The number one reason animals are surrendered to a shelter is behavior.  The number one reason for euthanasia in this country is behavior.  Therefore, behavior is a critical part of veterinary medicine and saves lives more than any other disease we treat!  This portion of our library has been divided into two sections, since the topics and methods discussed are widely different.

Preventative Behavior

Like preventative medicine, it's definitely more effective than waiting to treat a problem that already exists.  Although this section applies primarily to puppies and kittens, you should still read through the articles and give your adult animal a daily refresher course in the basics.

• Obedience training
• Recommended toys
• Puppy and kitten proofing your home
• Bringing home baby
• Dogs and puppies
  • Introducing a new dog into the household 
  • Chewing
  • Crate training
  • House breaking
  • Gentle Leader
  • Please also visit drsophiayin.com to see many free dog training videos.  This website is put together by Dr. Sophia Yin, a renound board-certified veterinary behaviorist
• Cats and kittens
  • Introducing a new cat into the household 
  • Keeping kittens out of mischief
  • Litter box basics
  • Please also visit www.lowstresshandling.com (also by Dr. Sophia Yin) and sign up to see videos on training cats to accept nail-trims, accept oral medications, enjoy getting into carriers and many other important behaviors. 

Behavior Problems

If your pet has developed a behavioral problem that is intolerable to you, before your pet becomes another statistic like the ones above, read the following information.  More importantly, ASK US!  If we don't know there's a problem, we can't help you.  Our veterinarians are trained in behavior modification and take behavior issues seriously, so bring it up at your next appointment.  If you can't wait that long, schedule a separate behavior consultation appointment today.

• Dogs
  • Eating stool
  • Noise phobia
  • Separation anxiety
  • Accidents vs. marking in the house
  • Dominance aggression
  • Muzzle training
• Cats
  • Urine and/or stool outside the litter box
  • Aggression towards housemates
• Recommended behaviorist