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Not how I was planning to start the day (Dog ownership 201)

By
Nancy Kerns
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I rolled out of bed this morning and was greeted by an “erp, erp, erp” sound – that dog-vomit-is-imminent noise. Tito the Chihuahua was standing in the hall outside my bedroom door. I picked him up (one hand on chest, one under hind legs, so as not to hurt his tummy more than it was already hurting) and whisked him out onto the deck in the nick of time. That’s one thing you can’t do with a big dog.

The vomit was stinky, green, and had some grass in it. Since Tito has access to (and uses) the cat door, he must have already been out early this morning eating grass to try to ease his tummyache.  Just in case it matters later on, I ran back into the house, grabbed a clean Ziploc bag, and scooped up some of the vomit. If we end up having to go to a veterinary clinic later today, the appearance and the odor of the vomit might help the vet diagnose or rule out this or that.

Post-vomiting, he stood in place, shaking and looking miserable. Of course, Chihuahuas have a special gift for this. I got a big towel from the hall closet, wrapped it around him, and carried him to the couch. We sat there quietly for a few minutes, until he was able to relax and stop shaking. 

Otto came in and sat next to the couch, looking concerned. They have been fed the same things lately, so I studied Otto as I sat. No signs that he’s feeling crummy.

Next, I followed the tips I wrote about in the January 2012 issue of WDJ, “Five Things to Do Before Calling the Vet.” These included taking Tito’s temperature (and writing it down), checking his gums, and gathering information about everything he’s eaten in the past day or two, including writing down the name brand, variety, and “date code” of any commercial food he’s been given. (https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/how-to-give-your-dog-a-home-health-examination/
)

The first one was harder than anything else I’m likely to do today. I’m pretty certain my neighbors thought I was skinning the dog alive, or running over him slowly with my car, given the racket he made when I attempted to insert a lubricated thermometer ever so slightly into his rectum. Why are these small dogs so dramatic??

Result: 101.8.  Normal is about 101 and 102.5, depending on the dog.

He didn’t eat anything unusual at home, but we did go on a hike that took us to a pond yesterday, and he swam and waded and ate grass by the edge of the pond. The pond water in the middle was clear, but the black mud at the edge of the pond was very stinky, and after we were home, he did spend a lot of time licking his feet and legs; maybe something in all that upset his stomach. Fortunately, I work at home, and can watch him today and see if he starts to feel better or worse, and respond accordingly.

Virtual Dogsitting

By
Nancy Kerns
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A friend has fielded complaints from a neighbor about her dogs’ barking. The thing is, she leaves her three dogs in the house when she’s at work, and the neighbor who complained to her is, I’m not exaggerating, at least 1,000 feet from her house.

We brainstormed and came up with this: virtual dogsitting. She aimed her laptop’s camera at a place in her living room so that it can take in a view of the one dog who has to be crated (or she very creatively chews things in the house, like books off the shelves and even a picture off the wall!), two of the other dogs’ beds, and a slice of the couch. The two dogs who are loose in the house can leave the living room and go “off-camera,” but if they bark anywhere in the house, the laptop’s microphone can hear them.

I have a big old laptop that is too slow to run more than one task at a time; I use it only as an emergency backup. But it can run Skype! So we set up our computers for Skype sessions. Before she leaves for work, and on days when I’m going to be working at my computer for much of the day (my friend gets home at 2:30 pm), we initiate a Skype video session, so that I can see, and more importantly, HEAR what her dogs are doing all day while she is gone. I turn off the microphone on my end, so my friend’s dogs don’t hear and bark at the sounds coming from my house (or my dogs barking at my mailman!). We didn’t worry about their view of my home office; none of her dogs have ever so much as glanced at the screen.

We also imagined that if her dogs did start barking out of boredom at something, I could possibly call their names or admonish them in some way, and tell them “Good dogs!” when they shushed. However, I haven’t turned on my mic once.

I’ve watched them for a total of five days. And only one of the three dogs (the crated one) has barked that whole time, and on exactly three occasions (twice in one day, once on another) for less than 30 seconds each time. The rest of the time, my view into my friend’s living room looks like an oil painting. The dogs sleep all day long. They stand up, stretch, and change positions every so often. But they don’t even chew the bones my friend has left for them, or get up to get a drink of water!

I do hear my friend’s parakeet squawking from time to time (off camera) – it always makes me jump! — and even the chirping of birds outside the window closest to the desk that her laptop is sitting on. But “barking all day long,” Mr. Grumpy Neighbor? Sorry, it’s not these dogs. I can testify to that.

(Dog-dog aggression tip#2) Breaking Up Dog Fights

By
Nancy Kerns
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There is no golden standard for breaking up a dogfight, but there are as many opinions as there are dog owners. My recommendation is to try a sudden aversive, such as a loud noise near the combatants as a first line of defense. Bang pots and pans or steel water dishes together while yelling. Cease the instant the dogs disengage.

If this doesn’t work (try for two or three seconds, then move on), the two most experienced people, wearing the animal control gloves, will each pull one dog off as follows:

1. Grip the base of the tail where it joins the body
2. Pull both dogs simultaneously quickly out and up, raising the rear quarters off the ground
3. Secure both dogs with leashes and assess for damage.

If this doesn’t work, use citronella and, if that doesn’t work, pepper spray. Other people present should be securing all dogs not involved in the fight.

The very last resort to consider is pulling dogs out by their collars or necks. This is because of the significant risk of an accidental or re-directed bite. This risk is even greater if you are without gloves, which offer some protection. Many of the worst bites are sustained putting hands into fights.

For more information on ways to separate aggressive dogs as well as ways to use behavior modification to retrain an aggressive dog, purchase Jean Donaldson’s FIGHT, A Practical Guide to Dog-Dog-Aggression.

What’s the most appropriate home?

By
Nancy Kerns
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Here is a topic for discussion that was inspired by real-life events.

Two couples are both interested in a big, active dog at the shelter.

One couple is older. They own their home. Property is at least several acres, but unfenced. Husband is retired and home most days, puttering in garden and with hobbies. Wife works 30 or so hours a week. They formerly owned another big, active dog, who recently died of old age. They have a 2-year-old small dog who misses having canine company. They have a trainer who they have worked with previously and plan to do so again.

Second candidate couple is young, early 20s. They are renters. They also live on several acres, but their home property is fenced. They have another big, young, active dog, a female. They both work.

My bias in placing the dog was toward the older couple. While it’s true that they lacked a fenced yard for the dog, the fact that they own their home reassures me that they won’t be at the mercy of future landlords if they have to move for whatever reason. They also have the financial wherewithal to provide the dog with whatever medical or behavioral interventions he is likely to need. A week in training? Knee or hip surgery? Wouldn’t be a problem for these people.

Staff at the shelter was biased in favor of the young couple. The fact that their property was fenced, their youth, and that they were already dealing with a big, active dog made them seem more equipped to deal with the dog’s perceived need for activity.

I’m just curious: Where would most people, or most shelter staffers, end up placing a dog like this?

(Socializing Your Puppy or Dog Making a Difference #4) Socializing Your Puppy or Dog: Making a Lifelong Difference

By
Nancy Kerns
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You’d better get out there and get started! There’s no such thing as overkill when it comes to properly done socialization. You can’t do too much. Pups who are super-socialized tend to assume that new things they meet later in life are safe and good until proven otherwise.

Dogs who are very well-socialized as pups are least likely to develop aggressive behaviors in their lifetimes. Pups who aren’t well-socialized tend to be suspicious and fearful of new things they meet throughout their lives, and are most likely to eventually bite someone.

If your pup comes to you from a socially impoverished environment, you’ll already see the signs of neophobia. You have no time to lose, and you may never be able to make up all the ground he’s lost, but you can make him better than he’d be otherwise.

•Don’t despair if you adopted your pup from a shelter or rescue group. It’s true that if you never see Mom or Dad, you won’t get any hints about their behavior. So how do you know how much socialization your pup needs to overcome any genetic weakness in temperament? You don’t. But you don’t need to. The answer to the genetic mystery is to super-socialize every single puppy, regardless of what you think you know, or don’t know, about his genetics. If you do that, you’re guaranteed to help your pup be everything he can be, socially speaking.

For more details and advice on ways to socialize puppy or dog, purchase Whole Dog Journal’s ebook Socializing Your Puppy or Dog: Making a Lifelong Difference.

Snakeanoia

By
Nancy Kerns
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Last week, when I was at the emergency clinic with my yellow Labrador foster dog, Riley, I saw another yellow Labrador who was spending the night in the ER. This dog had been bitten by a rattlesnake, and was undergoing treatment.

It’s weird, because another time I was at the emergency clinic with a foster dog — about four years ago, with a puppy whose kennel cough had taken a turn for the worse (pneumonia set in) — there was a snake-bitten yellow Labrador that day, too. I had to pull out the photo to share with you here, and when I looked at the date that I took the photo, it was in September, too. It’s high time for rattlers here in the West.

So, after Riley recovered from his misadventure (and spent a day rather stoned from all the Acepromazine they gave him to lower his blood pressure), we hit the trails again. Only now, I’m completely neurotic about this yellow Labrador getting bitten by a rattlesnake.

We actually saw a small on the trail one day. I saw Tito (the Chihuahua) spot something on the dirt road ahead of us, and start to move toward it, sniffing. I could see that it was a snake, albeit a small one. I immediately called all three dogs (Otto, Tito, and Riley) back to me, put their leashes on, and hooked the leashes on a nearby fence so I could get a better look at the snake, and perhaps persuade it to move off the road. It was a baby rattlesnake, but I didn’t have to persuade it: it was dead. I don’t know what killed it; it had some injuries around its neck, and ants were already eating it. One by one, I took the dogs close to it, and I let them get a good sniff, and then told them, “Off. That’s bad. That’s an OFF. Bad off.” Who knows if it will do any good.

Riley’s new family wanted some time to get their house ready, and we set a date for me to turn him over to them. In the meantime, I was taking him out for major runs and swims daily. A tired dog is a good dog! But as the day that he was going to his new family drew closer, I grew increasingly worried that something would happen to him before I was no longer responsible for him. We practiced “Off!” several times a day. I watched him like a hawk on the trail, and took him to places where I had never seen a snake before.

On the evening before he went to his new home, I took him to a place I hadn’t been for a while. And even though I didn’t see an actual snake, my “snakeaphobia” was at an all-time high; I don’t think I’ll go back to that particular area again during snake season. I don’t know why, but there were more snake-looking things in this area than anywhere I’ve ever been. Discarded ropes that looked like snakes. A discarded chain. Sticks! I was just as jumpy as could be. But we made it through the walk unscathed, thank goodness. And now he’s in his new home, and I’m going to sleep in for a week.

Riley, Not Rowdy

By
Nancy Kerns
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Last month, in this space, I mentioned a big Labrador I was working with at my local shelter. (That’s him on the back cover, only it doesn’t look like him, because he’s squinting in happiness with his giant rawhide bone, and he has nice big eyes, not piggy squinty eyes. But anyway.) The handsome boy, estimated at about 18 months old, came into the shelter as a stray, picked up by animal control. He lingered in the isolation ward for a couple of weeks; despite his good looks and sweet disposition, no one came looking for him.

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He’s amiable, and takes no offense from other dogs at all, even if they pummel him out of irritation with his physical clumsiness – which happens all the time, both the clumsiness and the pummelling. So he was moved to the adoption ward, where he lingered some more. Why?

For several reasons. Mostly, because this beautiful, friendly dog behaved like a canine tornado. If he walked through a room, it left a trace: things knocked over, drops of the water he just drank left on the floor in a drunken trail, people rubbing their shins (tail whacks) or flip-flopped feet (he didn’t seem to understand that human feet are not there to give him traction). Oh, and the barking! Have you ever met a dog with the kind of bark that is not just loud, it’s painful? That’s this guy.

So, quickly, he got a reputation at the shelter, for being a nut, a spazz, hyperactive. He was given the name “Rowdy.” While everyone recognized that he was sweet, they felt he was stupid. All of his panting and thrashing reinforced this perception.

As I worked with him, however, I realized a few things. He was actually really smart. He learned what I wanted him to do very quickly, but lacked the self-control to do it for very long. And he wasn’t truly hyperactive, although it seemed that way because he is big and uncoordinated. When I came to the shelter early, before the back gates were open to the animal control trucks, I’d let him loose in the several-acre fenced area around the shelter, to see if he wanted to run; he didn’t! He’d run a bit, but then walk around with me.

I came to realize that his writhing and flopping were symptoms of anxiety. Every time I took him into a new setting (like, each different section or room inside the shelter), he reacted with panting and physical exuberance. But as soon as he was comfortable in the new place, and knew what I wanted him to do (mainly, sit!), he would grow calm.

Long story short: I brought him home for a few weeks of training, but more importantly, socialization. I constantly asked him to control himself – Sit! – and reinforced any success richly, with attention, eye contact, calm petting, and food treats. Fetch? Sure! But he had to sit each time before I threw the ball. Go in or out of the house or car? Absolutely, but say “Please” first with a sit. If he grew frantic about anything, I’d ignore him, walk or look away, and pay attention to him only when he was calm again.

And, importantly, I changed his story;

I didn’t allow him to be “Rowdy.” When I took him places,

I didn’t space out. I scrupulously managed his interactions with people so that he always succeeded at behaving well; if any situation developed that looked like it might become too challenging for him (say, an out-of-control dog on a leash coming toward us), I calmly but quickly whisked him to a safe distance, asked him to sit, and reinforced him for observing the situation calmly. People remarked again and again (in Tractor Supply and Home Depot and on the street), at how smart and calm he was. Ha! He is!

He’s adopted now, and I’m working with his new family, to make sure that he continues to progress in his new life – a life of Riley, not Rowdy.

Use Caution When Filling Veterinary Prescriptions at Human Pharmacies

By
Mary Straus
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A few years ago, I was at my vet’s office when an older couple brought in a Chihuahua puppy who was very ill. Despite the staff’s best efforts, less than an hour later the pup was dead. The cause? A drug overdose, due to a prescription error made by a human pharmacy.

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The prescribed amount for this tiny pup was 0.4 mg, but the pharmacist, who had probably never come across such a small dosage, had misread the prescription as 4 mg, so the pup had received 10 times as much of the drug as he was supposed to get. My vet accepted partial responsibility, as he had failed to write a zero in front of “.4” on the prescription. (Veterinarians are now being encouraged to use leading, but not trailing, zeroes when they write prescriptions to help avoid such mistakes.

It had never occurred to me before that day to review a prescription for accuracy, but you’d better believe I’m careful to check them now. Errors are less likely to occur with prescriptions filled at your vet’s office, since the people filling the prescription know their patients and are familiar with common dosages for dogs. The growing use of human pharmacies filling prescriptions for our dogs, however, means we must also deal with pharmacists who may know little or nothing about a canine patient’s needs, or have any idea of the size of the patient when filling the prescription. This ignorance can lead to serious, even fatal, errors.

Potential for Mistakes
Incorrect dosage amounts are not the only mistakes that human pharmacists may make when filling prescriptions written for pets. Pharmacists currently receive no training in the use of drugs for non-human patients. The VIN (Veterinary Information Network) News Service has written about several problems that veterinarians have seen in recent years.

One example was a pharmacist who told a client that the dosage of diazepam (Valium) that her vet had prescribed for her dog could kill him. The pharmacist was unaware that dosages of many medications, including those used to treat hypothyroidism, seizures, and anxiety, are much higher for dogs than they are for humans, due to differences in metabolism and other factors.

The prescribed dosage was correct, but the client was now afraid to give the medication to her dog, who suffered as a result. The dog was recovering from knee surgery and the medication had been prescribed to help keep him off his leg and reduce his anxiety. Without it, he overused and injured the leg, requiring additional surgery.

One of the first cases to result in a formal complaint followed by regulatory action, the state’s Pharmacy Board issued a “notice of correction” to the pharmacist. In response, he asked that the drug store chain for which he worked provide its pharmacies with references in veterinary dosing and indications, which has since been done.

In other cases, pharmacists have altered doses, believing they are correcting a veterinarian’s mistake, or substituted medications inappropriately, without notifying either the veterinarian or the client of the changes. This has led to serious problems for some dogs. For example, when a pharmacist substitutes a different type of insulin for what a diabetic dog is accustomed to, this can cause changes in glucose control and even life-threatening hypoglycemia. In other examples, medication doses have been lowered to the point that they are no longer effective, leading to suffering and even death in some dogs. In one case, a client reduced her dog’s seizure medication on the advice of a pharmacist, and the dog developed intractable seizures that led to euthanasia.

Most of the time, veterinarians are unaware of the changes, or learn about them long after the fact, making it difficult for them to treat their patients effectively, or to report what happened to the appropriate authorities.

These problems are not new, but they are increasing as more people turn to human pharmacies in order to save money on their pets’ prescriptions. Mistakes may also occur more frequently with large national chains that fill high volumes of prescriptions, where a pharmacist is unlikely to develop a personal relationship with either veterinarians or clients. Pending congressional legislation that would require veterinarians to provide all prescriptions in writing to pet owners with a notice that they can fill the prescription elsewhere could contribute to even more frequent problems in the future.

Take-home Message
Whenever your vet gives you a prescription, make sure you understand the prescribed amount and dosing schedule. Then check the label to make sure that the name of the medication is the same as what your vet prescribed, and that the printed instructions match what your vet told you to give. If you have any questions about the medication, check with your vet, rather than relying on information from the pharmacist. If a pharmacy offers you a substitute medication, do not accept it until and unless you confirm with your vet that the substitution is acceptable. And never change your dog’s medication based on a pharmacist’s advice.

New Challenges for Commercial Raw & Frozen Food Producers

By
Nancy Kerns
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People who believe in the value of feeding their dogs a biologically appropriate diet, comprised largely of raw meat and bones – with other foods added only to ensure that all their nutritional needs have been met, not as lower-cost “fillers” – love frozen raw diets. Food that has been formulated to meet the nutrient standards for a “complete and balanced” diet, and made with (mostly) meat and bones from (often) sustainably raised and humanely slaughtered meats, with the balance comprised of (frequently) organic, local produce . . . What’s not to like? The answer depends on who you are.

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If you are an environmentalist, you may not be crazy about the energy required to keep all that food frozen as it makes its way from the manufacturing plant to distributor and retail outlet and ultimately, to your freezer. While many companies ship their products directly from their manufacturing site to your door, the transportation costs of relatively weighty packages (these diets contain, on average, 75 percent water, plus ice to keep the shipment cold), and the stack of waste Styrofoam (that the food is typically packed in) may be daunting.

However, most manufacturers make some efforts to ameliorate these issues. Some offer free shipping for the empty coolers to be returned, so they can be reused. Some minimize the packaging needed. Some sell only within a few hundred miles of their manufacturing plants.

If you own a dog who is prone to pancreatitis, or needs constant dietary scrutiny to keep from gaining weight, you may avoid these diets, which tend to contain more fat than would be healthy for such dogs. Fortunately, there are companies that offer products that are lower in fat than what might be typical.

People who own a very large dog, or several big dogs, might be discouraged by the typically (and relatively) high price of these diets – at least, if they were interested in feeding raw food every day. Buying in bulk from a local company, however, can seriously offset some of the cost.

The Fear Factor
Until the past decade or so, though, the thing that kept most people from buying a frozen raw diet, even if they expressed a strong interest in feeding their dogs “the very best” diet possible (and didn’t want to formulate and make it themselves) was the fear of pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli.

Understand that experienced raw feeders, as they are known, are not afraid of these bacteria. Dogs have much sturdier digestive tracts than humans, and only very rarely have a problem eating food that is contaminated with these bacteria. (Dogs with compromised immune systems, like humans with similar conditions, would be most at risk.) And as long as you practice good basic kitchen hygiene and food safety practices, you really don’t have to worry about your family getting sick, either.

However, a recent push from the FDA to test pet foods for Salmonella, in particular, has led to dozens of recalls, shaking the confidence of many pet owners about raw foods in particular – unaware that the rash of positive tests have resulted from a FDA policy change, not a sudden crisis of competence in the entire pet food industry. (See “Why Are There So Many Recalls?”, next page.)

The principals behind some raw diet companies would rather go out of business than subject their products to any treatment that kills bacteria. Others have shrugged off any misgivings about antibacterial treatments as the price of a career in food production.

Currently, there are products available to owners who are on every different place on the continuum of comfort with the potential danger of bacteria-laden food. Some companies use high pressure processing (HPP, also known as high pressure pasteurization or Pascalization) to kill any pathogenic bacteria that might be present in the food; others use HPP only on products that contain poultry (the most likely meat to be contaminated with bacteria); and still others rely entirely on buying the best possible meats, handling them with care, and using superior sanitation throughout the manufacturing process.

Conversely, there are people who strongly believe in the value of whole raw foods – bacteria and all – and who credit their dogs’ regular exposure to small amounts of bacteria for the dogs’ vibrant good health. Some of these people are more afraid of “Frankenfoods” – sterilized, irradiated, and/or genetically altered foods – than they are of pathogens. These people will find untreated foods more attractive.

You have to decide whether you feel most comfortable with a pasteurized product or an untreated one. We’ve not seen studies that would lead us to avoid foods treated with a high pressure pasteurization process. But we also feel comfortable with feeding our dogs raw products from companies that use top-quality, naturally raised meats. You have to go with your own gut on this one.

Selection Criteria
On our list of frozen, raw diets on the following pages, we’ve included only companies that offer complete and balanced diets made with top-quality ingredients. To give you an idea of how the formulation of these diets varies from company to company, we’ve highlighted one product from each company’s offerings, and listed all the ingredients in that food, along with the minimum amounts of protein and fat, and maximum amounts of fiber and moisture in the food. Every company on our list makes at least one chicken-based product, so we highlighted the chicken variety of each company’s offerings for easier comparison.

In general, we look for diets with the following criteria:

– A named, whole animal protein (such as chicken, beef, pork, duck, etc.) at the top of the ingredients list. No “generic” proteins (such as “meat” or “poultry”). No by-products.

– A good source of calcium. If raw, meaty bones are not used as the calcium source, another source will be needed to make the diet “complete and balanced.”

– Every other food ingredient (such as fruits or vegetables) should be whole and fresh; any grains present may be cooked but should be whole.

– No added preservatives (these aren’t needed in a frozen food) or artificial colors or flavors.

– Those criteria will get you into the right ballpark. With so many good frozen raw diets on the market, how should you select the right one for your dog?

– Price and local availability will limit your options. Some of these products are costly. It’s no wonder; they are made out of very expensive ingredients! Products that can be purchased in local retail stores are generally (but not always) less expensive than direct-shipped products. Direct-shipped foods might be the only option for those of us who live far from stores that carry these diets. Only you know how much you can afford.

Check to see make sure that it’s fresh! All frozen foods are more nutritious and appealing if they are thawed and consumed sooner rather than later. Look for a “best by” date; if the date/code lacks a date of manufacture, contact the company to learn the actual date of manufacture. Some companies suggest their products have a frozen shelf life of up to a year. Others aim to have their products consumed within three or four months of manufacture. If your preferred retailer doesn’t sell enough product to keep their stock fresh, ask if they can better manage their inventory. Otherwise, you may have to find another source – perhaps a company that ships food directly to you.

Look for ingredients that suit your dog. Of course you’ve checked the ingredient list for quality; now examine it for any foods that don’t agree with your dog. If he’s allergic to or intolerant of certain proteins or grains, you need to make sure they are not in the food.

Check the fat content. These foods can be extremely high in fat. That might be fine if your dog is an active athlete, but potentially dangerous for a dog prone to pancreatitis, as one example.

For more about the history of this canine diet niche, proper sanitation and safe food handling techniques, see “Cold Raw Facts,” in the November 2010 issue of WDJ.

Nancy Kerns is Editor of WDJ. She washes her hands a lot, and is not afraid of Salmonella.

How to Decipher Veterinary Code

By
Barbara Dobbins
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When PWD Rover, MACH, CGC, OTCH, RE, began favoring his RHL, Rover’s trainer, Molly Millikin, CPDT-KA, suggested that he be examined at an AAHA-accredited clinic. After an initial exam and tests were conducted by Dr. Terry R. Whitecoat, VMD, Dr. Whitecoat recommended that Rover be taken to see Dr. Collie G. Deluxe, DCVSMR.

What the heck do all those letters mean? They can seem as random as letters in a bowl of alphabet soup. But those acronyms pack a lot of information in just a spoonful. The letters around a dog’s name indicate what competitive titles he has attained. The letters after a trainer’s name indicate what sort of education and certification she has attained. And the letters after a veterinarian’s name, or having to do with her practice, tell you what sort of advanced education and certification she has.

Here’s a guide to deciphering all the letters that you may see that have to do with veterinary professionals. In future issues, we’ll explain the letters having to do with dogs’ and trainers’ titles.

Veterinary Letters
There are dozens of professional organizations that offer educational opportunities for veterinarians who have a special interest in a type of medicine. Other veterinary medical groups have been organized for the express purpose of developing guidelines and standards for practitioners who wish to pursue an advanced level of knowledge about a certain type of medicine.

Many of the organizations listed in this section provide training, education, and support for veterinary professionals in specific areas of medicine, but don’t call them “specialties.” That word is reserved exclusively to designate veterinary organizations that provide training and certification in specialties that have been recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA); these specialties are described after this section (see “Veterinary Specialties,” page 12).

Note also that while a good number of alternative and complementary medical associations offer advanced training and certification, none, as yet, have obtained “board-certified” recognition by the AVMA.

AAHA: The American Animal Hospital Association is an international association committed to ensuring high-quality veterinary standards, improving pet care, and supporting small animal practices. AAHA has developed a set of accreditation standards that are widely used as benchmarks to measure excellence in veterinary medicine.

AAHA is the only organization that accredits animal hospitals throughout the United States and Canada; currently, more than 3,200 veterinary clinics hold the “AAHA-accredited” designation. In general, clinics that seek out and stay current on AAHA accreditation have a special interest in providing above-average, up-to-date service and care to their clients and patients.

Accreditation helps veterinary hospitals stay on the leading edge of veterinary medicine and ensures a wide range of quality services, such as diagnostic testing (xray and laboratory) for prompt diagnosis and an on-site pharmacy so treatment can begin immediately.

AAVA: The American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture was established to improve animal health by the advancement of veterinary acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, and Traditional Asian Medicine. Credentialed membership is awarded to individuals who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., are licensed graduates of a college or school of veterinary medicine, and who have successfully completed an AAVA-approved veterinary acupuncture/TCM course or equivalent.

Advanced certification is awarded and the title of Fellow of the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture (FAAVA) is conferred after successfully passing an examination. The exam demands that candidates demonstrate expert knowledge about the classical and neuro-physiologic basis of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and their application for successful diagnosis and treatment of veterinary patients.

AAVC: The American Association of Veterinary Clinicians is an organization of clinicians (vets who practice medicine in a clinic, as opposed to those who work in a laboratory or research) with an interest in veterinary clinical teaching and research. The AAVC sponsors matching programs for internships and residencies to expedite selection of applicants for vet schools, colleges, and private practices.

AAVSB: The American Association of Veterinary State Boards is a not-for-profit association comprised of 58 veterinary licensing boards. Its primary function is to provide quality, relevant programs and services that these boards can rely on to carry out their statutory responsibilities (regulating veterinarians) in the interest of public protection.

ACCC/AVCA: The Animal Chiropractic Certification Commission of the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association is the primary national credential for this field in North America. The organization establishes standards of care in animal chiropractic, conducts a professional certification program, awards credentials to individuals who meet established criteria, and promotes professional accountability and visibility. Certified Doctors may call themselves “certified in animal chiropractic by the Animal Chiropractic Certification Commission of the AVCA.”

Note that both veterinarians and doctors of chiropractic may be certified in animal chiropractic; but a doctor of chiropractic who is not a vet must have a referral from a vet for a diagnosed problem before treating an animal.

ACSMA: The American Canine Sports Medicine Association is an organization for veterinarians, physical therapists, trainers, and other professionals devoted to addressing the medical and surgical problems encountered in the canine athlete and the working breeds. Note that this organization offers information resources for veterinarians and non-veterinarians who work in this field; there is also a board certification for veterinarians in sports medicine (see ACVSMR: The American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehablitation).

AhVMA: The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association explores and supports alternative and complementary approaches to veterinary healthcare, and is dedicated to integrating all aspects of animal wellness in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Its annual conference introduces many “conventional” veterinarians to the wide range of alternative and complementary medical modalities available to veterinarians, and the latest research in these modalities.

AVMA: The American Veterinary Medical Association, founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing veterinarians in the United States, with the mission to improve animal and human health, and advance the veterinary medical profession.

The AVMA is responsible for the profession’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics. Its Council of Education sets the standards for the accreditation of veterinary medical programs accepted by all states, and its Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities sets the standards for the accreditation of veterinary technician education programs. The AVMA Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates evaluates the competence of graduates of colleges of veterinary medicine that are not accredited by the AVMA Council on Education. Finally, the AVMA’s American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) establishes and evaluates criteria for recognition of veterinary specialty organizations.

AVSAB: The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior is a group of veterinarians and research scientists dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior. Note that animal behavior is also a field in which a veterinarian can become board-certified; see the ACVB, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, below.

BFRAP: Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioners hold a certificate of registration issued by the Bach Centre and work to the Bach Centre’s Bach Foundation Code of Practice. Both veterinarians and non-vets can obtain this certification; but a practitioner who is not a veterinarian must have a referral from a veterinarian for a diagnosed veterinary problem before treating an animal with the Bach Flower Remedy system.

BVetMed/BVSc/BVSC: The Bachelor of Veterinary Science is a bachelor’s degree conferred for studies in veterinary science in the United Kingdom and some other countries. These degrees are equivalent to DVM/VMD degrees in the U.S. They are not called “doctorate” degrees due to nomenclature differences among degree designations between the U.S. and Canada and the U.K.

CCRA: The Canine Rehabilitation Institute offers two certifications, one for vets and physical therapists (CCRT, next item on list), and the CCRA (Certified Canine Rehabilitation Assistant) for veterinary technicians and physical therapy assistants.

CCRT: The title of Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist is awarded only to trained veterinarians and physical therapists by the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. (Physical therapists – people with training in this field on humans – are certified in the U.S. by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Some hold Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degrees in physical therapy, while others obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.)

Cert AAH: Applied Animal Herbalism Certificate from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute (CASI). Open to all, CASI is a private professional skills development institution providing advanced, comprehensive, science-based, home-study in dog training, dog daycare operation, shelter and rescue work, and canine nutrition and fitness; it does not grant degrees and therefore it is not accredited. Both veterinarians and non-vets can obtain this certification; but a practitioner who is not a veterinarian must have a referral from a veterinarian for a diagnosed veterinary problem before treating an animal.

Cert CN and Cert ACN: Canine Nutrition Certificate and Advanced Canine Nutrition Certificate from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute (see Cert AAH above).

CVH: A Certified Veterinary Homeopath is a veterinarian who has also been certified by the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy (AVH).

CVPM: Certified Veterinary Practice Manager with a credential from Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA).

DVM: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from an accredited college or university. All veterinary schools in North America use this designation except for the University of Pennsylvania, which issues a degree of VMD. See VMD, below.

MLAS: Master of Laboratory Animal Science. This degree is offered by one university in the U.S. and several in Europe. Laboratory animal welfare and management, and the legal and ethical aspects of laboratory animal use, are among the topics studied for this degree.

MRCVS: Veterinarians practicing surgery in the United Kingdom must be registered members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). FRCVS veterinary surgeons have received the Diploma of Fellowship (the highest award of the RCVS) by either the submission of a thesis or for meritorious contributions to learning. “Fellows,” through their research, push frontiers by creating new knowledge in a wide range of subject areas.

PhD: Doctoral degree from an accredited college or university.

RVT/LVT/CVT: Registered Veterinary Technician/Licensed Veterinary Technician/Certified Veterinary Technician. Each state has different requirements for credentialing veterinary technicians; some are registered, some licensed, and some certified.

A veterinary technician is a graduate of an AVMA-accredited two-year program, from a community college, college, or university. Almost every state requires a veterinary technician to take and pass a credentialing exam, which is either state-administered or administered by the AAVSB (i.e., the Veterinary Technician National Examination or VTNE).

State veterinary associations: Each state has its own veterinary regulatory agency. These are the organizations that you would contact to determine whether a veterinarian is licensed and had ever been the subject of disciplinary action, and to file a complaint against a vet.

VMD: 
Veterinary Medical Doctor. The University of Pennsylvania calls its degree a veterinary medical doctorate and abbreviates it as such; it is equivalent to DVM.

WSAVA: The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is an association of associations. Its membership consists of international veterinary organizations with the primary purpose to advance the quality and availability of companion animal care and create a unified standard of care for the benefit of animals and humankind.

Veterinary Specialties
In veterinary medicine, as in human medicine, there are general practitioners – the basic family doctor type – and specialists. Many people use the word “specialist” loosely, as in “My vet specializes in holistic medicine,” but actually the word has a legal definition and it involves more than just identifying a practice that is limited to a certain type of medicine.

In the U.S., veterinary specialists are those (and only those) who have been board-certified by one of the 22 veterinary specialty organizations recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in one of 41 specialties. This list has grown over the years; currently the AVMA’s American Board of Veterinary Specialties (ABVS) is considering petitions to add two more specialties to its list: Shelter Medicine (which would fall under the already large umbrella of American Board of Veterinary Practitioners [see below] and Equine Dentistry [which would fall under the purview of the American Veterinary Dental College [see below]).

Each AVMA-recognized specialty organization develops the training requirements for its certification. The most common include the completion of an internship (usually one year), completion of a residency training program (usually two to three years) under the supervision of veterinarians who are board-certified in that specialty, and a final examination. There are some exceptions. Some specialty organizations will accept several years of veterinary practice experience in lieu of an internship; one accepts extensive practice experience with a certain species to become eligible to examine for certification as a specialist with that species.

Once they have met all the requirements of their specialty, veterinarians are awarded “Diplomate” status. Board-certified specialists indicate this status with the capital letter D before the abbreviation of the specialty organization; for example, a veterinarian certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons would list the letters “DACVS” after his/her name.

Some organizations require extensive advanced training in not only the specific area of specialty, but also in related areas of veterinary medicine.

For example, to become board certified in veterinary surgery, an individual must also complete at least 80 hours of training with a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist, at least 80 hours with a board-certified veterinary radiologist, at least 80 hours with a board-certified veterinary internal medicine specialist, and at least 80 hours with a board-certified veterinary pathologist during the three or more years of a veterinary surgical residency. You can see how a board-certified veterinary surgeon would have much more training and experience than an ordinary veterinarian who does surgery.

The benefits of seeing a specialist for difficult-to-diagnose or complicated cases can’t be overvalued. A veterinarian who has sought out additional education and training in a given field will almost always be more likely to successfully diagnose and treat complicated conditions. She generally will equip her clinic with the most sophisticated diagnostic tools and stay informed about new and more effective treatments.

The following specialty organizations are recognized by the AVMA according to the policies and procedures of the ABVS:

ABVP: The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners certifies veterinarians who demonstrate knowledge and expertise in species-oriented clinical practice.

A veterinary degree gives a vet the legal right to diagnose and treat any type of non-human animal for any sort of medical condition; it does not necessarily make her an expert in treating any specific type of animal. She can open a practice and say that it’s limited to small animals, or even just dogs and cats, but she may not say that she specializes in dogs or cats unless she has obtained a board certification by the ABVP in Canine and Feline Medicine.

The other species-oriented veterinary specialty certifications are Avian, Beef Cattle, Dairy, Equine, Exotic Companion Mammal, Feline, Food Animal, Reptile and Amphibian, and Swine Health Management. Note that there is no board-certification that deals solely with dogs; the Canine and Feline Practice certification comes closest.

These species-oriented certifications may still seem somewhat general, as compared to opthamology (as just one example). But consider that it takes a minimum of six years of clinical practice experience with the specific patient species before an applicant can take the examination for this certification.

ABVT: Veterinarians who are certified by the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology have special training as regards the toxicological hazards to pets, livestock, and wildlife.

ACAW: Veterinarians who are certified by the American College of Animal Welfare demonstrate an advanced level of expertise in all aspects of animal welfare science and animal welfare ethics. (This board certification is one of the newest specialties recognized by the ABVS and has a provisional status.)

ACLAM: The American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine advances the humane care and responsible use of laboratory animals through certification of veterinary specialists, professional development, education, and research.

ACPV: American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

ACT: Diplomates of the American College of Theriogenologists have advanced training in theriogenology (the branch of veterinary medicine concerned with reproduction, including veterinary obstetrics).

ACVAA: American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia.

ACVB: Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists are veterinarians who have attained specialist status in animal behavior. They have received additional training, generally at least three years, and they have authored a published research project in animal behavior, written case reports, and passed a two-day examination.

Veterinary behaviorists are trained to diagnose and treat problems in animals, whether they are medical or behavioral. They are also licensed to prescribe drugs and are familiar with psychotropic medications, their uses, interactions with other medications, and side effects.

ACVCP: Veterinarians who are certified by the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology have received intensive training in the use of veterinary drugs.

Pharmacology is often described as a “bridge science” because it incorporates knowledge from a number of basic science disciplines including physiology, biochemistry, and cell and molecular biology in order to rationally develop therapeutic treatments.

ACVD: Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology have expertise and specialized training in diagnosing and treating of animals with benign and malignant disorders of the skin, hair, ears, and nails.

ACVECC: American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

ACVIM: The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine is the international certifying organization for veterinary specialists in five different areas: cardiology, large animal internal medicine (LAIM), neurology, oncology, and small animal internal medicine (SAIM).

ACVM: The American College of Veterinary Microbiologists certifies veterinarians with special expertise in microbiology (includes the fields of bacteriology, mycology, immuno-serology, and virology).

ACVN: American College of Veterinary Nutrition. Veterinary nutritionists formulate commercial foods and supplements as well as home-prepared diets, manage the medical and nutritional needs of individual animals, and recommend specific nutritional strategies that are used to prevent and treat diseases.

ACVO: American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

ACVP: American College of Veterinary Pathologists. Two types of certification may be earned: Anatomic Pathology or Clinical Pathology.

ACVPM: Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine help prevent and control diseases of food animals and humans, combining the disciplines of veterinary microbiology, epidemiology, immunology, parasitology, public health, production medicine, and clinical medicine.

ACVR: Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Radiology receive advanced training in diagnostic imaging such as radiology, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine. Certification may be earned in Radiology (Diagnostic Imaging) and Radiation Oncology (Radiation Therapy).

ACVS: American College of Veterinary Surgeons. This board defines the standards of surgical excellence for veterinary medicine.According to its website, “Approximately 70 veterinarians earn Diplomate credentials every year. More than 60 percent of the ACVS Diplomates operate in private and specialty practices that accept cases on a referral basis from primary care practitioners. The remainder are primarily employed by academic institutions and industry where they teach, conduct research, practice in teaching hospitals, and participate in the development of new products and treatments which improve the quality of veterinary and human health care.”

ACVSMR: The American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation is another new specialty with provisional recognition by the AVMA AVBS. There are two recognized veterinary specialties: Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (Canine) and Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (Equine).

ACZM: The American College of Zoological Medicine certifies veterinarians with expertise in zoological medicine, addressing the care of captive zoo animals, free ranging wildlife species, aquatic animals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and non-domestic companion animals. Zoological medicine incorporates principles of ecology, wildlife conservation, and veterinary medicine.

AVDC: Diplomates of the American Veterinary Dental College have training in advanced veterinary dentistry, including diagnosis of oral problems, malocclusions and orthodontics, crowns, endodontic (gum) disease, and anesthesia.

In the next installment, we’ll look at training and behavior “letters.”

Barbara Dobbins, a former dog trainer, writes about dogs and studies canine ethology. She lives in the Bay Area with her Border Collie, Duncan.

Train Your Dog Using Imitation

By
Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA
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I remember, years ago, confidently and assertively telling my training academy students “Dogs don’t learn through imitation.” But, degree by degree, I’ve been proven to be wrong. I’m taking it well, however, because the studies that have established this ability in dogs are so exciting, and their implications have expanded our ability to train and communicate with our dogs so much.

First, there was the 1997 study in which some litters of puppies were allowed to watch their narcotics detection dog mothers while working in a real-life work environment, while other litters of puppies did not. When the pups were six months old, the pups who watched their mothers at work learned the task more easily and quickly than the pups who did not watch.

Later, Ken Ramirez, currently the executive vice president of animal collections and training at Chicago’s world-famous Shedd Aquarium, demonstrated how he taught his dog that the cue “Copy!” means “Do what that other dog just did.” When he shared his “Copy!” procedure at Karen Pryor’s Clicker Expo in 2011, the dog training world sat up and took notice.

Now there is an exciting new development in the study of canine cognition, thanks to Italian PhD ethologist Claudia Fugazza, who is currently studying at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest, conducting research on social learning and imitation with Professor Adam Miklosi. Fugazza has developed a training method she calls “Do As I Do,” which relies on a dog’s social cognitive skills to learn new behaviors by imitating humans. Did you get that? Fugazza tells us that dogs can learn new behaviors by imitating human behavior.

According to Fugazza, using her training protocol, owners can teach new behaviors to their dogs by simply showing them what to do. Then they can put the new behavior on cue.

This flies in the face of everything I have learned in the past. It makes sound biological/survival sense that dogs could and should be able to imitate each other’s behavior. But imitate the behavior of an entirely different species? Seriously?

Skeptic that I am, I ordered the DVD and was completely and totally gobsmacked. I was so taken by the procedure I immediately determined to try it with one of my dogs, Bonnie, an eight-year-old Scorgidoodle.

A Little Prep Work

It was a humbling experience. For starters, your dog has to know at least three behaviors (other than “Sit!”) on verbal cue – without any body prompting, gestures, or even a sideways shift of the eyes. This is necessary in order to avoid inadvertently giving him a very subtle cue to perform (see “The Clever Hans Phenomenon“).

dog training imitation

For Bonnie, I selected the behaviors “Down,” “Tap,” (touch an Easy Button with a paw), and “Up” (step up and sit on a “Stepper”). I discovered that “Down” was solidly on verbal cue, but we needed some work on “Tap” and “Up” to fade the very natural, subtle but unacceptable body prompts. After several brush-up sessions focusing on those two verbal cues, we were ready to proceed.

How Dogs Learn to Imitate

Bonnie needed to learn the “imitation rule” (Phase 1). That is, whatever behavior I do, followed by the cue “Copy!” means “You are supposed to do the same behavior.” (I chose to use “Copy!” rather than Fugazza’s suggested cue of “Do it!” because I use “Do it” to initiate the “101 Things to Do With a Prop” game.)

I stood in front of Bonnie, told her to “Wait,” and then did the behavior myself (either push the button, step up and sit on the Stepper, or lie down facing her). Then I returned and gave the “Copy!” cue, followed by the verbal cue for the behavior I had just performed, without any body-language prompting. In theory, the association between repetitions of “Copy!” and the verbal cue for the behavior that was just demonstrated, teaches the dog that “Copy!” means “Do whatever I just did.” Would it work for Bonnie?

Well . . . eventually. Because the behaviors that I had selected for her weren’t as solidly on verbal cue as I had hoped (other than the “Down”), we worked through several permutations of “Copy!”, “Cue!”, and waiting to see what she did. She tended to offer the three behaviors somewhat randomly at first; alternatively, she’d sit and wait, looking at me hopefully for further instructions. Each time I got an incorrect response (or no response) I started over: cued her to “Wait” while I performed the behavior, returned to stand in front of her and said “Copy!”, followed by the appropriate verbal cue. It wasn’t until our third practice session that I began to see glimmers of understanding; hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence, Bonnie would perform the correct cued behavior.

dog training imitation

When I could see that she knew what to do before I gave her the cue for the behavior, I stopped using the cue, using only the “Copy” cue after performing the behavior myself. At first, she seemed confused, and went back to offering random behaviors. If she offered the correct one she got a click-and-treat and very happy praise. If she offered an incorrect behavior I simply reset her, performed the behavior again, returned to stand in front of her, and gave the “Copy!” cue. It was exciting to watch as her correct responses gradually began to outnumber the incorrect ones. I could see she was beginning to understand the “rule.”

I had watched several dogs try to learn the rule on the Do As I Do DVD. Some were brilliant, apparently grasping the imitation rule after just a couple of sessions. Others were still struggling at the end of the two-day seminar. Of course, I assumed Bonnie would exhibit the “brilliant” end of the rule-learning continuum, but in all honesty she was more just slightly toward the brilliant side of center. Or maybe I was the one who was less than brilliant; it was easy to see on the DVD that the dogs with the more skillful trainers learned the rule more quickly. Hmm…

In my defense, the trainers on the DVD had Fugazza herself coaching them. In contrast, I was stumbling around on my own, trying to remember what I had watched, and occasionally hearing bits of Fugazza’s charming Italian accent in my mind’s ear saying, “Mmmm… You ges-turd weeth yur eyez!” when I caught myself glancing at the “easy” button along with my “Copy!” cue.

dog training imitation

Nevertheless, despite my ineptitude, Bonnie did seem to catch on to the imitation rule after three days, with several sessions per day. Although we weren’t flawless, we were about 90 percent by the end of the third day; nine out of ten times when I would perform the behavior myself, return to stand in front of her, and then give her the “Copy!” cue, she would perform the behavior.

We’re ready to start Phase 2 (generalization of the rule), adding three more behaviors that Bonnie already knows. These do not have to strictly on verbal cue – apparently that’s most important for the first three behaviors. After the next three are solid, we’ll move on to the very exciting Phase 3, where we will see if Bonnie can copy behaviors that she hasn’t previously been taught. Then we will copy behavior sequences. Woo hoo!

Fugazza believes that her “Do As I Do” method has great potential for application in training, with possibilities for quickly teaching dogs new behaviors, including shaping. Whether or not that proves to be true, it’s great fun to have a new training challenge for me and my dogs. I’m already planning to offer “Copy That” workshops in 2014. Can your dog copy that?

Highlights from “Do As I Do” Dog Videos

By
Nancy Kerns
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Claudia Fugazza’s “Do As I Do” DVD (available from Tawzer Dog Videos, eight hours, $99, tawzerdog.com, 208-639-1321) does an excellent job of explaining her training program, and includes numerous clips of dogs learning the method at a seminar. Fugazza suggests that there are several benefits to be gained from implementing the training, including:

288

– Ease of training object-related actions

– Improve the dog’s attentiveness toward owner

– Enhance the relationship between dog and owner

– Exercise the dog’s cognitive abilities

The technique is taught in three phases. In Phase 1, the dog learns the “imitation rule” with three known behaviors. In Phase 2, he generalizes the rule to other known behaviors. In Phase 3, the trainer uses the rule to teach the dog new behaviors.

Terminology

Social Learning: Acquiring information or behaviors from the observation of or interaction with others.

Imitation: Science considers this a “special” ability but there is no single agreed-upon definition. Therefore there is no agreement about which species possess the ability to imitate.

Functional Imitation: The dog reaches the same goal, and given the species-specific limitations, he does it in a similar way. For example, if you pick up an object with your hands and cue your dog to “Do it!” he will pick the object up with his mouth, not his paws.

Culture: Information that is socially acquired from other individuals through social learning processes and that may modify the behavior of an individual (Fugazza raises the intriguing question about whether dogs, by this definition, have a culture. One would think the answer is yes.)

Characteristics of a Species that Favor Social Learning:

– The general level of sociability

– The presence of parental care

– The tendency to explore and play that affect the chance to make innovations that can be socially transmitted

Ongoing Research
Fugazza is continuing her research into our dogs’ ability to learn through imitation, and invites dog owners to participate in her Do As I Do research. If you would like to participate you can contact her at: Claudia.happydog@gmail.com or visit her website for more information: apprendimentosociale.it/en

She leaves us with this one last thought, an invitation to explore further the world of canine cognition:

“The dog’s mind is more flexible than we think.”

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