Companion Animal Psychology

Two new posts on dog training and pet behavior problems over at my Psychology Today blog Fellow Creatures . By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. The first, Does owner personality affect dog training methods? , looks at intriguing findings from a recent study of personality, punishment in dog training, and dog behavior. Photo: Wyatt Ryan/Unsplash Meanwhile, Pet behaviour problems: In the eye of the beholder? looks at the factors that influence whether we consider a pet's behaviour issue to be a problem. Photo: Shannon Richards/Unsplash Have a great weekend. And Happy Canada Day!   Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, writes The Pawsitive Post premium newsletter, and also has a column at Psychology

Make sure you haven't missed a thing with the latest round-up about dogs and cats from Companion Animal Psychology. By Zazie Todd, PhD   Some of my favourites from around the web this month This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Homeless people and their pets: ‘She saved me as much as I saved her.’ First-hand accounts in The Guardian of how much pets mean to homeless people in the US. “She wakes up so excited every morning and gets so happy about the littlest thing, like rolling around in the grass or even just the weather being nice. Seeing her like that reminds me to stay happy for simple things too.” Dogs and humans have similar social and emotional brains . Dr. Carlo Siracusa of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists says dogs struggle in a society they don’t always understand. “They are attached to humans and willing to share their lives, but they want to feel safe in an environm

A review of the scientific research finds there are risks to using electronic collars in dog training and says it's time for a ban on their use. Photo: Parilov/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. Last year, a position statement from the European College of Veterinary Clinical Ethology argued against the use of electronic shock collars in dog training and for a Europe-wide ban on their sale and use.  Now an article in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour by Dr. Sylvia Masson et al explains the reasons behind their position that shock collars should not be used. When people use electronic collars, it is typically as positive punishment to punish a dog for an unwanted behaviour. They are also sometimes used as negative reinforcement by applying the shock until the dog does the behaviour that is wanted. These days many elect

The Train for Rewards Blog Party is now live with posts from many talented bloggers exploring the topic of reward-based training.  By Zazie Todd, PhD Check it out here . Then share your favourite posts on social media. And share a photo of your pet on social media with the hashtag #TrainforRewards. The blog party is hosted by Companion Animal Psychology. Thank  you to everyone who is taking part, whether by blogging or sharing your pet's photo on social media.

Do you use rewards to train your dog or cat (or other pet)? Show you support reward-based training by posting a photo of your pet below. By Zazie Todd, PhD By popular request, this post is part of the #Train4Rewards blog party hosted here at Companion Animal Psychology. Add your pet’s photo, then share on social media with the hashtag #Train4Rewards. An InLinkz Link-up The photo link-up is open until 8am Pacific time on Saturday 16th June, when the full list of Train for Rewards posts is available. How to add the photo: Click the link and follow the instructions. You will have up to 50 characters for your pet’s name. If you make a mistake, you can delete the entry and start again. Entries are moderated so at certain times of day there may be a delay before your pet’s photo appears. You have to give your email address, but it will not be used except if needed to communicate about the photo link-up. You can read the privacy policy here . Thank you to

What are the best treats to use when training your dog, and how does it depend on what you are training?  Photo: Rattanawan Thubthed / Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. Whether you’re new to training or a seasoned pro, using the right treats is an important part of dog training because you have to be able to motivate your dog . From the right size and nutritional composition to what dogs love best, this is a user-friendly guide to the best dog training treats. Food is a commonly-used reward in dog training for a reason – it works. We often use food in operant conditioning, when we’re training a dog to do a behaviour. This is positive reinforcement (for more on why food makes a great reward, see the ultimate dog training tip ). The best training treat in one situation is not always right for another dog in another t

The 2018 Train for Rewards blog party celebrates reward-based training of dogs, cats, and other pets.  Join in the fun, find new bloggers to read, and share a photo of your pet on social media with the hashtag #Train4Rewards. By Zazie Todd, PhD The blog party celebrates what we can do with reward-based dog training, encourages people to use rewards in training their pets, and inspires people to improve their technical skills and understanding of how reward-based animal training works. Take Part in Train for Rewards Read the blog posts, comment on them, and share your favourite posts with the hashtag #Train4Rewards Share a photo of your pet dog, cat, rabbit, ferret, horse, etc... on social media with the hashtag #Train4Rewards Afterwards, reward yourself for participating with a piece of cake, some chocolate, a glass of wine, a walk on the beach, or whatever makes you happy.  An InLinkz Link-up See the invitation and rules .

"..a recognition that they have emotions and we have an obligation to look at both their physical and emotional well-being." By Zazie Todd, PhD An interview with Dr. Marty Becker about the  Fear Free ™ movement,  Fear Free Happy Homes , and his new book, From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias , co-authored by Dr. Lisa Radosta, Dr. Wailani Sung, Mikkel Becker, and edited by Kim Campbell Thornton. This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Zazie: I am absolutely thrilled to speak to you. I love your book, which is the choice for May for the Companion Animal Psychology Book Club and everyone’s been very excited to read it. So I’m going to ask you in a moment why you decided to write this particular book, but I wanted to ask you first of all how did the Fear Free™ movement come about? Dr. Becker: I’ll give you the unvarnished, stripped