Why does my pet do that???

Is your dog anxious when you leave? Does your dog bark excessively, dig or chew up your furniture? Is your cat missing the litter box? Does your cat shred your favorite furniture or drapes?

When our furry friend drives us nutty, what's a caring pet owner to do? You might want to contact an animal behaviorist.

Pets and their owners need all the help they can get. Animal behavior problems seem epidemic compared to the "good ol' days." But those were also the days when people predominantly kept animals outside and either never noticed or cared about behavior issues.

Today we enjoy a closer bond with our companion pets and want them up close and personal. Most of our pets live inside the house. We love them, feed them and let them sleep with us. But for the most part they remain home alone with nothing to do for hours each day while their humans go to work to make more money to buy more pet food.

Maybe your dog or cat is bored, maybe you have a multiple pet household. Pets in these situations can develop some destructive behaviors. As owners we don't always know how to fix these problems. Animal behavior specialists study the relationship of animals to their physical environment as well as to other animals. They are concerned with understanding the causes, functions, development and evolution of behavior. The behaviorist uses that knowledge to educate the humans and show us how to help our pets.

In a perfect world we would understand our pets and they understand us and we would live together in blissful harmony. Unfortunately my world is not so perfect, so when the fur flies, I take comfort in knowing help is available. We are very fortunate to have a Veterinary Animal Behaviorist in the Greater New Orleans area. His name is Kenneth Martin, DVM and he is the owner of a mobile veterinary clinic specifically for animal behavior disorders. Veterinary behaviorists have traditional veterinary degrees and are able to rule out medical factors related to behavior problems and prescribe medication if needed. Dr. Martin has an extensive resume of educational degrees, focusing on animal behavior disorders. We are very lucky to have him in our area and even more lucky that he is so willing to share his knowledge with us.

The Visiting Pet Program has arranged for Dr. Martin to present a seminar about cat and dog behavior problems. Please join us Thursday November 1st, 2007 6:30pm-8:00pm at the Audubon Zoo Education Center. $10 per person for VPP members wearing their VPP ID. $15 per person for people without a VPP ID.

Claire Sommers

Once again this summer, our dogs, cats and handlers were anxious to be of service to area summer camps.

First on the list was LSU Medical School's Camp Tiger, put on by the medical school students for children with special needs. On the last Friday in May, hundreds of children and camp counselors filled the grounds of Audubon Park eagerly awaiting the arrival of the therapy dogs. Volunteers offering their services were Cathy Burch, Bea Cottingham, Leslie Davis, Barbara Hyland, Colleen Lacy, Fay Schultz, Joy Sturtevant, Linda Wegmann, Danna and Mason Morris, Shirley Walters and Jill Dolese. Many of these volunteers took time off from their jobs to make the special effort to attend this memorable event. Jill Dolese, VPP handler who coordinated the event, commented "The weather was great and the camp attendees really enjoyed our beloved pets. We were continually questioned by the counselors about what we do as VPP volunteers. They didn't realize that these were our personal pets. They couldn't thank us enough. Each of us received this year's Camp Tiger volunteer shirt which is really nice and a true surprise. Each of our members said they are ready for next year." What a wonderful experience for our volunteers and pets as well as an educational experience for soon to be doctors.

Volunteers Barbara Hyland and her Greyhound, Penny, and Kim Pizzo and her Golden, Abby, all participated in the LA/SPCA's Care Cadet Camp. The VPP handlers gave an educational presentation to the young campers to explain to them exactly what therapy visits are all about and why they serve a very important purpose. Lori Haeuser, LA/SPCA Program Coordinator and VPP volunteer, also shared her therapy rabbit, Timothy, with the campers. Following their training, the Care Cadets will serve as volunteers at the shelter and may also make an appearance at an upcoming VPP evaluation.

Crossing over to the North Shore, our pets participated in Camp Summer Tribe, a 7 day residential camp for children with Cerebral Palsy and other similar conditions. VPP volunteers Barbara Hyland, Joy Sturtevant, Kerri Switzer and Rhonda Liles participated in this special visit. Held in Fountainebleau State Park in Mandeville, this camp annually serves about 50 Louisiana campers, ages six to twenty years old, offering a traditional summer camp experience. A vist from our special pets added a little untraditional flavor.

For the third successful year, volunteer Jill Dolese and her Golden, Chance, participated in Dillard University's Project SEEC, Summer Experience for Exceptional Children. Jill and Chance served as wonderful ambassadors for the Visiting Pet Program by offering safety and humane education sessions to these very special children. On their first of 6 visits, many of the campers were scared or intimidated by Chance's size. By the end of camp, Chance was the center of attention, having his picture taken with even the most timid camper. Truly a Kodak moment!

As always, our volunteers were exceptionally generous with their time and talents to make sure that campers all over our area had a memorable pet therapy experience.

Join us on Thursday, November 1, 2007, for Problem Solving and Problem Prevention, a Behavior Seminar with Ken Martin, DVM. Dr. Martin is the owner of Veterinary Behavior Consultations, LLC, a veterinary mobile clinic with practice limited to animal behavior disorders. The seminar will be held from 6:30pm - 8:00pm and will include time for questions and answers.

Topics to be covered include: For cats: bite and claw inhibition,destructive behavior, handling issues,litter box training, crate training, and obedience For dogs: play biting, destructive behavior, jumping, house training, crate training, prevention of separation anxiety, prevention of food and object guarding, excessive barking, handling, digging.

After graduating from LSUSVM in 1999, Dr. Martin completed a clinical behavior medicine residency at Purdue University, Animal Behavior Clinic in 2004. At Purdue, he was honored as a member for the Society of Phi Zeta, the honor society of veterinary medicine. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Southeast Louisiana Veterinary Association, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

Please join us for this unique event to meet Dr. Martin and ask him all the questions you have been dying to know about Rover's behavior. It's an opportunity to learn some new skills to help you be a better pet parent and to increase the bond between you and your 4 legged best friend.

This seminar is open to the general public. Please bring your friends and family. Cost to attend is just $15.00 per person. VPP members showing their ID badges will receive a $5.00 discount.

This is a "people only" event. NO PETS, PLEASE. Your pet will not be allowed on the grounds of Audubon Zoo.

For more information about this seminar, call Lee Gaffney at 865-9724 or email at terriergroup@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you all there.