Gorgeous dogs pose with their copy of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.Sidney. Photo: Susanne ShearlingBack in early February when the world was normal, COVID-19 didn’t even have a name yet, and I was building up to an exciting book launch, I invited readers of Companion Animal Psychology to join my launch team.Expecting around 20 or 30 people to join, I was amazed that 100 people completed my application form and signed up.…

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Today I have a guest post on husbandry over at the Academy for Dog Trainers blog.By Zazie Todd, PhDPeople often delay taking their dog to the vet because they know the dog will find it stressful. My post takes a look at husbandry training and how it can help prepare dogs to go the vet for both routine and more specialist visits. The post blends a personal story with what science tells us.You can read…

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Pet stress, dancers and dogs, and why two kittens are better than one... This month's Companion Animal Psychology news.By Zazie Todd, PhDMy Favourites This Month“Why is one piece of advice so easy to follow, and the other so hard? We animal lovers who follow science-based training methods know the answer.” Don’t think about red (or touch your face) by Dr. Patricia McConnell."Understanding how we poison other animals and their homes is among the most important…

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Don’t use leash jerks, and if your dog pulls on leash, walk them on a harness, as new research shows the potential pressure applied to a dog’s neck by the use of a flat collar.Photo: Ann Lillie/ShutterstockNew research published in the Veterinary Record finds that the pressure exerted on a dog’s neck by a flat collar when the dog pulls is enough to risk damage to the dog’s neck. The study, from scientists at Nottingham…

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The International Dog Behaviour Conference is online this weekend.By Zazie Todd, PhDThis weekend, I will be speaking at the International Dog Behaviour conference organized by Victoria Stilwell. My talk is about Helping Dogs Be Happy (or Even Happier).As well as myself, there is a wonderful line-up of speakers:Victoria StilwellHolly Root-GutteridgeSarah FisherJ. Nicole SmithSherry WoodardSarah HeathClive WynneI am really excited for the conference! You can find out more details of the Dog Behaviour Conference here.Zazie Todd,…

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"The most thought-provoking book ever written on dog behaviour and training."By Zazie Todd, PhDThis month, the Animal Book Club is reading a classic of the dog training literature: Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson.From the back cover,"Generations of dogs have been labeled training-lemons for requiring actual motivation when all along they were perfectly normal. Numerous other completely and utterly normal dogs have been branded as canine misfits simply because they grew up to act like dogs.…

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7 scent-based tips to try at home - and the benefits for dogs.Guest post by Sienna Taylor and John Binks Photo: Heirloom Portrait/ShutterstockFor many dog owners, COVID-19 has positively benefitted their relationship with their dog.  Restrictions on human movement has involved us spending more time with our dogs, providing us with companionship and making us feel less isolated in these uncertain times.  Greater restrictions have also provided a newfound opportunity for dogs to spend more time…

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Over at my Psychology Today blog, Fellow Creatures, you can read an excerpt from my book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.When we get a dog, we imagine a long, beautiful friendship, kind of like a canine equivalent of walking off into the sunset to live happily ever after. But it doesn’t always happen.In this excerpt from Wag I write about the importance of understanding dogs' needs, and how it helps us to make dogs…

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"We recognized that we were creating the book, in large part, to benefit animals more than ourselves."Kristof Dhont (left) and Gordon HodsonBy Zazie Todd, PhDWhy We Love and Exploit Animals: Bridging Insights from Academia and Advocacy is a new volume co-edited by Dr. Kristof Dhont (University of Kent, UK) and Dr. Gordon Hodson (Brock University, Canada). This is a groundbreaking book that includes chapters by leading academics and animal advocates on our complicated relationship with…

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The effects of quarantine on dogs, dog poop in history, the cone of shame, and wasps... this month's Companion Animal Psychology news.By Zazie Todd, PhDMy favourites this month“Our drive to keep animals, dogs in particular, strikes me as similar in nature: Their simple presence, and their willingness to be touched, is viscerally satisfying." Dogs, at least, love home quarantine, by Alexandra Horowitz.“If we are home all day, it totally disrupts what they would normally be doing…

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