What Low Stress Handling for Dogs and Cats Means, and Cooperative Care

Co-editor (wth Pat Koven) of Low Stress Handling: A Practical Guide to Cooperative Care, Training, and Behavior Modification, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Christine Calder explains equipment to NEVER use for dog training.

Few, if any, voices are more expert regarding animal behavior than veterinary behaviorists. Listen HERE from Steve Dale’s Pet World, WGN Radio as I ask about the recent effort by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers to pass licensing for dog trainers. And their standard will included acceptance of shock collars, chain link choke collars and prong collars as a “best practices.” Dr. Calder says “This is not okay.” She points out the risk of emotional fall out is significant, and may even cause physical harm. She says, these tools should never have a place in training.

As a veterinary behaviorist she sees so many dogs in need to reverse the damage done by trainers who use these tools. Is shocking ‘just a little bit’ acceptable? Or because a professional trainer is shocking the dog, then that’s acceptable?

Dr. Calder debunks that myth that trainers who say the dog will be euthanized or need to be euthanized if there’s no use of a shock collar. We also discuss psychopharmaceuticals and myths about them.

What Cooperative Care is About

I had the honor of writing the to  foreword to Low Stress Handling: A Practical Guide to Cooperative Care, Training, and Behavior Modification, focusing on Dr. Sophia Yin and my own pursuit of kitten kindergarten classes and why they are so advantageous.

We talk about how to teach a dog to come or a cat to do the same, that’s right – a cat!.

As Dr. Calder explains cooperative care, she offers an example like nail clipping – and how you can do this at home.

Ticked Off?

Tick diseases are on the rise with more ticks in more places than ever before.