Companion Animal Psychology

But small dogs are more likely to be fully house trained if they have attended training, study shows.


By Zazie Todd, PhD

It has often been suggested that small dogs are more likely to have accidents in the house than large dogs. New research in press in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior finds that small dogs are significantly more likely than big dogs to have house-training mistakes. The research was conducted by Dr. Amy Learn (resident in Clinical Behavioral Medicine at Florida Veterinary Behavior Service) with veterinary behaviourists Dr. Lisa Radosta and Dr. Amy Pike.

It’s an important topic because when dogs have house training issues, their owners may surrender them to an animal shelter, or resort to punishment (which is associated with risks such as fear and anxiety).

The study looked at differences between small dogs (up to 9kg) and big dogs (18kg or more). Dogs in the 9-18kig range were excluded from the analysis as there was some overlap with breeds in other categories.

67% o…

“Lively and fascinating... The reader comes away cheered, better informed, and with a new and deeper appreciation for our amazing canine companions and their enormous capacity for love.”—Cat Warren.



The Animal Book Club's choice for October 2019 is Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You by Clive Wynne.

From the book's description,

"Does your dog love you? Every dog lover knows the feeling. The nuzzle of a dog’s nose, the warmth of them lying at our feet, even their whining when they want to get up on the bed. It really seems like our dogs love us, too. But for years, scientists have resisted that conclusion, warning against anthropomorphizing our pets. Enter Clive Wynne, a pioneering canine behaviorist whose research is helping to usher in a new era: one in which love, not intelligence or submissiveness, is at the heart of the human-canine relationship. Drawing on cutting‑edge studies from his lab and others around the world, Wynne shows that affection is the very es…

An anthropologist learns from Dinjii Zhuh Elders in the Northwest Territories about the economics of animal behaviour, and why this matters to dogs.



By Kristi Benson

As an anthropologist, I have been given the gift of working with the Dinjii Zhuh (Gwich’in peoples) in Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik, and Tsiigehtchic for about fifteen years. These four communities form a ring around the vast Ehdiitat (or Mackenzie Delta as it is more recently known), before the Mackenzie enters Inuit lands and empties into the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The Gwich’in were signatories to Treaty 11 in 1921, and negotiated the Gwich’in Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement in the 1980s and 1990s. It was signed in 1992. Gwich’in lands cross a beautiful stretch of subarctic in what is now known as the Northwest Territories and Yukon. There are mountains to the west and south, and in the east, the boreal forests and taiga stretch to the horizon. The formidable Nagwichoonjik or Mackenzie River travels wes…

New research shows that overweight and obesity in dogs is a One Health issue, and neutering male dogs is a risk factor



By Zazie Todd, PhD

When dogs are overweight or obese, it can affect their health and even shorten their lifespan significantly. So understanding the causes is important. New research from Denmark on the risk factors for dogs being heavy or obese raises questions about the role of the owner and the effects of spay/neuter surgery.

The study, published in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, finds that neutering increases the risk of being heavy or obese in male dogs, but not in female dogs because they are already at higher risk. The results also suggest we need to think of overweight and obesity in dogs as a One Health issue, because the health of people and their pets is interconnected.

Dr. Charlotte Reinhard Bjørnvad, first author of the study, told me in an email,
“The finding that neutering triples the risk of developing obesity specifically in male dogs is important. It…

Tiger cubs in captivity, just how smart crows are, and dogs that commit stufficide... the latest Companion Animal Psychology news.



Wag publication date Exciting news! My book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy now has a publication date: 10th March 2020.

I met with my publisher’s marketing team last week at their offices in Railtown, Vancouver. It was great to meet them and talk about marketing and publicity for the book. I saw an advance reader copy which looks *gorgeous* as they designed a beautiful cover, but I wasn't allowed to bring one home. I am going to be very busy over the next six months working to tell people about Wag. I can’t wait to share my book with you!

If you're a media person and would like to receive an ARC, you can find details here.

My favourites this month “Our search for medieval guide dogs leads us to a Book of Hours (a popular type of medieval prayer book)” A fascinating account (complete with pictures of mediaeval art) of guide dogs in media…

Bacteria in the anal glands of a cat are responsible for chemical signalling via poop, study shows.


By Zazie Todd, PhD

Many species of carnivore use chemical signals in faeces as a way of communicating. Stinky secretions from the anal sacs, on each side of the anus, provide odours in poop that are used for chemical signals and scent marking.

Wolves and spotted hyenas use these to mark territory; it is believed domestic cats do too, although this behaviour is not fully understood. Striped hyenas, spotted hyenas, and ferrets use these chemical signals to recognize other individuals. Skunks and honey badgers even use these secretions as a form of defence, and if you’ve ever met a dog that’s been skunked, you know how bad that is. Now new research from UC Davis, published in PLOS One, sheds light on how the smells in these secretions are made in cats.

The anal sac secretions from domestic cats convey information about the sex of the cat and its reproductive state, and can also be used to …