Richmond Animal Behavior Wellness Center

10/14/2024

We love our veterinary care staff! Thank you for all the hard work and compassion!!

09/21/2024

I have noticed that a certain recent paper has gotten a lot of buZZZZ recently. Sadly, the paper was not very robust and certainly I have seen better logic from a 6 year old. Here is a great video breaking it down: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tmkEvm4htTs&si=9yRB-DIoWkw0cuKL&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2Y9Hl6xMRohprm3xOM5m3_GrLlNUCIkulA2Kf_oA8DkNvsWSY4ulPIAjk_aem_Mn0wO9Nf4DRj0sAmN7Lg9g

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07/05/2024

Thanks so much to our sponsors for helping us plan the day!.com

03/17/2024

Amazing!

02/07/2024

Some decisions can be very difficult, help is out there.

Our Pet Loss Support team offers a FREE Behavioral Euthanasia Support Group for pet owners dealing with the loss of a pet due to behavioral issues. Please know that you don't have to face this alone. Join us for our next session tomorrow at 4pm ET. You're welcome to share your story or simply listen to others who are going through similar experiences. Click here to register today: https://hubs.li/Q02htn330

11/27/2023

Join Tabitha in a captivating conversation with Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Amy Learn of Richmond Animal Behavior Wellness Center as they delve into Amy's personal journey in the field of animal behavior. In this episode, they explore five invaluable tips for veterinary professionals dealing with behavior cases in general practice.

Together, they debunk common behavior myths and provide practical insights to enhance the understanding and management of animal behavior in the veterinary setting.

Tune in for a paw-sitively enlightening discussion!

Listen here or wherever you get podcasts

https://tailsfromrvt.buzzsprout.com/1887137/13999545

10/15/2023

Happy Vet tech week to all my support staff!! Sam, Lily, Lindsay, Lesley, Oliver!!!

Happy National Vet Tech Appreciation Week! We love our ABWC veterinary nurses, Cara and Michelle! We will be celebrating our entire team this week, so help us by showing YOUR appreciation in the comments!

10/05/2023

Good luck to all the Behavior Residents that are sitting for the exam this weekend- brutal but you can do it!! American College of Veterinary Behaviorists

05/10/2023

A WORD ABOUT WAGS
Contrary to popular belief, a wagging tail doesn’t always mean a dog is happy. You may have heard - “I don’t understand why that dog reacted badly to me; his tail was wagging!”

Dogs communicate through so many different types of body language, but the wag and the tail position are probably one of the easier to notice.

As with most things dog behaviour related it depends on the individual dog. Some breeds naturally carry their tails in a different position and some breeds wag their tails differently to others.

Wags and tail positions should always be looked at in context and in conjunction with the rest of a dogs’ body language.

By taking note of how your dog’s tail usually looks or how that tail behaves when they’re really excited or happy to see you, provides a good base line to interpret other types of tail language.

I’m probably odd, but I often watch my dogs’ tails with fascination as they stalk or hunt for something, bark at something outside the gate or see another dog approaching while out walking.

The type of wag and position of their tails gives me so much information about their emotional state.

Although some people won’t agree, I definitely see wags to the right when my dogs are happy and wags to the left when there is arousal, uncertainty, predatory behaviour or other emotions going on.

Not only is the tail an important method of communication but it also plays a role in balance, stability, movement and counterbalancing when a dog quickly changes direction.

I believe that tail docking destroys an essential part of a dog's ability to communicate with other dogs by creating a distinct social disadvantage or misunderstanding as tail signals can’t be read.

People with working dogs believe that tail docking is necessary to prevent tail injuries or improve permormance, but many countries have banned this practice either completely or only under specific medical circumstances.

Start taking notice of what your dog is doing with their tail - you may find it interesting and it may open up a new way of understanding how your dog is feeling.

05/10/2023

Socialisation.
Play is NOT socialisation. Play is a separate and important skill.....but it isn't socialisation.
What is socialisation ?..... Calmness and acceptance.
What it isn't......over excited, scared, hyper, wary behaviour or PLAY.

I know that seems like a big statement to make for some people but society has some strange ideas of what socialisation is.

That doesn't mean dogs and puppies shouldn't play, it simply means one of the FIRST things they need to learn in life is be calm and accepting of dogs in general....then play can be added as a separate skill.

Calmness and acceptance IS socialisation.
Play is play.
Two completely separate things.

Dogs and puppies are a very small part of having a socialised dog. An important small part... but a very small part in a much bigger picture.
The word socialisation seems to be associated with play and that is a big issue with new puppy guardians/owners.

How you let other dogs meet yours and how your dog meets other dogs forms patterns of behaviour.
The more these dogs have over excited, over aroused and hyper behaviour around other dogs...........the more they understand this IS exactly how to meet dogs....and that is really problematic for many dogs.

True socialisation is acceptance and calmness in ALL the world has to offer.
Everything you encounter in everyday life...is exactly what you need to expose your dogs to.

Little and often
Positively and calmly......and you are well on your way to a well socialised puppy or dog.

One of the best lessons you can teach your puppy or dog is they do NOT need to interact with others.
They don't need to go to that hyper excited behaviour when other dogs are near.

They can be calm, assess the situation and choose to play and interact if they wish.....

That is true socialisation.

05/04/2023

We want to congratulate our own Lily Hargis for All the hard work and preparation she put in to pass her KPA exam!! We are so proud and lucky to have her as part of our team!

03/12/2023

01/06/2023

When you punish a cat for exhibiting a behavior you don’t like, it doesn’t stop the behavior. First, it’s important to understand that regardless of how unwanted the behavior is, it serves a purpose for the cat. Your cat isn’t scratching on the sofa or jumping on the counter just to make you mad. Animals engage in behaviors that serve a function (i.e. a pay-off). Additionally, many of the behaviors cat parents view as unwanted, such as furniture scratching, are normal, natural behaviors. When you sq**rt the cat with water for scratching the furniture you may momentarily stop the behavior but the cat has a normal and natural need to scratch. If he gets punished every time he attempts to engage in a normal behavior, he will probably become afraid of you and he’ll also continue the behavior in secret. That’s a very stressful combination.