Blogspot - Companion Animal Psychology

The books about animals that had a profound effect and even caused a change of direction. Sometimes books can have a surprising effect on us.  The words mingle in our brain and make some kind of magic that percolates out into the real world. I was curious to know which books about animals have affected people, and so I put out a call asking people about the animal book that changed their life. These are their answers. Dog Sense by John Bradshaw Emily Tronetti, MS, CPDT-KA, of Heal to Howl told me, “In 2014, I was working as a veterinary receptionist and had my own pet sitting and canine massage business. One day, at a bookstore, I found the book Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Better Friend to Your Pet  by Dr. John Bradshaw. This book changed everything I thought I knew about dogs. I was amazed by the long and interconnected evolutionary history between humans and dogs. I was fascinated by how dogs perceive the world, their emotional lives and ho...

Dog training standards, the puppy brain, and the crow that called for food… the latest Companion Animal Psychology news. Favourites from around the web this month These are my favourite articles, photos and podcasts about animals this month. As usual, I've included links to people's Twitter accounts so you can easily follow them. "A new training program from Canada's BC SPCA is a model for all to follow.” At Psychology Today ,  Dr. Marc Bekoff interviews Dr. Karen van Haaften and Dr. Sara Dubois of the BC SPCA about their new AnimalKind accreditation scheme for dog trainers in BC. In very cold temperatures, does dog urine do what boiling water does? Find out in, What happens when it’s 30 below and the dog’s gotta go? By Karin Brulliard  at The Washington Post . “The puppy brain still has a lot of developing to do after birth, and understanding that process is important to raising confident, well-adjusted dogs.” Fear, stress, and puppy brain development: what to know...

Animal lovers and readers of Companion Animal Psychology share their favourite book about animals that they read in 2018. Photo: Kimrawicz/Shutterstock.com Here are their choices, and what they love about the book they picked. You can find copies of all the books at my Amazon store,  https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub . Kristi Benson , CTC, Dog trainer and owner of Kristi Benson Dog Training ; on staff at Academy for Dog Trainers. Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle , by Doublas J. Emlen. Illustrated by David J. Tuss. Have you ever gazed in wonder at your dog’s pearly whites when they show them off in a particularly robust yawn? Or pondered what’s up with elk’s antlers, or perhaps laughed (less than charitably) at a picture of the single hilariously large claw on a fiddler crab? Antlers, club-like tails, teeth, jaws, and claws come in all shapes and sizes, and are all a form animal weaponry. Used for protection and to obtain resources like food and territory, they’re ea...

Africa Studio/Shutterstock Members of the  Companion Animal Psychology Book Club will recognize the photo above. It's a stock photo, but it's one of my favourites that I've used since I began blogging.

"An accessible and richly illustrated introduction to the natural history of dogs―from evolution, anatomy, cognition, and behavior to the relationship between dogs and humans" The Companion Animal Psychology Book Club choice for October 2018 is The Dog: A Natural History by Ádám Miklósi. From the cover, "As one of the oldest domesticated species, selectively bred over millennia to possess specific behaviors and physical characteristics, the dog enjoys a unique relationship with humans. More than any other animal, dogs are attuned to human behavior and emotions, and accordingly play a range of roles in society, from police and military work to sensory and emotional support. Selective breeding has led to the development of more than three hundred breeds that, despite vast differences, still belong to a single species, Canis familiaris .  The Dog is an accessible, richly illustrated, and comprehensive introduction to the fascinating natural history and scientific...

Books about animals and some fiction too – the books on my to-read list this summer. Photo: geertweggen / Shutterstock It’s a tradition here at Companion Animal Psychology to publish a summer reading list. Typically the list includes links to some favourite articles by other bloggers, as with last year’s list concentrating on sound advice on dogs and cats or 2015’s play edition . But now each month’s newsletter highlights favourite posts ( see August's newsletter here ), I decided to do things differently this summer. I’ll be taking a bit of time off, and I thought I would share with you some of the books on my book pile waiting to be read. Books from the book club Not surprisingly, the Companion Animal Psychology Book Club choices make up a significant proportion of my reading list. This month, the book club is reading Marc Bekoff’s Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do . You may remember that I interviewed Bekoff about the book back in April . As this is the book for Au...

"...From Fearful to Fear Free™ addresses fear, anxiety, and stress, issues that dog owners frequently encounter but seldom understand." In May, the Companion Animal Psychology Book Club is reading From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias by Marty Becker, Lisa Radosta, Wailani Sung and Mikkel Becker, edited by Kim Campbell Thornton. From the back cover,  "Straight from the experts comes the Fear Free™ program, a positive-reinforcement plan with proven results in helping fearful, anxious, and stressed dogs. From the knowledge and experience of 'America's veterinarian' - Dr. Marty Becker - and an esteemed group of pioneers in veterinary medicine and behavior, From Fearful to Fear Free™ addresses fear, anxiety, and stress, issues that dog owners frequently encounter but seldom understand. Filled with anecdotes from their own practices, detailed techniques, and helpful resources, this information-filled volu...