Star-Ledger, August 9, 1987 Taking the Bite Out of Behavior by Joan Babbage

Animal behaviorist Jeff Loy, who works with unruly horses, biting dogs and frenzied wild animals, has learned to keep his cool in the face of great danger. "Everything goes into slow motion for me. It's a matter of self-discipline. I cannot panic when a horse, wolf or large dog, like a Saint Bernard, begins its charge. Obviously at 127 pounds I am no match. My challenge is to outwit the animal and achieve dominance," he explains. But as fast as he is, Loy often loses. And he has scarred hands and arms to prove it. In fact, he has sustained thousands of bites since he began his career a dozen years ago. "Touch is everything, so I must take the risk and learn to tolerate the bite," he emphasizes. "It takes courage, but before I draw a conclusion about an animal's behavior I must be able to take its bite. I have learned how to do that and sustain a minimal amount of damage." He notes the "why" of many biters is frenzy or hyperactivity. According to Loy, a frenzied dog is a stressed animal that overreacts to things that does not bother other dogs. Aside from that, the canine sleeps less and eats and drinks more. "Frenzy occurs when a social animal, like a dog is denied its natural setting, which is the hierarchy of the pack. So it's natural for a canine to try to become as dominant as possible." Loy can determine the "how" of every biter, only after he has been bitten, he explains, noting that bite guides him every time. And although there are numerous types of bites, he puts them into three broad categories - shy, frantic and dominant-aggressive. "Shy bites are rapid and multiple but with little pressure. Frantic bites, the second type, are harder, also rapid and quick releasing. The dominant/aggressive bite, type number three, is a deep puncturing cut in which the dog clamps down hard and holds on," he explains, noting, however, there are many variables and that some dogs may exhibit all three types of bites. Loy prefers to visit his clients at their homes, where he can observe their pet's environment first hand. After his initial encounter with a troubled animal, he uses a special leash, a snapping motion of the left hand on the training lead. "The jerk on the collar is a force that cannot be ignored. The motion quickly achieves respect and is eventually reinforced by softly spoken commands to sit, heel, down and stay," he said, noting cooperation on the part of the pet owner is essential. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in mathematics, Loy notes he has been able to "simplify" his behavior analysis by formulating his research data. From his studies, he has discovered the weakest signals an animal receives are verbal ones, which are the procedures of standard obedience training. "However, an animal will sit and respond only when distractions are minimal. When something interesting comes along, calling, pleading and shouting will be totally ignored. So I tell my clients that touch is the key to obedience and only praise should be verbal." Educating the public is Loy's perpetual goal. He frequently gives lectures and appears on radio and television, emphasizing that almost all behavior problems can be solved by using the proper training techniques. Loy operates Animal Behavioral Research from his home in Chester (Morris County). Loy travels around the nation and to Canada to visit his clients. Most, but not all, of his training involves vicious canines. But he is called upon to find out why a formerly clean cat is not longer using its litter box or how to control a horse that balks at walking up or down the ramp of its trailer. Although Loy frequently works with show horses, he points out their owners will tolerate "some bad behavior" only because they are not sharing their home with the animals. He acknowledges that at least 80 percent of his work deals with biting dogs, as well as some obstreperous cats and birds. "Unfortunately, people usually are not interested in perfection of performance of their animals, until serious biting occurs," said Loy. "For instance, most dogs show average behavior that could lead to problems, even though they are not recognized as problems. Beware the dog or puppy that displays hyperactive behavior, growls, is overly possessive of food and toys, is destructive or barks excessively. These pets can turn into dangerous biters if they are not controlled. "Pet owners all too often play a passive role while the problem animals dominate the household. And they will have to be euthanized needlessly as long as their masters believe that love and food are enough. Structure, dominance and education are essential, because only a controlled animal is a happy and safe pet." The behaviorist, who has been interested in wild animals since he was a youngster, recalled he began his research a decade ago at the Seeing Eye Institute in Morristown, where he trained guide dogs for several years. "It was an interesting career, but I left because I wanted to teach and continue my studies on wildlife," he explained. Since then, Loy has worked with deer, bears, wolves, coyotes and alligators, observing the dangerous aspects of behavior in wild animals. "Wolves are really tough because they are so strong. Even when they are playing, they can easily break an arm or rupture a blood vessel with their jaws. Wild animals are challenging, but they are teaching me a lot about domestic pets. "You must have scope. If you don't understand wild animals, you know nothing, because all animal behavior is related and linked to the environment." Loy is especially interested in discovering the effects of captivity on animals and how their behavior compares to that of human beings who are forced to live in overcrowded conditions. "How much air, water and space do we need?" he muses. "There must be parallels in the behavior of confined animals and mankind." Loy is sharing his experiences with Jack Atthowe, a professor of behavior modification at the Robert Wood Medical School of Rutgers University, and his wife Jean, who is an English professor at Rutgers. The trio are collaborating on a book in which they are comparing animal and human behavior. They hope to present their findings at the International Association of Behavior Therapists in London. Keeping track of every wild animal that comes to visit his property is a favorite and important pursuit for Loy, who maintains records of ages, weights and of course, behavior. His tools are a magnifying glass, telescope and tape measure. As a lure, he has salt lick in his garden. "By reading tracks, I discovered a group of young deer were actually playing in my backyard," he said. In pursuing his research, the behaviorist frequently rises at 4 a.m. to watch nocturnal animals, especially shy flying squirrels. "I want to learn as much as I can every day," he insists. "There is an urgent need to know what questions to ask, because there are endless questions. The longer I live, I realize how little I know. And there is so much to learn about animal behavior."