Companion Animal Psychology

Do online pet obituaries reveal how we truly feel about our pets? Guest post by Jane Gething-Lewis (Hartpury College). “You were such a selfless and giving boy. Dad loves you with all his heart.” A heartfelt online tribute to a dearly departed loved one – but this loved one had four legs, a tail and was called Cosmo. Over the top? Not necessarily. Research suggests that many people feel the loss of a beloved pet as keenly as the loss of a child. The bond people have with each other has long been debated and discussed. Generations of psychologists have attempted to explain and quantify the mechanics of attachment (or lack of) between fellow humans. But is it possible that we form similar bonds with our animal companions? Recently, researchers have been interested in exploring whether human theories of bonding apply to our relationships with our pets. No easy task, when only half of the bonding equation can talk. Now researchers at the University of Edinburgh believe they ha

The book of the month is Being a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. The book for March 2017 is Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell by Alexandra Horowitz. From the inside cover, "To a dog, there is no such thing as "fresh air." Every breath is full of information. Dogs, when trained, can identify drugs of every type, underwater cadavers, cancer, illicit cell phones in prison, bedbugs, smuggled shark's fins, dry rot, land mines, termites, invasive knapweed, underground truffles, and dairy cows in estrus. But they also know about the upcoming weather, earthquakes before they happen, how "afternoon" smells, what you had for breakfast, and whether a cat touched your leg yesterday." Join us in the book club for the discussion, leave your thoughts on the book in comments on the blog, or just enjoy reading

It’s important to provide cats with the right kind of scratching post – and reward them for using it. Photo: Africa Studio/Shutterstock/ZT By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. Inappropriate scratching is a fairly common complaint about cats . That’s inappropriate from the owner’s perspective, because from the cat’s point of view they are just doing what comes naturally. Luckily research can tell us why cats scratch and what the best scratching post is from a cat's perspective. Why do cats scratch? Cats scratch in order to mark their territory. It leaves a visual signal to other cats, as well as scent from glands in their paws . Scratching may also help them look after their claws, since it can remove old claw sheaths. Cats stretch out their claws and front legs when they scratch. Cats like to scratch repeatedly in the same place

Knowing a breed of dog may have health problems does not stop people from wanting one, because emotions get in the way.  A French Bulldog. Photo: Patryk Kosmider/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. A new Danish study by Peter S Sandøe (University of Copenhagen) et al investigates the reasons why people acquire particular small breeds of dog and how attached the owners feel to their pet. The research helps explain why some breeds are popular despite a high incidence of welfare problems.  The study looked at people in Denmark with French Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and Cairn Terriers. The results suggest that even knowing a dog of a particular breed is likely to have health problems may not stop people from getting one, because of their emotional response to the breed.  Lead author, Peter Sandøe told me in an email, “In all, t

New research casts doubt on an old explanation for the play bow – and suggests it’s all about more play. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. The play bow is a glorious signal in dogs . The bum goes up and the elbows go down, leaving the rear end sticking up, usually accompanied by a lovely happy face (as pictured above). Not just reserved for other dogs, our canine friends will play bow to us too. Traditionally, it was believed that the play bow serves as a signal to say something like, “I’m just playing, it’s not real!”, because many of the behaviours dogs perform in play – chasing, growling, biting, nipping, etc – can also be aggressive. But recent research with adult dogs has thrown that into question. In 2016, Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere (University of Michigan), Julia Espinosa and Barbara Smuts looked at play bows between adult do

The latest news on cats and dogs from Companion Animal Psychology, February 2017. By Zazie Todd, PhD Some of my favourite posts from around the web this month This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. "Cats, on the other hand get a raw deal. Especially stray ones."  Our cat in Havana by Will Grant . Memory wins when dogs sleep . Julie Hecht on how sleep helps learning in dogs. "I will never forget the first time a patient died at the clinic."  Compassion fatigue, secondary trauma and burnout in the animal care profession by Dr. Vanessa Rohlf . Opening the heart's floodgates, with a paw . Beautiful piece by Amy Sutherland about match-making people and dogs at a shelter. The need for transparency in training and behaviour . Daniel Antolec writing for the Pet Professional Guild blog about the problem of false representations in the dog training and animal behaviour indu

Dominance is an outdated approach to dog training – and it also means dogs miss out on fun. By Zazie Todd, PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. Approaches to dog training based on dominance rely on the idea that you have to be the ‘alpha’ or pack leader . Unfortunately, this type of dog training is not just out-of-date and potentially risky, but modern approaches to dog training are also a lot more fun – for you and the dog. What is dominance in dog training? We sometimes hear the phrase ‘my dog is being dominant.’ ‘Your dog is being dominant’ can even be an insult because it implies you are not confident enough. What people mean by ‘dominant’ can be anything from your dog walking through a door in front of you, to jumping on you, or relaxing on the sofa, growling at you or winning a game of tug. For that reason alone, it’s not a very helpful des