Companion Animal Psychology

I've got 2 new posts about dog training on my Psych Today blog, Fellow Creatures. Photo: Pezibear/Pixabay By Zazie Todd PhD In what the Kennel Club calls "a historic moment for animal welfare," England has announced a ban on the use of electric shock collars on dogs (and cats) from 1st February 2024. I wrote about how the ban came about, why there are concerns about the use of electronic shock collars, and some of the organizations in Canada and the US that have spoken out against the use of aversive methods. Read the post here: England moves to ban electric shock collars for dogs . The other post looks at some recent research by Anamarie Johnson and Clive Wynne about the ways dog trainers describe their training methods on their websites. They looked at 100 websites and found that many don't give clear descriptions--making it harder to find a reward-based trainer. Read the post here: You have to read dog trainers' websites closely, study says .

How much brushing dogs need, how to do their nails, and how training can help. The Pawsitive Post in Conversation Episode 9 with Jane Wolff of Good Wolff.  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 episode 9 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation below or directly on Youtube. Closed captions are available. Scroll down for the show notes and highlights.  Grooming and nail trims for dogs We talk about how much grooming dogs need, whether they have short fur or long fur, and why it’s important to stay on top of it. We chat about the research that shows that dogs can find grooming stressful, and the training we can do to make it easier. It's so important to go at the dog's pace. A lot of people find doing their dog’s nails a chore, and Jane has just released a free course, Start From Scratch , that shows you how to train your dog to do their own nails using a scratch board.  Finally, we t

How to have a happy dog and how to have a happy cat will be presented in May 2023. By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. In May, I will be presenting two webinars, How to have a happy dog and How to have a happy cat. The webinars are free and a recording will be available. The happy cat webinar is close to the publication of the paperback edition of Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy , on 6th June, and I will give a copy of Purr away to one of the attendees at the live event. How to have a happy dog When your dog is happier, they are less likely to have behaviour issues and more likely to have a great relationship with you! In this webinar, Zazie Todd will share her top tips to improve the human-animal bond—and explain the fun science that backs them up. We’ll look at ideas for training and enrichment that you can try with your canine best friend (and how to get the difficulty level r

Spot the signs of resource guarding in dogs, learn how to keep everyone safe, and the training to do to fix it. The Pawsitive Post in Conversation with Lisa Skavienski of Dog Educated.

"I love this book because it reminds me of our wildness, it reminds me how powerful our sense are, and it celebrates animals and humans in a way that binds us together."--Craig Foster, filmmaker and Academy Award-winner for My Octopus Teacher. 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 Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses by Jackie Higgins.  From the publisher, "Perfect for fans of The Soul of an Octopus and The Genius of Birds, this “revelatory book” (Sy Montgomery, New York Times bestselling author) explores how we process the world around us through the lens of the incredible sensory capabilities of thirteen animals, revealing that we are not limited to merely five senses. There is a scientific revolution stirring in the field of human perception. Research has shown that the extraordinary sensory powers of ou

We know that aversive dog training methods have risks for dogs, but how do they measure up to models of animal welfare? Photo: Blue Bird/Pexels By Zazie Todd PhD It’s a given that dog guardians love their dog and don’t want to cause them harm. Sadly, the use of aversive methods can inadvertently do so. I've got a new post on my Fellow Creatures blog that looks at reward-based and aversive dog training methods through the lens of animal welfare, such as the Five Freedoms and the Five Domains. You can read it here: Bad dog, bad welfare?   As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As an Etsy affiliate and Marks and Spencer affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.