CUTV News Radio Spotlights Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Joan Engel

West Roxbury, MA – Dr. Joan Engel is a psychologist and Applied Animal Behaviorist. Since 1999, she has consulted with dog owners who have a dog with a problematic behavior.  Her goal is to facilitate a joyful and harmonious life for the dog and the family.

“We have to get outside of ourselves a little bit. It’s so obvious to us what we’re asking from a misbehaving dog, but dogs don’t get it,” says Dr. Engel says. “It may appear that a dog is willful or stubborn, but my experience shows that the dog either doesn’t really know the right behavior, or is frightened by discipline or training.”

Dr. Engel launched her second career in the pet dog behavior field when she volunteered as a research methods consultant for scientific studies on dog behavior at the ASPCA from 1999 to 2001.

“I felt called to serve dog-dom!” she said.

Dr. Engel uses the Applied Animal Behavior approach, which does not hurt or frighten animals. The approach draws upon biology, ethology, learning, conditioning, dog training, and more, to understand and modify a dogs’ behavior.

“In order to change the problem behavior, first we need to get a history of everything about that dog’s life and a description of the problem behavior,” says Dr. Engel. “There are many categories of problem behaviors: aggression to people or aggression to dogs, destruction in the home or when left alone, house soiling, noise phobia, excessive barking and compulsive behaviors.”

Some behavior problems may be caused by an illness such as dementia, arthritis, or hip dysplasia. It’s always a good idea to visit the veterinarian for a thorough check-up before you begin a behavior modification program.

For more information, visit www.joanmengel.com