AVA Conference Melbourne 2017

Just because we can, should we? People own pets for many reasons. Pets can give people much pleasure but the way they behave can also give people some pain. This leads people to feel unhappy, disappointed, betrayed, frustrated, angry and possibly many other negative emotions.  So how do owners deal with these unwanted behaviours in their pets? They can deal with it themselves, often by trying to punish the pet by yelling or smacking the pet to try to stop the behaviour. They may hope the behaviours go away. They may look on the internet for advice from Dr Google or YouTube. They may seek the advice of trainers or other people who say they are experts. They may go to their veterinarian or a behaviourist. They may give the pet up or euthanise the pet.   But just because there are many options available how do people know what is the best for their pet? Are the methods recommended always in the best interest of the pet? Just because we can yell, should we?