Leticia Fanucchi, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences

“Veterinary Behavior Medicine – Moving Beyond the Misbehaved Pet”

Imagine being a dog 50 years ago, living outdoors, chasing squirrels, chewing on sticks, digging holes in the backyard, barking at the neighbor’s dog through the fence, and at times playing fetch with the humans, swimming with the children, or just enjoying the sun outside, living the best dog life. One day without any heads up, based on all those Hollywood movies about Lassie, Rin Tin Tin and others, dogs started to be perceived as small furry humans that should live inside the house, sleep in a bed, wear clothes, go to stores and restaurants, and consequently, behave like the little humans we expect them to be. Suddenly, chewing on things is not accepted anymore, you can’t dig holes, and you can’t bark at noises outside. And chasing cats? Not a thing! Domestic canine species have undergone significant environmental pressures, often with insufficient time to adapt. Due to this stress, many modern dogs suffer from anxiety-related disorders. In this installment of OSU Research on Tap, VPR Sewell will delve into Dr. Leticia Fanucchi’s expertise in veterinary behavior medicine…and how applied behavior research allows clinicians like Dr. Fanucchi to diagnose and treat dogs (and their owner clients) to reduce the negative impact of anxiety and other behavioral disorders.