Companion Animal Psychology

Books about animals and some fiction too – the books on my to-read list this summer. Photo: geertweggen / Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD It’s a tradition here at Companion Animal Psychology to publish a summer reading list. Typically the list includes links to some favourite articles by other bloggers, as with last year’s list concentrating on sound advice on dogs and cats or 2015’s play edition . But now each month’s newsletter highlights favourite posts ( see August's newsletter here ), I decided to do things differently this summer. I’ll be taking a bit of time off, and I thought I would share with you some of the books on my book pile waiting to be read. This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Books from the book club Not surprisingly, the Companion Animal Psychology Book Club choices make up a significant proportion of my reading list. This month, the book club is reading Marc Bekof

A cat's purr, heart dogs, and the 'real' age of pets - don't miss out with Companion Animal Psychology News. 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. Are dogs really our best friends? Marc Bekoff on the consequences of misrepresentations of dogs. “Heart dog. Say those two words to any dog lover and their eyes will go soft.” Debby McMullen on what the phrase ‘heart dog’ means to her at Victoria Stilwell’s site. Small dogs aim high when they pee . Julie Hecht on a fascinating new study of peeing dogs and the possible explanations. “Determining a pet's "real" age is actually important because it helps veterinarians like me recommend life-stage specific healthcare for our animal patients.” Do you ever wonder how old your pet is in dog or cat years?  Veterinarian Jesse Grady explains. “Our cats ma

If your dog is shy, fearful, or anxious, it's important to ignore outdated advice and recognize that they are not being disobedient: they are scared. These are the most important things to know if you have a fearful or reactive dog. Photo: Ramon Espelt Photography / 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. Having a dog who is shy, anxious, fearful, or reactive is tough, but you've made the most important step in recognizing that that's the case. Now you can start to do something about it. While in some cases it can take a long time to resolve such issues, there is a lot you can do that will make a difference, and the sooner you start the sooner you will begin to see results.  The thing to focus on is helping your dog to feel safe. It doesn't matter if the things the dog is scared of don't make sense to you--it's how your dog feels that counts. Once the

Jane Sigsworth on the things people find hard when they have a fearful dog, and the beauty of a safe space for dogs to be off-leash. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Recently I wrote about desensitization and counter-conditioning in dog training, an important technique to help fearful dogs . As a talented dog trainer who helps clients with fearful and aggressive dogs, Jane Sigsworth uses this technique often. I spoke to her to learn about some of her case studies – and the holiday cottage where reactive dogs can roam free. Zazie: How did you get into dog training? Jane: A long time ago I had a dog who, looking back, didn’t really have many issues, but I felt he did at the time. He was a big barker and I was concerned about what my neighbours would think about him. So I started to look for information about how to deal with it and went on what can only be said was a very cir

"It not only brilliantly opens up the world of dog behavior, but also helps us understand how we can make our dogs’ lives the best they can possibly be." 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 Companion Animal Psychology Book Club has chosen Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do by Marc Bekoff as the book for  August. From the cover, "For all the love and attention we give dogs,  much of what they do remains mysterious. Just think about different behaviors you see at a dog park: We have a good understanding of what it means when dogs wag their tails—but what about when they sniff and roll on a stinky spot? Why do they play tug-of-war with one dog, while showing their bellies to another? Why are some dogs shy, while others are bold? What goes on in dogs’ heads and hearts—and how much can we know and understand? Canine Confidential has the an

Three lessons we need to learn to keep children and dogs safe. Photo: Profotosession / 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. I don't know about you, but some of the photos of dogs and children I see on social media make me feel uncomfortable, even while others find them cute. The reason is we misjudge the risks of dog bites, and young children – often with their faces at the same height as the dog’s mouth – are at the greatest risk of dog bites (Davis et al 2012). I’m not talking about staged photos, where we can assume the photographer and parent are both present and keeping a close eye. I’m thinking of the everyday photos people take at home.  We don’t know if there is anyone else in the room ready to intervene, whether the interactions pictured are common events, or even, in some cases, why someone hasn’t already stepped in. But the advantage of a static photo