By Gary Wilkes © 2021 480-649-9804 Behavior and Training Services, San Tan, Arizona

Imagine for a second that your puppy has swallowed a sock. This is not the first time your little darling has tried to ingest an inedible object. She’s been trying to do it since she was eight weeks old. You have unsuccessfully tried to control the behavior the entire time. Your vet has cautioned you that swallowing such an item will likely cause an intestinal blockage – a blockage that could easily be fatal. Your vet has not offered any advice about how to prevent a tragedy other than living in a house devoid of potentially fatal objects. You abhor Scandinavian modern décor and have children who acquire things. It is an unreasonable goal to make your house into a concrete warehouse. As for puppy proofing your house, you have also discovered the physics of static electricity. Socks can move without the need for human intervention. Now it appears that a sock is missing. You cringe at the thought but have a good suspicion about where it is. It’s inside your pup. Continue reading →

This is ‘socialization’. Gee, don’t you want some of that? Dogs are social animals, no?

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(Paper Presentation: Central Veterinary Conference East Conference Journal, 2007) By Gary Wilkes

ag·gres·sion

1. The act of initiating hostilities or invasion. 2. The practice or habit of launching attacks. 3. Hostile or destructive behavior or actions 4. The practice or habit of using teeth and claws to damage and/or terrify veterinary personnel.

When I started to write this handout, I decided to prioritize the topic in the context of veterinary care and pet ownership. Here’s what I came up with.

1. Claws can be nasty, teeth can be deadly
   
2. Cats can be nasty, dogs can be lethal.
   

Using this logic, we will place the greatest importance on dog bites, followed by cat bites and scratches.

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