I have a new post at my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures, that looks at some research on the factors that affect people's decision to surrender pets to the BC SPCA.Photo: Justin Veeneema/UnsplashBy Zazie Todd PhD.The research, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, looks at the reasons people give when they surrender pets to different BC SPCA shelters, and compares this to a measure of social deprivation called the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation. They…

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Every dog is an individual, but dog training is more efficient when there’s a recipe to follow.Photo: Helen Hotson/ShutterstockBy Kristi Benson CTC PCBC-A, Special CorrespondentMy grandma was one half of a farm couple who got married just after the Great Depression ended, starting a family on a small spread on the Canadian prairies. My memories of her are almost all tied up with sharing food as an extended family. We would pile into our station…

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 Jen Sookfong Lee on her adorable dog, her new children’s book, and her first poetry collection.Rosie McDoggle. Photo: Jen Sookfong Lee.No. 13 in the series The Writer's 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 Jen Sookfong Lee is a Canadian writer whose work spans many genres. Well known for the fine storytelling of her Chinatown trilogy (The End of…

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Reflections on the publication of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, one year on.Dixie and Hamish with Wag. Photo: Bonnie Hartney, Ocean Park Dog Training.By Zazie Todd, PhDThis page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.It’s exactly one year since the publication of my book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. And it’s been a year like no other for…

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“Poignant, thoughtful, and sometimes heartbreaking. King once again elevates the discussion of animal emotion. She tackles a tricky subject with a scientist's care and an animal lover's grace.”-- Jennifer Holland.By Zazie Todd, PhD.This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to youThis month, the Animal Book Club is reading How Animals Grieve by Barbara J. King.From the back cover,"From the time of our earliest childhood encounters…

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A new book uses powerful stories and photographs to show the difference dogs make to people with HIV. Adam and Laila, from the book When Dogs Heal. Photo: Jesse Freidin.By Zazie Todd, PhDThis page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you Through stunning portraits and moving stories, When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them shares the joy…

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Jen Hirt on doing agility with her dog, Wesley, and her latest book, Hear Me Ohio.Jen Hirt's dog Wesley. Photo: Rich Knecht.No. 12 in the series The Writer's 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   In Jen Hirt’s beautifully-written collection of essays, Hear Me Ohio, she writes of looking back at Ohio from elsewhere, and of a life…

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Here’s why you should pick a puppy class that includes play – and what that play should look like. Photo: Iuliia Bondarenko/ShutterstockBy Zazie Todd, PhDPuppies have a lot to learn. When you bring them home at about 8 weeks, the breeder will have already done some socialization (provided you picked a responsible breeder). But it’s up to you to build on that early socialization, because the sensitive period continues until about 12-14 weeks. Puppy class is a…

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Itchy dogs, cats and catnip, and pups eating peanut butter... 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.Itchy dog or stressed dog? by Dr. Naomi Harvey, BARKS from the Guild Jan 2021. A free subscription is needed to read it.  From domination to cooperation. Allison Wells shares the story of how a rescue…

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Have dogs evolved to lurk in the kitchen? We can learn more about dog’s evolution, and our own evolution, through the words we pass from grandparent to grandchild as nursery rhymes. Photo: Anna Badi/ShutterstocBy Kristi Benson, CTC, Special Correspondent. I was splitting then tearing off the soft inner shell from some broad beans earlier today, and I found myself thinking of a nursery rhyme. Pease porridge hot! The broad beans emerged from their light and leathery skins…

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