11. Tom Wright - Understanding Animal Behavior

"When I think of happiness, I think of dogs who are safe and secure." -Tom Wright Are you a furr parent? How do you bond with your pets? This episode highlights a holistic approach to dog training to ensure that dogs' needs are addressed with healthy, safe, and non-problematic outlets. It provides insight into how animals think and feel about themselves and the world around them, as well as how to assist them in adapting to their environment, allowing them to prosper and be healthy. My guest today is Tom Wright. His love and passion for dog behavior started in 2009 whilst traveling in South-East Asia. With so many street dogs in dire conditions, he couldn’t just stand back and watch the suffering so the travels turned into a volunteering mission. He got stuck into shelter work—feeding the dogs, washing the new arrivals, and tending to them in any way he could. He became fascinated with how the animals interacted with each other and humans. Fast forward 12 years, Tom is now a fully qualified Fear-Free Certified Trainer, a Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer, and a member of PPGA. Check out these episode highlights: 06:22 - Why did Tom choose the field of animal behavior 08:29 - What exactly is separation anxiety in dogs 09:44 - How can we spot separation anxiety in our own pets 11:58 - The power of Positive Reinforcement when it comes to Training 15:44 - Does animal behavior reflect the owner's behavior? 17:08 - Why physical punishment is not ideal for our pets 28:28 - When should we start training our pets 32:33 - How can you tell if a dog is comfortable 34:10 - How do you balance running a business, volunteering, and working full-time Connect with Tom https://www.happydogproject.com.au/ Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_mckinnon/ Subscribe and leave a review: Anchor: https://anchor.fm/charlotte-mckinnon2 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/darling-youre-different/id1627165214 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aC1oJAXltaTmzBb6b3sLw