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ABSTRACTS
FOR THE IFAAB 2002 MEETINGMarch
1-3, 2002
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R.K.
Anderson
Emotions Associated With Interdog Aggression
Using selected portions of several case histories, selected video clips
and photo slides, this presenter will give his own views of the body
language and behaviors of the dogs, the range of opinions of the
handlers and families of the dogs, and written or oral statements of
behaviorists, trainers and other professionals.
This will provide a base for discussion by participants of this FORUM
about the motivation, behavior and emotions of the dogs involved in
interdog aggression as well as the emotions and interpretations of the
handlers, the families, and the public as dog owners and non dog owners. |
Jane
Barber
Integrating Behavioral Wellness into Comprehensive Preventative Medicine
Programs
Despite resource abundance and ready accessibility, behavioral services
are under-offered by general practitioning veterinarians. And yet, the
veterinary practitioner is often the first person to whom pet owners
turn for help regarding the behavior of their pet. Proactive
preventative behavioral medicine might be more readily offered if a
specific protocol can be set up. To ensure veterinary compliance, the
protocol must meet the following criteria:
1) It must be cost effective.
2) It must be able to be readily incorporated into a routine office
visit.
3) It must not add significantly to doctor/technician time expended.
4) It must be "user friendly."
A protocol for preventative behavioral medicine will be presented for
discussion. |
Daniel
Q. Estep
Things To Take To A Behavioral Consult
Behavior consulting can be done in a variety of different ways -
by telephone, in a clinic or in the client’s home. When we meet the
client in person, are there certain things that we should always have
with us? Certainly we need a way to get a history (pencil and paper or
laptop computer) and a way to make recommendations (more paper or a
computer printer). What other things are essential or at least a
convenience at consults? Are there safety devices (muzzles), educational
materials (hand-outs), or products you sell, rent or give to the client
(anti-bark collars)? Come see what’s in my bag of tricks and tell us
what you can’t live without at your consults. |
Suzanne
Hetts
A Canine Version of Bullying
Fighting between dogs in the same family is a common problem seen by
most behaviorists. Traditionally, these problems were thought to arise
from an instability in the dominance hierarchy or social relationship
between the dogs. However many cases are presented in which one dog has
clearly assumed the dominant role and is not being challenged for
position by the dog who is being attacked. The ‘dominant dog’
continues attacking and/or harassing the subordinate animal despite
clear signals of deference or submission from the latter. Why is the
attacking dog continuing in his/her behavior? The attacking dog seems,
anthropomorphically to be acting like a ‘bully’. Three cases of
‘bully dogs’ will be presented and their similarities and
differences examined in an attempt to determine an etiology for these
problems. Slightly different behavior interventions were used in each
case, and the rationale for these will be discussed, as will the
outcomes in each case.
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Wayne Hunthausen
Strategies for Treating Aggression Between Family Dogs
Aggression problems between family dogs can be dangerous, frustrating
situations to correct. This presentation will include a review of
various treatment protocols described in the literature, a discussion of
pertinent considerations in the treatment of these types of problems, an
overview of the presenter's current approach to treatment and a group
discussion.
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Martha
Lindsay and Michelle Posage
Predicting Client Follow-up After Initial Pet Behavior Consultation
A serious pet behavior problem usually requires ongoing communication
between the pet owner and behaviorist. Despite the opportunity of weekly
consultation at no extra charge for six months following the initial
visit, many of the clients at our practice do not follow-up. There are
many factors in a particular case situation which might influence the
client to communicate again. The factors we chose to examine were
grouped into categories concerning client lifestyle, home environment,
human interactions with the pets, medications prescribed, pet
characteristics, what behavioral problem(s) existed and duration of the
problem(s). This retrospective case-control study was designed to
discover if any of these factors could be used to predict client
compliance.
We will be speaking on different aspects of the same topic and data
analysis. |
Karen
B. London
Assessments of Dogs and Their Owners: Getting Information Any Way
I Can
As Applied Animal Behaviorists, we need to get a lot of information
about the animals we work with and we need to get it without going to
live with our clients and their pets for a week. There are specific
things I do with almost all dogs in an attempt to learn about them. What
I can learn includes how they react to greeting strangers, being
handling, getting frustrated, getting aroused, and how willing they are
to interact socially. Additionally, I observe specific behavioral
patterns of dogs during my first appointment with them to get even more
information about them. By presenting these assessment tools and
specific observations and explaining what I can learn from them, I would
like to initiate a discussion about how to assess the dogs who present
with behavioral problems. Time permitting, I would also like to discuss
some of the observations I make about clients to assess them for the
purposes of tailoring treatment plans to the individual people involved
in order to create plans that will result in better client compliance. |
Amy
Marder
Abstract
Making a good living by only practicing applied animal behavior can be
challenging. Forming and nurturing relationships with a varied referral
base is essential for the continued growth of a practice. New England
Veterinary Behavior Associates has been in business for 4 years and has
experienced exceptional growth. Started in 1985 as a part-time housecall
practice with a staff of one, NEVBA has grown into a practice with a
staff of 5 and a large office in a posh Boston suburb. Ways to develop
and maintain ongoing referrals from veterinarians, animal welfare
organizations, schools and training groups will be discussed.
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Patricia
B. McConnell
Interesting, Informative and Random Videos of Dogs and People Behaving
Badly or Amusingly
This video presentation will include "highlights" from
hundreds of hours of video tape, including examples of how humans mis-communicate
with dogs (some funny, some tragic) and how dogs communicate to each
other and humans. The goals of this session are to deconstruct how
humans use signals typical of primates to communicate with dogs (often
to the confusion of our dogs), to examine the intricacies of
intra-specific visual signals between dogs and finally, and perhaps,
most importantly, to entertain us all with engaging videos of what it is
that bonds us all together --- our love and fascination of animal
behavior. |
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Catherine
McClelland
Dealing with Senior Moments in Your Canine Patients ? The Role of
Clinical Nutrition
Background
Companion animals are probably living longer today than ever before,
with an estimated 18-million pet dogs in the United States over 7 years
of age. Cognitive function decreases with age, putting a large number of
older dogs at risk for developing behavioral changes related to
cognitive decline. These behavioral alterations are often manifested as
disorientation (D), altered interactions with family members (I),
disruptions in sleep (S), loss of house training (H), and altered
activity levels (A) (DISHA).
Oxidative
stress is a leading contributor to the aging process. Oxidative stress
can damage brain cells resulting in mutation, neoplastic transformation,
loss of cellular function, cellular aging, and ultimately, cellular
death. Beta amyloid deposition in brain tissue also accumulates with
oxidative stress and age. Natural antioxidant defenses in the body
neutralize free radicals, minimize further formation of free radicals,
and facilitate repair of free radical damage, but these antioxidant
defenses decline with age.
Providing enhanced levels of antioxidants and nutritional biofactors in
the diet can boost sagging natural defenses and protect against further
damage. Antioxidants such as vitamin E and C help neutralize free
radicals, preventing extensive cellular damage. Lipoic acid and L-carnitine
help promote mitochondrial health by increasing the efficiency of energy
conversion while decreasing production of free radicals. The fatty acids
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are found in
high concentrations in the brain, where they contribute to neuronal cell
membrane plasticity and health. Hill's® Prescription Diet® Canine b/dTM
is replete with antioxidants, lipoic acid, L-carnitine, DHA, and EPA to
help counter the cellular alterations resulting from oxidative stress
and the neuropathology associated with aging. Studies now indicate that
feeding Canine b/d helps improve cognitive function and clinical signs
in dogs with age related cognitive decline.
Studies
Cognitive testing was assessed using neuropsychological tests to
determine if dietary intervention with a patent-pending antioxidant
formula (Canine b/d) was effective in addressing cognitive decline in
older dogs.
24 aged dogs (8 to 12 years of age) and 16 young dogs (2 to 4 years old)
were equally divided into 2 groups based on their cognitive scores in
baseline testing. The test group was maintained on Canine b/d, while the
control group was maintained on a food formulated for senior dogs. All
dogs were given environmental enrichment through regular exercise, a
series of toys, social interaction and cognitive stimulation. After 6
months of feeding, dogs performed a series of 4 oddity discrimination
tests in order of ascending difficulty.
In addition to the cognitive testing, the effect of Canine b/d on
age-related behavioral changes in dogs was assessed in a 60-day
prospective, double-masked, randomized, multi-center clinical trial. 125
client-owned dogs completed a 60-day feeding trial. Owners assessed
individual attributes or behaviors at the beginning and end of the
feeding period using a standardized questionnaire. Only dogs 7 years of
age or older (any breed or weight) with clinical signs in at least 2 of
the 5 DISHA categories of age-related behavioral changes were eligible
for the study. Dogs were excluded from the study if they had confounding
disease conditions or were currently being treated for conditions that
would preclude monitoring of response criteria. Half of the dogs were
assigned to treatment (Canine b/d) and half to a control food in a
random block design. All dogs were fed to maintain their initial body
weight and housed in their accustomed home environments. Pet
owners for both groups were instructed to refrain from offering other
foods, supplements, or more cognitive stimulation than normal during the
study.
Results
Cognitive testing
Young dogs made significantly fewer mistakes than older dogs fed a
control food when learning a novel task (P0.01). Older dogs fed Canine
b/d made significantly fewer mistakes than the older dogs eating the
control food on oddity tasks 3 and 4 (P0.01). Older dogs fed Canine b/d
showed up to 58% improvement in cognitive function vs. older dogs fed
the control food. Older dogs eating Canine b/d performed more like the
younger dogs when learning a novel task than those eating the control
food.
Clinical trial
Individual attributes were pooled into their respective 5 DISHA
categories and analyzed. During the 60-day feeding period, significant
improvements occurred in all 5 DISHA categories for the Canine b/d group
and in disorientation and sleep patterns for the control group (P0.05).
During
the 60-day feeding period, significant improvements occurred in 13 of 15
individual behaviors for the Canine b/d group and 4 of 15 for the
control group (P0.05). Significantly more behaviors were improved for
the Canine b/d group when compared to the control group using chi-square
analysis (P0.05).
Conclusions
The positive benefits of feeding of Canine b/d on cognitive function and
clinical parameters indicate that an antioxidant-supplemented food can
help combat the signs of brain aging and related behavioral changes in
dogs.
Results of both cognitive testing and clinical studies demonstrate that
dogs have improved function when eating Canine b/d. Canine b/d
significantly improved age-related behavioral changes as assessed by
owners and cognitive function in the neuropsychological testing compared
to control foods. Duration of these studies ranged from 60 days to 2
years and indicates that Canine b/d is safe and effective during
long-term use.
Additional Reading
1. American Veterinary Medical Association Center for
Information Management: U.S. Pet Ownership and Pet Population. U.S. Pet
Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. Schaumburg, IL: American
Veterinary Medical Association, 1997; pp 1-30.
2. Landsberg, G.M. et al.: Geriatric behavioral problems.
Vet. Clin. N. Amer. Sm. Anim. Prac. 27(6) :1537-1559; 1997.
3. Mayes, P.A.: Structure and function of lipid-soluble
vitamins. Harper's Biochemistry, 25th ed. (R.K. Murray, et al, eds.).
Appleton & Lange, Stamford, CT, 2000; pp 642-652.
4. Colle M-A, et.al.:Vascular and parenchymal Aß deposition
in the aging dog: correlation with behavior. Neurobiology of Aging.
21:695-704; 2000.
5. Gutteridge, J.M.C. et al: Oxidative stress. Antioxidants
in Nutrition, aHealth, and Disease. Oxford University Press, New York,
NY, 1994; pp 91-110. 6. Beckman, K.B. et al: Mitochondrial
aging: open questions. Annals N.Y. Acad. Sci. 854 :118-127; 1998.
7. Hagen, T.M. et al: (R)-alpha-lipoic acid-supplemented old
rats have improved mitochondrial function, decreased oxidative damage,
and increased metabolic rate. FASEB J 13 :411-418; 1999.
8. Youdim, K.A. et al: Essential fatty acids and the brain:
possible health implications. Intl. J. Devlop. Neurosci. 18 :383-399;
2000.
9. Milgram, N.W. et al: Age-dependent cognitive dysfunction
in canines: dietary intervention. Proc. Third Intl. Cong. Vet.
Behavior.Med. Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Wheathampstead,
UK, 2001; pp 53-57.
10. Dodd C.E. et.al: In Press: Suppl. To Vet. Med. Feb.
2002:17-20.
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Peter
Neville
Diagnosis and Treatment of Separation Related Disorders in the Dog -
refining the approach
Behavioural incompetence in dogs when isolated has long been globally
labelled as ‘separation anxiety’ although the problem is really one
of failure to learn and apply effective coping strategies in response to
social isolation. The emotional problem for the dog, as an innately
social species, is essentially one of destroyed social bonding when his
owners leave him at home alone, and the psychological pain of isolation
both in the young and in susceptible older animals. (Walker 1999).
Susceptibility, as with general fearfulness, may be heritable (Scott and
Fuller 1965), but it is quite likely that adult dogs present with
separation related disorders (SRDs) as a direct consequence of never
having been isolated while their emotional response would still be
muted, ie at 3-5 weeks of age. This is the age when they could start to
learn how to apply appropriate coping strategies to relieve their
natural emotional responses at finding themselves alone.
Emotional responses to isolation from owners in the dog range from
indifference in the experienced, to varying degrees of disappointment,
frustration, distress, anxiety, fear, depression or panic according to
the temperament of the individual, experience of isolation and capacity
to develop coping strategies that bring emotional relief. Some dogs may
also even become angry and aggressive towards their owners as they
attempt to leave the house in an attempt to maintain the bond and to
prevent themselves from being isolated. As well often leading to a
misdiagnosis of ‘competitive’, or worse, ‘dominance aggression’
in such dogs, this behaviour can obviously add extra problems in the
treatment of the underlying cause, an SRD. (COAPE, 2000).
‘Extensive research and comparison across species has shown that
attachment and intense drives for social contact involve the opioid
chemistry of the brain. Experimentally morphine and its derivatives
reliably alleviate separation or isolation distress and specific
serotonin re-uptake inhibitors may similarly reduce the discomfort and
block the panic in some cases’ (Walker 1999). Clomicalm was the first
medication to be granted a veterinary prescription licence for the
treatment of a behavioural problem in dogs, that of the then labeled
‘separation anxiety’ (Novartis 1998).
In order to ascertain the effects of administration of Clomicalm to a
number of dogs with SRD referred by veterinary surgeons in practice, a
sound and/or movement activated video camera was installed in the
owners’ homes in order to obtain footage of the dogs’ emotional
states and behavioural responses when left at home alone. 6 video case
history reviews from this study and elsewhere identify the variation in
the emotional response to isolation by adult dogs. This enabled an
accurate emotional diagnosis to be made in each case with an analysis of
the relevant reinforcement contingencies needing to be addressed, so
allowing the application of a refined treatment approach to be designed
for the individual dog/owner relationship.
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Mary
Lee Nitschke and Pia Silvani
Update on the APDT trainer certification program.
A report on the current status of the CPDT (Certified Pet Dog Trainer)
national certification program. A brief description of the process, the
qualificaitons necessary for Level 1 certification, the results of the
first national certification examination and plans for future levels of
certification and speciality certification levels. A brief discussion of
professional limits will be included in seeking input from the IFAAB
participants on certification levels. |
Nathan
Penny
Examining Stress in Dogs During Training Classes
The processes of learning and memory are critical for enabling
animals to display adaptive and flexible behaviour in response to a
changing environment. Expression of adaptive behaviour is a function of
many complex influences, including physiological and emotive states.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that stress can have a detrimental
effect upon learning and memory. Predictability and controllability of a
stressor may also be factors that modify the impact of stress. Companion
dogs may encounter stress during the acquisition of operant responses,
such as sit, stay, come, or heel. Although most dogs acquire these
responses in the context of structured obedience classes, the classes
often differ in the operant conditioning procedures employed by the
instructors. The objective of this study is to identify if differences
exist in the behaviour of dogs between different training classes.
Subjects will be privately owned companion animals attending one of
three very different dog obedience-training schools. The primary measure
for comparison in this study is observable behaviour. The behaviours to
be compared between classes and schools are: mobility, vocalization,
play, escape from the gentle leader, escape from owner, aggression
toward owner, aggression toward another person, aggression toward
another dog, and submissive behaviour such as lowered head, lowered
body, tucked tail, and yawning. These findings will provide information
concerning the physiological and behavioural reaction of dogs to
specific obedience training practices. Ideally this information will be
utilized to help improve the welfare of dogs during basic obedience
training.
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Pam Reid
Punishment: Its Use in Applied
Animal Behavior
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Alison
Seward
The HPA Axis: Sympathetic Nervous System and Beyond.
There has recently been an interest in measuring cortisol in animals in
an attempt to identify training methods or environments they find
stressful. This may prove to be more informative than observational
conclusions, which differ among observers. One challenge is to devise
methods of testing which will not themselves produce altered cortisol
levels.
An understanding of the effects of chronic of acute upregulation of the
HPA axis can be helpful when evaluating a pet's ability to learn, and
intervening in training difficulties. There are implications for the
animal's general health as well, with some areas of investigation being
chronic gastrointestinal problems and allergy. Further, explaining this
mechanism to clients can help them understand problem behaviors,
especially aggression, and can better equip them to manage behaviors and
maintain pets and family in greater safety. A look at the current state
of knowledge of this system and practical applications to cases will be
the focus.
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Melissa
Shyan
"Comparing Communication Signals in Dogs, Cats, and Humans."
Mention is often made that cats, dogs, and humans "speak a
different language." That is, that communication signals are
different and often lead to misinterpretations. However, there is
evidence for a great deal of overlap in these communication signals. In
fact, it may be that many mammals "share" communication
signals to a significant extent. This presentation will present a
literature review of animal communication signals and compare them to
human communication signals. These will include facial expressions, body
postures, tail and ear postures, vocalizations, and other signals
presented. Discussion will include common perceptions and correct
misperceptions made by each species towards each other. |
Pia
Silvani
Kindergarten Puppy Training Gone Wrong!
Do the risks outweigh the benefits of puppy training and
socialization classes? A well-run puppy kindergarten class can
definitely get puppies off to a good start. Understanding dogs’ social
behavior is a crucial part of conducting a successful class. But, who is
teaching these classes and what advice is being given? Are trainers
interpreting the behaviors and interactions correctly? Do they truly
know the definition of socialization? Have trainers gotten cold feet
about using the word punishment in their repertoire? Are puppies leaving
class ill-mannered, fearful or even worse, an accident waiting to happen
as a result? We’ve seen a massive increase in dog-dog aggression.
Where have we gone wrong? |
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Nancy G. Williams
and Peter L. Borchelt
Full Body Restraint as a Treatment for Dogs with Defensive Aggressive
Behavior
The purpose of the
present study was to investigate the efficacy of full body restraint and
forced/rapid stimulus exposure on two dogs that exhibited severe
defensive aggression towards strangers and one dog that exhibited severe
defensive aggression to other dogs. Three aggressive Great Danes were
each placed into a restraint box, and the dog was completely immobilized
by pouring grain in the box up to the level of its neck. The dogs were
subjected to increasing levels of eliciting stimulus (from the approach
or movement of an adult, child or dog) until they no longer responded
with aggressive behavior. The results demonstrated that the dog's level
of aggression diminished rapidly to each increasing level of stimulus
and overall, the dogs demonstrated a substantial reduction in their
aggressive behavior both during and after treatment sessions.
We will also present data from
a case in which similar methodology was used to treat a dog displaying
predatory like behavior to cats, and will have preliminary data on
several dogs with cardio-vascular monitoring during full body restraint.
Evidence from studies in humans indicates that low heart rate
variability has been associated with increased anxiety and is thought to
reflect autonomic dysregulation. The assessment of underlying autonomic
activity provided by heart rate variability analysis will provide a
unique opportunity for understanding the cardiovascular response of
behaving dogs.
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John
C. Wright
Panic-Elicited Voiding Associated with Fear of Defecating in an Adult
Female Cat: A Case Report
Client “M” was referred to me by her veterinarian for consultation
with an inappropriate elimination problem in a young adult female cat,
“K”. The presenting problem consisted of defecation outside the
litter box once every day or two for the past month, but the problem
became unacceptable when K defecated on M shortly after she retired one
evening. According to M, she had just stayed up an extra hour with the
cat because “she knew” K had to defecate and she wanted to direct K
to use the litter box in the adjoining bathroom (which K refused to do).
For the prior month, she commonly awakened to trails of stool stretching
from the bathroom across the bedroom floor and most recently, down the
hallway. M didn’t mind cleaning up the defecations in the bathroom or
in the bedroom, but she feared that K was now spreading the problem
defecation to include her (M’s) head, the hallway, the steps leading
downstairs, and the living room.
The case is unusual due to K’s pre-defecation behaviors (she behaved
as if she feared defecating, as if she was trying to escape from the
feelings associated with the urge to defecate, during which she became
extremely agitated); the defecation bout itself (e.g., once she started
to defecate, she either ran through the bedroom, or jumped up on the
bathroom window sill or toilet where she finished the bout); and the
onset of novel post-defecation behaviors -- which she acquired a few
weeks into the treatment program – appearing as panic-elicited running
downstairs to the kitchen, jumping up on the kitchen counter and voiding
herself of urine, which she sat in, “looking terrified,” according
to M.
In the 20 minute case study (followed by discussion?!!) I’ll describe
the initial diagnosis and treatment program, followed by changes in
K’s behavior that led to different hypotheses regarding precipitating
factors that in turn, resulted in changes in the treatment protocol. |
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Stephen
Zawistowski
All Revved
With No Place to Go
Schachter and Singer first presented their “two factor” theory of
emotion in the early 1960s. It provided an important stage in the
development of a theory that combined physiological response with
cognitive evaluation. When Charles Darwin published “Expression of the
Emotions in Man and Animals” in 1872 he built on a theory of evolution
that provided for common underlying mechanisms in human and non-human
animals. By the 1960s, Behaviorism was the dominant influence in
American psychology and it had largely stripped animals, and humans of
cognitive function. As a result, when theories of emotion that included
cognition continued to develop after Schachter and Singer, they largely
omitted animals from their analysis. The publication of Donald
Giffin’s “The Question of Animal Awareness” in 1981 reawakened
interest and study cognition in animals.
How can we use an understanding
of physiological arousal with cognitive state to manage and treat
behavior problems in animals? Research and observations based on
observations and research in animal shelters will be used to develop an
approach that would combine conditioned emotional states with cognitive
management to care for companion animals.
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