Bay Area Vet Behavior

12/11/2024

25/10/2024

Differential reinforcement (DR) is a process where a desirable behavior is reinforced and an undesirable behavior is extinguished by withholding reinforcement. Using the principles of operant conditioning, the desirable behavior will therefore be more likely to occur in the future while the undesirable behavior will be less likely to occur in the future. Slowly, the undesirable behavior will become extinct as the reinforcement has been removed. There are 5 types of DR. I will briefly cover two types: differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) and differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors (DRA). When doing DRO, the animal is reinforced for doing any behavior other than the undesirable or target behavior. For example, the target behavior is a dog showing interest in a guinea pig cage. If we were to do DRO for this behavior, we would reinforce the dog for doing anything other than paying attention to the guinea pig cage. This could include laying down, chewing on a bone, playing with their toy, etc. For DRA, the animal is only reinforced when doing an appropriate alternative behavior. In this case, the alternative behavior must have the same function as the target behavior. If the target behavior is a dog chewing on shoes. We will only reinforce the dog when they are chewing on their bones, an appropriate alternative behavior.

19/10/2024

😀☀️ Today's day of Subaru fun has begun! Our friends at Diablo Subaru of Walnut Creek are sponsoring the adoption fees for all of Joybound's animals — like Forester! 🚗🐕 Mobile adoptions at Diablo Subaru of Walnut Creek will be open until 3 pm and adoptions at Joybound's Walnut Creek headquarters are open until 6 pm.
https://joybound.org/blog/subaru-loves-pets/

15/09/2024

Do you have one of these "broken" cats? Not all cats have strong hunting instincts. Read about my interview with USAToday.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/pets/2024/09/13/cats-catching-mice-birds-personality/75172089007/

A study out of France found agreeableness and dominance correlated with different prey drives.

13/09/2024

A trained psychiatric service dog can change a life. ❤️🐕‍🦺 If you’ve ever wondered if a service dog is right for you, join us this Saturday for our A New Leash on Life: Shelter to Service Open House!
Community partners in attendance will include: Contra Costa Employment and Human Services, New Beginnings Church, Embark Behavioral Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Community Care, & U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center.
📅 When: Saturday, September 14, 10 am - 1 pm
📍 Where: Joybound People & Pets: Engelstad Hall
https://joybound.org/blog/a-new-leash-on-life-joybounds-shelter-to-service-open-house/

12/09/2024

Upcoming Dates Sunday, September 15 • 12 - 1 pmSunday, November 3 • 12 - 1 pmSunday, December 1 • 12 - 1 pm Joybound People & Pets2890 Mitchell Drive,

08/09/2024

The common assumption that cats hate water is simply not true. There are many cats that are fascinated by water. The Turkish Van is a breed known as the "swimming cat". Learn more about cats' preference for water in my latest interview in Scientific American.

Not all cats are hydrophobic

30/08/2024

A psychiatric service dog can be a life-saver for people living with depression, anxiety, PTSD, agoraphobia, and other emotional and mental health conditions. Learn more about how Joybound is training shelter dogs to become service dogs at our Shelter to Service Open House on Saturday, September 14.
Join us to find out all about the psychiatric service dog training process, hear from community partners, and more. Plus, JUNKED: Powered by Veterans will be there offering e-waste disposal services, with proceeds benefiting Joybound’s programs.
https://joybound.org/blog/a-new-leash-on-life-joybounds-shelter-to-service-open-house/

28/08/2024

06/08/2024

Fear is the easiest things to condition in dogs and the hardest to resolve. Fear can come from many places, many of which we don't control. This infographic is my most downloaded and shared resource. In fact, many vets and Veterinary Behaviorists use this handout with their own clients! Link in first comment to grab your own copy.

14/07/2024

https://aggressivedog.com/checkout-registration/

13/07/2024

Do you know why your dog is staring at you? Read my article to find out!

Ever wonder, “why does my dog always stare at me?” Learn why dogs stare and what staring dog is trying to tell you here.

25/06/2024

MANY things add up to decrease your pet's tolerance of "out-of-the-blue" triggers. Think of a day gone bad:
* your alarm doesn't go off
* you didn't buy coffee
* you get in the car and realize your tank is empty
* you get gas and spend a lot of money
* you're late to work and park far away
* it's raining and you get wet walking into work
And now your boss asks you to do something. How more likely are you to be stressed by this request compared to:
* you woke up on time
* you had coffee
* you didn't have to get gas
* you got that prime parking spot and didn't get wet

20/06/2024

Can dogs really learn how to self-calm? Yes, they can! Veterinary behaviorist and author of the Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats, Dr. Karen Overall, has provided us with the tools to help our canine patients and clients.

04/06/2024