Jessica Scott-Reid is a freelance journalist and animal advocate based in Winnipeg. In 2016, when Canadian scientist Dr. Charu Chandrasekera was attending international meetings on developing alternatives to animal testing, she was often met with shock when she revealed that Canada lacked its own centre for alternative methods. There are several of these centres around […]
3 More Reasons Why It’s Better to Use (Only) Reward-Based Methods to Train Dogs
The side-effects of aversive dog training methods that most people don’t know about–but should. Photo: Stock Rocket/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get the weekly Companion Animal Psychology newsletter By now, the idea that aversive training […]
What are Reward-Based Training Methods for Dogs (and Cats)?
It’s best for your pet if you only use reward-based methods to train them. Here’s what that means. Photo: OlgaOvcharenko/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. Dog training methods can […]
Animal activists want mass killings to control avian flu to use more humane methods
Mass killings to control highly contagious, highly pathogenic avian influenza are being criticized by at least one animal activist organization. The non-governmental Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has petitioned the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS), asking the government to “incentivize producers to adequately plan for the rapid killing of infected and exposed animals.” The […]
Dog Training Methods and Animal Welfare
We know that aversive dog training methods have risks for dogs, but how do they measure up to models of animal welfare? Photo: Blue Bird/Pexels By Zazie Todd PhD Get Companion Animal Psychology in your inbox. This page contains affiliate links which means I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to […]
Victory! Cruel hunting methods in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge were just defeated
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block In a massive victory for wildlife in Alaska, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife announced last week that it was withdrawing its 2020 proposed rule that would have allowed trophy hunters on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge to lure brown bears to their deaths with rotting piles of pastries and […]
Breaking: Big step forward in fight to ban extremely cruel hunting methods
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson A new National Park Service proposed rule marks a substantial step forward for some of our nation’s most iconic wildlife species, including brown and black bears and wolves. The NPS rule would ban certain extremely cruel methods of trophy hunting and trapping on Alaska’s national preserves. We have been […]