so I
was exposed to many cases of abuse, neglect, and horrific emergencies. I used that time to help
those cats recover from their traumas from a behavioral standpoint. In my off hours I started
doing behavioral work for many of the local shelters as well. Having that medical background
plays a crucial role in my job as behavior consultant these days.
Life Today
When I’m not writing or lecturing, these days my time is spent doing individual house calls
and shelter calls. My spare time is filled with keeping up on the latest in veterinary medicine.
There’s no pleasure reading anymore—now my bedside table is stacked with veterinary journals.
Vacations? Well, let’s just say that the only trips I make to warm, sunny locations are when a
veterinary conference or book tour is scheduled there.
Even though the learning process through real-world experience is long and unconventional,
it has tremendous rewards and benefits. Because I’ve walked in the troubled cat owner’s shoes,
I feel I connect with them. Cat owners are less intimidated during a consultation because we can
share similar experiences. Being self-taught, I try to offer the combination of expert and friend.
The downside of being self-taught is that you may never get real respect from some
members of the veterinary community. This can actually be a blessing in disguise, because it will
cause you to work your hardest at your profession, maintain your integrity and in general—know
your stuff!
Many of the more traditional animal behaviorists work exclusively through in-clinic calls. With
all due respect to their tremendous knowledge, I have never understood how you can effectively
treat a complicated behavior crisis without seeing the home environment and all members of the
family. That’s where I applaud all of us who are in the trenches with the cat owners every day.
I believe certain paths are placed before us for a reason. Some of us do best by following the
traditional route and others are destined to follow that road less traveled. Use the IAABC as your
companion and teacher as you follow your own path. Together we can support each other, maintain

Fall 2004
30 The Behaviorist’s Road Less Traveled
the highest standards, and provide the qualifications to coexist in this amazing field. I wish the
IAABC had existed when I started out, but how lucky we all are to be a part of this association that
will undoubtedly improve the lives of animals and humans.
Three Keys
Before I leave you, I want to share something that has been a strong source of inspiration
for me and perhaps it will be for you as well. I am a fan of the motivational speaker and author
John Maxwell. If you aren’t familiar with his books or tapes, I urge you to discover his work. One
of the most important lessons I learned from him is that there are basically three keys to success.
Here’s my very simplified version:
1) Find your passion
2) Do your best
3) Benefit others
If you don’t have a passion for your work, you will not succeed and you won’t be happy. Like
me, you have already found your passion in animal behavior. Now it’s time to do your absolute
best, represent this profession with the utmost integrity and ability, and then use what you know
to benefit others. In the end, it doesn’t really matter how each of us got to this point; what really
matters is that we hold those three keys in our hearts as we continue on the road.

Fall 2004
31
Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge

By Joanne Oliva-Purdy, PhD, CABC
I draw from at least four scientific fields of study when I analyze companion animal
behavior problems and recommend treatments:
1) The study of behavior in the wild (ethology);
2) Psychological principles, such as learning theory and behavior analysis, which seem to hold
true for many different animal groups as well as humans (comparative psychology);
3) Behavior specific to captivity (applied ethology);
4) The physiology of the species (zoology or veterinary medicine).
Working with animal caretakers to solve their problems draws on other fields, but here I
am focusing only on the behavior of the animal. Companion parrot behavior is a specialty of
mine, so I will give examples here to show how familiarity with these fields helps in analyzing
companion parrot behavior.
Ethology helps answer questions like “Why does my parrot chew everything in reach?”
(chewing a hole in a tree is normal nest building behavior) and “Why does my Quaker parakeet
get so excited over twigs?” (Quakers are unique among parrots in that they build communal
nests out of sticks). Using behavior analysis helps me determine why some behaviors appear,
increase, or diminish (“He used to step up to my hand so consistently, but lately when I try to
get him back in the cage so I can leave for work, he plays ‘keep away!’”). Behavior analysis
also helps determine why a behavior such as screaming or biting increases, especially when
it seems counterproductive for the bird, but often other fields of study also come into play.
Ethology helps make some sense of why something is rewarding or punishing for a parrot.
In this example, yelling at a parrot for screaming tends to increase the screaming behavior.
To understand this phenomenon, it helps to know that parrots, like many social birds, set
each other off when they vocalize, whether alarm calling, contact calling, or just expressing
excitement. One starts and the others join in. So yelling at your parrot, instead of being the

Fall 2004
32 Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge
punishment we expect it to be, actually encourages screaming, besides rewarding the parrot
with a reaction and some attention. In addition, “screaming,” or loud parrot vocalizations meant
to be heard for great distances in the rainforest, is normal parrot behavior. On the other hand,
excessive screaming in companion parrots is considered a behavior problem and can have very
complicated causes. Parrots in captivity often scream from boredom and inattention. However,
screaming also could be an indicator of some physical discomfort such as illness or fatigue from
not getting the eight to ten hours of undisturbed sleep that most parrots need. So dealing with
an excessive screaming behavior problem draws heavily on all four areas I mentioned. Knowing
the physical needs of the parrot would tell you that covering the cage will often calm them down,
but if it is too dark they can not see to eat or drink. For that and other reasons, covering the
cage or putting the cage in a dark room as a treatment for screaming should only be done for
short periods of time and as part of a larger program.
Another problem behavior that draws from all four fields is Feather Destructive Behaviors
(FDB). This does not appear to be a normal behavior in the wild. (Wilson, in press) FDB are a
number of exaggerated behaviors related to preening feathers. Normal preening is a skill that
includes applying light pressure on the feather with the beak, manipulating it with the beak
to clean it, and pulling it through the beak to “zip up” the barbs by getting the barbules to
interlock. Some parrots go overboard and clip the feathers off, chew on them enough to damage
them, or pull them hard enough to pull them out. The result is a ragged look that is closer
to that of a half-plucked chicken than the pretty bird most parrot owners expect.1 Liz Wilson,
parrot behavior consultant and CVT, has written on this subject and says, “Feather Destructive
Behaviors appear to be what Cooper and Harrison call ‘a condition of captivity,’ (Cooper and
Harrison, 1994) since an undamaged feather coat is compulsory for survival in the wild.”
Feather destruction (including feather chewing, picking, clipping, or plucking) in captivity often is
not a dangerous condition and tends to bother owners more than the birds. Nevertheless, it can
be a baffling syndrome for veterinarians and behavior consultants to figure out. In some ways, it
is like inappropriate elimination in dogs and cats: It may have physical causes but it may also be
a behavior problem, and usually the result of the behavior problem (house soiling or a plucked
bird) bothers the owners more than the pet.
Liz Wilson writes, “Under the category of feather destruction due to ‘abnormal’ behaviors
are the following possible etiologies: [owner] control device, attention-getting device, boredom,
stress, environmental change, psychological disturbances” (Wilson, in press). Ethology can help
us understand what contributes to boredom and stress, and some psychological disturbances.
Applied ethology (Kjaer, et al., 2004; Meehan, et al., 2003) and even human psychology can
help with studies on obsessive behavior. Veterinary medicine is a large contributor to work on
these problems (Rosenthal, 2004; Orosz and Delaney, 2003; Tudor, 1983). Since there are
many physical contributors to feather destruction, it is important for the bird to be evaluated for
various medical problems. According to Dr. Karen Rosenthal, “in addition to a careful physical
exam and history, diagnostic testing that is recommended to rule out medical causes of Feather
Destruction Syndrome include: Absolute minimum database: CBC, chemistries and plasma

Fall 2004
Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge 33
electrophoresis (EPH). Further testing depends on the specific bird and how much the owner
wants to spend (in no particular order):
• skin biopsy
• fecal analysis
• skin cultures and gram stains, and/or impression smear of the skin
• heavy metal assays
• radiographs
• bacterial cultures, skin and/or feather pulp
• specific testing for systemic problems such as aspergillus” (Rosenthal, 2004)
Behavior analysis can help determine if it is being used as a control or attention getting
device. Liz Wilson discusses these causes:
As a control device, feather destruction is a powerful tool. Some people are convinced that
feather destruction is a reflection on their caliber as owners and would consequently do anything
to keep their parrots from damaging feathers. Naturally, a bird learns this quickly. Any time a
wish is thwarted, they yank a feather in response, causing the owner to feel guilty and acquiesce
to the bird’s demands. A young African grey [parrot] that boarded with the author used this
technique whenever blocked from doing what it wanted. When not rewarded for this behavior
while boarding, however, the behavior ceased and feathers regrew. The behavior resurfaced
when the owners returned and renewed the reinforcement.
As an attention-getting device, FDB is extremely effective. Many owners lavish their birds
with attention rewards whenever they catch their birds damaging feathers. Often these birds
will visually seek out their owner, make eye contact, and then yank out a feather. In these two
situations, owners blatantly reward feather destruction. As long as they consider their birds’
feather condition to be earth-shatteringly important, the behavior will continue.” (Wilson, in
press)
There is some research into FDB (Meehan, et al., 2003; Orosz and Delaney, 2003; Van
Hoek and King, 1997) but not enough to clearly point to the different causes and solutions for
different parrots. Veterinarians and behavior consultants today are still left to test their own
theories on the best way to diagnose and treat the problem. Many companion parrots alive today
were captive bred and hand raised, so they did not have their parents to guide them in survival

Fall 2004
34 Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge
skills, whether for the wild or captive environment. Liz Wilson sees this as contributing to stress
and psychological disturbances in these parrots. To counteract this, she advises the following:
“By implementing a training program in which the bird learns to follow simple commands—such
as Blanchard’s nurturing guidance training (Blanchard, 1992)—owners establish clear behavioral
limits, clearly delineating for the parrot its rank within the human flock. Clients who initiate
training an out-of-control parrot in this manner comment frequently on how much calmer and
happier the bird seems” (Wilson, in press). This part of the nurturing guidance training has some
similarities to the “nothing in life is free” method often used with dogs to establish the owner as
the one in control in a humane manner.
The assessment and treatment of companion animal behavior problems calls for attention
to many of the scientific fields of study that fall under the heading of animal behavior. No one
of them has all the answers needed to give our clients the best picture of their problem and
a solution. Rigidly adhering to one or the other is doing our clients a disservice. I have not
included the fields of psychology focusing on the animal’s caretaker. Studies on the human-
animal bond and methods of counseling, among others, will also help us in our work. I hope
that animal behavior consultants continue to learn as they practice and to draw from these and
other relevant fields in their work. For those studying to be consultants, I encourage you to seek
knowledge in these fields, whether by taking courses or by other methods, as well as in those
subjects that are useful for counseling, in order to have a wide range of knowledge to draw on to
best serve our clients.
References
Blanchard S. (1992) Phobic feather plucking. The Pet Bird Report 2(4):4-6
Cooper, J.E. and Harrison, G.J. (1994) Dermatology. In: Ritchie B.W., Harrison G.J. & Harrison
L.R. (eds). Avian medicine: Principles and application. Lake Worth, FL: Wingers Pub,:607-
633.
Kjaer, J.B., Hjarvard, B.M., Jensen, K.H., Hansen-Møller, J. & Larsen, N. (2004) Effects of
haloperidol, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, on feather pecking behaviour in laying
hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 86(1-2), 77-91.
Meehan, C.L., Millam, J.R. and Mench, J.A. (2003) Foraging opportunity and increased physical
complexity both prevent and reduce psychogenic feather picking by young Amazon
parrots. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 80:71-85.
Orosz, S.E., Delaney, C.J. (2003). Self-injurious behavior (SIB) of primates as a model for
feather damaging behavior (FDB) in companion psittacine birds. Proceedings of Avian
Specialty Advanced Program in conjunction with the Annual Conference of Association of
Avian Veterinarians. 39-50.
Rosenthal, K. (2003) Diagnostics: PLEASE let there be an answer. Proceedings of Avian
Specialty Advanced Program in conjunction with the Annual Conference of Association of
Avian Veterinarians. 25-30.
Tudor, D.C. (1983) Mycotic infection of feathers as the cause of feather-pulling in pigeons and
psittacine birds. Veterinary Medicine and Small Animal Clinician. 78(2): 249-253.

Fall 2004
Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge 35
Van Hoek, C.S. and King, C.E. (1997) Causation and influence of environmental enrichment on
feather picking of the crimson-bellied conure (Pyrrhura perlata perlata). Zoo-Biology.
16(2): 161-172.
Wilson, L.(in press) A Non-Medical Approach To Feather Destructive Behaviors. Proceedings of
the North American Veterinary Conference, Orlando FL, 2005.
NOTES
1.
Examples can be found on the web site of The Gabriel Foundation: http://www.thebirdbrain.
com/html/FeatherPicking.cfm.

Fall 2004
36
CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me!

By Tom Van Winkle, MBA, CABC
Dawson is a four-year-old, neutered male Dachshund who lives with Steve and Cindy
Smith. He has no known medical problems.
Past History
Dawson was purchased from a pet store chain at the age of twelve weeks. Until the
age of two years, Dawson lived with Steve and Cindy as well as Cindy’s mother and her two
Dachshunds, one of whom was Dawson’s sibling. Dawson got along well with these dogs and
other dogs he encountered. The Smiths report that during this period he did not display any
inappropriate behavior and appeared to be a happy dog.
At two years old, Steve, Cindy, Dawson, and Dawson’s sibling moved in with Cindy’s aunt.
Living in this house were two larger dogs. One was aggressive toward the Dachshunds and at
one point attacked Dawson. The Smith’s don’t recall the specific circumstances surrounding the
attack, but attributed it to their belief that the other dog just “didn’t like Dawson.” Dawson was
not injured, but he was shaken up and avoided the other dog.
To keep the Dachshunds safe, they were put in a laundry room when no one was home. At
this point, Dawson showed his first signs of anxiety when his family was preparing to leave. They
say they had to force him into the room and he soiled in their absence.
Steve and Cindy noted that at about the same time, Dawson became aggressive toward
other dogs while walking on leash. Today, as soon as he sees another dog during a walk, Dawson
becomes increasingly agitated and vocal as the other dog approaches. If the other dog passes
within 15 feet, Dawson will lunge. It takes him about 30 seconds to calm down after the other
dog has passed.
Fall 2004
CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me! 37
After about six months in the aunt’s home, the family moved again, this time to live with
Mr. Smith’s mother. The Smiths lived with her for about eight months; to keep the house clean,
Dawson was put in a crate when no one was home. At first, Dawson did not object to being
kept in a crate, but he grew progressively more distressed by the confinement and on several
occasions he injured himself trying to get out.
Present History
The family recently moved to their current home, where it is just the three of them, Steve,
Cindy, and Dawson. The Smiths had hoped the move would resolve Dawson’s problems, but
Dawson continues to show signs of separation anxiety and dog aggression.
If left out of the crate, Dawson urinates on anything with his family’s smell—bed, shirts,
couch; otherwise, he is generally not destructive. They have locked him in a washroom, but
he tries to get under the door and has injured his nose. They have moved him to a crate, but
he still urinates and tries to get out. Even though he has favorite toys, having them present
throughout the day has not calmed him at all. Additionally, treat-filled toys have been tried, to
no avail.
Steve and Cindy report that as soon as they leave, they can hear Dawson barking and trying
to escape his crate. The few times they have returned immediately to check on him, Dawson
was trying to get out of the crate and appeared very anxious. The Smiths further report that
Dawson will often refuse to eat in the morning as his family prepares for work, and becomes
visibly anxious as they get ready to go. The signs of his anxiety are increased activity and a
generally “nervous” demeanor; Dawson also follows his family around the house. The couple
leaves for work around 7 a.m. and returns between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Dawson loves to play with toys, goes for long walks in nice weather, and appears to be in
good physical condition. He knows how to sit, stay, and lie down on command and will hold a
stay for up to 30 minutes.
Curiously, Dawson does not always remain in the same room as the Smiths when they are
home. He often sleeps in their bedroom when they are elsewhere in the house.
The couple spoke with an obedience trainer and their veterinarian about Dawson’s

Fall 2004
38 CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me!
problems. There was no apparent physical condition which might cause this behavior. The
Smiths were told to start Dawson on Clomicalm and to try to desensitize him to being alone by
leaving the house for a minute at a time and then progress to longer periods of absence. The
Smiths report that the Clomicalm did not help very much, but also admitted that they were not
diligent in their efforts.
Evaluation
A client questionnaire and in-person interviews were used to assess Dawson’s behavior.
The conversation centered on Dawson’s separation anxiety, as that is the behavior of greatest
concern. We briefly discussed Dawson’s dog aggression (intra-species aggression); however, the
Smiths wanted to concentrate on the separation anxiety, as they are able to control Dawson’s
exposure to other dogs.
During the consultation we discovered additional pertinent points. First, Dawson does not
like linoleum flooring. This is not contributing to the problem at hand; however, we found a way
to use his dislike during treatment. Second, Dawson is actually becoming anxious long before
Steve and Cindy leave the house. He apparently picks up on cues that they will be leaving and
experiences anticipatory anxiety, starting up to an hour before they actually depart.
After our initial meeting, Steve and Cindy mimicked their morning routine to determine when
Dawson begins to show signs of anxiety. They discovered that Dawson is actually becoming
nervous as soon as the alarm clock goes off in the morning. As Steve and Cindy go about their
morning routine, Dawson’s anxiety level appears to increase.
Family Dynamics
The Smiths are a young couple in their late twenties and are both employed full-time. They
do not have children at this point, but would like to start a family in the next few years. They are
home almost every night during the week, but will go to dinner with friends occasionally on the
weekends. They appear to be very dedicated to Dawson and truly want to help him.
We established a good relationship during our conversation and the Smiths listened
attentively. We talked at length about why they felt they would be able to stick to a new
behavior-modification plan when they admit they had trouble executing one in the past. They
described themselves as having been in a state of denial and hoping for a quick fix. When that
didn’t happen, they gave up. I explained that separation anxiety is a difficult behavior problem
to resolve under any circumstances, but it is made much harder in cases where no one is home
during the day, as is the case here. In other words, Steve and Cindy will have to leave Dawson
alone as they are trying to help him through his anxiety. Consequently, I explained, Dawson
might take two steps forward and one step back, because his anxiety would be triggered every
time they left for work.

Fall 2004
CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me! 39
The Smiths understood this and said they were ready to work on their dog’s problem. I
asked what they would do if Dawson’s separation anxiety did not improve and they said they
would live with it. Dawson is part of their family and will be for life.
This dedication was an obvious plus for Dawson; however, the history of an abandoned
attempt at behavior modification worried me. We talked at length about ways to stay diligent in
their efforts and not to give up again. I explained that the Smiths would need to look for small
victories rather than concentrate solely on the big payoff. For example, a small victory would be
a reduction in Dawson’s anxiety as the couple prepared to leave for work. We would look to see
Dawson eating his breakfast, being less active, or not following the Smiths from room to room.
This idea seemed to sit well with them.
Management and Modification of Dog Behavior: Interventions
Dawson needed to learn to calm himself down when he was anxious. The starting point for
training would be to identify the cues that told Dawson the Smiths were leaving the house. As
Dawson picked up on these “leaving” cues, they were to begin calming exercises, consisting of
obedience commands. For instance, if Dawson began showing signs of anxiety when the alarm
went off, then he should be told to sit as soon as the alarm sounded, and given a treat for
compliance. He should remain in the sit until he appeared calm. Signs to look for in Dawson
include a relaxed body posture, relaxed ears, and normal breathing pattern with his mouth
slightly open, but not panting. This type of exercise would have to be done with each cue to
which Dawson was reacting. Also, the Smiths might discover as they “de-stressed” one cue that
a second cue, originally less salient to them, was also present. (For example, Dawson might
have been reacting not only to the sound of the alarm clock, which was salient to the Smiths,
but also to the couple’s habitual movements as the alarm woke them. Only when Dawson was
no longer becoming visibly anxious at the sound of the alarm could they see that he was also
responding to those movements.)
Additionally, the “leaving routine” would have to be jumbled up so that Dawson would be less
able to predict the Smiths’ departures.
Finally, even though Dawson remained calm when the couple was not in the same room
as he, as long as they were home, they were to practice putting Dawson in a “stay” and then
leaving the room. As Dawson learned to remain calm, they would progress to shutting the door
with Dawson in the room, and they would repeat this process with all the rooms in the house.
Separation anxiety treatment is always difficult, but as I had told the Smiths, the need to
leave Dawson alone during treatment exacerbated the difficulty. In addition, Dawson was
injuring himself or soiling inside when left alone. We needed to find a way to keep him safe and
as comfortable as possible when he was alone at home.

Fall 2004
40 CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me!
To accomplish this, we used his fear of linoleum. An 8-foot-long hallway runs between the
Smiths’ living area and their garage door. The hallway floor is linoleum, while the living area is
carpeted. Dawson has jumped over and through baby gates in the past, so simply gating him in
the hallway would not work. Instead, Dawson’s bed and a dog litter box were put at the end of
the hallway near the door to the garage. This area would be Dawson’s safe haven. Because he
does not like to walk on linoleum, we hoped that he would not cross the floor to go through the
gate. Instead, he would stay in his bed. In the litter box, we placed a piece of a shirt belonging
to one of the Smiths; this was to encourage Dawson to use the litter box as he became anxious.
I recommended hiring a pet walker to come in once or twice a day when the Smiths were at
work. This person would need to understand Dawson’s problem so that he or she did not add
to Dawson’s anxiety, but we hoped that the walker’s visit might comfort Dawson. In addition, it
might be helpful for the walker to vary the time of his or her arrival, so that Dawson wouldn’t
know how long he was going to be left alone. Unfortunately, the Smiths rejected the idea of
letting someone come into their home. Doggy daycare was not an alternative because of the
cost, nor did the Smiths think that a friend or relative would be willing to help.
Finally, I recommended that Dawson be put on anti-anxiety medication to help him remain
calm. I discussed the possibility with Dawson’s veterinarian, who prescribed amitriptyline.
Outcome of the Case
Dawson’s separation anxiety has not yet resolved, but the Smiths report seeing progress.
They report that Dawson has not injured himself since he was put in the hallway with the litter
box and he appears to be much calmer in the mornings, especially right after the Smiths wake
up. Dawson is showing progress by remaining calm when the Smiths wake up, but he hasn’t
progressed yet to the point of being calm enough to eat in the mornings. It was pointed out
that getting Dawson calm enough to eat his breakfast would be a good short-term goal for the
Smiths.
Most behavior problems manifest themselves when someone is present to address them;
separation anxiety cases are some of the most difficult to work with precisely because the severest
anxiety appears when the dog is alone. Often these cases call on all our creativity. In Dawson,
we had a dog who injured himself when confined and alone, yet who had to be left alone. Thanks
to his fear of linoleum, we found a way to keep him safe without allowing him to roam the house
where he would urinate and defecate.
A second insight from this case is that the families of pets with separation anxiety need help in
recognizing small victories. They concentrate so hard on the future day when they can leave their
beloved pet alone without fear of them hurting themselves or the home that they get discouraged
when progress is slow. It is important to tell clients frankly that treatment is likely to take a long
time so that their hopes are not raised and then dashed. In addition, helping them see progress
improves their chance of success.

Fall 2004
41
CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked

Aggression in a Dog
by Debbie Winkler, CPDT, CABC
In 1998, I received a call from a family who had adopted a dog from our local shelter. The
dog was described as the “perfect” dog, but, from time to time and apparently unprovoked, he
would rush someone, teeth bared and snarling. While he had not connected with skin yet, he
tore clothes on occasion. Aggressive episodes had occurred even with people well known to the
dog.
My first reaction was to suggest they return the dog to the shelter. I knew the shelter might
opt for euthanasia, but at the time I thought it best to spare the family this decision. The
excellent outcome of this case has taught me not to jump to such conclusions.
This family had grown to love the dog and rejected my suggestion to return him. They
insisted that if I spent just a few minutes with him, I would be equally smitten and would want
to help. Accordingly, we made an appointment for evaluation and counseling.
The dog was a recently neutered Boxer mix, approximately 3 years old; he had been turned
in as a stray. I did not record the length of his stay in the shelter, but it was brief. The dog was
not a resource guarder and the shelter veterinarian had noted on the adoption papers that
during the exam, blood draw, vaccination, and preparation for neutering, the dog exhibited
friendly, outgoing behavior.
The dog greeted me with play bows, then grabbed a ball that was on the floor and pranced
around with it. He was very playful with the children, who were running around the house,
playing tug, rolling on the floor with him, and practicing “give me your paw” over and over
again. In short, he appeared happy, friendly, and well adjusted; what the bare facts can’t convey
is that I can only call this dog one of the cutest mixed breeds I have ever seen.
The family was a large one, with six children ranging in age from three to 17 years. The
children appeared to be well-behaved and were not rough or abusive in their play with the dog.
Both adults and all of the children concurred in their description of the dog. He was playful; he
came when called, loved having his teeth brushed, enjoyed having his body brushed and rubbed,
and was friendly with the family cat and a neighbor’s dog. Yet, sometimes, he would stare at
someone he knew “as though he had never seen them before,” and rush toward them barking,
Fall 2004
42 CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked Aggression in a Dog
growling, and occasionally snapping. He would bump them with his muzzle. At the same time,
the family described his posture as “slinking and low” and his eyes as “wide and fearful.”
In evaluating the dog, I made prolonged eye contact; took food from him, even savory food
such as pig ears; handled his entire body; made sudden movements, loud noises, and sudden
loud noises; restrained him when he wanted to be loose; opened his mouth and played with his
teeth; clipped his nails; and cleaned his ears. None of this elicited any problematic response. At
a loss, I began to do ridiculous things, such as dragging him across the carpet by his hind legs
and rolling him around. Still I got only playful responses.
Perplexed, I asked the owners to keep a journal, noting when the dog’s behavior changed
and recording exactly what happened before the change. I also taught the family and the dog
some basic skills, and accustomed the dog easily to a Gentle Leader™ head halter. The family
began bringing him to class and also took advanced classes with another instructor and a tricks
class that I taught.
A couple of months passed without incident; then, suddenly, the dog repeated the aggressive
behavior. No one noted any difference between the situation in which the dog reacted and
situations in which he was calm. I had seen the dog many times by this point, but had never
witnessed the behavior. I consulted with the family’s veterinarian, who took X-rays and
performed blood tests. All results were within normal range. A veterinary neurologist was
consulted; my records show that an MRI or CT scan (which one is not noted) of the dog’s head
was performed and that the report cited “no spectacular results.”1
I was at a total loss and began to think of the behavior as idiopathic—while it had a cause,
and had meaning to the subject expressing it, that cause was obscure to human observers. But
without identifying the cause, we could not treat the problem.
Finally, the dog exhibited the aggressive behavior toward me. It was summertime. The family
had come for an agility class and I walked over to say hello to them and greet the dog. He very
unexpectedly crouched low, growling, lunging, and snapping, then retreating. With knots in my
stomach, I averted my gaze. Dumbfounded and frightened, I was concerned enough about the
family to bring up euthanasia again. They would not hear of it, despite my fear for their safety.
I mentally reviewed the incident all day long and into the evening. Finally, just before I went
to bed, it occurred to me that that day I had been wearing a hat. I could barely sleep, wondering
if that was indeed the problem.
At 8:30 the following morning, I called the clients and asked whether the people against
whom the dog aggressed had been wearing hats. Much to my dismay, no one could remember. I
asked that someone put on a hat while I waited.

Fall 2004
CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked Aggression in a Dog 43
Instantly, the mystery was solved; I could hear the dog’s reaction over the phone.
The treatment protocol below not only resolved the problem, but caused this dog to prefer
people wearing hats to those not wearing them.
Systematic Desensitization
1. I had the family obtain 100 hats and place them all over the floor for a week.
The dog slinked around the house, growling at the hats, for several days. I recommended
that the hats remain for two weeks, by which time the dog had stopped reacting to them.
Why did I choose to begin with so many hats? I was not attempting to “flood” the dog. I
selected my starting point because of several factors. First, this dog had a problem with hats,
not with people and not with more general fearfulness. Second, hats come in many shapes and
sizes and can change someone’s appearance slightly or dramatically. To desensitize the dog to
one hat at a time would have taken an extremely long time. Because the dog was, in general, so
friendly and confident, we could work more quickly at the beginning.
2. I had each adult in the family put on a hat, toss a treat, and quickly remove the hat five
times in a row, daily for a week. The dog began to relax and eat the treats.
3. Each person in the family over eight years of age was taught reward marking, using the
word “yes.” This required four days.
4. Each person in the family over eight years of age was asked to put on a hat from the floor,
each time they petted the dog, fed the dog, let the dog into the yard or back into the house,
gave the dog a toy, or walked the dog. Also, since this dog enjoyed riding in the car, I requested
that everyone accompanying the dog during the ride wear a hat.
At this point, the dog began to wag his tail and become excited any time anyone in the family
picked up a hat.
5. Now was the time to begin to include friends and neighbors. We selected ten people: four
were family members not living in the house and six were friends, five of whom were neighbors.
I had asked the family to find people the dog was not very familiar with.
When I see a need to enlist the aid of others to help a dog, I tell families up front what we
will need if we progress to that step. I asked this family to find more than the approximate
number of people we needed, knowing they would get fewer and we could work with fewer. If I
tell people I need ten helpers, they might find three. If I tell people they need 30 to 40 helpers,

Fall 2004
44 CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked Aggression in a Dog
they will usually come up with eight to ten.
Finding neighbors and friends who will help out is the owner’s responsibility. I simply don’t
know enough people to help out in every case, and I am concerned about legal liability. When I
present a treatment protocol, I show the families what is involved and let them know that I will
not do an incomplete program. I tell them that I cannot supply the people and ask them whether
they can do so. If not, I suggest they take their dog to the closest veterinary school with a
behavior department.
In this case I asked the owners to spend some time each day sitting in the living room with
the dog on a leash, while a friend or family member entered through the front door, picked up
a hat, put it on, tossed a treat, removed the hat, and left the house. Each helper did this five
times in a row on his or her scheduled evening.
• The dog appeared to regress at this point. When the unfamiliar person put on a hat, he
cowered and growled. However, the regression was short lived: we continued performing
trials over the course of the day and the dog again improved dramatically.
• The dog stopped reacting fearfully and instead eagerly anticipated the treat the instant
the person picked up the hat.
6. We began to work with these same helpers outside. We had them walk in different
directions, wearing a hat, while the dog was being walked.
There were no incidents of growling or lunging toward anyone.
7. We began to repeat all of the preceding steps, very carefully, with the young children in
the family.
The dog had no reaction to children in hats.
Throughout this program, I determined when to proceed to the next step based on the dog’s
response to the current step. When the dog responded favorably (tail wagging and happy, rather
than threatened) and maintained that behavior for a few days, I would add the next step.
At the completion of step seven, I believed the dog would no longer display the aggression
toward people wearing hats, but I urged the family to continue wearing hats a few times a week,
for just a few minutes, for the life of the dog. I remained in touch with the family for about a
year and a half after we completed treatment, until they relocated in 2001. The dog remained
stable.
This dog had somehow been conditioned to respond defensively to anyone wearing a hat. We
Fall 2004
CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked Aggression in a Dog 45
used systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning to change that response. We certainly

reduced the dog’s anxiety, yet it could be said that he remained sensitive to individuals wearing
hats: that is, the dog actually began to prefer seeing someone wearing a hat. No better outcome
can be imagined.
Conclusions
I learned valuable lessons from this case.
1. For what seemed an eternity, we had no idea what was causing the aggression. I truly
thought that the family would not be safe with this dog and that the likelihood of a bite was high.
Nowadays, except in extreme situations where the danger is clear and present, I recommend
that dogs have the benefit of a formal evaluation from a qualified behavior consultant before the
family makes most decisions of import to the dog.2
2. This case reaffirmed my belief in families’ infinite capacity to heal their own and to
understand when a piece of the diagnostic puzzle might be missing.
3. When I see a case of episodic aggression, I search methodically for triggers. Detective
work can pay off in important ways. All behavior that a dog exhibits makes sense, even if it only
makes sense to the dog.
Notes
1
I usually ask a veterinarian to rule out potential medical causes for aggression, but in
my experience the average owner balks at the thought of going to a university and having
neurological scans performed. My normal practice is to speak with the vet and ask for the
obvious thyroid tests, blood profile, and so on.
2
Such cases might include those where a bite is serious and there was little provocation,
especially if the victim is a child. In one case, the dog broke through a glass window in order
to bite someone knocking on the door. In another case, a dog escaped from a fenced yard and
climbed over an even higher fence to reach another dog, on which it inflicted serious injuries.

Fall 2004
46
GOOD DOG
A Program to Help Dog Owners Address Aggression
Problems in Dogs
by Sue Alexander, CPDT, CDBC
Introduction
Families living with dogs with behavioral problems need assistance to overcome these
difficulties. The Good Dog program incorporates management, desensitization, and counter
conditioning, and training of new behaviors to address some of the multiple factors that influence
the outcome of an aggression case. The program comprises three phases: (1) one-on-one work
to address the family’s particular needs and develop basic handling skills; (2) the Good Dog
Class (including a Walking Class), which offers clients a safe and controlled environment in which
to practice the skills they have been working on at home; and (3) Group Dog Walks, in which
dogs are reinforced for appropriate social interactions with one another. We support the families
closely, providing three opportunities per week for contact with our staff. We also provide a
venue for participants to share their experiences with one another during our group classes and
off-leash dog walks.
Behavioral Profile of Dogs Suitable for the Program
The Good Dog Program is suitable for dogs who are confidently aggressive, fearfully
aggressive, aggressive on arousal, fearful but not aggressive, and reactive to given stimuli but
not aggressive.
Although we specifically address aggression in Good Dog, we recognize that other behavioral
problems may also benefit from a systematic approach to their resolution. We accept dogs into
this program who are aggressive toward people or other dogs, who are fearful, or who are highly
reactive. Dogs known to have a hard mouth, or those whose bite hardness is unknown, may be
muzzled during group outings initially, or may be integrated slowly into class as they are ready.
For our purposes, aggression may be defined as threats, postures, or harmful actions
directed toward another individual. Aggressive behavior is a form of communication, by which

Fall 2004
GOOD DOG: A Program to Help Owners Address Aggression Problems in Dogs 47
the aggressor is attempting to establish greater social distance between himself and the target
of the aggression.
Aggression may be the overt behavioral manifestation of fear, where the feared stimulus
becomes the target of aggression. The dog may fear a number of stimuli, including but not
limited to specific individual humans or dogs, specific types of dogs, specific groups of humans
(infants, boys, girls, men, people in hats), inanimate objects such as trash containers, brooms,
vacuums or shovels, and noises or flashing lights (thunder and lightning, for instance).
Arousal, too, may be manifested as aggression. The dog may exhibit aggression only when
excited, as during play or training, or when presented with high-value stimuli such as toys, chew
items, other dogs, or new people. We use the table in Appendix 1 (page 61) to describe the
levels of arousal that we see. (At each level we give an example of a behavior typical of that
level of arousal. It is important to note that “typical” does not mean the behavior correlates
perfectly with the arousal level; a dog may be sitting yet be in level seven, frantic and verging
on being dangerously out of control.)
The Components of the Good Dog Program
People find out about the Good Dog Program from their veterinarian, from brochures, or by
word of mouth. (Table 1) When clients contact us, we assess the problem over the phone to
determine whether their dog may be suitable for the program. If they seem suitable, a home
visit is scheduled, and we begin working with the family.
Private Consultations
All clients begin with at least four weeks of private consultations, during which we visit
the home and work with the family to implement a combination of management techniques,
changing the dog’s motivation or emotional response to the target or stimulus of their
aggression, and training alternative behaviors.
In the first meeting, we take a history. (Please see Table 1 for a summary of the information
that we seek from each client.) Where possible, we prefer to include the veterinarian and get
any relevant information from him or her. If we believe the behavior problem is medical in
nature, we refer the client directly back to the veterinarian.
During the first meeting, we also educate the client about our three-pronged approach

Fall 2004
48 GOOD DOG: A Program to Help Owners Address Aggression Problems in Dogs
to dealing with
behavior problems: Table 1. Information we want to glean when we take a history:
management, ♦ Name, address and phone number
changing the
dog’s motivation, ♦ Dog’s name
and training new ♦ Dog’s date of birth
behaviors. We also
use a pamphlet ♦ Dog’s breed if known/otherwise a physical description
to help the client ♦ Dog’s weight
understand factors
♦ Any significant illnesses
that might contribute
to a dog’s bite ♦ Current health
(Appendix 2, pages
♦ Other pets in the home
62-63) and a
chart that we have ♦ Name, gender, and age of each person living in the home and any regular visitors
developed outlining
♦ What the dog is eating and how much
arousal (Appendix 1,
page 61). Finally, we ♦ Where the dog sleeps and any information we can get about the quality of the dog’s
fill out a bite history sleep
sheet if the dog ♦ Any medications the dog is taking
has bitten anyone
(Appendix 3, page ♦ Details of the dog’s regular exercise regime
64). All clients are ♦ People friends of the dog
required to sign a
waiver. ♦ Dog friends of the dog
♦ Training history (we are especially interested in early puppy history)
At the end of the ♦ Details of the problem behavior, when it began, any triggers for the dog, any mitigating
circumstances that may have lead to the behavior problem, and details about what led the
first consultation we
clients to decide to seek help
meet the dog and
begin working with it. In our consults we record information on a palm pilot and use prompts to remind us what
Clients are left with questions to ask. We have chosen the information to collect based on the questionnaires
available in Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals by Overall (1997) and Handbook
a homework sheet of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat by Landsberg, Hunthausen, and Ackerman (2nd
outlining ex-ercises ed., 2003)
to do with their
dogs. Each client is
provided with homework appropriate to the needs of the individual dog.
Each week, we meet privately with the client, usually in the home. We work initially on
management and safety concerns, and help the family set up their situation so that they
give the dog two weeks with no occurrences of the problem behavior. In our experience, this
“vacation” from the problem can give the family and the dog time to relax. Families can take the
opportunity to review their goals for their dogs and obtain some perspective regarding how they

Fall 2004
would like to live with their dogs over the long term.
We also work with the family early in the process to

develop basic handling skills and control over their dog’s
behavior. Clicker training methods are introduced in the
first lesson to help the dog’s handlers identify and mark
discrete desirable behaviors. We will use the clicker in
Good Dog Class and in Walking Class, when dogs are
asked to interact with soft eye contact. We use head
halters and a balance leash (any six to ten-foot leash with
a hook at each end; see sidebar for a picture of how the
leash is attached to the halter and the collar on the dog.
Generally we find that the Halti™ brand head halter gives Molly wearing a head halter and double ended leash
the best control, because the nose band falls lower on the attached to both her head halter and her collar.
dog’s muzzle and gives better leverage should the client
need to physically close the dog’s mouth. Where a Halti™
does not fit, a Gentle Leader™, Snoot Loop™, or other
head halter may be used.
Optimally, the client will work one on one with us once

a week for two to four months, as well as attending a
weekly Good Dog Class and Group Dog Walks. The next
step is for the client to see us less often one-on-one,
but continue to attend the weekly Good Dog Class and
Group Dog Walks for a further three to five months. As
the family becomes more proficient at handling their dogs
Gaby ready to work in Good Dog Class, wearing a head
and the dog’s behavior improves, we again decrease our halter, attached to a tether and leashed at her halter and
one-on-one involvement to a single meeting per month, collar.
although the client still attends the Good Dog Class and the
Group Dog Walks. Typically, we expect dogs to complete
the program in between eight months and a year, and be
prepared to participate in a regular obedience class or live
peacefully in the owner’s home without further weekly
support.
The Good Dog Class
Ideally, the Good Dog Class includes four to seven dogs

at any given time. The objective of this class is to enable
owners to safely engage in desensitization exercises. Molly
Although we encourage family members to come together
Fall 2004
to this class, for safety and liability reasons we do not allow any children under the age of 16 to
attend. We usually have one person in the family as our primary contact and handler, and other
supporting members of the family are encouraged to attend as many activities as possible.
The intent of Good Dog Class is to always work sub-threshold; no discrete behaviors (such as
sitting, lying down, or going through a tunnel, for instance) are taught. Clients are required to
attend a first Good Dog Class without their dogs. Classes run continuously rather than in blocks
of six or eight sessions; new clients may join at any time This format provides real benefits to
the dogs: For instance, the dogs who are progressing are exposed to “rude” dogs as the latter
begin the class, while those new, “rude” dogs receive exposure to dogs who are under better
control.
We promote dogs to our Walking Class as they become ready for that level of work. Dogs are
ready for Walking Class when they can cope with an hour of Good Dog Class while maintaining
an arousal level below five and when outside of class they have learned to walk on a loose leash,
sit or lie down and stay on leash, and tolerate a variety of stimuli in their environment without
reaching an arousal level higher than five. Students will occasionally attend both classes at once
as they transition between the phases of the program. Occasionally students will be asked to
attend Good Dog Class for a few minutes after Walking Class, because doing so can be a very
rewarding experience for a dog who has worked hard for an hour to cope with the stress of
walking through an urban neighborhood. Classes are friendly, and some participants return to
Good Dog Class to visit their friends and offer support.
Walking Class provides a safe context for students to practice their leash-walking skills in an
urban neighborhood. We also teach students to teach their dogs how to sit or lie down and stay
in the presence of unexpected stimuli such as you might find in an urban neighborhood.
Good Dog Classes proceed as follows. Clients leave their

dog in their parked car and go into the training area. Either
the consultant or one of the assistants will tell them when they
can come into the classroom with their dog. Dogs come in
one at a time and each family is assigned a place to work with
their dog. Dogs are tethered to a secure object. (We meet
outdoors during the summer, when we use eyebolts in the side
of a building, a fence, and a large tree; indoors, we use bolts
secured in the wall). The humans are provided with chairs,
and visual barriers block off the line of sight between working Chair with tether and visual barrier.
stations. It is important to keep everyone safe and calm at all

times, including and perhaps especially the dogs.

Fall 2004
Once all the dogs have arrived in class, the consultant and assistants will spend time with
each of the families and their dogs. The consultant and assistants will approach dogs as they
are able to handle close social contact, and coach students in classical conditioning techniques.
As needed, one of the assistants or the consultant may handle an “uncle”—a confident, calm,
trained dog—approaching the reactive dogs as they are desensitized to the proximity of dogs
in class. (Uncle dogs are discussed further under “Group Dog Walks,” below.) As the reactive
dogs develop the ability to remain calm in the presence of dogs behind barriers, the barriers
are decreased or removed. We look for signs of calmness such as attention to the handler, a
low rate of respiration, and a cessation of focus on the uncle dog to indicate when the dog is
relaxed enough for barriers to come down. When a dog is able to remain calm and relaxed in
Good Dog Class, the students will be instructed to begin asking their dogs to follow cues from
their handlers in the presence of the uncle dog. Once the dog is able to follow cues from the
handler with the uncle dog approaching and the assistants approaching, he or she is ready to be
promoted to our Walking Class.
Dogs leave class each week much as they have arrived, one at a time and under control.
If needed, an assistant will accompany a client to or from the car with the dog. At all times the
goal is to keep everyone safe. If needed, the dog may be muzzled during class, although this is
usually not necessary as all the dogs are secured with a tether. We sometimes choose to muzzle
the dog between the car and the classroom area in the interest of safety for all concerned.
In the interest of keeping the dog as comfortable as possible, we use the least invasive
muzzle necessary to keep everyone safe at all times. Grooming muzzles are often chosen
because they allow the handler to treat the dog from the front and because they are similar to a
head halter in design. We sometimes use basket muzzles for particularly powerful dogs. As the
dog becomes safer, we graduate to a looser muzzle and then to a tight head halter, and finally to
a normally fitting head halter.
Walking Class
When dogs are ready to move out of Good Dog Class, they are introduced carefully into
Walking Class. Walking Class is similar to a regular obedience class in that all the dogs are
working on discrete behaviors such as sitting, lying down, walking on a loose leash, going
through or over agility equipment, and tricks. The activities carried out in Walking Class are
dictated by the abilities and readiness of the dogs participating. The key differences between
mainstream dog classes and Walking Classes are outlined in Table 2.
When dogs arrive for Walking Class, they go to a designated place and work on eye contact
while the class members gather. Once all the dogs have arrived and everyone has had a chance

Fall 2004
to warm up to
Table 2: Comparison of Walking Class with Mainstream Obedience Class
one another
Walking Class Mainstream Obedience Class and the
environment,
80% or more of the dogs in this class have ar- Dogs may or may not have a behavioral prob- the lesson
rived there via Good Dog Class and have some lem, but behavioral problems are not expected.
begins.
sort of significant behavioral problem. Our uncle
dogs, handled by student dog trainers, make up Usually, the
the other 20% of dogs in the class. instructor will
lead the group
Several activities are available for instructors to A set weekly lesson plan is followed.
through a
choose from.
quiet activity
New dogs may join the class at any time. Classes usually have the same dogs from week such as a
to week. group sit-
stay on leash
The curriculum is flexible to meet the needs of The curriculum and learning goals are set and
the dogs attending. independent of the needs of the dogs enrolled. to allow the
dogs to have
Dogs may attend Walking Class for the remain- Dogs usually finish a class and move to a more a successful
der of their lives to maintain skills. advanced class.
experience on
Dogs may leave class early if they are not com- Dogs are normally expected to habituate to any leash. Next,
fortable. stimulus in class that might cause them stress. the instructor
may teach a
new exercise
such as a trick (nose touch, paw touch, rolling on the side, rolling over, getting on a pause
table), agility obstacle, or obedience move. When the instructor feels that all the dogs in the
class are ready, he or she will lead the participants on a street walk in an urban neighborhood.
If a particular dog is not yet ready for this level of activity, he will be assigned a place where
he can watch the other dogs and his handler will work on desensitizing him through classical
conditioning.
Street walking is conducted in a very structured manner, de-pending on the needs of the
dogs attending class. The in-structor may have everyone walk in a group, walk one by one all in
one direction around a block, or walk in either direction around the block so that members of the
class can pass by one another. Dogs who are working on passing other dogs may pass handler
to handler, dog to dog, close to one another or on opposite sides of the street.
After taking a street walk, the class gathers again and the instructor assigns homework
activities based on what he or she has seen in class. Homework activities may include
desensitization activities or obedience exercises, again depending on the needs of each dog. It
is common for every dog in the class to have a different homework assignment.
All exercises in Walking Class are conducted so that the dogs remain below their thresholds

Fall 2004
for reacting with aggression. Because of the added risks of working in public, dogs must have
already attained a high degree of comfort with their environment and the handlers must be well
prepared to deal with any eventuality that may occur on the street.
Group Dog Walks
Group Dog Walks are organized, off-leash dog walks that take place on local hiking
trails. We choose our locations with an eye to avoiding dogs who are not a part of our social
group. Dogs on the group walk may be in any of various stages of the Good Dog Program; also
participating are the uncle dogs who share their lives with one of the consultants or assistants.
We meet at the trailhead in cars. Where necessary, dogs are muzzled before they start on the
walk. Dogs are taken out of the cars in an orderly fashion and remain on leash if need be during
the initial excited greetings. For a few dogs, this activity is far too arousing and would result
in dangerous interactions even on muzzle; we encourage these dogs’ owners to attend with
another dog or without any dogs.
Uncle dogs are an important element of the program. An uncle dog is an adult dog who is
fluent in inter-dog social relationships, who has been seen to successfully decrease the arousal
of other dogs during play, and who has enough training that he can be reliably called in or will
reliably lie down in position at a distance. We have found that neutered males are the most
common uncle dogs, although we suspect that unneutered males may have a special role to
play. We rarely encounter unspayed females and have never used one as an uncle dog in our
program. A very few spayed females work well as uncle dogs. (See ENDNOTE, p. 55)
It is vital that uncle dogs be continually socialized with dogs who do not have behavior
problems, in order to continue to support their special social skills. Uncle dogs are reinforced
liberally for making the correct choices when interacting with all dogs, and particularly during
Group Dog Walks with dogs with behavior problems.
The benefits of walking in a group are manifold for both the dogs and the clients. The
dogs have opportunities to practice good behaviors that they have learned in the course of the
private sessions and to interact with dogs who will behave predictably. The consultant and
assistants will intervene as necessary and interrupt behavior that might escalate into aggression.
They are also able to coach the people participating on the walks and teach them safe methods
of intervention; they “split” between two dogs who appear to be getting highly aroused, they
provide alternative activities, and they continue moving the group along. (We have found that
we see fewer interactions between dogs that may escalate to an aggressive incident if we keep
moving than if we stand in one location.)

Fall 2004
Everyone on this walk uses the same protocol for greeting dogs, requiring them to sit
before getting any touch, treats, or other attention; this benefits dogs who are shy with people
or who might jump up to greet.
People who participate in our walks benefit by being able to discuss their own dog’s behavior,
ask questions of the consultant and assistants in an informal manner, and interact with each other
and the dogs in an informal way.
During our walk, dogs are permitted to explore and interact with one another as they
wish, provided that they are not becoming highly aroused. We find that although chase games
are often exciting for dogs and interesting to watch, they often result in aggression when one
or another of the dogs becomes either highly aroused or frustrated with the game. There
is a difference between chasing in fun and frantic chasing; we encourage the former while
interrupting the latter.
Interactions between dogs that become tense, brittle, or highly aroused are defused by
splitting between the dogs (a human walks between the dogs and stays there until the dogs
disengage), catching and leashing dogs, and using Jean Donaldson’s protocol (Fight!, Kinship
Communications, 2004) by which a warning signal is called out and the dog has the opportunity
to make a better choice; if the dog chooses to disengage, we click and then treat all the dogs,
and if the dog doesn’t disengage, we use a conditioned negative punisher (the phrase “too
bad”) and leash the dog for thirty seconds to three minutes, after which we permit him to return
to play. Because these walks are typically attended by seven to ten dogs and six to twelve
humans, the freshly released dog often finds another dog to interact with and has an opportunity
immediately to make better behavioral choices.
The Group Dog Walk usually lasts between forty-five minutes and an hour, and we cover
between two and four kilometers during this time. We make a point of stopping three to five
times to call the dogs in or ask them to lie down at a distance. With novice dogs, especially
dogs who do not yet have a reliable recall, the “call in” serves to reinforce their recall skills. For
dogs who have no recall whatsoever, the act of having all the handlers call in, leash up, and
feed their dogs often helps these dogs to make their very first recalls in an informal situation. If
a dog will not return to the handler when cued, the other dogs on the walk are restrained and
one of the uncle dogs is permitted to play with the dog who will not come when called. Then
the uncle dog is called in and reinforced. Often this will entice the other dog in and allow us to
reinforce him and release him to play again. This can be repeated as often as necessary in order
to teach the novice dogs to come when called and establish a history of coming, being put on
leash, and being released to play again.
Dogs who are specifically aggressive on leash often have better social exchanges if they
have the chance to play with a group of dogs before being required to walk on leash. For these
Fall 2004
dogs, we may keep them on leash for a few minutes after the dogs are released from the group
recalls, reinforcing heavily. As the dogs are ready, we begin to put all the dogs on leash for
short periods of time, walk together, and then let the dogs off one by one.
A few words are in order about the fact that dogs are not leashed during Group Dog Walks.
We are encouraging social behavior, and we believe that there would be significant danger to the
dogs if they were to become tangled in a leash during play. We walk in areas where the dogs
cannot get directly to a roadway. Most of these areas are abandoned rail beds that have been
converted to trailways where a road crosses the trail once every two kilometers, and the trail is
bordered on either side by farmland. By changing locations for the dog walk and by keeping the
group moving along, we prevent dogs from establishing patterns of behavior involving resource
guarding of particular locations (especially entry to bodies of water) or becoming so familiar with
a location that they feel confident enough to leave the area and explore farther afield.
ENDNOTE: I have personally seen a number of intact adult male dogs who have had an
extraordinary ability to smooth out interdog encounters. I suspect that, as with humans,
there is a special role for mature male dogs in the lives of younger members of the species,
particularly those who are just on the verge of social maturity. My suspicion is that with
so many male dogs neutered in today’s society we rarely see a “normal” male-other dog
relationship. If, as has been suggested, the decrease in aggression between males who have
been neutered is a result of other dogs perceiving those males as pseudo-females (Dunbar I.,
video, Dog Aggression: Fighting, 1998, James & Kenneth Publishers), then the role of intact
males may be to induce other dogs to interact differently than they might with an intact or
spayed female. Frequently, I have seen intact males elicit appeasement behaviors from other
dogs without overtly “acting” in any way. I suspect that this may be in part due to pheromones
that they emit. I also suspect that there may be a role for intact males in facilitating
participation in “adult” activities as young pups hit adolescence.
Case Study
Date of First Consultation: October 27, 2003

Dog: Molly, female spayed, 1.5-year-old dog of unknown heritage,
approximately 60 pounds
Presenting Problem: Interdog aggression, both on and off leash, reacting to dogs
passing by the home when visible through the living room window
by barking and lunging at the window and racing around the home
Duration of Problem: Molly came from a shelter in the Toronto area. She began to
exhibit the problem behaviors within the first two weeks of living
with her current family. Molly’s history is unknown and she was
adopted as an adult.
Feeding: Feeding Canidae, 2.5 cups per day (she currently eats about 2
cups per day)
Fall 2004
Exercise: 1-hour walks daily on a long line where she can wander and run
Sleep: When first adopted, Molly was isolated in the basement at night.
She is currently given the run of the house at night but chooses to
sleep in the basement alone. During the day, Molly will sleep in
her dog bed in the living room or wherever the family is. Molly
also likes to sleep out of doors, basking in the sun. Her sleep
seems to be deep and undisturbed.
Previous Training: Spent one round of classes at a local training school where they
worked on systematic desensitization with minimal results.
Worked with a local veterinarian, who muzzled her and then
introduced her to several different dogs. Initial greetings were
videotaped and the video was provided. On video, we could see
that Molly was excited at seeing other dogs and when let off leash
charged them and bowled them over. After about ten minutes of
posturing, snarling, and other inappropriate social behavior, she
would back off and interact more appropriately. Molly will sit, lie
down, and usually walk on a loose leash. She had no recall when
she started the Good Dog Program.
Health: Molly is in good health and has had no major illnesses over the
past year.
Family Members: Molly is the only animal in her home. She lives with Janet, an adult
woman, and Bruce, an adult man. Janet is Molly’s primary
caregiver.
Other People: Molly is friendly to all people.
Other dogs: Molly did not have any other dog friends before starting the Good
Dog Program.
The history that follows is not strictly chronological, because private work, Good Dog Class work,
and Group Dog Walks overlap in time.
Private Consultations
I met with Janet and Bruce for about a month. Initially we worked on management, avoiding
triggering Molly by blocking her access to the living room window, and choosing times to walk
her when she would be unlikely to encounter other dogs. Any time that Molly’s arousal rose
above four (see Appendix 1, page 61), Bruce and Janet were to intervene and ask Molly to lie
down. At the end of two months, I began working with Janet alone to classically condition Molly
to associate dogs passing the home with food treats tossed on the floor. We also worked on her
ability to tolerate dogs on leash and in small social groups using only dogs who would tolerate
her poor greetings if she were to become aroused.
We worked hard to make certain that Molly never engaged in her lunge-and-bark routine on
greeting, and we let her off lead to play with other dogs only after she had calmly greeted them
on leash. Through classical conditioning, we were able to change Molly’s greeting pattern so

Fall 2004
that she was able to stay in control of her behavior. We also used a clicker to mark when Molly
made soft eye contact with a dog she was about to meet.
At the end of about the third month, Molly was introduced to a larger group of dogs off lead.
Any time Molly’s arousal reached six, we would call her back and ask her to sit and then we
would feed her and release her. The quality of Molly’s greetings improved to the point where
she was able to recognize dogs she had met on leash and socially interact with them without any
untoward incidents. Janet was somewhat apprehensive about Molly’s potential to harm another
dog, so we kept Molly on her muzzle for the first ten to fifteen minutes of most off leash dog-dog
interactions for the first eight months even though Molly had never actually caused any damage
to any other dog.
About the fifth month, we began to work with Molly on walking in urban neighborhoods, using
classical conditioning to teach her to associate the dogs who approach her on lead with food
treats. Janet has also taught Molly to heel formally with constant eye contact to help Molly learn
an alternative behavior to barking and lunging toward other dogs. Although Molly generally
appears to be more relaxed about other dogs, when she is aroused it would sometimes appear
as though she does not know what to do when she passes other dogs. At these times, Molly will
engage in some barking and lunging and some conflicted approaches and retreats, reminiscent
of her earlier behavior but at a lesser intensity
At the end of eight months, Molly boarded with me in my home while Janet went on vacation.
During this time, Molly became comfortable enough with the dogs in my house (she had walked
with these dogs weekly or more often for the past six months) that we were able to integrate
her into our home. She spent considerable time loose with the other dogs in the house or the
yard and went on Group Dog Walks with these dogs and others during her time boarding with
me.
Molly continues to improve in her ability to interact with dogs, and Janet meets with me every
two to three weeks to support her efforts in modifying Molly’s aggression toward other dogs.
Good Dog Class
Bruce and Janet attended Good Dog Class without Molly for one week to learn about how
we proceed in class. Molly came to Good Dog Class from her second week in the program
on. Initially, she came to class for a very short period of time to allow her to have a successful
experience. Over time, Molly was able to join the class for a longer and longer period of time
until she was able to attend for the full hour. Initially, Molly attended our evening Good Dog
Class but when we started an afternoon Good Dog Class Janet switched in favor of the smaller
Fall 2004
class. During class, Janet shared her frustrations with other class members and was the source
of much inspiration to new students, particularly as she become one of the longtime participants.
Group Dog Walks
Janet began to join our Group Dog Walks without Molly at the beginning of about the third
month. By the beginning of the fourth month, Molly was ready to participate. At the Group
Dog Walk, Molly met not only the dogs she had been walking with during her private lessons
but also some additional dogs. For the first two months, Molly was muzzled at all times during
the walk. Over this time, some dogs joined our walk and others left, but a core of six dogs
belonging to the consultant and assistants has remained constant. Molly now tolerates new dogs
on the walk admirably and rarely engages in any barking and lunging. Molly is slightly bossy
and will occasionally bully another dog, but usually she prefers to explore the environment in
the company of the other dogs without necessarily interacting closely with them. Occasionally
Molly will engage in a game of chase with another dog on the walk; we will permit this so long
as her arousal level stays below six. Molly’s recall and down at a distance are coming along
nicely and she is often the first dog to arrive when we call dogs in for reward and release. Molly
understands the protocol of a warning signal and will often break off if her arousal is rising and
we are able to mark a moment where she can make a choice to self-regulate her behavior. Molly
is more socially adept with dogs than with bitches, and we are now working on Group Dog Walks
to address this.
Currently Molly attends the afternoon Good Dog Class and the evening Walking Class.
Notes and Perspective
Janet has invested an extraordinary amount of time in Molly’s success. Molly is now able to
participate in most Group Dog Walks without her muzzle, she makes dog friends cautiously, and
she is beginning to be able to walk through her neighborhood with grace and ease. Molly and
Janet have participated in a tracking workshop, and they regularly have coffee in our local city
square. Molly will likely always have to participate in some sort of organized dog activity, but we
expect that Janet will need less and less support over the coming months provided she continues
to participate in walks or classes on a regular basis.

Fall 2004
Level Description
10 So far out of control that the owner cannot communicate with the dog
9 Dangerously out of control, but can still be restrained
8 Out of control but will still respond to a very high value stimulus
(e.g.: click, conditioned negative reinforcer, certain noises, perhaps touch)
7 Frenzied Activity
6 Charging, lunging, running
5 Excited movement; play, training activities
4 Purposeful walking
3 Wandering around, low level exploratory behavior
2 Resting, awake and alert but not moving around
1 Asleep
0 Coma/death
Appendix 1
Arousal
The degree to which an animal is aroused dramatically affects what he will do. If you want
to train your dog, he must be sufficiently aroused to offer behaviors and to learn. If you have a
dog with problems sur-rounding aggressive behavior, often you only see those behaviors when
the dog is significantly aroused. Recognizing what level your dog is at will help you when you
are changing your dog’s behaviors because you can learn how to influence the level of arousal
that your dog is experiencing.
Appendix 2
The material in this brochure is drawn from information in The Culture Clash by Jean
Donaldson (1996, Berkeley: James & Kenneth Publishers) and Dogs: A Startling New
Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution by Lorna and Raymond Coppinger (2001,
New York: Scribners). It is intended to be used during a consultation and provide the consultant
with a tool to guide clients through the process of understanding normal dog agonistic behavior
and the triggers that might predict a bite in their dog.
Copyright Sue Alexander, 2002

Fall 2004
About Sue Alexander Assessing the risk An Example to learn from 60
and
I use the following numerical system If a theoretical dog, “Ruffian” has a
Dogs in the Park freezing reaction to the appearance
to assess when a dog is going to bite.
If the situation contains enough of a broom, small children, floppy hats,
elements to add up to 10, then the large men, bikes, and thunder, then
dog can be predicted to bite. With “Ruffian” would be very likely to bite
Sue Alexander is a local dog if your brother came to your home
each trigger that a dog experiences,
trainer with over twenty assign the appropriate value to that on his bicycle during a thunderstorm,
years experience training trigger. carrying his small daughter and a
broom. While this situation is very
and handling dogs, both Reaction Value unlikely, it becomes easy to see how
her own and those of her a dog such as Ruffian could bite when
clients. Sue also has over Freezing 2 she never had shown any sign of
8 years experience as an aggression previously.
Growling 4
obedience consultant. Sue’s
Lunging 6
focus in teaching people is Every dog WILL bite
for better relationships at Snapping 6
Fall 2004
home, not in preparation Biting 10
As said before, every dog will bite, if
for competing in obedience.
List any triggers your dog may the circumstances come together the
Sue’s particular area of right (or wrong!) way. If you have a
have and their numeric value.
training interest is the dog who is at high risk to bite, please

rehabilitation of aggressive Trigger Value remember to keep everyone, including
the dog, safe at all times. This means
dogs and the resolution of
knowing what triggers your dog and
behavioral problems. Sue protect him from those triggers.
founded Dogs in the Park in Over time, you can teach your dog
1993 to meet the needs of not to react to his triggers. When
you cannot protect your dog from his
her friends who wanted to
triggers, protect those around your
learn to train their dogs. dog from being bitten.
GOOD DOG: A Program to Help Owners Address Aggression Problems in Dogs
Don’t worry, he won’t bite! Dogs behave predictably
If a dog is going to bite, he is going to

Every day, I hear my clients go through a predictable sequence of
behaviors just before he bites. At the
say these five words with beginning of the sequence is something
complete conviction that called orienting. When a dog orients
their dog won’t bite. And on something, he is noticing it. Usually
we would call the object or person or
for the most part, they are activity that the dog orients on the
right, their dog won’t bite trigger. Once the dog notices the
trigger, he will freeze, or indicate his
at the very moment they discomfort in some other way (dogs may
say that. The fact remains weave, drop their heads or pull their
DOGS IN THE PARK however that every dog WILL whiskers flat to their faces; each dog
will behave a little differently). The
bite, just depending upon the next thing that a dog will do is to growl.
situation. This is the warning that something
is going to happen. Growling may be
“I Thought You very quiet or subtle. After a dog has
Fall 2004
growled, he will lunge or snap. This
Said He Wouldn’t To determine the risk of a precursor to biting may be very quiet or
very noisy, but is usually very very fast.
Bite!” dog biting, you need to know And the final stage of course is when a
a little bit about the dog in dog makes contact with his teeth on the
question. What are this dog’s target or bites.

Information for owners of dogs triggers? How many triggers
at risk of aggression are there? Has the dog
ever bitten someone before?
GOOD DOG: A Program to Help Owners Address Aggression Problems in Dogs
Is the dog fearful? How A very common problem in dogs is

that handlers will physically punish or
expressive of discomfort is “correct” the dog if he growls. Dogs
Sue Alexander the dog? How reactive is the thus treated often learn to skip the
growl phase of the sequence and skip
519-826-5315 dog? ahead to the next step. For this reason,
it is very important to NOT correct a
dog for growling.
61
Appendix 3
The scale of bites is based on the information in Dr. Ian Dunbar’s videos Dog Aggression:
Fighting and Dog Aggression: Biting (1998, James & Kenneth Publishers). It is used in the
consultation to establish the number and level of bites that a dog has actually engaged in. This
page is kept on file for our information and may be added to in the event of any further bites.
Due to the risk involved with dealing with dogs with known hard mouths, we use the information
obtained in this exercise to determine what safety measures should be taken when handling
each dog. A dog who has landed a Level 5 bite is not eligible for the Good Dog Program, and
we would offer the client two options: referral to their veterinarian for euthanasia or referral to
a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. Although it is theoretically possible to rehabilitate a dog
who has landed a Level 5 bite, we do not feel that it is possible to do so while keeping everyone
safe at all times. Dogs who have landed Level 4 bites may be accepted into the Good Dog
Program at the consultant’s discretion.

Fall 2004
Bite Assessment Screen
Dog’s Name:__________________________________________
Levels of Bite Inhibition
Level 1: Snap with jaws: no contact with skin.
Level 2: Single bite and release; bruises only.
Level 3: Single bite and release; puncture wounds and bruising.
Level 4: Multiple bites. Dog may hang on, shaking the limb, dog may even make a series of quick
multiple bites, much like a human eating an ear of corn very rapidly.
Level 5: Level 4 bites with severe mutilation.
Level 6: Level 5 and death of victim.
Date Victim Level Details

Fall 2004
References for Good Dog Program
Dodman N. (1997). The dog who loved too much. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Donaldson, J. (2003). Fight! A practical guide to the treatment of dog-dog aggression, San
Francisco, CA: Kinship Communications.
Donaldson J. (2002) Mine! A practical guide to resource guarding in dogs. San Francisco, CA:
Kinship Communications.
Dunbar, I. (1998). Dog aggression: biting. Berkeley, CA:James and Kenneth Publishers
Dunbar, I. (1998). Dog aggression: fighting. Berkeley, CA: James and Kenneth Publishers
Dunbar, I. (1979). Dog behavior why dogs do what they do. Neptune, NJ: TFH Publishing.
Dunbar, I. (1991). How to teach a new dog old tricks, second edition. Berkeley, CA:James &
Kenneth Publishers.
Fogle, B. (1990). The dog’s mind, New York, NY: Howell Book House.
O’Heare, J. (2003). Dominance theory and dogs. Ontario, Canada: DogPsych Publishing.
O’Heare, J. (2001). The canine aggression workbook. Ontario, Canada: Gentle Solutions.
Landsburg, G., Hunthausen, W., Ackerman, L. (2003). Handbook of behavior problems of the dog
and cat, second edition. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders & Company.
Leuscher, A. (2001). Canine aggression. London, Ontario, Canada: Professional Animal Behaviour
Associates.
McConnell, P. (2002). How to be the leader of the pack and have your dog love you for it!,
second edition. Black Earth, WI: Dog’s Best Friend Ltd.
Miller, Pat. (2001). The power of positive dog training. Howell Book House, New York, NY.
Overall, K.L. (1997). Clinical behavioral medicine for small animals. St. Louis, MO: Mosby, Inc.
Sherman, C.K., Reisner, I.R., Taliaferro, L.A., Houpt, K.A. (1996). Characteristics, treatment, and
outcome of 99 cases of aggression between dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
47(1-2):91-108.
Reid, P. (1996). Excel-erated learning. Berkeley, CA: James & Kenneth Publishers.
Uchida, Y., Dodman, N., DeNapoli, J, Aronson, L. (1997). Characterization and treatment of 20
canine dominance aggression cases. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science. 59(5):397-
399.

Fall 2004
65
REVIEW: Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of

Dog-Dog Aggression
Jean Donaldson, San Francisco: Kinship Communications, 2004
Reviewed by Dani Weinberg, PhD, CDBC
Jean Donaldson is already well-known to dog trainers and behavior consultants for her
previous books (Donaldson 1996, 1998, 2002). In Fight!, her latest book, Donaldson offers
a typology of dog-dog aggression based on behaviorism. She proposes that we describe,
diagnose, and design treatment plans for aggression by looking at what the dog is actually
doing. Instead of attempting to make interpretations about behavior by considering the dog’s
past history (“He must have been abused”) or guessing at current motivation (“She’s afraid”),
she wants us to examine only observable data—to “see, measure and modify behavior using
well-established principles of operant and classical conditioning.” (Donaldson, 2004, p. 5).
This behavior-based classification scheme can then lead to more effective conflict-resolution
strategies.
The book begins with an excellent introduction that makes the following broad points: dog-
dog aggression is a normal and evolutionarily adaptive behavior; ritualized aggression is an
important peacekeeping strategy; even “genetic” behaviors are not necessarily immutable;
and “dominance” models of aggression are based on insufficient research and are essentially
ideological, rather than scientific. Donaldson then lists six of what she considers the most
common types of dog-dog aggression: the hyper-motivated dog with “coarse social skills”
whom she calls “Tarzan”; the proximity-sensitive dog who demonstrates the fight-flight model;
the resource guarder; the bully with play-skill deficits who targets and then harasses another
dog; the intense dog whose play sometimes tips over into aggression; and, finally, the severe,
and often untreatable, dogs who are predatory or simply asocial and compulsive fighters. She
reminds us that “Reality is a messy business and it is not at all uncommon for a dog to have
problems in more than one category.” (Donaldson, 2004, p. 21) In the remainder of the book,
she discusses each type in detail and guides us through an analytical process for making a
differential diagnosis. Based on this working diagnosis, she then presents prognosis-assessment
factors and treatment plans in a textual flow-chart style that helps to confirm the diagnosis and
resolve the aggression.

Fall 2004
66
I decided to test the practicality of Donaldson’s model during a recent behavior

consultation. After the client had described the dog’s unwanted behavior, I suggested that his
dog was somewhat shy and particularly sensitive to the proximity of other dogs. As a result,
she might respond either by withdrawing (if possible) or by preemptively striking out at the
other dog—“I’ll get you before you get me.” As I talked, the client smiled and nodded his head
vigorously. Yes, that was exactly right. He was then able to reconsider his previous historical and
rather whimsical explanation of his dog’s behavior—that she had been “abused” by a particularly
forceful Schutzhund trainer and, as a result, was very fearful of everything she encountered.
We now had a shared understanding of the dog’s behavior, and the client readily accepted my
proposed treatment plan.
Donaldson’s Tarzan type is particularly interesting, and that may be why she devotes
much more space in the book to him than to any of the other types. He is a dog whose behavior
is probably most often misinterpreted as fear, dominance, territorial, possessive, or learned
aggression. These interpretations may lead to ineffective and even counterproductive treatment
strategies. Donaldson’s description of Tarzan as an “over the top” dog who comes on too strong
sounds just like one of my own dogs! Tarzan is typically a highly social dog who, for one reason
or another, has had little opportunity to interact freely with other dogs and has become hyper-
motivated in their presence. “When he does make contact, his excitement and inexperience
cause him to commit asocial gaffes—he is too much in the other dog’s face and fails to read the
other dog’s body language” (Donaldson, 2004, p.14).
The treatment plan for Tarzan is a combination of carefully designed and monitored
“remedial off-leash socialization” sessions and teaching better on-leash manners through operant
conditioning. This section of the book is one of the most impressive and useful. Donaldson talks
about how to select dogs for remedial socialization and how to run a “Tarzan Therapy Group.”
She offers guidelines as to the size, composition, and frequency of the remedial play groups.
She points out that, although this is contrary to general principles of conditioning, remedial
play sessions should be allowed to run to the point of boredom and satiation. She includes
insights on how long a cooling-off period should be, following a flare-up.
For the proximity-sensitive dog, Donaldson prescribes a program of systematic

desensitization and counterconditioning and describes it in detail. In her discussion of the bully,
she talks about how to use negative punishment in the most effective ways. She also presents a
protocol for teaching the bully to interrupt his own bullying behavior.
For the resource guarder, Donaldson describes treatment plans that employ both classical
and operant conditioning. Here she goes beyond her previous book, Mine! (Donaldson, 2002),
which is primarily about dog-human resource guarding. She suggests training both the guarder
Fall 2004
67
and the guarded-against dogs. Her operant strategy for the guarder is to teach withdrawal from
the room—with the guarded object—when the other dog enters. She also teaches the guarded-
against dog to avoid the guarder when a valued resource is in the latter’s possession.
Donaldson has written this book in two different “voices”—the Teacher and the Thinker. As
Teacher, her writing is clear, direct, and powerful, and she makes excellent use of metaphor and
analogy—for example, pointing out similarities between canine and human behavior. When she
slips into the Thinker voice, though, she becomes abstract and her writing style is compressed.
A single sentence might contain several key ideas, making it difficult to follow. In addition, the
organization of the book makes it hard to navigate. Perhaps in the next edition, Donaldson’s
editor will make such simple corrections as starting new sections of the book on their own pages,
with their own section headings.
But these problems are only mild distractions from the high quality of information in the
book. Others have written useful books about dog aggression (Aloff, 2002; O’Heare, 2003).
Donaldson does not present new information so much as frame it in a new way—simplified,
concise, more focused, and very practical. She also adds her own valuable insights and
guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dog-dog aggression.
This book will be very useful for professional dog trainers and behavior consultants. It is
not the kind of book that I would recommend to a dog owner unless he or she was working with
a professional and using the book to support the work. The professionals, however, will find
Donaldson’s book to be an important contribution to their own learning and practice.
References
Aloff B. (2002). Aggression in dogs: Practical management, prevention & behavior modification.
Collierville, TN: Fundcraft, Inc.
Donaldson J. (1996). The culture clash. Berkeley: James & Kenneth Publishers.
Donaldson J. (1998). Dogs are from Neptune. Montreal: Lasar Multimedia Productions.
Donaldson J. (2002) Mine! A practical guide to resource guarding in dogs. San Francisco: Kinship
Communications.
O’Heare J. (2003) The Canine Aggression Workbook. Ottawa: DogPsych.

Fall 2004
68
IAABC COMMITTEES
Publications Consultant
Beth Adelman
Consultant for Feline Behavior Consulting Education

Pam Johnson-Bennett
Long-Term Planning for Animal Behavior Consultant Education

Barbara Shumannfang, Chair; Janice Triptow, Virginia Hoffman
Education Collaborative
Chris Hamer, Rachel Freidman
Ethics Committee
Michael Burkey, Chair; Carolyn DeFiore, Niki Lamproplos
Education Committee
Veronica Sanchez, Chair; Becky Schultz, Sue Kapla, Jen Shyrock, Barbara Handelman,
Robin Pool, Parvene Farhoody
Social Justice Committee

Thomas VanWinkle, Chair; Jan Gribble, Becky Schultz, Jeff Silverman
Service Animal Consulting division

Veronica Sanchez, Robin Pool, Debbie Winkler, Barbara Handelman, Mara Windstar,
Riggan Shilstone, Debi Davis, Sue Alexander
Therapy Animal Consulting division

Steve Dale, Patricia Hanley-Kallen, Tara MacLaughlin
Cat Behavior Consulting division

Debbie Winkler, Pam Johnson-Bennett, Marva Marrow
Parrot Behavior Consulting division

Liz Wilson, Joanne Oliva-Purdy, Jody, Bright, Mattie Sue Athan, Kim Bear, Pamela Clark,
Christine Davis, Phoebe Greene Linden, John Hoimeiier, Marguerite Floyd, Cathy Isbell,
Bonnie Kink, Bianca Zaffarano
Commission on the Dog-Human Connection

Chris Bach, Chair; Sue Kapla, Jennifer Boznos, Dr. Linda Arndt, Phyllis Goll, Bonny Barry

Fall 2004

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice: Fall 2004

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice: Fall 2004

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles



Theory and Practice

Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor

Journal Review Board

The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Vo1. 1, No. 1 Fall 2004

Association and Member News......................................................................... 8

Principles of Animal Behavior Consulting: An Ethological Approach........................ 15

Triangles in Family Assessment......................................................................... 22

The Behaviorist’s Road Less Traveled................................................................. 27

Reach for a Diversity of Animal Behavior Knowledge............................................ 31

CASE STUDY: Don’t Leave Me!......................................................................... 36

CASE STUDY: A Case of Apparently Unprovoked Aggression in a Dog..................... 41

REVIEW: Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression............. 65

Letters to the Editor may be sent to journal@iaabc.org.

Message from the President

On Values in Animal Behavior Consulting

behavior consulting even as it emerges as a new field).

York: Basic Books.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Association and Member News

Mini-Conference. IAABC will host its first mini-conference in Columbia, Maryland.

Brochures. The Education Committee labored over the brochure, “Dog Behavior Consulting:

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Long-Term Planning for Animal Behavior Consulting Education. Many thanks to

Education Collaborative. Chris Hamer, as Chair of the Education Collaborative (EC),

Membership Certificates. Designing certificates suitable for framing is more time-

Web Content. If you have a training/consulting-related product to sell, or a seminar to promote,

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

• CAT_IAABC. If you want to learn about cats, e-mail jlrhoover@comcast.net to be added

• SACIAABC. E-mail Sue Alexander at sue@nestnature.com to be added to the list. SACIAABC

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Principles of Animal Behavioral Consulting:

by Myrna Milani, DVM, CABC

The Principle of Behavioral Consulting Priorities

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

The Principle of Ethological Relatedness

The Principle of Client Conservation of Energy

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

The Principle of Historical Significance

The Principle of Credible Reference Points

1. It provides the consultant with an awareness of what circumstances among

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

2. It reduces the temptation to project emotion-based, rather than knowledge-based

The Principle of Behavioral Context

Because humans are so highly dependent on language as the primary form of

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

The Principle of Domestic Animal and Human Relativity

The Principle of Directed Results

The Principle of Client Involvement

Not so good when students always obey and acclaim them,

Worst when students despise them.

The student will say, ‘I did this myself.’”

The Principle of Disengagement

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

The Principle of Serenely Doing Nothing

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Triangles and Family Assessment