Animal Behavior

Consulting:
Theory and Practice
A publication of The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

Vol. 4, No. 2
Summer 2008
2

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Vol. 4, No. 2 Summer 2008

Editors
Beth Adelman, MS, CABC Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC Chris Hamer, MS, CDBC

The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Inc. is a professional association for the field of animal behavior consulting.
The association represents the professional interests of behavior consultants throughout the world. It is involved with the problems, needs,
and changing patterns of animal-owner relationships, and helps to ensure that the public’s needs are met by trained practitioners. The
association provides the tools and resources animal behavior professionals need to succeed. It works tirelessly to nourish the animal-
human bond.

The IAABC Board of Directors

Marjie Alonso, CDBC, CPDT Connie Dwyer, MS, CPDT, CHBC
Vice President Member & Chair of the Horse Division

Mikel Delgado, CCBC Jamie Whittaker, CPBC

Secretary Chair, Parrot Division

Kathie Compton, CDBC, CPDT Jim Akenhead, EdD, CDBC

Director at Large Member

Tonya Sakadinsky, BA, CDBC Eric Goebelbecker

Treasurer Member
Marilyn Krieger, MA, CCBC
Member & Co-Chair of the Cat Division

The IAABC Division Chairs

Cat Behavior Consulting Division Human-Animal Mutualism Division
Pam Johnson-Bennett and Marilyn Krieger, Chairs Janet Velenovsky, Chair

Dog Behavior Consulting Division Parrot Behavior Consulting Division

Vera Wilkinson, Chair Kashmir Csaky, Chair

Horse Behavior Consulting Division

Connie Dwyer, Chair

Our Journal Division Liaisons

Cat Behavior Consulting Division Human-Animal Mutualism Division
Marilyn Krieger and Pam Johnson-Bennett Janet Velenovsky

Dog Behavior Consulting Division Parrot Behavior Consulting Division

Vera Wilkinson Kashmir Csaky

Horse Behavior Consulting Division

Connie Dwyer
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
 3
Legal Information

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice is published in accordance with the purposes of the sponsoring organization, the
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Inc. (IAABC). The IAABC Mission is to assist and educate owners and handlers
of companion animals to prevent problems and to interrupt the cycle of inappropriate punishment, rejection, and euthanasia of animals
with behavior problems that are resolvable. This mission is accomplished by providing state-of-the-art education and training to animal
behavior professionals, so they can analyze, predict and resolve problem behaviors, and by advocating and promoting humane intervention.
Articles are selected on the basis of appropriateness, clarity, significance, timeliness, and contribution to the field of animal behavior
consulting. Authors need not be members of the IAABC to submit manuscripts. No remuneration is paid for accepted manuscripts.

Copyright on all materials published in Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice is held by the authors. Permission to reproduce
such copyrighted materials must be obtained through IAABC and the authors. Requests can be made by emailing journal@iaabc.org. No
portion of an article may be reproduced without permission in writing. Reprint orders for individual articles are handled by the IAABC
business office. If the manuscript contains more than 100 words of material previously published elsewhere, the authors must obtain
written permission from the copyright holder to include this material in publication of their manuscript in Animal Behavior Consulting:
Theory and Practice. Any costs associated with obtaining this permission are the responsibility of the author or authors.

Submission Guidelines

For information on submitting manuscripts to future issues of Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice, go to the IAABC Web
site, www.iaabc.org and access the Journal page to download a copy of our submission guidelines.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Summer 2008
4
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Vol. 4, No. 2 Summer 2008

Message from the Board.................................................................................................................................................... 5

Member News and Committee Reports............................................................................................................................. 6

Transformative Learning Theory and Human-Dog Interactions....................................................................................... 7

Camille Belpedio

Clicking the Wild Pony......................................................................................................................................................11

Pat Miller

Using Return to the Herd to Reward Leaving the Herd in a Mature Domestic Horse......................................................14
Kathryn E. Holcomb, MA

Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing Phenomenon?.....................................................................................................18

Liz Wilson, CVT, CPBC

Case Study: Feline Obsessive Sucking on the Head and Hair of a Human.......................................................................23
Tonya Sakadinsky, BA, CDBC

Book Review: Parenting With Pets: The Magic of Raising Children with Animals
by Christine Hamer & Margaret Hevel..................................................................................................................28
Tonya Sakadinsky, BA, CDBC

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Summer 2008
Message from the Board 5

Dear Colleagues,

W elcome to the Journal of the International Association of

Animal Behavior Consultants.
identifying different parrot species from photographs of newly-
hatched chicks. Regardless of division or with what species one
focuses one’s expertise, the value of these discussions and peer
The IAABC is a first-of-its-kind organization, one seeking
to incorporate the best of practicing trainers, animal welfare exchange is immeasurable.
workers, behavior consultants, veterinary behaviorists and all We look forward to the coming winter and our continued
other professionals involved in the animal-human bond. Our growth and advancement in this very important field. We
goal and mission is to provide expert advice and resources to encourage all our members to take advantage of the considerable
pet owners looking for help with their companion animals, and benefits that IAABC has to offer, and we hope to see you all at our
a forum for members looking to further educate and enrich annual conference in April 2009 in Houston.
their professional lives through ongoing study, discussion and
resource exchange. We look to work with veterinarians and the
other “allied professions” for the betterment of all the animals and Best,
humans whose lives we have the privilege of affecting, and who
Marjie Alonso
affect us so significantly in return.
Vice President
These last few months have brought more change to the
IAABC—an inevitable part of growth and maturity for any
burgeoning organization. Case studies and tutorials have been
And fellow Board Members:
presented, including one ongoing as I write on Behavioral
Pharmacology presented by Dr. Lore Haug, showcasing the
expertise of our members as well as the eagerness of other Jim Akenhead
members to take advantage of all the remarkable resource that
IAABC has become. Kathie Compton
A behavior question of the month has just been presented on Mikel Delgado
the Dog list. This month’s topic is separation anxiety, and the value Connie Dwyer
of shared experiences and methodologies can only contribute to
the betterment of all involved. “Camp Cat” is under way on the Eric Goebelbecker
Cat list, with book chats, discussions on breed differences and Marilyn Krieger
possible prejudices, and “five-minute behavior consultation”
Tonya Sakadinsky
exercises. The other divisions are also under way with various
projects, from a discussion on clicker training a fearful horse to Jamie Whittaker

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Summer 2008
6

Member News

Beth Adelman appeared as the cat behavior expert in an episode
of the television series Extraordinary Animals. The episode
concerns Nora, a cat in Philadelphia who plays the piano. Beth
discussed the likely behavioral reasons behind Nora’s activities.
The show was produced in the UK and aired in Britain in June.
of the single lifestyle for active, upscale professional adults in Los
Angeles. The magazine, which debuts Sept/Oct 2008, features top
writers and photographers from around the country. You can sign
up for a free issue at www.singularcity.com. Marva also has an
ongoing blog at www.redroom.com/member/marvamarrow.

Jim Barry’s new book, The Ethical Dog Trainer: A Practical
Guide for Canine Professionals, was published by Dogwise
Publishing in June 2008.
Marva Marrow is currently managing editor of a new lifestyle
magazine for singles 30+, who celebrate their single status. Singular
magazine and www.singularcity.com promote the positive aspects
Jacqueline Munera had an article about feline/canine
interrelations published in the Journal of Applied Companion
Animal Behavior.  The citation for this article is: Munera, J.
(2008). Early introduction age and other factors: Precursors to
feline/canine friendship? Journal of Applied Companion Animal
Behavior, 2(1), 29–32.  The link to purchase the journal is www.
iiacab.com/journal.html.

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Summer 2008

Transformative Learning Theory and Human-Dog
Interactions
Camille Belpedio
Introduction and interpret the meaning of our experiences. A frame of reference
Human-animal relationships have changed over time as
trends in this topic waxed and waned in popularity. The idea
that human behavior can change and personal transformation
result from a human-canine relationship is a new concept. Dogs
assist us in many ways. The review of literature reveals that
healthy relationships with domestic dogs can provide us with
companionship, social stimulation and opportunities for caring.
These relationships can also enhance our health and well-being,
and decrease our levels of daily stress (Diamond-Davis 1992,
Lagoni, Butler, Hetts 1994, Noonan 1998, Peretti 1990, Podrazek,
Schackford, Becker, Heckert 2000, Prato-Previde, Custance,
Spriezio, Sabatini 2003, Risley-Curtiss, Holley, Wolf 2006).
People can transform their own behavior through interactions
with a dog, especially if personal emotional healing takes place.
This paper will address how Transformative Learning Theory can
provide an understanding of the dynamics in our relations with
dogs. The elements of Transformative Learning Theory will be
discussed as well as a critique of how the theory supports human
dog interactions.
Transformative Learning Theory - The Assumptions
Jack Mezirow (1991) developed transformative learning
theory. This theory involves a 10-step model in which a person uses
reflection and communication to assist with a transformation in their
life. The person will critically reflect upon their past experiences
and assumptions as a preliminary step for transformation to occur.
The theory also incorporates a communication feedback loop into
routine conversations with their peer group. The peer group can
include significant others, coworkers or any other persons who
consistently relate to the person and can provide feedback that
is valued by them. This system of communication and reflection
creates an opportunity for a person can change their thoughts
and eventually their world view (Baumgartner 2003, Merriam,
Caffarella, Baumgartner 2007, Mezirow 1991 and 2000).
This change in thought, emotion, or consciousness can occur
suddenly or over a period of time. Individual transformation can
then lead to social transformation (Mezirow 2000) that have an
impact on others in our social group. Critical reflection upon past
experiences involves understanding our feelings, assumptions
and intentions (Mezirow 2000). Once we understand our thoughts
and emotions, a shift in consciousness can occur in which we
can embrace a new thought or behavior pattern in our life.
Transformation is very individualized and can be as small as a
change in a thought process or as large as a change in lifestyle.
Mezirow (2000) identifies three ways in which we understand
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
7
is a perspective that involves cognition and emotion to provide
the context of how we construct a sensory experience. A frame of
reference has two dimensions. Mezirow (2000) defines the two
dimensions as a habit of mind and a point of view. A habit of
mind is a set of assumptions that act as a filter for interpreting the
meaning of experience. A point of view is a set of beliefs, feelings,
attitudes and value judgments. Transformational learning occurs
when there is transformation in one of our beliefs or attitudes or a
transformation of our entire perspective (habit of mind) (Mezirow
2000).
Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner (2007) reviewed
Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and identified the 10
steps of his model. A person in the process of a transformational
learning experience begins with a disorienting dilemma—an event
that throws us off balance. This first step could be a diagnosis of
a terminal illness, a divorce or some other type of loss. In step
two, the learner engages in self-examination, which is usually
accompanied by feelings of fear, anger, guilt and/or shame. In
step three, the learner will make a critical assessment of their
assumptions, having reflected on past experiences. In the fourth
step, the learner may be aware of a feeling of discontentment.
The learner may also realize that other people have gone through
a similar experience. Step five allows the learner to explore
options in forming new roles and relationships. This exploration
will progress to steps six through nine, which include: planning a
course of action, obtaining knowledge to implement a plan, and
making an attempt to “try on” these new roles. The learner builds
a sense of confidence and incorporates the new competence into
their life. The 10th and final step is reintegration of this new
perspective into their life. Mezirow (2000) reports a change in
perspective can occur with the transformation.
There are three concepts that drive transformative learning.
They are life experience, critical reflection and reflective
discourse (Baumgartner 2003). Life provides us with opportunity
to experience. These experiences are the events upon which
we will critically reflect. People then talk to others in an
attempt to determine the truth of their perspectives. Mezirow
(2000) differentiates three types of reflection that can lead to
transformational learning. Content reflection refers to the actual
experience. Process reflection is how one thinks about the
experience, such as problem-solving strategies. Premise reflection
examines long-held, socially constructed beliefs, assumptions and
values about the experience or problem.
Transformative learning theory has value in the field of animal
behavior. These theoretical concepts support an understanding of
how humans relate to dogs. In some pet-owner relationships, a
person’s beliefs and assumptions are challenged through their
8 Transformative Learning Theory and Human-Dog Interactions
experiences and interactions with the dog, which can then bring
about an overall change in the relationship. Transformative
learning theory is intuitive. An event will occur in a person’s
life that can prompt them to evaluate past choices. Through the
process of critical reflection and feedback from people they trust,
the pet owner can make better informed future decisions.
One person’s relationship with their dog can be very different
from how another person relates to their dog. Critique of personal
transformation will be explained through case studies of human
canine interactions.
Case Study 1
A family signed the consent for their seven-year-old son to be
part of the animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program at his school.
Four years earlier, the young boy spoke a fair number of words
but then stopped talking. When the child became noticeably more
withdrawn, the family took him in for an evaluation. He was
diagnosed with autism. When joining the program at the beginning
of the school year, the child was first started with an AAT-certified
rabbit. The teacher, the AAT handler with the rabbit, and the child
would sit on the soft cushions in the elementary school classroom
where the teacher would have story-telling hour. The young boy
rocked in place endlessly as he stared at the floor.
After three months with little change, the AAT
multidisciplinary staffing team decided to try the young boy with
a dog. The moment the dog walked into the room, the child’s eyes
flashed up from the floor and he stopped rocking. The handler
and dog approached the couch where the boy was sitting. The
boy immediately stood up, reached out quickly for the dog and
tightly grasped handfuls of her fur. The dog stood there quietly.
The handler unfolded the child’s hands from the dog’s fur, but he
quickly grasped again.
The first few sessions entailed working through sensory
mobility issues. Over the course of the year, the young boy appeared
to “come alive” when the AAT dog was near. His treatment plan
included sensory stimulation management, appropriate petting of
the dog, mental stimulation, cognitive development and social
skills practice. The boy showed no huge strides in treatment,
other than the fact that he appeared calmer and more congruent
with his approach to the dog. He did not grab handfuls of hair, as
he initially had.
The young boy was instructed in a task to choose large
alphabet cards to spell his name. He was to place the appropriate
letter cards into a basket that the AAT dog was trained to carry for
the child. This was a task the child consistently seemed to like to
complete. His reach for the dog was much softer as time passed.
In an unforgettable moment at the end of the school year,
the young boy began to speak to the dog. His language skills
were comparable to other seven-year-olds in his class. Tears of
joy ran down his parents’ face when they heard him speak again,
after being mute for four years. The relationship between the dog
and the child enabled a transformation to take place. The family
adopted a pet dog whom the parents believe has opened a new
chapter in life for their son.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
In this case study, it is challenging at best to attempt to
interpret what happens in the mind of an autistic child. It is even
more challenging to establish validity in their cognitive thoughts.
The boy’s immediate physical response to the AAT dog and his
eventual speaking after four years of being mute enables us to
hypothesize that the dog was instrumental in assisting to transform
him from a prior emotional state and increase his quality of life.
Case Study 2
A 55-year-old divorced woman recently experienced “empty
nest syndrome” after both of her children left for college. When
her children left home, loneliness surfaced resulting from a
loss of companionship and a sense of duty. Her attempts to find
things to do throughout the day to stay busy were unsuccessful.
Although she and her children spoke frequently over the phone,
she experienced a sense of loss that was overwhelming for her.
The woman became more and more distraught. Eventually,
she sought the counsel of a therapist. The woman was encouraged
to get involved with some activity she enjoyed. A number of her
neighbors also encouraged her to begin volunteering and not
spend her time alone.
The woman went to her local humane society and began
volunteering as a dog walker. She enjoyed this very much and
increased the number of hours she was able to volunteer. She
eventually decided to adopt a dog and took home a small mixed
breed. Over a period of time, the dog became a great companion
for her and her loneliness began to dissipate. She took the dog
with her in the car, to the post office and to the dog park. She
began to see her therapist for fewer appointments. The woman
became more and more involved in shelter work and would bring
her dog with her when she was able to.
She decided to become a pet dog trainer. Over time, her
loneliness resolved. The initial loss of her prior full-time work as
a parent had been transferred into another caring role for a family
pet. This relationship with her dog had stimulated her to become
involved with dogs and transform her volunteer work into a
career. Her children were very supportive of her new companion
and career.
Case Study 3
An elderly gentleman and his wife lived together for 51
years when she died of cancer. He had two sons and one daughter
who were very active in their careers. His children and five
grandchildren all lived out of state. The family got together during
the funeral services and one son stayed with him to help him get
his affairs in order. Time passed and his son returned to his family,
leaving the elderly gentleman alone. He tinkered in his garden,
listened to the ball game on the radio and walked in the nearby
park every day. He reported that the days just weren’t the same
since he had lost his life mate. He did not feel useful anymore.
One day, when he walked in the park, a stray dog quietly
followed him. When he sat at the park bench she approached him
but continued to maintain some distance. She appeared very thin
Transformative Learning Theory and Human-Dog Interactions
and in need of grooming. She followed him home and when he
went into his house, she ran away. The next morning, she was
at his door. This time, she cautiously entered the home. He fed
her and she curled up on the floor near him. He posted flyers
throughout his neighborhood and put an ad in the newspaper
reporting that he found a stray dog that looked like a small black
Labrador Retriever. Weeks passed and no one ever called for this
small black dog who had followed him home.
He spoke with his children about the stray dog and they
encouraged him to get rid of her. They said his life would be easier
without any responsibilities. The man had always had dogs. He
had not adopted another dog after his last one died four years
prior. He reflected on how much he and his wife had enjoyed the
companionship of their last pet. He thought about how his dog
had made him laugh with the silly things he did each morning.
Reflecting on his past relationship with his dog made him feel
close to his wife. It became clear to him that keeping the dog
would help him deal with his grief over the loss of his wife.
This small black dog, whom he named Maggie, became more
of a companion than he had ever imagined. She went everywhere
with him. She lay in the sun when he tinkered in the garden and
was at his side when he listened to the ball game on the radio.
She walked with him in the park every day. Maggie filled a void
that was opened when he lost his life mate. He spoke often to
his wife and told her how much he missed her. Maggie would
quietly watch as he spoke. The elderly gentleman reported that
Maggie’s companionship and unconditional relationship gave
him the strength to keep going on after he lost the most important
person in his life. Although he still spoke to his wife daily, he had
a new sense of spirit and usefulness.
Critique
In attempting to understand some of the concepts of
transformative learning theory, let’s look at some examples. It is
easy to get confused by the different terms used in this theory, but
concrete examples can help explain the concepts.
Most people can remember their first dog. They have an
attachment to the dog and can use that relationship as a frame of
reference. In doing so, they may compare future dogs to how their
first dog looked physically or behaved. Quite commonly, a person
will look for a certain breed of dog similar to the one they grew
up with in their childhood home. How often do we hear a person
say they had such a great experience with a particular breed that
they obtained another dog of the same breed? The next dog may
not have the same temperament as the first dog. The second dog
may have different behavior issues or energy levels. Then people
will say, “My first Golden was so easy. This Golden has a mind of
his own.”
The habit of mind and point of view are dimensions that
define our frame of reference. In a habit of mind we may like
dogs in general. If we happen to have a poor experience with
a dog, that experience can cloud our interpretation and we may
begin to believe that we do not like dogs. An example of a habit
of mind would be if a person was bitten by a dog as they were
jogging down the street. That person may now not trust dogs and
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
9
not want to relate to any dog. Similarly, a person may not like a
certain breed of dog because of a past negative experience with
that breed.
When asked, many people will say they view their dog as a
family member. Some people will dress their dog up in clothing,
others will allow the dog to sleep in the bed with them and their
spouse, and still others will bring the dog everywhere they go
because they would do the same if they had a child. These ideas
are one person’s point of view. If we look at a point of view from a
cross-cultural perspective, people from other cultures may have a
completely different point of view from those in the United States.
Some people view a dog as dirty or a an animal who should live
his entire life outdoors. Some cultures have used the dog as a
food source. Others may view dogs as an agricultural commodity
that is only worthwhile if they can generate income through mass
production.
All three case studies began with some type of disorienting
dilemma: the loss of language, leaving the home or the loss of
a spouse. Loss can disturb our emotional stability. A child with
autism who is internally stimulated and then externally responds
to a dog is not uncommon in AAT. In Case Study 1, having not used
language for a number of years and then speaking intelligently is
transformational. In the case of the autistic child, it is difficult to
ascertain if the child had reflected on past experiences because
he was mute and internally stimulated. It can be quite difficult
for a treatment team to accurately assess cognition and emotion
in an autistic person—especially when the person is not actively
in a social circle and/or openly communicating. Either way,
transformation in the use of language did occur in relation to the
boy’s interactions with the dog.
The disorienting dilemma in Case Study 2 was the result of
empty nest syndrome. In Case Study 3, the dilemma occurred
with the death of a spouse and a response to grief. When these
disorienting dilemmas or traumatic events happen, Mezirow
(1991) attempts to describe them as the situation that initiates the
transformation in our lives. The learner then critically assesses
their feelings of loss, depression, guilt, sense of self or other
thoughts. The person who is in the process of transformation must
critically reflect on their past thoughts, feelings and experiences as
a frame of reference and compare, interpret and give meaning to
their immediate thoughts, feelings and experiences. This process
directs new goal-setting and decision-making.
Our cognitions and feelings are expressed within those social
systems we trust, to obtain feedback and give more credence to
our point of view. In Case Study 2, the woman spoke with her
neighbors, family and therapist and got feedback supporting
her decision to volunteer at the humane society. At the time, she
would not have known that the work at the humane society was
going to soften the blow of her children leaving home. But her
loneliness quickly dissipated when she began volunteer work and
adopted a dog. These events enabled her to care for something
again. This relationship with the dog empowered her to move
from one emotional state to another, more positive, emotional
state. Ultimately, making a major career change from full-time
parent to pet dog trainer was a big transformation.
10 Transformative Learning Theory and Human-Dog Interactions
In Case Study 3, after having lost his life mate to cancer, taking
in a stray dog began to bring meaning back to an elderly man’s
day-to-day life—meaning that was somehow lost after he lost his
wife. Critically reflecting on when he had dogs as companions
in the past and not obtaining any responses from the community
about the stray dog was helpful in establishing his point of view
and his decision to take the dog in as a companion—despite the
negative feedback from his family. His interactions with the stray
dog were instrumental in promoting critical reflection on past
relationships with dogs. This, in turn, assisted him through the
process of grieving in a healthy manner.
Conclusion
Although transformative learning theory was developed in
the field of adult and higher education, the theoretical framework
is comprehensive and can encompass many different disciplines.
Using this theory to look at human-canine relationships can give
meaning to many adult pet owners who may encounter various
dilemmas in their lives. Critical reflection and access to social
systems will assist in transforming our thinking and our behaviors.
Understanding how our canine companions can enhance our lives
will help us in coping with the stressful events that life can throw
our way.
References
Baumgartner, L. “Transformative Learning: Fundamental
Concepts.” In Adult Learning Theory: A Primer. by L. Baumgartner,
M. Lee, S. Birden, and D. Center on Education and Training for
Employment, Cincinnati: Ohio State University Press, 2003.
Diamond-Davis, K. Therapy Dogs. New York: Simon and
Schuster, 1992.
Lagoni, L., C. Butler, and S. Hetts, S. The Human-Animal
Bond and Grief. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1994.
Merriam, S., R.S. Caffarella, and L.M. Baumgartner.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
“Transformational learning.” In Learning in Adulthood. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
Mezirow, J. Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991.
Mezirow, J. “Learning to think like an adult: Core concepts in
transformation theory.” In Learning as Transformation: Critical
Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass, 2000.
Noonan, E. (1998). People and pets. Psychodynamic
Counseling, 4(1), 17-31.
Peretti, P.O. “Elderly-animal friendship bonds.” Social
Behavior and Personality 18, no. 1 (1990): 151-156.
Podrazek, D., S. Schackford, L. Becker, T. Heckert. “The
death of a pet: Implications for loss and bereavement across the
lifespan.” Journal of Personal and Interpersonal Loss, 5 (2000):
361-395.
Prato-Previde, E., D.M. Custance, C. Spiezio, and F.
Sabatini. “Is the dog-human relationship an attachment bond? An
observation study using Ainsworth’s Strange Situation.” Behavior,
140 (2003): 225-254.
Risley-Curtiss, C., L.C. Holley, and S. Wolf. “The animal-
human bond and ethnic diversity.” Social Work, 51, no. 3 (2006):
257-268.
Camille Belpedio PhD Candidate, CDBC, CPDT is owner
operator of Canine Education Center, LLC in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
She was the Behavior and Training Coordinator for the Longmont
Humane Society in Longmont, Colorado assessing and treating
dog behavior problems. She has conducted doctoral research
on at risk puppies and followed them through developmental
life stages. She worked as a veterinary technician and studied
wolf behavior for many years. She continues doctoral work with
human animal bond issues.

Clicking the Wild Pony
Pat Miller
T he tall, bearded man entered the pen and eyed the shaggy
black pony cautiously. The pony retreated to the far corner of
the pen and stood ready to flee, regarding the man with suspicion
and fear. Until six weeks earlier, Gabilan had lived his entire short
life with his wild herd in the hills of Santa Clara, California, where
his grandam and grandsire had been abandoned years earlier by
an owner who had become tired of caring for them. The herd of
60 ponies had been gathered up and transported to the Highway
101 auction in Aromas to make way for a housing development.
The first contact Gabilan had with humans was the trauma of
the round-up and the stress of the auction yard and sales ring. No
wonder that a month of taming efforts by his new owners, David
and Sandy Wightman of Rancho de la Belleza, hadn’t succeeded
in turning the two-year-old colt into a docile family pet. When
they contacted their veterinarian about worming, vaccinations and
gelding for Gabilan, Jim Hay, DVM, suggested that they gentle
the pony first, then he would come work on him. He referred them
to Paul Miller, the bearded man, who had offered to provide free
clicker training to the wild ponies from the auction yard.
Miller studied the pony, who studied him in return. In order
to clicker train Gabilan, he had to get him to associate the “click!”
sound with food. But if he moved toward the colt, Gabilan
immediately danced away. Miller couldn’t get close enough to
hand-feed him treats. He pondered his dilemma.
Miller had come prepared. A plastic bucket slung over his
shoulder on a cord held a generous supply of sweet feed. He just
had to figure out how to get the grain to the pony. (Finding the
bucket arrangement cumbersome, in later training sessions Miller
would trade the plastic bucket for a canvas carpenter’s nail pouch
that he tied around his waist.)
The watching owners told Miller that when they put food
in Gabilan’s feed trough he would come close to them. Miller
walked toward the trough. The pony watched with more interest.
The man knelt next to the trough, tossed a handful of sweet feed
into it, then backed up a few steps and knelt again to appear as
unthreatening as possible. Gabilan perked up his ears at the sound
of grain hitting metal and hesitantly approached. His tension was
telegraphed by his swiveling ears and tentative steps. When he
neared the trough, he stopped and stretched his neck out as far as
it would reach. As he lipped up a few grains of sweet feed, Miller
clicked the clicker. Gabilan darted away at the sound.
Over the next hour the pair repeated the painful process
dozens of times. With each repetition the pony’s confidence grew.
Each time he darted away, he darted less far and returned more
quickly. With each repetition Miller stayed closer to the trough.
When the pony tolerated his presence at the trough, Miller rested
his hand on its edge for several repetitions, then let it dangle in
the trough. By the end of the session Gabilan was only retreating
a few feet and only when Miller moved to toss another few grains
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
11
of sweet feed; the click! itself was no longer eliciting an extreme
fear response.
Encouraged by the success, Miller left, promising to return
the following day. The next day he repeated the process. The pony
remembered his lesson from the previous day. Before long he was
brushing his muzzle against Miller’s hand to eat the feed in the
trough. By the end of the session, Gabilan was eating cautiously
from Miller’s hand. After four days, Gabilan was approaching a
standing Miller with increasing confidence, eating from his hand.
However, any movement on the man’s part still sent the nervous
horse into a panic. Miller knew that the next step was to get the
pony to stay near him for increasingly longer periods and to
accept human movement and touch.
Over the next several weeks, Miller worked with the pony
every day, approximately an hour per session. He began by
teaching Gabilan to target, first to his empty hand, then to the tip
of a dressage whip. This was accomplished by offering the target
and giving a click! and reward when the pony’s nose bumped it,
even accidentally, then adding the cue when he began offering to
touch the target. Many animals can learn this skill in one short
session, but it took Gabilan three sessions to learn to touch first
the hand, then the whip.
Because Gabilan reacted so negatively to the hand movements,
Miller used the dressage whip to stroke the pony and accustom
him to being touched—a technique taught by Linda Tellington-
Jones in her TTouch programs. Once the pony accepted the touch
of the whip, Miller began moving his free hand slightly toward
Gabilan while the pony was eating from his hand, and clicking
him for not leaving. In just a few days he could touch the pony’s
muzzle while the pony ate. By the end of the second week he
was scratching Gabilan’s neck. The pony wasn’t exactly enjoying
the touch, but he was tolerating it. The Wightmans, who in four
weeks of hand feeding hadn’t managed to touch their pony more
than briefly, were thrilled with the progress.
During the second week, Gabilan had become bolder and
was beginning to develop a disturbing habit of nipping the hand
that was feeding him, partly because the grain was slipping into
the cracks between Miller’s fingers. Miller realized it was time
to change from lure to reward. This meant clicking the pony for
approaching without being offered the food first, and feeding
him only after the pony offered the desired behavior voluntarily.
Miller used the targeting exercise, made sure his hand was flat
when he offered the reward, and withdrew his hand quickly so
Gabilan couldn’t search for stray bits of grain. Within two days,
the problem vanished.
During week two Miller gave a clicker to the colt’s owners
and taught them how to use it so they could starting working with
their pony in between Miller’s daily visits. Gabilan was now
getting positively reinforced for his behaviors throughout the day.
12
The pace of his progress increased noticeably.
Next, Miller wanted to shape the way Gabilan stood after
approaching. So far, Gabilan approached and stood head-on.
When Miller moved to the pony’s side, Gabilan twisted his head
sideways looking for the reward. Miller wanted him to stand with
his head straight. He knew he wouldn’t get the pony to do this
all at once, so he started shaping the behavior. The degree that
Gabilan twisted his neck varied a little with each reward. Miller
watched carefully and withheld clicks when the pony’s head
was fully turned toward him, only clicking and rewarding less
extreme twists. As the behavior became less extreme, sometimes
there was no twist at all—Gabilan would briefly stand with his
neck perfectly straight. Miller began clicking and treating only
when the neck was straight. For a time the pony included a head
bob, which he thought was part of the rewardable behavior. When
Miller realized this he was careful to click and treat only when
the head was still. The head bob soon disappeared.
Miller learned a valuable lesson during this shaping process.
At one point he set the criteria for a click and reward too high,
holding out for a straighter neck than Gabilan was ready to offer.
Gabilan got frustrated that he couldn’t figure out how to win a
treat, and he bit Miller on the arm—hard. Miller didn’t punish
the pony for this, and of course didn’t reward him. He simply
lowered the performance bar by easing the criteria and clicking
and treating for a slightly twisted neck instead of insisting on a
perfectly straight one. Gabilan went back to learning and never
again attempted to bite Miller.
During the third week, Miller introduced the halter and lead
rope by carrying them over his shoulder while he worked, fully
expecting a renewal of fear reactions at these new objects. The
colt barely noticed. He seemed much less disturbed by inanimate
objects than by humans. Inanimate objects hadn’t traumatized
him as humans had and didn’t represent predatory threats to
survival the way humans did. He quickly accepted having the
rope and halter draped across his body and rubbed over his head,
neck and back. It was time to start working on putting the halter
on his head.
Miller returned to using treats as a lure to teach this new
behavior. He held the halter open with a handful of treats in front
so Gabilan had to stick his nose through the opening to eat the
food. When Gabilan was offering this behavior easily, Miller
added the verbal cue “halter” to the process so the pony would
learn to offer his head for haltering on cue. Throughout the fourth
week, Miller gradually increased the amount of time the pony
had to hold his nose in the halter before he got the click! and
reward, until Miller estimated that it was more than long enough
to give him time to buckle the halter. He also conditioned the
pony to accept his hands and the halter straps moving around his
head.
Gabilan tolerated this part of the training with relative calm.
Still, Miller and the Wightmans were tense on the day they
decided it was time to actually buckle the halter. Miller realized
that the pony could react adversely if the groundwork hadn’t been
done well. He fully anticipated the possibility of fireworks; he
had seen foals buck and kick the first time they were haltered.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
Clicking the Wild Pony
Miller entered the pen on the designated day, trying to
relax. He wanted to avoid fireworks, if possible, and didn’t want
to telegraph his own anxiety to Gabilan. He began training as
usual, with exercises that the colt was comfortable with. By now
Gabilan was putting his nose into the halter on cue rather than
with a lure and holding it there for several seconds before getting
clicked. Miller repeated this exercise several times, then gently
flipped the strap behind the pony’s ears and buckled it, clicked
and treated. Everyone held their breath. Gabilan looked around
as if to say, “Why is everyone so quiet?!” and stood waiting for
Miller to ask him to do something else. Miller clicked and treated
the calm behavior, then, knees weak, left the pony in the pen to get
acclimated to the halter. Gabilan was unperturbed and wandered
around the pen picking up stray pieces of grain. The big moment
was decidedly uneventful—exactly what Miller had hoped for.
Training continued to progress rapidly. The next step was to
teach the pony to walk politely on a lead rope. Miller clipped the
rope to the halter and asked the pony to target to the dressage
whip. He had started preparing Gabilan for this step from the
second week of training by walking around the pen, his hand in
position as if he was holding a lead rope, with the colt targeting
the whip or his hand. Gabilan, completely unperturbed by the
addition of the halter and lead rope to this exercise, was quick to
respond. He was soon following Miller around the pen with no
sign of resistance. Gabilan was a bit reluctant to walk through the
open gate the first time Miller led him out of the pen several days
later, but the pony’s fears were assuaged with patient targeting
followed by clicks and treats. One step at a time, Gabilan inched
his way forward until, for the first time since his arrival at the
farm nine weeks earlier, he was out of the pen.
His first session outside was short. Miller ended the work
after leading the pony 25 feet up the road and back. He wanted
to be sure to end the lesson on a positive note, before anything
happened to spook Gabilan. Successive sessions were gradually
lengthened, until the pony was walking all around the farm.
Gabilan was amazingly calm; nothing seemed to frighten him.
Miller reflected that perhaps this was because he was raised in
open space, not in a barn or small paddock, so the outdoors was
his natural environment.
At this point the owners moved Gabilan out of the pen to a
paddock with a shelter, up on the hill. Since he could now be led,
he could be taken from the smaller paddock and turned loose in
a pen or pasture for exercise. Miller and the owners agreed that
Gabilan was ready for his first visit from Dr. Hay (for vaccinations
and worming), and the owners scheduled the appointment for two
weeks hence. Miller agreed to be there to handle the pony for the
veterinarian. Meanwhile, he continued to work with the pony in
his new location.
Picking up feet was the next behavior on the to-do list. Miller
started running his hands down the pony’s left foreleg (Gabilan
was most comfortable being handled on his left side, so this was
the natural leg to start with), clicking and treating each time before
the pony got tense and tried to move away. If Miller misjudged and
went too far, no real harm was done; Gabilan quickly calmed and
came back, and Miller made a mental note to stop his hand higher
on the leg next time. In just three days the pony was willingly
Clicking the Wild Pony
picking up the hoof and letting Miller hold it up for increasing
periods of time. Miller added the verbal cue “foot” to teach the
pony to lift his feet on cue. Lessons were then started on the other
three legs.
Miller also started teaching Gabilan to accept brushing,
having a burlap sack rubbed over his body and rested across
his back, and being tied. He loosely draped the lead rope over a
paddock post and held the end so that he could restrain the pony
if he started to move but release it quickly if Gabilan panicked.
Miller watched the pony and clicked and treated when Gabilan
stood calmly and when he relaxed and stood quietly after putting
a little tension on the rope. The colt never panicked. Miller also
started emphasizing work on the pony’s right side when he
realized that Gabilan was much more comfortable with people on
his left. He started alternating leading the colt from the right and
left sides and repeated all of the touching exercises from the right
as well as the left.
The date of Gabilan’s appointment with Dr. Hay came
quickly. The veterinarian arrived and climbed the hill to the
pony’s paddock. It was obvious to observers that Dr. Hay was
anticipating a struggle and not looking forward to it much. Miller
had tried to prepare Gabilan for the event during the preceding
weeks by slapping him lightly on the neck the way vets do before
popping in the needle, pinching the skin to simulate the injection,
and clicking and rewarding calm behavior. He was optimistic
about the pony’s response to the vet’s ministrations, but was
willing to listen to the veterinarian’s concerns. They discussed
the procedure and agreed that Dr. Hay would insert the needle
and then Miller would attach the syringe and inject the vaccine.
There would be two injections. They implemented their plan, and
to everyone’s relief (and Dr. Hay’s surprise), the procedure was
uneventful. Gabilan had graduated with flying colors.
Although he was the one who had referred Miller to the
Wightmans, Dr. Hay had never actually seen clicker training
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
13
in practice and was not at all confident about the outcome. He
figured the Wightmans had nothing to lose since the training was
offered for free. He was clearly impressed with the initial results
of Miller’s clicker work with the pony.
Miller realized that his time with Gabilan was at an end.
He had accomplished a great deal with the pony in less than 50
hours of training. The little horse would now allow himself to
be handled, haltered and walked on a lead. Miller could tie him,
groom him, clean his hooves, bathe and vaccinate him. Both the
pony and the Wightmans had learned enough to continue their
training without him. With a real sense of achievement, he bid
Gabilan and his owners good-bye.
Five years after his initial clicker training, Gabilan is
an accomplished driving pony, capable of far more than the
Wightmans ever dreamed possible when they purchased their
frightened feral pony colt at auction.
Paul Miller is not a professional horse trainer. He is an animal
protection professional with 30-plus years’ experience handling
thousands of animals of all varieties, a strong advocate of positive
methods of training, and is married to Pat Miller, dog trainer and
author of this article. The Millers currently own five horses, four
dogs and three cats. They also board nine horses and are fostering
seven more for the Humane Society of Washington County
(Maryland), where Paul is the executive director. The seven are
all that remain with the Millers from the December 2006 seizure
of 75 neglected, unsocialized Arabs, Paints, Quarter Horses and
Miniature Horses, many of whom were also rehabilitated with the
help of the clicker.
This article was previously published in the Whole Horse
Journal, April 1999.
14
Using Return to the Herd to Reward Leaving the Herd
in a Mature Domestic Horse
Kathryn E. Holcomb, MA
Introduction
Intermezzo (known as Metta) is a 14-year-old Oldenburg
mare whose behavior changed following a cross-state move,
accompanied by new management and changes in housing types
and social situations. Anxiety and fear behavior was manifested
as barging through people, kicking, frequent vocalization and
constant nervous movement. Following an unsuccessful attempt
to stop the behavior using punishment-based traditional methods,
a positive reinforcement plan was implemented. Understanding
and using what was most reinforcing to the horse was the key to
success.
Background
I have owned Metta since she was 7 months old. She was bred
and previously owned by neighbors in a semi-rural area of San
Diego County, California. She was housed on a two-thirds acre
dry paddock with a run-in shed and an open stall that she shared at
first with two pony geldings and Cricket, a Thoroughbred gelding.
Over the years one pony was sold and the other died from old age,
so for the past three years Metta lived with Cricket. Her breeder,
who lived next door, had as many as 14 horses on the property,
and another neighbor had one or two horses throughout the years
as well. Her early ground training went smoothly: leading, tying,
grooming, loading into a trailer, use of clippers, trimming hooves,
etc.
When Metta was 4, she went to a professional colt starter
for two months for initial training under saddle. She was kept in
a typical boarding stable with a stall and a small run. The trainer
was pleased with Metta’s willing attitude. She theorized that
Metta already knew what her job would be from watching me
work with and ride Cricket, a retired upper-level dressage horse I
had purchased as a 4-year-old off the race track. The same farrier
took care of Metta’s shoeing and trimming through all those years.
He commented several times that, even as a youngster, Metta was
very well-mannered.
My situation as a single working mom unfortunately limited
the amount of time Metta was ridden and the number of times
she left our neighborhood after she returned from the trainer. The
most notable off-site experience was during an evacuation from
the 2003 California wildfires. With Cricket and the older pony
tied to the same rail, Metta handled her two nights and days at the
high school evacuation center fairly well.
I learned about clicker training when Metta was about 7 years
old, and began using it with her. She served as my guinea pig as
I experimented with exercises that are considered basic to equine
clicker training: targeting, backing, leading, approaching scary
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
objects, the calming head-down position, etc. (Kurland 2003).
Many of these she already knew, of course, so re-training with
the clicker provided us both with a better understanding of the
method. She also learned some fun tricks, such as playing a toy
piano, tooting a bicycle horn and kicking a soccer ball. Since the
type of riding I do, dressage, requires a long-term progression of
skills, incorporating clicker training when riding is an ongoing
study.
Presenting Problem
In September 2007 I moved from the San Diego area to
Woodland, California, along with two dogs, two cats, Cricket
and Metta. Months earlier I had scouted the area for boarding
facilities and reserved places for the horses at a large facility with
barns, stalls, pipe corrals, pasture board, indoor and outdoor rings
and approximately 80 horses. Pastures are two to three acres each.
They are not irrigated and so have no grass during most of the
year.
When the horses arrived after the 10-hour trip, they were
placed in the pipe corrals that were available, which happened to
be in separate sections of the farm. They could hear but probably
not see each other. In the first few days I took Metta to the round
pen, thinking that was the safest place for her to get some exercise
off lead. She galloped frantically around calling to Cricket, who
whinnied back. She did not respond to my voice or to physical
cues. When haltered and taken out of the round corral, she tried
to bolt. Realizing we were simply—and dangerously—practicing
fear-induced flight behavior, we ceased this exercise.
There was some confusion over where their housing would
ultimately be. I had reserved spaces for them together in one of
the pastures. After about a week, Metta and Cricket were moved
into a turnout paddock together, then to a larger pasture, and
finally, in December to a third pasture with six other mares.
Metta did not handle the move or these changes well. In the
space of three months she had been moved from the only home
she really knew, shuffled from pipe corral to paddock to pasture,
placed with unfamiliar mares, fed not by me but by a stable crew
and separated from Cricket. She spent so much time walking
nervously all over the third pasture, with 32-year-old Cricket
matching her stride for stride, that he lost a significant amount of
weight and had to be returned to a pipe corral.
My schedule usually allowed me to work with her three to
four days a week. I spent many of those days simply walking
her short distances away from her pipe corral or paddock to
accustom her to the new sights, trying to increase the distance we
could walk away from her home in small increments. Metta was
Using Return to the Herd to Reward Leaving the Herd in a Mature Domestic Horse
agitated and would barge through me. She would throw her left
shoulder into me and turn to the right, twice pulling the lead rope
from my hands and running loose. Clicker training with a variety
of food treats helped only minimally. She took the treats more
often than not; however, her attention was on the new sights and
sounds rather than on me. She was not the same horse I had in San
Diego.
At no time were health problems implicated. She had been on
a consistent schedule of vaccination, deworming, dental and farrier
care in San Diego. The type of feed and the feeding schedule had
not changed when she moved north: Metta had always been on a
diet of alfalfa and grass hay, fed twice daily.
By mid-October, Metta’s hooves needed to be trimmed. She
wore shoes in front and went barefoot behind. The farrier I chose
is considered one of the best in the area and takes care of all of the
barn owner’s horses as well as those of many boarders. Thanks to
his willingness to work with us, he is still Metta’s farrier.
The farrier sets up his equipment in the main barn, with his
shoeing truck just outside the barn aisle. Horses are put on a set
of cross ties in the barn aisle. There are horses in stalls on both
sides. The main barn is quite a distance from any of the enclosures
Metta had lived in. Several times before her shoeing appointment,
I led her through the barn aisle. She was balky and spooky on the
way, then nervous when I held her where the cross ties are. One
of the stalled horses showed aggressive behavior, pinning his ears
and lunging at her, although the stall screen prevented him from
actually putting his head outside the stall. I was concerned about
this, but felt she would settle into the shoeing routine once the
farrier began working on her feet.
I was wrong. Metta would not stand still, kicked at the farrier
and lunged forward against the cross ties. We took the cross ties
off and I held her by the lead, but she still lunged forward and
nearly bowled over the farrier. His response was defensive and
meant to discipline her in a very standard method of handling:
he jerked hard on the lead rope (called “shanking”) to move her
backward 10 to 20 feet, asked her to come forward, stop, back,
come forward, etc. Whenever she complied, he immediately put
slack in the lead rope to remove pressure from the halter on her
head (negative reinforcement).
This type of handling is consistent with many traditional
and natural horsemanship methods. Most traditional horse
training, based on centuries of lore rather than on an ethological
understanding of the animal, included punishment, forcing
horses to submit to human will. Natural (or “New Age,” McLean
2003) horsemanship is an umbrella term for methods developed
more recently, made famous in the movie The Horse Whisperer.
These techniques are allegedly based on natural behaviors that
create and maintain the social hierarchies of wild herds. One
tenet of natural horsemanship is that the human must become
the dominant member of the horse-human herd by imitating
behaviors of dominant horses during interactions. These methods
have unquestionably improved the welfare of horses by raising
awareness of their nature and needs. However, they still lack
background in behavioral science, especially learning theory.
In Metta’s situation, the technique of shanking was used to
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
15
insist she remain outside the farrier’s “space.” Horses are large
prey animals, averaging 1,000 pounds. Their flight response is to
run several hundred yards away and only then stop to identify the
potential threat. Obviously, this is dangerous to people working
with or around horses. The expectation of any horse training
method is that the horse’s default response to a frightening
stimulus should be to remain calm and stand still, at best, or at
least to move back and away from the handler, not forward, into
or over the handler. In practice, depending on the reactivity of the
individual animal and the ability of the human, this is easier said
than done.
Metta was non-compliant to the handling. The negative
reinforcement of shanking did nothing to ease her fear of being in
that barn aisle. In fact, it may have confirmed or even increased
her need to flee. The farrier managed to replace the shoes in front
and we decided her hind feet could be trimmed at a future date.
At this point I was stunned, embarrassed and knew I had left
great holes in Metta’s training. We lacked experience away from
her comfort zone at home, and I had never trained her to find
comfort in a new place. I had obviously omitted some basic safety
lessons.
Ironically, my purpose for moving north was to enter
a graduate program in animal behavior at the University of
California at Davis, hoping to study the application of positive
reinforcement in equine training. Had I been “too nice,” trying to
use the most positive, least punitive methods? Equestrian friends
were critical of the methods I’d used with Metta. Perhaps they
were correct.
Coercive methods have been part of horse training for
centuries. More recently, methods based on operant and classical
conditioning have been introduced by trainers such as Andrew
McLean (2003), Alexandra Kurland (2003) and Shawna Karrasch
(2001). They are being informally field-tested by a growing,
pioneering group of horse owners. Formal scientific research is
under way at a number of universities around the world, done
by behaviorists such as Sue McDonnell (2003), Paul McGreevy
(2004), Debbie Goodwin (2007), C.J. Nicol (2002) and others.
To date, these studies show mixed results. However, designing
studies to measure behavior as humans and horses interact is
challenging and is in its scientific infancy. Thus, early results
may reflect errors in research design rather than flaws in the
applicability of learning theory.
Taking the Well-Traveled Path
In any case, Metta was a danger to me, to others and to herself.
My attempts at clicker training with treats were not effective.
Unfortunately, I believed the advice being promoted: that this
situation couldn’t be dealt with kindly. I was told I needed to use
more punitive methods, to shank her to keep her out of my space
and make her stand still. I even bought a stud chain—something
I’d thrown away when I started clicker training.
The stud chain is a very commonly used piece of equestrian
equipment. As with most tools, it can be used well or harmfully; it
can be effective or it might be a poor substitute for good training.
The chain is smooth and flat. One end is clipped to the lead rope;
16 Using Return to the Herd to Reward Leaving the Herd in a Mature Domestic Horse
the other end is slipped through the halter hardware, over the nose
(or–in increasing levels of severity—under the nose, at the gum
line above the incisors, or through the mouth) and then buckled
to the other side of the halter. Shanking pulls the chain forcefully
against the bridge of the horse’s nose. Horses usually react by
jerking their heads up, stopping forward movement and possibly
taking one or more steps back and away.
I spent seven or eight days being tough on Metta. Her
dangerous behavior escalated. She reared. She turned away when
I approached her in the pasture and wouldn’t easily let me catch
her anymore. This wasn’t working. It was punishing for both of
us.
Returning to My Senses and LIMA
I contacted a friend with whom I had attended two Clicker
Expos, an APDT-certified trainer of dogs as well as horses and
their people. She and another horse trainer who uses learning
theory helped me devise a behavior modification plan meeting
LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive) standards. The
plan was built upon the social needs of this herd species. The
social structure of Metta’s new herd provided some stability and
predictability, which was lacking elsewhere.
As stated above, horses are a socially organized herd species
and prey animal. In wild groups, a typical band consists of a
single stallion who defends several mares and their progeny. Any
number of bands will travel together as a herd. Social hierarchies
exist among members of bands and among bands in herds. The
herd and its structure provides critical safety from predators.
Horses housed together in domestic situations also form band and
herd groupings, with clear hierarchies and friendships. Recent
research has confirmed what horsemen and women have always
known: Removing horses from a social group is extremely
stressful, causing an increase in frantic activity and vocalization,
a decrease in eating and disruptive changes in physiologic
indicators of health (Strand, et al. 2002). Social interaction is
considered a primary need; deprivation is thought to contribute to
abnormal behaviors and stereotypies.
We theorized that, although food was an adequate reinforcer
when Metta felt safe, returning to her social group would be a far
more powerful reinforcer when she was isolated from them and
frightened. So we devised a plan as follows:
Step 1. Identify what Metta wanted: safety.
Step 2. Identify what I wanted: a confidant, calm mare I could
safely handle and ride.
Step 3. Identify appropriate reinforcement for Metta: her new
friends, the mares in her pasture.
Step 4. Initiate a process of increasing the distance away from
the mares at which Metta would maintain emotional control,
as evidenced by walking beside me on a loose lead. Positively
reinforce her by returning her to the mares.
Data collection consisted of a progress log e-mailed to my
advisers.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
Rationale
The rationale was that positive reinforcement absolutely
would work if the correct reinforcer was used with correct timing.
Who makes that determination? The trainee—in this case, Metta
(Kurland 2003, Pryor 2002). Metta’s behavior appeared to be fear-
based, and food treats were not decreasing her fear. The forceful
method, on the other hand, obviously increased her fear and I was
its source.
The strategy was to find the edge of Metta’s comfort zone,
using the first and slightest expression of stress behavior (for
example, head raised in alert mode, reluctance to move). I would
choose and lead her to a target that was still within her comfort
zone and reward her for remaining relaxed (normal head position,
steady walking rhythm) by immediately returning her to the
mares.
This may initially seem to contradict the goal of being able
to handle and ride Metta when not in the presence of her friends.
What it proposed to teach her, however, was that she could leave
them and would be okay. She would always safely return to
them.
Plan Implementation
On the first day, November 11, 2007, Metta was haltered, led
several feet away from the group of mares, stopped for a moment,
then returned and allowed to stand with them for several minutes.
This was repeated 8 to 10 times, with some variation in distance,
not exceeding about 20 feet. I left her alone for 30 minutes, then
returned to repeat the process, using her reactions to judge how
far to move away.
On November 12 and 13, using two to three sessions per day,
we progressed to the pasture gate and then outside the gate.
On November 14, I wrote:
We are moving farther and farther away from the other mares
and now have a second return spot—a corner where she can see
her friends but isn’t all the way back to the gate. So sometimes
“return” is to that point, sometimes to the gate . . . depends on
how antsy she is [and] if I think she needs the bigger reward/
comfort of the gate and her friends.
The trips back and forth are getting kind of long so I’m also
[clicking and treating her with food] for her position walking
beside me and stopping when I stop. She is engaged and readily
taking treats when I’m doing this.
Using target spots that were visual to me, but in retrospect not
[salient] to her, wasn’t as successful as using something physical
for her to touch. Thus, we use various parked horse trailers, the
bleachers, a light post, a mounting block. [An important sign of]
progress was working up to being beside and touching the round
pen. At that location she sometimes wanted to leave or barge past
me, which was her previous MO and one reason for working on
walking beside me. I asked for head down [a previously-trained
behavior that can be calming if the horse has not already become
too fearful] after stopping the barging. When she could do so and
be mentally present, we went straight back to the mares.
Using Return to the Herd to Reward Leaving the Herd in a Mature Domestic Horse
The round corral is a former site of “practicing the flight response”
for her and also a place where I used that stud chain. At the other
side of the round corral are the tie posts where I’ll groom and
saddle her. The few times I rode her, she was pretty wound up
over there. I was not safe! So those are the places we’re working
toward. In addition to heading there, I’m also taking her in other
directions so we aren’t always headed to the boogeyman.
On December 11, I wrote:
We’ve done real well with leaving Metta’s group of mares on the
lead line and have ridden a few times, too (life is good from atop
a horse). Much, much better about leading in general, stopping
when I stop, backing a step almost automatically [and] rarely
barging. It must be close to time for the farrier and we haven’t
conquered that area yet.
Indeed, even approaching the barn where the farrier worked
provoked fear behavior from Metta. Fortunately, the farrier was
willing to move to a location outside and away from the barn where
Metta was more comfortable (her pasture was not an option). She
still kicked at him and lunged forward. With misgivings but no
ready solution, I let the farrier discipline her in his way for his
own safety. She became more cooperative with much less drama
than before, although she was not relaxed or happy.
During the rainy season Metta got a hoof abscess that was
slow to heal. I had to remove her from the muddy pasture to a
pipe corral for two months. She responded to this move without
any indication of stress and quickly became accustomed to the
increased level of activity in this more densely populated area.
She had contact with people in addition to me as her hoof was
being treated, including the veterinarian, farrier and barn manager.
I believe this helped lower her anxiety level.
When returned to her pasture group, she showed some relapse
in reluctance to leave her friends. I repeated the very first “return
to the mares as reinforcement” lesson in two short sessions on
one day. She rapidly progressed to the comfort level she’d shown
before developing the abscess. Periods of more consistent riding
also seem to have normalized her new life.
I am writing this in July 2008, and I have my horse back.
Continued use of positive reinforcement was effective in
increasing the area Metta found comfortable. She is easy to
catch and often comes when she sees me. She leaves her pasture
friends without anxiety, has ceased vocalizing and will stand still
comfortably. For the last two farrier appointments, I held Metta
next to the farrier’s truck outside the barn aisle and she did well.
He even commented that he was impressed with how far she had
come.
Conclusion
Metta experienced a major geographic and lifestyle upheaval
to which she responded with fear-based behavior that was
dangerous for her and the people around her. Recognizing that
being with her social group was the greatest reinforcement for
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
17
her, a behavior modification plan was implemented that rewarded
calmness by returning her to her friends. As she became more
secure, we developed other safe spots around the boarding stable
so she could return to those points for reinforcement, rather than
going all the way back to her pasture. With repetition of the
lessons, she eventually generalized these safety zones to most of
the farm and now no longer needs them.
This experience taught me to look for what is reinforcing
for the individual, to monitor results of interventions immediately
and with more objectivity, and to be in no hurry to abandon the
principles of learning theory and behavior.
Kathy Holcomb is a formerly mild-mannered research lab
technician, editor/writer, administrative specialist, upper-level
dressage rider and mother of grown children who recently
gave all that up and left San Diego to return to college. She is
now a crazed, sleep-deprived PhD student at the University of
California, Davis, studying animal biology with an emphasis on
equine behavior. Her primary interest is in applying learning
theory to training, riding and management of horses for a better
horse-human relationship.
References
Goodwin, D. “Equine learning behaviour: What we know,
what we don’t and future research priorities.” Behavioural
Processes 76, no. 1 (2007): 17-19.
Karrasch, S. You can train your horse to do anything: On
Target clicker training and beyond. North Pomfret, Vt.: Trafalgar
Square, 2001.
Kurland, A. The Click That Teaches. Delmar, N.Y.: The
Clicker Center LLC, 2003.
McDonnell, S. The Equid Ethogram: A Practical Field Guide
to Horse Behavior. Lexington, Ky.: Eclipse, 2003.
McGreevy, P. Equine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians
and Equine Scientists. London, New York: Saunders/Elsevier,
2004.
McLean, A. The Truth About Horses: A Guide to
Understanding and Training Your Horse. London: Quarto, 2003.
Nicol, C. “Equine learning: progress and suggestions for
future research.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 78 (2002):
193-208.
Pryor, K. Don’t Shoot the Dog. Waltham, Mass.: Sunshine
Books, Inc., 2002.
Strand, S.D., S. Tiefenbacher, M. Haskell, T. Hosmer, S.M.
McDonnell, and D.A. Freeman. “Behavior and physiologic
responses of mares to short-term isolation.” Applied Animal
Behaviour Science 78 (2002): 145-177.
18
Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing
Phenomenon?
Liz Wilson, CVT, CPBC
Summary
Phobic parrots are becoming a serious problem. With no
history of abuse, these psittacids abruptly perceive their owners
as deadly predators and serious damage is done to the human-
parrot bond. The avian veterinarian is especially dismayed when
a parrot becomes phobic as a result of a veterinary visit. Theories
abound as to causes: poor early socialization, “puppy mill” type
production farms, forced weaning, genetics and especially, bad
grooming. Often no cause is identified. Rehabilitation is possible,
but it can take years and exquisite patience on the part of the
owner. For whatever reason, the parrot has lost its trust in humans
and that trust must be gradually rebuilt. This problem is much
easier to prevent than to correct.
Introduction
Of all the aberrant behaviors seen in companion psittacines,
the phobic bird is one of the most devastating. With no history of
abuse, these birds abruptly respond to their owners with absolute
terror. Since owners cannot approach the bird without producing a
hysterical flight response, serious problems result with the human-
parrot bond. Particularly distressing to the avian veterinarian is
the adolescent bird who becomes a full-blown phobic as a result
of a veterinary visit.
Behavior consultants are seeing and hearing about increasing
numbers of birds who are described as “phobic.” This may indicate
an increase in this phenomenon, an increase in the use of the
term or increased recognition of the problem. This article seeks
to define this condition and discuss the following: theoretical
etiologies, possible prevention and techniques for rehabilitation.
Most of the ideas put forth are a compilation of multiple personal
conversations between the author, colleagues and clients who are
working with their own phobic pets.
What Phobics Are And Are Not
First, as definition of what a phobic bird is and is not: A
phobic bird is not simply afraid of new toys or new people; a truly
phobic psittacine is terrified by absolutely everything. A truly
phobic bird—despite being a hand-raised domestic—acts like a
wild bird, apparently fearing for its life when humans approach. It
is hyper-reactive to direct eye contact and goes into a panic attack
if humans stare. It is hyper-reactive to sound, movement and
most especially human hands. A phobic psittacine has invisible
boundaries around its territory, and once these are traversed
by a human, it will thrash around wildly, trying to escape.
Consequently, a phobic bird often breaks multiple blood feathers,
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
does extensive soft tissue damage to keel and wing tips, and even
fractures metacarpals and phalanges in a hysterical effort to flee.
High-strung birds are often fearful of new things but calm
during handling by trusted humans. These birds are not phobics.
The term is often incorrectly applied to birds who are simply
fearful or nervous. To further muddy the waters, there are degrees
of phobic behaviors, ranging from mild to severe, with a gray
area between a bird who is simply very frightened and one who is
borderline phobic.
Ordinarily, aggressive birds are not phobic (Doss 1997, Doss
1998). There has been discussion concerning whether or not these
are two different responses to the same stimulus. If so, insecure
birds who perceive themselves as being threatened, unprotected
or frightened can become either phobic or aggressive, depending
on individual personality type (Linden 1997, Dicker 1997).
Care must be taken to accurately diagnose phobics, since they
are handled so differently. A recent case of a “phobic” yellow-
naped Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata) turned out
to be an idiopathic medical problem, and the bird’s screaming
was dissipated by the use of the dopamine antagonist haloperidol
(Haldol) (Kupersmith 1997, Kupersmith 1998). In another case
with a “phobic” African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), the bird
turned out to intensely dislike its owner (Linden, 1997).
Primary Species Affected
Experience indicates that some species are particularly prone
to phobic behaviors. These species include small cockatoos
like the rose-breasted (Eolophus roseicapillus), citron-crested
(Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata) and triton (C. s. triton); small
Poicephalus (i.e., Meyers parrots [P. meyeri] and Senegal parrots
[P. senegalus]); African greys (especially the Congo [Psittacus
erithacus erithacus]); and eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus). The
only Amazon listed in this group is the blue-fronted Amazon (A.
aestiva). It is not a coincidence that these same species are also
predisposed to feather plucking.
Age Ranges
Phobics are generally adolescents or young adults. However,
a truly phobic bird must be differentiated from an individual bird
exhibiting normal adolescent challenges. During the adolescent
developmental phase, young psittacines try to assert their
dominance over flock members by refusing to come out of the
cage or thrashing around the cage when humans approach. This
behavior is actually a temper tantrum or power play.
Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing Phenomenon?
Theoretical Etiologies
The phobic bird is probably the result of multiple etiologies.
Theories abound, but none, to the author’s knowledge, have a
basis yet in science. Hypotheses include nutritional imbalances
such as excessive protein levels, chemical imbalances (like some
types of schizophrenia) and genetics. Occasionally, a particular
incident seems to precipitate this behavior, but this is probably a
stressor, not the actual underlying cause.
The potential for phobic behaviors in high-strung species,
such as African greys, may increase if neonates are maintained
in too much light—for example, in glass aquariums under neon
lighting in a pet store. Early handling is also important, as there
seems to be greater potential for phobic behaviors for birds coming
from mass-production situations. These birds are often gavage-
fed (tube fed) and force weaned, probably laying a foundation of
early distrust and fear. Problems also arise when sensitive species
receive no early socialization or are over-protected by human
caretakers. Unweaned birds sold to inexperienced hand-feeders
are also possibly more prone to behavioral abnormalities, since
there are so many problems that can arise that can damage the
formation of a bond of trust with the human caretaker.
Other etiologies include physical and psychological abuse
(which would include traumatic capture and restraint techniques
or “bad toweling”), changing homes multiple times and traumatic
“grooming” experiences, particularly with young birds (Hauser).
This will be discussed in more depth.
Prevention
Techniques for preventing the development of phobic
personalities are those that encourage a young bird to develop
its full potential within the pet environment, or what has been
described as “a sense of self” (Brinker 1997). These techniques
begin with the aviculturist and hand feeder, and continue with the
future owners.
Proper early development—nurturing of self-confidence and
individual potential, as originated by Phoebe Linden at the Santa
Barbara Bird Farm.
Abundance feeding and gradual weaning at the bird’s pace,
not the human’s.
Normal fledging, then gradual clipping prior to sale, which
greatly increases a young bird’s sense of personal safety (Cravens
1996).
Establishment of clear behavioral guidelines in the new
home, so the bird is secure in its own rank within the human flock
(Wilson, 1995).
Owners of high-strung birds must relax prior to handling.
Movements must be deliberate and calm so as not to heighten
the animal’s anxieties. A “hyper” owner will often exacerbate a
problematic situation, pushing an anxious bird into a full-blown
phobic state.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
19
Traumas and Transference
It is logical to assume that intelligent animals like psittacines
are capable of forming a memory link between a terrifying—
therefore, high-adrenaline—experience and a confrontational
owner. For example, there have been repeated incidents in
California of birds responding to the terror of an earthquake by
becoming phobic toward the owner. In this situation, we suspect
the frightened bird is actually transferring its fear of the situation
to the owner (Blanchard 1996).
This is also probably what happens when a sensitive avian
individual becomes phobic with the owner after a stressful visit
to a veterinarian. In this situation, the owner’s response is often
to rush over to the bird, frantically worried about the bird’s well-
being. The owner’s own high tension frightens the bird even more,
and its terror can be directly transferred to the owner, resulting in
a phobic response to the person the bird used to trust above all.
A Kinder, Gentler Veterinarian Visit
Thanks to work done by Irene Pepperburg (1991), we
know that psittacine birds are sentient beings. Consequently, the
psychology of psittacine medicine is more like pediatric medicine,
rather than canine and feline medicine. If staff members respond
to the psittacine patient as they would to a small child, veterinary
visits might be less traumatic for all involved. Unhappily, many
avian veterinarians are rushed for time, so they often neglect
to properly introduce themselves to the psittacine patient. This
negative situation is exacerbated by what Sally Blanchard
calls the Harpy Eagle Catch (Pet Bird Report 1994), when the
veterinarian or technician swoops down with a towel to grab the
unwary patient.
The majority of psittacine birds seen in the United
States are domestically raised and do not perceive humans
as predators. Hence, the Harpy Eagle Catch—developed as a
defensive technique for safely capturing wild birds—is not only
unnecessary, it is detrimental. Thanks to Blanchard’s work, the
author has changed her toweling technique completely, now using
what she calls the Frontal Towel Approach. Instead of swooping
down on a bird from behind, this technique is not only more
benevolent, but also more realistic. The eyes of prey animals such
as psittacine birds are located on the sides of their heads, so their
peripheral vision warns them of a forthcoming predatory attack.
Consequently, the Harpy Eagle Catch probably throws a bird into
a full fight or flight response as it is captured in the towel. Once
this visceral response is initiated, the resulting adrenaline rush
causes the bird to fight frantically.
In contrast, the Frontal Towel Approach does not elicit this
terrified response. When placing a tame parrot under restraint, the
author suggests handlers do the following: Talking quietly to the
bird (not the owner), the patient is stepped onto a hand and the
bird’s feet are pinned by the handler’s fingers. Smiling in a friendly
and relaxed manner and continuing to talk softly, the handler
catches one corner of the towel in the fingers of the hand on which
the bird is sitting and smoothly wraps the towel around the bird.
The animal is then gently put under full restraint. Even a bird who
is terrified of towels can be captured in this manner. Generally,
20
a frightened bird flips backwards as the towel approaches, but
since the handler is already pinning the feet, it cannot escape. The
towel is then wrapped around the upside down bird, it is lowered
to the table and restraint is commenced as usual. A full autonomic
response has not been initiated with this technique, and the bird
relaxes quickly.
Restraint is extremely stressful to a bird, no matter how
artfully done, and it is important that the bird be released as quickly
as possible. Consequently, while birds are under restraint is not
the optimum time for veterinarians to pause and answer owner’s
questions. If this is explained to the owner before beginning the
procedure, no misunderstandings will arise. A pad and pencil can
be provided for the owner to jot down questions to ask once the
bird is released.
Many educated bird owners, in an effort to decrease the stress
of restraint, have patterned their birds to accept being wrapped in
towels. These owners will wish to towel their birds themselves,
then hand the towel-wrapped parrot to the veterinarian, and
they will be understandably displeased if the clinician chooses
to undo this training with a predatory grab. If the veterinarian
is not comfortable having the owner do this, then the doctor or
technician can accomplish the towel wrap in the same friendly,
non-aggressive manner. As far as the author is concerned, it is
absolutely unnecessary for tame birds to be grabbed from behind
or by first darkening the room, since she has been using this frontal
approach for almost a decade and has not yet been bitten using
it—and thanks to it, most birds seem dramatically less stressed by
restraint.
Advice to the Owners in the Veterinarian’s Exam Room
Prior to capture and restraint, the veterinarian or technician
needs to explain to owners that many psittacine birds, especially
adolescents, react negatively to the veterinary visit. Owners
must understand that if they get extremely upset by the medical
procedures necessary, they will make the situation much worse for
the bird and possibly cause damage to their long-term relationship.
The option can be offered for the owner to leave the room prior to
handling, since some birds end up holding a grudge, even with the
beloved owner (Beresford 1997). However, care must be taken
not to give the impression that the veterinarian has anything to
hide, nor should the clinician automatically remove the bird from
the exam room without prior discussion with the owner.
If clients chose to stay, they should also be warned against
petting the bird while it is under restraint, since people get badly
bitten this way. The owner should also not tell the bird it is “all
right,” since that is a blatant lie as far as the bird is concerned. That
phrase should only be used to reassure a bird when something is
scary but not threatening (i.e., carrying a large box through the
room). To use it when a bird is under restraint is to remove the
ability of those words to reassure and to put the owner’s credibility
in jeopardy. In the author’s opinion, this is the avian equivalent to
telling a child that a painful procedure “won’t hurt.”
During restraint, the stress reactions of the patient cannot be
ignored. By watching the patient’s respiratory rate, the handler
can judge when it might be necessary to stop and allow the patient
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing Phenomenon?
a break. This can often be done by simply stroking the restrained
bird for a couple of seconds while talking softly (Lightfoot 1998).
When respiration slows, work can resume. If the patient gets
extremely stressed, it should be released for a short break before
continuing.
Once procedures are completed, the traumatized adolescent
psittacine should be released into its carrier, not into the arms of the
owners. Owners can then calmly reassure the bird verbally without
any physical contact. Once home, owners should be instructed to
open the carrier door and then move away. Continuing to talk in
a reassuring manner, they allow the bird to exit the carrier on its
own. Observing from a distance, their peripheral vision will tell
them when the bird’s body language indicates that it is relaxing, at
which point the owners can approach. By not forcing themselves
on the animal immediately subsequent to a trauma, owners avoid
fixing a connection in the bird’s mind between them and the
terrors of the veterinary exam room, thereby doing no damage to
the trust between pet bird and human caretaker.
Grooming and Preventing Problems From Developing
Horror stories abound regarding young psittacines and bad
grooming, and this is probably a primary cause of many phobic
episodes. With wings and nails overclipped, clumsy fledglings
tend to fall hard, splitting the skin over their keels and painfully
jamming tail feathers into their follicles. These traumas also can
lead to feather picking.
It is critical that groomers understand that sensitive species
can be badly traumatized by severe grooming, setting the bird
up for serious problems. Young psittacines need protection from
falling while they develop their balancing skills, so nature gives
them needle-sharp claws with which to hang on. Clipping these
nails short makes life terrifying for these fledglings, who then
constantly fall. Rather than clip, sharp tips can be filed off, leaving
the nails as long as possible for strong gripping (Blanchard,
1990).
Following a nail clip, it is undesirable to have a bird falling
off its perch on the trip home. Wrapping the perch a few times
with a non-toxic bandaging material (i.e., Vetrap, 3M, St. Paul,
Minnesota) will provide a good grip, using neutral colors so
not to terrify the bird. Alternatively, the perch can be removed
from the carrier, especially if it is large. Commonly, perches that
come with some cages are much too large for the foot size of the
bird. Comfortably sized perches will allow the bird to wrap its
feet most of the way around the diameter, thereby providing a
stronger, safer grip. Appropriately sized branches with bark intact
also work nicely.
Wing clipping styles vary widely and the author does not
intend to address this controversial subject now. Suffice to say
clips must be proper for the particular age and species of parrot,
then customized for the individual’s flight capabilities. The author
clips the absolute minimum number of feathers, then test-flies the
birds and clips more if necessary. More feathers can always be
removed, but it is more difficult to imp them back on, so caution
is necessary. Owners are instructed to return for further clipping
within two weeks, at no extra charge, should a bird fly too well in
Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing Phenomenon?
its own environment. Taking a few more feathers later is preferred
to the bird crashing like a fallen cinderblock, thus getting into
what the author calls The Splat and Split Syndrome.
Once grooming is completed, the author instructs the owners
of young birds to pad the cage bottom or grid with several layers of
towels, covered with layers of newspaper for cleanliness. Owners
of exceptionally clumsy birds should consider padding the floor
around the cage while the bird adjusts to the lack of flight, and
they must keep the newly clipped bird off of high places, such as
shoulders and cages tops. By not allowing access to high places,
birds are prevented from falling great distances.
Rehabilitation
Owners of phobic birds must understand that rehabilitation
will take a long time, often years. The first task is to begin to
reestablish a relationship of trust. Blanchard suggests the owner
bring a chair as close to the cage as possible without frightening
the bird and sit there for a while daily, reading a book or magazine
(Blanchard 1997). Others have found that reading aloud softly or
singing (even badly) yields a positive reaction from the phobic
psittacine bird (Leinneweber).
No direct eye contact should be made, but instead use what
Blanchard calls “soft eyes,” where owners look at the bird for a split
second, then turn their eyes and face away. This is a submissive
stance, which often reassures the phobic bird (Blanchard 1992).
Phobics are often terrified of strong light, so they do better in
lower light. They can also be frightened by sounds, but soft music
often settles them much more than total silence. The human
caretaker should keep their voice soft and keep their body lower
than the bird.
As fundamentally wild animals (domestic bred or not), birds
need a hiding place in their cages. These hiding places can be as
simple as hanging a towel over one corner of the cage or clumping
toys or branches together by a favorite perch, creating a “wall”
behind which the bird can avoid the human’s glance when it so
wishes (Blanchard 1990). Cage location is also important, and not
just with phobics. Bird’s cages are often placed next to windows
or out on porches. Unless placed against a wall, these prey species
then have a full 360-degree radius in which to watch for predators,
resulting in extensive stress. Simply moving a cage against a
solid wall and away from skylights can also have a dramatically
positive effect on psittacines who are doing excessive amounts of
screaming.
Allowing a phobic bird to regrow its wings is often extremely
helpful in building the animal’s self-confidence. Owners should
be carefully instructed on techniques for how to keep the bird safe
while flighted (Doss 1997).
Rehabilitation should entail letting the bird choose when and
how it wishes interaction. Getting “in the bird’s face” and forcing
the issue will only make things worse. The bird needs to progress
at its own speed and it cannot be hurried.
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
21
Pharmaceuticals
Psychoactive drugs such as haloperidol may be useful with
phobic psittacines, but the author wishes to emphasize the words
of Ritchie, Harrison and Harrison in their landmark 1994 text.
While discussing psychoactive drugs for treatment of feather
picking, they state, “Should be used in conjunction with behavioral
modification [italics mine] to correct the inciting cause of the
destructive behavior” (p. 457-478). This is also true with phobic
behaviors: Drugs should not replace behavior modification, nor
should drug therapy be continued indefinitely.
This article was first printed in the Proceedings of the Annual
Meeting of the Association of Avian Veterinarians, 1998.
Liz Wilson, a certified veterinary technician and certified parrot
behavior consultant, has been living and working with parrots
for 35 years. She is widely published in veterinary and consumer
jounrals. Liz is also dedicated to parrot welfare, education and
preventing parrots from needing new homes. In this capacity,
she is honored to be the education vice president of the Phoenix
Landing Foundation. Liz is the founder of IAABC’s Parrot
Division.
References
Beresford, B. Personal communications with author, 1997.
Blanchard, S. Personal communications with author, 1996.
Blanchard, S. Personal communications with author, 1997.
Blanchard, S. “Phobic Parrots.” Bird Talk 8, no. 8 (1990): 64-73.
Blanchard, S. “Soft Eye, Evil Eye.” The Pet Bird Report 2, no. 2
(1992): 1-5.
Brinker, B. Personal communications with author, 1997.
Cravens, E. “The Progressive Wing Clip Method.” Birdkeeping
Naturally, 1996.
Dicker, L. Personal communications with author, 1997.
Doss, J. Personal communications with author, 1997.
Doss, J. Personal communications with author, 1998.
Hauser, D. “Kenya.” African Ark, unpublished.
Kupersmith, D. Personal communications with author, 1997.
Kupersmith, D. Personal communications with author, 1998.
Leinneweber, T. “My Ms. Duncan.” African Ark, unpublished.
Lightfoot, T. Personal communications with author, 1998.
Linden, P. Personal communications with author, 1997.
22 Phobic Psittacine Birds - An Increasing Phenomenon?

Pepperburg, I. “The communicative and cognitive capacities of an
African Grey parrot.” Presented at Mid-Atlantic States Association
of Avian Veterinarians Annual Conference. Lancaster, Pa., April
1991. (Conference Proceedings, p. 118-123).
Ritchie, B., and G. Harrison. “Formulary.” In Avian Medicine:
Principles and Application, Edited by B. Ritchie, G. Harrison, L.
Harrison. Lake Worth, Fla.: Wingers Publishing Inc., 1994.
“Trust-Building Towel Handling Techniques.” The Pet Bird
Report, no. 14 (1994): 36-37.
Wilson, L. “Behavior problems in adolescent parrots.” Presented
at Assoc of Avian Veterinarians Annual Conference, Philadelphia,
August 1995. (Conference Proceedings, p. 415-418).

Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice

Summer 2008

Case Study: Feline Obsessive Sucking on the Head
and Hair of a Human
Tonya Sakadinsky, BA, CDBC
Summary
• Name of animal: Taj
• Species, breed, sex, and age of animal: cat, Siamese mix,
5-year-old neutered male
• Presenting problem: Taj was seeking out the adult female
human of the household and sucking her hair and head during the
night and at times during the day. In addition to this behavior, he
was becoming increasingly aggressive in contact with the Great
Dane in the home. Both the head and hair sucking behavior, as
well as the increasing agitated contact with the Great Dane, were
described as disturbing to the humans in the household. Excessive
vocalization was described as accompanying these behaviors.
• Approach: The case was approached using environmental
enrichment and behavior modification using play therapy, positive
redirection of behavior and clicker training for wanted behavior.
Background
Taj is a neutered male 5-year-old Siamese mix who lives with
an elderly Great Dane neutered male named Jake and humans
Kate and Max. Kate and Max are hardworking professionals
who recently purchased a large house that also has a tiny studio
apartment in a carriage house in the back of the property. While
the large house was under reconstruction, the entire family had
to live in the roughly 600-square-foot studio. The entire space
contained a kitchenette, one bathroom, the sleeping area and a
small couch.
I received a call from Kate stating that she was having a very
difficult time with Taj. He was regularly pouncing on Jake, biting
him and vocalizing while doing so. He was getting on Kate’s work
desk and knocking items off. He was also relentlessly pursuing
Kate day and night in order to grasp her by her hair and about her
head so that he could and suckle on her head and hair. (Taj did not
have the habit of ingesting her hair or any other unusual substance
in the household.) Kate also stated that Taj was vocalizing a lot
and was getting into the cupboards to investigate, pull things out
and seek out his food. Taj had opened the refrigerator on a few
occasions and also pulled things out. Currently they were putting
Taj’s food (dry cat food) in the oven, where he could not get to
it.
Kate also reported that Taj became extremely distressed
when kept from anyone in the family behind a closed a door. Kate
told me that if Taj was confined in any way, he would pull at the
door to the room or his carrier door until his claws would bleed
or would break off, and incessantly yowl. She said this occurred
when they traveled with him as well, “even though they had tried
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
23
Benadryl.” (Kate and Max had tried to use Benadryl as a sedative
for Taj when they traveled with him or put him in a carrier. They
had received directions from a former family veterinarian that
Benadryl had a sedative effect in animals.)
Kate works at home. She reported that Taj was beginning
to interrupt business by continuously asking for attention, lying
across her computer and vocalizing.
Taj was reported as having had an active outdoor hunting life
two years prior, but they had since made him an indoor cat due to
the fear of losing him. Kate also said that she had been disturbed
by the creatures Taj brought to her after a successful hunt. When
we spoke of food and hunting, Max said Taj had been obsessed
with a piece of dry cat food that he had swept from a corner one
day. Max said Taj had played with it for awhile before he finally
ate it.
Kate and Max said that they played with Taj infrequently,
using dangling string or some other toy. Kate told me that Taj
would seek her out if she sat on the couch or was sleeping in bed
to suckle on her hair and head. If pushed away he would quickly
return, and was becoming increasingly agitated and determined
in his attempts (especially if pushed away or taken off the bed
or couch). He was becoming more forceful in trying to grasp her
head so that he could hold her, aggressively head rubbing and
suckling there. He did not perform this act on Max.
Kate let me know that Taj had done this to a lesser degree
throughout his life, since she had adopted him as a kitten at
approximately 7 to 8 weeks of age, but that it had increased in
frequency and intensity lately. Kate’s typical response was to
repeatedly push Taj away or ask Max to take him away. She
would try to escape the cat or put a pillow between herself and
Taj. This was happening most intensely at around 4 a.m., coupled
with bouts of yowling.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most interruptive to normal
life), Kate rated Taj’s behavior as a 7.
Kate appeared to have a cooler or less engaged relationship
with Taj than did Max. Max was more familiar with cats. The dog,
Jake, had belonged to Kate before she and Max married. Kate
stated her concern and sympathy for her dog, making note of how
timid and tolerant he was of Taj.
I found the couple to be very affectionate and respectful of
their animals. They wanted Taj to be safe and had not resorted to
putting him outdoors. They did report that they had taught Taj to
accept walking our just being outside in the backyard on harness
and leash. They had been offering Taj outside time in this way.
Taj had no reportable medical conditions other than a prior worm
burden due to his skillful hunting habits two years prior. His was
24 Case Study: Feline Obsessive Sucking on the Head and Hair of a Human
Taj and his canine companion
due for vaccinations and a checkup at the time of the consult.
When I arrived, Taj and Jake met me at the door. They were
both quite social. Taj was persistent in going through my things
and even crawled into my equipment bag, where he began trying
to open my containers of treats and catnip. He helped himself
to toys by pulling them out of the bag. Jake remained close and
interested in anything Taj could find within the bag. Jake quickly
investigated any toy removed and nibbled at any treat Taj pulled
out of the bag.
I observed no shelving or cat tree in the tiny studio. I also
observed a large dog-sized bowl of cat food sitting up on a window
sill, filled to the point it was mounded over the rim. I observed no
cat toys or dog toys anywhere in the space. The layout of the
studio was such that the humans, dog and cat were in constant
contact with one another, at least visually. There was no way to
remove Taj from the sleeping area other than to put him outside
or lock him in the bathroom—both of which were unacceptable.
Assessment
First Taj needed to be seen by a veterinarian to rule out any
medical cause for the behavior. Several illnesses or disorders
can show themselves behaviorally in cats. Taj’s behavior can
be categorized as a form of prolonged sucking or wool sucking.
Beaver (2003) defines prolonged sucking, in part, as “maladaptive
reactions to stress and non nutritional sucking vices” (p. 228)
and further observes that kittens “become very stealthy in their
approach, suddenly grabbing and sucking the skin that is being
kept from them” (p. 229).
Beaver (2003) also outlines a second type of abnormal
nursing behavior that is commonly called wool sucking “almost
exclusively seen in Siamese, Burmese and other Oriental breeds
or their crosses” (p. 229). Overall (1997) also states that “Oriental
breeds are among the most common of the breeds in which
these conditions are reported” (p. 226). She discusses fabric
eating, sucking and chewing within the scope of anxieties and
stereotypies. Overall lists this sucking behavior as a stereotypic
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
behavior in cats. Johnson-Bennett (2007) also discusses wool
sucking, its origins, and coping and prevention strategies.
I was interested in why Kate was the target of the sucking
episodes although she was the cooler of the two in terms of
affection and interaction with Taj, primarily due to mild allergies.
I looked into the different behaviors that came close in definition
to Taj’s described behavior. I felt typical allogrooming behavior,
which would involve “one cat licking another . . . usually including
the head or neck” (Beaver 2003, p. 313), could be ruled out. The
behavior Kate and Max described in Taj went beyond licking. The
behavior was described as attempts to suck or sucking on the head
and hair for a period of time while holding the head with the front
paws. Interestingly, Beaver (2003) states that male cats do not
offer allogrooming to other male cats. Kate was the only human
receiving this behavior of licking, kneading, holding and sucking
of the hair and head.
The housing situation helped to explain why any latent or sub-
threshold behavioral issues in Taj might now be fully expressed.
Taj had once been an indoor-outdoor cat and was now confined to
smaller and smaller living quarters. He was an active and brilliant
cat. He had a minimum of stimuli within his environment to
challenge his very skilled mind. I found it interesting that Taj had
a giant bowl of food to eat from any time he wanted it, yet he
would seek his food out from the cupboards and also open the
refrigerator to do some “hunting.”
It was my belief that the smaller living space and lack of
challenge and stimulation within it were allowing the behavior
to worsen. The sucking behavior, in particular, was a challenge
in that it was very rewarding for Taj and very distressing to
his target. The behavior could be rewarding Taj a way that
Overall (2007) states as “related to positive feedback of sensory
stimulation on an underlying control system” (p. 225). Another
way that the behavior could have been rewarding to Taj is in the
attention he may have been getting in pursuing contact with Kate.
Each incident would result in interaction with Taj . Whether the
interaction was positive or negative, it was still interaction. It
was my opinion that the sucking behavior had always been in
Taj’s repertoire (slightly early weaning, breed disposition) and
Case Study: Feline Obsessive Sucking on the Head and Hair of a Human
would always be. We needed to redirect Taj and also let him use
his intelligence, apparent love for hunting and “stated” need to
be occupied in ways that were acceptable to the humans in the
home.
Because Taj had a giant bowl of food present at all times
and he appeared to be carrying some extra weight, we had
discussed rationing his food or timed feeding, in accordance
with recommendations from the veterinarian. I reconsidered
this, because research has shown that going without food could
possibly heighten his comfort-seeking sucking behavior (Beaver
2003, p. 229).
Behavior Modification Plan
Given that there were few physical barriers in the studio
and given Taj’s extreme response to confinement, we needed to
be creative with the open, tiny space. Kate and Max were going
to move into the larger house in 30 days. There they planned to
incorporate an enriched and active environment for Taj, conceived
with my help. This would be an ultimate goal for the plan, but
we needed to do some management and behavior modification
immediately to release some of the pressure for all.
I also brought the issue to the IAABC Cat Division List for
advice. This yielded some interesting suggestions as well as an
interested and involved Certified Cat Behavior Consultant to serve
as my mentor for the case. Based on my research and their input,
I helped Max and Kate make a pan to introduce environmental
enrichment in many different forms. While Kate was making the
vet appointment (and fulfilling it) to check for possible medical
reasons for Taj’s behavior, we would enact the following plan:
1. Introduce an alternate “buddy” for affection. We want to
find a stuffed animal with a soft surface that we could have Kate
rub on her hair or sleep with on her pillow so it has Kate’s scent
on it. We will keep it at the nightstand or on her pillow so that
we can offer it up the moment Taj begins his obsessive sucking
ritual. This goes for any unsuspected episodes on the couch as
well. We are going to pleasantly present him with this alternate
and hope he takes it to snuggle. This will mean he does not have
to be restrained or punished for his very engrained behavior. We
will monitor him closely to see if he tries to consume any part of
the fabric. If this happens, we will immediately re-evaluate the
“buddy” plan.
2. Start an evening routine that taps into natural feline
behaviors to help Taj settle down at night. A typical evening
routine for a wild cat would be hunt, eat, groom, sleep (Johnson-
Bennett 2001). Each afternoon/evening, we will pick up any food
that might be available for Taj. Each night 30 minutes before
going to bed we need to engage in a play therapy session with Taj
(hunt), remembering to wind down these episodes by letting him
catch his prey frequently and mimic a true hunt in which the prey
item is killed. After his successful hunt he gets presented with
food (eat). After which time we hope he has been stimulated and
full and will then groom and sleep.
3. During the day, begin having Taj hunt for his food. Hide
food in different locations around the house. Provide toys that
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
25
hide kibble inside and must be manipulated to obtain the food.
Originally we talked about rationing his food in addition to this
but, as explained above, I rejected that idea. So we will keep a
small amount of food available in plan sight and hide tastier treats
around the house. We will also Taj’s meals into an ice cube tray
or an egg carton so Taj must fish the food out and eat it piece by
piece.
4. Incorporate play therapy. Taj needs this exercise of the
mind and the body—ideally three times a day but at least once or
twice every day. Remember to let him catch his prey often, wind
down the play session, and offer him a tiny treat when he is done
to complete the “hunt” (Johnson-Bennett 2007, p. 60).
5. Continue to offer leash walks with him. We can substitute
play therapy for leash walks on some days.
6. Add a cat tree or shelving to add vertical territory to Taj’s
environment. Hide food and toys in the different levels. Purchase
soft, small toys that he can knock off the shelves (cats love to
knock things off of high places). Leave soft mice or fuzz balls on
the edges of shelves or the cat tree for Taj to safely knock down.
7. Introduce a small kitty condo off the window. This is an
inexpensive way to let a former outside cat feel the wind in his
whiskers once again. (There are also plans for a full-size playpen
attached to an open window at www.kittykouch.com, Marrow
2008.)
8. Clicker train for behaviors we want to see—and even
parlor tricks (Krieger 2008). This will keep Taj challenged and
busy.
Equipment needed:
1. Multi-level cat tree
2. Out-of-window cat condo
3. Da-Bird toys, food puzzle toys, interactive toys, fuzzy
balls, ping pong balls, fuzzy mice
4. Cabinet locks
5. Clicker Training for Cats kit
Other notes and tips from the IAABC Cat Division List
discussion and my mentor follow below. These suggestions were
added to the report given to Kate and Max in the notes field. Kate
and Max were aware that the case might be discussed with other
cat behavior consultants and were pleased to see the additional
input.
1. Use a timer food bowl to feed Taj at 4 a.m.
2. Put a bird feeder outside one of the windows. This is TV
for cats.
3. Offer cat grass stations in the windowsills and around the
home.
4. Check to see that the shampoo Kate uses does not have
a mint scent (catnip is in the mint family and is very attractive to
cats). Replace if so.
5. When Taj goes to pursue Jake in order to bite or wrestle
him in the manner Kate described as being problematic, Kate is to
26 Case Study: Feline Obsessive Sucking on the Head and Hair of a Human
take a mental picture of what Taj looks and sounds like just before
and during the behavior. When she sees this behavior developing
again, she can throw a toy past him (not at him) to distract him
with play, or go ahead and say “hey” to get his attention. This
distracts and redirects his attention from Jake.
6. Taj is a possible candidate for a very short time out in
the bathroom (under 2 minutes) when showing aggression toward
Jake, if the initial distraction does not work. No need to shame or
scold. Simply interrupt the train of thought and the behavior.
Kate and Max were to implement this plan and stay in touch
with me through e-mails or phone calls until they could get into
the new home. Meanwhile, Taj returned from the veterinarian
with healthy and normal results. While they were implementing
this plan in the studio apartment, they also consulted with me, and
used the principles of the plan, in renovating their new house.
Progress While in the Studio Apartment
I checked in with Kate and Max at least once a week by
telephone and e-mail regarding Taj and our plan. They reported
that they had started hiding food for Taj and that he was interested
in this. They were also feeding Taj out of an ice cube tray. They
had begun the hunt, eat, groom, sleep pattern. They told me at this
time that they felt Taj was soliciting Jake for aggressive play less
often. They said they had begun interactive play sessions with
fishing pole toys. They did not use a cat tree or an out-of-window
enclosure for Taj during this time. They were still taking Taj out
on a harness and leash into the back yard for fresh air. There was
no major decrease reported in the sucking behavior during their
last three weeks stay in the studio.
Creating the Taj Mahal
About a month after our initial consult, Kate and Max had
moved in to their renovated house. Not only was it bigger, it was
better. Taj greeted me at the front entrance area with his tail held
high. He displayed interest and solicited petting, then went on to
explore my goodie bag. He only visited me briefly and then went
on to explore in the new screened and windowed enclosed porch,
which overlooked the yard and garden.
Kate and Max report that he “tears” around the house
and uses all of the space. I counted at least 18 ample perching
locations for Taj to use, including sturdy shelving, tables, chairs,
wall nooks, and 5- to 6-foot-deep window shelves. The windows
in the enclosed porch also had nice deep sills for Taj to sit or lie
on.
Kate reported that on a scale of 1 to 10, the sucking/nursing
behavior had been reduced from a 7 to a 3 since they incorporated
the environmental enrichment, play therapy, hunt-eat-groom-
sleep routine and moved into the bigger house. Taj is less insistent
in attempting to suck on Kate’s head and hair. Taj was reported as
less vocal at night.
Kate and Max stated that he moved about the new house
using the window sills and frequented the breezy screened-in
porch, the high-up shelves and backs of chairs and couches to
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
look out the many windows. Kate and Max stated to me that
his interaction with Jake was more quiet in that there was much
less of the aggressive engaging of Jake accompanied by biting
and vocalization. It appeared that Taj had become quite busy with
investigating his new home and neighborhood by moving about
up high and looking out windows.
Kate and Max told me that Taj frequently used a new treat
ball in the home. The couple reported that Taj had no objection
to Jake participating in the treat ball activity. Jake kept his nose
down close as Taj rolled it for the treat to pop out, and then Jake
would eat the treat while Taj looked on with out objection if not
curiosity. They also told me that they had pulled out the fishing
pole toy any time they began to see body language or hear the
vocalization from Taj which indicated he might pursue Jake. They
said that they would redirect Taj into a play therapy session letting
him catch and kill the fishing pole toy until he seemed like he had
had enough play.
Kate and Max were actively incorporating each of the
behavior modification plan goals. They felt that as a result, Taj
did not have any interest in the proposed stuffed animal toy as
a suckling target. They reported that he prefers to eat his food
out of an ice cube tray and loves to play with the treat ball. They
stated it has even provided entertainment for them, remarking that
“sometimes we just turn off the TV and watch these guys play
with that treat ball.” They elected not to have a coffee table in
the front sitting area in order to make room for Taj’s wild play
therapy sessions.
Taj was less intensely focused on my visit this time and spent
his time equally divided between visiting with me and enjoying the
view and environment around him. We all participated in a clicker
training session with Taj. Jake (the Great Dane) was interested
in the clicker training and treats as well. They are thinking of
working on a clicker trained trick of “jump through a hoop” with
Taj, in addition to having already taught Taj to how to come in
response to a whistle. They continue to take him out on a harness
and leash in the backyard.
Assessment
I believe that Kate and Max have achieved huge success in
giving their cat environmental enrichment. This includes more
than just providing more space. They have created activity and
developed a relationship with Taj. He appeared less obsessive and
more independent and contented during this visit.
Jake is also doing well and enjoyed the clicker training
session. Taj’s needy behavior has been drastically reduced, but
is not gone altogether. Taj will still occasionally try to suck on
Kate’s hair in the wee hours of the morning. He does still vocalize
in the morning when either Kate or Max have not gotten out of bed
for coffee yet. He is a forward and friendly cat and will remain
so. He is an absolute delight in that he is brilliant, confident and
creative. Kate and Max are doing a good job of redirecting him
when he pursues/engages Jake, using play or some other activity
such as the treat ball.
I congratulated Kate and Max for being such active animal
Case Study: Feline Obsessive Sucking on the Head and Hair of a Human
guardians. They have spoiled me as an animal behavior consultant
in how devoted they have been to executing the plan. I continue to
be available to Kate, Max, Taj and Jake for behavior issues.
Conclusion
This case serves as a wonderful example of the cooperative
and educational nature of the IAABC Division model. Using
the required reading list for the Cat Division for research, the
Cat Division e-mail list as an information-sharing tool, and
the Cat Division Mentor program made it possible for me to
be as effective as possible in devising a plan and working on
subsequent follow-up. It should serve to encourage Associates
and Certified Consultants in any division to pursue behavior cases
by collaborating with the IAABC membership.
Thanks
I honor the IAABC Cat Division for its help. This case
was mentored by Beth Adelman, MS, an IAABC Certified Cat
Behavior Consultant.
Tonya Sakadinsky holds a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and
behavioral ecology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
In addition to offering cat and dog behavior consulting, Tonya
created and administrates The Prepared Animal Companion, an
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
27
educational and counseling program for individuals who have
been charged with animal offenses through the court system.
Tonya is a lead cat and dog behavior volunteer trainer for La
Plata County Humane Society in Durango.
References
Beaver, Bonnie. Feline Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians,
2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders, 2003.
Johnson-Bennett, Pam. “The 5 a.m. Wake-up Call.” Cats 57,
no. 2 (February 2001): 16-18.
Johnson-Bennett, Pam. Starting From Scratch: How to
correct behavior problems in your adult cat. New York: Penguin
Books, 2007.
Kreiger, Marilyn. “The Power of the Clicker for Modifying
Cat Behavior.” A course offered through Raising Canine. http://
www.raisingcanine.com/ (accessed 2008).
Marrow, Marva. “Build a SAFE Outdoor Enclosure for Your
Cat!” The Kitty Kouch. http://www.kittykouch.com/ (accessed
May and August 2008).
Overall, Karen. Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small
Animals, St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby, 1997.
28
Book Review:
Parenting With Pets: The Magic of Raising Children with Animals by Christine Hamer &
Margaret Hevel (Book Publishers Network, 2007)
Reviewed by Tonya Sakadinsky, BA, CDBC
A s animal behavior consultants, we tend to have a more complex
responsibility to our clients than that of trainers, biologists,
humane workers, and others in animal-related fields, in that we
are in the precarious position of entering and understanding the
home. We do this because we have come to know the importance
of the family dynamic in behavior consulting and how much it
can affect the family pets—in both positive and negative ways.
The family pets can also have a deep effect on the family.
It is with this understanding that Parenting With Pets presents
what I would consider to be required reading for an animal
behavior consultant, regardless of whether the consultant has
experience with children. The book clearly delineates the potential
of empowering a parent with coping skills by partnering with the
child and the pet for better communication and bonding. Further, it
offers tools that enhance empathy and understanding by exploring
children’s’ emotional developmental stages, the conflicts that can
occur in each stage, and how pets of any species can aid in their
transition, resolution and further development. This book differs
from others on the subject in that it covers all species of pets that
are likely to live with children. This alone makes it a meaningful
investment for the animal behavior consultant’s library.
The authors are Chris Hamer, MS, a Certified Dog Behavior
Consultant and former member of the board of directors of the
IAABC, and Peg Hevel, RN, BSN, PHN. Hamer was one of
the first women to train gun dogs, including hunting retrievers,
pointers, and flushers. She is the creator of Dog Sense Seminars,
a two-day intensive training program, and specializes in family
training. Hevel worked as a nurse health educator, community/
family liaison and family counselor in the Montana public school
system. She has facilitated workshops and has presented at several
national conferences, including the National Conference on Child
Abuse organized by the Humane Association.
In the first chapters of the book cite the cognitive and
emotional benefits to the developing child of living with a pet
in the home. Increased verbal skills, understanding non-verbal
communication, and a better ability to express emotions are some
of the highlights in the overview. Hamer and Hevel offer support
to parents by addressing many of the struggles a parent may have
with a child. They go on to cover how each of these difficult
phases can be worked through in a supportive and natural way in
the company (and in some cases, with the aid) of an animal. These
beginning chapters are careful to acknowledge that there “will be
frustrating times” taking on the challenge of having kids and pets
live together. The book states that “many times these upsets are
marvelous teaching opportunities if we only take the time to look
at the situation” (p. 10).
Hamer and Hevel cite information shared at the Companion
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
Animal Information & Research Center symposium about how
the computer age and a more urban lifestyle are now tending to
“isolate children from the natural world, thereby promoting selfish
behavior” and removing children from a “sense of responsibility
for the world around them” (p. 12). I felt that this insight, paired
with their compassionate and supportive lead in to the book,
made me want to go on to discover just how and when animals of
any kind can and do help in the process of building self esteem,
respect for others, and love in general.
One of the beginning sections, Role of the Pet in the
Changing Child, covers preschooler development up to young
adulthood, including common emotional challenges as well as
positive direction for parents. Advice is given with consideration
to including animals as family members. The authors take time
in this section to elaborate on what responsibility can mean to
children. They assist parents by offering compassionate tactics
for guiding a child to be responsible through kind suggestion,
direction, and hands-on demonstration. Some of the suggestions
include a chore chart that the parent can use to guide the child both
verbally and by demonstration, first praising the child for what he
or she has done right, resisting the urge to jump in and rescue, and
above all keeping tasks regarding animals age-appropriate. These
examples only skim the surface of the excellent advice offered
to parents. The section is rich in support and direction, and the
authors clearly identify with parents.
The next sections address how pets can help teach children
tolerance and patience. Older children stand to gain a great deal
when they volunteer to take on the role of family animal trainer.
The authors stress that “when the child is the primary teacher, it is
important for him or her to understand that when animals refuse to
do something asked of them, they don’t do so to anger or frustrate
the child” (p. 52). While this may seem obvious to the behavior
consultant, this clear and engaging discussion is typical of the
entire book. This approach with the parent goes deeper than some
of the other books meant as guides for parents and children.
The book serves as a moral compass for parents, taking the
care of animals and children many steps further by addressing
the emotional states of family members. The book fosters a
deeper look into the meaning and usefulness of relationships with
animals within a family. Hamer and Hevel also advise, “In order
for you and your child to reap the full value of sharing your life
with another being, it is mandatory to become intimately involved
in the relationship” (p. 55). They go on to discuss the different
ways in which children learn and develop—kinesthetically (by
touch) or by participation in what they are learning. This, in turn,
develops temperance and tolerance.
In the section about The Circle of Life we are again invited
Book Review: Parenting With Pets
to learn about the emotional development stages of the child.
The section explores how animals can offer a partnership in
teaching a natural way for a child to understand the circle of
life—understanding birth, death and even a natural understanding
of sexuality and gender. This subject can be uncomfortable for
some. The book offers an eloquent way for a parent to process this
information with a child.
On Openness, Compassion, Trust and Faith, the authors
introduce us to creative and positive forms of communication.
What is interesting in this part of the book is the way they interpret
misbehavior as miscommunication. Processing events in the
home in this manner sets the child up for an early understanding
of and better coping skills for life’s mishaps. The section offers
a beautifully crafted process of creating openness, compassion,
trust and faith with animals as part of the child’s life. This part of
the book again provides scenarios and positive suggestions for a
parent, using many different types of animal and child situations.
Considerations of the type of animal best suited to a
particular child or family are addressed in the later portions of the
book. While many of us simply take this for granted, I found the
information could be very informative to an involved parent and
animal lover. The section was not a “how to care for” section, but
rather a guide on the skills needed to understand the needs of any
species of pet. The authors advise, “Before interacting with your
pet, learn to ‘read’ how your pet displays discomfort, fear, anger,
and joy.” (p. 128). This encourages empathy in the parent—which,
using the rest of the skills prescribed in the book, will in turn be
taught to a child. So the mission threaded throughout the book is
yet again elegantly suggested to the parent.
The benefits of nature in the lives of children is an interesting
Animal Behavior Consulting: Theory and Practice
Summer 2008
29
last section that enables a parent who has ultimately chosen, for
whatever reason, not to have a pet in the home, to make the most
of nature around us in teaching all of the valuable lessons offered
throughout the book. Hamer and Hevel open up the natural
world for the reader to point out the opportunities waiting to be
discovered by the child and parent. The authors beautifully state,
“Because we touch, hold and physically investigate nature, we
bond with it. Participating in the lives of animals helps to keep
children connected to nature throughout their growing years. At
a time when video games, computers, and television threaten to
engulf our children, it is important for them to remain connected
to the natural word for their future and for the future of all
humanity” (p. 156).
The book concludes with final thoughts, which reiterate the
previous chapters in simple terms. The reference section is then
followed by a helpful resources section that contains Internet
links and contacts for information regarding raising children.
This section also provides Internet links and contacts for those
interested in cats, dogs, birds, and service and therapy dogs.
The authors highlight the IAABC as well as the Dogs & Storks
program and several member web sites and programs.
Tonya Sakadinsky holds a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and
behavioral ecology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.
In addition to offering cat and dog behavior consulting, Tonya
created and administrates The Prepared Animal Companion, an
educational and counseling program for individuals who have
been charged with animal offenses through the court system.
Tonya is a lead cat and dog behavior volunteer trainer for La
Plata County Humane Society in Durango.