Pet Behavior Help
I’m veterinarian Dr. Jeff Nichol. After years of caring for dogs and cats with illnesses and injuries I shifted to my greatest passion: improving their lives by guiding better behavior. My residency training is driven by research into the causes of these problems along with healthy, straight-forward treatment strategies for everybody’s wellbeing.
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Asian elephant “Irene” follows all but one of her trainer’s cues
Irene is 58 years old and doing well except that she can’t seem to lie down when asked or when trying to sleep at night. Is she painful? Find out…
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The Vet is in the House
Dr Jeff Nichol joins the dog pound to talk ticks, licks & sticks for your pooch.
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Puppy Planning Preventing Panic with Early Socialization
When well-meaning dog lovers approach or reach for your dog, does she tremble, growl, or lunge? Early puppy socialization means exposing them to gentle people and pets. It’s a great…
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Dogs listen also by watching us
Why do dogs follow commands like sit and stay if they don’t understand English? When we speak are dogs processing the words we are saying, or the tone we are…
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Puppy training – Forget dominance. It’s not on their mind
During Luna’s first weeks she missed out on gentle social exposures, causing her to be afraid when approached by anyone. Well-meaning human attempts to make friends triggered defensive lunging and…
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Time Out for Nutball – Everybody needs to Feel Better
A dog will believe that any response from its person is an earned reinforcer. That’s why reprimands and punishments fail. To stop digging the hole even deeper you’ll need to…
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My puppy Scott – the start of a career
I’ve always loved pets. I remember watching Lassie and Rin Tin Tin on TV, enthralled with the loyal bond between these dogs and their children. By age 8, I just had to have one of my own. Making it happen was a long shot.
Karen and Richard loved “Larry” and Curley”, a couple of fuzzy BFFs who’d shared their home with them since kittenhood, eight years earlier. Everybody snuggled. It was feline nirvana. Then…
Stop Fighting! Quizzes are fun when I know the answers. Fights between family dogs are caused by: a) Dominance b) Resource guarding c) Jealousy d) Bad juju e) Sometimes a)…
We love our pets like little people in furry suits but if they bite, chew, bark, or relieve themselves indoors they need to stop that @#%& right now, don’t they?…
Improved dog and cat behavior starts here!
Sign up for weekly pet behavior tips that will make life with your dog or cat much better.
Upcoming Events
Zoom Group Conference for Cat Parents – April 24, 2025
For less complex pet behavior problems a Zoom Group Conference may provide enough help to get you and your pet started. 60 minutes shared with 4 people/families max. During our…
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Zoom Group Conference for Dog Parents – May 8, 2025
For less complex pet behavior problems a Zoom Group Conference may provide enough help to get you and your pet started. 60 minutes shared with 4 people/families max. During our…
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Zoom Group Conference for Dog Parents – May 22, 2025
For less complex pet behavior problems a Zoom Group Conference may provide enough help to get you and your pet started. 60 minutes shared with 4 people/families max. During our…
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Albuquerque Journal Articles
The following questions and answers have appeared in my weekly column in the Albuquerque Journal since July, 1996. Each week a new one is added. You'll find information on the physical and behavioral maladies of dogs and cats and a few other species too. I invite you to use the search feature to find the specific answer that you and your pet need.
Videos
Bringing out the best in a cat or dog is a hands-on task. Seeing it in a video is often better than reading it. My goal with these videos is to make behavior management easier to understand and implement.
Blog
Reading can be the fastest and easiest way of gathering the details you need to get control of a pet behavior problem. Like all of the information in my website these recommendations are research-based. It may most helpful to use the search function to quickly find what you need.
Podcasts
You’ll find a growing trove of podcasts on the management and prevention of pet behavior problems and other concerns. Some will involve interviews with other experts in veterinary medicine. I want you to have all the information you need to take great care of your dog or cat.
About Dr. Nichol
Caring for pets is what I’ve wanted to do since I was 8 years old. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan I started undergraduate classes at Michigan State University as a Pre-Veterinary major just 3 days after high school graduation. What a thrill! I was on my way to reaching my dream.
Your Questions, Answered: Quick Resources
Biting, fighting, destructiveness, fear, urine and fecal soiling, and so much else have been scientifically researched and understood. My post graduate behavior residency training has provided me a wealth of information that I am happy to share. I have created a blog, podcasts, instructional videos, and articles with answers to 2000+ pet owner questions to help with the most frustrating and vexing dog and cat conundrums.
Recently posted articles
Recently posted videos, podcasts, blogs & Albuquerque Journal Pet Care articles. You'll find information on the physical and behavioral maladies of dogs and cats and a few other species too. I invite you to use the search feature to find the specific answer that you and your pet need.
Last in the series The biggest reason Irene developed arthritis is because she’s reached her golden years. This would not have occurred in the wild. As she aged in that…
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Irene is 58 years old and doing well except that she can’t seem to lie down when asked or when trying to sleep at night. Is she painful? Find out…
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Third in a series We suspected Irene’s legs were too uncomfortable for her to stay lying down long enough for quality shut eye. But there was more; she’d accumulated additional…
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Second in a series A highly skilled, and tired elephant Will Rogers once said, “I have always felt that the best doctor is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what…
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