Behavioral incompatibilities, not behavior problems

Posted on February 8, 2022April 4, 2023Categories Uncategorized

“It’s not a problem for the dog; it’s a problem for the human,” is among the first mottos regarding so-called dog “behavior problems” I learned as a novice dog trainer. The famed behaviorist, Dr. Ian Dunbar, would often begin a lecture on behavior modification with some version of this pronouncement. But even though he acknowledged the negative implication of the term, he would continue to use it because it’s such a common language phrase. Experts do this all of the time, … Continue reading “Behavioral incompatibilities, not behavior problems”

Unvalidated, unreliable, and unnecessary: Evidence for the case against formal behavior evaluations for shelter dogs

Posted on March 22, 2019April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & PublicationsTags , ,

A 2019 article demonstrates that no canine behavior evaluation used for shelter dogs meets accepted scientific criteria that would justify routine use in shelters.

A 2019 article demonstrates that no canine behavior evaluation used for shelter dogs meets accepted scientific criteria that would justify routine use in shelters.

There’s No Place Like Home

Posted on April 9, 2018April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & Publications

A stay in a foster home before adoption and even adoptions that end in the return of a dog to the shelter enhance the chances of rehoming for dogs who find themselves between owners.

A stay in a foster home before adoption and even adoptions that end in the return of a dog to the shelter enhance the chances of rehoming for dogs who find themselves between owners.

What type of dog is that? Can you tell just by looking?

Posted on August 14, 2017April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & PublicationsTags ,

Take a look at the growing body of evidence on visual breed identification, and commit to shifting the paradigm of how we identify and discuss dogs in our daily lives.  

Take a look at the growing body of evidence on visual breed identification, and commit to shifting the paradigm of how we identify and discuss dogs in our daily lives.  

Is it practical or possible to give a dog a test that will predict how he is likely to behave in real life situations?

Posted on June 9, 2017April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & PublicationsTags ,

Is there a need for such a test, particularly regarding whether he is likely to get into harmful conflicts with people? This entry in our research library is our attempt to summarize what the best science to date has to say about these questions.

Is there a need for such a test, particularly regarding whether he is likely to get into harmful conflicts with people? This entry in our research library is our attempt to summarize what the best science to date has to say about these questions.

When you do the math, behavior evaluations flunk

Posted on August 22, 2016April 4, 2023Categories News, Research & PublicationsTags , ,

Article authors demonstrate why when a shelter dog tests positive for dangerous behavior, it is much more likely that the test has failed the dog, rather than the dog having failed the test.

Article authors demonstrate why when a shelter dog tests positive for dangerous behavior, it is much more likely that the test has failed the dog, rather than the dog having failed the test.

Incoherent definitions confound attempts to label dogs as “pit bulls”

Posted on May 7, 2014May 31, 2022Categories Research & Publications

Most animal shelters continue to assign breed descriptors to dogs whose origin they do not know[1], even though current university research has shown that breed identification based on visual inspection correlates poorly with DNA breed signature, and that observers will disagree with each other when examining the same dog. These difficulties are only compounded when the descriptor itself is subject to different interpretations. A study by researchers in the US and UK examines the question of whether animal shelter workers … Continue reading “Incoherent definitions confound attempts to label dogs as “pit bulls””