Behaviour

Early training and the impact of fear

The peak socialisation period for puppies is between 6 and 12 weeks of age. This is the key period where new sounds, smells, sights and experiences all combine to inform the young dog what is to be...

The effect of Pet Remedy on feline stress-related behaviours in a rescue centre

To test the hypothesis of whether Pet Remedy has an effect on stress-related behaviours in cats in a rehoming shelter, the relevant collected data were collated before pre- and post-treatment...

Cooperative care for companion dogs: emotional health and wellness

Dogs are important members of a unique interspecies relationship that involves a care and concern that permeates species boundaries. However, the various interactions that humans have with companion...

Are professionals receiving sufficient training in ‘feline friendly’ techniques?

Many veterinary nurses and veterinary surgeons are not confident in handling cats and recognising why they behave in the way that they do. Goins et al (2019) investigated the ability of veterinary...

Teaching students how to interpret animal emotions part 1: in the classroom and on placement

The aim of teaching animal emotions is to enable students to interpret an animal's emotional state in real-life or ‘authentic’ contexts. The most authentic situation is the veterinary practice...

Awareness and management of canine cognitive dysfunction

Owners may note a decrease in responses to well established cues (Landsberg and Araujo, 2005). This may result from dwindling eyesight and hearing (Landsberg and Ruehl, 1997; Szabó et al, 2018)....

Cry wolf: a major misunderstanding about dog behaviour

‘Dominance’ or ‘pack theory’ describes an ever-popular misbelief that, just as their wolf ancestors lived in hierarchical groups headed by an ‘alpha pair’ enjoying first rights to all valued...

The use of behaviourally-active medication in companion animals part 3

Veterinary nurses can play an important role in helping to identify animals that might benefit from behavioural help and, potentially, behaviourally-active medication. They are likely to come across...

The use of behaviourally-active medication in companion animals part 2

There are a number of different factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing the most appropriate short-acting behavourally-active drugs for an individual animal. These are outlined...

The use of behaviourally-active medication in companion animals part 1

While behaviourally-active drugs comprise several different classes of medication, they can be divided into two main types: short-acting drugs that can be given as needed (Box 1), and drugs that need...

Canine behaviour medicine in UK small animal practice

If behaviour is an essential consideration in the assessment and treatment of disease (Overall, 2013; Landsberg and Tynes, 2014), then a basic understanding of a dog's natural behaviour is necessary...

Pheromones and 25 years of pheromonotherapy: what are they and how do they work?

Pheromones are biologically active semiochemicals (chemical signals from one organism to another capable of bringing about a change in the recipient organism); they are secreted from the body of one...