Veterinary Behavior of Indiana

11/05/2024

🌟 Behavior Star Student Alert 🌟
Queenie came back today for her recheck visit today! She is doing better with being able to settle herself when excited, respond to cues in a new environment, and she is a rockstar with fun enrichment games!
Way to go, Queenie! 👸🏻
Keep up the good work!!

11/04/2024

Dr. Rigterink discusses why your dog may be acting “off” or restless in this article:

Is your dog acting weird and restless? Discover the common causes behind this behavior, and learn how to help your pet feel calmer.

10/22/2024

⭐️Gold Star Behavior Student⭐️
Loki and his pet parent have done an AMAZING job over the years with growing his confidence in a fun way! Here he is demonstrating his “chute” behavior! Keep up the great work!!!!

10/16/2024

Make your Halloween a little less frightening for your pet! Fear Free Happy Homes has a great handout on how to prevent those Halloween Howls and help your pet during this spooky season! 🐶🧡🍬🐱
https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/how-to-prevent-halloween-howls-from-your-pet-2/

10/03/2024

This is a throwback image from 2001. I remember asking my son over 20 years ago to give our(then) dog Carin a hug so I could get a picture of the two of them together. I wanted to share how well our newly adopted dog did with our children. This and other images went out to our extended family as we welcomed Carin into our home.

What I and everyone else neglected to pay attention to was Carin’s face. She CLEARLY did not want to be in this situation.

I did not know what I was missing in her body language. I just wanted to send a picture out showing my kiddo and new dog and tell everyone “look how well they get along.” Well my son looked happy but Carin looks anything but.

I am sure many of you have done the same thing. Set your dog and child up for a photograph and not quite recognize the discomfort the situation created for your dog. Many of us have. We want to change this to be more comfortable when taking images. Dogs and children (especially babies and toddlers) do not need to be on or right next to one another for a cute image.

Here are some things to consider when wanting to catch your dog and child in an image:

☑Never suggest your kiddo goes over to your dog and hugs them (like I did here)
Always try to have an adult in between or actively supporting both dog and child in the picture.
☑Be very mindful of your dog and child’s expressions. Are they enjoying this closeness and pressured experience? Carin is CLEARLY not. I see it now 20 some years later but at the time I would not have known to look for whale eye, tight mouth, ears back, body shift away etc. I did not have the Dog Aware skills (body language). I was just taking photos to send to everyone saying how great she and my kids were getting along.

☑Give your dog something to do and your child something to do before you want to take an image.

‼ Ex. Dog has a licky mat and the child has crayons or chalk. They can sit close with an adult between them.

💯We just suggest not having the pressure of a close image put on your dog and child in close proximity. Every encounter your dog has with your child is an important one. Keep this in mind when taking images.

09/25/2024

Having a cat that eliminates outside the litter box is stressful for both the cat and the caretaker. The good news is that there are simple ways to prevent this behavior or attempt to fix an already present problem. Below are some tips on how to make the litterbox a safe place for your cat. Remember that the litterbox is not just a toileting area but also a place where your cat establishes his or her territory to feel secure in their environment.

09/17/2024

🌟Behavior Star Student Alert🌟
Maddy came in for her recheck visit today and she has made excellent progress with some life obstacles recently. Keep up the hard work, girl!!!

09/11/2024

Important information about those “teenage” years!

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

09/09/2024

🌟Behavior Star Student🌟
Phoebe was a past star student but she and her pet parent did SO well with working on her confidence and diminishing her noise phobia over this summer.. she is back on the list! She also loves licking yummy items! ❤️

07/18/2024

This is a wonderful resource for dog/baby interactions!!! Spread the word!

https://www.familypaws.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3zo-5cG21mXGXBUR3GU3JU3bvYsIQE3OH9sbbgDeAANnp6dzMgzpbnRtY_aem_sNomxDd-w1MuTi6slAM_TA

Preparing your dog for baby, introducing your dog to your new baby, we know you have questions! Trust our 20 years of experience!

07/15/2024

I was updating some older blog posts and came across this one. And since today is a sunny day, it's seems worth sharing again. Reward-based methods aren't just for sunny days and easy dogs and puppies. They are for all dogs.

06/21/2024

‼ FREE webinar on a super important topic for dog guardians! Please join us and share with friends and family! 💜

🔹 Does My Dog Need a Veterinary Behaviorist? 🔹

If you haven’t heard of a veterinary behaviorist, you are not alone – there are only 100 in the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists!

These veterinarians are board-certified in animal behavior and specialize in understanding and treating problems such as fear, anxiety, and aggression.

How do you know if a veterinary behaviorist can help your pup, how do you find one, and what can you expect during your appointment and after?

Join us on Saturday, June 22 at 2pm ET with Dr. Meaghan Ropski, DVM, DACVB; Friendship Behavior Specialists at Friendship Hospital for Animals to learn more!

➡️ Register for FREE at Yhttps://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkdO2oqz4uHdQWTDPElg3xhm6qzd63w_yU #/registration

06/09/2024

Animal Behavior Wellness Center is looking for dogs to enroll in a clinical trial investigating an oral behavioral support supplement in dogs with separation anxiety Please share!

Does your dog tremble, vocalize, pant excessively, or become destructive when you leave the house? Has your dog been diagnosed with separation anxiety? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, please contact us about enrollment in our double-blinded, placebo controlled, fully funded clinical study. This is a completely remote study, so you don’t have to worry about bringing your dog into the clinic. During the 30 day study, your dog will receive either a placebo or an oral behavioral support supplement. When you leave home (for example, to go to work) your dog will be evaluated via a 20 minute video, using a provided web cam.

Your participation is confidential, and you will be compensated for your time. At the conclusion of the study, regardless of the test group to which you’re assigned, you will also receive 3 FREE months of a nutritional behavioral support supplement.

Scan the QR code or visit https://www.abwellnesscenter.com/clinical-behavior-trial for more information. Thank you for helping to promote the behavioral wellness of our best friends.

Animal Behavior Wellness Center
Treatment. Training. Compassion.



11230 Waples Mill Road
Suite 125A
Fairfax, VA, USA 22030
888.438.0788 ext.1

06/07/2024

🎆Fireworks Season is right around the corner, and often times starts before the 4th of July! Help set up your dog for success during the loudest time of the year by checking out the tips below🎆

06/05/2024

Our team is getting a tremendous amount of continuing education today!

05/31/2024

We got to see 😍handsome😍 George for his yearly behavior recheck visit!
George is almost 13 years young!!!

05/21/2024

💡 Student Spotlight 💡 Bruce came in for his recheck appointment with our staff today. Bruce had been busy working with his pet parents on confidence building exercises on top of cooperative care nailing training and acclimating to guests at home! Keep up the great work Bruce!

05/16/2024

💡Student Spotlight💡Becca came in for her recheck appointment with our staff today. She has grown tremendously with her overall confidence and has been working on great training skills with mom! Keep up the great work Becca!