Shore Veterinary Behavior Solutions, LLC

28/05/2024

26/04/2024

Yeah, Jackson is a kewl guy!

06/04/2024

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by parasitic worms living in t

09/03/2024

This is a great visual aid!!

03/03/2024

For that little old widow sitting home with many many cats… this one is for you!

So many questions! 😂

31/01/2024

And justice is done!!

Can’t stop progress.

31/01/2024

OMG, this is so important. Sophia Yin was a master of animal behavior and a gift to veterinary medicine. I would search out and read or watch anything that she produced!

Never grab your dog's mouth or forcefully take items from them!

22/01/2024

Love it 😆

21/01/2024

Why we avoid ball chasing! 🚨

Some dogs will keep bringing the ball back to you until they keel over if not stopped. Have you ever wondered why this is?

The answer is in the hormones released. Chasing and catching a ball taps into the dog's predatory sequence, and causes the brain to release adrenaline for a prolonged period of time. Too much adrenalin has been known to result in heart damage, insomnia, and a jittery, nervous feeling. Alongside this, cortisol is released, the stress hormone, which increases the heart rate and has a negative impact on physical and mental wellbeing. Because it is so rewarding for the dog, a high ball drive dog will continue to perform over and over (even if they're in physical pain). Dogs are known to ignore injuries and thus make them progressively worse while playing fetch. The constant supply of adrenaline is very addictive, and dogs who play fetch a lot will can learn to seek this adrenaline all the time. You will see a dog who is hyperactive, seeks out adrenaline driven behaviour and struggles to settle or engage in calm behaviour. While adrenaline building games are physically tiring, they're mentally exciting. If you look at, for example, mantrailing or scent work, these games release feel good - calming hormones as well as being mentally and physically tiring, in a way that is gentle on the joints.

Effects on the Muscles.

Where the ball goes after being thrown is unpredictable. In response, dogs quickly break, twist, and land in ways that can result in stress and strain on muscles that aren't equipped to handle. To make matters worse, high speeds increase the force generated in the muscle and increase the chances of injury. The most dangerous part of ball chasing is breaking. The movements necessary to stop running often result in shoulder injuries. Dogs are equipped to chase down and catch prey, once. Not over and over and over day in, day out. Contrary to popular belief, we should not physically exhaust our dogs every day- imagine if we ran and jumped to exhaustion ever day- it's not good for them!

Effects on the Joints.

The repetitive twisting, jumping and running during fetch micro-trauma to muscle and cartilage which can progress to long-term damage of the joints. Slipping on landing is common, and while dogs get up unscathed, they are actually ignoring the pain and damage caused by the fall, which again can lead to long term issues.

How to Prevent the Negative Effects of Ball Chasing!

It's okay to play fetch with your dog sometimes, if done as safely as possible and kept to a minimum. Try providing a warm up first, to reduce the risk of damage. Don't throw on surfaces which are slippy, and keep your throw to waist hight to avoid jumping. Better yet, use fetch as a training exercise, by teaching your dog to stay put whole the ball is thrown, meaning they are learning to relax around moving objects and chasing a ball which has already stopped. Find the ball or scent games with the ball are also a great alternative. Make fetch games a small part of your walk, and allow your dog to sniff and " be a dog" for the rest of it. If you have a dog who compulsively fetches, try removing balls from sight. Our border collie has all the toys she fetches away in the cupboard! Dogs can't resist if they can see them!

20/01/2024

Very helpful info

It's hard as a consumer to find a qualified, competent behavior consultant or trainer. It's buyer beware, because we are an unregulated industry so there's no real standards or even minimum qualifications to look for. My post this week gives some insight on what some of the credentials mean and what to look for, but here are some additional things to look for or do when you're vetting someone you're considering hiring.

More info on my post this week, in case you missed it!

https://rescuedbytraining.com/2024/01/15/dog-profession-titles/

20/01/2024

Very well put!

01/04/2023

very interesting information

One question I got was why does my dog eat his p**p?
Technically, eating p**p is called coprophagy, and its NORMAL behavior in many animals. Research at UC-Davis found that 16% of dogs regularly eat f***s. There was no evidence it was related to age or diet, s*x, ease of housetraining or compulsive behavior. What they did find was that these dogs were more likely to be described as “greedy eaters,” and more likely to be found in multi dog households, where you would expect a greater concentration of stools, i.e., more targets of opportunity. P**p eating in dogs is believed to date back over 15,000 years. Wolves did it (and still do).
Effectiveness of additives that claim to treat coprophagy had a success rate of between zero and 2 percent (save your money!)
You’ll have slightly better luck breaking a dog’s p**p-eating habits with behavioral training, like saying “Good dog,” and offering him a treat when he p**ps. That works in up to 4 percent of cases. Best treatment? Prevention – clean up f***s as soon as they are deposited!

25/03/2023

This is great information about changing your pet's behavior.

I often have clients that come to me after failed attempts at modifying their dog's behavior. They have either been counseled or done some research on their own and started a counter-conditioning process - their dog sees an identifiable trigger, and they feed the dog yummy treats in hopes of changing how their dog feels. They are frustrated with the limited results and either seek professional help or decide that using food in training does not work.

The truth is that pairing triggers with food is an effective behavior strategy, but only after we have addressed the following:

👉 Preventing the rehearsal of undesired behaviors: We can make great strides by manipulating our dog's environment, so they are no longer rehearsing the behavior we are attempting to modify. If we are making an effort to train around triggers, but our reactive dog is still barking each day at the window, then it will affect our progress.

👉 Meeting basic needs: This could include a vet check, more mental enrichment, setting up the environment, so your dog feels secure, or increased physical exercise. If we skip this essential step, your dog will never reach their full potential.

👉 Changing your dog's distance-creating strategy: If our dog has learned to bark and lunge at things that frustrate or concern them, we must first teach them that a different strategy can pay off. They must learn that avoidance is a viable option and trust that their person will no longer put them in situations they do not have the skill set to navigate successfully.

👉 Repairing a relationship: Behavioral challenges can be difficult and change how you feel about your dog. I often recommend taking a break from training and focusing on meeting your dog's needs while having fun. If we have management in place first, we can do that when feeling overwhelmed.

If you are making limited progress with your behavior modification plan, take a step back and focus on management, meeting your dog's needs, and press pause to remind yourself why you love your dog!

22/03/2023

even looks like fun!!

22/03/2023

This is VERY important. Retractable leashes are NOT a good way to control your dog!

Why are retractable leashes bad? It turns out that they can be dangerous for not only you, but also for your four-legged friends — here's how.

11/03/2023

This is a SUPER way to learn how to read body language. Recommended reading for both dog owners as well as those who want to be able to predict how an unknown dog may behave.

It is packed with 131 secret signals your dog is using to communicate with you (from dog body language to different types of barks and sleeping positions).This beautifully illustrated book contains little-known tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else.

02/03/2023

the truth comes out! believe it or not

Most people have heard the term “alpha wolf,” and imagined snapping fangs and fights to the death for dominance. The idea that wolf packs are led by an aggressive dictator is pervasive, and has unfortunately influenced the way people look at domestic dogs.

But it turns out that the alpha concept is a myth (in wolves AND dogs), and the term “alpha” has been dropped. In the wild, researchers have found that most wolf packs are simply families, led by a breeding pair, and bloody duels for supremacy are exceedingly rare.