Companion Animal Psychology

For fearful dogs in shelters, 2x15 minute human interactions per day over 5 days improves scores on a screening test and makes most of them be classed as adoptable. Photo:  Lightfield Studios/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. Arriving at a shelter is a stressful experience for any dog . For fearful dogs , being unable to escape from something threatening – such as a person entering the kennel – can cause them to show aggressive behaviour such as growling. New research by Regina Willen (HALO) et al, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science , shows the effectiveness of an enrichment program in helping such dogs be classed as adoptable. The scientists write, “While fearful dogs in shelters are vulnerable, the vulnerability is not inevitable. Providing relatively brief human interaction in a quiet area with other elements of enrichment (e.g., treats, toys) can b

Two large studies reveal the kinds of health problems that affect French Bulldogs and Labrador Retrievers – the two most popular breeds in the UK. Photos: left, Irina Kozorog; right, Dmussman. Both 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. Two of the most popular breeds of dog in the USA, Canada, and the UK are French Bulldogs and Labrador Retrievers. In fact in 2018, French Bulldogs knocked Labrador Retrievers off the top spot in the UK for the first time. Because pedigree dogs are bred from a closed genetic pool, they can develop health issues related to the breed. As well, of course, any dog can be affected by various canine conditions. In the UK, a large database (VetCompass) that records details of primary care vet visits has been used to find out what kinds of health problems certain breeds have, and how long they tend to live, on average (O’Neill et al, 2018; McG

A lesson for the human classroom that comes from dog training, music at the vet's for cats, and a dancing parrot... this month's Companion Animal Psychology News. By Zazie Todd, PhD   This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. My favourites this month  "“Learning shouldn’t hurt” is an adage among progressive dog training and animal behavior communities, and it’s the main idea I took from training dogs that informs my approach to pedagogy."  Learning shouldn’t hurt, or how my dog made me a better teacher by Ryan Donovan . “Adding music might help, but also take the opportunity to think more broadly..” Promising results from a study of music for cats in the vet clinic, in Can special music for cats reduce their stress at the clinic  by Linda Lombardi at Fear Free Pets . "Dogs aren't the only ones who can do science. The era of cat science is now." Do you play with your c

"I wanted to pull back the curtain a little bit on some of these questions... It was all centred around two things: life lessons learned as a veterinarian and the human-animal bond." Dr. Mark Goldstein, author of Lions and Tigers and Hamsters. Photo: Janie DeCelles By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. An interview with Dr. Mark Goldstein about his book  Lions and Tigers and Hamsters: What Animals Large and Small Taught Me About Life, Love, and Humanity . We talked about the human-animal bond, challenges for animal welfare, why veterinarians are at risk of depression and suicide, and favourite stories from the book. Zazie: I really loved your book, and I’m going to ask you in a moment why you decided to write it, but I have to start with the elephant, because the book starts with an amazing story about this elephant called Donia who almost ended your veterinary c

How to set your house up for your cat. Do you provide these five things that your cat needs? Photo: Sue McDonald/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. Every morning at about the same time, my tortoiseshell cat Melina jumps on the bed with a chirrup and comes up to sniff my nose and ask to be petted. She purrs while I pet her on the head in the places where cats like to be petted , and a very short time later my alarm goes off and it’s time to get up. This sweet morning interaction is part of her daily routine. Cats are wonderful pets, but people don’t always understand them well. If we provide a cat with the things they need in their environment, it helps them to be happier and healthier. This applies not just to the physical environment, but also to social interactions with us and any other animals in their space. If these things are not provided, the cat may become st

An essay by a former inmate shows how other animals can help people move on. Dr. Jane Goodall visiting Dr. Marc Bekoff's class at the Boulder County Jail. Photo: Marc Bekoff. On Wednesday I wrote about Dr. Marc Bekoff’s inspiring class at the Boulder County Jail , and his new website, Boulder Art for Animals , that shows the work of students in the class. This guest post is by Kyle Warner, an accomplished writer, artist, and former student of the class.(1)  My personal hero, teacher, and dear friend, Marc Bekoff, comes to the jail faithfully every Friday to facilitate just one of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots groups. We engage in a lot of profound, meaningful discussions and he helps us to really understand just why animals matter. He also helps us to take part in many causes and worldwide issues between nonhuman animals and humans. With Marc's help, we have had our voices heard within many discussions, court battles, online debates, and protests. Some of these