Companion Animal Psychology

If you've ever lost a pet, you know how hard it is. Watch these three authors as they talk about how we memorialize and cope with the loss of a pet. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Loving and Losing Pets with E.B. Bartels, Rev. Sarah Bowen, and Karen Fine DVM Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, took place in September 2024 to celebrate the launch of my book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Bark! is coming in paperback on June 10th. This is the recording of the panel Loving and Losing Pets with E.B. Bartels, Rev. Sarah Bowen, and Karen Fine DVM. You can watch Loving and Losing Pets on Youtube or below, listen to The Pawsitive Post in Conversation wherever you get your podcasts ( Apple , Spotify ) or below, or scroll down to read a transcript of the highlights.  Get the books The books from Bark! Fest are available wherever book...

Come and join me at Black Bond Books in Maple Ridge where I will be signing copies of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. By Zazie Todd, PhD My book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog will be out in paperback on June 10th. It's available for pre-order now wherever books are sold. There will be a launch and book signing on Saturday, June 14th, from 1 to 3pm at Black Bond Books in the Valley Fair Mall, Maple Ridge (22709 Lougheed Highway #250). I would love to see you there! I will be signing copies of Bark! and have some special goodies to give away to celebrate the launch. There will also be copies of my first two books Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy if you would like to get those too. If you are in the lower mainland or Fraser Valley, do drop by to say hello. I would love to meet you! If you aren't local, you can find links to pre-order the paperback ...

There's a special AMA coming up on anxious, fearful, and reactive dogs--and you're invited. 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 have questions about how to help dogs who are anxious or fearful? Kristi Benson and I are recording a special AMA--and you're invited to submit your questions and/or attend live. You can register here . This will ultimately go out as an episode of our podcast. Everyone who registers can be there live or watch the recording before the episode goes out. How do I ask questions? Want to know how we can prevent fears in the first place, what to do in the moment when a dog is afraid, or why so many dogs are afraid of loud noises? This is your chance to find out! You can submit questions in advance on this form . If you leave your name, we may read it out when we read out the question. If you prefer, you can remain anonymous. You can submit questions ev...

Wag more, Bark less, as Zazie chats with the 2 Dr. Amys about dog and cat behaviour. By Zazie Todd PhD I was a guest on the Behavior Buzzzzzz with 2 Amys podcast, which is hosted by veterinary behaviourists Dr. Amy Pike and Dr. Amy Learn. You can listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.  Here's the episode description: "Ever wonder if your dogs and cats are happy? What constitutes happiness for our companion animals? Join the Amys and their esteemed guest, award-winning author and creator of Companion Animal Psychology , Dr. Zazie Todd, as they discuss the science of our pet's happiness. Dr. Todd remains a major voice and driving force behind the worldwide humane dog training movement and has dedicated her career to animal welfare and improving the human-animal bond. "Are YOU the secret to your pet's happiness? How can you help break down barriers and encourage the universal adoption of humane dog training methods? Grab a cocktail, and get up to speed on th...

Sign up for this event to learn all about puppies and kittens--and how to prevent behaviour issues from the beginning.   By Zazie Todd, PhD There is still time to register for the PPG's online conference, Preventing Problematic Behaviors From the Outset in Puppies and Kittens . The conference takes place online May 24 - 25 2025 with puppy and kitten tracks each day, and access to the recordings for 12 months. You can even register just for the puppy track or just for the kitten track, if you wish.  There is an incredible line-up of speakers: Prof Daniel Mills, Dr. Amber Baston, Dr. Robert Falconer-Taylor, Dr. Maggie Roberts, Louisa Stapleton-Frappell, Suzanne Clothier, Karolina Westlund, PhD, Lorna Winter, Kristyn Vitale PhD, Courtney Graham PhD--and myself. I will be on a panel on Saturday May 24th along with some of the other speakers, talking about how to engage clients before they bring home a new puppy or kitten. And I am presenting on the kitten track on Sunday May ...

Learn about how animals experience emotions like joy, grief, and empathy in this panel from Bark! Fest with Dr. Marc Bekoff talking about his new edition of The Emotional Lives of Animals . By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Animal Emotions with Marc Bekoff, PhD, at Bark! Fest Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, took place in September 2024. I organized it to celebrate the launch of my book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog , which is out now (and coming in paperback next month!). This is the recording of Animal Emotions with Marc Bekoff, PhD. You can watch Animal Emotions on Youtube or below, listen wherever you get your podcasts  ( Apple , Spotify ) or below, or scroll down to read a transcript of the highlights. Get the books All of the books from Bark! Fest, including The Emotional Lives of Animals (revised): A Leading Scientist...

Two professional organizations recently updated their policies. Only one made a commitment to reward-based training. Photo: Danielle W Press/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains afilliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Dog training methods need to be effective and safe for dogs (and their guardians). As the evidence on aversive training methods builds up, many organizations have adopted positions that only allow the use of reward-based approaches (sometimes called force free or positive). Now, two more organizations have updated their policies. The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants is to be congratulated on its decision to rule out the use of aversive methods by its members. Unfortunately, the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers decided to still allow aversives, including shock and prong collars, in some circumstances. More on this in a moment, but first, here’s why it matters. Pr...