Fellow Creatures: Another New Post

-
I have a new post at my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures, about a pilot study that upturns some conventional wisdom on dogs.

Should you pet your dog before an absence? looks at a study that compared signs of stress when the dog is petted or ignored before an absence. (It's important to note the study is with dogs that do not have any separation-related issues).

A new post at Psychology Today looks at research on whether we should pet dogs, like this little dog on a sofa, before we go out
Photo: Pexels/Pixabay
By Zazie Todd, PhD


This page contains affiliate links.

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She is the founder of the popular blog Companion Animal Psychology, where she writes about everything from training methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today and has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats.

Useful links:

Comments

  1. Gail R.1 October 2018 at 14:27

    I think the key is to be calm. I have owned 6 dogs over 50+ years and always tell them goodbye, but I say it calmly as I leave. They have all been great. They have slept while I've been gone. Getting all hyper & sad makes them upset.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Walter Stoffel4 October 2018 at 10:05

    I think it might depend on the dog. I had a Schnoodle that could get spiteful and destructive if not taken along with his owners. Currently, I have a poodle/beagle mix that is quite calm when the humans leave and if I pet him before leaving, he does not get at all agitated.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown5 October 2018 at 13:29

    I always tell my babies goodbye and I love them.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Puppies Raised in a Home are Better Prepared for Life as a Pet

-
Image
The environment in which puppies are raised makes a difference to their behaviour, new study shows.


By Zazie Todd, PhD

Anyone getting a puppy is urged to check carefully where they come from. Puppies have a sensitive period for socialization during which a wide range of positive experiences help to set them up for later life. Since puppies begin the sensitive period at 3 weeks, but typically go home at 8 weeks, the breeder is responsible for the early stages of socialization. New research in press in Applied Animal Behaviour Science looks at the effects of raising puppies in the house compared to in an outdoor kennel.

The results show that puppies raised in a house are more self-confident and less likely to show aggression due to fear. In short, they are likely to make better pets and be friendlier dogs.

The scientists say this is because puppies raised in the home experience more socialization with people and are habituated to a greater number of noises, household objects, and other e…
Read more

Don't Punish Your Dog for Peeing in the House

-
Image
Why punishment is the wrong approach for house training mistakes, and how you should house train your dog or puppy instead.


By Zazie Todd, PhD

How should we house train puppies, and deal with the inevitable mistakes that puppies and adult dogs can have? Suppose your dog suddenly starts to pee in the house. You clean it up the first time but it happens again…. And then again.

Or your new puppy keeps having accidents indoors even though you take her outside often.

In this situation, some people will yell at their dog. Some might even try physical punishment like hitting the dog or an alpha roll. And we’ve all come across the advice that you should rub their nose in it.

Don’t do it.

Whether you're toilet training an adult dog or house training a puppy, here’s why that’s the wrong approach, and what you should do instead.

This page contains affiliate links.

Punishment can make things worse First of all, let’s think about it from the dog’s perspective.

Suppose they pee in the house and y…
Read more

Animal Lovers’ Favourite Books of 2019

-
Image
Animal lovers and blog readers share their favourite animal book that they read in 2019.


By Zazie Todd, PhD

I asked Companion Animal Psychology readers and other animal lovers to tell me about the book about animals they most loved in 2019. The book did not have to be published this year, just that they read it during this year. Here are their picks! You can find these books (and other reading recommendations) in my Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub.

This page contains affiliate links.

Bonnie Hartney, Ocean Park Dog Training
A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans

“What makes this book so intriguing is the uncharacteristic behaviour of a black wolf in Juno, Alaska.  Drawn out of the wild expanse, Romeo becomes a local celebrity with his reported love of playing with pet dogs and lack of concern for people.

It is a story of ethical questions and conflict.  Is it right to befriend a wild animal? At what point does safety of community and small animals take precedence over t…
Read more