Animal Behavior

Consulting:

Theory and Practice

A publication of
The International Association
of Animal Behavior Consultants

Vol. 3, No. 2
Fall 2007
2
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Vol. 3, No. 2 Fall 2007

President
Debbie Winkler
Editors
Beth Adelman, MS, CABC
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC

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 2007 The International
Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, unless otherwise indicated.

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). The IAABC Mission is to assist and educate
owners and handlers of companion animals to prevent problems and to interrupt the cycle of inappropriate punishment,
rejection, and euthanasia of animals with behavior problems that are resolvable. This mission is accomplished by providing
state-of-the-art education and training to animal behavior professionals, so they can analyze, predict and resolve problem
behaviors, and by advocating and promoting humane intervention.

The IAABC Journal accepts articles on the following topics:

• Case studies
• Research reviews and studies
• Animal behavior consulting practice
• Book and DVD/video reviews
• Essays
Articles are selected on the basis of appropriateness, clarity, significance, timeliness, and contribution to the field of animal
behavior consulting. 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,

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
 3
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 authors. Permission
to reproduce such copyrighted materials must be obtained through IAABC and the authors. 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 nikitadog31@yahoo.com by electronic submission. Microsoft Word or RTF files are the
preferred format.

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.

Please submit with your article

• highest earned degree(s).

• professional certifications (e.g. CPDT, CDBC).
• current professional or departmental affiliation if applicable, and location.
• any changes in affiliation subsequent to the time of the study if this is a research submission.
• previous presentations of the paper, grants, or thanks and acknowledgments.
• contact information including e-mail.
Citations

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.
A more detailed description of citation style and formatting can be obtained from the editors.

PLEASE NOTE: Articles with incorrectly formatted references will be returned to the author for corrections.

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.

If you wish to submit photos with your article, they must be in 200 dpi or higher resolution.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
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Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Vol. 3, No. 2 Fall 2007

Table of Contents
President’s Message........................................................................................................................................................ 5
Debbie Winkler, CABC, CDBC, CPDT

What’s the Point of Peer Review?................................................................................................................................. 8

Beth Adelman, CABC

What We All Learned From the Pet Food Recall........................................................................................................ 9

Steve Dale, CABC

Rehabilitating an Umbrella Cockatoo..........................................................................................................................13

Debbie Winkler, CABC, CDBC, CPDT

Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth..........................................................................................................................15

Jan Hooimeijer, DVM, CPBC

Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs....................................................................................................23

Pamela S. Hogle

When Good Parrots “Go Bad”......................................................................................................................................32

Liz Wilson, CVT, CPBC

Growing Your Animal Behavior Consulting Business..............................................................................................35

Lee Livingood, CDBC

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

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
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President’s Message
Debbie Winkler, CABC, CDBC, CPDT

As the New Year begins it is a time for reflection and appreciation as the IAABC continues
to grow.

I am so appreciative of our founder and past president, Lynn Hoover, and all of our past and present
board members, committee members, editors, contributors, volunteers and members of the IAABC. We
are a wonderful group of dedicated professionals.

The Journal is something that I am especially proud of and it is an excellent member benefit for both
contributors and readers alike. The Journal provides an opportunity for members to present and share
their experiences and views. It is my hope that submissions will continue to increase and make this an
even more notable publication.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable holiday season and a happy New Year!

Debbie Winkler
Acting President

We wish to extend our congratulations to

Amy Shojai, CABC

Winner of the Cat Writers Association of America’s

Sticky Paws Training Award for 2007
for her article,
“Cat Meets Dog: Bringing Home Magic”
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice, Spring 2007 Issue

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
6

THE IAABC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Debbie Winkler, CPDT, CDBC, CABC

Acting President

Liz Wilson, CPBC

Treasurer

Mikel Delgado
Secretary

Chris Bach, CDBC

Member

Sue Bulanda, MA, CDBC

Member

Chris Hamer, MS, CDBC

Member

Mira Jones, CDBC

Member

Marilyn Krieger, MA, CCBC

Member

Debbie Strother, MS, BCBA, CABC

Member

Janet Velenovsky, CPDT, CDBC-TAC

Member

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
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IAABC DIVISONS
Cat Behavior Consulting Division
Pam Johnson-Bennett and Marilyn Krieger, Chairs

Dog Behavior Consulting Division

Sue Bulanda, Chair

Horse Behavior Consulting Division

Debbie Strother, Chair

Human-Animal Mutualism Division

Janet Velenovsky, Chair

Parrot Behavior Consulting Division

Liz Wilson, Chair

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
8
What’s the Point of Peer Review?
Beth Adelman
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and
Practice is a peer-reviewed journal. That means that
in addition to our panel of editors, who review every
submission, every article is also reviewed by your
peers—members of the International Association of
Animal Behavior Consultants who are certified in the
species the article is about. Peer reviewers comment
on the technical accuracy of the article and point out
areas where more explanation and/or detail is required
and areas where citations are required. Because our
members encompass a variety of methodologies and
viewpoints (along the LIMA-first spectrum), reviewers
are asked to give positive regard to each member who
has written an article and review the article based
on how well the author explains himself/herself and
the topic, rather than based on the reviewer’s own
particular methods and viewpoints. Articles are sent
to peer reviewers with no information about who
the author is, and the author is not told who the peer
reviewers are.
Every article published in our journal goes
through this peer review process. Why do we insist
upon this? There’s a short answer and a long answer.
The short answer is that we must if we want to have
any credibility in our profession. All scholarly journals
have a peer review process in place. Peer review is a
well-accepted indicator of quality scholarship. Articles
accepted for publication through a peer review process
implicitly meet the discipline’s expected standards of
expertise. If we want our journal, and our work as
animal behavior consultants, to be highly regarded
by other professionals, we must have a peer review
process.
Now for the long answer. The peer review process
makes everyone’s work better and stronger, in a
number of ways.
The peer review process pushes us to be more
thorough in our work. No one, no matter how many
years of experience they have, has seen every study,
read every book and journal, spoken with every
expert in their area of expertise. It’s just not possible.
Peer reviewers bring to our attention information we
may not have been aware of.
It’s important to remember that the per review
process is not a criticism—it is an opportunity to
learn and be better. As members of a professional
organization, we embrace all learning opportunities.
None of us are finished learning yet.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
As animal behavior consultants, we have two parts
to our job. The first part is to understand the animals
we work with and find ways to help them better fit
with human expectations for their behavior. The
second part is to understand the humans who live with
these animals and help them better understand their
animals and learn about humane, effective approaches
to modifying their animals’ behavior. This involves
communicating what we know about animals to other
humans. When we become better communicators, we
also become better animal behavior consultants. And
peer review helps here, too.
That’s because the other very important part of peer
review is making sure everything is clearly explained
and follows logically from point to point. This is
something only a neutral observer, someone who is
not already familiar with your work, can do. When
you write, you know what you mean and everything
is therefore clear to you. But that’s no guarantee that it
is clear to others.
Perhaps when you write an article, you show it
to friends or colleagues or family members for their
opinions. Feedback from all these people can be
valuable. But your friends and colleagues and family
members are familiar with how you do things, your
philosophy, your thought processes. If anything
is missing in your writing, they simply fill in the
blanks from their own knowledge of you. Anything
they read that was written by you will seem to be
missing nothing, because if it is missing something, if
something is difficult of follow or to understand, they
will subconsciously fill in the information without
even knowing they have done so. They’ll never notice
the problem, because it’s not a problem to them. That’s
why a review by someone who knows you and your
work is of very limited value. It will never give you
an accurate idea of what a general reader who does
not know you will experience when they read your
work.
And that is why every writer, whether it’s Ernest
Hemingway or Charles Dickens or John Grisham,
works with an editor. And why every serious journal
submits its articles to peer review—even articles by
B.F. Skinner and Marian and Bob Bailey. When the
best and most highly respected people working in
animal behavior today publish in serious journals,
they submit their work to peer review. Can we do any
less?

What We All Learned From the
Pet Food Recall
Steve Dale
The pet food recall was likely the most
significant news story ever relating to companion
animals. And as animal behavior consultants, we were
definitely caught up in it—not only because of our
own companion animals, but because clients turned
to us for advice on what to feed their pets. Waves of
information flowed out of the story, but only some of it
was accurate. Sorting through it all became a challenge
for all professionals who work with animals. Looking
back on what happened, what was said, and when,
is a cautionary tale for us all. We can all learn from
history. And it turned out, this story likely changed
the way many people perceive pet foods, as well as
perceive the media and, in particular, Blogs.
I participated in a panel discussion on the pet food
recall at the Convention of the American Veterinary
Medical Association (July 18, 2007). I told the
veterinarians there, “During the two and a half or so
months of the pet food recall, veterinarians appeared
on TV more often than I Love Lucy. Also, Blogs likely
played a more pivotal role in this news story than in
any other before. The pet food recall story will be used
as an example in journalism schools of how Blogs
forever changed the course of journalism from that
point forward.”
Other panel members were Dr. Stephen Sundlof,
director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at
the United States Food and Drug Administration
(FDA); Duane Ekedahl, executive director of the Pet
Food Institute; Dr. Saundra Willis of the American
College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and
public relations council American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA); Dr. Barbara Powers, president
of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory
Diagnosticians Dr. Robert Poppenga of the California
Food Safety Laboratory, Washington Post reporter
Rick Weiss, attorney Marc Ullman and Dr. Karen May,
assistant director of professional and public affairs
AVMA.
On March 16, 2007, the United States Food and
Drug Administration announced that Menu Foods had
recalled approximately 100 products. The recall was
announced late on a Friday afternoon, when veterinary
offices had already closed for the weekend throughout
much of the country. Veterinarians—including the
American Veterinary Medical Association—had no
idea this was coming, the seriousness of the recall or
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
9
the onslaught that was to follow.
The FDA had reportedly negotiated with Menu
Foods for the Canadian-based company to make
information available to veterinarians as well as to the
general public. However, to argue Menu Food was
less than forthcoming is an understatement. With pet
owners and veterinary professionals knowing little,
desperation for information was growing, as were
rampant reports of sick and dying pets.
With nowhere else to turn, pet owners posted on
the Internet. By now, rumors ran amuck on several
Blogs.
The AVMA started to mobilize, gathering what
facts they could. Participating partners included the
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
(ACVIM), as well as Dr. Jim Humphries’ Veterinary
News Network (VNN)—basically, a stable of “media
trained” veterinarians throughout the country. They
were activated and delivered a “let’s not panic but act
responsible” message. Mostly, the pet food companies
went underground, but at least at the start of the
crisis Iams (and to a lesser degree, others) offered up
spokespeople to appear in the media (Iams wisely
chose to use veterinarians as these spokespeople).
However, at least early on in the recall, with so much
unknown, even the most informed of those delivering
a media message knew very little.
Despite these responsible reports—or perhaps
because the only really responsible thing to say at the
time was “we don’t know much”—rumors that were
circulating did what rumors do: grow like a virus.
As the vacuum of information continued, the Blog-o-
sphere became the major go-to source of information
for millions of desperate pet owners. After all, with
Menu Foods and the FDA (at this point) not talking, and
individual pet food companies often too overloaded
or too worried to respond, even the major newspaper
reporters and TV and radio news turned to the Blogs.
It didn’t seem to matter there was no filter
distinguishing information from misinformation,
or truth from rumors. One particularly high-profile
veterinarian went on national TV and appeared in
major print media saying that his website/Blog was
the place for consumers to file reports on pets who
became sick or died as a result of the tainted food.
Never mind that no one was no screening or verifying
the information on this website/Blog to determine
10 What We All Learned From the Pet Food Recall • Steve Dale
if these were accurate reports or not. For example,
several family members potentially could post about
one pet and the tally would add up to several deaths.
There was also no effort to get veterinary verification
on the cause of death. Also, many of those who posted
assumed this was the official site to offer statements—
and nothing on the site said otherwise—so many
people assumed there was no need to contact the FDA.
This made it even more difficult to track the extent of
the problem.
The FDA was not without blame, though. They
took approximately a week to get their act together
and to begin to accept phone calls from frazzled pet
owners. Even then, the FDA phone lines were so often
busy that getting through was difficult at best.
Menu Foods continued to offer virtually no public
information. The FDA did begin to hold regular press
conferences in an effort to fill that information gap.
But the public had a basic mistrust of whatever the
government officials said, and even a mistrust of those
of us who reported on it. So, among many—even with
more reliable information available—a Blog seemed
the most trusted source. Interestingly, by now the
story was huge in the mainstream press, yet many
pet owners complained about a lack of coverage and
turned to the Blogs. Of course, the overwhelming
majority of information posted on the Internet turned
out to be not reputable.
But, as is often the case, Blogs did discover some
things that were true, even scooping the mainstream
media. Some Bloggers chose to comment on events
and offer their own views; other Bloggers sat back
and didn’t respond to the public chatter. Some Blogs
provided a service to e-mail updated alerts about recall
information directly to users’ mailboxes, which, as the
recalls continued, proved quite a valuable service.
While the FDA website finally got its act together—
to a degree—it was never particularly easy to navigate.
Meanwhile, the ACVIM website posted accurate
medical information, as did the AVMA site (both of
those sites offered this credible information from Day
One of the recalls). The AVMA site was transformed
into a 24/7 news machine, cranking out accurate and
up-to-date information related to the recall. All facts
were checked and double-checked before being posted,
more carefully verified than much of what appeared
in the mainstream media, and certainly more so than
the Blogs, which did little, if any, verification.
In general, most veterinarians did their homework
before appearing in the media to answer questions,
sometimes on live TV or radio. Humphries’ VNN
veterinarians had the advantage of receiving a sort
of game plan, and as a result delivered a consistent
and composed message. A minority but vocal group
of individual veterinarians (as well as some pet book
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
authors) took this tragedy as an opportunity to sell
books or further personal agendas. As the media
clamored for more voices, the definition of the term
“pet expert” expanded to include a surprising array
of people, ranging from dog groomers to kennel
managers.
The claims of the numbers of sick and dead pets
were loudly touted by one website/Blog in particular.
Their numbers were based on the previously mentioned
unverified posts from pet owners. The mainstream
media and general public were desperate for concrete
numbers. With the FDA conservatively refusing to
guess at numbers of dead pets before evidence had
been gathered and reports substantiated, the media
went elsewhere for their numbers. They turned to
this particular website/Blog, and often reported their
number as fact. Widely publishing and broadcasting
these numbers served to bring further attention to
the individual site, but. more importantly, panicked
an already frightened public. If the goal of many
of these Blogs was to move consumers away from
manufactured foods altogether, I’m certain that to a
degree they succeeded. In fact, many of the Bloggers
had preconceived notions about pet food long before
the recall and were already advocating home cooking
or raw food diets for pets.
Meanwhile, it seemed the recalls would never
end. Almost every day, the FDA was announcing a
new recall. This certainly didn’t do much to bolster
consumer confidence. Even some veterinary diets
were affected by the recall. Still, the reality was that
with even well over 100 brands recalled, only a small
percent of pet foods were affected. By now, staff at
veterinary clinics and other animal professionals were
taking phone calls in record numbers.
No matter how many pets became sick or died (a
number which is still a matter of conjecture), it became
evident that this was the single worst tragedy to affect
pets nationwide.
One message that did mange to make it through
the clutter was the signs of illness pet owners should
look for to determine if their pet was in kidney failure
(from eating tainted food). As a result, people began to
be more watchful of their pets. Others, who were just
plain concerned, took no chances. Pets who hadn’t seen
the veterinarian in three or four years or more were
now being rushed into clinics for wellness exams. Of
course, sometimes illness was discovered—as it might
be in any population of pets not seen by a veterinarian
for several years. Mostly, these discovered illnesses
had little or nothing to do with eating tainted food.
For example, illnesses ranging from heart disease to
cancer were found. Just as in human medicine, early
intervention may be the difference between life and
death. So, a strange quirk in the pet food recall story
is that while too many pets lost their lives, some lives
Steve Dale • What We All Learned From the Pet Food Recall
were actually saved.
There were other positive outcomes, as well. In a
radio interview with me, Sundlof said, “The FDA had
always taken a position that foods are safe until we
have a problem. We no longer believe that model is
suitable. We learned, and we have to do better.”
Sundlof doesn’t believe the U.S. pet food companies
had a clue that tainted ingredients were being imported.
But perhaps they should have. “We found out that
the companies [the U.S. pet food manufacturers] had
recently switched to a new supplier for wheat gluten
and rice protein [where the melamine and cyanuric
acid was found] for cost reasons. When we went back
and looked at the prices they were paying for some of
these products, it should have raised some red flags
right there. They were so far below market price for
what those commodities should have been.”
Of course, many wonder why we’re importing
wheat gluten and rice protein from China in the first
place. The answer is simple economics. Sundlof puts
it more diplomatically, “World trade is increasing, but
that’s how you can eat strawberries and raspberries
any time of the year.”
Maybe so, but no one wants strawberries or
raspberries that can kill you. “Exporting countries
are supposed to have mechanisms in place, laws,
regulations and federal oversight of those products to
ensure they meet our standards,” says Sundlof. “In the
case of pet foods, it turned out individuals [from the
two Chinese firms targeted in the recall] were being
fraudulent.”
Sundlof says he understands why consumers may
now be more than a little cautious about any imported
ingredients in pet foods, particularly from China.
“Ultimately, if consumers don’t regain trust, it’s a
failure of the FDA to reassure the public that any food
coming into the United States is safe, no matter where
it is produced.” He concedes that trust has waned. In
part, he understands. In part, he says views are based
on Internet posts and rumors rather than facts.
As a result of the entire pet food recall story,
everyone, including public officials, could not help
but notice the importance of companion animals as
family members. Consider this statistic: More than
18,000 calls were made to the FDA from mid-March,
2007 through May, 2007; that’s twice as many calls
as they typically receive in two years on any topic,
including all items from pharmaceuticals to food to
medical devices for both pets and people.
Imagine attempting to handle two years worth of
telephone calls in just three months. Sundlof concedes
the FDA wasn’t prepared to deal with the crisis.
He says one solution is to put together a legion of
trained volunteers who would be ready at a moment’s
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
11
notice should another emergency arise. Sundlof,
who typically does not offer a political or legislative-
related comment adds, “Having a CDC [Centers for
Disease Control] for animals is being discussed quite
vigorously, and it would be nice if we had that in the
future.”
After all, had the same things happened with human
foods (which Illinois Senator Dick Durbin and others
said was certainly a possibility), the CDC would
deal with tracking the numbers of sick people and
assisting them, while the FDA (and law enforcement)
would deal with figuring out what occurred to cause
the food to be tainted and how to ensure no additional
tainted supplies trickle into the market.
Instead of relying on individual firms, another idea
is to maintain dedicated toll-free phone lines—which,
obviously, would have to be able to handle enormous
call volume. Dial the free phone number and
consumers could press 1 for human food and 2 for
pet food—and then hear a list of any recalled items.
Yes, the Internet is a great place to disseminate this
information, but Sundlof agrees, “Not everyone has
easy Internet access to learn which items are recalled.
Also, if people are unsure, they could call the FDA at
the supermarket or pet store from their cell phones—a
good idea, since some foods recalled this spring
remained on shelves, although they should have been
removed,” Sundlof adds.
Still another idea may be to create a system so
scanners at stores would refuse to scan items that
are recalled, preventing them from being purchased.
“Actually, this system does exist, because Wal-Mart
used it,” says Sundlof. “We thought this was a very
good fail-safe mechanism.” However mandating such
a fail-safe system would be a legislative issue, not
something the FDA can force retailers to implement.
A key problem the FDA had to deal with throughout
the months of various recalls were all those erroneous
reports that began by surfacing on the Internet and
were often also carried into the mainstream media.
One example is the account of acetaminophen (the
active ingredient in Tylenol) in some pet foods. “This
was actually detected by a laboratory; I believe a result
of consumers sending in pet food samples to check for
melamine,” says Sundlof. (Melamine combined with
cyanuric acid was what tainted the pet foods in the first
place.) “And that lab reported back that acetaminophen
was found. The FDA asked for and received samples
and found no acetaminophen. Additional labs,
including the University of California, Davis, could
not reproduce the finding. We feel confident there was
no acetaminophen.”
Dr. Barbara Powers, president of the American
Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians,
said that more lab work could have been completed,
12 What We All Learned From the Pet Food Recall • Steve Dale

and more expeditiously, if there had been an organized

procedure in place to pay for it. She suggests either
a private fund be created for emergencies such as a
pet food recall, or that the government finance the lab
work. (She concedes the latter isn’t likely).
Ekedahl maintains the pet food industry hasn’t
taken a hit. But it seems just from reading those Blogs
that, at the very best. trust has been eroded. And it’s
likely, at least for a time, that some consumers have
moved away from manufactured food in favor of
home-cooked diets.
Hopefully, no story this big will threaten our
companion animals again for a very long time. One
lesson learned is to believe some Blogs some of the
time, but mostly don’t take their word for it. And
be wary of some websites, even those run by “pet
experts” and veterinarians, since some have their own
agenda. Clearly, the Blog-O-Sphere reaches many
people. Certainly, many people don’t have computers,
and many who do many have no interest in Blogging.
Still, for the first time in media history, in this story the
Blogs were definitely a player. Only history will tell
whether that was a good thing.
While the mainstream media doesn’t always
get it right, there’s generally no agenda and at least
a good faith effort to understand the story and tell
it accurately. In this case, the source that most often
had accurate, up-to-date news was the AVMA website
(www.avma.org), where there was an understanding
of medical nuances and only verified information was
posted.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007

Rehabilitating an Umbrella Cockatoo
Debbie Winkler, CABC, CDBC. CPDT
I adopted a male cockatoo from an animal
shelter in February 2007. His name is Charlie and he
had obviously been neglected physically, emotionally,
and socially. His diet consisted solely of Cheerios. He
was plucking feathers and fearful of people. When
approached he attempted to increase distance between
himself and the person, and if he could, not, he bit.
My first goals were to optimize nutrition and
enrichment. The cage was 24 x 24 inches and 30 inches
tall, with only one perch, one food and one water
container. He stood there day and night He was placed
in my aviary in a much larger cage, (3½ x 2 ½ x 5),
which I partially covered because he was constantly
startled by movement, and remembering that he spent
so much time covered, I thought he might be more
comfortable partially covered. He remained partially
covered until he decided to spend more time in the
other part of the cage, looking out and around. When
he was spending all of his time in the open uncovered
portion by his choice, I removed the cover.
I chose to feed a name brand food for parrots
that was strikingly similar in texture and appearance
to the cereal and began to mix it with the Cheerios. I
provided him with many different objects to shred,
chew, and manipulate. This provided him with the
ability to engage in some normal behaviors
Within a week, I was amazed to discover that he
was eating the parrot food and I was able to eliminate
the cereal. I began to add some vegetables and it took
a month for him to begin to sample them As long as
he was able to put distance between us, I was able to
clean his cage. He moved to one side of the cage while
I cleaned it and then to the other side while I cleaned
that
I began to “name” my activities to increase his
level of comfort and provide him with as much usable
information as possible. I begin to say “knock, knock”
just before entering the aviary and “hi” to inform
him I was about to open the cage. This lessened his
defensive behavior to a great degree and he began
to say “hi” when I approached the cage. We were
developing a routine that he could predict and I was
able to uncover the portion of the cage I had previously
kept covered.
His plucking had decreased, however, when I
cleaned the floor and windows, moved any of the
cages, or had other birds out of the cage, he would
resume plucking for a day or so. I began to “name”
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
13
the moving of the cages, the vacuum, the mop and
other birds, and began to do these things in the same
order daily. Within the month, when I said things like
“mop” he would look at the mop and knew what to
expect. His feather plucking continued to diminish
until it finally extinguished in approximately four
months
At this time, I wanted to teach him how to accept
the necessary husbandry procedures. He had no
interest in food rewards to start but was beginning
to enjoy attention. I determined this by his interest in
approaching the front of his cage when I entered and
his decrease in retreating when the cage was opened.
Attention was the only tool I had to use as a reward
in the beginning of his training. He seemed to enjoy it
when I spoke to him, especially when I said “hi” and
opened the cage. His enjoyment was evident since
he approached the front of the cage and vocalized.
We failed with the husbandry procedures at this
point because of his reluctance to be handled. He
shrieked, while attempting to bite and panicked when
I attempted to touch him with the cage door open and
retreated when I attempted to touch him through the
cage rails
I decided instead to try to teach him to move part
of his body in any direction in exchange for some
additional attention. When he would pick up his foot
to obtain a piece of food, I would wave my hand and
then provide attention. He was a fast learner and
within a few days I tried waving and he picked up
his foot and moved it slightly up and down. I always
laughed when he did this and soon he began to mimic
my laugh after waving.
All along, I had been giving him all types of food
such as peas, carrots, apples, and broccoli, as well as
other fruits and vegetables, most of which he ignored.
He finally began eating small pieces of apples. He
also began to enjoy a “shower” in the cage every
other day. I used a spray bottle and desensitized him
to being sprayed by naming it ”spray,” and misting
once and dropping a small piece of apple into a bowl.
Gradually I increased the amount of spraying, which
he thoroughly enjoys now. It is self-reinforcing and he
no longer needs the food reward.
He also began to enjoy getting a drop of water
from the sprayer. I used another sprayer to hold some
apple juice. Since I finally had a suitable food reward, I
taught him both the terminal and intermediate bridges
using a small drop of juice as a primary reinforcement.
14 Rehabilitating an Umbrella Cockatoo • Debbie Winkler

I could now reinforce his words and the wave. The

terminal bridge signals that the behavior has been
completed—the intermediate bridge is a form of
feedback indicating to the animal that they are on the
right track heading towards the terminal bridge
As he became more comfortable, he would put
his foot through the bars of the cage, and grab at my
clothes or hair. I began to hold my thumb out as a
target and he would grasp my thumb. I named that
“shake” and soon he would grasp my thumb when I
approached and said “shake.”
We progressed to pole targeting. I chose to use
a target with a clear Lucite handle and a bright blue
Lucite ball on the end. He will target both feet and
his beak to the pole and follow the pole as well. He
will also hold the blue ball with his foot for about
five seconds while I touch his feet. Having named
the clipper “clipper,” I am able to clip one claw
at a time while he holds the ball on the target pole
I am allowing him to come out of his cage two to
three times a day for up to an hour at a time. I also
named petting and when I say “ahhh” he moves
towards me and gives me his side, back, or head and
I pet him. If I say “ahhh” and he does not come to
me, I do not force it, I simply do not touch him—
however he responds more often than not at this point
The behavior bridge and target training and
enrichment has helped him become a much less
anxious parrot and consequently he is a much safer
and healthier bird.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007

Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth
Jan Hooimeijer, DVM, CPBC
The following article is printed from the proceedings
of the IAABC Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, 2007.
Introduction
There is still a lack of awareness that
parrots are non-domesticated prey animals who
are kept in captivity. Living with and working with
parrots as caretakers and veterinarians, it is essential
to know and understand the basics of handling and
manipulating the birds in a professional manner.
A professional manner can prevent problems from
occurring, avoiding unnecessary stress and trauma
to the animal as well as the handler avoiding bites.
When dealing with parrots and other animals, the
major dogma within veterinary science is Do No
Harm. Reducing stress is an important responsibility
for everybody dealing with parrots.
Without knowledge and understanding about
normal behavior in the context of a non-domesticated
animal, many owners consider normal parrot behavior
(such as noisiness), as a problem. Many owners
also underestimate the high intelligence of parrots.
Therefore, when normal behavior is misunderstood
and parrot intelligence is underestimated, a wide
variety of behavior problems are apt to occur,
depending upon the individual parrot, species and
circumstances surrounding the bird. Screaming,
feather picking and biting are common behavior
problems.
Within the Clinic for Birds, it is my experience that
many parrot owners/caretakers show that they are
uncomfortable interacting with a parrot. It is also not
uncommon for veterinarians to also show fear of the
parrot and have a problem handling and manipulating
the bird. Under those circumstances, it is predictable
that parrots show behavior problems.
The beak of a parrot (especially a cockatoo or a
macaw) is an imposing instrument that many bird
owners regard with a certain amount of awe and
anxiety. The power behind a parrot’s beak is well
known. In the wild, beaks are used to crack open
hard nuts and strong seed coverings. Nesting holes
in trees are enlarged using this same powerful tool.
In captivity, these same beaks are used to chew on
and destroy nest boxes, tree branches are turned into
matchsticks, nuts fastened with a wrench are loosened
from their bolts, and toys and furniture are reduced to
fragments—seemingly without effort.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
15
The amount of power a parrot can exert with a
lightweight skull and a lightweight beak is exceedingly
impressive. By combining strong muscles and the
hinge construction of the upper beak, parrot beaks
can be as effective as a pair of strong, sharp pliers.
Apart from eating and customizing the nesting site,
the beak also has many other important functions. It
is used as a third foot when the birds are climbing to
keep them steady. It is used to hold objects so that the
sensitive tongue can investigate them. The beak is also
the instrument that is used to care for the bird’s own
feathers and for those of its partner. Beaks also help
adults care for young birds.
Biting is a frequently cited reason for relinquishing
a pet parrot, and the bird then disappears into the
cycle of sale and re-sale or is dumped at a rescue
center. At the Clinic for Birds, it is our experience that
the arrival of a baby in the house often coincides with
the departure of the parrot because of the new parents
fear that their offspring will not be safe around their
pet. If it’s not the concern of the parents, then it is the
concern of the grandparents. That beak, after all, could
do terrible damage to little fingers, little toes, little ears
or a little nose!
Parrots as Prey Animals
Parrots are prey animals in nature, and the fear of
being killed determines a major part of their normal
behavior. When a prey animal is unable to escape
from a predator, the only survival strategies left are to
try to intimidate the predator and/or to bite. It makes
sense that under those situations, biting is meant
to cause serious damage to the predator. The fear
of being killed is also normal behavior in captivity,
and dealing with parrots without understanding the
consequences of parrots being prey animals is bound
to create problems.
Humans are predators. The eyes of humans are
positioned like those of dogs, cats, owls and birds of
prey: at the front of the head, with binocular vision.
Many well-meaning people are intimidating their
birds without realizing it. Being nice does not solve the
problem. Demonstrating respect for the background
of parrots will make a difference.
Breeding pairs of parrots sit or eat next to each
other, observing each other with one eye. Positive
social behavior includes turning the neck and back
to the other bird to show the opposite of intimidating
16
behavior. This is quite different from human behavior
among lovers. Human lovers will sit opposite each
other in a restaurant, looking into each other’s eyes.
Parrots would sit next to each other in a restaurant,
looking with one eye.
Parrots who are intimidating another parrot mimic
the posture of a predator, looking straight forward
with their body pointed toward the other bird. The
same posture can be seen in frightened birds who have
no possibility to escape. Under these circumstances,
“aggression” should be considered a defensive
behavior rather than an aggressive behavior.
Biting Other Parrots in the Wild
It is striking that there is no significant data to
support the idea that parrots inflict serious or fatal
bite wounds on each other in the wild, so it is unlikely
that deliberately wounding or killing their fellows is
part of the natural behavior of parrots. Debilitating
members of the same species does not seem to be in
the interest of the preservation of parrot species.
When breeding pairs are near their nesting site,
territorial behavior is normal. Skirmishes certainly take
place, but these are mostly displays and mock fights
in which real damage is seldom done. Parrots learn
early in their development to read the body language
of their species and know precisely what is permitted
and how far they can go in their combativeness. Playful
romps with other youngsters are part of the learning
and socialization process for every young parrot, and
I know of no documentation that this has ever lead to
serious injury.
Biting Other Parrots in Captivity
In captivity, biting problems are seen most
frequently among the cockatoos kept in aviculture,
where males have been known to seriously injure
or even kill a female. Birds of some species, such as
lovebirds and forpus species, have been known to
attack and even kill sick or wounded fellows. At the
Clinic for Birds, serious head wounds have also been
observed in budgies and cockatiels when they are
housed in same-species groups. It is not uncommon
that the dead birds are then cannibalized. I am not
aware to what extent, if at all, this occurs in nature.
In captivity, limitations in cage size often hinder
normal avoidance behaviors, making it impossible for
birds to respond appropriately to body language that
in the wild would elicit a retreat from a confrontational
situation. Unable to flee, a bird becomes insecure and
defensive, often resulting in aggression. Attacking or
biting other birds in such a situation can be regarded as
unnatural behavior due to the unnatural circumstances
of captivity. For instance, colony breeding of captive
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth • Jan Hooimeijer
hyacinth macaws was stopped after an incident in
which one male was attacked and killed by another
male.
We can regard biting in captivity as an expression
of insecurity, and thus part of a behavior resulting
from unnatural circumstances. Insecurity is observed
in birds during periods of hormonal or sexual activity,
and in instances of physical problems or sickness.
Birds with a strong attachment to their owner
exhibit bonding behavior, which in turn causes
territorial behavior toward other members of the
family. This territoriality is often considered aggressive
or dominant behavior, although it is actually insecure
and defensive behavior. Away from its own territory,
or when the partner/owner is absent, the bird behaves
completely differently. The most striking examples are
female lovebirds who act very territorial and offensive
in their cage. The same bird outside of the cage in a
neutral environment shows positive social and gentle
behavior. A bird should not be labeled as aggressive
without understanding the specific circumstances and
background of the behavior.
Biting People In Captivity
Considering the interaction between humans
as predators and parrots as prey animals, it makes
sense that parrots have reason to demonstrate a lot
of defensive behavior. There is a constant stream of
stories and anecdotes from parrot owners who report
having been bitten by their pets. However, according
to the experience at the Clinic for Birds, instances
where subsequent medical attention was necessary
are exceedingly rare. This is surprising, considering
the amount of damage a parrot beak could do if it was
actually used with the intention to maim or injure.
This shows that it is rare for parrots to intend to cause
serious injury, which is amazing considering that
the human predator frequently intimidates the prey
birds.
In the past 24 years, the Clinic for Birds has not
seen a single incident of a parrot biting and causing
serious injury to a child. In addition, my investigation
of personal, anecdotal or media-covered experiences
of bitten children has so far not uncovered a single
incident. Again, considering the actual capabilities
of a parrot beak and the size of a child’s finger, nose
or ear, one might have expected to hear stories of
severed or mutilated young appendages. There is no
guarantee that accidents like this will never occur, but
those accidents have to be considered extremely rare
and can be considered unnatural even in captivity.
The experience at the Clinic for Birds is that parrots
react completely differently to children compared to
the way they react to adults. Apparently, parrots view
Jan Hooimeijer • Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth
children in much the same way as human adults do.
Children are not seen as threatening or intimidating
and therefore do not make the birds feel insecure,
creating defensive behavior. This is all the more
striking when compared with the behavior of dogs.
When a dog owner is afraid that his pet might bite
a child, his insecurity confuses the dog and increases
the chances that the dog will indeed bite the child.
In spite of the fact that most parents feel anxiety
about the perceived risk that a parrot will bite a child,
parrots do not respond to this by biting. At most,
the bird plays a game in which he pretends to bite
but does not carry out the “threat.” The frightened
reaction of the parents can be regarded as a “reward”
for this undesired behavior, thus reinforcing it. Even
in situations where one could think that the parrot had
every reason to bite, as when a child “pets” the bird
too hard, pulls a tail or intentionally or inadvertently
teases, parrots do not inflict the expected wounds. At
most, a bruise may result, and this is most often caused
by pulling back of the finger or hand that was being
held in the beak. Apparently, parrots have a natural
inhibition when it comes to biting children. This is
all the more reason to respect their natural behavior.
Parrots biting children is a sad myth.
Biting as Learned Behavior
As with any behavior, biting will increase when
the consequence of the behavior is rewarding. There
is no such a thing as “just biting.” It is not uncommon,
for instance, that caretakers warn me that a parrot
hates men and bites them. This is an example of a self-
fulfilling prophecy. The caretakers are surprised when
a man not hindered by prejudice walks away with the
bird on his hand after a few minutes.
Most owners do not realize that parrots use their
beak as a tool to climb instead of with the intention
to bite. This may explain why biting in hand-reared
babies is a very common problem; babies are using
their beak to explore. When normal behavior such as
grabbing a finger creates a predictable response that is
rewarding to the bird, the behavior will be repeated.
There are always specific circumstances, reasons and
consequences that make the behavior occur over
and over again. Any response can be considered
as a reward. Asking the bird to “be gentle” can be
reason to bite again, to make you say it again. Waiting
until exploring becomes hurtful and responding at
that moment is creating unwanted behavior. Any
punishment, and even “a time out,” can become a
reward. Sometimes it’s a challenge to identify the
reward that is the reason why the bird performs a
behavior repeatedly.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
17
Preventing Biting
Prevention starts with understanding the
background of biting behaviors, looking at the
circumstances and the body language of the parrot.
Prevention is about creating circumstances in which
the bird is comfortable and secure. Prevention is
about showing an attitude and body language as
owner and veterinarian that is respectful. Prevention
is about understanding the circumstances, the reason
and the consequences of biting behaviors. It is vital to
determine what is rewarding the behavior. It is vital
to evaluate the reason for the parrot to show biting
behavior even in non-threatening circumstances.
Biting behavior is frequently determined by
circumstances, as it is in nature. Territorial behavior
is determined by the circumstances in which a pair
defends a nesting site. The same birds do not show
any “aggressive” behavior toward other birds within
a flock if they are gathered at a site with plenty of food
or water. In captivity, the cage can be considered as
the nesting site. This explains the defensive behavior
of birds who are approached while sitting in or on top
of their cage. The same bird can show very different
behavior sitting on a separate play gym.
We also see a big difference depending the height of
the parrot’s perch. A parrot sitting on a high place will
usually show defensive behavior when approached.
Sitting on a lower position, the same parrot is often
happy to step up to the hand. It explains why the same
bird, sitting on the shoulder or sitting on the hand of
the owner, is expressing different behaviors.
Parrots need company to be the socially interactive
birds that they are. Any isolated social animal will
develop insecure behavior. However, we do not
recommend pair bonding in companion birds. Pair
bonding with the owner creates aggressive behavior
toward other family members. Having a male and a
female of the same species can create typical territorial
behavior that will create a problem for the birds as well
as for the caretakers. Having a parrot as a companion
bird can be considered as a very unnatural situation;
having a breeding pair of parrots as companion birds
is even more unnatural. It is my experience that having
different species as companion parrots can prevent
many behavior problems.
Handling Parrots Who Show Aggression
and Redirecting Biting Behaviors
We have to realize that dealing with aggressive
behavior requires dealing with the whole bird because
there is never just “aggressive behavior.” The typical
question, ”How can we teach the bird not to bite?”
is therefore incorrect. The correct question is, “Why
is the bird biting, how have we reinforced biting and
18 Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth • Jan Hooimeijer
what can we do to reward a different behavior?” We
need to approach a specific problem with a holistic
approach.
As with humans, the first impression is very
important. We need to show a bird that the caretaker/
veterinarian is knowledgeable about parrots and the
specific species involved, and to show respect for the
bird as a prey animal. We should approach the bird
without looking at it, so we do not appear to be a
predator going after a prey. Turning our back toward
the parrot also shows the opposite of intimidating
behavior and will allow the bird to realize you are
a friend. Telling the bird it is beautiful will help the
bird to relax. This positive attitude will create trust
and prevent defensive behavior. This positive attitude
will create a situation in which the bird is willing to
cooperate and step up on the hand.
In the context of the veterinary clinic, we must
realize that owners may be nervous and uncertain
about what to expect during the consultation,
examination and treatment.
The attitude of the owner can have an influence
on the behavior of the parrot and it is an important
factor to consider before approaching the parrot.
The caregiver and the parrot need to experience
a professional and friendly approach based on
knowledge and experience. Professionals should
show control, be nice and be interesting, because a
professional is also a teacher.
During an office visit, we talk about basic behavior
issues with the caretaker before approaching the
parrot. Not paying attention to the parrot during
the conversation with the caregiver gives the parrot
the opportunity to learn who you are and what your
intentions are. The owners sit on a chair while I stand.
The cage is put behind my back or the parrot is put
on a T-stand in the corner of the room, instead of on
top of the table in the middle of the attention. The
caregiver is asked to look at the whole room and not
the parrot. Every time the caregiver looks at the bird
when it shows fear, he/she rewards and confirms the
bird’s fear and uncertainty.
5-Step Behavior Protocol To Show Respect
And To Prevent Behavior Problems
The Clinic for Birds has developed a 5-step
behavior protocol to show respect for the bird as a prey
animal, to reward wanted behavior, to acknowledge
the parrot’s intelligence and to redirect unwanted
behavior. Using this protocol, biting is not rewarded.
Touching, feeling and chewing an object becomes
wanted and rewarded behavior. Using this protocol,
unwanted behavior is redirected into wanted behavior
using positive reinforcement.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
Using the 5 step behavior procedure for less then
a minute makes it possible to towel the parrot for
a physical examination, take a blood sample, or
groom the beak or nails without creating a traumatic
experience for the parrot. Owners will be amazed to
see that parrots, after handling, feel more comfortable
than before handling.
Although it is not possible to describe all the
different possibilities dealing with each parrot and
each species, there are common guidelines to follow
when dealing with parrots. The most important aspect
of dealing with parrots is the attitude of the person
or persons caring for the parrot. A basic protocol for
veterinarians and caregivers can be summarized in
the following five steps. This protocol can also be used
with any parrot showing any behavior problem, such
as biting.
Step 1.
Establish yourself as a leader through nurturing
guidance. You must demonstrate to the parrot that
you are in charge through your confidence and self-
assurance. Show that you are comfortable, that you
don’t have a problem with anything. Be a positive role
model. This should be conveyed without looking at
the parrot and without interaction.
Be silly, play with an item or toss a little ball against
the ceiling or wall to get the bird’s attention. Parrots
feel comfortable with people who are comfortable in
the presence of parrots. Your interaction around the
parrot will tell him all about you. It means that people
often have to act and play a role around the parrot.
Step 2.
  Step 2 rewards the behavior that has been
manipulated by our attitude performed in step
1. The bird become comfortable by watching us
and observing that we feel great/happy under all
circumstances. Establish yourself as the one who
shows unconditional love and caring. Tell the parrot
that it’s the most beautiful creature on this planet
and how precious it is to you. Mean it, because your
positive attitude is a reward. Be a professional actor. 
 
Step 3
It is important to reward the intelligence of the
parrot by sharing, in detail, what there is to see around
it, such as birds in the trees, toys on the table, colors,
shapes, sizes, objects. Establish yourself as the best
teacher the parrot can wish for. At the same time, show
your own intelligence. Make the bird feel important
with a comfortable and positive posture. Parrots truly
enjoy people who share knowledge and enthusiasm.
Jan Hooimeijer • Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth
There is no question that they will listen, watch and
learn. Reward the bird for listening, watching and
learning.
Step 4.
As a reward for listening and learning, tell the bird
that it’s okay to touch your pen, toy, paper or towel
and praise the bird enthusiastically for doing so. Only
let it touch items when you say it is okay. Otherwise,
when the parrot reaches out for something, just take it
away without a word and present it again after a few
seconds. Then tell the bird that now it’s okay to touch
or even bite into the item. Parrots are then usually very
gentle, touching with their tongue. Allow the bird to
participate in the learning process by offering it new,
small, unthreatening objects. Let the bird experience
that it may touch and feel the objects and allow it to
investigate. Praise each positive move.
Each time you present your hand for the bird to step
up and it does it, praise the bird enthusiastically. The
parrot will perform the wanted behavior because it is
being positively reinforced.
Step 5
It is important to create circumstances in which
we feel comfortable. When we feel comfortable, there
is a reason for the bird to feel comfortable. When the
parrot shows fear, do not reassure the bird or explain
that there is no reason to be afraid. Reassurance can
easily create more fear and insecurity because it
confirms that there is reason to be frightened. From
my experience, after going through steps 1 though 4,
a situation is created that can be described as mutual
respect and mutual trust. When the bird fears a place
or object, such as the towel, be understanding and
start over again with step 1 of the protocol. Soon the
bird will experience which behavior is rewarded and
which behavior is not rewarded. When the bird is
comfortable enough to touch an object of which it was
fearful to begin with, reward the bird by telling it how
brave and wonderful it is. Each time it overcomes a
fear, reward the bird. All parrots need to overcome
fear and insecurity, and this will help to stimulate
self-esteem. The purpose is to create a situation in
which a parrot accepts novel situations. It can be
examined, have blood taken, groomed, wings clipped,
gently toweled, etc. Owners are amazed to see how
comfortable the parrots are as they step onto the hand
after taking a blood sample or giving injections.
The 5-step protocol is a technique for desensitizing
the parrot. Showing respect and trust creates respect,
trust and self-esteem. It is critical to always use the
five points in the right order. The whole protocol may
take less then one minute and can even be performed
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
19
within 30 seconds. It may only take a few minutes
of using the 5-step protocol in the exam room, prior
handling, to make sure the bird understands that the
veterinarian does not intend to do harm but is using
positive reinforcement to achieve positive behavior
even under scary circumstances.
At the Clinic for Birds, the minimum length of
high-quality time spent per day with a parrot with
behavior problems is 20 minutes. Working with a bird
for 10 minutes, two to three times a day, can make
all the difference in the world. At the same time, it’s
important not to respond to the bird’s undesirable
behaviors.
Parrots respond to the positive circumstances that
are arranged in their environment. The most powerful
component of this is how the parrot is handled. This
teaches the parrot and the owner to be calm and
confident. It is impressive how parrots can adapt to
fearful situations. Wild caught parrots have shown
that over the centuries. Parrots can easily overcome
fear in a way that most humans cannot.
I tell my clients that I do not expect them to get
the same results within 10 minutes. They should have
realistic expectations, and I share my experience and
knowledge as a parrot behavior consultant and avian
veterinarian over the past 25 years. It is a joy to see
that owners are able to make a dramatic change in
their attitude, but it may take weeks or months before
owners are able to consistently change their attitude
toward the bird, learn the proper timing of positive
reinforcement and redirect unwanted behavior.
Wing-Clipping as a Management Tool to
Prevent Behavior Problems
As social and intelligent animals, parrots need to
be part of social interactions with family members
inside and outside the home. It is also vital for any
bird to be outside as much as possible because they
need sunlight and fresh air. Birds who are allowed to
fly around in the house generally do not come outside
because their cages are often too large to handle. In my
experience, very few owners are capable of dealing
with a full-flighted parrot. Over the years, wing
clipping has become, in many situations, a major part
of taking care of a companion parrot.
For parrots, flight is essential for survival, for
finding food and roosting places, and to escape from
predators. Flying can also be a part of their natural
courtship behavior and a part of providing food for
the partner and for youngsters. In nature, flying takes
only a very small part of day. As we can see, in nature,
flight has many functions, but most of them are no
longer valid for a companion parrot or as parrot a
within aviculture.
20 Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth • Jan Hooimeijer
Parrots with clipped wings have many advantages.
• Birds develop increased self-esteem and show
less fear in new circumstances.
• The parrot can join the caregiver in more
activities, ensuring better bonding.
• Parrots show less fear/insecurity/aggression
and other unwanted behaviors.
• Birds can be taken out daily, into the garden,
hiking or biking into the woods, on a boat
trip, etc.
• Other members of the family and friends are
able to take the bird on the hand and interact
with it.
Fully flighted birds are not able or allowed to
participate in all kinds of family activities and are
confined to spending their time in a cage waiting till
the family comes home.
At the Clinic for Birds, wing clipping is never
performed just because it benefits the owner. Wing
clipping is only done with a thorough behavioral
consultation. Wing clipping is more than just clipping
wing feathers; it has to be part of responsible care
of the needs of a parrot who is kept as a member of
the family. We do not perform wing clipping until
the owner is well educated about the risks of flying
parrots.
Wing clipping should be done only on parrots
who have learned and practiced flying as part of
their physical development. In young parrots wing
clipping should be done gradually over a period of
several weeks.
At the Clinic for Birds, the first wing clip is
only done in combination with a serious behavioral
consultation that takes at least an hour. Owners
receive a written report and recommendations, and
are asked to call after 7 to 10 days with an update. The
caregivers are encouraged to keep a log book to write
down specific situations and questions that arise.
The next behavior consultation is done after
four weeks, to re-evaluate the situation, to answer
questions, to discuss the future possibilities and to
further educate the caregivers.
Wing clipping can be done in a series of sessions
and must always be symmetrical so the bird is always
in balance and can exercise with wing flapping as a
normal part of its behavior. Wing clipping is done so
that the bird is able to fly about six feet, to prevent
injuries. The number of outer wing feathers that are
clipped depends on the species. For African grey
parrots, we clip about eight feathers, for cockatiels we
clip more. The feathers are clipped about half an inch
from the coverlet feathers.
Wing clipping is a reversible procedure. During
molting, clipped feathers will be replaced by new
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
feathers. It takes about three to four weeks to grow
a new feather that is the same length as the clipped
feathers. The number of times new feathers have to
be clipped depends on the species and the molting
activity of the individual bird.
Owners are educated to perform the procedure
of wing clipping as a daily routine to ensure that the
procedure is experienced as a positive part of the
daily activities, ending with rewarding the bird for its
behavior. This daily routine also ensures that the parrot
cannot “suddenly” fly again. The same procedure is
advised for trimming with the nails using a file.
n my experience, we see fewer problems with
wing-clipped parrots when manipulating them for a
physical examination, treatments and injections. They
show respect and trust when we need to do the nails
and beaks and show self-confidence afterwards. They
do not develop what would be described in human
behavior as “hard feelings.” In my opinion, birds who
are not wing-clipped generally show more fear and
are more difficult to handle, experiencing a simple
procedure as a stressful event. They show a lack of
trust and no self-esteem.
It has been my experience that wing clipping as
part of good parrot management can prevent common
problems. Wing clipping provides the birds more
freedom and joy than having the opportunity to fly
free in the house and not being taken out for a walk
outside and becoming a part of “the human flock.” In
my opinion, this is the only way for the average parrot
owner to take care of their bird and ensure the health
and well-being of that bird.
Wing clipping can also have advantages for parrots
within aviculture when the birds are housed in cages
too small to give them the opportunity to really fly.
Wing clipping enables the aviculturist to take the
birds out of their cages and interact with them in a
positive and trusting way.
Avoiding Shouldering to Prevent Aggressive
Behavior
There are major misunderstandings concerning
the issue of parrots being allowed on the shoulder.
Insecure parrots look for a higher position, which is
the main reason parrots want to sit on the shoulder.
Shouldered parrots often show defensive behavior.
This behavior is often interpreted as “dominant”
behavior, although the behavior actually is based on
insecurity.
These birds are usually shy, show a strong bond
to one person and show unreasonable fear of certain
objects or situations. Most birds that sit on the
shoulder bite, scream and feather pick more often. The
owner has no control over the bird on the shoulder
Jan Hooimeijer • Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth
and commonly gets bitten on the ear or cheek. In our
experience, birds sitting on the shoulder may like the
owner but do not appear to respect the owner. Owners
often have good intentions but lack the education and
experience to deal with an intelligent parrot.
Owners often use the argument that it is convenient
to have the bird on the shoulder. Falconers have kept
their birds on their hand for thousands of years and
not on their shoulder. Falconers have a long tradition
of handling, dealing and working with raptors in
captivity and this knowledge shows in their handling
expertise. Despite all the differences between raptors
and parrots, owners of parrots can learn from the
expertise of falconers. Well-educated parrots show
self-esteem, respect for the owner and people in
general, and are playful, interested in learning and, in
my opinion, do not need to sit on the shoulder.
Organizing a Parrot Walk/Picnic to Prevent
Unwanted Behavior
For the health, welfare and well-being of a bird
and to prevent unwanted behavior, it is essential that
the bird is outside as much as possible. The general
rule is that a bird should be outside at least once a day
to have the benefit of direct or indirect sunlight and
fresh air. In the Clinic for Birds we explain that even
criminals in prison have the right and privilege to go
outside every day. Sunlight is an essential part of the
well-being and health of humans and animals.
People can develop serious psychological problems
when there is too little sunlight. People are provided
with light therapy to address sleeping disorders and
depression. The lack of sunlight can cause serious
health problems such as bone deformities. Sunlight is
crucial in the formation of vitamin D3, and therefore
is essential in bone formation. Go for a walk with your
bird or take it to visit friends. Both you and your parrot
will enjoy being outside the home and bonding.
Since 2000, the Clinic for Birds has had an annual
Parrot Picnics/Parrot Walks for invited clients. The
event is supported by and sponsored by Harrison’s
Bird Foods-The Netherlands and by the Society for
Parrot and Parakeet Welfare (SPPW). In 2006, five
outdoor parrot events were organized as the result of
the cooperation between these organizations.
Organizing a Parrot Walk for owners of parrots has
proven to be a great and stimulating event. Complete
strangers became friends and become more motivated
to do the right thing, ensuring and promoting the
welfare of their parrots. Exchanging experiences
is fun and is also a learning process. These events
have drawn local and national media attention in
newspapers, radio and television. The media attention
helps bring attention to the welfare issues of parrots,
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
21
both wild and in captivity.
The Parrot Walks have become one of the most
rewarding days as an avian veterinarian and parrot
behavior consultant over the past 25 years. Clients
look forward to the next parrot Picnic/Parrot Walk.
At this moment, we have about 1,000 families on the
invitation list for the next event.
We are also creating a network of dedicated owners
to ensure that when problems occur within families,
others are available to help, including a network of
families that are willing to become foster homes for
those parrots whom we have to rehome. In this way,
we are trying to create a social network to ensure
the well-being of the parrots under our care. We are
fortunate that the list of possible adoption homes is
longer then the list of parrots who need to find a new
home.
I would like to encourage everyone to organize
these events and networks. Avian veterinarians, bird
clubs and parrot rescue organizations can organize
them. They help to make everyone aware of the
responsibilities of taking care of a parrot. They are
also a great way to bring attention to the many parrots
who are living under devastating circumstances all
over the world because of ignorance, neglect, or being
used just for commercial purposes.
Conclusions
Biting behaviors need to be considered as part of a
complex of behavior, determined by the circumstances.
Biting is a natural defensive behavior in prey animals
as part of their survival strategy. Biting is a natural
territorial defensive behavior. Biting can become a
learned behavior in parrots because the behavior has
been (unintentionally) rewarded.
Under parrot-friendly circumstances, biting is
not intended to create serious injuries. Parrots have
no intention at all to bite children or cause serious
injuries. Biting can be prevented and replaced with
positive/wanted behaviors using the 5-step protocol.
There is every reason to have much respect for the
intelligence and the social behavior of parrots. This is
certainly the case when we realize that they are capable
of adapting to extremely unnatural circumstances
and, in captivity, becoming companion birds. It is up
to avian veterinarians and owners to change their
attitudes and behavior to create circumstances in
which parrots flourish and have no reason to express
aggression or biting behavior.
Acknowledgments: I want to thank Mrs. D. Arnall
for helping me by correcting all the linguistic errors,
which is very much appreciated.
22 Aggression in Parrots: Another Myth • Jan Hooimeijer

References 14. Wilson L, Behavioral Problems In Pet Birds. In

Olson GH, Orosz SE, eds. Manual of Avian Medicine,
1. Clubb, S,L K.J. S.L. Clubb, S. Phillips, and S.Wolf.
St. Louis, MO: Mosby: 2000: 125-147.
1002. ”Intraspecific aggression in cockatoos.” In:
Psittacine Aviculture: Perspectives, techniques and
research, ed. R,M, Schubot, K.J. Clubb, and S.L. Clubb,
chapter 8 . Loxahatchee, FL .

2. Friedman S.G., Edling T,M, Cheney C. 2006. The

natural science of behavior. In: Clinical Avian Medicine,
ed Harrison G., Lightfood T. Spix Publishing, Inc. Fl.
Palm Beach. 46-59.

3. Marquardt C. 1992. An Experiment In Colony

Breeding The Hyacinth. In: Psittacine Aviculture:
Perspectives, techniques and research, ed. R,M, Schubot,
K.J. Clubb, and S.L. Clubb, chapter 26. Loxahatchee,
FL .

4. Hooimeijer J, Organizing a Parrot Walk/Parrot

Picnic: Proceedings of the Annu Conf Assoc Avian Vet,
Pittsburgh , 2003.

5. Hooimeijer J. Behavior Problems of Cockatoos in

Captivity. Proc. Assoc. Avia Vet, New Orleans 2004,
271-281.

6. Hooimeijer J. A Practical behavior protocol for

dealing with parrots. Proc. Assoc Avian Vet, Pittsburgh
2003: 177-181.

7. Well, K. 2006. Aggressive Behavior in Pet Birds. In:

Parrot Behavior Manual ed. A. U. Luescher, 211-217.
Blackwell Publishing. Iowa.

8. Sant Van F. Problem Sexual Behaviors of Companion

Parrots. 2006. In: Parrot Behavior Manual. ed. A. U.
Luescher, pp 233-245. Blackwell Publishing. Iowa.

9. Wilson L. Biting and screaming in companion

parrots. Proc Assoc Avian Vet, Portland 2000, 71-76.

10. Wilson L., Linden P., Lightfoot T.L, Early Psittacine

Behavior and Development. In: Clinical Avian Medicine,
ed Harrison G., Lightfood T. Spix Publishing, Inc. Fl.
Palm Beach. 60-84.
11. Van Sant, F. Seeing The Rain Forest Through The
Trees; Proceedings Annual Conference of the Association
of Avian Veterinarians, 1993 Nashville, p. 228-232.

12. Davis Christine. Behavior Problems Unique to the

Companion Psittacine Bird. Proc. Pre Conf. Spec. Progr.
Assoc Avian Vet. Monterey 2001; 17-23.

13. Lightfood T.L. Captive-raised Psittacine Birds

and Species Differences in the Animal Hospital
Environment. In Proc Pre Conference Specialty Program
of An Conf. AAV 2002, Monterey. P 25-33.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007

Survey Finds High Satisfaction with
Service Dogs
Pamela S. Hogle
Introduction
Service dogs assist their partners, usually
individuals with disabilities that impair their mobility
or their use of one or more limbs, with daily tasks
such as retrieving specific items, including, items
that have been dropped by the dog’s partner, and
opening doors. Although my research found that this
type of practical assistance is often a primary reason
that an individual with a disability initially decides
to get a service dog, once a service dog team begins
working together, I learned, the relationship often
becomes as important as that assistance. Service dogs
usually provide much more than task assistance; they
provide companionship and emotional support to
their human partners that enriches both their lives
and their teamwork.
The Survey
As part of a larger project looking at the service
dog partnership from a variety of angles, I conducted
a survey of service dog partners whose dogs had
been trained by one of three organizations: NEADS,
in Princeton, Massachusetts; Susquehanna Service
Dogs in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Assistance
Dog Institute in Santa Rosa, California. NEADS is a
national organization, although its location means
that a majority of its clients reside in New England.
Similarly, Assistance Dog Institute is a national
organization but a majority of its clients live in
California. Susquehanna Service Dogs serves clients
mainly in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
These organizations were selected because each has
a different approach to training and placing service
dogs; because they are strong organizations that
have been placing assistance dogs for many years;
and because together, their client base covers most
of the United States and includes individuals with a
wide range of disabilities. I believe that a survey of
this population constitutes a representational sample
of individuals working with organization-trained
service dogs in the United States.
The survey was sent only to service dog partners
who had been working with their present service dog
for at least a year. The group was composed of 75
Assistance Dog Institute clients, 100 NEADS clients,
and about 50 Susquehanna Service Dog clients. The
survey was not sent to individuals who trained their
own service dogs.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
23
The survey was conducted via e-mail and regular
mail where an e-mail address was unavailable. All
Assistance Dog Institute service dog partners received
paper surveys by mail; all Susquehanna Service
Dog service dog partners received the survey via an
e-mail sent by the organization; NEADS service dog
partners received the survey by e-mail if an address
was available (75), otherwise they received a paper
survey by mail (25). Seven surveys that were mailed
were returned as undeliverable, and several e-mail
addresses were no longer operational. It is not possible
to determine how many other mailed and e-mailed
surveys did not reach the addressee.
Of the 225 surveys sent out, a total of 88 service
dog partners responded, a very high response rate
of just under 40 percent. Of these, 81 (92 percent of
respondents) have active, working service dogs. The
others had dogs who have retired, had service dogs
who passed away, or responded for a family membe
who had passed away. Service dog partners whose
dogs had died or stopped working were asked to
respond to questions about the dog’s skill level when
the dog was actually working as a service dog.
Survey responses were collected anonymously and
responses were sent to me, not to the organizations
that placed the dogs. I identified myself as a graduate
student at Assistance Dog Institute, and assured
respondents that their answers would be confidential.
However, even with these safeguards, it is impossible
to know whether the responses represent typical
attitudes of service dog partners or are a self-selected
group of people who are satisfied with their dogs.
The survey, which is included as Appendix A,
asks about the respondents’ relationship with their
dogs, their satisfaction, their expectations, and how
they deal with problems that arise. Several questions
attempt to assess the dogs’ responsiveness and skill
level. It is not possible to determine what training
methods were used with an individual dog, both
because the responses were anonymous and because,
even within organizations, training methods change
over time and different trainers within an organization
might use different approaches. Therefore, the
survey and this paper do not address differences in
training methodology. This paper looks at a subset
of the responses dealing with the respondents’
characterization of their relationship with their dogs
24 Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs • Pamela S. Hogle
and the dogs’ skill level and responsiveness.
Presentation of the Data
Survey respondents overwhelmingly reported
very close and affectionate relationships with their
service dogs, with 80 respondents (91 percent) stating
they would describe their relationship with the dog as
affectionate and 8 (9 percent) declining to answer this
question. Asked to characterize their relationship with
their dogs, 58 (66 percent) called the dog their “best
friend or soul mate.” (Note that respondents could
choose more than one response to this question.)
The dogs do provide practical assistance in a
meaningful way, as well as companionship—85
respondents (97 percent) reported that their dogs’
skills meet their needs. Although16 respondents (19
percent) said they initially expected the dog primarily
to provide assistance with daily tasks, no respondents
reported that to be the case—12 respondents (14 percent)
say their dogs provide primarily companionship,
while 73 respondents (84 percent) say their dogs
provide both companionship and assistance in equal
measure. An overwhelming majority, 72 respondents
(82 percent), said they would get another dog if their
dog stopped working. Of the respondents who would
not, some mentioned progression in their disability
pushing them toward moving into a nursing facility,
and others were not service dog partners themselves
but were responding for a service dog partner who
had passed away.
Respondents who indicated that they would get
a successor dog were then asked whether they would
seek a dog from the same organization; apply to a
different organization; train their own dog; or hire
a professional trainer. Of the 72 who would seek
successor dogs, only two would look for a different
organization, one would train his or her own dog,
and three would seek a professional trainer—66 would
apply for a successor dog from the same organization!
Respondents were asked for free-text comments
about anything to do with their service dog
partnership, and several used this space to sing their
dogs’ praises. “He makes having a disability—fun! I
never thought I could feel this close to an animal,”
one wrote. “My dog, Verne, fulfills my life and meets
my needs,” commented another. “Banner is one of the
best things that has happened to me. He has been a
great big help with my walking. I am able to get out
more,” stated a third.
The survey also found that service dog partners do
not want to be without their dogs. Sixty-one
respondents (69 percent) said the dog always
accompanies them in public, with an additional
15 respondents (17 percent) reporting that the dog
frequently goes with them out in public. “The most
valuable aspect of having a service dog is how he
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
changes strangers’ public experience of me. I feel like
a leper without him,” wrote one service dog partner.
Approaching the question from a different angle,
the survey asked respondents how often they leave
their dogs at home and why. Fifty-six respondents
(63 percent) said they rarely or never leave their dogs
at home. An additional 14 percent (12 respondents)
leave their dogs at home less than once a week. One
service dog partner who responded that the dog
never goes out in public also indicated never leaving
the dog at home—this individual wrote in a comment,
“I am always at home and so is he [the dog].” By far
the most common reason partners cited for leaving
their dogs at home, on the rare occasions that they do
so, was doctor’s office visits and undergoing medical
procedures. Other reasons mentioned included
visiting friends with allergies, family gatherings, and
three respondents said they leave their dogs at home
when they go to school or work. Some service dog
partners commented that family or friends regard the
dog as a pet and view taking the dog along everywhere
as “inconvenient”; others described encounters with
curious or unfriendly members of the public when
out with their dogs.
In addition to asking respondents about their
overall relationships with their service dogs, several
survey questions addressed the dogs’ responsiveness
to verbal commands and to their partners versus other
people (family members or attendants) who give the
dogs commands. Here, too, the survey found that close
relationships paid off. For example, 70 respondents
(nearly 80 percent) said that their service dogs always
or frequently respond to requests the first time the
command is given and 59 respondents (67 percent)
said that they never or rarely had difficulty getting
the dog’s attention. A substantial 73 respondents (83
percent) said the dog always or frequently responds
to verbal commands without physical correction. The
dogs are responsive to other familiar individuals as
well, but less than with their partners: 30 dogs (34
percent) frequently respond the first time a family
member or care attendant gives commands and 28 (32
percent) sometimes do.
Pamela S. Hogle • Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs
Retrieving is an essential skill for most service dog
teams, so the survey singled out retrieve performance
for special examination. Sixty-nine respondents (78
percent) said their dogs always or frequently retrieve
requested items immediately and 42 respondents (48
percent) said their dogs rarely or never drop items or
require several attempts to retrieve them. An additional
30 respondents (34 percent) said the dogs sometimes
do. The survey did not distinguish between retrieves
of dropped items or specifically requested items. All
three participating service dog organizations routinely
train service dogs in both types of retrieve, and will
even train a dog to retrieve a specific item, such as a
cane, a lunch box from the refrigerator, or a cell phone,
if the service dog applicant requests this skill.
The close relationships between service dog
partners and their dogs pay off in an additional,
unexpected way: Most service dogs are doing more
than merely responding to commands; they are
figuring out what their partners need without being
asked. The survey found that 79 percent of the dogs
always or frequently anticipate their partners’ needs
and 16 percent sometimes do that.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
25
While they are working, service dogs can sometimes
be distracted. The dogs in the survey, however, were
rarely distracted by noise, people, or other animals.
By far the most troublesome distraction is food,
followed by other dogs. Eight dogs were reported to
be “always” and 9 “frequently” distracted by food, a
total of 19 percent; 5 are “always” and 9 “frequently”
distracted by other dogs, a total of 15 percent. On the
other hand, 17 dogs were “never” and 25 were only
“rarely” tempted by food (a total of 47 percent); while
16 “never” and 25 “rarely” paid attention to other
dogs.
In a free-text comment area, a few respondents
mentioned fearful or distracted responses when their
dogs encountered waving banners or flags, and several
mentioned fear responses to thunderstorms. The
good news, though, is that only a very small number
of dogs are “always” or “frequently” distracted by
even these tough challenges. Partners of these dogs,
however, find the dogs’ distractibility troubling. One
respondent whose dog is “always” distracted wrote
that “the distraction problem can be a nuisance.”
Another wrote that her dog’s behavior in restaurants
is so problematic that she avoids any but the most
casual eating establishments while working to resolve
the issue.
Service dog partners tend to use the training
equipment that the training organization issues at
the time they receive their dogs, or they simply use
a flat collar and leash. Two respondents said they
use spray collars for barking problems and one uses
a shock collar but did not specify why. Thirty-five
teams use a Gentle Leader or other head collar; nine
use a martingale or “limited slip” collar; and eight
use a training or “choke” collar. Conversations with
trainers at the various organizations indicate a strong
correlation between results and the equipment issued
by the organization. However some organizations
vary the equipment they issue according to the needs
of the team or have changed their training approach
and no longer issue items, such as a choke chain, that
were once used. Therefore, it is impossible to know
exactly which teams have begun using equipment
26 Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs • Pamela S. Hogle

that was not issued to them at the time of placement.
are forming good relationships with their clients,
while also pointing to the importance of making
follow-up training available and maintaining contact
with graduates. Of course, the possibility that only
“satisfied” service dog partner responded must be
considered, but the very high response rate shows a
large proportion of satisfied partners.

When they do have problems with the dogs, more

than half (45 respondents) train or problem-solve on
their own; and most of the rest (32 respondents, or 37
percent) return to the organization that trained the
dog for assistance. Only three respondents said they
had consulted a professional trainer in their area for
additional training or problem-solving assistance.
Summary and Conclusions
For more than 30 years, service dogs have offered
people with mobility-limiting disabilities the
possibility of greater independence and freedom
from reliance on other people for some daily tasks.
However, the overwhelmingly positive responses
indicate that service dog partners are gaining more
than a competent, responsive practical assistant.
The close bond provides them with a companion, in
many cases a best friend and soul mate. Respondents’
positive assessments of their relationships with their
dogs and their dogs’ performance were consistent
across the survey, which is good news for all three
participating organizations.
Public access is critical for these service dog teams
because, as the results show, the teams go everywhere
together. Service dog organizations could see this,
along with several comments about access problems or
ignorance of laws enacted as a result of the Americans
with Disabilities Act, as an indication that educational
efforts aimed at both clients and the community at
large about access rights and responsibilities should
be a priority.
Few respondents mentioned any strong negatives to
having a service dog, though one commented, “It is
work. It is much like having a child and every day you
must put forth effort. However, the result is worth it,
if you’re willing to put in the effort.”
The positive responses and strong inclination to seek
problem-solving help—and successor dogs—from
the same organization shows that these organizations

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
Pamela S. Hogle • Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs 27

Appendix A: Service Dog–Client Partnership Survey

Thank you for participating in this confidential survey on service dog–client partnerships. Your responses
will assist service dog trainers and organizations in improving their training and placement methods to better
serve the needs of future service dog clients. Your answers are confidential, and I will not receive personal or
identifying information with your responses unless you choose to include it.
The survey will take about 30 minutes to complete. If you would like more room to answer any question, please
attach additional sheets of paper.
Do you currently have a working service dog? Yes / No

How was your service dog trained?

___I trained my own dog
___Privately, with professional trainer
___Service dog organization: (Please specify ________________________________)

If you currently have a working service dog, please skip to question # 6.

When did your service dog stop working (month and year)? ___________________

Why did your dog stop working?

____Dog was ill (or dog passed away)
____Dog retired because of his/her age
____I was unable to continue working with the dog (please explain below)

Why did you decide not to get a successor service dog?

Respondents who do not currently have a working service dog, please skip to question # 12.

When did you get your service dog (month and year) ? ___________________

Is he/she your first service dog? Yes / No

If your dog retires due to age or illness, will you get another service dog? Yes / No

If Yes, would you prefer to:

___ Train your own service dog
___ Hire a professional trainer
___ Get another dog from the same organization
___ Get a dog from a different organization
If No, why not?

Which statement most accurately describes your relationship with your dog:
___ Constantly working to improve it or struggling for control
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
28 Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs • Pamela S. Hogle

___ The dog works effectively for me

___ Best friends or soul mates

Would you characterize your relationship with your dog as affectionate? Yes / No

Since placement, has your relationship with your dog:

___ Become problematic or shown a decline in dog’s skills or in team performance
___ Remained the same since placement
___ Steadily improved over time
___ We were instant soul mates and that continues to be the case

When you got your service dog did you expect primarily:
___ Assistance with daily tasks
___ Companionship / emotional support
___ Both in equal measure

Does your dog primarily provide:

___ Assistance with daily tasks
___ Companionship / emotional support
___ Both in equal measure

How much time per day does the dog spend:

Working for you ___hrs/day
Exercising and playing ___hrs/day
Other interactions with you ___hrs/day
Sleeping ___hrs/day

Is it difficult for you to get your dog’s attention?

___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
Does your service dog indicate an interest in or anticipate your needs?
___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
When you give a command, does the dog respond to your first request?
___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

When an attendant, family member, or facilitator gives a command, does the dog respond to the first
request?
___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

When your dog is working does he/she:
Make eye contact with you
___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
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Pamela S. Hogle • Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs 29

Pull on the leash

___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Approach people without permission

___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Respond to voice commands without physical correction

___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Retrieve requested items immediately

___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Play with or chew retrieve items

___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
Drop items or require several attempts to retrieve an item
___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Is your dog distracted by:

People ___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
Dogs ___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
Food ___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
Other animals ___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never
Noise ___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Does your dog ever show fear or nervousness? Yes / No

If Yes, in what situations?

Does your dog ever refuse to perform a command? Yes / No

If Yes in what situations?

What do you do if your dog refuses a command?

Does the dog have the skills you require in a service dog? Yes / No

What additional skills would you like your service dog to learn?

Are there any behaviors occurring which are or might become problematic?

How do you obtain additional training or resolve problems?

___ Train or problem-solve on my own
___ Get assistance from the organization where the dog was trained
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
30 Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs • Pamela S. Hogle

___ Hire a private trainer or go to training classes

___ I don’t do any additional training or problem-solving
___ I don’t know where to obtain assistance
___ Other — Please explain below:

Do you feel that you have comfortable control of your dog? Yes / No
If No please explain:

Does the dog go out in public with you?
___Always ___Frequently ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

Do you leave the dog home:
___Part of each day
___1-3 times a week
___Less than once a week
___Rarely or never

Why do you leave the dog at home (check all that apply):
___Going to school or work
___Having medical procedures
___Exercise / gym visit
___Errands
___Dining out
___Other (specify _______________________________________________________)

What training devices do you use besides a leash and flat collar (check all that apply):

___Martingale collar
___Training collar (choke chain)
___Pinch collar
___Head collar such as Gentle leader or Haltie
___Chest-fastening harness such as Sense-ation or Premier Easy-walk
___Electronic (shock) collar
___Other (specify _______________________________________________________)

How have these devices helped you?

Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience working with a service dog?

Would you be willing to participate in an in-depth telephone interview or email conversation about your
service dog partnership? If so, please enter your contact information and indicate when you prefer to be
contacted:

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
Pamela S. Hogle • Survey Finds High Satisfaction with Service Dogs 31

Thank you for participating in this survey. Your responses will be helpful in improving the ability of service
dog trainers to meet your needs and the needs of other service dog partners. Unless you have entered your own
contact information, your responses will be completely anonymous. If you have any concerns or questions,
please contact me at pam.hogle@gmail.com or at Pam Hogle, P.O. Box 31, West Boylston, MA 01583.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007
32
When Good Parrots “Go Bad”
Liz Wilson, CVT, CPBC
Angel the ten-year-old Umbrella cockatoo
is ripping up the woodwork and her owners are
rapidly losing patience with the constant repairs.
Myrtle thefive-year-old Yellow-naped Amazon is
screaming every morning at sunrise, and her owners
can no longer enjoy sleeping late on weekends. Marti
the nine-month-old Congo grey is suddenly biting
viciously, drawing blood “for no reason,” according
to his owners.
All of these birds “used to be fine,” according to
their owners. What has happened that has changed
them so completely from “good” to “bad”? Is it
someone’s fault that things went wrong? And if so,
whose?
While each scenario is different, they all have
something important in common: a breakdown in
communication between the two dramatically different
species of human and psittacine bird. Examining these
situations will prove helpful.
An EXCELLENT Question
When dealing with problem situations with parrots,
the first question to ask is one put forward by Doane
and Qualkinbush in My Parrot, My Friend (Howell
Book House, 1994). The question is deceptively easy:
“Whose problem is it?” Simplistic though it sounds, it
is a critical question that must be answered to fully
understand the situation.
For example, Angel chewing the woodwork is
clearly not Angel’s problem. She is obviously having
a grand time! Chewing wood is a natural psittacine
behavior, and it is built into their DNA. Parrots are
not like puppies who go through a chewing stage as
their teeth come in and then outgrow it. Parrots cannot
be expected not to chew. So Angel is not being “bad.”
Instead, Angel is just being a parrot. Consequently,
chewing woodwork is a human problem, not a
parrot problem. (Note: The potential toxicity of the
woodwork is not within the scope of this article, and
will not be addressed here.) Since this is the human’s
problem, it is up to the human to figure out how to
prevent it.
By far the easiest way to prevent the chewing
of woodwork (and furniture, upholstery, lamps,
computers, sound systems, important papers, etc.) is
to prohibit the parrot from contact with them. If the
parrot is reaching wood it isn’t supposed to chew
through the cage bars, then the cage needs to be
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
moved farther away from the wall. If the chewing is
happening when the bird is out of the cage, the bird is
not being adequately supervised.
So preventing parrots from damaging woodwork
is not a parrot problem, since no behavioral change
should be demanded of the parrot. A human, not a
psittacine, is directly responsible for any damage done
by a parrot. When my Blue and gold macaw gets into
the corner cabinet and chews up cereal boxes (which
drives my normally exquisitely patient husband
bonkers), that is not HER fault. It is MY fault.
Chewing on wood is a behavior that is embedded
in psittacine psyche. Therefore, wood needs to be
provided for safe and satisfying chomping. Indeed,
many parrot owners find that frequent offerings
of safe woods with bark and leaves (not chemically
sprayed, please) can effectively distract that psittacine
beak for hours at a time. So instead of trying to change
a natural behavior (both impossible and detrimental),
we look for ways to step around the problem.
Early Morning Screeches
The situation of Myrtle’s early morning serenades
also falls into the Whose Problem Is It? category.
Myrtle the Yellow-nape is only doing what comes
naturally to many species of birds when she performs
of her morning arias. Ornithologists have repeatedly
documented a phenomena called “the dawn chorus,”
when many avian species loudly proclaim the joy
of the new day, the rising of the sun, their survival
through the night, the borders of their territory, etc.
In The Parrot Who Owns Me, Berger comments on the
gut-wrenching, strident screeches of Amazon parrots,
“who sound each dawn as though they’ve been set
on fire and are slowly burning.” Once again, this is a
problem only because humans are expecting a parrot
to be something other than what it is.
Does this mean that anyone who lives with
psittacines has therefore signed away his or her
sleeping late for as long as they both shall live? Not
necessarily. Circumventing an apparent instinct,
however, should only be done occasionally, and only
with forethought. Rather than give up his beloved
languorous sleep-in Sunday morning, one ingenious
client hit on the perfect compromise with his Green-
winged macaw. Every Saturday night, he would put
his macaw to bed as usual in his sleep cage, which
was set up in an unoccupied guest room. This room
Liz Wilson • When Good Parrots “Go Bad”
was equipped with blackout shades and a white noise
machine. The shades totally blocked out the light and
the white noise machine blocked the early morning
sounds of the birds outside, allowing blissful late
sleep on Sunday mornings. So this sensible gentleman
developed a compromise between his once-a-week
luxury and his macaw’s natural behavior.
Other things that fall into the “human problem”
and not the “parrot problem” category would be such
things as food flinging and generalized messiness, plus
“normal” noise levels for specific psittacine species.
In other words, if it is the human’s problem, then
humans need to look carefully at whether or not their
expectations are unrealistic regarding what parrots
are … and are not. After all, parrots can be loud, messy
and destructive, and the humans who cannot tolerate
living with loud, messy and destructive animals
should not be trying to live with a parrot. It is totally
unfair and absolutely futile to expect an animal to be
something that it is not. This would be tantamount to
expecting me to be able to sing opera!
Marti, the “Vicious Biter”
The situation with Marti, the nine-month-old
Congo grey who is biting “for no reason,” is obviously
the parrot’s fault, don’t you agree? The owners of this
animal would be completely justified in giving up on
trying to resolve this problem, since an animal who is
aggressive with no justification is clearly bad, yes?
Actually, there is no such animal. Instead,
this is a sad example of blatant cross-species
miscommunication. It is a misconception that ANY
animal (humans included) does anything “for no
reason.” Instead of, “for no reason,” the words should
be rephrased to say, “for no reason that the humans
understand.” Once we do this, our understanding of the
situation abruptly changes quite dramatically. Since
all animals do things for a reason, there is a rationale
for the grey’s aggression. If the human is motivated
to stop the biting, then the human needs to figure out
what the parrot’s motivation is and eliminate it. This
is a lovely way to resolve most problems, because
when the motivation for the behavior is removed, the
behavior will cease.
In Marti’s case, after much analysis, the owners
were startled to realize that Marti’s aggression was
totally predictable. He was most likely to bite when
someone was trying to pet him. More scrutiny
revealed that there were multiple steps that led up to
the grey’s assault. Prior to biting, if he could, Marti
would scamper away from the hand that was trying
to pet him. If he could not move away, he would
lean waaaaaaay back and growl when the hand tried
to reach around him to stroke him. As the human
persisted in the attempts to fondle him, Marti would
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
33
gently but firmly push away the offending hand
repeatedly. Then he would escalate to nipping, and
resort finally to drawing blood.
When analyzed in this manner, the picture changes
quite dramatically. Instead of the grey viciously
attacking, we have an animal who is simply trying to
politely discourage a behavior that he does not enjoy,
only resorting to violence when the human completely
fails to understand the bird’s multiple attempts to
communicate politely. So who is actually at fault here?
OBVIOUSLY, not the parrot.
If your answer is that the parrot SHOULD want
to be petted, then I am afraid you misunderstand
something very fundamental about psittacines, and
animals in general. I have worked with many different
species of animals over the years, avian, reptile and
mammalian, domestic and wild, and I have come
to an uncomplicated conclusion regarding petting.
Simply put, there is only one animal on this planet
who is likely to want to be petted whenever a human
wants to pet it, and that animal is the dog. (We cat
owners already know what happens if we try to force
ourselves on a cat when it is not in the mood to be
petted!) And a parrot is NOT “a dog with feathers.”
But He Used to Like It!
Marti’s owners wish to interject that it is a recent
development that Marti stopped wanting to be
petted, so they are justified in their confusion as to his
motivations. After all, if he used to like it, then why
doesn’t he like it now?
This raises another issue entirely. The reality
is that parrots are extremely long-lived, intelligent
animals, and with intelligence and long life come the
ability to change. For several years, my niece used to
eat only one brand of cereal for breakfast. She can’t
even stand to look at the box, now. As a young adult,
I adored putting together plastic models, but those
little teeny pieces drive me buggy now. We humans
generally change a lot through the years, and so do
parrots. Marti is starting to grow up, which is not to be
confused with “becoming hormonal” or “getting into
reproductive mode.” As an integral part of no longer
being a baby, Marti is beginning to develop some
independence (visualize an eight-year-old boy, here)
and form his own opinions about things. For instance,
he is changing his attitude toward being petted. He
may have liked cuddling and stroking as a baby, but
like most eight-year-old boys, he is developing a strong
resistance to it now. Just because Marti’s owners want
to pet him, that does not make Marti BAD because he
does not wish to oblige. I am not someone who wishes
to be fondled by lots of people, and I have the perfect
right to enforce my beliefs if someone steps over that
line. So do parrots.
34 When Good Parrots “Go Bad” • Liz Wilson

Different Perspectives
When we parrot people find ourselves in conflict
with our psittacines, we need to step back from the
situation and try to gain some perspective as to what is
actually happening. Careful and perceptive observation
of psittacine body language is immensely useful.
Indeed, that is the crux of their communication with
us.
By paying careful attention, we often find that
our birds are clearly communicating why they are
doing what they are doing. By watching for patterns,
we can learn what situations can get our parrots into
trouble, and easily avoid them. With careful analysis,
we usually find that parrots are only being parrots,
and as the “higher life forms” that we like to consider
ourselves to be, it is up to us humans to figure out a
compromise.
Living with a parrot means living with instinctual
behavior. Expecting a parrot to be something other
than a parrot is futile and sure to end in failure for
all concerned. Some behaviors are instinctive (like
chewing and vocalizing), and instinctive behaviors
are not “bad.” Caretakers will need to evaluate each
situation and determine the basis for the behavior and
proceed accordingly.
Because of miscommunication and
misunderstanding, many companion psittacines
behave in unacceptable ways, such as screaming for
hours or biting everyone around them. It is important
for parrot people to understand that negative
behaviors need not be written in stone. These behaviors
can be changed with patience, understanding and
consistency. In other words, a parrot is NEVER a lost
cause.

This article was first printed in Bird Talk Magazine,

February 2004

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Fall 2007

Growing Your Animal Behavior
Consulting Business
Lee Livingood, CDBC
Overview
Marketing is not a dirty word. Unless
you don’t care about paying the rent or you are doing
consulting as a hobby and can afford to operate at
a loss, you need to constantly find sources of new
business. If we do our jobs well, we lose our clients
because their companion animals improved and they
no longer need our services. It sure feels great when
it happens. But that also means we have to constantly
find ways to replace that lost revenue.
Introduction
While we’ll cover a number of topics, my focus
will be on specific techniques that will help you grow
your behavior consulting business without breaking
the bank. This presentation will be directed primarily
at people who are just starting out and have little if any
money to spend on marketing. While the emphasis
will be on behavior consulting, the process and the
ideas also apply to people who run training classes as
part of their business.
The information that I’m presenting today comes
from three primary sources. The first and most
important source is a former student/client of mine,
Deb Milliron, who owns Aldus Design and Advertising
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In exchange for picking
her brain to help flesh out this material, I’m giving her
a free in-home session for her family and their dog.
The second source is a book called Guerrilla Marketing
for Free by Jay Conrad Levinson. And the third source
is a condensation of the things that have worked for
me. I want to note however, that because something
worked in my market or fit my style doesn’t mean it’s
right for you.
I do want to be clear about one thing: No matter
how you market, no matter what techniques you use,
everything you do has to remain true to who you
are. It doesn’t matter how great an idea is for me or
someone else. If it doesn’t fit you, it won’t work.
We’ll talk about:
• The marketing essentials that any business
needs today
• Marketing Plans—what they are and why you
need one
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
35
• Identifying ways to market at little or no cost
• Where and how to look for new business
The Marketing Plan
You’ll find many sample outlines and plans by
simply doing an Internet search. I’ve incorporated the
one provided by Deb Milliron, which is simple enough
for anyone to use effectively. It involves only five
steps. The parts of the plan are appropriate regardless
of whether you are a single proprietor, as I am, or if
you have a compliment of employees or partners.
What is it? A marketing plan is your road map to
getting you where you want to go.
Why do I need one? In the mid or late 1970s there
was a popular book called If You Don’t Know Where
You Are Going You’ll Probably End Up Somewhere Else.
There isn’t much else to say.
Define what needs to be done. Describe
what action or actions people should take as a result
of your marketing activities. Visit your web site? Call?
Schedule an appointment? Attend your workshop?
What are you marketing? Is it a product or a service?
What are the results you are looking for? Would you
like to generate more sales, more leads, more referral
partners? Which marketing techniques are you
planning to use?
• Paid advertising: placing an ad in some form
of media whether print, online billboard or
radio/TV
• Referral advertising: word of mouth
• Free PR: producing informative news articles
about you/your service or an issue/specialty
you are involved with
Can you write a press release, newsletter or know
someone who can? Go to www.marketingsource.
com/pressrelease and see the release kit. There are
templates and articles and you can purchase a sample
kit for about $15. There are a range of articles and
samples available and a variety of services you can
purchase. Or barter services with someone who has
skills/expertise that you don’t.
Templates for online marketing, search engine
optimization, article marketing, newsletter publishing
are all there too.
36 Growing Your Animal Behavior Consulting Business • Lee Livingood
The better you define what needs to be done, the
easier it will be for you to put your marketing plan
into motion.
Understand the marketing process. It is
really difficult to apply a marketing technique if you
do not have a good understanding of the process.
For example, if you do not know how to use article
marketing to promote your business, you will not be
able to use it to market. Learning about marketing is
essential. It will help you market now, and you can
use your newly acquired marketing knowledge to
continue marketing your business for years to come.
Break your plan into bite-size pieces.
Divide and conquer is a proven, time-tested technique
for managing complicated tasks. If your goal is to
optimize your customer base within the first year,
then concentrate on exposure and educating the
public about your unique service or specialty. It is
much easier to follow along when you map out the
steps.
Track your results. Tracking your results (or
lack thereof) helps you understand what has produced
results and what hasn’t. It also helps you compare
different marketing methods and determine which
one(s) produce better results for your business.
Don’t try to do everything at once. Don’t
start using five marketing techniques at the same time.
You will simply end up jumping from one method to
another without spending a proper amount of time
on any one of them. If you do not devote sufficient
time to applying a marketing technique, you will
not get results. Take some time to learn and apply a
new marketing technique. Then, once you are seeing
results, move on to the next one.
Develop a budget. What is your budget
(expressed as a percentage of your gross annual
income). It is up to you to determine what an
appropriate percentage is for you. If you are short
on cash then your marketing plan has to focus on the
areas that will bring the most revenue from the fewest
resources. The Yellow Pages® are great, but there is
no sense spending money there if it means fielding a
lot of phone calls that won’t yield anything. If you can
find less expensive ways to target your efforts to the
group of people who are most likely to actually use
your services, do it. I’ve never had an advertisement
or a listing in the Yellow Pages®. To some, not having
such a listing borders on sacrilege.
So where do we go from here? Once you
understand the steps, you need to identify your
audience. Who is your target audience/market and
your competition?
How do you define your audience? What kinds of
people or groups of people are you trying to reach?
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
If you answer “pet owners,” think some more. Do
you want all pet owners or only those with cats, for
instance? On my business card I say that my services
are directed to cats and dogs. Do you want clients in
only one defined geographic area? Do you want a
certain kind of client, such as seniors or families? The
more clearly you define that, the more effective your
strategies are likely to be.
There is no sense in targeting a population that
cannot afford your services or isn’t likely to need/
want them. So define you audience in smaller pieces.
A better answer to the question, who is your target
audience? might be “cat owners who live within 25
miles of my office.”
Your best source of information about your target
audience is your client base. Once you have established
a relationship with your clients, ask them to complete
a simple questionnaire. Explain why you are asking.
Find out who your clients really are. Ask what type of
work they do, if you do not already know. Maybe one
of them will be a marketing whiz and may be willing
to trade services.
Ask them to list the three main reasons they chose
your service. Find out what kinds of magazines and
newspapers they read—especially local publications.
On your intake forms or class applications, you should
be asking for the source of the referral and the name of
their veterinary clinic.
Who are your competitors? Again, turn to your
clients for answers. Ask what other consultants/
trainers they considered and how they learned about
them. Ask them which of those trainers or consultants
they would consider to be your primary competition.
Go to the places where you get referrals now and see
whose business cards are displayed. Go to pet events
and see who’s listed in the program or who are the
vendors.
What sets you apart from your competitors? Some
of the things that may set you apart are:
• Your location
• The types or kinds of services you offer
• The quality of your client service
• Your qualifications
• Your fees
You need to be able to communicate what you
stand for in about 15 seconds. That means perhaps
30 words. Keep it simple. That message must come
through in all of your marketing materials.
Putting it all together. Once you have your
marketing plan developed, create your Marketing
Calendar. If your Marketing Plan is your road map,
then your Marketing Calendar is your itinerary for the
journey. Its purpose is to help you determine what is
working and what isn’t. This is where you break your
Lee Livingood • Growing Your Animal Behavior Consulting Business
ideas into small pieces.
Create a simple table that identifies the time
frame you are going to use for each of the strategies
you have defined and how successful each has been.
Decide which activity you will focus on in a given
time frame. At the end of the time frame, give each
technique a letter grade. At the end of a year, toss out
any techniques that didn’t rate a B or better.
Essential tools (and some not so essential)
You are your most important marketing tool. How
you dress, how you answer your phone, how you
relate to people and what image you project can make
the difference between success and failure.
The single most important item in your marketing
program is your business card. A tasteful, real business
card is an essential. The ones you can print off at home
look like they were printed off at home because the
card stock is so thin. If you spend money anywhere,
spend it here. Your image is how you begin to sell
yourself to people who do not know you.
You should have a generous stack of your cards
with you at all times. Include one in every piece of
mail you send—including things like your utility
payments. You never know who might open the
envelope.
When you place your business cards, make it easy
for them to be seen. Don’t just hand out a stack. For
about $1 each you can buy clear or black business card
holders for each of the places that agree to display your
card. Do put a non-removable label on the bottom
so they know the holder is yours. The same advices
applies to brochures you distribute.
In today’s world you must also have a computer
with word processing software, an e-mail client, and
software to create simple publications. Important, but
not as essential, is software to create and manage your
own web site and a domain name.
If your finances allow, have your own domain name.
People see a more professional image of you if you have
a web address like www.mycatandogservices.com than
if your web address is www.aol/mycatanddogservices.
While there are plenty of ways to set up a free web
page, you can get your own domain name and have
your own web site for less than $8 per month. The
impression is far more professional. I use Blue Host for
$6.95 per month. It includes a ton of services that are
extra charges from other hosts. It costs another $8.95
per year for my domain name. There are many low-
cost web hosts that are reliable. There are places that
provide domain names for as little as $3.95 per year.
Do a web search to find what you need and compare
reviews of the services..
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
37
The other cost associated with creating a web site
is software to create the web page. Mozilla, which is a
free web browser, includes a web site design function
that is pretty straightforward and easy to use. There is
an overwhelming number of books on creating web
sites written for the novice. There are also WYSIWYG
(what you see is what you get) software programs that
makes it easy for anyone to design a web site. Before
Mozilla included their free composition component,
I bought Namo Web Editor, which now retails for
about $100 but I’ve seen it online for about $75. I’m
sure there are other simple WYSIWYG web editors
that sell for less than $100. Check places like:
• http://www.pricewatch.com/
• http://www.pricegrabber.com/
• http://www.resellerratings.com/
I also suggest you add some reference materials
to your bookshelf. If you are going to write anything,
it needs to look professional. Find a book on style if
you are uncertain of your writing skills. Get a book
on that helps you with page design. Robin Williams
wrote several books on design but the two that are
geared toward the more novice audience are called
The Non-Designers Design Book and Robin Williams Web
Design Handook. The Guerilla Marketing book series by
Jay Conrad Levinson has several that are directed to
low-cost and small business needs.
So how do you get there? Advice from a pro. Deb
Milliron offers these tips to make you stand out from
the crowd.
Seven Ways to put you at the top.
Roll out the red carpet to everyone, but especially
to those who don’t expect it. People hate to pay for
poor service and to be treated differently than others.
It makes them feel inferior. If you treat people special,
they tend to tell everyone they know.
Take time to know your customers. Unless you are
selling on line and don’t need to have face time with
your customer, connecting one on one makes you
stand out in their minds and can be your pot of gold
for referral marketing.
Be easy to do business with. Customers expect
single source service. Especially when it comes to a
beloved pet, there is no pet like theirs and they need
answers to their questions as soon as possible. If you
must use answering machines and contact forms
from a web site, be sure to answer promptly and take
time to listen over the phone or in e-mails. They are
coming to you because of what they think you can do
for them. Find out the problem first by listening and
then proceed to tell them out you can help.
Make sure, to the best of your ability, that what
you say will happen, will happen—or make it
38 Growing Your Animal Behavior Consulting Business • Lee Livingood
perfectly clear up front that “sometimes things can
happen because animals will be animals.” But in most
cases, hiring you or your service will benefit them the
customer. Word of mouth advertising can turn sour
really fast when the person doing the referring has
experienced poor results or treatment. Move heaven
and earth to make sure the customer feels he got his
money’s worth. Go the extra mile and you’ll reap the
rewards in future customers.
Look at your business with “fresh” eyes from time
to time. Notice what customers see. As an example,
if you have two candy stores selling loose candy by
the pound and the customer sees one vendor putting
a small amount on the scale and then adding to it
rather than a vendor putting a large amount on the
scale and then take some off to get the right amount—
guess which vendor will get a repeat customer? The
one who adds and not the one who takes away. It’s
a perceived value associated with the action of the
vendor. It’s not different than a fresh coat of paint
and some accessories added to a home that is for sale.
Perception is everything.
Perfect everything the customer experiences, from
the way your message is delivered on your answering
machine, the smile on your face, to how you do your
invoices. Your customer sees and remembers it all.
Smile when asked a question and look them in the
eye. Wandering eyes are a sure giveaway of insincere
behavior.
Put customer service first and believe in it from
the bottom of your soul. To be a great service provider
you have to believe in serving the customer. It has to
be part of the way you work and, more importantly,
part of the way you think.
Free or nearly free marketing strategies: Be the best
at customer service. Everyone today is busy, but that is
no excuse for poor treatment of your customers. If you
are in an area that seems to have a lot of competition
for your type of business, then customer service can
be your “unique” selling point. It’s human nature…
everyone wants to feel special.
Under $500/year: Pick a small community with
relatively new “ starter” homes and do a postcard
mailing to the homeowners. The size will be from
150 homes to 300 homes. Most local print shops
and mailing houses can provide you with setup,
printing, addressing and mailing a postcard to a
limited area. These homeowners are young couples
with young children and they also have pets. Do one
community at a time. Track your responses. If good,
don’t change a thing. Repeat in another similar size
community. If the response was poor, rewrite your
message, provide more benefits, design a new look.
Sometimes poor response can be nothing more than
timing. Fortunately, postcards and direct mail pieces
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
have a long “shelf life.” People tend to save a piece if
they feel the service or offer can help them down the
road. It is a physical reminder and provides a higher
comfort level for the customer. They can act on the
offer at their choosing and don’t feel pressured into
making a quick decision.
Up to $1,000/year: Quarterly newsletters to past
and current customers, radio sponsorships in high
traffic times (weather, road and traffic reports) or free
services to radio personalities.
$2,500/year and up: Hire an ad agency! You can
hire a marketing professional who can steer you on
the road to growth. Slow and steady growth is usually
best and helps to retain your customer referral base
while constantly adding new clients. If a business,
especially a service business, grows too fast, burn out
will come quickly and no one benefits. It’s a sure way
to fail.
How I’ve approached it
Developing referral/marketing relationships.
The primary sources of my clients are referrals from
veterinarians, current and past clients, and local
animal related businesses. Word of mouth is the single
best marketing tool you have and the best part is that
it costs no money. What it does cost is time and a lot of
effort. All of my clients and most of my students come
from referrals.
Other sources of new clients are the Internet,
attendees at events where I speak or do demos, and
the newspaper. And none of those cost me a dime.
Which relationships should you foster and how?
Look first to veterinarians and animal health care
providers. These may take the longest to cultivate,
but will pay the largest dividends over time. You
also want to focus on other pet professionals. These
include independent pet supply stores, doggy day
care programs, groomers, farriers, and pet sitters,
for example. Think about the places your clients go
to spend money on their companions and make a list
that targets your audience. Use the Yellow Pages®
and the Internet to find them.
Keep the relationships flourishing.
Take time to get to know your clients—not just
their animals. Skip Christmas cards. Send them a card
for a non-sectarian holiday like Thanksgiving or a
birthday card for their birthday or that of the pet with
whom you worked. And make it personal. Wish Puffy
a happy 10th birthday. Ask how the client’s son Johnny
did at the track finals. The more you know about them
Lee Livingood • Growing Your Animal Behavior Consulting Business
and their pets, the stronger your relationship will be.
Plan events that can include your clients or
students. For instance, a local wolf sanctuary offers
tours. I can organize an excursion that might include
dinner or some other social opportunity, perhaps
even negotiate a price that would allow my group to
keep their costs lower than they might be able to get
otherwise. I could do the same kind of thing when the
cat show comes to Carlisle or the dog show or Paws-
abilities comes to the Farm Show.
Make sure your business and referral sources
remember you. Do something nice for them. Since
most of my referrals come from veterinary offices,
several times a year I stop at a local bakery and buy
trays of cookies for the staff. While my referrals come
from veterinary offices, they don’t usually come from
the veterinarian herself. It’s the person who answers
the phone who gives your name to the client. Most
veterinary offices have cards from more than one
person who provides the same or similar services.
Bringing cookies won’t guarantee that you get the
referral. However, if they see more of you than they do
of your competitors, and when they see you something
nice happens, whose name is going to come to mind
first?
At Christmas I give each veterinarian’s office from
which I get referrals a subscription to Bark magazine.
Almost every veterinary office has the usual animal
related magazine, but none had Bark until I sent it to
them. If I could find a similar cat magazine, I would
send it as well. I also give the offices who send me
the most referrals a client-oriented book. And what do
you think that book has on the inside cover? There is
a large sticker that tells the reader that the book is the
property of ABC Animal Clinic. It also saays the book
is a gift from Lee Livingood. That is followed by a brief
description of my services (gentle behavior solutions
for cats and dogs) and my contact information. And
guess what information is in the largest print? My
phone number.
Think beyond the obvious.
Many of us forget about the non-pet professionals
with whom our target market does business. How
many of you have had a client or student who came to
you because they just had a baby and now they think
they need a dog to complete their Norman Rockwell
painting idea of a family? How many of your clients
or students have children?
Pediatricians see kids and kids have parents. So
where do those folks spend a lot of time with nothing
to do? Waiting in doctors’ offices. OB/gyns see people
who are going to have a baby and may well have
other children. Create a handout on child/pet safety
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007
39
that you can leave in the pediatrician’s office. Drop off
flyers on kids and animal safety.
Newspaper advertising and Yellow Pages®
advertising are expensive. Newsletter advertising
is usually very reasonable. Many local breed or all-
breed rescue groups and dog clubs have newsletters.
And which placement is most likely to be seen by your
target audience? Your local municipality probably
produces some kind of newsletter and it will be
directed to families in your geographic area who are
far more likely to engage your services than folks who
live at the outer edges of the newspaper’s circulation
area.
The better way to use a local paper is to write a
letter to the editor about some pet-related subject that
is not controversial. Write something related to pet
care that is useful because of the change of seasons.
Craft something on spay/neuter or child safety that
is timely because of something that was recently in
the news. Just be sure your letter is non-judgmental
and non-controversial. I can tell you from reading my
local paper that editors must be desperate for copy. If
you are in a large, metropolitan market, find the small
independent papers.
Foster every media contact you meet. Maintain
contact so you are always the person they turn to
when they are writing something about animals.
Take them to lunch every now and then if they are
allowed to accept gifts. If they aren’t allowed to let
you pay for lunch because of the ethics standards of
that paper or station, send cookies to the appropriate
department to be shared by everyone. In most cases
that is acceptable. I use cookies, by the way, because
both men and women like them. If cookies don’t fit
your style, try one of the new edible arrangements—
fruits made up to look like a flower arrangement.
Spend your time where your potential clients
are—pet fairs, dog or cat shows, pet blessing day at
your church, fundraisers for local pet related groups.
If your time and talents allow, volunteer. Get on the
board or join a committee for a local shelter or rescue
group. There have been several times in my life that
my volunteer activities resulted in a job. I recently
worked out an arrangement with a local all-breed
group because a year or so ago I’d offered to do free
in-home evaluation for problem cats and dogs who
might be bounced because of behavior issues. If the
adopter needed more than one visit, the group paid
me for those visits at a discounted rate. Now I receive
a monthly amount to provide the services.
Cross Marketing/Fusion Marketing
What businesses do you frequent that your target
market may also use? What about your hair stylist?
40 Growing Your Animal Behavior Consulting Business • Lee Livingood

Will he let you place your card in a prominent place
in his salon? Do you have a friend who is a real estate
agent? You may be able to exchange marketing by
having them display your business cards. You could
copy her contact info onto a sticker and add it to
something you distribute widely. Your real estate
friend could distribute to each of her clients a flyer on
preparing pets for a move—of course including your
name and contact info right on the handout. They don’t
have pets? So what—perhaps a neighbor or friend has
been talking about a problem they are having with
their pet. Whose name may come to mind? Your real
estate agent friend could include the moving with
pets handout in every relocation packet she sends to
potential out of town clients. In exchange you could
put a sticker with her contact info on a report cover or
something similar that you use to distribute materials.
You don’t use report covers? Why not? They look more
professional, people don’t tend to throw them away
as quickly, and your name and phone number are
on the cover in big letters. Include your moving flyer
with any other educational materials you distribute so
your agent friend’s name gets out there as well.
Hold a contest. Put a jar at the pet supply shop,
the groomer, the day care or other appropriate
business you’ve developed a relationship with. Create
entry forms and each month award a prize. It can be
your service or whatever prize you can comfortably
afford—perhaps a squeaky toy from the pet supply
store or a nail trim from the groomer who refers to
you. Another possibility is a pair of tickets to some
upcoming animal related event.
Head to the local Babies-R-Us and offer to do a
presentation on preparing a pet for the baby/child
Elementary schools and preschools like demos on
dog safety. Call the person in charge and offer to do a
demo. Send each child home with something that has
your name and contact info prominently displayed. I
use a coloring book.
Of course you are getting e-mail addresses for all
of your clients or students, right? Create an e-mail or
online newsletter and e-mail it or the link to it. It’s free
if you already have a service provider and e-mail or
a web page. You need to publish at least every two
months to keep your name in their minds. Be sure
you have a way for them to immediately and easily
unsubscribe. Create a bulletin board/forum through
your web site so you clients/students can get up to
date info or share information or questions. My web
host provides this software as part of my web hosting
package of services.
While there are many, many other potential free or
low cost marketing ideas, I’ve focused on the several
that seem most appropriate for this audience. And I
admit to a bias in favor of those things that best fit my
style and personality. In the end, after all, what you are
selling is you—your image and your reputation. No
matter what tools you use, they must be a reflection of
who you are.

The gift that keeps on giving—other free or

nearly free marketing ideas
Newspapers may be hungry for letters to the editor,
but most local organizations are desperate for free
speakers. So if you aren’t Ernest Hemmingway, perhaps
you are comfortable speaking in public. Read the local
section or the business section of your newspaper for
announcements of club and professional meetings.
There is almost always a contact number to call. If you
can offer a topic that the membership would have the
slightest interest in, they will probably jump at the
chance to have you.
Offer to do a mini course for a community
education program. Put together a program for a non-
credit course at the local community college. Do a
mini-workshop at the local library.
Go to sporting events that center on children or
might otherwise draw people who would need your
services. Find out what it costs to put a business
card-sized ad in the program. All of those kids or
attendees may not have pets, but you can bet they live
in neighborhoods with people who do.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Fall 2007