Full Show Notes for Episode #79.

Intro Timestamps: 00:01 – 01:09

Segment 1: 01:14 – 07:55

Do you wonder why your dog loves to eat up your shoes and what to do about it if they’ve made a habit out of it? There are three specific reasons dogs chew slippers, high heels and dress shoes and one of them does have to do with your feet.  I’ll explain this and offer a few suggestions for saving your footwear,  short of giving your dog away.

Segment 2: 07:58 – 30:06

Then, you can greatly improve the daily health of your cat by doing a few things in the home to create their perfect environment. My guest,  is Dr. Kelly Ballantyne, a board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist, and contributing author to the book, “Decoding Your Cat”, talks about her chapter, “The Feline Dream Home, Creating an Enriched Environment for Your Cat’s Mind and Body.” Once you find out some common myths about cats, it will change how you interact with them and feed them.

Segment 3: 30:09 – 38:14

Did you know that dogs can understand the emotions you show on your face?

A study published in 2018, reveals that dogs are capable of understanding the emotions behind the expressions on human faces. The dogs were evaluated for how they turn their heads, how their heart rate changes and what behaviors they showed in response to different expressions on people’s faces. I’ll tell you  the fascinating results that shows how connected canines are to us in this episode.

Additional Resources for the Show.

By the way, the featured photo above shows a cat enjoying its outdoor, enclosed space called a “catio” or cat patio. Building an encloure like this keeps your cat safe and secure, while letting them exercise and sniff the fresh air. They are good for all seasons. 

Source for the story about dogs and shoes – “The Secret Lives of Dogs” by Jana Murphy and the editors of Pets part of the family.

Dr. Kelly Ballantyne’s website: Insight Animal Behavior Services.

How to order, “Decoding Your Cat” by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, with the chapter, “The Feline Dream Home, Creating an Enriched Environment for Your Cat’s Mind and Body” by contributing authors, Kelly Ballantyne, DVM, DACVB and Amy L. Pike, DVM, DACVB.

Dr. Kelly Ballantyne, and her dog Bludger.

Source for the story about dogs understanding human expressions –

https://www.springer.com/gp/about-springer/media/research-news/all-english-research-news/dogs-understand-what-s-written-all-over-your-face/15835462 

The actual study results: Reference: Siniscalchi, M. d’Ingeo, S. Quaranta, A. (2018). Orienting asymmetries and physiological reactivity in dogs’ response to human emotional faces, Learning & Behavior DOI: 10.3758/s13420-018-0325-2