Certified cat behavior consultant Marilyn Krieger has some tips for teaching those shy shelter kitties how to turn on the charm when meeting new people.

There’s a lot of debate over the best way to motivate dogs during training. Of course, not all rewards work for all dogs, but a recent study has identified the most consistent winner: food.

Do humans do a good job of understanding the emotions on a dog’s face? Can we draw valid conclusions about what a dog is feeling, experiencing, or his propensity for aggression from facial clues? And does having a lot of experience with dogs help us “read” dogs better?

Does the size and color of a dog mean that dog is more or less friendly to strangers? No, but people’s behavior suggests they believe it does.

How do you decide if a dog in your shelter is “aggressive”? Can aggressive dogs ever be safely rehabilitated and adopted, and if so, which ones – and how? Find out at the 2013 ASPCA/ Cornell/Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Conference in Ithaca, NY.

What does “quality of life” really mean? Far from being an afterthought or even a luxury, the quality of life for shelter pets is directly related to disease outbreaks, development of behavior problems, the chances a pet will be adopted, and whether that adoption will be successful or if the pet will end up back at the shelter.

Food guarding – possessive, defensive or aggressive behavior around food or food bowls – is not a death sentence for a shelter dog. How to assess and modify this behavior is something all animal shelters can and should learn in order to save the lives of more dogs, and ensure their safe and successful placement in new homes.

What are the chances shelter staff can tell the difference between friendly and feral cats, even after three days of observation? Around 75 percent.

The ancient Greek word for cat was “ailuro,” which means “tail waver.” Unfortunately, says veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall, the message of the feline tail, as well as other feline signals have been lost on many modern observers.

Dogs who have an unrecognized fear of noise are at greater risk of developing behavior problems that may result in their surrender to a shelter. Additionally, these dogs may panic and bolt, even overcoming crates, locked doors and other attempts at safe confinement, thus being picked up by animal control agencies, often far from home.