Dr. Wailani Sung is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in the San Francisco Bay Area.
She offers in clinic consultations and remote consultations for pet owners in other states.
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.
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.
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
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.
Our 2024 Conference Speakers & Topics 🙂
I am excited to announce that I have accepted the position of Senior Director of Animal Behavior, Education and Welfare at Joybound People and Pets, located in Walnut Creek, CA. Beginning July 1st, I will ONLY be seeing behavior cases through Joybound. I will continue to maintain BayAreaVetBehavior.com as well as my social media where I will continue to post articles of interest that promote behavior and animal welfare as well as field media inquiries and book presentation requests. I look forward to serving the Bay Area and its pets at Joybound! Thank you for your support.
Send a message to learn more
What is your dog telling you? Drs. Dodman and Pike discuss "What Your Dog’s Facial Expressions Really Mean" in the latest Readers Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/dog-facial-expressions/
As we close out National Dog Bite Prevention Week, see this handout from the ACVB on best practices when interacting with a fearful dog: https://bit.ly/3PLLI5U
🚫🐕 Dog Bite Prevention Week! 🐾🚫
Did you know that understanding a dog's body language can be the key to preventing dog bites? ACVB Diplomate Dr. Hagar Hauser shares vital insight: "The best way to prevent dog bites is to be able to recognize early warning signs of stress. If a dog stares, stiffens, growls, bares their teeth, or shows other distance-increasing requests, these should be respected and the interaction should be discontinued."
The next ACVB Webinar, "Improving the Welfare of Pet Guinea Pigs" with Dr. Valarie Tynes will kick off on Thursday, April 11 at 7:00PM ET. For more details and to register, visit https://bit.ly/acvb0424 (Heads up to ACVB residents/students-- email [email protected] for a discount code!)
Join Dr. Melissa Bain, Victoria Stilwell, and others next week for the AVMA Dog Bite Prevention Week Facebook Live event. Check in here at noon CT on April 11th at https://facebook.com/AVMAvets
Avoid the pen or finger tapping please. There are other ways to distract a pet.
Feline Friday...we love our kitties! Dr. Leslie Sinn discusses how they can sometimes be misunderstood. https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2024/03/12/cats-behavior-misunderstood/
This is an interesting study that measured EEG activity and used a subjective scale. The study revealed that different activities had varying effects on participants' brain waves. The results used the participant's brain wave activity and answers about how they felt after each activity with the dog. Keep in mind, this was a very small study, used the researcher's own dog, participants were recruited from a dog salon & grooming school and there was no control group. However, it indicated that interacting with dogs has a beneficial effect on some people. Participants reported feeling less stressed, fatigued and depressed after interacting with the dog.
FRIDAY, March 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Playing fetch or grooming Fido isn't just good for your precious pooch — it also benefits your brain.Such interaction
Come to think of it, we're all doing the best we can.
If your dog is a zombie then they need a medication adjustment.
This week is Poison Prevention Week! The AVMA provides this handy resource guide on all things "household hazard" that you can share with pet owners and help them keep their furry friends safe.
https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/household-hazards
Scent training improves mental ability such as impulse control and can ultimately improve problem solving skills and the dog's overall behavior.
Scent training could make pet dogs better behaved, suggests a study by Aberystwyth University academics published in Animals.
This is going to be a great event with knowledgeable and passionate speakers.
Join us on March 20 and April 3rd from 9 - 1 pm PT/ noon - 4 pm ET for Camp Maddie: Behavior Edition, a FREE online event devoted to dog behavior in animal shelters. We have an amazing line-up of speakers, including Michael Shikashio, Dr. Wailani Sung, and Dr. Chris Pachel. Check out this link to learn more! https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiebehavior
Walking provides your dog with enrichment and decompression.
Shake it…shake it off…
A recent study by two researchers in France looked at sniffing, pulse rate, and leash length on walks. Sixty-one dogs were taken on three separate walks, five minutes each walk, once with a 1.5m leash, once with a 5m leash, and once without a leash at all (walk order was randomized for each dog). Off-leash dogs sniffed the most, more than 3x as long as the dogs on short leashes. Dogs on long leashes spent nearly as much time as unleashed dogs sniffing, almost 3x as long as dogs on short leashes.
This study also found that sniffing resulted in lowered pulse rates, and the more intensely they sniffed, the more their pulse rates lowered. Pulse rate was also lowered when dogs “shook off” during walks on all leash lengths. The “shake off” behavior was often seen when the dog’s pulse rate was particularly high.
Read more about it below!
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HX77kp2HBDiTxmq/?mibextid=Le6z7H
https://www.tuftsyourdog.com/everydaydogcare/giving-your-dog-time-to-sniff-on-walks-will-literally-soothe-his-heart/
What else can we learn about dogs from their walking behavior? Take your best friend on a Sniffari and see what you observe!
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