Clinical Animal Behavior Service - UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

06/01/2025

We are sorry to announce the passing of Karen Pryor, a giant in the field of positive reinforcement training.

With profound sadness and immense gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a true pioneer in the fields of animal behavior and positive reinforcement training. Karen’s groundbreaking work revolutionized how we communicate with animals—and each other—leaving an indelible mark on science, education, and the lives of countless species around the world.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4214rRG

23/12/2024

15/12/2024

Isn't every day Cat Herders Day?

09/12/2024

Let's celebrate International Day of Veterinary Medicine!

02/12/2024

Last couple of days of teaching! In the comparative stream for all 3rd year students we have Welfare and Environmental Optimization. And for the small animal track students we have our advanced behavior lab this afternoon.

28/11/2024

Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

26/11/2024

Today Dr. Stelow discusses cat behavior for 3 hours with our veterinary students!

25/11/2024

We are in the midst of teaching the 3rd year veterinary students about clinical animal behavior. Today: Canine anxiety and aggression for 4 hours.

20/11/2024

Have you wondered about brain sizes? Wait, maybe it's just us! 😀
A recent study demonstrated that toy breeds possess the largest relative brain sizes compared to their body mass, while working breeds exhibit the smallest.
Read the full study here:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0342
And read a story about this study here:
https://phys.org/news/2024-11-links-brain-volume-temperament-diverse.html

17/11/2024

Enjoy National Take a Hike Day with your 4-legged friend. Be sure to ask your vet if your dog is fit enough to do it!

15/11/2024

Feline Friday!
Get ready for National Black Cat Day next Monday! Let's see your kitties!

13/11/2024

Want to help cats? Then help our colleagues in Animal Science by filling out this survey about cats visiting veterinary clinics, and please share! https://tinyurl.com/visitpreference

08/11/2024

Building upon our celebration of the human-animal bond, please help our colleagues at Harris-Stowe State University in their study of how people interpret the emotions of cats.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

08/11/2024

Let's celebrate International Human-Animal Bond Day together!

05/11/2024

We had an interesting case last week that highlights the impact of long-term neglect and the interactions between physical and psychological. Our patient was a middle aged mixed breed dog that presented for excessive barking and agitation for no apparent reason to the owners, starting at 5:00 am and randomly throughout the day. He was severely underweight when they got him approximately 4 months ago, after he was running on the streets.

Some physical things to consider is that this dog has hearing loss and eye problems, and what appeared to be an old facial fracture. He displays anxiety-related behaviors related to handling and restraint. And there is a history of inconsistent reinforcement for his barking behaviors. With a potential back history of him being a completely outside dog, he may have had little to no human interaction, except perhaps when he barked.

Our plan consisted of continuing to address his physical limitations with his veterinarian, instituting training consisting of capturing behaviors using a clicker (he could hear it in our room), helping teach the dog some relaxation exercises, and for now, using anti-anxiety medications to help with his transition and with veterinary visits.

This is not our patient, but a cute dog nonetheless!

03/11/2024

Let's celebrate National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week by sharing pictures of your pets from shelters!