Companion Animal Psychology

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...

There's a new format for your favourite book on fearful dogs. 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 am absolutely thrilled to share with you that my book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Do g will be published in paperback on June 10th. (Or if you're in the UK, on June 12th). Even more than my previous two books ( Wag and Purr ), people have told me how much Bark! has helped them with their pet. I wrote it to make a difference to people whose dog is fearful or anxious, because I know how hard it can be. And I know how important it is to find solid advice on what you can do to help your dog. Because the dog is struggling, and very often their people are struggling too.  You can pre-order the paperback of Bark! now from your favourite bookstore. Of course, if you don't want to wait or prefer the hardback version, it's available now while stock...

Scent activities can be an important positive experience for your pet. Here's why, along with ideas to try with your dog or cat. Photos: Simonovich Inna and Luminoisty-images.com/both Shutterstock. By Zazie Todd, PhD One of the best ways to help ensure your dog or cat is happy is to give them opportunities to use their nose. These days, when we think about good animal welfare, we’re not just talking about preventing cruelty. It also means giving them plenty of opportunities to have positive experiences and engage in behaviours that are natural for the species. You won’t be at all surprised to learn that for dogs, opportunities to sniff are really important. After all, dogs have incredible noses. Dogs have such amazing noses that some of them are even trained to search for missing people, animal scat, truffles, or bacteria in a hospital setting.  As Alexandra Horowitz writes in her delightfully informative book Being a Dog (p2), “Working dogs, trained to tell us what they naturally...

The recording of this much-loved panel at Bark! Fest is out now, with these three wonderful authors: Sarah Chauncey on PS I Love You More Than Tuna, Sassafras Patterdale on Claw This Journal, and Rachel Wells on Alfie the Christmas Cat. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.  Our Bond with Cats with Sarah Chauncey, Sassafras Patterdale, and Rachel Wells 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 new book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog , which is out now and available wherever books are sold. We heard from some incredible authors of books about animals. This is the recording of Our Bond with Cats with Sarah Chauncey, Sassafras Patterdale, and Rachel Wells. You can watch the panel on Youtube or below, listen wherever you get your podcasts  ( Appl...