Posts

Showing posts from 2025

Fellow Creatures: Where Do People Get Their Dogs From?

Image
I've got a new post at Psychology Today. By Zazie Todd, PhD Do you ever wonder where most people get dogs from? So do I, so I went looking to see if more people buy or adopt their pet. It led me to a new study which I've written about on my Psych Today blog. Research published last year in Animals (Kremer and Neal, 2024) surveyed dog-owning Americans to find out where they got their dog from, and if they had lost a dog, what happened. The results show that as well as the official channels for obtaining dogs, networks of friends and family also play a big role. The importance of those networks is greatest for those with lower household incomes. Read more here: Where do people get their dogs from?

Caring for Cats with Lili Chin, Mikel Delgado PhD, and Lucy Hoile at Bark! Fest

Image
Watch or listen to the recording of Lili Chin talking about her book Kitty Language, Mikel Delgado talking about Play With Your Cat, and Lucy Hoile on the book your cat wishes you would read. Clockwise from top left: Zazie Todd, Lili Chin, Mikel Delgado and Lucy Hoile hold up copies of their books, while Kristi Benson holds up cat treats and some matatabi sticks.  By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.  Bark! Fest with Lili Chin, Mikel Delgado PhD, and Lucy Hoile Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, took place in September 2024 with 11 author panels (and one tricks class from the amazing Erica Beckwith of A Matter of Manners Dog Training) . It was organized to celebrate the launch of my new book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog , which is out now and available wherever books are sold. This is the recording of the panel Caring for Cats ...

Registration for the Dogs and the City Conference is Open with Early Bird Pricing

Image
I can't wait for the 2025 Dogs and the City conference in Toronto, Canada. By Zazie Todd, PhD I'm thrilled to be a speaker at the 2025 Dogs and the City conference. It takes place in Toronto, Canada, September 26th to 28th 2025. There are in-person and virtual options and you can register now with early bird pricing .  My talk is titled Helping dogs to thrive in the city and it's on the Saturday.  I'm super excited about the other speakers too. Tom Candy is talking about Thriving together: supporting dogs in challenging urban environments (and yes, that means there will be some shelter content!). Meanwhile Malena DeMartini's talk is City dogs, calm homes: strategies for successful separation anxiety resolution. The Dogs and the City conference is a little unusual in that you get to spend a whole day with each speaker. I think that's really special and I'm very much looking forward to it. They have an exciting new venue for this year's conference too, as ...

Beeps Mean Treats: The Role of Maintenance Training in Counterconditioning for Fearful Dogs

Image
When you’re done with training your fearful dog to love something, it’s important to think about how to maintain your great results.  Photo: Esin Deniz/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.  Last July, the weather finally turned hot. It would have been an exceptional heatwave if it weren’t for the heatdome that we sweated through a few years before. It was really hot. So we set the air con unit up in the kitchen and in the morning, I went and turned it on.  I noticed Pepper, my Shih Tzu, was near my feet. This was a surprise because I didn’t think the aircon unit would be of much interest to him. He was looking at me expectantly and I felt like I was being slow on the uptake. What had just happened that had been of special interest to Pepper? I had turned the aircon unit on and—I was definitely slow on the uptake. It had beeped. Three little soft beeps to say it was...

Canine Blockbusters with Alexis Devine and Teresa J Rhyne at Bark! Fest

Image
Watch or listen to the recording of Canine Blockbusters at Bark! Fest with Alexis Devine talking about her book I Am Bunny and Teresa J Rhyne on her book Poppy in the Wild . Zazie Todd, Alexis Devine, Teresa J. Rhyne, and Kristi Benson hold up copies of the books at Bark! Fest. Kerry Nichols was unable to attend so Kristi is holding up her book, Puppy Brain.  By Zazie Todd PhD   This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.  Bark! Fest with Alexis Devine and Teresa J Rhyne Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, took place in September 2024 with 11 author panels (and one tricks class from the amazing Erica Beckwith of A Matter of Manners Dog Training) . It was organized to celebrate the launch of my new book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog , which is out now and available wherever books are sold. This is the recording of the panel with Alexis Devine and Te...

Zazie Todd Interviewed in The Observer Magazine

Image
I was interviewed about how to help anxious dogs for The Observer. By Zazie Todd PhD I was interviewed by The Observer about how to help anxious and fearful dogs. You can read the piece in the print copy of The Observer Magazine from 5th January, or online on The Guardian website: Paw things: How to help your anxious dog . The piece includes lots of tips on how to help an anxious dog, including why aversive methods only make things worse, and training that people can do to help. I'm really pleased with the article and hope you enjoy it. Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is available wherever books are sold. That includes Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) and my Amazon store . Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Zazie Todd on The Sociable Dog podcast

Image
 There's a new podcast interview with me about how to help anxious and fearful dogs. By Zazie Todd PhD I chatted to Si Wooler about how to help anxious and fearful dogs and my new book, Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog . You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or here . Si and I are both graduates of The Academy for Dog Trainers and we put the world to rights for fearful dogs. Happy listening! Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is available wherever books are sold. That includes Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) and my Amazon store . Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow me!