BEHAVIOUR RESOURCES & HOTLINE

Canine Enrichment – Toys & Games – Providing enrichment for dogs is an excellent way to promote mental and physical health and engage your pet’s natural behaviours in an appropriate manner. We have put together some fun enrichment ideas for your dog.

Child-Dog Interactions – A knowledge of dog body language and appropriate interactions is key for both adults and children. We’re sharing some recommendations for promoting positive dog-child interactions and safety management.

Clicker Training – Clicker training is an easy and effective way to train your pet through with a combination of reward and auditory que. Here are some helpful tips to help you get started.

Cooperative Care Basics – Cooperative care is when your dog voluntarily participates in routine procedures, such as grooming, teeth brushing or any handling they might experience during a veterinary exam. Here are a few tips for getting your dog started.

Crate Training – Crate training is a practical way to ensure that your dog is safely contained while traveling or when they cannot be properly supervised. It can also be helpful when house training.

Excessive Barking – Dogs bark, it’s what they do naturally! However, when barking becomes excessive or persists for long periods, it can indicate that an underlying issue needs to be addressed.

House Training – House training requires consistency, attentiveness, and positive reinforcement! It may take several weeks to house-train your puppy (or adult dog), depending on several factors so ensure you have time to commit to house-training.

Human Directed Aggression – Aggression is a dog’s way of communicating stress using body language and/or vocalizations. Aggression can be displayed towards people in different situations for various reasons and is a symptom of an underlying problem or stressor that should be addressed or managed humanely.

Impulse Control  – Teaching your dog impulse control is a valuable exercise! Through behaviour modification, your dog can learn to control their instinctive behaviour and reliably respond to your cues.

Leash Reactivity – When on-leash, does your dog bark, growl, lunge, or pull towards other dogs, people, or objects, such as bicycles? If so, your dog may be leash reactive.

Loose Leash Walking – Leash pulling is inadvertently rewarded by allowing your dog to move forward when they pull. In order to address pulling, you have to stop reinforcing the unwanted behaviour.

Managing Fear – Managing a fearful dog can be stressful at times. Here are some recommendations for improving your dog’s confidence and managing their environment.

Martingale Collar Guide – Martingale collars prevent dogs from slipping out of their collar while on leash. This guide covers how martingales work, when to use them and how to properly fit them to your dog.

Muzzle Use & Training – Muzzle training can be an easy and effective way to support your dog’s welfare and safety during potentially stressful situations.

Nail Trimming – Regular nail trimming is essential to help prevent nail overgrowth. Here are some tips for helping prepare your dog for low-stress nail trimming! 

Pet Introductions – When you get a new cat or dog, you can’t wait to bring them home. However, your resident pets may not share your excitement. Introducing pets to each other is a process.

Post Adoption Tips – Bringing your new dog home is exciting! However, your new pet may find this transition a bit stressful at first. Here are some recommendations for helping your pet feel at home.

Puppy Mouthing – When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, they may also be inclined to grab or bite your hand with their mouth during play or when being petted. This guide will help you navigate to reducing this behaviour.

Puppy Socialization – A critical part of puppyhood is socialization, but it is important to understand that socializing your puppy does not mean maximizing exposure. Here we share tips on how to ensure you have the best learning experiences possible for you and your puppy.

(New) Raising Two Puppies – In this guide we’ll identify what you should consider before adopting multiples puppies and offer tips on how to provide the best possible experience for both you and your pets.

Recall – Recall is one of the most valuable cues for your dog to learn. It ensures their safety in off-leash areas or if your dog escapes from your yard or home.

Resource Guarding – Dogs can guard toys, food, people, objects, or even locations. This occurs when your dog shows signs of aggression when you (or another dog) approaches the guarded item, person, or location, such as snarling, growling, or snapping.

Selecting a Dog Walker or Daycare – Finding the right caregiver for your dog when you’re at work, on vacation, or to help you out when needed can be overwhelming. This resource offers you useful tips for choosing the right dog daycare or walker.

Selecting Dog Walking Gear – Finding the right walking gear makes walks safe and enjoyable for both you and your dog. This guide provides information on different types of collars, harnesses and leashes, plus things to consider when choosing the right walking gear.

Selecting & Fitting A Dog Harness – This guide covers what to consider when purchasing a harness, common harness styles and how to properly fit them to your dog.

Separation Anxiety – Does your dog get upset when you leave them alone at home? Do they howl, bark, soil, or destroy items in your house? If so, your dog may have separation anxiety.

Sit Training – Every dog should respond reliably to a “sit” cue It is a foundational behaviour for basic obedience. You can also train your dog that sitting can help them gain access to desired items, such as treats, toys, or praise.

Touch Sensitivity – Did you know that petting a dog is a “human” thing? We don’t see dogs petting other dogs. If you have a puppy, it is essential that you desensitize them to having different areas of their body handled. In adult dogs, tolerance for being touched or handled may vary significantly.

(New) Benefits of Trap-Neuter-Return  – TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) is a humane approach to managing feral cat colonies while keeping the animals’ welfare in mind. Feral cats are unsocialized, outdoor cats who are not suitable as indoor pets, due to the stress they experience from human contact and confinement. This stress compromises the welfare of those cats when admitted to shelters and can lead to limited positive outcomes.

Caring For Barn Buddies (Feral/Semi-feral cats)  – A feral or semi-feral cat is a cat who has limited exposure to humans and is highly avoidant or fearful of them. At EHS we adopt these felines out as part of our Barn Buddies program along with those who struggle to use a litterbox for non-medical reasons and thus, are better suited to an outdoor home. In this guide, we’ll share how to care for a Barn Buddy.

Cat-to-Cat Introductions – If you are thinking of adding another cat to your home, this guide has tips to help you with introducing cats to each other!

Destructive Scratching – While scratching can be a frustrating and costly behaviour for pet guardians, it is normal and necessary behaviour for cats. Here are some recommendations for redirecting your cat’s scratching to appropriate items in the house.

Fearful Cats  – Do you have a fearful cat? Here are some tips for socializing your cat or kitten using low-stress methods!

Keeping Cats Safe – Outdoor free-roaming cats are exposed to many risks. Here are some alternatives to free-roaming that support healthy and happy lives for cats.

Kitten Socialization  – Bringing home a kitten is an exciting time and appropriate socialization helps reduce behavioural issues in the future.

Reward-Based Training  – Using reward-based training isn’t just for dogs it can also be a great way to positively socialize with our feline friends!

Litterbox Training – Cats have individual preferences when it comes to litterboxes. Here are some tips to help encourage your cat to use their litterbox and prevent unwanted messes.

Unacceptable Indoor Elimination – Is your cat eliminating (urinating and/or defecating) outside of the litterbox? There can be several reasons for this behaviour, including location, environmental or social factors, and medical conditions.

Basics of Bird Enrichment – Birds are truly pets of a different feather, but they still benefit greatly from loving homes that actively provide enrichment which supports their physical and mental well-being by allowing them to express their natural behaviours in the safety of our enclosed environments.

Budgie & Cockatiel Housing – Two of the most common birds adopted from the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) are budgies and cockatiels. This guide will introduce some basics for providing an enriching environment that will help keep your feathered friend happy by meeting their physical and mental needs.

Introducing Guinea Pigs – Did you know that guinea pigs are social animals? They prefer living in pairs or small groups and benefit greatly from having the company of other guinea pigs. Here is some information to help you learn about the needs of these small animals if you are looking to adopt.

Indoor Rabbit Housing – Rabbits do best with larger spaces to live and play in. In this guide, we’ll share recommendations on how to give your bunny a home that makes them feel like the king or queen of the castle!

(New) Rabbit Bonding & Introductions– Rabbits are highly social animals who benefit from having a companion. When selecting a friend for your rabbit, it’s important to keep in mind their compatibility to ensure a smooth introduction.

Rabbit Enrichment – Rabbits are curious and social animals who need activities to help prevent boredom. Here are some suggestions on engaging toys, activities, and socialization time that will help you be best buds with your bunny!

Rabbit Litter Box Training – Just like cats, rabbits can be trained to use a litter box! Not only is it useful for cleaning, but it benefits your rabbit because it creates more space for them to explore, once you trust that they are  trained! Check our tips for encouraging your rabbit to use a litter box.