three tips for happier dogs

Three tips from my book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.

By Zazie Todd, PhD

When I was writing my book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, I wanted to make it as practical as possible. So I included a set of tips at the end of every chapter (except chapter one).

Three of those tips are shown in these graphics.

Tip no. 73 is: If your dog has a behavior problem, don't use punishment. It does not teach your dog what to do instead of the problem behavior, and it interfere's with the dog's feeling of safety.

Tip no 7 is: Give the puppy a choice, encourage (don't force) them, and protect a shy puppy. Remember that socialization means giving your dog happy, positive experiences.

As you can tell from the numbers, there are many such tips in the book!

Tip no 36 is: Understand that you're important to your dog. Your presence can give your dog the confidence to explore new things, and your dog will look to you for information when presented with a new or stressful item.

These tips have been very popular on social media.

At the end of the book, there is a checklist that will help dog owners see where they are already doing well. and maybe help them think about whether there is anything else they or their dog might like to try. If you've completed the checklist, I would love to know what you found out from it.

If you want to get a copy, you'll find more information about Wag here along with links to buy (including from your local indie).

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the best-selling author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She is the founder of the popular blog Companion Animal Psychology, where she writes about everything from training methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a column for Psychology Today and has received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband and two cats.  [what no dogs?]