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Animals Are So Easily Misunderstood… the Importance of Empathic Understanding

Animals Are So Easily Misunderstood… the Importance of Empathic Understanding

It is quite common for us to misinterpret our animals’ behavior, especially in tense or stressful moments. A situation in which Jake was feeling pain is used as an example of how we must always observe our animals’ reactions, interpret them in context, and look at them from our animals’ vantage point. Many stressful interactions can be avoided if we take the time needed to apply empathy for the animal’s point of view to them.

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A Psychologist’s View of Crossover Training: Personal & Professional Reflections

A Psychologist’s View of Crossover Training: Personal & Professional Reflections

What would possess a reasonably intelligent pet owner who loved her dogs and who had a strong background in behaviorism to apply choke-and drag methods for training her canine companions? This is a question I have asked myself – about myself – many times. Beyond my background in psychology (including classes on animal behavior and motivation!), I held what I thought were relatively humane values, instilled throughout my formative years by my parents’ demonstrations of kind treatment of our family dogs and cats.

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Kirrie’s Doggie Dictionary

Kirrie’s Doggie Dictionary

One of the challenges of play therapy work with canines is to ensure that children use the cues, both verbal and nonverbal, with which the dog has been trained. Kathy Sdao, an associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (and wonderful speaker and trainer on dog...

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Teaching LEAVE IT! to a Dog

Teaching LEAVE IT! to a Dog

MESSAGE FROM KIRRIE: Hi Everyone, Here is a picture of me doing Leave It! with cheeseballs! And this note comes with a video of none other than ME!! Leave It is one of the best things you can teach your dog, or so I’m told by humans. To me, it’s just a game that pays...

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