Companion Animal Psychology

Zazie and Kristi are joined by Grant Hayter-Menzies to talk about his book, Freddie: The Rescue Dog Who Rescued Me. By Zazie Todd PhD. Watch episode 16 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation below or on Youtube , listen below or via your favourite podcast app (including Apple , Spotify ), or scroll down to read highlights.       About this episode This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. In this episode, we’re joined by writer and biographer Grant Hayter-Menzies to talk about his book Freddie: The Rescue Dog Who Rescued Me . We talk about how Freddie came into his life and the important ways in which dogs help us, even when we think we’re the ones saving them.  Freddie was a terrified rescue dog who took time to settle in, and became so important to Hayter-Menzies. Hayter-Menzies tells us about how he wrote biographies of extraordinary women, and Freddie’s influence led him to start writing biographies of impo

“A wonderful, unusual, and healing book, full of wisdom and compassion.”—Sy Montgomery. 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 Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter by E.B. Bartels. From the publisher, “An unexpected, poignant, and personal account of loving and losing pets, exploring the singular bonds we have with our companion animals, and how to grieve them once they’ve passed. E.B. Bartels has had a lot of pets—dogs, birds, fish, tortoises. As varied a bunch as they are, they’ve taught her one universal truth: to own a pet is to love a pet, and to own a pet is also—with rare exception—to lose that pet in time. But while we have codified traditions to mark the passing of our fellow humans, most cultures don’t have the same for pets. Bartels takes us from Massachusetts to Japan, from ancient Egypt to the modern era, in search of the good

Will I see you down under? (part 2). Photo: Mudassir Ali/Pexels By Zazie Todd PhD I’ll be presenting at the Pet Professional Guild Australia conference in Sydney which runs from 14-16 June. The conference takes place at Rydges World Square in Sydney, with some practical workshops on the 14th at St. Ives Showgrounds. My talks will be on: From fearful to happy: The role of emotions in animal welfare. Counterconditioning: How to get it right. How to prevent and resolve common behaviour issues in cats. Strategies for the human side of fearful/reactive dogs Puppy and cat playtime and enrichment: why it matters. Changing minds on training methods.  There’s a great line-up of Australian and international speakers at this conference, including Dr. Robert Hewings, Barbara Buchmayer, Deb Millikan, Jari Castle, Dr. Eduardo J. Fernandez, and Alex Matsoukos. There is a cocktail party on the Friday night and a conference dinner on the Saturday night. As well as the conference, I am looking forward t

Will I see you down under? (part 1). Photo: Makalu/Pixabay By Zazie Todd PhD I’ll be presenting at the New Zealand Association of Professional Dog Trainers conference in June. The conference takes place 8th – 9th June at the Silverstream Retreat, Lower Hutt, near Wellington. This year’s theme is Steady Paws, Calm Minds. I’ll be giving three talks at the conference: How to help fearful dogs feel safe Counter-conditioning for anxious and fearful dogs The value of enrichment for dogs. One of the other speakers at the conference will be Laura Ryder, the head dog trainer at Morley Vet Centre in Perth, Western Australia. I am really excited for the conference. You can see the program and get more information on the APDT NZ conference web page .   As well as the conference, I’m looking forward to doing some sight-seeing in New Zealand. The photo above shows the cable car which goes up to the botanical gardens in Wellington. I always love visiting gardens so, even though it will be winter, thi

A twelfth anniversary is time to celebrate and to say thank you. Photo: Veronika 7833/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD Companion Animal Psychology blog is 12 years old today. A 12th anniversary is symbolized by silk and fine linen, hence the accompanying photo of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi sleeping amongst some beautiful fabrics. 12 years is a milestone that not many blogs achieve. It’s only happened because so many of you support this blog in so many ways, from sharing posts and suggesting topic ideas, to buying or gifting my books, for which I am extremely grateful. Thank you for your support and encouragement over the years! What keeps me going is the wonderful community of so many people who care about helping their pets to be happy, about using reward-based methods, providing enrichment, and always learning more about dog and cat behaviour. And of course, I am always learning myself, from my interactions with people and their pets, and from all the papers I read so that I can bring you

What first time dog guardians need to know about dog training. Photo: Angela Holmyard/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD Getting a dog for the first time is a wonderful experience but also a hard one. Having a dog in your house is a lot of work, and many first-time dog guardians struggle in those early weeks and months. It takes time to settle into an easy rhythm, and it takes time to train your dog how to behave. On top of that, people who get their first dog are more likely to use outdated training methods that are linked to poorer outcomes. It doesn’t help that when you look for help, there’s plenty of old-fashioned and downright wrong advice out there—and some people even charge money for it. Dog training isn’t regulated, so you have to be careful where you get advice from. The decisions you make about dog training make a big difference to the relationship you build with your pup. Here’s what first time dog guardians need to know. 1. It’s important to use reward-based training methods

Common questions about getting your book featured on Companion Animal Psychology. A selection of books about dogs, cats, and other animals. Photo: Zazie Todd By Zazie Todd PhD These days, I regularly get emails from authors and publicists asking how they can get the Animal Book Club to pick their book.  There are several ways that books get mentioned on Companion Animal Psychology, so I thought I’d put something here that explains. (This includes a surprise that I’m working on at the moment). These options are for traditionally-published books only. (If your book is self-published, skip to the section on the Animal Books Group). Most of these options--but not all--are for books about animals.  The Animal Book Club The Animal Book Club started in 2016 and since then we’ve read 10 books a year, taking January and July off. We read nonfiction books about animals. Most are science books, but we read memoirs from time to time too. Our readers are around the world, so we prefer books that ar

My new post at Psychology Today looks at how to get help with your cat's behaviour issues. Photo: Francesco Ungaro/Pexels By Zazie Todd PhD We all love our pet cats, but even though all cats are perfect, it's pretty common for people to have issues with their behaviour. Whether it's scratching the furniture, toileting outside of the box, or not getting on with other pets in the home, it can be hard for you to deal with--and it's often a sign that something is not right for your kitty. My latest post at my Psychology Today blog Fellow Creatures answers the question, How can I get help with my cat's behaviour issues? It includes some tips on when to see your veterinarian, how to think about your cat's environment and whether any changes might help, and where to go if you need additional help. 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 popu

"Ever wondered why your cat won't sit on your lap?" 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 Being Your Cat: What's Really Going On In Your Feline's Mind by Celia Haddon and Prof. Daniel Mills FRCVS.  From the publisher: "Prepare to enter the mind of your cat and revolutionise the way you see the world and your enigmatic pet. Bestselling cat author Celia Haddon and veterinary expert Dr Daniel Mills take you into the mind of your feline and, drawing on the latest scientific research, describe how your cat experiences the world. This is a unique book drawing on a wealth of veterinary science and studies, which relays those findings in a way that will amuse and delight owners. By placing you in the mind of your cat you will know what it's like physically, empirically, psychologically and emotionally to be your cat. Being You

Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book, Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables . By Zazie Todd PhD Watch episode 15 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation below or on Youtube , listen below or via your favourite podcast app (including Apple , Spotify ), or scroll down to read the highlights. About this episode This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. In this episode of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation , Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist and writer Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables . We talk about the history of Aesop’s fables and the role they still play in society today, before moving on to wonder whether there is a grain of truth in them when it comes to animal behaviour. We consider some of the most popular fables. Are crows really as clever as Aesop suggested? Why are wolves always the villain? Do

I've got a new post over on my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures. Photo: Blue Bird/Pexels By Zazie Todd PhD The post looks at the different types of dog training classes and consultations that are available, and how to choose between them. For example, puppy class is a valuable way to help meet your pup's needs for socialization. Classes for adult dogs are a great way to continue to work on manners, but a private session is better for behaviour issues. Many online options are available these days which can be a great choice. And of course, training methods must also be taken into account. Read the post on Psychology Today : Does my dog need behavior training or a private session? And if you need more advice, check out my post on how to choose a dog trainer . This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr:

Harley Jan 2009—9 Feb 2024 Harley. Photos: Zazie Todd By Zazie Todd PhD On Friday we had to say goodbye to our beloved brown tabby cat, Harley. He was 15 and had lived with us since he was about 2.5 years old. Harley was a very affectionate cat who would start purring as soon as I walked into the room (something that ended up in a story in The Atlantic after a journalist asked me what made my cats purr ). He was also an expert at opening doors, which sometimes led to a few adventures or at least to extra treats.   Although he was an indoor cat, there would be moments when we could not find Harley anywhere. Then, after we hunted through the house, he would suddenly be sitting in the middle of the hall. It was as if he had teleported there from somewhere else. Harley had a number of medical conditions that were well managed with twice-daily insulin injections and pills. He was diagnosed with heart failure at the emergency vet about 16 months ago, but he had been doing well since and his