Eileen Anderson

^^effects

Promising Dogs and Music Studies - eileenanddogs Most of the research studies where music is played to dogs have tragic flaws. But there are finally a couple of good ones.

I write about dog behavior and training and dogs and sound. This post is about some decent studies on the affects of music on dogs. Most previous studies have huge flaws and obviously didn’t have an acoustician or objective musician on the team.

eileenanddogs.com/blog/2025/09...

I have a friend who got an allergic reaction to an early Pfizer COVID vaccine and a worse one (ER) to the booster. She's not anti-vax. Scientist friends, where might she find info on the ingredients or likelihood of allergies for the two current vaccines available in the US?

It's a classic appeasement grin, usually associated with a dog trying to get someone to back off. The squinting and the lip lick are also stress signals. Not happy.

Make a Custom Recording for Your Thunder-Phobic Dog - eileenanddogs There are lots of options for masking scary sounds in your dog's environment. Here's one you may not have thought of.

Here's a post on how to create a custom masking sound for a sound-phobic dog, particularly one who is afraid of thunder or fireworks. So many products sold to supposedly help such dogs are bogus. This is simple, non-sexy biophysics.

eileenanddogs.com/blog/2025/06...

Review of Pet Shell's Report: Your Dog Will Hear Fireworks and Thunder Inside - eileenanddogs The Pet Shell is marketed for dogs who fear thunder and fireworks. But its own report shows diminished performance at low frequencies.

I felt I had to speak out about the Pet Shell.

During testing with loud (94 dB) white noise, the sound level was 81.0 dB inside the Pet Shell. Examples of noises in that range are a gas-powered lawnmower, a busy freeway at 50 feet, & an electric lawn edger.

eileenanddogs.com/blog/2025/02...

Writing Mentorship | The IAABC Foundation An IAABC Foundation Publication

Registration information: iaabcfoundation.org/courses/writ...

IAABC Writing Mentorship With Eileen Anderson - eileenanddogs Why you should sign up for a writing mentorship with Eileen Anderson through IAABC.

My writing mentorship through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Foundation starts Sunday, 1/12/25.

Whether you're blocked and don't know where to start, have an entire book to polish, or anything in between, I'd love to work with you!

eileenanddogs.com/iaabc-writin...

The Loss of my Dog, Regrets, and the Peak-End Rule - eileenanddogs Why do we want to treat our dogs to bucket lists at the end of their lives?' The "peak-end rule" as described by Daniel Kahneman explains it.

Ever since I lost my 13-year-old dog three months ago, I've been considering how we look back on our companion animals' lives. It hit me that the "peak-end rule," as described in Daniel Kahneman's work, was painfully relevant.

eileenanddogs.com/blog/2024/12...

Thank you!

Then one day I had her in the car with me as we went through a coffee drive-thru. We got a whiff of pastries. I looked back and Clara was DROOLING. That girl wanted cookies and cake! She got some, of course.

She'd get most of the sausage; I'd get most of the biscuit.

She ate the meat, but never showed any kind of anticipation, and never looked at the people with anything but suspicion. We did this many, many times. Dozens. Meh.

I got the idea to go through a fast food drive-thru on the way back for some easy classical conditioning. Human (at a safe distance) predicts yummy stuff. I'd go to a BK and get a sausage biscuit. I'd park the car for a few minutes so we could eat.

A tan dog with a dark muzzle and ears and brown eyes is lying on a chaise lounge and looking straight at the photographer. She is 5 months old in the photo but doesn't look very puppy-ish.

I told this story on someone's FB feed and got the idea to tell it here. Clara was a feral puppy, except that I made it into her life before the socialization window closed. Nobody else really did. I'd take her in the car when I took Summer and Zani to a doggie day care a couple days a week.

The sale is only at Amazon. Here is the link.

www.amazon.com/Puppy-Social...

A book cover showing a cavalier spaniel puppy with red ears and facial markings wearing a teal harness. The title of the book is Puppy Socialization: What It Is and How to do It. The discount statement reads "Discounted at Amazon Now! Paperback & Ebook both 25% off?

My book on puppy socialization with coauthor Marge Rogers is 25% off at Amazon. Both formats: paperback and ebook.

You know that people are going to get Christmas puppies, right? Sometimes it's a good idea; sometimes it's not. But this book will help start them off on the right foot.

The book relates the story of my life with my rat terrier, Cricket, after her diagnosis with CCD, and includes chapters on diagnosis and treatment as well as practical tips for providing such dogs a good life. It closes with chapters on grief, euthanasia, and making the difficult decision. 2/2

A caramel colored dog with large, expressive eyes sits in the grass and holds a blue paperback in her mouth. The book is "Remember Me? Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction."

My award-winning book on canine cognitive dysfunction, written for lay people who have dogs with the condition, is on sale at Amazon through December 4th. The ebook is half price and the paperback is 25% off. 1/2

www.amazon.com/Remember-Me-...

Frontiers | Investigating the effect a single dose of cannabidiol has on measures of stress in cats when being transported in a carrier and meeting a novel person in an unfamiliar environment

"...no influence of CBD was observed in cats..."

No effect of CBD found on behavioral or physio measures of stress for cats.

www.frontiersin.org/journals/vet...

I'm hoping someone else will in R+ dog training! I've picked up some from politics.

BlueSky Science-Related Feeds

Here's a good list of science-related feeds.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

I think you'll like it. The best thing is to find interesting people to follow. There are folks who are really good at this short form writing. I'm not one of them, but I appreciate them! Check out who I'm following. Not just the dog people; the politicos and journalists, too, if you are interested.

I'm still learning. Including the photo knocked out the link. Here is the link to the behavioral science feed.

bsky.app/profile/did:...

Do we want something more animal training oriented?
I've found only two dog training feeds: one for K9 Freestyle and one for Nosework. There are a couple of zoo ones but they aren't training focused. 2/2

Head shot of a brown and white dog with his head on a stuffed tiger. Dog is staring off into space. There is one canine tooth sticking out of the dog's mouth and he looks silly.

Hey behavior science trainer friends. @kikiyablon.bsky.social ,
@trainingmatters.bsky.social , @fearfuldogs.bsky.social and more.
Kiki, you were talking about setting up a feed for behavior analysis/training here.

There is a behavioral science feed, but I don't think it's a good match. 1/2

This will be great! Debbie is so knowledgeable and teaches this stuff so well!

I didn't expect to see quite so much skin!

Exactly. I thought of you when I saw that headline.

Lately I've figured out that writing, and especially the editing process, can scratch that itch. When something seems impossible to get clear, to get right, I treat it as a puzzle to solve. I believe that I can solve it, and I often do. I feel so fortunate to have such fulfilling work. 2/2

When I was working on my master's in engineering science, I looked forward to the December break. But when I got there, I floundered. My mind wanted problems to solve. Sometimes I'd go back to my studies; sometimes I'd find something in real life, like a garden space optimization problem. 1/2