Christine D. Calder DVM, DACVB, is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist who lives and works in Maine. She wrote AskPetVet for pet families who want clear, practical answers about why their animals do what they do, and what they can do to help.
Why this site exists
Behavior concerns are one of the most common reasons people euthanize or give up their pet, and the right information can prevent or improve many of them. Behavior and medical health are closely connected. Pain, illness, and fear can all change how an animal acts, so every article on this site considers both. The goal is to help you understand your animal, know when to call your veterinarian, and feel more confident about the next step.
About Dr. Calder
Dr. Calder earned her veterinary degree in 1998 from Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. She owns Calder Veterinary Behavior Services, where she works with veterinarians on behavior cases.
She is the editor and an author of Dr. Sophia Yin’s Low Stress Handling® and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats, Second Edition, and Low Stress Handling®: A Practical Guide to Cooperative Care, Training, and Behavior Modification, and the editor and an author of Veterinary Guide to Preventing Behavior Problems in Dogs and Cats. She has also written chapters on cat behavior, the feline hospital experience, and chicken behavior for veterinary textbooks. You can find all of her books on the Books page, and her podcasts, articles, and courses on the Media page.
Dr. Calder shares her home with four dogs and three free-range chickens. The dogs are Roux and Banshee, her Rhodesian Ridgebacks; Boudreaux, a Mississippi Brown Dog who stopped her car on a country road in Mississippi; and Monkey, a French Bulldog she adopted from her local shelter. A lifelong cat lover, she has had cats in the past, but the dogs have outvoted her for now.
How articles are written
Every article is written or reviewed by Dr. Calder and is based on current veterinary behavior research and clinical experience. Articles focus on understanding the animal’s point of view, meeting their needs, and using reward-based training. When research changes, articles are updated.
The information on this site is for education only and does not replace an examination by your own veterinarian. Please read the full disclaimer.