The only thing standing between frustrated pet owners and the pound, or worse yet death, is an army of hard working trainers, veterinarians and humane workers. These animal professionals are literally on the front-line to save animals from this tragic end. Dr. Dodman, a world renowned veterinary behaviorist, has made it his personal mission to help this front line become more effective by touring the country with an educational series of seminars on preventing, diagnosing and treating behavioral disorders in pets. Dr. Dodman, founder of the Behavior Clinic at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, has been extremely successful at developing ground-breaking treatments for behavioral disorders and scientific breakthroughs to help us understand the development of these conditions in pets and people. Now, he is focusing his attention on helping pet owners’ throughout the country get the help that they need for their pets’ behavior problems.
According to Dr. Dodman, “There are too many band-aid solutions out there which may appear to help both the pet and the owner but are not based upon science and only work temporarily”. A survey of 130 pet owners performed by the Capital Area Humane Society of Columbus, Ohio found that 30% of dog owners and 14% of cat owners released their pets to the Humane Society because of behavior problems. The Humane Society of the United States estimated that 6-8 million dogs and cats are entering shelters and 3-4 million dogs and cats are being euthanized each year.
Lindsay Wood, behavioral coordinator for Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Boulder, CO is well aware of the carnage created by behavioral issues in pets. This is why she has invited Dr. Dodman to give his seminars, entitled “The Well Adjusted Cat” and “The Well Adjusted Dog”, at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley on August 27th thru 29th. These seminars cover a wide range of topics from aggression to obsessive-compulsive disorder and separation anxiety to litter box issues. This educational series has been developed to better prepare trainers, behaviorists and veterinarians to teach both the pet and the owner to correct behavior and create a more enjoyable experience for all parties. While the program contains portions that are technical in nature and has been approved for 19 hours of CE credits by behavior and veterinary groups, it is also appropriate for lay people with an interest in dog and cat behavior. The most representative comment from attendees of recent seminars by Dr. Dodman is that “his sense of humor makes the seminar as entertaining as it is informative.” More information on the talks can be found at Dr. Dodman’s web site www.thepetdocs.com under the events tab.