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Synthesized Reinforcement in Life with Dogs

This post is about the tricky concept of the combination of negative and positive reinforcement.

I’ve always wondered about behaviors having more than one consequence. I’ve recently learned more about the possibility, and I’ve found a good example of it with Lewis.

So-called “synthesized reinforcement” occurs when more than one reinforcer is a consequence of the same behavior. This occurrence has been recognized since at least as far back as 1969 (Osborne), but has only been named and systematically studied in the last 10 years. Synthesized reinforcement is noted in functional assessments and used in functional analyses.

Synthesized Reinforcement and Escape to an Appetitive

Lewis’ first harness

Sometimes escape is just about getting away. From the scary monster, the hot stove—you need to move out of proximity now. But sometimes a function of escape is to get to something better. This topic is discussed plenty with humans. Reinforcement in combination like this is called synthesized reinforcement.

Some scientists suggest that synthesized reinforcement is common, that looking for only one contingency in a functional assessment or functional analysis is artificial. Synthesized reinforcement can comprise aversive plus appetitive consequences, multiple aversives, or multiple appetitives. For example, multiple appetitives could be the cause of the extra joy your dog gets when you play with him with the toy, rather than when he plays with the toy by himself. Human examples abound. Think of the many, many ways that entering a stadium for a game is reinforced for a sports fan.

Back to the curious combination of R- plus R+. The classic (if dated) example is waiting until there is a commercial during something you’re watching before getting up to get a snack. You get away from the tedious commercial (escape) and you get access to food (appetitive). Most of us dislike commercials, but we rarely walk away from the screen to do nothing for 30 seconds.

Another example is doing extra work to get some time off from a class. Class isn’t so bad, but hey, a friend will take you waterskiing that day if you get the time off!

Synthesized reinforcement is also the reason it is kind to provide another source of an appetitive when you are performing aversive husbandry activities. This is a lot kinder than just saying, “Hey, my dog can leave if he wants to.” If there is nothing else to do in the room and you control the only source of food, simply leaving is not such a great thing!

So here is my real-life example.

Lewis’ second harness. He’s worried in the photo.

Setting the Scene (the Antecedents)

I walk my dogs individually every single day except in the case of illness or very bad weather. I have always gone in order of seniority, so young Lewis goes last.

In the cooler months, we walk in the late afternoon. While I’m walking with Lewis, my partner fixes the dogs’ suppers. Lewis knows the routine: when he gets home from his walk, his supper will be waiting. Have I mentioned that he is excitable?

In contrast, in the hot months, I walk the dogs much later. It’s near dusk and long after they have eaten their suppers.

The Action: Harness Removal

Lewis is excited to get his harness off (the teal one in the photo below) when his supper is waiting. But the tracking unit on his GPS collar is bulky. That means the harness can catch on the collar if he moves while I’m manipulating the straps. So I set a contingency on harness removal: I don’t remove the harness until he stays still.

A harness we used for a time after Lewis gained some weight.

Our system is that first I unsnap the two buckles. Then he needs to be particularly still while I maneuver the harness over the transmitter on the collar. After I’ve done that, I give his release cue. Lightning fast, he jerks his head all the way out of the harness and dashes to get his supper.

Usually I give my dogs a treat after I put on or take off their harnesses. Having someone fiddle with straps and snaps around your body is not the most fun thing. But in this situation, Lewis is completely uninterested in that one treat; his supper is waiting for him.

I’ve described a whole chain of behaviors and consequences. Lewis’ behaviors include being still, pulling his head out of the harness while backing up, and running toward his supper. I am going to simplify the scenario somewhat. Let’s focus on his “self-removal” of the harness, the escape behavior.

A. Harness is in an uncomfortable position (around his neck, half-on, half-off)
B. Lewis wriggles out of harness
C. Harness is off (no longer uncomfortable; free to move away)

This is a negative reinforcement scenario. But during part of the year, there is another big consequence available that’s tied to escaping the harness: a whole bowl of food. What effects might that have on Lewis’ harness behavior? I had a great way to find out.

Evidence of Positive Reinforcement

The immediate function of Lewis whipping his head around is to escape the harness. He wouldn’t whip his head on the way to getting his supper otherwise. But in the summer, Lewis’ behavior changes. When I switch to walking the dogs after supper instead of before, his meal is no longer awaiting him after his walk, and he knows that. When his supper isn’t waiting, he does not whip his head out of the harness. He “helps” me get the harness off, but with a mild twist or wiggle, often after a delay. The behavior has changed from “Let me out of here!” to “Meh, I guess I could pull my head back a little bit to help get this harness off.”

So the positive reinforcer (supper) appears to have a large role to play! When it is not present, Lewis does only the minimum to help me remove the harness. The topography of the behavior is different and there is no discretionary effort.

Could I Do Anything Differently with the Harness Removal?

My tentative conclusion is that there is always an element of negative reinforcement with the act of harness removal, at least with the harnesses I use. If I waive the contingency of the dog being still before getting out of the harness, there is still the automatic negative reinforcement of the behavior of wiggling out. And even standing absolutely still could be an escape behavior if they’ve figured out that’s the most efficient way for the harness to come off.

But I recently realized the obvious: Instead of removing his harness when he enters, I can unsnap his leash and leave the harness on. No wrangling! I can wait until after Lewis has eaten his supper and experienced anything else interesting that is going on in the house before I remove his harness.

When I remove the harness after the excitement, there is still an element of automatic negative reinforcement, but there is much less frustration for him. And he accepts my offering of kibble.

Lewis in his “big boy” Hurtta harness. To remove it, I have to unsnap two buckles, then pull it over his head.

The Big Picture

The idea of synthesized reinforcement is a fascinating one, but it’s also annoying. It can dislodge a lot of assumptions. It ruins our hopes, once again, that we live in a neat and binary world. That if we just follow the right formulae, that if we are careful with our functional assessments, we can teach our dogs successful pet behaviors without any presence of aversives. That we can reduce every situation to one contingency, so we know which ones to use and which ones to avoid. That doesn’t always happen for me.

Synthesized reinforcement also doesn’t fit perfectly if we think in terms of contingency tables (“quadrants”), which I still do. Modern behavior analysts categorize behavior more and more by function. Usually there are four to six possible functions identified, depending on your source. You will find behavioral functions listed most often as social, escape, tangible, and sensory (Cooper et al., 2014, p. 511). Lewis’ harness behavior would be described as escape to a tangible (some systems would further specify an edible). The synthesized reinforcement example I listed above, playing with your dog with a toy, adds social reinforcement to access to a tangible.

But I live in the dog training world, and we are still wrestling with contingency tables. If you think I am on my way to promoting R-, you haven’t read much of my stuff. Escape to a tangible is super common in the human world. But in training and other dealings with dogs, what I have seen is that escape contingencies (R-) are mostly implemented by humans in unpleasant ways for dogs. And even what seems to us to be a minor aversive consequence can have fallout. I’ll stick mostly with the contingency way of discussing things for now, while learning more about functional categories.

Living with our dogs, it is very, very hard to avoid R- completely. I accept that R- is present sometimes even though I don’t want it to be. I am committed to being transparent about that. When I required Lewis to be still while I pulled his harness over his head, I was using an R- contingency for safety. But I figured out how to recast that situation by removing his harness after he ate instead of before. Observing tiny aversive moments allows me to practice my analysis, burrow deeply, and pursue my goal of making my dogs’ lives better.

References and Resources

Note: Most of these resources involve the use of ABA with children, either deaf or autistic. Some people may prefer not to check them out. See my statement about ABA on my training philosophy page.

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2014). Applied behavior analysis, second edition. Pearson.

Ghaemmaghami, M., Hanley, G. P., Jin, S. C., & Vanselow, N. R. (2016). Affirming control by multiple reinforcers via progressive treatment analysis. Behavioral Interventions, 31(1), 70-86.

Holehan, K. M., Dozier, C. L., Diaz de Villegas, S. C., Jess, R. L., Goddard, K. S., & Foley, E. A. (2020). A comparison of isolated and synthesized contingencies in functional analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(3), 1559-1578.

Smith, S. W., Arroyo Antúnez, B. E., DeBartelo, J., Sullivan, W. E., Roane, H. S., & Craig, A. R. (2024). Synthesized alternative reinforcement and resurgence. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 122(2), 195-206.

Osborne, J. G. (1969). Free‐time as a reinforcer in the management of classroom behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2(2), 113-118.

Copyright 2024 Eileen Anderson

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12/04/2025
Helping Your Dog Cope With Losing A Friend – Paw Print
A few weeks ago I was finally able to post about losing my first dog, Kitsune. Our beloved Kitsune passed away peacefully on January 31st. We had just celebrated his 15th birthday a little over a month earlier. As any dog lover can imagine, the loss of such a special member of our pack has really hit hard. We got our second dog, Fenrir, when Kitsune was 8 years old. Fen was raised with Kitsune! From the day we brought Fen home, when he was 9 weeks old, until Kitsune passed away, there wasn’t a single day of Fen’s life that he didn’t have his big brother by his side.

I knew that staggering my dogs’ ages by so many years would most likely mean that I’d eventually have to deal with losing one well before the other. Having Fenrir here to cheer me up has been such as blessing as I navigate losing Kitsune. But I, sadly, have to admit that the past month and a half or so has also been hard on little Fen.

How My Dog Reacted To Losing His Best Buddy

The first couple of days without Kitsune were especially hard. Fen whined a lot, and spent time running around the house trying to find Kit. Our biggest problem, by far, in dealing with Fenrir after the loss of Kitsune has been getting Fen to eat consistently.

Fen has always been a very picky eater. It’s a relatively common Alaskan Klee Kai trait. As picky as Fen’s always been, he got about 3,000 times worse after we lost Kit. I think the problem has been twofold. Fen has always been a sensitive dog. He gets upset easily, and when he’s upset he doesn’t eat. In addition to that, I’ve come to realize that I relied a lot on Kitsune to help me encourage Fen to eat regularly. Kit loved food. Fen grew up knowing that if he didn’t eat his food when it was offered Kitsune would happily eat it for him! Plus, Kit’s love of food was contagious. Fen, not wanting to be left out of the excitement of meal time, would often eat something if he saw Kitsune eating it first.

Since having Fen as an only dog, meal times have been a huge struggle. Not only can I often times not get him to eat dog food, but he won’t take table scraps or treats either. Before anyone asks, yes Fenrir has seen a vet and gotten a clean bill of health. His lack of appetite is, thankfully, not being caused by a physical health issue.

Some Signs That Your Dog Is Grieving
- Loss of appetite
- Increased episodes/symptoms of separation anxiety
- Increased clinginess to human or animal family members
- New behavioral issues such as accidents in the house, increased vocalizations, destructive behavior, etc.
- Lethargy and depression
- Personality changes
- Sleeping more than normal or
- Not being able to sleep
- Pacing, or continuous searching for their missing friend
If your dog displays these signs, or others, after the loss of a friend there’s a good chance that the symptoms are being caused be grief. However, please always take your dog to the vet for a full exam if he/she displays new or worsening mental and/or physical symptoms.

Tips For Helping Your Dog Deal with Grief

Don’t Change Other Aspects Of Your Dog’s Life Too Quicky.

Changing aspects of your dog’s life, such as their schedule or environment, too quickly after the loss of a friend can be stressful. Everyone grieves differently. I know some people are eager to put away their deceased dog’s belongings. But it may be beneficial to leave items, such as bedding and toys, in place as these types of items can bring comfort to your remaining dog. Try to keep your remaining dog(s) schedule as consistent as possible. If you are ultimately going to make changes to his/her schedule try to do so slowly.

But Make Changes As Needed.

That being said, if changing some aspect of your dog’s life will help them better cope then don’t be afraid to make changes. With Fenrir, for example, I’ve decided to change his diet. Feeding him the same food that I fed him and Kitsune just wasn’t working. In our case, changing Fen’s food has been a better decision than continuing to attempt to offer him a food that he just wasn’t interested in eating anymore.

Try Not To Act Overly Emotional Around Your Dog.

This one is hard. Our pets can be an amazing source of comfort when we’re dealing with sadness. But dogs pick up on our emotions, and when they are already feeling the stress of losing a housemate, seeing their favorite people morn can add to their distress. On days when I’m feeling particularly sad, I try to step away from Fen for a while. I take the time I need to express my sadness away from my dog. I’d never want to cause him excess stress because I’m having a bad day.

Manage Your Own Grief.

Because our dogs are so amazing at picking up on our emotions, finding ways to help yourself cope with your shared grief can go a long way towards helping your dog. Help yourself so that you can better help those around you, your remaining dog included. Remember that you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Make Sure You Are Attending To Your Dog’s Needs.

This tip may sound stupid but it can be easy to forget to complete basic tasks when you’re dealing with a really stressful situation. I know when I was dealing with Kitsune being sick, and the direct aftermath, it was hard to complete everyday tasks such as walking Fen. Even on your worst days, make sure you are attending to your remaining dog’s basic needs. Forgetting to feed or walk Fido is going to increase his stress levels.

Spend Time With Your Dog.

Go for a walk, play in the yard, or just snuggle up in front of the TV. After your dog loses a friend, he may feel lonely. Spending time with your dog can help him feel more secure.

Engage Your Dog’s Body.

Exercise can be healing, especially for dogs. If the weather is bad and you can’t walk your dog, or otherwise exercise them outside, take a look at our previous post about exercising your dog indoors.

Engage Your Dog’s Mind.

Physical exercise is awesome, but don’t forget that mental stimulation is important too! Keeping your dog’s mind busy can help them focus on positive things other than their grief. Consider engaging your dog’s mind by brushing up on their training, having them play with interactive toys such as puzzles, or letting them explore new areas.

Enlist Your Vet If Needed.

If your dog is showing extreme symptoms of grief, or doesn’t seem to be making improvements over time, don’t be afraid to enlist the help of your veterinarian. Your pet may require more intense behavioral intervention or, in some cases, medication to help them get through an especially difficult time.

Give Your Dog Time.

But for the most part, like with people, your dog is going to require time to deal with their grief. Be patient with your pooch as he/she adjusts to a new normal. Change is hard, especially when chance means moving forward without a beloved pack member. Try to be understanding of what your dog is going through. They are not trying to give you a hard time when they act out, they are having a hard time. Dogs are social animals that form strong bonds with family members. Losing a pack member isn’t easy. Be patient and give them the time they need to adjust.

Should You Get Another Dog?

This is a question that seems to come up a lot when a dog passes from a multi-dog household. The answer, frustratingly enough, is that it depends. It depends on you, your remaining dog, your unique situation. There’s a lot to take into account before thinking about bringing a new dog home.

Remember that a new dog will never replace the dog that was lost. Adding a new dog to the mix won’t necessarily ease the grief that your current dog is experiencing. A new friend may bring a lot of joy, but (puppies especially) can also bring a lot of frustration. If your current dog is feeling down, he may not be in the right frame of mind to deal with an exuberant new pack member. You know your dog(s) best. Sometimes adding a new member to the pack cheers everyone up and helps hearts to heal. Other times it’s too much too soon. It can be a good idea to allow your current dog, and yourself, time to fully process grief before thinking about any new additions.

My Plan With Fenrir

I’ve been utilizing these tips for Fen and I think he’s doing ok. Lately he’s been showing more excitement about going for walks and play, and he has stopped wandering the house searching for Kit. Our biggest remaining issue is that Fen still hasn’t been eating consistently and I can tell, at times, that he’s still feeling down. I’m going to continue spending a lot of time with Fen, and I’ve decided to try a new food with him. I’m hoping if I find something he likes the taste of a bit more it will help encourage him to eat. The food he was on worked well when we had another dog around to help encourage Fen to eat. Now that Fen is an only dog, it’s just not cutting it anymore.

I’ll keep you all up to date on Fenrir’s progress. For more current updates consider following us on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Comment below! Did I miss anything? If you’ve, sadly, had to help your dog going through a loss what are some things you did that helped him/her feel better?

Posting regularly here has been hard for me since we lost Kit. I know topics like these are important, but writing about loss, and just dogs in general, when we’re still dealing with a lot of grief isn’t easy. I want to get back to posting here more often, but decided that going back to my every week schedule is too much for now. Going forward, at least for now, I decided that I’m going to try to stick to a every other Thursday posting schedule.

We’ve, unfortunately, been dealing with content scrapers stealing our articles. You shouldn’t be seeing this article on any site other than pawprintpetblog.com! If you’re reading this article on any other site, we’d love for you to take the time to contact us and let us know and, if you have the time, stop by and visit us on our official site! Thanks you.
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12/04/2025
What Is Anticipatory Grief And What Does It Have To Do With Dogs? – Paw Print
I once read a quote about dogs that I don’t feel like trying to find right now. If I do end up finding it I’ll update this later. It was about how dog lovers must sign an invisible contract when they bring a new dog into their lives. You get insane amounts of unconditional love, snuggles, tail wags, laughter, happy days, and fun. But the price you eventually have to pay for all that is steep. I don’t have to type it. We all know what the price we pay is. I know all too well what the price we pay is, because I’ve recently paid it. I’ve been paying it. I think I paid in extra, because I started making deposits before my balance was due. Who do I talk to about a refund? I jest, of course. This post is about anticipatory grief. What is it? And what the heck does it have to do with dogs?

Anticipatory Grief

Probably somewhat obvious by the name, anticipatory grief, sometimes also referred to as preparatory grief, is a type of grief that is felt before a loss. Anticipating an impending loss can trigger strong emotions such as sadness, fear, anger, isolation, anxiety, or guilt. Anticipatory grief is often associated with an impending death, such as in situations where you are aware that yourself, or a loved one, is nearing the end of life. It can occur in other situations too, however. Some more common examples included feeling anticipatory grief over the impending loss of a relationship, such as a breakup or divorce, or a major life event such as a move or job change. “Regular” grief typically occurs after experiencing a loss. Anticipatory grief is grieving for a loss that has not yet occurred.

Symptoms of Anticipatory Grief

Common symptoms of anticipatory grief can include the following…
- Anger
- Irritability
- Numbness and disbelief
- Guilt
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Mood swings
- Loss of control over emotions
- Desperation
- Dread
- Lack of motivation
- Loneliness
- Isolation
- Depression
- A preoccupation with the terminal loved one
Sounds fun right (/sarcasm)? Although it’s thought that anticipatory grief can actually help some people mentally prepare for an impending loss, it’s not a pleasant experience to go through. The symptoms of anticipatory grief can be bad enough that they negatively impact a person’s everyday life.

Wait, So Is Anticipatory Grief A Good Thing, Or Bad?

Studies on anticipatory grief have been pretty inconclusive. For some people, it does seem to come with some benefits. Anticipating a major loss before it occurs can help some people to prepare for what is to come. It can give them time to come to terms with the loss before it happens, which can sometimes make it easier to do things such as say their goodbyes to loved ones, or make necessary preparations ahead of time. For some people, anticipatory grief can make dealing with a loss easier because they’ve had time to process things ahead of time.

For other people, anticipatory grief can be, at best, just the beginning of their grieving process. It doesn’t always adequately help people to prepare for experiencing a loss. At worst, for others, it can be the beginning stage of prolonged grief disorder. Between 7% and 10% of adults experience prolonged grief disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association, which can cause intense, persistent, long term symptoms of grief.

How to Cope With Anticipatory Grief

Anticipatory grief can be especially hard. Oftentimes anticipatory grief ends because the normal grieving process has began. Many people will experience at least some symptoms of anticipatory grief up until the event they are preparatorily grieving for occurs.

Talking to understanding loved ones, friends, or even a therapist may help if you are experiencing anticipatory grief. If you are experiencing extreme symptoms, or symptoms that impact your physical health such as sleeplessness or lack of appetite you should talk to your doctor. Practicing mindfulness and self care can sometimes help ease symptoms. Try to maintain a healthy diet and sleep schedule, and exercise regularly if you can. Meditation or other relaxation exercises may help ease stress. Find what works for you! Everyone experiences grief in their own way, and what helps them to get through that grief may differ as well.

What Does Any Of This Have To Do With Dogs?

This is a dog blog after all. In January of this year (2024) I lost my first dog, my amazing best buddy Kitsune. After 15 years together, as you can probably imagine, dealing with his death has been hard. Kit was a live life loud kind of dog, and pretty much up until the day that he died he was making trouble. Trouble was (literally) his middle name and he 100% lived up to it! He had cancer, but it, unfortunately, took us a long time to figure out he had cancer. Who ever suspects that a dog who is barking at you for second dinner and racing around the house not only has cancer, but has advanced, terminal cancer? I certainly didn’t. Our vet didn’t either.

Despite not knowing about Kit’s cancer at the time, I experienced a lot of anticipatory grief especially throughout the last year or so of his life. I knew that Kit was getting old, and we started having to deal with more health issues with him. He was diagnosed with IVDD in 2022 so I worried a lot about him experiencing a flare up of that. He also had arthritis and a heart murmur that we had to stay on top of monitoring.

Let’s face it, health issues aside every senior dog owner knows they have a very sad day ahead of them. It’s the price we pay for all the amazing years of love and companionship our dogs give us. Caring for a beloved aging, senior dog can be a mentally exhausting experience. For me, I for sure had the symptom of “preoccupation with the terminal loved one” when it came to my anticipatory grief over Kitsune. I spent a lot of time worrying about Kit and trying to think of new ways to make his life even better. I’ll never regret doing everything I could to make every moment of his life as happy and as comfortable as possible, but I will admit that the amount of time I was spending worrying about him was causing me a lot of stress. I would cry sometimes thinking about losing him, which then made me feel frustrated. I didn’t want to spend whatever amount of time I did have left with him grieving him prematurely.

Anticipatory Grief Is A Double Edged Sword

Was the anticipatory grief I experienced before losing my senior dog a good thing or a bad thing? I will say that it made me really focus a lot of attention on Kit. Because I was somewhat preoccupied with thinking about his death, I was hyper aware of how important it was to really appreciate the time I had with him. That last year or so of snuggles were extra sweet. I admit that I got quite lax when it came to any form of discipline, because how can you say no to a senior dog? Kit got all the snuggles, and walks, and (almost) all the treats that he wanted. He’d always been spoiled, but especially so in his last years of life. No regrets there.

I feel like really appreciating the time I spent with Kit, and spoiling him so much, in a small way did help me deal with his death. I knew when he died that we had given him a good life. That I didn’t take him for granted and that, other than not finding out about his cancer sooner, I didn’t have any major regrets when it came to how I cared for Kit, especially in his senior years.

But, at the same time, the anticipatory grief was hard. It was stressful and sad. In some ways, I feel like it may have been even harder than the actual grief I started dealing with after Kit died. The actual grief has been really hard, don’t get me wrong, but, for me at least, it’s not as anxiety inducing. It’s weird to feel like I’ve been grieving for a dog for so long, when he only died 3ish months ago.

I still have my Alaskan Klee Kai, Fenrir, and I know I’ll more than likely have other dogs in my life in the future. I hope I don’t experience anticipatory grief with Fenrir or any of my future dogs as strongly as I did with Kitsune. I’m confident that I can appreciate them in their senior years, the way I did with Kitsune, without the added stress of prematurely grieving them at the same time. Kit taught me so many important life lessons, one of them, sadly, being about all the hard aspects of living with, and losing, a senior dog. I’m hoping those lessons will make my next loss a bit easier to deal with, but I guess only time will tell. And hopefully it will be a very long time before I lose anyone else close to me!

A Quick Update…

In my last post I said I was going to try to stick to an every other week posting schedule here. Clearly that hasn’t been working out. I have to admit, that since losing Kit posting here has just been difficult. I’ve had some major writer’s block when it comes to writing about dogs, and writing about Kit still makes me cry. It’s still my plan to post here at least every other week eventually, but for now I’m just going to do what I can. For anyone who wants to hear from us more often, I’ve been more active on our Instagram and Facebook pages than I have here.

We are doing ok! My partner, Fenrir, and I are all really missing Kit. It just sucks so much not having him around. It feels like a big part of our little family is missing – because it is. I still have bad days, and sometimes bad weeks. But we’re ok. The weather here is finally warming up so we’ve been trying to spend a lot of time taking advantage of that. Nature therapy for the win! Everyday after work I spend time playing outside with Fenrir, and we’ve been fitting in as many spring hikes as we can find time for.

“Healing in grief is a lot like the onset of spring. It’s unreliable and fickle. One day it’s warmish and blue skies and we think, “Hey! We’re feeling better!” Then the next day -or week- it’s sleeting and gray again. But ever so slowly, we advance into better weather. We can’t rush it. We can’t control it. We can’t skip the dismal days. But we can trust that spring and then summer will come.”
– Dr.Alan Wolfelt

Comment Below!

Have you ever experienced anticipatory grief? Did you find any techniques that really helped you to deal with it?

We’ve, unfortunately, been dealing with content scrapers stealing our articles. You shouldn’t be seeing this article on any site other than pawprintpetblog.com! If you’re reading this article on any other site, we’d love for you to take the time to contact us and let us know and, if you have the time, stop by and visit us on our official site! Thanks you.
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12/04/2025
Viticus Expands with Nashville Learning Center and Conference

Editor’s Note: Viticus Group (formerly Western Veterinary Conference) was “the conference where it all happened” — where Goodnewsforpets.com was launched 25 years ago. We were thrilled to visit with Dr. Anthony Pease, Viticus Group’s Chief Veterinary Medical Officer, at this year’s conference in Las Vegas to not only celebrate Goodnewsforpets anniversary but also talk to Dr. Pease about the exciting news of building a second Oquendo Center-type hands-on learning center in Nashville plus the launch of a second WVC conference in 2026.

First, congratulations on this huge news. What can you tell us about the decision to launch a new learning center PLUS a national conference in Nashville?

Thank you. We have found that the Viticus Group’s Oquendo Center is the only place outside any academic institution offering a standalone hands-on training facility for the veterinary profession. Here, we can teach all the state-of-the-art techniques and things that you may not have picked up in school or never got to practice enough to feel comfortable. Some examples are fracture repair, soft tissue surgery, and all that sort of stuff.

What I’ve loved about being the chief veterinary medical officer of Viticus Group is that my whole role is to build confidence. In general, there’s so much information for veterinarians to learn. When you get out into practice, you’ve trained your whole life, and then suddenly, you’re doing that work every day and no longer in training.

We built the Oquendo Center 15 years ago when WVC needed a place to do hands-on labs during the conference, and then we expanded to an Eastern campus. We have 140,000 square feet of dedicated training facilities here in Las Vegas. We’ve kept going and use it even after the conference. We see about 5,000 veterinary professionals. We even do work with the human health side every year.

How many labs do you offer?

When we have conferences, we usually have about 30 hands-on labs, but more people wanted this type of training, so we went up to 44 hands-on labs this time. Amazingly, we have approximately 1400 people doing hands-on training over the next four days. We realized we couldn’t do enough of it, so rather than trying to build a third building in Las Vegas, we said let’s start going someplace else. Andrea Davis, Viticus Group’s CEO, and I searched, and the location selected was Nashville.

How did you arrive at Nashville as the site?

As part of our strategic plan, when we talked to the Executive Board, we discussed an East Coast expansion, and everyone was on board. That was back in 2023. In early 2024, we started traveling around. We picked out five different areas that we wanted to look at. We just fell in love with Nashville. It just made a lot of sense. It’s seven minutes from the airport. Our center’s going to be seven minutes from the airport. We said this would be great, and we could do hands-on labs, but we’re good at conferences, too. Nashville also has an excellent convention center. We started talking with them, and it probably took another six months to talk through. We don’t want to bring a little regional conference; we want to do a national conference.

How did you land on doing the Nashville conference in the fall?

Back in 2021, during Covid times, we had to move our conference because we couldn’t do our conference in February. We shifted it to September, and many people felt the timing was excellent. It was a nice time to have it towards the end of the year because people were closing out their CE, and maybe they couldn’t get away in January or February. That resonated with us, too. We decided that if we were to do a second conference, we should do it in Q3 or Q4. We decided to do the 2026 and 2027 conferences in August. The dates are August 16 to the 18^th, 2026.

Goodnewsforpets.com Editor & Publisher Lea-Ann Germinder with Dr. Anthony Pease, Viticus Group Chief Veterinary Medical Officer at WVC Vegas 2025

How did you decide on the length of the new conference?

We do four days in February in Las Vegas, so we decided to start with three days. But we have our teaching facility, so we’ll probably do hands-on for four days to keep it moving. The idea is that it’s going to be a 170,000-square-foot exhibit hall. It’s going to be everything that you’re used to in Las Vegas, but we’re going to do much more interactive learning, including innovation technologies. It’s pretty exciting.

How did you arrive at the type of content you will be providing?

We want to get the instant applicable stuff for veterinary professionals, whether they are technicians, front office workers, practice managers, or owners of large or small animals. There’s something for everybody.

What was the exhibitor and sponsor feedback you received?

We contacted most of the larger companies’ CEOs and Chief Medical Officers, and they were ecstatic. I think it will be such a great time, such a good time of year for them. We want to say, look, there have been many smaller conferences that spring up, and it’s not what this is. There hasn’t been a major national conference created since NAVC created their conference [now named VMX]43 years ago. At that point, they were the Eastern Veterinary Conference and evolved. The Western Veterinary Conference will be WVC Las Vegas, and WVC Nashville.

WVC will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary. Where are you going to celebrate that centennial?

We’ve been starting work on that. It will be our hundredth year in Las Vegas, and now we will also be in Nashville to have two parties. We will do something celebrating 100 years—where we’ve been for the last hundred years and where we’re going in the next hundred years. Technology like AI, which we discussed earlier, will play a massive part as technology advances. Thinking back to 1928 and where that conference was versus what we’re learning about now, it’s all very exciting.

Thank you, Dr. Pease. We wish you a wonderful opening of the facility and conference in 2026—and we plan to be there!

To stay updated on Viticus Group expansion plans, visit viticusgroup.org and join the Alert List.

He Still Loves Horses, But Radiology Was His Calling: Dr. Pease Talks About His Career, Viticus Group & More

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12/04/2025
Protecting Your Dog’s Health And The Best Way To Deal With Worms

For those of us who have the joy of owning a puppy or dog, there is nothing more special and beautiful than seeing our little buddies coming at us with those fluffy happy faces like they were yelling “I love you” when they see us. For this reason, we as pet owners try to do our best to simply give them the very best experience they can possibly have while they live their lives by our side.

This is why we make sure to be informed about how to keep our dog or puppy in the best health condition they can be. We all want our best friend to be happy and live as long as possible. And there are ways we can make sure our canine friends are always in great shape and feeling good.

Puppyhood

Before we start talking about how to boost our dog’s immune system we must first understand what it is and how it works.

The immune system of a dog, just like our own human immune system, is what protects them from outside intruders such as viruses, toxins, bacterias, and other threats. The immune system is armed with a set of specialized cells, proteins, and organs that work together as a team to protect their bodies from getting sick or keeping disease at bay and helping in their recovery.

When a puppy is born, they receive a very important gift from their mother, their first milk. This first milk is produced by their mother’s mammary glands immediately following the birth of their newborn puppies, and it is called colostrum.

Colostrum contains antibodies and a high concentration of proteins that will protect the newborn baby against disease. These proteins will still be produced in the mother’s milk, but never as concentrated as it is present in colostrum. The nutrients provided by colostrum will also have some laxative effects that will allow puppies to pass their first stool and dispose of wastes that were produced in large quantities during birth.

Many people think colostrum replacement products will actually do the same job as their mother’s first milk, but this is not true. Colostrum replacement products actually come from cows and do not contain the same components, although it does have some proteins that are common in all mammals.

When a puppy lose their mom for whatever reason and fails to receive colostrum from her, it is very difficult to raise them as they lack the resistance that they were going to be granted with their first milk; so they will get sick very easily and are at a high risk of dying when they’re still babies.

When a female dog gives birth, they’ll produce colostrum for several days, but it is most crucial for the newborn pups to get their mother’s milk within the first twelve hours after delivery. Drinking colostrum after this period of time does not have the same benefits, as their digestive systems will no longer soak up the antibodies anymore.

Puppies should nurse until they are at least four weeks old, but they shouldn’t leave their mother and littermates until they are at least eight weeks old. It is recommended to vaccinate your puppy between six to sixteen weeks of age.

Dogs that are younger than one year of age are generally considered puppies. But this varies from breed to breed. Some dog breeds mature earlier than others. You should determine when to stop feeding your dog with puppy food. Usually, small breeds can switch to regular dog food between nine to twelve months, and large breeds can take up to twenty-four months.

Boosting your dog’s immune system

When your dog has a strong and healthy immune system, it will be like having a protective force field around them; this might sound silly but it is like it is. The immune system is the first line of defense your canine partner has to fight against viruses, bacteria, parasites and other sort of pathogens that can hurt them and make them sick.

Even when your dog gets sick, the immune system will be the one working to restore your dog’s body back to health.When your dog’s immune system weakens, your dog’s body will be defenseless against chronic disease, toxins, illness and deterioration.

This is why it is so important to keep your dog’s immune system at its best in order to allow their body to be fully able to fight environmental pathogens and diseases. There are ways to boost immune system in dogs, like the following:

Keep your dog hydrated:

Just like us humans, dogs need water to keep the immune system strong. Fresh and clean water is fundamental for a healthy canine body to function properly. Keeping your buddy hydrated not only helps their body to dispose of those harmful toxins that are already in there, but it also has several benefits like regulating body temperature, process oxygen, help with blood flow and allow proper digestion of food and assimilation of nutrients.

So yes, drinking water is very good for your doggy; and they should be drinking at least twelve ounces of water for every ten pounds of weight. So you should know how much your dog weighs, in order to provide at least the minimum amount of water they need to keep them healthy. If your dog weighs fifty pounds, they should be drinking at least sixty ounces of water per day. You must be aware that this amount might increase if you have a very active dog, so don’t be afraid to give them as much water as they require.

Feed you dog properly:

A balanced diet is fundamental for a healthy immune system. Even when dogs are considered omnivorous like us humans, they need a higher proportional intake of protein, so if you plan to feed your dog a vegan diet you must be extremely careful, protein is the most important step in the dog’s food pyramid. Other requirements for dog’s food are fat, carbs, vitamins and minerals.

Antioxidants and other nutrients play a big role in keeping your dog healthy. Some very good sources of antioxidants are: Apples, plums, cabbage, broccoli and beans. Some dog foods contain antioxidants but not in important quantities to make a difference in your dog’s health. You can also provide your dog all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals they need in the form of tablets. But you must be cautious, you don’t want to give your dog too much of these supplements as they might turn harmful in high quantities, consult your vet when you plan to give your dog any special supplement.

Keep in mind that your dog’s weight will also affect their general health condition, and make their immune system struggle. So check if they’re overweight, they might need to get on a diet, or need some exercise.

Keep your dog active:

Sedentarism is terrible for both humans and pets. Overweight dogs are at risk of suffering from a variety of conditions, from diabetes to heart disease. It is important to feed your dog properly and keep them active enough to burn all those extra calories.

There is a reason why people walk their dogs or pay someone to walk them. Dogs require physical activity to stay healthy. Other ways to help them burn those extra calories is by playing with them, they will enjoy this activity very much because they will be spending time with you. There is nothing better than having a healthy and happy dog.

Deworming your dog

One of the things you will have to deal with as a dog owner is the problem of parasites; dogs are ideal hosts for these. Dogs are always playing around dirt, trash, excrement, etc. sticking their noses and licking whatever they find on the street. It is only logical that they will get in trouble with parasites.

It is very probable that your dog will get worms at one time or another. Diarrhea and vomiting are signs that something is not ok, and you might want to take your canine friend on a trip to the vet in order to make sure your dog is indeed dealing with worms.

A fresh stool sample will provide your vet what they need to find out if your dog has worms or not. As tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms and whipworms will live in your dog’s intestines.

The sooner you treat your dog and deal with their worm problems, the sooner your dog will go back to normal and feel healthy again. Your vet will indicate what medicine will be better for your pet, these drugs usually will be effective against a wide range of parasites.

Don’t be surprised if you start to see worms in your dog’s poops after the deworming process has started, this is quite normal. These sorts of medications can come in the form of tablets, and you will need to make sure your dog swallows it all. For puppies, these tablets can be difficult to swallow so there are liquid options available for them.

You might want to prevent worms instead of treating your dog against them. Dogs who already suffered worms in the past might get infected once again as the worming medicine will kill the big worms but some eggs might still be left around your dog’s intestines. Your vet will decide how long you should keep giving your dog this medication until they are finally free from these parasites.

Regular treatment is the best defence against worms and other parasites. Regular worming throughout your dog’s life will help keep your dog healthy and happy. Make sure your vet checks your dog for all kinds of worms at least once a year. Get a prescription from your vet for the drug to prevent heartworms. Keep your dog flea-free. And keep your dog clean. They are not aware of the invisible dangers in the world, but you are. So do what you can to keep them healthy and feeling good.

What is the best way to deworm your dog?

The best way to deal with worms and build immunity on your dog is by giving them a blend of natural ingredients with all the supplements they need to remain healthy and happy. This is why we recommend Vibralife as a tasty way to give your dog a happy and vibrant life.

The all-natural ingredients baked into a pellet for topdressing your dog’s feed. It’s a tasty way to give your dog what they need. Helping to gently remove parasites, establish a thick and shiny hair coat, and heal the gut lining and stomach. It has also helped female dogs overcome reproductive problems, including infertility, insufficient milk supply, and inconsistent cycles.

The Reed Sedge Peat and Diatomaceous Earth in Vibralife work as a team to bind and prevent parasites that are common in young puppies. Psyllium Husk works to heal and protect the stomach and gut lining, while the oils help improve digestion and skin and hair quality. Yeast and Kelp help the immune and reproductive systems. Unlike most commercial dewormers that are hard on lactating females, Vibralife supports healthy lactating.

Natural ways to prevent worms

So you are looking for natural ways to prevent those annoying worms from getting into your fluffy friend’s life. Prevention is always the best defense. Although they are not as effective as medicine prescribed by your veterinarian of trust, or Vibralife Health Supplement Multivitamin and Natural Dewormer; these alternatives can help prevent parasites from getting into your fluffy friend:

Chamomile is a herb that comes from daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. Chamomile has been used in traditional medicine across the globe for thousands of years. It can help with bloating and inflammation caused by internal parasites, and sometimes get rid of whipworms and roundworms.

Apple cider vinegar is another well known traditional natural medicine. It is basically apple juice with added yeast that turns the juice’s sugar into alcohol through fermentation. Then, non harmful bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid. There are several benefits that come from drinking apple cider vinegar, among those is to increase the alkaline levels in your dog’s intestines making it inhospitable for parasites and worms.

Coconut oil can also help eliminate worms from your canine friend’s body, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties that may help clear a pinworm infection. It also has other health benefits like fighting fungus, boosting metabolism, preventing skin infections and more.

These are just a few examples of natural alternatives to prevent worms and other parasites to get into your little buddy. Keep in mind that medication and a strong immune system will always be the most efficient way to deal with this sort of problem.

Dog Owners

There are several things you must remember as a responsible dog owner in order to keep your dog healthy and happy. A balanced diet, avoiding overweight and providing vitamins and nutrients is top of the list along with exercise and everyday activity. Remember that your vet will always know what is best for your dog, so don’t miss annual check outs.

Worms and other parasites are a serious matter to be always aware of, the process of deworming can get really unpleasant, both for you and your dog. The best defense is prevention, there is medicine your dog should take recurrently to avoid worms, there are also amazing blends that will provide everything your dog needs to fight, get rid and prevent these parasites. And there are also natural alternatives that can do a lot of good to your dog.

The most important thing is to try to keep yourself informed about your dog’s health. It’s not easy to be a dog owner, but having a happy pet who loves you unconditionally is truly worth it.

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12/04/2025
Celebrating Valentine’s Day With Your Dog – Paw Print
What love is purer than the love we share with our pets? They love us unconditionally, no matter what we look like, our pasts, or how much money we make. They are our workout partners, snuggle buddies, therapists, and best friends. Although it’s important to express to our loved ones, pets included, that we care for them on a daily bases, why not do something special for your furry Valentine this Valentine’s Day? Also, remember while you’re celebrating with your loved ones, that some of the most common Valentine’s Day gifts and decorations can be dangerous to our pets.

Here are some tips to help you keep Valentine’s Day fun and safe for your furry friends!

Keep chocolate and sweets away from pets: Most pet owners already know that chocolate can be dangerous to some types of pets. However, even non-chocolate candies and sweets should be kept away from animals. Treats sweetened with Xylitol can cause dangerous hypoglycemia in our pets. Candy that doesn’t contain Xylitol or chocolate may not be toxic to our pets, but they commonly cause issues such as upset stomachs and digestion problems. So keep human treats away from your pets, you don’t want them to have to spend their Valentine’s Day with an upset tummy!

Flower safety: Flowers are a beautiful gift, but make sure that that bouquet from your secret admirer doesn’t put your pet in danger. Some species of flowers, such as lilies and morning glories, can be dangerous or even fatal to certain types of pets. Do research to determine what types of plants are unsafe for the particular type of pet(s) you own. When giving flowers as a gift, be careful not to send dangerous types of plants to pet owners. If you receive roses, don’t allow your pets to step on or chew the stem of the flowers. The thorns can cause injuries to your unsuspecting pets. De-thorn roses if you are afraid your pet might get to them. If in doubt, keep plants and flowers away from pets. Put the flowers up out of their reach and make sure that if the plants drop leaves or petals that they don’t fall onto the floor where your pet(s) could get to them.

No alcohol for Fido: Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets. Even a small amount of alcohol can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal, to pets.

Decoration safety: Be extra careful with decorations, especially things like candles and present wrapping supplies. A playful pet could easily knock over an unattended candle, and things like ribbons and wrapping paper may look like a fun toy, but can be dangerous is swallowed.

Don’t give pets for gifts: A fuzzy puppy or kitten may look adorable with a red ribbon around it’s neck on Valentine’s Day, but for many reasons pets should never be given as gifts. Instead consider other options such as stuffed animals, chocolate, or pet supplies for a potential future pet owner.

Be smart when picking pet presents: Most pets would love a new treat or toy on Valentine’s Day. Be smart about what you choose for your furry friends. Some commercial pet treats are unhealthy, or contain potentially dangerous ingredients. Toys should be sturdy and able to stand up to your pet. If your pet needs some new supplies, such as a new collar, etc., than things like that can make good gifts. On a budget? Why not try making your pet some homemade treats? And keep in mind that…

The best give you can give your pet is your time: Pets don’t need expensive gifts to know that their owners love them. Just spending some extra time with your pet can be the greatest gift of all. Consider taking your dog on an extra long walk, or playing ball for a few extra minutes. Snuggle up with your pet and watch tv together, or spend some extra time grooming them. Think of what your pet likes to do with you most, and spend some extra time with them doing it on Valentine’s Day. There’s nothing most pets love more than spending time with their loved ones, and the time spent together will be fun for you too!

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12/04/2025