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ANIMAL BEHAVIOR RESOURCES INSTITUTE MISSION STATEMENT

To enhance human animal relationships and improve quality of life for people and animals by providing education and animal behavior resources.

Let's Talk About Play!
At the most recent Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference, they devoted a one-day symposium to the topic of play as it relates to dog behavior. We had a chance to talk with several of the presenters, and are now featuring a special 4-part series of Behavior Talk episodes on play. Take a listen to new episodes featuring Ian Dunbar, Pia Silvani, Kellyann Conway, and Karen London. There's also a new article on play from Karen London. We'll have more new articles coming soon on play and many other topics.
Free videos, podcasts, and more
All of the resources on our site are available completely free. View the videos online, or follow the simple free registration to be able to download the videos to use in presentations, classes, training and more. You can also subscribe to our Behavior Talk podcasts by clicking on the logo, or in iTunes.

Supported by Volunteer Experts
This website is made possible by the generous volunteer contributions of outstanding experts in the field of companion animal behavior. Each time you visit this site we'll show a different group below. Each week we'll also feature one of our experts on the right side of this page. We welcome your comments to help make ABRIonline.org more useful to you and your clients.

News and Notes

Study shows some techniques can cause harm

According to a new veterinary study published in The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior (2009), if you’re aggressive to your dog, your dog will be aggressive, too.

Says Meghan Herron, DVM, lead author of the study, "Nationwide, the number-one reason why dog owners take their dog to a veterinary behaviorist is to manage aggressive behavior. Our study demonstrated that many confrontational training methods, whether staring down dogs, striking them, or intimidating them with physical manipulation, do little to correct improper behavior and can elicit aggressive responses."

Indeed, the use of such confrontational training techniques can provoke fear in the dog and lead to defensively aggressive behavior toward the person administering the aversive action.

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IVBM Call For Papers

The 7th International Veterinary Behaviour Meeting will be held October 29th to 31st 2009, in Edinburgh UK. The IVBM has issued a call for papers for that meeting, with the deadline for submission May 1, 2009.

Guidelines for abstract submission

Abstracts based on completed research (qualitative or quantitative) or critical review are welcome. There will be three categories of abstract submission:

  • Long spoken presentations (35 minutes plus 10) – these should be data based, original scientific research
  • Short spoken presentations (15 minutes plus 5) – these may be case reports, treatment regimes, data based or other material
  • Poster presentations – these may be case reports, treatment regimes, data based or other material

    The abstract must be in English, can be no longer than 300 words and should be concise, informative and explicit. Providing a list of topics to be covered, or using statements such as "results will be discussed" or "a new theory will be developed" is not appropriate.

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  • University of MN Honors Dr. Anderson

    Dr. R.K. Anderson was honored for his lifetime achievement by the University of Minnesota at a special event February 5, 2009.

    Dr. Anderson first came to the University of Minnesota in 1956 as a professor of veterinary public health in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Public Health. Trevor Ames, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, in his keynote address called Dr. Anderson the "founding father of the most successful and respected Veterinary Public Health program in the nation."

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    New book from Temple Grandin

    Temple Grandin has released her latest book, "Animals Make Us Human, Creating the Best Life for Animals." Drawing on the latest research and her own work, Grandin identifies the core emotional needs of animals. Then she explains how to fulfill them for dogs and cats, horses, farm animals, and zoo animals. Whether it's how to make the healthiest environment for the dog you must leave alone most of the day, how to keep pigs from being bored, or how to know if the lion pacing in the zoo is miserable or just exercising, Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with our fellow creatures.

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    Dr. R.K. Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award

    The Association of Pet Dog Trainers honored Dr. R.K. Anderson with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Citing his long career promoting positive training methods and his influence on thousands of professional trainers, the APDT presented the award during their 2008 annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

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    New Guidelines from AVSAB
    The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) has released new guidelines on the use of dominance theory in behavior modification of animals.READ MORE
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    Conditioning an Emotional Response
    Behavior Talk 044: Pat Miller
    Behavior Talk 039: Ian Dunbar

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