Pet Behavior Help

Your patience and involvement are the most important elements to recognizing, attempting to understand, and modifying any challenging behaviors you may be experiencing with your cat or dog.

Many unwanted behaviors can be successfully eliminated, but you must be committed to a six-to-eight-week training period to get the desired results. PAWS can aid your efforts. Please fill out this form if you have behavior questions or you would like our assistance.

 

PAWS resource library

Many of the new adopter inquiries we receive are about common behavior concerns. Our online Resource Library contains information on a wide variety of cat and dog behavioral topics so we encourage you to explore the library before contacting PAWS.

 

Other helpful resources

Cats

• The Humane Society of the United States has an online Cat Answer Tool.
• Cat behaviorist Pamela Johnson-Bennett has several excellent books that can be borrowed from your local library. She also has many helpful articles and podcasts on her website.
• Contrary to their reputation, cats of all ages can be trained! You can find tips on how to do that here with Karen Pryor Clicker Training.
• Here’s a fascinating instructional video from the Dumb Friends League on clicker training.

Kittens

• New kitten checklist from Cat Behavior Associates.
• Kitten behavior basics from the Humane Society of the United States.
• The Humane Society of the United States’ guide to teaching your kitten to play nice.

Dogs

• Here is an article from a great website called Dog Star Daily that gives you a list of what to do with your new dog within the first two weeks, and has a wealth of arti-cles, podcasts, and free downloads.
• Watch this fascinating video from Ahimsa Dog Training about how dogs learn.
• Here is a long list of free instructional videos from Dogmantics Dog Training that will give you a foundation of positive reinforcement training.
• The ASPCA’s Dog Care Tips Library can be helpful for troubleshooting.

 

When PAWS cannot help

Some problems we can’t resolve over the phone because it isn’t safe or appropriate to diagnose certain behavioral problems without in-person observation of the animal’s postures and reactions to certain stimuli.

• Medical issues. Some behavior problems can be a result of or made worse by medical conditions. If you think your pet has a medical need, contact your veterinarian. PAWS cannot give advice on any medical issue your animal may be experiencing.
• Aggression. There are many reasons an animal may behave aggressively, including fear, food or object possessiveness, territorial behavior or protective behavior. Since aggression is a complex behavior with many factors involved, the PAWS staff cannot address any aggression your animal is exhibiting. Please consult a behavior specialist or pet trainer to resolve any aggression-related issue.

 

Giving up your pet

PAWS believes in lifelong commitments to companion animals, but you may determine that even after working with your pet, you need to find him a new home. Information on how to find a new home for your animal, or to find out if PAWS can take your animal, is available on the Can’t keep your pet? section