Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan

I am so grateful for all of the families, pets and veterinarians I have a chance to work with!

How secure are electric fences?

A survey of 974 dog owners asked how their dogs were confined to the yard, whether they had escaped. The results showed that an electronic fence was the LEAST effective method of containing a dog: 44% of dogs contained by one had escaped. Dogs were less likely to have escaped from a tether (27%) or from a see-through fence (e.g. chain link or slatted wood) (23%) or a privacy fence that is not see-through (also 23%). Escape rates were not associated with how dogs were trained on them.


Ref: Starinsky, et al (2017). Escape rates and biting histories of dogs confined to their owner's property through the use of various containment methods. JAVMA, 250(3), 297-302.

Take a Nature Sniff Walk!
Try a leisurely stroll that allows your dog to explore their environment it's great for their mental well-being. The act of sniffing provides mental stimulation and enrichment - like solving puzzles or reading a captivating book! This mental stimulation is particularly important for senior dogs who may have physical limitations but still crave activity. It can help keep their brain sharp.

I am excited to introduce my new equine friend, Marigold. Some of you may know that I lost both my geldings in the past two years both due to colic. As a lifelong horse lover, owner, rider and trainer I couldn't imagine being without horses. Marigold is just 3 years old, she is a Welsh Cob and came all the way from Oregon to my home in Michigan. She is just starting her training under saddle and she a fast learner with clicker training too! Did you know that horses can be taught with a clicker just like dogs? Join Marigold and her big sister Birdie on Instagram for our adventures in training!

Pure Michigan behavior pets! I enjoy traveling to see pets in my practice across the state of Michigan. I was just in the Traverse City area seeing patients at the super training facility Barks and Rec! The panoramic view of Grand Traverse Bay on Friday night was breathtaking.

Chewing after training improves learning!
New research presented in June at the veterinary behavior symposium indicates that giving your dog a chew after training speeds their learning process! Let's try it!

Ref: A Moesta, et al VBS 2024

Home | Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan Our goal is to prevent, treat and effectively manage behavior problems in companion animals to enhance and strengthen the human-animal bond. If you have any questions about your pet’s behavior please contact us.

Thank you Meara and Vicky! I am honored to have been part of your behavior journey.

Help Us Celebrate National Mutt Day - recognize and share our love for dogs of mixed breed heritage that add joy to our lives and also to raise awareness for dogs in shelters waiting for their forever homes.

Is it Pain or is it Medical or is it Both?
Please join me on this video recorded session sponsored by our friend Jen Shryock and Family Paws (link below) where we discuss the role of pain and discomfort in dog behaviors, especial anxiety and aggression.
https://vimeo.com/988518097/47a92a717c?&login=true =_

video1414518425 This is "video1414518425" by Family Paws on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Is it Behavioral or Medical? Or it's both!

I recently saw a normally easy going dog that bit the family member hard enough to require medical attention when they bumped into her foot. This pup has had bad allergies and had been licking and biting her feet until raw.
This graph is from a study that reported 28 to 82% of problem behaviors are influenced by or caused by pain.
There is currently a significant under-reporting of the ways in which pain can be associated with problem behaviors. Always check with your veterinarian and consider pain and discomfort as a cause or contributor to your dog's behavior.
Ref: Mills, et al Animals, 2020

Home | Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan Our goal is to prevent, treat and effectively manage behavior problems in companion animals to enhance and strengthen the human-animal bond. If you have any questions about your pet’s behavior please contact us.

Is it medical or behavioral?
Pain and discomfort are very common causes of irritability and aggressive behaviors in our pets. Do you know if your pet is in pain?

Join Jen Shryock of Family Paws and me, Dr. Jill Sackman for a discussion on how to identify if pain is causing your pet’s behavior change.

Join us https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9704835087

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Sometimes words just hit it right on target!
"Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character....”
Arthur Schopenhauer.

Dog's don't outgrow fear of noises!
Fear of loud and sudden sounds often manifest early: a majority of affected dogs show signs by 1- 2 years old.
Noise sensitivities often become more severe with age.
A sudden onset of noise fear in older dogs is uncommon. If your dog suddenly develops a fear of noises at > 6 years, always check for pain as an issue.
If you dog has fear of noises, seek help from your veterinarian.

Ref: S Riemer; PLoSOne 2019.

https://www.wgvunews.org/the-shelley-irwin-show-season-1/2024-07-12/the-shelley-irwin-show-podcast-for-7-12-24

The Mind of a Dog!
I was happy to speak with Shelley Irwin on her podcast last Friday about just how smart our dogs are as she explored with her listeners the Mind of a Dog. Take a listen!

The Shelley Irwin Show Podcast for 7-12-24 Inside the Mind of a Dog, A Death in Cornwall, Corewell Health, The Muskegon City Public Art Institute, and AngeLink.

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/how-to-reduce-your-dogs-fireworks-anxiety/

Delighted to be part of a interview with A Pleasant Dog for WOOD TV in Grand Rapids on reducing anxiety in dogs with July 4th coming! Please protect your dog from experiencing loud, sudden noises if they are scared and also please be respectful of not only pets in your neighborhood but also people who panic with loud noises. The sound, sight, and even smell of fireworks can trigger PTSD in veterans who were exposed to traumatic events during combat, including gun violence, explosions, and training accidents.

How to reduce your dog’s fireworks anxiety Fireworks can be an exciting part of celebrating Independence Day but the sounds can be especially difficult for pets.

Boom, Bang, Crash !!
Canine noise anxiety is a real welfare issue. Treatment includes providing your dog a safe space such as the basement, a bathroom or a walk in closet, sound masking with a fan or white noise plus medication to reduce anxiety. Delaying treatment until a dog's anxiety is significant can lead to panic and sensitivity to other sounds and to the development of other anxiety disorders.

Ask your veterinarian about medication to reduce anxiety. Sileo®gel is one easy option; it is the first FDA-approved medication indicated for the treatment of canine noise aversion.

What does a Veterinary Behaviorist / Psychiatrist Do? When should you get their help?
It was great fun to work with excellent trainer Lisa Desatnik on this podcast. Check it out and learn more about how veterinary behaviorists can help your pet. Also check out and Lisa's other podcasts!

Often with my behavior cases, I refer clients back to their vet and/or a veterinary behaviorist to address possible underlying physiological issues impacting behavior. Understanding what is a veterinary behaviorist, how a VB is different from your regular veterinarian and when it is helpful to seek the support of one are important to know.

In my newest Lives Touched By Pets podcast episode, I talked about this topic with Dr. Jill E. Sackman, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian behaviorist to whom I have referred clients as part of the support team.

Dr. Sackman is a board-certified diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviors; and a board certified diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. She is the owner of Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan, PLC.

Listen to our discussion (Episode 8), at my Lives Touched By Pets podcast on Spotify, iHeart, Amazon Music, Youtube Music, Apple Podcasts or Spreaker. Here is a link to it on Youtube Music: https://rebrand.ly/Lisa-podcast-youtube-music

It's International Joke Day - let's have a laugh together. Do you have a humorous, silly and nice joke to share?

Green, Yellow, Red!
Think of your dog's emotional state as colors. If your dog is relaxed, can listen to you and take a treat, they are in the GREEN zone and are in a great learning mode; when they start to tense and stiffen, take a treat but grab it hard, they are entering the YELLOW zone, and often can still work on learning. When they start to bark and lunge they have crossed into the RED zone, cannot listen to you or take a treat and are no longer in a good learning mode. On a walk if your dog is mostly in the YELLOW and RED zones the environment is too much for her and it's time to find more space/ quieter location. Thank you to the Dog Geek for this great graphic!

It's a Pain!
A study reported last week at the veterinary behavior conference indicates that PAIN in dogs from bones and joints (arthritis), skin/ allergies and gastrointestinal upset all have a significant impact on increasing: Stranger and Owner directed aggression, Touch sensitivity, Separation anxiety and Excitability. Pain should always be considered/ evaluated as a factor in behavior problems in dogs. Ref: VBS 2024; Mitchum, et al, UPenn School Vet Med.

Animal Behavior Consultants of Michigan Our goal is to prevent, treat and effectively manage behavior problems in companion animals to enhanc

My dog bit out of the blue!
Many times people are completely surprised when they get a growl, snap or bite from a dog. Bites should not be surprises if you are watching a dog's expression and body language. Ears back, face tension and eyes rolling (see the whites?) in the dog on the upper left is a give away that this dog is uncomfortable with the touching.

Successful Treatment of Separation Anxiety -

Jenn Gavin, CPDT-KA from A Pleasant Dog presented some amazing data on the successful treatment of separation anxiety in dogs at the Veterinary Behavior Symposium this week. Separation anxiety is a significant behavioral problem in dogs - it is exciting to see your great results Jenn!!

Wow!!
It was very exciting to be part of the Veterinary Behavior Conference this year and present our research data. Take away - from looking at many, many juvenile (

We often get questions on the outcomes and side effects of behavioral medications in young dogs. Dr. Sackman presents her study on this. Spoiler alert...pretty effective and minimal side effects, similar to those seen in adult dogs.

Help me!
A myth I'd love to change is that putting your hands in your dog's food bowl will reduce the chance they will guard their food. In fact the opposite is the case - the more you mess around with a dog's food the more likely the dog will feel the need to guard it. Try this tip instead - drop a tasty treat in the bowl everytime you walk by - then your dog will anticipate good things and not worry (guard) their food being taken away. # #

Meet Schatz and her best person Rose. We are so proud of their progress in handling scary situations like walks and veterinary visits. Rose has become an accomplished trainer working with Schatz and it was a real treat seeing them last week doing so well!

Is praise enough?
How many of us would stay with a job and keep working - even if we LOVED it - if we never got a paycheck? Praise is important, but when learning a new behavior and working in difficult circumstances (stress, anxiety) a high value treat/ reward greatly accelerates the learning process.
What's your dog's favorite training treat?

Treatments we like!
It's storm and fireworks season which causes many dogs to panic with the unexpected crash and booms. Their fear is truly a panic attack. In addition to medication and finding a quiet place (such as a bathroom, basement or walk-in closet) to help relieve anxiety, some dogs will find relief with light compression from a weighted blanket. You can find many options for your dog from pediatric weighted blankets to one made just for dogs. Give it a try!

Interdog aggression (IDA)
- Occurs when dogs in the home fight and it is one of the hardest behaviors to treat.
-As reported in this excellent study by Feltes et al, resource guarding is the MOST common trigger of fights between dogs in the home.
- Same s*x pairs are the most likely to fight.
-The most recently added dog is the most likely to be the aggressor.
-Dogs do NOT just 'fight it out' - seek treatment right away to help prevent worsening of fights.
Ref: Feltes, et. al. JAVMA 2020.

If you need help reach us at www.animalbehaviormi.com