An easy way to look at improving your relationship with your dog.
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By Zazie Todd PhD
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When I was writing my first book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, I wanted to make it as useful to people as possible. At the end of every chapter, I put a list of tips on how to apply the science at home. And then at the end of the book, I made a checklist for a happy dog. This draws together all of the information in the book into one handy list that people can use to see how they’re doing at making their dog happy.
It’s a simple yes/no checklist that’s designed to help people spot the gaps in what they are doing and reflect on any changes they might like to make for the benefit of their dog. It’s written with an understanding that no one is perfect, but that sometimes making small changes can lead to a better relationship with our dog. And there are no fixed rules on how to use the results; it’s up to you to decide what works best for you.
As I wrote in the book,
“I love seeing the difference it can make to both human and dog when an owner has a better understanding of their dog’s needs.”
It turns out the checklist is one of the sections of the book that most people have commented on. Sometimes people tell me how they did or about the changes they made and what effect it had—something that really warms my heart.
Some people have told me they’d like a copy they can print out (so as not to write in the book). And some dog trainers have asked for a copy that they can use with their clients.
So, I’m making it available today. You can get the checklist for a happy dog here.
Let me know how you get on!
If you’d like to know more about happy dogs, here’s the recording of a webinar I presented about how to have a happy dog. The webinar is full of practical tips (and the science that explains why they matter).
I’m excited to share that my next book is also about dogs. Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is available for pre-order now from all good bookstores, including my Amazon store, and from Bookshop (and Bookshop UK) which supports independent bookstores.
Bark! will be published on October 1st in Canada, the US, and Australia, and on October 17th in the UK.
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