Pets

You work with some dogs with compulsive disorders; what examples of compulsions do dogs have?

Dogs with compulsive disorders: Tail chasing, light pouncing, and more!

What kind of compulsive disorders do dogs have? So you're used to hearing about compulsive disorders in humans, such as the people that wash their hands multiple times per day or in a row, that may go back and check to see if the oven, the stove, or their curling iron is plugged in or on. But dogs get compulsive disorders too. And so my little friend Scooby here is a mini schnauzer. Mini schnauzers can get a compulsive disorder where they check their hind end, where they literally look around as if something is biting them in the tush. Dogs can have a compulsive disorder where they pounce on lights and shadows or where they chase their tail or suck on their flank, suck on blankets. There's many unfortunate compulsive disorders in our pet dogs and cats.

Dogs can suffer from compulsive disorders such as checking their hind end, chasing lights and shadows, chasing their tail, or sucking on blankets.

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Dogs can exhibit various compulsive disorders similar to those seen in humans. For example, some mini schnauzers may develop a compulsive behavior where they repeatedly check their hind end, as if something is biting them. Other dogs may have compulsions to pounce on lights and shadows, chase their tail, or suck on their flank or blankets. It's unfortunate that our pet dogs and cats can experience these compulsive disorders.

How do I manage my pet's behavior while they are undergoing treatment for a medical condition?

Managing Pet Behavior During Medical Treatment: The Key is Mental Enrichment

How do I manage my pets behavior while they're undergoing treatment for a medical condition? This is a really common question that I get asked for animals post-operatively. So maybe they've just been spayed or neutered or they've had a TPLO where they have to actually be confined and rested for six to eight weeks. And this can be really hard because pets want to move. They want to do things, especially once they start feeling better. And sometimes that's the key point of healing that they really need to be resting. So what you can do is you can number one, crate train your animal before the surgery. So that's really important. So they're comfortable staying in a crate. The other thing is mental enrichment. So while exercise is good for all of us, don't get me wrong, we all need it. It is very undervalued compared to, or actually overvalued compared to mental enrichment. And mental enrichment is training. It is providing feeder toys, puzzle toys, things to mentally stimulate your pet. And mental stimulation can go a long way to actually tiring the animal out more so than exercise. So just a 10 or 20 minute training session can really exhaust the animal so they'll then sleep for a good couple hours. And you can absolutely do this while they're being crated or under exercise restrictions. So mental enrichment.

Crate train your pet before their surgery and provide mental stimulation to tire them out during their recovery period. This can be done in the form of training sessions, puzzle toys and feeder toys.

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To manage your pet's behavior while they are undergoing treatment for a medical condition, such as post-operative recovery, there are a few strategies you can follow. First, it's essential to crate train your pet before the surgery so they are comfortable being confined when necessary. Secondly, focus on mental enrichment rather than just exercise. Mental stimulation through training sessions and puzzle toys can tire out your pet and keep them mentally engaged, even when physical exercise is limited. Spending just 10 to 20 minutes on training can help exhaust your pet, leading them to sleep for longer periods. These mental enrichment activities can be done while your pet is crated or under exercise restrictions, providing them with a positive and stimulating experience during their recovery.

What inspired you to pursue a career in animal behavior?

Inspiring journey: Army vet's passion for animal behavior transforms pet lives

What inspired me to pursue a career in animal behavior? Well, I think I've always loved Behavior the psychology of it but originally wanted to work in a zoo. And so did an undergraduate degree in Zoology and decided, I then really wanted to become a veterinarian after veterinary school. I joined the military and was an Army veterinarian, and it was during the first wave of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. And several of our dogs came back with signs of What we now know is likely PTSD, we are able to help those dogs. Overcome their fears, through the use of psychotropic medication and behavior modification, so that they could have good quality of life and live out the remainder of their years either through working or with through adoption. So, I now translate that into my pet clients and making sure that they have the best quality of life that we could possibly imagine for them, through the use of behavior modification. Nation and psychotropic meds if it's warranted. And so that is what Spurs me on day by day is to make sure that these pets are living their best lives.

I was inspired to pursue a career in animal behavior after working as an Army veterinarian and witnessing first-hand how behavior modification and psychotropic medications can help animals overcome their fears and live out the remainder of their lives with quality. This experience has motivated me to help all pets live their best lives through behavior modification and psychotropic meds if necessary.

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What inspired me to pursue a career in animal behavior? Initially, I had a love for behavior and psychology, and my goal was to work in a zoo. I pursued an undergraduate degree in Zoology with that intention. However, my path took a different turn when I decided to become a veterinarian after veterinary school.

During my time as an Army veterinarian, I was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during the first wave. It was there that I encountered dogs who showed signs of what we now understand as likely PTSD. We were able to help these dogs overcome their fears through a combination of psychotropic medication and behavior modification. This allowed them to have a good quality of life, whether they continued working or found new homes through adoption.

Now, I apply this experience to my work with pet clients. My focus is on ensuring that they have the best possible quality of life through behavior modification and, if necessary, the use of psychotropic medication. Seeing these pets live their best lives is what motivates me every day.

Any tips to prevent resource guarding in a home with children?

Preventing resource guarding: Key tips for a safe home

Any tips to prevent resource guarding in a home with children. Children are bitten by their own dogs most often associated around resources so it's really important to manage this behavior. So dogs and cats should eat behind closed doors and with no access to the children during the food preparation or consumption time. If the kids are eating at the table or at their in their high chairs the dogs should be put away in another room or just put outside altogether. So you just want to make sure that you manage this behavior and then the other thing too is to remember that kids you know waving a cheese stick around and and walking around the house with food can present an issue as well. So having strict rules of food is consumed at the table it'll also save your house from lots of crumbs so you'll thank me later. But it really is a manageable behavior and so we just need to make sure that we are doing that for these guys.

To prevent resource guarding in a home with kids, have the pets eat behind closed doors and away from the kids. Have strict rules that food is only eaten at the table. This will also help keep your house clean.

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To prevent resource guarding in a home with children, it's important to take certain precautions. The majority of dog bites to children occur around resources, so managing this behavior is crucial. Dogs and cats should be fed behind closed doors, away from the children during food preparation and consumption times. If the kids are eating at the table or in high chairs, it's best to keep the dogs in another room or even outside. Managing this behavior is essential. Additionally, it's important to establish strict rules about food consumption, such as only allowing food to be consumed at the table. This not only helps prevent resource guarding but also keeps your house cleaner by minimizing crumbs. Remember, resource guarding is a manageable behavior, and taking these steps can help ensure a harmonious environment for everyone involved.

How has your experience working with military dogs impacted your training style?

Transforming Training: From Military Dogs to Positive Reinforcement

So my experience as a military veterinarian and working with a military working dogs did very much impact my training style. We used to train all of our military working dogs with shot collars, prong collars, and a lot of punishment based training. Now there was rewards, they oftentimes got to get a treat or play with their favorite toy when they were you know finished with whatever task the handler was giving them. But based on that I actually saw some of the negative impacts of punishment based training and realized that there really needed to be a better way. So actually the fact that I was sort of immersed in that world caused me to become what we call a crossover trainer where I don't use any of those tools and techniques anymore because I really don't think that there's a need for them. You can train anything with positive reinforcement.

My experience as a military veterinarian made me realize the negative impacts of punishment-based training and caused me to become a crossover trainer, who only uses positive reinforcement.

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Working with military dogs as a veterinarian had a significant impact on my training style. In the military, we used shot collars, prong collars, and punishment-based training methods for training the dogs. While there were rewards involved, such as treats or playtime with their favorite toys, I witnessed the negative effects of punishment-based training.

This experience led me to realize that there had to be a better way. As a result, I became what is known as a crossover trainer. I no longer use those tools and techniques because I believe they are unnecessary. I have shifted to using positive reinforcement as the primary method for training. I have found that anything can be trained effectively using positive reinforcement methods.

What is your least favorite behavior to train an animal?

Pointless Heeling: My Least Favorite Animal Training Behavior

My least favorite behavior to train an animal is absolutely a heel, where they have to walk right beside you, because I find it to be the most pointless, non-functional behavior on the face of the planet. Unless you're going to be doing competition obedience, it's literally pointless. If I need my dog to engage with me or not pull on the leash, there are so many other ways that I can do it. I can use a hand target. I can just reward loose leash walking or offer eye contact. But a heel is completely pointless. When I go on a walk with my dog, I want the walk to actually be enjoyable for my dog, not put them in this obedience heel for no reason. So I want them to sniff around and look everywhere. The walk is for them, not for me. If I want to go on a walk, I'm going to go by myself, potentially, because it's going to be less stressful for everybody. So anyway, that's my answer.

My least favorite behavior to train an animal is heel because it is a pointless and non-functional behavior. I prefer to use methods such as hand targets, rewards, and loose leash walking that are more enjoyable for the animal.

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My least favorite behavior to train an animal is the heel command, where they have to walk right beside you. I find it to be the most pointless and non-functional behavior. Unless you're involved in competition obedience, it serves no practical purpose. There are many other effective ways to ensure engagement, prevent leash pulling, and promote loose leash walking, such as using a hand target or rewarding eye contact. When I go on a walk with my dog, I want it to be enjoyable for them. I want them to explore, sniff around, and take in their surroundings. The walk is for their benefit, not just for my control. If I want to go on a walk for myself, I might consider going alone to reduce stress for everyone involved. That's my perspective on the matter.

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Amy Pike answers your Pets questions. See all the advice Amy Pike has and get answers to your own Pets questions.

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Dr. Pike has been a vet for over 20 years and is one of fewer than 70 Boarded Veterinary Behaviorists in North America. She has written articles for professional veterinary journals, is Fear Free Certified, serves on the Board of Directors of The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, and is a mentor to her own residents. Dr. Pike also acts as an instructor for E-Training for Dogs and presents at National Veterinary Conferences multiple times per year. She has recently moved to Northern Virginia and is co-owner of two ABWC locations, where she sees pets with behavior disorders ranging from mild fears to extreme aggression. She has gathered a team of behavior professionals to tackle any behavior problem and is working to expand prevention services with her support staff.