Sophia Yin

Dr. Sophia Yin was a frequent presenter at veterinary conferences and dog training conferences around the world. Unlike most veterinarians, she enjoyed a huge fan base of not only veterinarians, but also dog trainers, groomers and pet owners. Sophia Yin unexpectedly passed away today (September 29).

Dr. Yin's  mission in life was to improve our understanding of animals and their behavior so that we can care for, appreciate and enjoy our time with them better. If changing the world was a goal, she achieved that through her many books and handouts on pet behavior. Her most recent, now considered a bible, "Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats." Through her YouTube page, and Facebook following Dr. Yin reached countless pet owners.

To make the world better for animals - and as a demonstration of her underlying generosity, Dr. Yin offered a variety of informational free handouts. She could have charged. She did not.

Ever since she was a child, Sophia wanted to be a veterinarian, and in 1993, her dream came true. But once out in private practice, she quickly realized that more pets were euthanized due to behavior problems than medical ones. She went back to school to study animal behavior, and earned her Master’s in Animal Science in 2001 from UC Davis where she studied vocal communication in dogs and worked on behavior modification in horses, giraffes, ostriches, and chickens. She was also the award-winning pet columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and at least once won a Dog Writer's Association Award for best newspaper column, up against my column. Upon receiving her degree focused on animal behavior, Dr. Yin served for five years as a lecturer in the UC Davis Animal Science Department. Through these and an eclectic collection of other animal behavior experiences, she came to realize the true secret to successful behavior modification: be kind, thoughtful and patient.

Sophia learned that every pet needs a human who can lead. Not like a boss, but like a partner in a dance—someone who gives clear signals, rewards desirable behavior as it occurs, removes rewards for inappropriate behavior immediately, and sticks to the plan consistently until the new, good behavior is a habit.

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Yin died of apparent suicide and was only 48.