Companion Animal Psychology News June 2020

Dogs helping with archaeological digs and understanding cats' body language in the latest news from CAP.

Companion Animal Psychology news June 2020


By Zazie Todd, PhD

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My Favourites This Month

“Nonetheless, the archaeologists dug. And dug. They went down nearly three feet — and there they found a human toe bone more than 1,300 years old”. When cadaver dogs pick up a scent, archaeologists know where to dig by Cat Warren.

“Fostering cats is one of the few unambiguously positive things I’ve done in my life.” In 18 months we’ve had 30 cats – and it’s been wonderful by Tom Hawking.

“Dominance "training" causes stress and is a dog's worst nightmare” says Dr. Marc Bekoff in his post, Dominant alpha humans don’t garner dogs’ respect and trust (I am quoted in this one).

“But while losing weight is relatively easy in the short run, keeping it off is difficult and, for many people, it is nearly impossible. Could pets help fight the obesity health crisis?” Dr. Hal Herzog on some new research looking at whether or not there are links between pet ownership and obesity.

“How would it feel if you knew just by smell when your best friend was in the next room, even if you couldn’t see them?” How far away can dogs smell and hear? Curious Kids by Susan Hazel and Eduardo J. Fernandez.


"I think we are past the time when we need to kowtow to the restrictive and harmful version of dog ownership wrought in dog training manuals from the 1950s, no matter how much more kindly we achieve the end point." Tossing permission from my vocabulary by Kristi Benson.

“For many of us, life has changed significantly during the Covid-19 lockdown - and it's also changed for our dogs. When the restrictions are lifted, we will have to adjust again to returning to our normal routines - and our pets will too.” This post from the RSPCA in England and Wales on how to help your pet adjust when you return to work after lockdown  has separate tips for dogs and cats.

“Listen to us: When we find the courage to tell you about our challenges. Sit down, and listen.“ How to support your BIPOC dog training and dog sport friends by Ayoka Bubar.

See the difference a foster home makes in these photos of Battersea dogs and cats home foster carers.

The emotional rollercoaster of adolescent dogs. The Science Weekly podcast with Nicola Davis interviewing Dr. Lucy Asher about her research on adolescence in dogs.

The Catexplorer podcast interviewed Dr. Mikel Delgado about how she became a cat behaviourist, understanding cats’ body language, and dealing with aggression in cats. Ask a cat behaviourist.

Animal Book Club

This month the Animal Book Club is reading The Education of Will by Patricia McConnell.
It’s a story of healing from trauma, as McConnell realizes that she can’t properly help her dog, Will, without herself learning how to cope with the traumas she has experienced.

Sy Montgomery said, "This powerful memoir twines the lives of an extraordinary dog and an extraordinary woman. Their courageous, compelling story will profoundly deepen your understanding of people and animals, fear and shame, love and listening."

This book (and all the others) are available from my Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub

Support Me on Ko-Fi

I am so grateful to my Ko-Fi supporters! Your support helps to keep Companion Animal Psychology going.



This month I’d like to say a huge thank you to the two anonymous people who supported me on Ko-Fi. You are amazing!

If you would like to support Companion Animal Psychology, you can do so via a one-off or monthly donation. Ko-Fi does not charge fees.

Merch on Sale

All Companion Animal Psychology merch is on sale through Monday 22nd June with this link. The discount will be automatically applied when you add items to your cart.

Companion Animal Psychology logo tees and merch on sale


A portion of all proceeds is donated to the BC SPCA Maple Ridge.

An Update on Wag

Many thanks to everyone who has written a review on Amazon. Reviews really make a difference! If you've read Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and not left a review yet, I would really appreciate it if you write one. Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who has helped with the book launch, especially my family, the team at my publisher, my agent, my former agent,  the wonderful writers who provided endorsements, and every single member of the Wag Team.

I am thrilled that Modern Dog called Wag, "The must-have guide to improving your dog's life."



Here at Companion Animal Psychology

This month, I was thrilled to be on the Your Family Dog podcast to talk about the science of making happy dogs.

I was interviewed by MEL magazine for an article on Do I need to be the ‘alpha’ if I want my dog to respect me?  I wrote an article for Modern Dog about what to do if your puppy is crying in his or her crate. It’s on newsstands now!

And I wrote a guest blog for the Academy for Dog Trainers about the difference husbandry training makes to vet visits.

Here on Companion Animal Psychology, two gorgeous posts share photos of beautiful dogs with their copy of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. Here’s part 1, and part 2

I wrote about Black Lives Matter because it’s time to see change.

I wrote about the new Feline Wellbeing Panel from International Cat Care, and about how much cats sleep (and where they like to sleep!).

I wrote about a new survey of which treatments dog owners say are most effective for dogs’ fear of fireworks. And I also wrote about a study of the circumstances leading to dog bites in Detroit, with important lessons for us all about not tethering dogs.

Pets in Art:

This cat is from The Writings in Prose and Verse of Rudyard Kipling and was digitized by the British Library.

CAP News:  Rudyard Kipling Cat




Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, writes The Pawsitive Post premium newsletter, and also has a column at Psychology Today. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats. 

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