Author Archives: drjimha

About drjimha

I am a professor of animal behavior at the University of Washington, specializing in social behavior with a focus on primates, killer whales, crows, and companion animals (dogs and cats). For fun, I love to fish saltwater (spinning, fly), snorkel, and travel with my wife Renee and son Andrew.

Our New Research on Puppy Temperament

This time around, I would like to hand over the writing to a guest blogger, a former student of mine, Lauren Robinson. Lauren has gone on to graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh, but we have continued to pursue … Continue reading

Posted in General Science of Behavior | 3 Comments

“Predatory Drift,” Revisited

I received an email the other day from a reader of my blog entry “Modern Animal Behavior: A Lot Has Changed in the Last Few Decades.” He said, “I am a volunteer assisting in the training of staff as animal … Continue reading

Posted in General Science of Behavior | 5 Comments

Using Shelter Dogs in Therapy Situations: Not a Good Idea

It is well known that dogs, and other companion animals, can provide a great deal of solace to humans in need of calming, constancy, and contact.  The scientific evidence for the physical and mental calming effects of appropriately behaved dogs … Continue reading

Posted in General Science of Behavior | 8 Comments

Fishing in the Florida Keys, Part 2

So back to fishing the Keys: aquatic applied animal behavior in action!  In the Keys for a fishing-immersion, 50th birthday trip, I described the offshore trip in my last blog.  But what I was really looking forward to was the … Continue reading

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Fishing in the Florida Keys: Aquatic Applied Animal Behavior, Part 1

I just got back from a three week vacation in the Florida Keys.  Even on vacation, I am involved in animal behavior.  I grew up in the Keys and left there when I was about 14 years old, returned several … Continue reading

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How Often Should You Train Your Dog?

Here’s a question for all of you dog trainers (and that should be just about everyone who has a dog)… how often should you train a dog? Many of us in this business would, of course, say, “as often as … Continue reading

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New Scientific Findings about How to Treat Fear in Dogs

An important new research article for dog (and cat) behaviorists who deal with fear, anxiety, and behavior modification was published in the premier journal Science during Christmas week of last year (2011).  Let me set the stage, and then describe … Continue reading

Posted in General Science of Behavior, Specific Behavior Issues | 2 Comments

Let’s Limit the Tethering of Dogs: Anti-tethering Legislation in Washington State

A bill has been introduced into the Washington State Legislature to limit long-term, unsupervised tethering of dogs in the state.  Specifically, the current form of the bill (and these bills change frequently before final passage, so this is just the … Continue reading

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Wild dogs, Feral dogs and Pariahs

I recently gave a presentation on applied animal behavior to a wonderful animal advocacy group on the Micronesian island of Guam.  I was on the island on behalf of my wife’s (Dr. Renee Ha, UW Psychology/Animal Behavior) research on the … Continue reading

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The Behavior Wellness Exam

In dealing with dog and cat behavior cases in the home, I have to attempt to diagnose the cause of a behavioral issue, like aggression, based on the reports of the owners and the assessment that I can make of … Continue reading

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