Helping Pets Train Their People

The Jack Russell terrier had issues: He turned off the television every time another canine appeared on screen. And the cat liked certain TV shows so much that she attacked anyone who tried to change the channel.

Clearly, the pets needed a shrink – like Mary Lee Nitschke, who is a full-time professor of psychology at Linfield College in Portland, Oregon and has, since 1971, been running a bustling side business as an animal behavior therapist. She had acquired her skills by consulting for animal shelters, penning a newspaper column titled "Pets and Their People," and serving on the boards of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

Nitschke meets with the animals and families in their homes. Usually the problem requires "environmental management and owner education." For example, she advised the owners of the Jack Russell to alter the TV so the dog couldn't switch it off and to teach him to lie on a special rug and chew something tasty whenever another dog appeared on the screen. And she showed the owners of the TV tabby how to "counter-condition" their cat: train it to play with a toy, rather than attack.

Nitschke is most often called on to counsel aggressive animals, but she says her toughest cases involve noncompliant owners. "If the people are 'dog dim' and won't do what they need to do, I can't help them."

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