1. Urban Animal Management
Preventing & Managing Behavioural Problems That Contribute To Relinquishment In Dogs
Dog Behavioural Problems
Presented by
Dr Cam Day
Animal Behaviour Veterinarian
Cam Day Consulting Ph
For a copy of this powerpoint to

2. Course Content
Lecture 1 -Introduction to Behaviour Management Principles
-Dog Behavioural Problems
Lecture 2 Dog (cont) and Cat Behavioural Problems
This presentation and its PDF file copy are available to download from
Username: animalstudies
Password: student07

3. Defining the Problem
Let’s define the behavioural causes of pet relinquishment
In private practice a behaviour case that comes through your door is three times more likely to die than a cancer case (Dodman N)
BUT vets know a heck of a lot more about treating cancer than they do about treating behaviour !!!
There is a 70% chance a client has a behaviour problem with their pet (Wells DL, Hepper PG).
BUT vets are not spending 70% of their time treating behaviour cases

4. Reasons for Relinquishment to Animal Shelters Upton, B Proc Urban Animal Management Conference Brisbane 1993
Reasons for Relinquishment
RSPCA QLD 1991/1992
% of Total
NON-BEHAVIOURAL REASONS
Moving house 20
Not enough time 1
Don’t want dog 6
Owner sick/dead
Can’t afford dog
Allergic to dog
Health issues 7
TOTAL
47%
Reasons for Relinquishment
RSPCA QLD 1991/1992
% of Total
BEHAVIOURAL REASONS
Yard too small 4
Escaping 8
Uncontrollable 14
Destructive/hole digging 2
Aggression 17
Barking 3
Neighbour complaints
Too friendly 1
TOTAL
50%

5. What Dog Behaviour Problems are Presented to Veterinarians?
Table 1:
Incidence of Dog Behaviour Problems in a Brisbane, Australia Behaviour Clinic
Presenting Concern
No. %
Aggression (all)
884
37.6
Anxiety (Separation and others)
192
19.0
Barking or howling (all)
370 %
Noise fears
247
10.5
House soiling
113
4.8
Escaping 90
3.8
SUB TOTAL
91%
Destructive/digging 82
3.5
Boisterous/hyperactive/disobedient 69
2.9
Tail/shadow chasing/Circling/Obsessive 45
1.9
Attention Seeking 31
1.3
Assimilation with other dogs/pets 22
0.9
Coprophagia/Pica 13
0.4
Grieving 9

6. So, As Vets, How Will You Deal with That List of Problems?
BAD NEWS - It will take a decade or two to get you up to speed!!
GOOD NEWS – we can show you a system you can work with to deal with most behaviour cases easily

7. A Seven-Point Behaviour Management System
To manage behaviour in practice there are just seven points to remember

8. Three Steps to Structure Your Behaviour Consultation
Behaviour consultations have three main components
The assessment
The therapy
The follow up
Download Example
Case Study

9. Four Steps to the ‘Balance of Therapies’
To solve behavioural problems after the assessment, use the “Balance of Therapies”
Is it medical?
Will behaviour modification work?
How will the behaviour be managed to create a solution
Will medication or pheromones be needed?

10. Applying the System to Dog Aggression – The Assessment
Assess the problem by using a standard questionnaire
DOWNLOAD

11. Applying the System to Dog Aggression The Balance of Therapies
Is it medical?
Pain, itchy skin, sore ears and traumatic injuries will heighten aggression
Will behaviour modification work?
Teaching some dogs not to be aggressive is often possible
But it’s not easy
Some dogs have ‘Flash Point’ aggression where teaching them ‘not to be aggressive’ is impossible
How will the behaviour be managed to create a solution
Often we use the ‘Polar Bear’ Principle
Will medication or pheromones be needed?
Medication is often helpful
Pheromones are mostly not useful

12. Applying the System to Anxieties – The Assessment
Assess the problem by using a standard questionnaire
DOWNLOAD

13. Applying the System to Anxieties The Balance of Therapies
Is it medical?
Again, any painful condition will make anxieties worse
Also Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Will behaviour modification work?
Progressive desensitisation is often used for anxieties
Examples
Lifestyle enrichment for separation anxiety is important
Demonstration
How will the behaviour be managed to create a solution
Management of anxieties comes in many forms
E.G. – day care for Separation Anxiety dogs
Will medication or pheromones be needed?
Medication is often essential for anxieties
Pheromones are often very useful for anxieties

14. Applying the System to Barking etc The Assessment
Assess the problem by using a standard questionnaire
DOWNLOAD

15. Applying the System to Barking and Howling The Balance of Therapies
Is it medical?
Again, any painful condition will make vocalisation worse
And again Canine Cognitive Dysfunction
Will behaviour modification work?
For barking in the owner’s presence, training is essential
For barking in the owner’s absence – not as useful
How will the behaviour be managed to create a solution
Management of vocalisation relates to environmental modification and enrichment
Fences,
No Bored Dogs Routine
Will medication or pheromones be needed?
Medication is often used if it’s anxiety-based
Often not needed & not effective if aimed at the wrong problem
Pheromones are sometimes useful if the dog is inside

16. What Cat Behaviour Problems are Presented to Veterinarians?
Table 1:
Incidence of Cat Behaviour Problems in a Brisbane, Australia Behaviour Clinic
Presenting Concern
No. %
House-soiling (faeces, urine, spraying
185 43
Aggression (all)
128 %
Vocalising (esp. nocturnal) 32
7.4
Fearful 18
4.2
Assimilation with other cats/pets 15
3.5
Attention seeking 11
2.6
SUB TOTAL
90%
Over-grooming 10
2.3
Clawing/scratching furniture 8
1.9
Roaming/Escaping
Pica/cloth chewing/chewing cords 7
1.6
Hyperactive 5
1.1
Separation Anxiety 2
0.7

17. Applying the System to Cat House-soiling The Assessment
Assess the problem by using a standard questionnaire
DOWNLOAD

18. Applying the System to Cat House-soiling The Balance of Therapies
Is it medical?
What medical conditions could cause house-soiling?
Will behaviour modification work?
For inappropriate defecation and urination, teaching cats to use litter trays is vital
What preferences of litter, tray, location and cleanliness does the cat have?
For spraying, cleaning the sprayed urine and re-scenting the area is important
How will the behaviour be managed to create a solution
Exclusion from target areas
Cat runs
Will medication or pheromones be needed?
Medication is not needed for litter tray problems but regularly used for spraying
Pheromones are useful for spraying

19. Applying the System to Cat House-soiling The Assessment
Assess the problem by using a standard questionnaire
Download questionnaire pending

20. Applying the System to Cat House-soiling The Balance of Therapies
Is it medical?
Pain related aggression is common with cats
Will behaviour modification work?
Progressive approximation to teach the cat to enjoy being handled
Time out to create calmness
How will the behaviour be managed to create a solution
Reduce interaction with the cat when aroused moods seem evident
Play games to dispel energy that is manifest as aggression
Will medication or pheromones be needed?
Medication is sometimes needed for aggression
Pheromones are sometimes useful if aggression is anxiety-based

21. What is the Difference between
But
What is the Difference between
Cat and Dogs?

22. What is the Difference between Cat and Dogs?
Why is it so difficult to train a cat to COME or to SIT?
Dogs learn this with ease
Why will cats learn to use a litter tray with almost no training?
To train a small dog to do the same takes incredible effort
The reason for such differences is that ‘what is important’ to dogs is not the same as it is for cats.

23. Group Dynamics Dogs are group animals and cats are not.
Dogs are social, gregarious creatures – pack animals
The most important pack member is the owner
This is why dogs left alone during their owners’ working hours commonly develop separation anxieties

24. Two or Three Dimensions?
Cats live in a three-dimensional world because they can jump and climb,
Dogs exist more in two dimensions.
Thus, the concept of ‘flight or fight’ becomes important.
Cats climb to hunt and to escape.
cats tend to develop flight responses to harmful stimuli because they are agile enough to escape.
Dogs can’t climb to escape
Therefore dogs use assertive forms of aggression (fight) because flight is more difficult.

25. What does all this mean?
Cats are more attached to their territory so provision of a secure and comfortable territory is more important to them.
In a clinic setting – get the owners to bring the territory with them – cat basket or a Den cage
Use Feliway Pheromones to mark the clinic as a familiar place
Use elevation (shelves or hammock beds) or ‘hiding boxes’ where possible

26. Pheromones in the Clinic
What are Pheromones?
Pheromones are chemicals of communication that are released from one animal, travel through the air, and have a dramatic effect on the behaviour of other animals.
Pheromones are available in two forms
The Dog Appeasing Pheromone
Feliway Cat Pheromone
3. Pheromones placed in consulting rooms can significantly calm dogs and cats

27. Conclusion
Assess the behaviour then implement therapies, then test that they work
Look at medical issues, determine how best to teach good behaviour, manage the behaviour to it’s lowest level and use medications or pheromones when needed
And – cats are different to dogs – use different techniques