What to do if your dog is reactive to other dogs or other people on walks.Photo: Page Light Studios/Shutterstock.Guest post by Beth Sautins CTCLeash Reactivity, sometimes referred to as leash aggression, is when a dog reacts in a big way to things they see or hear while walking on leash. Common reactive behaviors include barking, pulling, lunging, growling, and snapping. Working with a dog who exhibits reactivity on leash walks is a journey with some…

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"In this superbly articulate cri de coeur, Safina gives us a new way of looking at the natural world that is radically different."―The Washington Post.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's choice for the Animal Book Club is Becoming Wild by Carl Safina.From the back cover,"Some believe that culture is strictly a human phenomenon. But this book reveals…

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 Enrichment for your pet... and for you too in this new premium newsletter (with benefits).Photo: Lenti Hill/ShutterstockBy Zazie Todd PhDI’ve been putting the finishing touches to the first issue of The Pawsitive Post and I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this with subscribers soon. And I’m thrilled to see such a positive response to this new initiative.Here’s what you’ll get in the first issue:Do people who do agility with their dogs…

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Common questions about caring for puppies answered by the experts.Photo: Photology1971/ShutterstockBy Zazie Todd, PhD Puppies are so cute! It must be wonderful to have one, right? But it can also be exhausting. And the need to socialize your puppy can feel like a big responsibility.We know that once people have had a puppy before, they typically do a better job of the socialization and training. They’ve learned from their earlier experience.But what if this is the…

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An exciting new offering from Companion Animal Psychology for people who want (even) happier pets.By Zazie Todd, PhDI love it when I hear that something I wrote helped someone with their pet. Maybe they had a better understanding of their pet's body language, they tried a new technique or enrichment activity--or they realized the importance of using reward-based training methods. I've been working on a way to get even more high-quality information out to people, and…

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Trials, setbacks, and love are all part of our relationship with dogs and cats.Photo: Ermolaeva Olga 84/ShutterstockBy Zazie Todd PhD.As I was driving home from the store today, I turned a corner and saw thunder clouds over home. “Poor Bodger,” I thought, before remembering that he isn’t here any more. For those that don’t know, Bodger was terrified of thunder, but he passed last year.We don’t know yet if Pepper, my senior Shih Tzu, is frightened…

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Misunderstanding dogs, where a cat's butt goes, puppies, and teenagers... this month's Companion Animal Psychology news.By Zazie Todd, PhDMy favourites this monthThis page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.“Rather than requiring human owners to change their lives to accommodate a new dog, the French bulldog is a breed that’s been broken to accommodate us.” The very cute, totally disturbing tale, of the American…

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Will cats choose to sit in an imaginary box?A grey cat called Ash sits in a Kanizsa square. Photo: Tara McCreadyBy Zazie Todd, PhD.In the dark pandemic days of last summer, scientists had a fun project for people and their cats. The study takes the “If I fits, I sits” phenomenon one step further to tell us that cats are susceptible to a visual illusion called the Kanizsa square.We all know that cats like boxes.…

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The risk factors for dogs being aggressive towards people include being fearful, older, small, and someone’s first dog, new research shows. Photo: Bianca Ackermann/UnsplashBy Zazie Todd, PhD.When you can persuade a lot of dog guardians to complete a questionnaire, you can answer some really interesting questions about dog behaviour. Like, what factors are associated with dogs being aggressive towards people?New research in Scientific Reports looks at just this question. The results come from a large subsample…

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 "Answers every question imaginable for the new cat owner."--New York Times Book Review.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's choice for the Animal Book Club is CatWise: America's Favorite Cat Expert Answers Your Cat Behavior Questions by Pam Johnson-Bennett.From the back cover,"Top feline behavior expert (and author of Penguin's bestselling Think Like a Cat and Cat vs. Cat)…

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