Dr. Sophia Yin, is a veterinarian, applied animal behavior consultant, publisher, and freelance writer. She is the author of two textbooks: Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats, and The Small Animal Veterinary Nerdbook®, a best-selling textbook for veterinarians, as well as a book for dog owners, How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves. She earned her Master's in Animal Science in 2001 from UC Davis where she studied vocal communication in dogs and worked on behavior modification in horses, giraffes, ostriches, and chickens. During this time she was also the award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Upon receiving her degree focused on animal behavior, Dr. Yin served for five years as a lecturer in the UC Davis Animal Science Department. She taught three upper division undergraduate courses in domestic animal behavior and supervised students in various animal training and behavior research projects. She also developed the MannersMinder positive reinforcement dog training system currently being sold by Premier Pet. Dr. Yin currently sees behavior housecalls, works at San Francisco Veterinary Specialists (www.SFVS.net), writes for several veterinary and popular magazines, has consulted for the Santa Barbara Zoo, and lectures internationally on animal behavior. She is also on the executive board for the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Her web site and blog are at: www.AskDrYin.com.

Blog Entries by Sophia Yin

Holiday Hazards for Your Pet

Posted November 11, 2009 | 10:42 AM (EST)


The Holiday Season is always filled with unexpected expenses. Like monsoons in Manila, you never know exactly when and how one's going to hit. Will it be more gift-giving than planned or higher heating costs than last year? Well, if you're an out-of-luck pet owner, it could be a surprise...

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Pet Food Company Recalls Food After Cats in the Rochester Area Fall Ill

7 Comments | Posted October 12, 2009 | 10:38 AM (EST)


On Oct. 3, 2009, Diamond Pet Foods announced that they had voluntarily withdrawn from distribution two brands of cat food Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball cat. The recalled bags are those with the following date codes:

RAF0501A22X 18lb
RAF0501A2X 6 lb.,
RAH0501A22X...

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Turning Your Dog Into A Skateboarding Pro

2 Comments | Posted October 9, 2009 | 02:57 PM (EST)


2009-09-03-JonesSkateboards.jpgEver since that great video featuring Tyson, skateboarding bulldog hit it big on YouTube, skateboarding has become a standard dog trick that owners attempt to train. Most owners start by using some basic method of luring the dog onto the skateboard with a treat...

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Is My Dog's Obnoxious Behavior Really Due To Dominance?

2 Comments | Posted October 9, 2009 | 12:53 PM (EST)


Anyone who hangs out with dogs and their owners has probably heard this or similar comments a million times: "My dog is dominant, he ignores our commands and plays too rough with other dogs." To the general dog owner, this statement seems pretty normal, but to researchers studying social hierarchies...

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How a Common Recommendation for Puppies Can Place Your Pup at Risk

2 Comments | Posted September 16, 2009 | 12:32 PM (EST)


A dog owners recently said to me, "I will soon be the owner of a lovely standard poodle female and am confused by the suggestions to socialize her to other humans, social situations, and dogs, versus the recommendation to keep her away from parks and other dogs until she's fully...

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Does Spaying or Neutering Your Pet Really Improve Behavior?

11 Comments | Posted August 31, 2009 | 03:13 PM (EST)


As a veterinarian focused on animal behavior, I see all kinds of cases and field all kinds of questions. And unlike with regular medical problems, I know that the solution will, unfortunately, require some work and habit-changes on the part of the owners. So when I get a call or...

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Breed Ban or Better Pet Selection?

Posted August 29, 2009 | 06:13 PM (EST)


Every year, when badly behaved dogs become the object of media focus someone asks me, " Do you think pitbulls should be banned as pets?" To which I usually answer, "No, but some owners should be banned from owning pitbulls, or for that matter, Jack Russell Terriers, Basenji's, Border terriers,...

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Attack of the Killer Onions

7 Comments | Posted August 29, 2009 | 04:16 PM (EST)


While many of you already know that chocolate can make your cat or dog sick, did you know that onions can kill? I learned this my second year in veterinary school. But I didn't really appreciate it until the big onion incident that occurred during my senior year. Well, maybe...

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The Father's Day Gift

Posted August 19, 2009 | 12:35 PM (EST)


2009-08-19-DOGPIC.jpg

Many of my friends may have wondered why I have disappeared over the last two months. No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Rather, I bought my dad a puppy. Which means that, although it's his, I'm the one who's busy.

...
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Why is Pharmaceutical Giant Merial Ignoring the Advice of Veterinary Experts?

19 Comments | Posted June 23, 2009 | 11:11 AM (EST)


Every scientist, doctor or veterinarian who works in industry knows that there's a fine balance between the research needs and the marketing needs of a pharmaceutical company, but just where does that balance lie?

Earlier this month, Merial, a veterinary pharmaceutical company, launched a national campaign against the advice...

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Release Your Inner Kitty Through Tricks and Training

3 Comments | Posted June 22, 2009 | 11:40 AM (EST)


As every kid knows, while America is a democracy, the American family is not. It's a dictatorship and even the youngest family members are savvy to the balance of power. One such youngster explained it to me, "In this house," he said, "the dogs are the lowest. The kids come...

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Why Runners Hate Dogs

9 Comments | Posted June 10, 2009 | 12:00 PM (EST)


"I was running in the bike path and my boyfriend was riding his bike next to me," says Lisa Wells, an avid runner who has run the Boston Marathon twice. "All of a sudden a big Rottweiler came running out of a house towards me.


I stopped and...

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Tips for Traveling with Your Cat or Dog

1 Comments | Posted June 5, 2009 | 05:46 PM (EST)


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Memorial Day Weekend has passed signaling that summer is right around the corner. For many, it's time to start planning ahead for major vacations. Whether it's an extended road trip or a visit to the home of relatives some of the 77 million...

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Seven Tips for Preventing Dog Bites in Animal Care Professionals and Dog Lovers

Posted May 19, 2009 | 10:18 AM (EST)


As Dog Bite Prevention week is being recognized across the United States, the Center for Disease Control reports that 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. Nearly 20% of those bitten seek medical attention and approximately 1000 victims per day require a visit to the hospital emergency room....

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Experts Say Dominance-Based Dog Training Techniques Made Popular by Television Shows Can Contribute to Dog Bites

128 Comments | Posted May 18, 2009 | 12:13 PM (EST)


As Dog Bite Prevention week is being recognized across the United States, experts agree that one of the contributing factors to the 4.7 million dog bites that occur each year may be owners mimicking what they see on T.V.

Dr. Jennie Jamtgaard, an applied animal behavior consultant and behavior...

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Bo Obamas First 10 Days in Office. Why Having a Puppy in the White House May Be More Complicated Than Foreign Policy

Posted April 25, 2009 | 01:38 AM (EST)


Bo and the First Family have just survived their first 10 days together in the White House. Now that the Obamas have gotten to know Bo, what do they say he's like?

"Kind of crazy," said Mrs. Obama to a group of youngsters visiting the White House yesterday on...

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