Shel Graves Animal (she/they)

Are Cats Actually Easy Pets? We think of cats as easy pets, but the more you put into your relationship with your kitty, the more you will get out.

Are cats actually easy pets? They would be better off if we paid more attention to what they need. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fell...

YouTube video by Companion Animal Psychology Canadian dog trainers want regulation but a third are self-educated

It also tells us which educational certifications and credentials Canadian dog trainers have, and which methods they use--which is so important for dog welfare. I made a little video for this one too youtu.be/YtoQcEswv4w

Canadian Dog Trainers Want Regulation but One Third are Self-Educated Most dog trainers in Canada use reward-based training methods, but more work is needed before regulation becomes a realistic possibility.

Some new research from UBC and the BC SPCA shows that most dog trainers in Canada would like regulation--but there are different opinions on how it should work. I wrote about it here www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2025/07/cana...

Fabulous!

Make Every Walk with Your Dog Fun for Both of You! - Pet Professional Guild Walking the dog. Wikipedia describes dog walking as “…the act of a person walking with a dog, typically from the dog's residence and then returning.” Sadly,

In the newest Pets and Their People blog post, Don Hanson shares tips to help make every walk with your dog enjoyable...for both of you!
Read the post here:
www.petprofessionalguild.com/pet-owners/p...
#dogs #walkingwithdogs #letthemsniff

Spilling the kibble: Who’s your animal welfare hero? Our field is filled with unsung heroes. Some are leaders; some work quietly in the background. Dedicated to creating a kinder world for animals and people, they spark a ripple effect that grows our ra...

A lovely list of animal welfare heroes via @humaneworldorg.bsky.social incl. one of mine, Sarah Bowen, chaplain to animals and people who love them, contributed by fellow #animalchaplain Jen Tucker of Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania #animalwelfare #humaneworld www.compassionconsortium.org/act

Fear Free Vet Visits Reading Time: < 1 minutes Share onHave you ever dreaded going to the vet, knowing that your pet is going to be stressed out or not behave as well as you would like? Good news! With Fear Free, it’s pos...

Fear Free Vet Visits: Enjoyable vet visits for dogs and cats with less fear, stress, and anxiety for all www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/kit/fear-fre... #happydogs #happycats #fearfree #fearfreehappyhomes

Dog Trainer Reviews Superman: Why I Loved Krypto's "Behavioral Issues" Although I was drawn in from the beginning by the appearance of Krypto, it was the very end of the Superman movie that made me love it. Krypto's last scene and Superman's comment explaining the root o...

Dog Trainer Reviews Superman: Why I Loved Krypto's "Behavioral Issues" www.shelgravesanimal.com/post/dog-tra...

Krypto: The real-life inspiration behind Superman’s canine | CNN Man’s best (super)friend has prime placement in the new “Superman” movie, and the pooch’s path to the cinematic spotlight may be worth a movie itself.

Aw, Krypto is based on the director James Gunn's rescue dog Ozu and helped shape the film. I loved the explanation of why Krypto (a foster dog) has "behavioral issues" --that line and scene was delightful.

Station Training with Cats Does your cat beg or swat at you while you are fixing his/her food? Station training, teaching your cat to relax on a designated spot, keeps your cat (and your appendages!) safely out of the way while...

Nice feature on station training for cats with trainer Erin Britton and Karen Pryor Academy. Can you train your cat? Yes! And teaching your cat where it pays to hang out is a great skill for cats! karenpryoracademy.com/station-trai... #cattraining #happycats #karenpryor

Veterinary end-of-life mobile practitioners: Motivators, challenges, job fulfillment and burnout | Human-Animal Interactions Abstract A growing specialty within veterinary medicine is end-of-life (EOL) care, including EOL mobile practice. EOL care is a broad term referring to euthanasia services, as well as hospice and pall...

Veterinary end-of-life mobile practitioners: Motivators, challenges, job fulfillment and burnout -- International Association of Animal Hospice and Palliative Care board members' contributed to study published in Human-Animal Interactions Journal www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/...

Agreed. A harmful fallacy in an otherwise insightful book.

@zazietodd.bsky.social I can see where you wouldn't be too sad to turn focus away from Meta (since they unfairly banned you from FB), but I will miss discussing Feminism in the Wild. Great book club pick!

Retractable Leashes Are Risky - Pet Professional Guild Judging by the number of people I see walking dogs with retractable leash devices, it appears the product is popular. It is also unsafe.

Nice article by trainer Daniel H. Antolec for @petguild.bsky.social on why retractable leashes are risky. www.petprofessionalguild.com/pet-owners/p... I recommend a 6 foot rope or biothane lead and a front clip no pull harness (optionally a 15-20 foot lead too for sniff walks). #dogwalk #dogtraining

YouTube video by Lars Pardo Fellowship Hour @ St Augustine's Tails a Waggin'

Good news from Whidbey Island: St Augustine's-in-the-Woods' Animal Ministry's Dog Fellowship (Tails-a-Waggin') Coffee Hour. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5yL... #animalchaplaincy #animalchaplains #humananimalbond

Shel Graves Animal Consulting on FindAnimalChaplain.com Learn about Shel Graves Animal Consulting, Consult With An Animal Chaplain in Everett, Washington. Find Shel Graves Animal Consulting reviews and more on FindAnimalChaplain.com.

Find an animal chaplain www.findanimalchaplain.com/washington/e... #animalchaplain #humananimalbond

Dog Training Reframed: Fun, Enriching, and Lifelong When dog training is viewed as a form of enrichment, it becomes a relational practice of fun, manners, empathy, compromise, and lifelong care—a win-win for dogs and their humans.

I like this piece by Marc Bekoff and Mary Angilly www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/anim...

Book covers splayed open stacked on top of each other with Feminism on the Wild on top and The Other Family Doctor beneath. On grass.

Doubling up on nonfiction reading about veterinary practice (The Other Family Doctor by Karen Fine) and animal behavior (Feminism in the Wild by Ambika Kamath and Melina Packer.
"Our animals' lives are intertwined with our own, physically, emotionally, even spiritually..." — Karen Fine, DVM

"I bear witness to the vast possible love between species, to the connections I have come to know as no less wondrous because they are common." — Karen Fine, The Other Family Doctor Finally getting to this #BarkFest read. It's delightful!

Can Goats Sense Emotions? - Goat Journal Goats sense emotions in other goats' and humans' voices and facial expressions according to animal welfare research.

2024. Goats and Humans: Can Goats Sense Emotions? Goats Are Sensitive to People’s Emotions during Goat–Human Interactions. #AnimalWelfare #PositiveAnimalWelfare - goatjournal.iamcountryside.com/ownership/go...

AAVChap Welcomes New Board Members: A Step Forward for Veterinary Chaplaincy
aavchap.org/aavchap-news...

Everett's Animal Chaplain Fosters Spiritual Bonds with Cherished Pets aavchap.org/Members-in-t... #animalchaplain #humananimalbond

Pleased to say I've joined the Board of Directors of the American Association of Veterinary Chaplains. Envisioning a world where the human-animal bond is strengthened and supported through compassionate and inclusive #chaplaincy care. aavchap.org #animalchaplain #humananimalbond #animalwellbeing

The Cats Who Ignored Me in Spain And how their glorious indifference helped me get over myself (a little)

The Cats Who Ignored Me in Spain: I love this reminder from @petiteover40.bsky.social Be. Here. Cat.
open.substack.com/pub/petiteov... #cats #travel #mindfulness

CARE This Juneteenth, CARE is proud to offer special access to our REDI coursework because meaningful change begins with education. 📚 For a limited time (June 19-July 31), we're providing exclusive...

For Juneteenth and until the end of July, #CAREquity is offering discounts on its REDI courses www.facebook.com/careforequit...

Why Your Cat Needs a Safe Space (and How to Build One That Works) - Pet Harmony Cats, like other sentient beings, can get anxious and/or overwhelmed by their environment and the other beings in it from time to time. And like other sentient beings, if they don’t have a way to esca...

Why Your Cat Needs a Safe Space by Emily Strong petharmonytraining.com/why-your-cat... #happycat

The LGBTQ+ Human-Animal Relationship Research on the LGBTQ+ person-animal bond shows that pets provide valuable support and encourage self-acceptance, but that more inclusivity is needed.

A recent review explores the social support that pets can provide to LGBTQ+ people. My latest at @psychologytoday.com www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fell...

Jean Donaldson's book Train Your Dog Like a Pro is shown on top of the abstract of a scientific paper. The book cover has a cute Chow puppy about to be given a treat. The paper is What evidence can validate a dog training method? by Amalia PM Bastos, Elizabeth Warren, and Christopher Krupenye and it's in the journal Learning & Behavior.

I'm pleased to see Jean Donaldson's Train Your Dog Like a Pro cited in this paper. Excellent book!

REDI Certified: Human and Animal Well-Being - HAW Academy CARE REDI Certified is a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color [BIPOC] led organization focused on Human and Animal Well-Being and inspired to rethink and rebuild Animal Welfare [Animal Protection].

haw.academy

CARE's Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion training Founded in 2020, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE) is America’s first national Black, Indigenous, and People of Color [BIPOC] Animal Welfare organization. It's Human and Animal Well-...

For Juneteenth, Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity offers a discount on their REDI (racial equity, diversity, and inclusion) training for those working for animal-wellbeing, in veterinary professions, and in animal care and control. www.shelgravesanimal.com/post/care-s-...