Behavior

Our behaviorists are able to remotely help many patients at this time.  Please call the Behavior Office at (617) 989-1520 for help.

Terri Bright, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CAAB sees Behavior appointments on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at Angell in Boston, and is joined by Jocelyn Strassel, M.S., CVT, who sees patients at Angell in Boston on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and by appointment only at MSPCA-Angell West, Waltham.

Dr. Bright earned her Master’s of Science degree and Ph.D. at Simmons College in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with an animal specialty, and she is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D). She is a mentor for future BCBAs, teaches Behavior Analysis at Northeastern University, and lectures nationally on the subject of Applied Animal Behavior Analysis. She is the President of the Applied Animal Behavior Special Interest Group in the Association of Applied Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), and her dissertation research entailed developing a dog behavior assessment and analysis tool that will help to standardize how dog trainers evaluate why problem behaviors happen.

Dr. Bright has been training dogs as a hobby and professionally for many years and her research on stimulus equivalence (matching-to-sample training) earned her a Marian Breland Bailey (MBB) Award from the Association of Applied Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).  Dr. Bright won another MBB Award from ABAI for her research on the use of errorless teaching to train a Shelter dog to sit at the sound of a bell (“Pavlov’s Shelter”) when she was not in the dog’s sight. She uses evidence-based methods of training.

Dr. Bright launched the Training Department at the MSPCA-Boston location in 2007, and has grown the program to over 30 classes a week. She helps to evaluate homeless dogs surrendered at the MSPCA for proper placement, and designs training and enrichment programs for dogs at the MSPCA. She also designs and implements curriculum and teaching for staff and volunteers in the SAFEWALK program, which she created in 2009, and lectures locally and nationally on behavior analysis.

Our Services

Behavior consultations for cats and dogs.

Plan development

Following consultation, clients receive a detailed plan for their pet to modify behavior, and each consultation includes 6 months of email and phone follow-up to see how their pet is doing after our consultation.

Positive-based behavior modification treatment plans for issues such as:

• Aggression towards people and other animals
• Separation anxiety
• Noise phobias
• House soiling and marking
• Generalized anxiety
• Situational anxiety (car rides, slippery floors, vet visits)
• New baby acclimation
• Furniture scratching
• Excessive vocalization
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Compulsive behavior

For more information on Dog Training Classes, please click here.

Learn about our waiting list policy here.