animal behavior.

Scott the Hobo, Flickr By Linda Lombardi, via Vetstreet Humorist Linda Lombardi, author of Animals Behaving Badly, takes inspiration from the animal kingdom to share with us some of the more salacious things that those cute and supposedly cuddly critters do when we humans aren't looking. Don't worry, no people were harmed in the writing of this story. About a year ago, it was reported that some wild dolphins in Australia had been spotted moving across the surface of the ocean while standing upright on their tails. They had apparently learned the trick from a former dolphin-show performer who'd been released from captivity. This caused much excitement among scientists, who were fascinated ...

Irish Typepad, Flickr Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "Complete Kitten Care" and "Complete Care for Your Aging Cat." We love our cats but don't always understand their seemingly bizarre behaviors. Sure, some things our cats do are unique to them but other actions are shared by felines the world over. Here are seven weird cat behaviors, and what they mean. Head bonks. The first three months I had my cat, her head turned pink from head-bonking my lipstick. Rubbing behavior, which includes the forehead, cheeks, and full-body slams, is called bunting, and it transfers the cat's signature smell onto objects ...

Watch Videos Related to This Article alex-s, Flickr Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "PETiQuette; Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multipet Household" and "Complete Care for Your Aging Dog." We adore dogs but why do Max and Fluffy bark at all hours, gnaw the kids' new shoes or (gasp!) hump the pastor's leg? While aggravating dog habits make owners show their teeth, clueless humans also raise the dog's blood pressure. Here are seven common things you do to make your dog howl. Misunderstanding His Bark: Dogs use barks to communicate alarm, excitement and boredom -- and owners annoy dogs by ignoring ...

Watch Videos Related to This Article Getty Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "Complete Kitten Care" and "Complete Care for Your Aging Cat." We love our cats but still complain about their annoying behavior problems. Why do they scratch furniture and caterwaul all night when we are perfect parents? The problem is that while we are worrying about their behavior issues, we might be better off focusing on our behavior instead. Here are eight common things owners do to "hiss off" the cat. 1. Underappreciating the Need to Claw: Cats claw to mark territory, to exercise and relieve stress. Owners annoy cats ...

Getty Amy D. Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant and the award-winning author of 23 pet care books, including "PETiQuette: Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multipet Household." We want dogs to love us, but snarls, growls or (heaven forbid!) bites are dangerous and make it hard to love them back. But dogs aren't evil and you are not a bad owner if you have a growly dog. Forty percent of dogs have growled at their owners at one time or another. There are many kinds of aggression and, depending on the circumstances, some are normal. It's good to understand that growly dogs believe they have a good reason to aggress, whether owners agree, but it still should be dealt with. ...

Best friends Hollie and Rudi. Kristen Seymour Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen director and Paw Nation's expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has more than 25 years of experience working with dogs, and she is one of fewer than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of 10 books, including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know." I have two dogs. Hollie is 1.5 years and Rudi is 3.5 yrs. Although Hollie is generally self-assured, when we try to leave the house with just Rudi, Hollie barks ...