Articles
Behavior medicine, explained properly.
The internet is full of confident advice about anxious pets, much of it wrong and some of it harmful. These articles explain what is actually happening, written by Dr. Rachel Malamed, a veterinary psychiatrist board-certified in veterinary behavior medicine (DACVB).
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Featured articles
Dogs · 8 min read
Signs Your Dog Has Anxiety (and What They Actually Mean)
Most pet parents can spot a panicking dog. Far fewer recognize the low-grade, chronic anxiety that shows up as stubbornness, clinginess, or a dog who is “just quirky”, and that is the version that quietly shapes a dog’s whole life.
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Dogs · 7 min read
Is It Pain or Anxiety? The Question Behind Most Stalled Behavior Plans
A large share of the behavior cases referred to me have a medical component, and in many of them it was never investigated. Here is how to work out whether your dog’s problem starts in the mind or the body.
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Dogs · 9 min read
Dog Separation Anxiety: Why Most Advice Fails
A veterinary psychiatrist on what separation anxiety in dogs really is, why crating and “tiring them out” backfire, and the one thing that reliably moves the needle.
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Dogs · 7 min read
The Puppy Socialization Window: What Matters and What Doesn’t
The socialization period shapes a dog’s adult emotional health more than anything that follows. A veterinary behaviorist on how to use it, and how it gets wasted.
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Cats · 8 min read
Why Your Cat Is Peeing Outside the Litter Box
House soiling is the leading behavioral reason cats lose their homes, and it is usually fixable. A veterinary behaviorist on medical causes, marking vs toileting, and litter box setup.
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Dogs & Cats · 7 min read
What Is a Veterinary Behaviorist (Veterinary Psychiatrist)? And When Do You Need One?
What a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) is, how the training differs from a trainer or a certified animal behaviorist, why medication is part of the toolkit, and when to ask your vet for a referral.
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Dogs · 7 min read
Dog Trainer vs. Veterinary Behaviorist: Which Professional Does Your Dog Actually Need?
A veterinary psychiatrist explains the difference between a dog trainer and a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB), what each one treats, and how to choose the right professional for your dog.
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Dogs · 9 min read
Medication for Dog Separation Anxiety: How It Actually Works
A veterinary psychiatrist explains how medication is used for dog separation anxiety, what it does and does not do, the realistic timelines, and the questions to ask your vet.
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Dogs · 8 min read
Dogs Scared of Thunderstorms and Fireworks: What Actually Helps
Why noise phobia in dogs gets worse every year, which of the popular fixes hold up, and what a veterinary psychiatrist does instead, including where medication fits.
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Cats · 9 min read
Cat Behavior Problems: What They Actually Mean
A veterinary psychiatrist on what the most common cat behavior problems mean, why cats are misread as spiteful or aloof, and when a behavior problem is really a medical one.
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Cats · 8 min read
Signs of Stress and Anxiety in Cats (Most of Them Are Quiet)
A board-certified veterinary behaviorist on how stress and anxiety actually look in cats, including the subtle signs mistaken for a calm or lazy cat, and what to do first.
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Dogs · 8 min read
Finding the Right Dog for Your Family: What to Decide Before You Choose
A board-certified veterinary behaviorist explains how to choose a family dog with realistic expectations, clear parent responsibility, and a safety plan for kids.
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The articles explain what is happening. The guides are the checklists and handouts I give my own clients, 6 of them, all free.
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