Companion Animal Psychology

Top tips on reward-based training and caring for dogs of all ages from the experts in dog training and behaviour.  Photo: lightman_pic/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. Earlier this year,  Companion Animal Psychology turned 10 years old . As part of the celebrations, I asked some amazing dog trainers whose work I admire—all experts in their own field of dog training and animal behaviour—to share some of their favourite tips with me.  From tips on puppies, senior dogs, dealing with behaviour issues, and trying a dog sport for the first time, there’s some excellent advice below. And I've included links to websites and social media so you can give all of these brilliant dog experts a follow.  Kristi Benson Dealing with a serious behaviour issue  can be embarrassing and stressful. The first thing us dog trainers do is often try to prevent the behaviour from happening at all, s

Changing language reflects a changing relationship with dogs. Photo: Olgo Popko/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. Do you ever think about the different ways in which we talk about dogs and dog training —and the extent to which it reflects (or shapes) how we interact with dogs? Old-fashioned views about dogs can really get in the way of dealing with behaviour issues when they arise. They can also, unfortunately, contribute to creating those behaviour issues in the first place, for example if people use aversive methods which are linked to increased fear, anxiety, stress, and aggression (amongst other issues).   I’ve written before about how we can be led astray if we think of dogs as like wolves , and then compound it by using outdated views of what wolves are. One of the reasons this has been so pervasive is that metaphor is not just a manner of speaking but also a tool of t

The Pawsitive Post in Conversation (Episode 5) with Zazie Todd and Kristi Benson talking about about the names we give our pets. By Zazie Todd PhD Episode 5 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation sees Zazie and Kristi talk about the names we give our pets. We chat about how we choose them, what makes a good name, how we use our pets' names, how to change a pet's name, and whether they know their own and each other's names. As well, we talk about the books the book club is reading right now and our own choices of books we love. (There may be some spoilers in this discussion). Watch it below or on Youtube .  Show Notes This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Pet cats know their fellow cats' names, study shows (Psychology Today) Our heroes by Jean Donaldson and Kristi Benson (The Academy for Dog Trainers) Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by

“ Purr is cat-centered, so much that it feels like a very smart cat wrote it! Starting with the most recent scientific findings, Zazie Todd explains with clarity what cats enjoy, what is good for their well-being, and how we can build a strong reciprocal bond with them. Indispensable reading.”--Dr. Carlo Siracusa. 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, I'm honoured that the Animal Book Club is reading my new book, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . From the publisher, "We all love our cats and we all want them to be happy. But making our cats happy isn’t about buying them lots of things―it’s about finding out what matters to them. In Purr, animal behavior expert Zazie Todd addresses every stage of your cat’s life and offers surprising and effective advice for even the most experienced cat owner, all with the science to back it up. In this indispensable book

Watch the recording of this popular event with Zazie Todd, Lili Chin, and Sassafras Lowrey in conversation with Kristi Benson. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. At the end of March, Reading Cats and Dogs: A Conversation with Lili Chin, Sassafras Lowrey, and Zazie Todd took place online. The event was organized to celebrate 10 years of Companion Animal Psychology blog. The event was a phenomenal success. Almost 500 people registered to watch live and get access to the recording. Now you can watch the recording too either below or on Youtube .  Each author read from their book and was interviewed by Kristi Benson, our fantastic emcee. Then we took questions from the audience. I read from my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . Sassafras Lowrey read from Chew This Journal: An Activity Book for You and Your Dog . And Lili Chin read from Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide to Unde