Hand Picked Resources
Recommended by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)
Humane Dog Training
This statement reviews the current literature on the effects of training style on animal welfare, training effectiveness, and the dog-human relationship. The statement includes an FAQ with questions from addressing behavior concerns to finding help and resources for more information. Based on current scientific evidence, AVSAB recommends that only reward-based training methods are used for all dog training, including the treatment of behavior problems.
Puppy Socialization
This statement hopes to increase awareness of the need for socialization in puppies and raise the issue of how vaccination protocols affect the socialization process in puppy classes.
Dominance
This statement has been developed for the purpose of clarifying how AVSAB views the theory of dominance relationships between animals. We also hope that it helps to dispel some myths that have recently become more prevalent among some who work in this field.
Positive Vet Visit
AVSAB promotes positive interactions between pets and people. We believe all people—even vets!—can learn better ways to interact with our animals. This paper explains the down side of the stress animals experience when they visit our clinics, and offers suggestions and resources for the entire veterinary team to reduce the stress and increase the fun.
