Black Casqued Hornbills, Fred & Wilma If situations didn’t bring us challenges, how would we learn? Challenges and complexities are positive ... Read More
Animal Training
The Importance of Empowering Animals Through Change
With stagnant environments comes behavior concerns such as excessive barking, continual screaming, abnormal repetitive behaviors, and so much more. ... Read More
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
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
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
11 Reasons Why You Should Be Training Your Animal To Touch A Target
One of the first things I will train any animal, whether I have met the animal before or not, is to touch a target. Target training is when you teach ... Read More