Companion Animal Psychology

The top posts of the year and a couple of things to look forward to in 2022 Photo: Ivanova N/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. It’s been another tough year and as we all wish for a brighter year in 2022, there’s still too much going on. But I’ve kept on writing through the year, and as is tradition I’m going to share some of the highlights and, at the end, a few things to look forward to next year. I was lucky to publish two interviews with amazing people this year. Photographer Jesse Freidin and Dr. Robert Garofalo spoke to me about their beautiful book, When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them , which uses photographs and stories to teach us about the difference dogs can make to people with HIV.  And recently I spoke with Canadian animal lawyer Victoria Shroff about her book, Canadian Animal Law, which is aimed at anyone w...

 Season's Greetings from Companion Animal Psychology Photo: Roman Valyaev/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD It’s been quite the year again, hasn’t it?! But wherever you are, I hope you’re winding down to a wonderful festive season.  Thank you for reading Companion Animal Psychology this year and for all of your lovely comments and shares. Special thanks to my Ko-Fi peeps and Pawsitive Post subscribers —your support helps me to keep writing pieces about good training and welfare for our pets. I look forward to writing more in 2022!  In a few days you’ll see my usual end-of-year round-up posts, and after that I’ll be taking the first part of January off from Companion Animal Psychology in order to have a bit of a break. Subscribers to the Pawsitive Post will still get their issues on time, of course!  Happy Holidays! Wishing joy, love, peace, and happiness to you and yours, Zazie

Pets aren't little people, so if you're going to apply labels like that, ask yourself these questions first. They're often the first step in solving behaviour issues in dogs and cats. New Africa/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.   When it comes to understanding dogs , cats , and other pets, there’s a common pitfall that applies to many of us: thinking of them like people. Don’t get me wrong: many of the ways that we talk about pets, share a constant stream of photos of them, and baby them are delightful and show just how central they are to our family life.  But if it means that we treat them like people when in fact—because they are a different species—they need something else, then that can be a problem.  There’s a wonderful quote from Dr. Sam Gaines near the beginning of my book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy . She says we need to, “...

"This book is an evolutionary thought experiment--untestable, informative and great fun."--David P. Barash.  By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. This month, the Animal Book Club is reading A Dog's World: Imagining the Lives of Dogs in a World without Humans by Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff. From the back cover, "What would happen to dogs if humans simply disappeared? Would dogs be able to survive on their own without us? A Dog’s World imagines a posthuman future for dogs, revealing how dogs would survive―and possibly even thrive―and explaining how this new and revolutionary perspective can guide how we interact with dogs now. "Drawing on biology, ecology, and the latest findings on the lives and behavior of dogs and their wild relatives, Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff―two of today’s most innovative thinkers about dogs―explore who dogs might become without direct h...

"Wow, this used to be theory and now we’re actually seeing it in practice.” Pioneering Canadian lawyer Victoria Shroff on her book, Canadian Animal Law. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Vancouver lawyer Victoria Shroff is a pioneer of animal law in Canada. Her new book, Canadian Animal Law , is an accessible introduction to animal law that will be of interest to SPCAs, humane societies, and anyone who cares about animals, as well as lawyers and law students. I spoke to Shroff about the book, and why there’s grounds for optimism when it comes to the law and animals.  At the end, you'll find a discount code and competition to win a copy. Zazie: First of all, what is animal law? Victoria: The definition of animal law is any time when an animal and the law intersect. That’s the simple definition. It can be anything related to, for example, a dog barking in a back yard and disturbi...

Why training your dog—even when you don’t need to teach a specific behaviour—is a good idea. An Australian Shepherd and a Border Collie show off their tricks. Photo: Enna8982/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. We all know there are things you ought to teach your dog , like socialization for puppies or to come when called. These are things that make a big difference to your dog’s life (and your life with your dog). But dog training isn't just about these behaviours. Apart from the essentials (which really make up quite a small, albeit important, list), there’s a whole host of things you can teach your dog just for fun.  Here are 8 reasons why you should do just that. 1. It’s fun! We might as well start with the obvious reason. Training for fun is fun for both you and your dog! For many people, training those standard obedience behaviours is fun too, but the advantage of...

In the very first episode of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation, Zazie and Kristi talk about genius dogs and talking dogs, as well as dogs jumping up and housetraining. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Watch the first episode of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation on Youtube or below.  Or listen via your favourite podcast app. Show Notes We chat about the Genius Dog Challenge, where scientists are finding dogs who know a lot of words, and Stella the dog who learned to use buttons to communicate. We also talk about the words and behaviours our own dogs and cats know--and the behaviours we think are important for every pet to know. Kristi tells us about her courses for people who need help with their dog jumping up or housetraining. And finally we chat about the books we're reading. Youtube video about the Genius Dog Challenge      Stella the dog learned to 'talk' and ...

A set of videos break down how to teach your cat to like their asthma inhaler.  Photo: Shveyn Irina/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. Did you know that you can even train cats to use an asthma inhaler? Many people still have the erroneous idea that cats can’t be trained. But of course they can and, just like for dogs, reward-based methods are recommended. Training cats can help them to cope with things like going to the vet. Asthma is fairly common in pet cats, so Sarah Ellis PhD and Linda Ryan (both of International Cat Care ) have made a set of videos to demonstrate how to train cats to use an asthma inhaler with your help. The videos (made with Trudell Animal Health) show you how to train a cat to use an AeroKat Chamber. This is a little mask that fits over the cat’s face with a chamber attached. An inhaler goes at the other end of the chamber to deliver the medication....

“A captivating book on an intelligence as ‘alien’ as one from outer space. And its not science fiction.” -- Bernd Heinrich. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. This month's choice for the Animal Book Club is The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery.   From the back cover, "Popular naturalist Sy Montgomery explores the emotional and physical world of the octopus, the remarkable connections it makes with people, and the vibrant community that arises around this complex, intelligent, and spirited creature. Practicing true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, Montgomery befriends individual octopuses with strikingly different personalities--gentle Athena, assertive Octavia, curious Kali, and joyful Karma--who show their cleverness in myriad ways: escaping...

I’m so excited about this gorgeous cover! And Purr is available for preorder now. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. As an author, you don’t get to choose the cover of your book. That’s the publisher’s job.  I knew, given the wonderful cover that my publisher designed for Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy , that they would come up with something beautiful for my next book. But I didn’t realize quite how amazing it would be until I saw it. That's why I'm so excited about today's cover reveal.  Isn’t it gorgeous?!! And isn't that the most beautiful cat?!! I am over the moon with the cover of Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . I honestly could not love it more! Thank you to Belle Wuthrich of Greystone Books for this stunning cover. I’m also thrilled and honoured that Purr has a foreword by Pam Johnson-Bennett. She says it is, “An in-depth, yet very accessi...

The benefits of using food puzzle toys, how to choose them, and how to introduce them to your dog. A Corgi with a woolly snuffle mat. Photo: Jus_Ol/Shutterstock. By Zazie Todd, PhD Food puzzle toys are a great way to provide enrichment for your dog. If you want to get started—or add some different food toys to your dog’s repertoire—this guide will help. This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. The benefits of food puzzle toys for dogs Enrichment is important because a dog’s life can sometimes be a bit, well, boring. Dogs spend a lot of time lounging around waiting for us to have time to do something with them. Food puzzle toys are a great way to give your dog something to do and to make mealtime fun.  They can also slow down the speed at which your dog eats, which is useful if your dog is one of those who seems to inhale their food. From an animal welfare perspective food puzzle toys are great because they ...