The dog whisperers
Psychology students resurrect behavioral analysis program to study canines' psyche, mental conditions
Sara Norgon
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Campus News
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The Behavioral Applications Regarding Canines program was established in 2001 as a joint effort between the Eau Claire Humane Association and the psychology department to give psychology students the chance to practice behavioral analysis outside the classroom.
The program died off when psychology professor Dr. Greg Madden left Eau Claire in 2005, junior Kristine Funk said.
BARC members Funk and senior Erin Barney admit they have never seen the popular National Geographic show "Dog Whisperer" but joked about watching it during their weekly meetings.
Funk and Barney are psychology majors with an emphasis on behavioral analysis. They both participate in the program. Funk said she wants to work with marine mammals when she graduates, while Barney said she plans to work with children.
Both Funk and psychology professor Daniel Holt said one of the reasons the program may have died previously is because right now it doesn't count toward the requirements to become a board-certified behavioral analyst.
"This certification agency is an internationally recognized certification, and they're not accepting the animal hours as counting toward certification," Holt said.
Funk was the one who got the program started again last spring when she approached Holt.
"I originally just wanted to do an independent study and then found out that Erin (Barney) wanted to do it too," Funk said.
From there, she called the Eau Claire Humane Association.
"Immediately they said that would be great … They remembered when BARC was here before and said we were more than welcome to come back."
Along with Funk and Barney, senior Kevin Schlichenmeyer and Kelly Neri are also members of BARC.
All members had to go though volunteer training before they could work with the dogs.
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