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




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:
This page contains affiliate links.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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

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. Photo: mannpuku/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   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. Fr
Read more

Overweight Dogs Don't Live as Long, and Scientists Have Calculated How Much Less

-
Image
Research on 12 popular dog breeds finds the average difference in life span between normal weight and overweight or obese dogs, and it makes for worrying reading. Photo: Caz Harris Photography/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD We know that being overweight or obese is bad for pet dogs, but just how bad is it? For the first time, scientists have worked out the difference in average life span for normal weight and overweight pet dogs of 12 breeds. The study by Carina Salt (WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition) et al. is published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine . The scientists looked at some of the most popular breeds of all sizes, from Chihuahuas and Pomeranians to Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. This page contains affiliate links. The study only looked at dogs that have been spayed or neutered. Co-author Prof. Alex German (University of Liverpool) told Science  Daily , "Owners are often unaware that their dog is overweight,
Read more