Fellow Creatures: Another New Post

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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.

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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

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