Companion Animal Psychology

Fear Free has released free training for staff and volunteers in animal shelters. Photo: Emily on Time/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD Fear Free , known for its revolutionary approach to reduce fear, anxiety, and stress for pets at the veterinarian, has just launched the Fear Free Shelter Program . The program provides free online training for anyone who works or volunteers at an animal shelter that will teach them how to reduce stress for the animals and provide them with enrichment. The program covers all stages from the intake of animals through to adoption. It also provides resources that adopters and foster homes can use to promote the emotional well-being of the pets in their care and ease the transition to a new environment. The program was created by lead author Dr. Brenda Griffin, along with three veterinary behaviourists who all have experience in shelter medicine. Griffin is an adjunct a...

By Zazie Todd PhD A recent court case in Nova Scotia considered the role of emotional suffering in an animal cruelty case. It's a first for Nova Scotia, but not the first time courts in Canada have considered emotional  harm as part of an animal cruelty case. Read more about the science behind this in  the role of emotional harm in animal cruelty  at my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures . Photo: Lynette C/Pixabay

The importance of play, chickens as domesticated animals, and beautiful cat photos – this month’s 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 “It took two weeks for her to start greeting friends normally (people she knows and loves). Before that, when they would come, she would run up to my bed and hide.” An important post from Eileen Anderson with a story from a dog owner about what happened when a trainer used a shock collar on her dog , and commentary from Eileen about the issues with shock collars and an unregulated industry. “Play is so important for normal development that it takes a lot to deprive an animal of play and play deprived animals are a mess.” Giz asks, do animals work out , with lots of great comments about play. Compiled by Daniel Koltz. Do cats hold a grudge? Dr. Mikel Delgado  looks at two studies of the effects of different handl...

Over at my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures , I have a new post on animal hoarding. Photo: amandanunetzejera/Pixabay By Zazie Todd PhD It looks at a study of a new, integrated approach taken in Wake County, North Carolina, where multiple agencies now work together on animal hoarding cases. Animal hoarding is a mental health issue recognized in the DSM-5, and many hoarders simply start again once their animals are taken away. The new approach includes guidelines on how many animals they can keep and the care they must provide. You can read the post, taking an integrated approach to animal hoarding .

My pick of the books to read this summer, from books about animals to the latest fiction and nonfiction from Canada and elsewhere. Two of the books I've enjoyed reading this summer. The pins are by Lili Chin. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. It’s beautiful weather here, and time for pottering about in the garden and sitting with a book. These are the books I’ve read or am reading this summer. You can find them all in my Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond by Alexandra Horowitz In Our Dogs, Ourselves , Horowitz takes a fascinating look at the human-dog relationship, ambiguities and all. She’s been listening in on the ways people talk to their dogs and details the fun things that happen in a dog cognition lab. In reflecting on historical changes in breeds, such as the increasingly flat faces of...

At my Fellow Creatures blog on Psychology today, a new post looks at some research on how the owners of Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs, perceive the health of their dog. By Zazie Todd, PhD Photo: eduardops93/Pixabay The study shows they have a very close bond with their dog, but the concern is some health issues are missed or as seen as 'normal' for the breed. Read more in health issues in brachycephalic dogs are often missed . The study also reports on common health issues in these dogs, and on the common surgeries they may have as a result of the conformation.

"A remarkable chronicle of the domestic dog’s journey across thousands of years and straight into our hearts, written with equal parts tenderness and scientific rigor." (Brain Pickings) By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. After a month's break, the Companion Animal Psychology Book Club resumes in August with What's a Dog For?: The Surprising History, Science, Philosophy, and Politics of Man’s Best Friend by John Homans. "As dogs take their place as coddled family members and their numbers balloon to over 77 million in the United States alone, it’s no surprise that canine culture is undergoing a massive transformation. Now subject to many of the same questions of rights and ethics as people, the politics of dogs are more tumultuous and public than ever—with fierce moral battles raging over kill shelters, puppy mills, and breed standards. Inco...