Eva Holland on her Alaskan Husky, Tacoma, and her book, Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear. Photo: Eva Holland No. 3 in the series The Writer’s Pet by Zazie Todd, PhD.   On the way back down the mountain from ice climbing, Eva Holland suddenly finds herself frozen with fear. This experience, and the recent loss of her mother, prompted Holland to write Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear, which beautifully pairs personal experience…

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 A guide to artisan picks for Halloween with a pet-related theme. By Zazie Todd, PhDMy selection of artisan Halloween picks from Etsy, including dog and cat collars, cat toys, Halloween face masks, and spooky decor. This page contains affiliate links.Above, clockwise from top left: Happy Halloweenie throw pillow with dachshund and crow by Soft Style Studio. Halloween cat garland by Embroidery by Ness. Holographic X-ray rabbit sticker by SSBunny Imports. Sterling silver cubic zirconia spider brooch by JandM Canada. Above,…

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“I hope that this book will help people see that their dogs are communicating all the time, and that they’re worth listening to.” By Zazie Todd, PhD Lili Chin's book, Doggie Language: A Dog Lover's Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend, is a fun guide to your dog's body language that is beautifully illustrated and engagingly written. If you already love Lili's work then you know you'll love this book. I spoke to Lili about…

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"Canine Enrichment is a deep dive into what dogs really need and how we can provide it." -- Dr. Patricia McConnell.By Zazie Todd, PhDThe month, the Animal Book Club is reading Canine Enrichment for the Real World: Making It a Part of Your Dog’s Daily Life by Allie Bender and Emily Strong. This page contains affiliate links.From the book's description:"In the world of dogs, there is now more awareness than ever of the need to…

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"The general consensus was there’s no inclusion in the dog world at all right now. And how do we fix that?"By Zazie Todd, PhDOluademi James-Daniel is determined to do something about inclusivity in the dog world, and she has a vision to make a difference. Earlier this year, Oluademi - a dog trainer from Brooklyn - started a Facebook group called Inclusivity in Dog Training. I spoke to her about the group’s aims and what…

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Pay attention to emotions and timing when training a fearful dog.Photo: Patrick H/ShutterstockBy Zazie Todd, PhDWhen working with fearful dogs, an effective and commonly-used technique is desensitization and counter-conditioning. It’s a very powerful technique, but there are some technical aspects that you need to get right in order for it to work. This post looks at two common mistakes that people make, and how you can fix them.The process is about emotions, not behaviourIn a…

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Grant Hayter-Menzies on his dog, Freddie, and his biography Woo, The Monkey Who Inspired Emily Carr. Freddie. Photo: Collection of Grant Hayter-Menzies.No. 2 in the series The Writer's Pet by Zazie Todd, PhD In Woo, the Monkey Who Inspired Emily Carr: A Biography, Grant Hayter-Menzies tells the story of legendary Canadian painter Emily Carr and her pet monkey Woo from a contemporary perspective. The book is described by Anny Scoones as, "Truthful and tender, a…

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Cognitive dysfunction can affect senior and geriatric dogs. These are the signs to look for. Photo: Dr. Gurpal ChahalGuest post by Dr. Gurpal ChahalCognitive dysfunction is a progressive degenerative process associated with a pet’s brain aging. It is similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. It can have a major effect on the dog's behavior, mood, and routine activities. The pet owner may see changes in their pet’s alertness, responsiveness to stimuli, altered learning capability, and a…

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Dog poop, how many mice cats prefer, and the things we’re afraid of in this month’s Companion Animal Psychology News.  By Zazie Todd, PhDMy favourites this month “I realized that there are many lessons from my studies of antipredator behavior that have implications for how we humans make decisions.” Dr. Marc Bekoff interviews Dr. Daniel Blumstein in The nature of fear: why we’re all afraid of something.  â€œIn an off-the-cuff remark to the audience, he casually…

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 I have a new post over at my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures. Photo: Aloïs Mobax/Pexels By Zazie Todd, PhD The piece looks at the pronouns we use for animals and how our relationship with those animals affects the choices we make. Some style guides require writers to use it to refer to animals, but increasingly pet owners feel that animals aren't it. The piece also includes quotes from David Grimm, Alexandra Horowitz, and Aislinn Hunter.…

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