Resource guarding refers to a behavior where an animal exhibits protective or possessive actions over an item, a space they consider valuable, and ... Read More
the animal behavior center
Why Focus On Enrichment?
Enrichment isn't an option; it's a necessity What is enrichment? I’ve always described enrichment as an arousal of the senses. There are five ... Read More
Meet Sam, the Blind Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrot
About a month ago I was asked to spend a day putting training plans together for the staff that takes care of 200 parrots at A Helping Wing Parrot ... Read More
The Hardest Animal to Train
Many times I am asked, "What is the hardest animal you have ever trained?" My answer may surprise you, then maybe not. It's not a certain species. My ... Read More
Do Animals Have Emotions?
Imagine, what would life be without emotions? Emotions are a state of consciousness that coincide with physiological changes. Our emotions affect mood ... Read More
My top 10 Checklist for Healthy Animal Behavior
The new year is here! Many people don't like this time of year because the days are short and cold. The nights are long and linger. I LOVE this time ... Read More
My Concern With Using Force With Any Animal
As a professional animal trainer and educator using approaches in Applied Behavior Analysis with any animal, I share many concerns in using force and ... Read More
Dr. Karen Becker Gives Advice On Fearful Pets At The Vet’s Office
Fearful pets are animals that need attention addressed to their behavior. The behavior serves a purpose for that animal and if you don't pay attention ... Read More
Preparing Our Animals For The Fourth of July & The Unexpected
The celebrations of the Fourth of July can be pretty stressful for animals in our care. I did a Facebook live-stream for Coffee With The Critters a ... Read More
Ostrich Chick Enrichment
We have four ostrich chicks here at The Animal Behavior Center for training and exercise and to identify ostrich enrichment. They are three weeks old ... Read More
An Interview with Trevor Smith on Designing Training Plans for Animals
Training is communication. Positive reinforcement training is the best form of communication I have found with any animal. Animals read our body ... Read More
How Do I Get My Animal To Stop Doing That?
I'm getting ready to discuss one of the most common reasons why undesired behaviors continue to exist. Yes, this even happens with some of the animals ... Read More