Companion Animal Psychology

The past year had highs and lows, but happy dogs and cats continue to be the theme as this blog celebrates 11 years. Photo: Lalandrew/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. Companion Animal Psychology is 11 years old today. Apparently 11th anniversaries are symbolized by steel, so I went looking for a photo of a dog or cat with something stainless steel. Can you guess why I picked this photo? I love that we can see how the photographer used a treat to lure the cat to come and pose with the thermos bottle. They have a set of similar photos with this gorgeous cat, including one in which we see the treat being eaten, but this one seemed the most fitting for this blog since the idea of using food to train cats (and dogs) is a regular theme.  The last year has had some highs and some lows. The biggest high, of course, was the publication of my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat H

How my book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy can help shelter cats. Zazie Todd's cat Melina was adopted from the BC SPCA. She's pictured in front of the book she helped inspire, and in which she features. Photo: Zazie Todd. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Time, space and choices: Article about Purr There is a wonderful article about my book, Purr , in the current issue of BARKS from the Guild. It's called Time, Space and Choices: Improving Welfare for Shelter Cats with Dr. Zazie Todd's Purr . It is all about how the tips in Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy can help cats in shelter and rescue, as well as once they move to their new home. As you might guess from the title, giving the cat time to settle in, setting up their space right, and giving them choices (including letting them make the choice to hide) are all important. Online chat about Purr an

Zazie Todd PhD in conversation with Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Join guest host Zazie Todd, PhD, as she chats with Jules Howard about his book Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans . This special encore episode of the Dogs & Books Yappy Hour takes place on March 26th 2023 at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern/7pm UK time. Wonderdog is "A celebration of dogs, the scientists who've lived alongside them, and how canines have been key to advancements in science for the betterment of all species." This event is free and you can join the conversation on Zoom or watch on Facebook Live.  Details of how to join us are here .  Jules will be giving away a copy of his book, Wonderdog , as part of the event. Learn more about Jules Howard .  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

I’ve got some amazing news to share with you today. Photo: MHFotografie By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. I’m thrilled that my third book, Shiver , has been acquired by Greystone Books. Shiver addresses how the latest canine science can be used to help dogs feel more safe and secure, written for owners of all types of fearful dogs–including dogs who fear fireworks, rescue dogs who are too afraid to even go for a walk, and pups who tremble when they meet someone new. I’m delighted to be working with everyone at Greystone Books again. They are an amazing team and it’s a pleasure to work with them, including the same brilliant editor, Lucy Kenward.  And I’m incredibly grateful to my amazing agent, Fiona Kenshole at Transatlantic Agency, for representing me. Fiona is always a kind and supportive ear for my ideas and is exactly the type of experienced person you want on your side. Thank you, F

I've got a new post on my Fellow Creatures blog at Psychology Today. It's all about whether people treat small dogs differently than big dogs, and whether this explains what people call small dog syndrome. Photo: Grish Petrosyan/Pexels You can read the post here: Do people treat little dogs differently than big dogs? By Zazie Todd, PhD