The Bitey End of the Dog Podcast
Wow. I just listened to the first episode of Season Four of Michael Shikashio's podcast, The Bitey End of the Dog. He interviews a range of great thinkers related to canine aggression in his podcast, including, this season, Karen London and Mark Beckoff. But the first episode was with me, focusing on trauma in dogs. I don't usually listen to podcasts I've done after they've been recorded, but this time I did, and was reminded how Michael's knowledge, compassion, and insight, make him an exceptional podcast host and canine expert. I think you'll agree when you listen. But before you do, a warning: This is no "beach read." Both Michael and I are both flat out honest about how our own Read More
Is Your Dog Doing Something You Don’t Like? Do Your Own Intake Interview!
I'm not seeing clients anymore, beyond helping out an occasional friend, but a conversation with some colleagues got me thinking about the value of thinking through an issue with your dog as if you were your own client. I've used this technique before myself--writing out the "problem behavior," deciding what behavior I do want in its place, and then working up a plan. Yet, when I ended up looking at some posts from 2016 this week, I realized how much this skeleton plan lacks. Going through the posts I wrote on doing good intakes, I realized how much depth there might be in being your own client, whether you have one family dog or are a Certified Applied Animal Behavior consultant. I've Read More
Excellent New Book on Companion Animals and Mental Health
Recently I had the honor of writing the forward for an important and timely book: The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders. Published by the American Psychiatric Association, this book is a testament to the hard work of mental health researchers and practitioners who are doing their best to find when, and how, companion animals can provide significant help to those struggling with mental challenges, including developmental disorders like ASD, and trauma-related ones like PTSD. I hope I summed up my feelings about the importance of this work described in the book, with its excellent range of knowledge and perspectives, collected by editors Gee, Townsend, and Read More