Michael Shikashio—a dog behaviorist whose credentials include serving as past president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), reportedly one of fewer than 200 CDBCs worldwide—describes growing up in “a Japanese family,” so they had dogs, but the pooches were required to live outside. 
Shikashio recalls that while in his 20s, living on his own—in something of a “my house, my rules” rejection of the family protocol—he rescued and fostered a string of dogs which ultimately grew to
more than 100, the shelter sending him increasingly challenging canines, recognizing that behavioral issues often lead to owners surrendering dogs back to the shelter or, worse, being euthanized. This experience, Shikashio recounts, prompted him to seek a more “formal route” of expanding his understanding of dog behavior, going to school to study applied behavior, ethology, and more. He sifts through the alphabet soup of acronyms prevalent in the dog behavior and wider animal behavior world, what they mean and what’s involved in become certified in some of those endeavors. Shikashio explains why he decided to speicialize in helping dogs overcome aggression issues, noting the important of keeping in mind that “aggression is behavior, not personality.” He responds to a number of listener calls, emails, and texts with questions about aggression and other behavioral issues about their dogs. (https://aggressivedog.com, https://www.instagram.com/michaelshikashio/)
ALSO: I spoke briefly with Sarah Veatch, Senior Legislative Specialist at the Humane Society Legislative Fund, about the recently-announced move by the State Department to deny visas to wildlife traffickers trying to enter the United States. (The pangolin, left, is the world’s most trafficked animal.) She places the decision in context, outlining the history here, and the confluence of factors that prompted the State Department to act now. Veatch describes the means by which the policy will be implemented, with information about criminal syndicates and other trafficking operations being funneled to those State Department employees charged with carrying out the directive. She also addresses the implications of the new policy. (https://blog.humanesociety.org/2020/11/u-s-will-deny-visas-to-wildlife-traffickers.html)
COMEDY CORNER: Bill Burr’s “Dog Trainer” (portion) (https://billburr.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Heart’s “Barracuda”
AUDIO ARCHIVE:
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