General Pet Behavior Information

• Animal Behavior Associates, HelpingFido.com and HelpingKitty.com offer free dowloads, a blog, educational telecourses, books and more from Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists Suzanne Hetts, PhD, CAAB and Daniel Estep, PhD, CAAB.
• Veterinarian and behaviorist, Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS, offers free downloads, a blog, books and fantastic videos about pet behavior and training.

Just for Cat People!

• Free web lecture on cat behavior: Keeping Cats Happy

  Suzanne Hetts, Phd, CAAB
  University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
  March 25, 2010, Knoxville, TN

Social Behavior in Wolves and Dogs

One of the most misunderstood aspects of dog behavior is the way they form social relationships with people and with other dogs. This misunderstanding leads to ineffective and sometimes abusive training techniques. Sit, stay, learn.

• Free web lecture on dog and wolf social behavior: Alternatives to Being the "Alpha:" Better Ways to Interact with Dogs

  Ellen Mahurin, M.A.
  University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine
  March 16, 2010, Knoxville, TN

• Why We Need Alternatives to Dominance-Based Training

  • The Dominance Controversy (2010) - Sophia Yin
  • The Alpha Fallacy (2010) - Ian Dunbar
  • Let's Just Be Humans Training Dogs (2010) - Ian Dunbar
  • Assessing the Alpha Roll (2001) - Terry Ryan
  • Whatever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf? - by wildlife research biologist L. David Mech (2008)
  • Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals (2008) - Position statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
  • Use of Punishment in Behavior Modification of Animals (2007) - Position statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior

• Relevant Publications

  • Bradshaw, J.W.S., Blackwell, E.J., & Casey, R.A. (2009). Dominance in domestic dogs-useful construct or bad habit? Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 4, 135-144.
  • Coppinger, R. & Coppinger L. (2001). Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution. The University of Chicago Press.
  • Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J. & Bradshaw, J.W.S. (2004). Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behavior and welfare. Animal Welfare, 13, 63-69
  • Mech, L.D. (1970). The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. Doubleday Publishing Co., N.Y.: Natural History Press.
  • Mech, L.D. (1999). Alpha status, dominance, and division of labor in wolf packs. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 77, 1196-1203
  • Mech, L.D. (2000) Leadership in Wolf, Canis lupus, Packs. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 114(2), 259-263.
  • Mech, L.D. (2001). Standing Over and Hugging in Wild Wolves, Canis lupus. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 115(1), 179-181.
  • Van Kerkhove, W. (2004). A Fresh Look at the Wolf-Pack Theory of Companion-Animal Dog Social Behavior. Journal od Applied Animal Welfare Science, 7(4), 279-285.

• Alternative approaches to dominance theory for...

  • Dogs who are aggressive to strangers - A video from Dr. Sophia Yin at AskDrYin.com
  • Dogs who guard their food - A video from Dr. Sophia Yin at AskDrYin.com
  • Dogs who are aggressive for grooming - A video from Dr. Sophia Yin at AskDrYin.com
  • A variety of behavior problems - Information from Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr. Daniel Estep
    at Animal Behavior Associates