Canine and Feline Behavior for Veterinary Technicians and Nurses

Julie Shaw, RVT, VTS (Behavior), KPA-CTP, was the Senior Animal Behavior Technologist at Purdue University for 13 years and is now an owner of TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, LLC, in Spicewood, Texas, USA. Debbie Martin, RVT, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, VTS (Behavior), is the Animal Behavior Technician for Veterinary Behavior Consultations, LLC, and an owner of TEAM Education in Animal Behavior, LLC, in Spicewood, Texas, USA.

Contributors, xiii Preface, xvi Acknowledgments, xvii About the companion website, xviii 1 The Role of the Veterinary Technician in Animal Behavior, 1 Kenneth M. Martin and Debbie Martin Veterinarian s roles and responsibilities, 2 Medical differentials to behavior disorders, 4 Behavioral dermatology, 4 Aggression, 5 Elimination disorders, 5 Behavior disorder versus training problem, 5 Qualified professionals to treat animal behavior disorders, 6 Trainer s roles and responsibilities, 7 The role of the veterinary technician in the veterinary behavior consultation, 12 Triaging the issues, 12 Medical and/or behavioral disorder (veterinary diagnosis required), 13 Prevention and training (no veterinary diagnosis required), 14 Prevention, 14 Lack of training or conditioned unwanted behaviors, 14 Prior to the consultation, 16 During the consultation, 18 After the consultation: follow-up care, 21 Summary of the roles of the veterinarian, veterinary technician, and dog trainer in veterinary behavior, 22 Home versus clinic behavior consultations, 22 Pros and cons of the home behavior consultation versus the clinic behavior consultation, 22 Veterinary-technician-driven behavior services, 24 Behavior modification appointments, 24 Puppy socialization classes, 25 Kitten classes, 26 Pet selection counseling, 26 New puppy/kitten appointments, 26 Basic manners/training classes, 27 Head collar fitting, 27 Behavior wellness visits, 27 Avian classes, 27 Staff and client seminars, 27 Financial benefits, 28 Conclusion, 28 References, 28 2 Canine Behavior and Development, 30 Andrew U. Luescher Canine sensory capacities, 30 Vision, 30 Hearing, 31 Olfaction, 31 Vomeronasal organ, 31 Taste, 31 Touch, 31 Canine communication, 31 Visual communication, 31 Body postures, 32 Play postures, 33 Tail wagging, 34 Facial expressions, 34 Auditory communication, 34 Olfactory communication, 35 Conflict behavior, 35 Canine social structure, 37 Domestication and canine behavior, 37 Social organization in stray or feral dogs, 38 Social organization in dogs living in a human household, 38 Exploratory behavior, 39 Ingestive behavior, 39 Eliminative behavior, 40 Stimuli that affect elimination, 40 Sexual behavior, 40 Maternal behavior, 40 Parent offspring behavior, 41 Care-giving behavior, 41 Care-soliciting behavior, 41 Puppy activity and vocalization, 41 Play behavior, 41 Canine behavioral development, 41 Complexity of early environment, 41 Effect of neonatal stress, 42 Sensitive periods of development, 42 Fetal period, 43 Neonatal period, 43 Transition period, 44 Socialization period, 44 Fear period (8 10+ weeks), 47 Juvenile period, 47 Adolescent period, 48 Adult period, 48 Senior period, 48 Problem prevention, 48 Complex early environment, 48 Socialization, 48 Conclusion, 49 References, 50 Further reading, 50 3 Feline Behavior and Development, 51 Debbie Martin Feline sensory capacities, 52 Vision, 52 Hearing, 52 Olfaction, 53 Vomeronasal organ, 53 Taste, 53 Touch, 53 Feline communication, 53 Visual communication, 53 Body postures, 54 Play postures, 54 Tail positions, 54 Facial expressions, 56 Head, 56 Eyes, 56 Ears, 56 Mouth/whiskers, 56 Auditory communication, 57 Olfactory communication, 58 Reading the entire cat, 58 Feline domestication, social structure, and behavior, 58 Domestication, 58 Social organization of domestic cats, 59 Sexual behavior, 60 Maternal behavior, 61 Ingestive and predatory behavior, 61 Eliminative behavior, 61 Urine marking, 62 Exploratory behavior and activity levels, 62 Grooming behavior, 62 Feline behavioral development, 63 Developmental periods and life stages, 63 Fetal, 64 Neonatal, 64 Transition, 64 Socialization, 65 Juvenile, 65 Adolescent, 67 Adult, 67 Senior, 67 Conclusion, 68 References, 68 4 The Human Animal Bond a Brief Look at its Richness and Complexities, 70 Julie K. Shaw and Sarah Lahrman The HAB past, present, and future, 71 Special bonds, 71 Animal-assisted therapy, 71 Assistance (service) dogs, 72 Difficult to understand relationships, 73 Motives for animal abuse, 73 Dogfighting, 74 Children the other victims, 74 The dogmen , 74 Animal hoarders, 75 Puppy mill operators, 76 Defining healthy versus unhealthy bonds, 76 Defining and developing a healthy HAB, 76 Potential unhealthy pet relationships, 77 Identifying at-risk populations for unhealthy HAB, 77 Strengthening the HAB and preventing pet relinquishment, 78 Animals with behavioral disorders and the people who love them, 80 The stigma, 80 The impact on the pet owner, 80 Conclusion, 81 References, 81 5 Communication and Connecting the Animal Behavior Team, 83 Julie K. Shaw and Lindsey M. Fourez A comparison between marriage and family therapist and the role of the animal behavior technician, 84 Communication, 85 Nonverbal communication, 85 Verbal communication, 86 Road blocks to verbal communication, 86 Active listening, 87 Connective communication techniques, 87 The four-habits communication model, 87 Validation, 87 Normalizing, 89 Guiding the conversation, 89 Reframing, 89 The dominance theory, 89 Empathy, 91 Teaching, 92 Learning styles, 92 TAGteach, 93 The Focus FunnelTM, 94 The Tag PointTM, 94 The tag, 95 The communication cycle, 95 Assessments, 97 Initial phone assessment, 97 Signalment and family orientation, 97 Identify high-risk factors, 97 Description and prioritized problem list, 97 Specific questions to ask pertaining to aggression, 98 Status of the HAB, 99 Assessment in the field, 99 Parts of a behavior history, 99 Follow-up reports, 99 Acquiring a behavior history and improving pet owner compliance, 100 Question styles, 100 Improving compliance, 101 Compliance enhancers, 101 Grief counseling, 102 The normal grief process, 102 Types of grievers, 103 Complex grief, 103 Disenfranchised grief, 103 Grieving the pet they thought they had, 105 Choosing to euthanize because of a behavioral disorder, 105 Denial/shock, 105 Anger, 105 Bargaining, 106 Rehoming versus euthanasia, 106 Guilt, 106 Anticipatory grief and acceptance, 107 Breaking the bond, 107 Determining the current level of attachment, 108 The decision, 109 After the loss, 109 Relief, 110 After care additional support, 110 Conclusion, 111 References, 111 6 Learning and Behavior Modification, 113 Virginia L. Price Genetics and learning, 113 Effect of domestication on learning, 119 Effects of nutrition on learning, 122 Early environment and learning, 123 Habituation and sensitization, 124 Behavior modification using habituation, 125 Operant conditioning, 126 Behavior modification using operant conditioning, 133 Classical conditioning, 135 Behavior modification using classical conditioning, 136 Conditioned taste aversion, 138 Behavior modification using taste aversion conditioning, 138 Social learning, 138 Behavior modification using social learning, 139 Conclusion, 140 References, 140 7 Problem Prevention, 145 Debbie Martin, Linda M. Campbell, and Marcia R. Ritchie Introduction, 146 Preventing fear of the veterinary hospital, 147 Prevention techniques to ensure positive experiences in the veterinary hospital, 147 Ideal characteristics for pet owners, 149 Canine management and prevention techniques, 151 Understanding dogs and their characteristics, 151 Management of the learning history, 151 Routine, 152 Canine environmental enrichment, 152 Toys, 152 Games, 153 Retrieving, 153 Biscuit hunt or find it, 153 Hide and seek, 153 Round robin, 153 Chase the toy, 154 Dog parks and dog daycares, 154 Canine prevention: effects of neutering, 154 Canine prevention: socialization, 155 Canine prevention: crate training, 155 Canine prevention: elimination training, 157 Litter/pad training puppies, 159 Canine prevention: independence training, 159 Canine prevention: handling and restraint, 160 Canine prevention: safety around the food bowl and relinquishing objects, 162 Feline management and prevention techniques, 164 Understanding cats and their characteristics, 164 Feline management recommendations, 164 Feline environmental enrichment, 165 Toys and play, 165 Vertical space and places to hide, 166 Outdoor exposure, 166 Feline prevention: effects of neutering, 166 Feline prevention: socialization, 166 Feline prevention: litter box training, 167 Feline prevention: crate training, 167 Feline prevention: handling and restraint, 168 Prevention (canine and feline): introducing a new pet, 168 Introductions: dog to dog, 168 Introductions: cat to cat, 169 Introductions interspecies, 169 Prevention (canine and feline): children and pets, 170 Problem solving normal species-specific behavior, 171 General problem-solving model, 172 Problems with aversive training techniques and equipment, 173 Problem solving typical canine behaviors, 174 Mouthing and play biting, 174 Chewing, 175 Stealing objects, 176 Jumping on people, 178 Digging, 179 Barking, 180 Problem solving typical feline behaviors, 181 Play biting and scratching, 181 Destructive scratching, 182 Prevention services, 182 Pet selection counseling, 182 Counseling sessions, 184 Counseling forms, 184 Household composition, 185 Previous pets, 185 Household logistics and dynamics, 185 Anticipated responsibilities, 186 Living arrangements, 186 Financial considerations, 186 Husbandry considerations, 186 Management and training considerations, 186 Adopting multiple pets at the same time, 186 Personal preferences, 186 Pet-selection reports, 187 Finding a source for obtaining the pet, 187 Puppy socialization classes, 188 Logistics, 189 Location, 189 Instructor characteristics, 189 Participant characteristics, 191 Class style, 192 Disease prevention, 192 Puppy socialization class format, 192 Orientation, 192 Puppy play sessions, 192 Exploration and exposure, 194 Preventive exercises, 194 Puppy parenting tips, 195 Introduction to positive reinforcement training, 195 Kitten classes, 195 Juvenile/Adolescent/Adult canine classes, 196 Geriatric canine classes, 198 Private in-home or in-clinic prevention/training appointments, 198 Special prevention topic seminars or classes, 199 Integrating behavior wellness into the veterinary hospital, 199 Puppy and kitten visits, 199 Fearful puppies and kittens, 200 High-risk puppies, 200 The adolescent behavior wellness examination, 201 The adult behavior wellness examination, 202 The senior behavior wellness examination, 202 Behavior wellness conclusion, 202 Conclusion, 202 References, 202 8 Specific Behavior Modification Techniques and Practical Applications for Behavior Disorders, 204 Julie K. Shaw Common veterinary behavior disorder diagnosis and descriptions, 206 Aggression, 207 Conflict-induced aggression, 207 Possessive aggression, 209 Petting-induced aggression, 209 Disease-induced or pain-induced aggression, 210 Fear/defensive aggression, 210 Idiopathic aggression, 211 Inter-dog aggression (IDA), 211 Inter-cat aggression (ICA), 211 Status-induced aggression, 211 Inter-dog aggression household (IDA-H), 211 Alliance-induced aggression, 211 Status-induced aggression, 212 Learned aggression, 212 Maternal/hormonal induced aggression, 212 Play-induced aggression, 212 Redirected aggression, 212 Territorial aggression, 212 Ingestive disorders, 213 Coprophagia, 213 Pica, 213 Predatory behavior, 213 Elimination, 213 House soiling, 213 Urine marking, 213 Excitement urination, 214 Extreme appeasement urination, 214 Anxiety disorders, 214 Generalized anxiety, 214 Global fear, 214 Separation anxiety/distress, 214 Sound/thunderstorm phobia, 215 Acute conflict behaviors, stereotypical behaviors, and compulsive disorders, 215 Acute conflict behaviors, 215 Stereotypical behaviors, 215 Compulsive disorder, 215 Other, 215 Cognitive dysfunction syndrome, 215 Hyperexcitability or hyperactive, 215 Conditioned unwanted behavior, 216 Common veterinarian-prescribed behavioral treatments, 216 Management, 216 Avoiding triggers, 217 Ignore attention-seeking behaviors, 217 Ignore at specific times, 218 Cue response reward interactions, 218 Change primary caregiver, 218 Environmental modifications, 218 Crate confinement or other confinement, 219 Crate (or other confinement) reconditioning, 219 Tethering, 220 Dietary changes, 220 Regular schedule, 220 Meal feed twice daily, 220 Mental stimulation, 220 Walking off property, 220 Aerobic exercise, 221 Clicker training, 221 SEEKING system, 221 Training techniques, 221 Why punishment is not recommended in training or the application of behavior modification, 222 Poor learning and cognition, 222 Criteria for effective punishment are difficult to meet, 223 The animal s motivation strength is not too high, 223 Always contingent on behavior and only associated with the behavior, 223 Proper intensity, 223 Timing, 223 Alternative behavior choice, 223 Punishment is counter-productive to treatment, 224 Why the prevalence of punishment-based training and domination techniques persist, 224 Lure reward training, 226 Event marker (clicker) training, 226 Benefits of clicker training, both in training and in the application of behavior modification techniques, 226 Accelerated learning, 226 Improved retention time, 227 Hands-off and nonthreatening, 227 Marker training as a tool in behavior modification, 227 Strengthens the human animal bond, 227 Assists in repairing the human animal bond, 227 Builds confidence and creativity, 227 Other training, 228 Agility training, 228 Concept training, 228 K9 Nose Work(R), 229 Training tools, 230 Head halters, 231 Practical applications and uses, 231 Benefits, 231 Disadvantages and cautionary comments, 232 Basket muzzles/other muzzles, 232 Nylon muzzles, 232 Basket muzzles, 233 Cautions, 233 Body harnesses, 234 No-pull harnesses, 234 Considerations, 234 Standard harnesses, 234 Treats, 234 Practical applications and uses, 234 Considerations, 235 Treat bags, 235 Target sticks, 235 Calming cap, 236 Considerations, 236 Anxiety clothing, 236 Considerations, 237 Waist leashes, tethers, draglines, long lines, 237 Waist leashes, 237 Considerations, 237 Tethers, 237 Considerations, 237 Draglines, 237 Considerations, 238 Long lines, 238 Considerations, 238 Interactive toys or puzzles, 238 Pheromones, 238 Considerations, 238 Reward markers, 238 Remote reward, 239 Considerations, 239 Double leashing, 239 Decoys, 240 Marker training techniques and skills, 240 Functional behavior analysis, 240 Functional assessment, 240 Foundation trainer skills, 241 Ability to observe behavior, 241 Species differences, 241 Choosing an appropriate event marker, 242 Conditioning the event marker and teaching contingency, 243 Determining a reinforcement hierarchy, 244 Manipulating motivations, 245 Reinforcement schedules, 245 Reinforcement delivery, 245 Treat delivery from the hand, 246 Tossing the treat, 246 Timing, 246 Capturing behaviors, 246 Shaping, 247 Creating a shaping plan, 248 Rate of reinforcement per minute, 248 Prompting, 249 Physical and environmental prompts, 250 Luring handler prompts, 250 Targeting, 250 Fading prompts, 251 Cues, 251 Types of cues, 252 How and when to add the cue, 252 Generalization, 252 Transferring cues, 252 Poisoned cues, 253 Stimulus control, 253 Fluency, 253 Behavior chains, 254 Behavior modification, 255 Using a marker in the application of behavior modification, 256 Generalization and behavior modification, 256 Classical counter-conditioning, 256 Practical application of CC, 257 Response substitution, 258 Practical application of RS, 259 Systematic desensitization, 260 Requirements for the systematic desensitization program, 260 Creation of a systematic desensitization plan, 260 Conclusion, 262 Drug desensitization, 262 Other, 262 Interruption of behavior, 262 Cease punishment, 262 Remote punishment, 262 Euthanasia or rehoming, 263 Grief counseling of client, 263 The practical applications of behavior modification, 263 Foundation behaviors, 263 Targeting, 263 Target to hand, 263 Hand target recall, 263 Attention, 263 Game of opposites: look and watch , 264 Basic cued behaviors sit, down, come, loose leash walking, 264 Place go to a specific location, 265 Applications of behavior modification, 265 CC/RS/DS behavior at the door, 265 CC/RS/DS of muzzle or head halter, 266 CC/RS/DS to a person, animal, or other stimulus, 267 CC/RS/DS thunderstorms/sounds, 269 CC/RS on a walk, 269 Relinquishment exercises, 270 Food bowl exercises, 270 Exchange DS exercise, 271 Independence training, 272 DS to departure cues and planned departures, 273 Handling issues, 274 CC/RS/DS to the veterinary hospital, 275 Relaxation, 275 Staying safe, 276 Safety techniques for the behavior consultation room, 276 Understand the animal s arousal and bite thresholds, 277 Greeting a fearful patient, 277 Control as many antecedents as possible, 277 CC and DS to your presence, 277 Conclusion, 279 References, 279 9 Introductory Neurophysiology and Psychopharmacology, 281 Sara L. Bennett and Carissa D. Sparks Introduction, 281 Basic neurophysiology, 282 Hindbrain, 283 Midbrain, 285 Forebrain, 285 Parietal lobe, 285 Occipital lobe, 285 Temporal lobe, 286 Basal ganglia, 286 Frontal lobe, 286 Hypothalamus/thalamus, 286 Olfactory bulb, 286 Blood brain barrier, 287 Neurotransmitters, 287 Acetylcholine, 287 Monoamines, 287 Dopamine, 287 Norepinephrine/epinephrine, 288 Serotonin, 289 Gamma-Aminobutyric acid, 289 Glutamate, 289 Pharmacokinetics, 289 Drug categories, 290 Tranquilizers/neuroleptics/antipsychotics, 291 Anxiolytics, 294 Antidepressants, 295 Tricyclic antidepressants, 295 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, 295 Fluoxetine, 296 Paroxetine, 296 Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, 296 Selegiline, 296 Mood stabilizers, 297 Atypical antidepressants, 298 Trazodone, 298 Mirtazapine, 298 CNS stimulants, 298 Miscellaneous drugs, 298 Conclusion, 299 References, 299 Further reading, 300 Appendix Section 1: Forms and Questionnaires Appendix 1 Canine Behavior History Form Part 1, 303 Appendix 2 Canine Behavior History Form Part 2, 308 Appendix 3 Feline Behavior History Form Part 1, 313 Appendix 4 Feline Behavior History Form Part 2, 318 Appendix 5 Trainer Assessment Form, 322 Appendix 6 Determining Pet Owner Strain, 324 Appendix 7 Canine Behavior Plan of Care, 325 Appendix 8 Behavior Problem List, 327 Appendix 9 Technician Observation, 328 Appendix 10 Follow-up Communation Form, 329 Appendix 11 Behavior Diary, 331 Appendix 12 Adult Cat (3 months to 12 years) Questionnaire, 333 Appendix 13 Juvenile/Adolescent/Adult Dog (4 months to 7 years) Questionnaire, 335 Appendix 14 New Kitten (less than 3 months) Questionnaire, 337 Appendix 15 New Puppy (less than 4 months) Questionnaire, 339 Appendix 16 Senior Cat (greater 12 years) Questionnaire, 341 Appendix 17 Senior Dog ( 7 + years) Questionnaire, 343 Appendix 18 Pet Selection Counseling, 345 Appendix 19 Canine Breeder Interview Questions, 347 Appendix Section 2: Training Exercises Appendix 20 Acclimatizing a Pet to a Crate, 351 Appendix 21 Elimination Training Log, 352 Appendix 22 Shaping Plan for Teaching a Puppy to Ring a Bell to go Outside to Eliminate, 353 Appendix 23 Preventive Handling and Restraint Exercises, 354 Appendix 24 Preventive Food Bowl Exercises, 356 Appendix 25 Teaching Tug of War, 357 Appendix Section 3: Samples and Letters Appendix 26 Canine Behavior Plan of Care Sample, 361 Appendix 27 Sample Field Assessment, 363 Appendix 28 Sample of a Pet Selection Report, 368 Appendix 29 Dr. Andrew Luescher s Letter Regarding Puppy Socialization, 372 Appendix 30 Dr. RK Anderson s Letter Regarding Puppy Socialization, 373 Appendix 31 Sample Puppy Socialization Class Curriculum, 375 Appendix 32 Sample Kitten Class Curriculum, 377 Index, 379