With stagnant environments comes behavior concerns such as excessive barking, continual screaming, abnormal repetitive behaviors, and so much more. ... Read More
Blog
The Role of Enrichment with Behavior Concerns
Studies show that most animal enclosures lack problem-solving skills. Providing enrichment is not an option; it is a must in the quality of care we ... Read More
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
The Severity of Separation Anxiety
I'm sitting in my hotel room in downtown Columbus, Ohio. I'm a few blocks away from Ohio State University, where I was asked to collaborate and give a ... Read More
Separation Anxiety in Different Species of Animals
In this episode of Coffee With The Critters, I talk about the many levels of separation anxiety in different species of animals, including parrots, ... 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