American College of Veterinary Behaviorists - Decoding Your Dog: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones

Copyright 2014 by American College of Veterinary Behaviorists

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.hmhco.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-0-547-73891-8

e ISBN 978-0-547-83445-0
v1.0114

AUTHORS NOTE: We, the editors and authors, believe that dogs are sentient beings and should not be referred to by it. In anecdotes about specific dogs, we use whatever gender pronoun applies. When talking about dogs in general, we alternate between he and she (the same pronoun throughout an entire chapter), make the reference plural, or say something like your pet or your dog, because we believe dogs have a special place in all our hearts and minds.

While this book is based on extensive scientific research and contains instructions and safety precautions based on that research and on clinical experience, it is not intended to replace the services of a veterinary behaviorist. The editors, the authors, and the publisher disclaim any responsibility for adverse effects resulting directly or indirectly from information in this book.

We dedicate this book to Dr. R. K. Anderson, one of the founders of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. He was a man of great compassion and boundless energy and was an enthusiastic supporter of all his colleagues. RK taught all of us so much. While he will be greatly missed, his legacy of kindness and compassion to all living beings lives on.

From Debra F. Horwitz

This book never would have come to fruition without the dogged efforts and relentless commitment of many people. My deepest thanks go to my colleagues in the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists for being behind me the entire way and entrusting me with this important task. Their support, knowledge, and expertise power this book; I have learned from every one of you. Thank you to Steve Dale, who has been devoted to seeing that this book becomes a reality. He has stayed the course through all the ups and downs, taking our ivory tower prose and helping us put it into words to benefit pets and their people. Beth Adelman was editing central and kept all of us on track. We would have been lost without her. And finally, Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management, our enthusiastic and intrepid agent who believed in this book from the start and kept us going through the rough patches, was always there with advice and an encouraging word.

Writing a book is bit like magic: so much goes unseen but is necessary to make it all look good. Our magic was created by the wonderful people at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt who made all this possible. We want to thank publisher Bruce Nichols, who believed in this concept, and Susan Canavan, our editor, who championed our book and saw its merits; without them this would never have happened. Thank you to Ashley Gilliam, our editorial assistant, who kept track of all the details; Michelle Bonanno in the publicity department for letting people know about our endeavor; Hannah Harlow for marketing and getting out the word; Michaela Sullivan for her outstanding cover design; and Lisa Glover for overseeing the copyediting of our words to perfection.

Dr. John Ciribassi, my coeditor, deserves a special thank you. He was a dream to work with. He never complained, was always so timely in his work, was never discouraged but cheerful beyond belief! When I asked him to do something, I could consider it done. Thank you, John; this would not have happened without you. You have been a wonderful friend and colleague; you are a neophyte editor no longer!

Finally, educating pet owners about behavior is a lifelong passion for me, supported and encouraged by my wonderful husband, Eugene, and our three grown children, Jeff, Laura, and Ben. My pets past and present have also helped. I have learned a great deal from them, including Oscar, my Westie, who currently shares our home. And, finally, my parents, who are no longer with me but always supported my passion even when women didnt do veterinary medicine. Thanks, Mom and Dad.

From John Ciribassi

First and foremost I want to thank my wife, Elise, for giving me the time and space to pursue my dream of becoming a member of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB). Without her support, my careerand this bookwould not have come to fulfillment. I also want to thank my children, Danielle and Rebekah, for putting up with their crabby father as he was preparing for the ACVB boards and for enduring countless dinners at home where Elise and I droned on about veterinary medicine. Thanks also go to my parents for giving me the means to achieve all that I have. And my four-legged childrenTyson, our Boxer, and Abby, our cathave taught me more about animal behavior than any book or professor ever could.

I also want to express my eternal gratitude to Dr. Andrew Luescher, my mentor as I prepared for certification as a veterinary behaviorist. Without his patience and support there would have been no way for me to achieve what I have. His love and care of all creatures has been an inspiration.

Additional thanks to Steve Dale not only for his personal support of me as a veterinarian and behaviorist but also for his support of the veterinary profession and the pet-owning public. He has been a defender of animals locally, nationally, and internationally. I also thank him for bringing Beth Adelman on board for this project. She has kept everyone on track throughout the process and her insights into writing and animal behavior have greatly improved the quality of this book.

Finally, I want to thank my coeditor, Dr. Debbie Horwitz. I have long admired her talents as a behaviorist, a writer, and a speaker. This is the first book I have edited, and she has been behind me every step of the way and has been very patient with this neophyte. I could not have asked for a better person to work with on this, my inaugural literary endeavor.

From Steve Dale

I thank veterinary behaviorists for saving lives. Specifically, it was a veterinary behaviorist (and contributor to this book), Dr. Gary Landsberg, who helped spark the idea for this book. Dr. Debra Horwitz tailed me to ensure it would happen; she is as persistent on the trail as the best Bloodhound, never getting off track. And both she and Dr. John Ciribassi (whom Ive called a friend for many years) herded cats, rounding up their colleagues to contribute. I thank each and every kitty in the college for their insightful contributions.

Jeff Kleinman of Folio Literary Management was the real force to make this happen. Truly, without Jeff, no bookend of story. Of course, having a publisher helps (well, its kind of necessary), and I thank our editor, Susan Canavan, at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Beth Adelman compiled everything we needed for this book from contributors all over North Americano easy task. Beth also did the nitty-gritty editing. I have been in awe of Beths talents for years and continue to be.

While I thank veterinary behaviorists for teaching me so much about the science of animal behavior, Ive had several better teachers; they happened to have had four legs. One companion stands above all the rest. Without a dog named Chaser and an elevator that stalled between floors, I wouldnt be doing what I do todaybut thats a story for another book.

I have a passion for thispassion lies within the heart. My heart will always beat most for my wife, Robin.

My dad, Bob, who loved animals, would never have believed that brilliant professional scientists would ever choose little ol me. He died as the project was being conceived. I dedicate my contributions to his memory.