The Science of the Human-Animal Bond: How Pets Support Your Brain Health & How You Support Theirs with Dr. Etana Berger, Ph.D.

1
00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:06,240
Welcome to the Let's Talk Brain
Health podcast, a public health

2
00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:08,920
educational initiative of the
virtual Brain Health Center.

3
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,240
I'm your host, Doctor Crystal
Color, and I'm so glad you're

4
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,880
here.
On this podcast, I sit down with

5
00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:18,240
incredible guests to explore all
things brain health and

6
00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:20,520
Wellness.
Together, we'll talk about how

7
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:24,480
to care for your total brain
health, mind, body, and spirit

8
00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,160
while sharing the latest brain
Health Science practical tips

9
00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:30,720
and strategies you can use
everyday.

10
00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,240
By prioritizing your brain
health, you're taking an

11
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,320
important step towards living a
happier, healthier life.

12
00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,560
So let's dive in and welcome
today's guest.

13
00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:43,960
Pets are part of millions of
households.

14
00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:47,920
Many people see them as
companions or even members of

15
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,120
the family.
Science shows these

16
00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,520
relationships also connect to
our physical health, mental

17
00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,760
health, social well-being, and
even brain health.

18
00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,920
Today we are exploring what
research says about the health

19
00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,400
benefits of pets and an
important part of the

20
00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,480
conversation, many people
overlook our responsibility to

21
00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,400
support their brain health too.
Today I'm joined by Doctor Tanya

22
00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:14,040
Berger, PHDA, behavior
scientist, researcher, and

23
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,360
professor with a deep passion
for understanding behavior

24
00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:22,120
across both humans and animals.
Doctor Berger holds a PhD in

25
00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,720
Applied Behavior Analysis and
has spent over a decade as a

26
00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,640
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
provider helping children and

27
00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,080
adults make meaningful behavior
changes across many areas of

28
00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,080
life.
Through her applied work,

29
00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,200
teaching, and research, she
developed a strong interest in

30
00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,880
how behavioral science applies
beyond humans.

31
00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,440
After years of working with her
own dogs and recognizing how

32
00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,600
much we can learn from them, she
expanded her work to support

33
00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,080
animal behavior and training.
She completed her training

34
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,680
through the Victoria Stilwell
Academy as a positive

35
00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,440
Reinforcement dog trainer and
also became a fear free

36
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,080
certified professional
supporting humane evidence based

37
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,520
approaches to animal care.
Today, her work reflects A

38
00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,240
lifelong passion for animals and
behavior science with a focus on

39
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,960
helping people better understand
their pets while also improving

40
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,640
the well-being of their animals
in their care.

41
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,640
Doctor Berger, welcome to the
Let's Talk Great Health podcast.

42
00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,120
Is there any additional
information you'd like to share

43
00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,600
with our guests today before we
get started?

44
00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,600
I actually would love to start
by first acknowledging that

45
00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,240
today would have been Jane
Goodall's 92nd birthday, and her

46
00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,960
organization, the Jane Goodall
Institute, is having their first

47
00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:41,440
annual Jane Goodall Day today.
It seems only fitting to pay

48
00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,960
homage to a pioneer in this
field who believed so deeply in

49
00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,680
our connection to nature and
animals that she dedicated her

50
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,160
life to it.
And interesting fact that some

51
00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,280
folks might know, some might not
is that Goodall actually did

52
00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,960
prefer dogs to her chimps, even
though she's famous for that.

53
00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,880
And she speaks very highly of
her dog that she had when she

54
00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:04,960
was younger.
Yeah.

55
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,560
What better day than today to
talk about our connection with

56
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,320
our pets.
I'd encourage everyone today to

57
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,400
think about how they might want
to honor her legacy.

58
00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,960
I am wearing my Jane Goodall
Institute shirt, and it has a

59
00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,600
picture of her on it.
And it says girls just want to

60
00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,960
do science.
So really promoting women and

61
00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,840
girls in the STEM field.
So that's my way of honoring her

62
00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,720
today in addition to getting
outside.

63
00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:30,600
And I encourage you to think
about that too.

64
00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,720
Learn something new every day in
the ways that we can include

65
00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,040
brain health and so many
different ways.

66
00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,480
And I'm so excited to dive in
what you even proposed to me for

67
00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:44,160
the topic of not only how pets
are good for our brain health,

68
00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,760
but the thing we can do to
support the brain health of our

69
00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,360
pets.
Have to ask though, what first

70
00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:55,080
brought you into understanding
the connection between pets and

71
00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,160
human health?
It's the same story we hear for

72
00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,080
a lot of people that are in
animal fields or have an animal

73
00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,080
at home.
I felt such a deep connection

74
00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,400
with animals, of course,
specifically my dogs and my

75
00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,600
turtle, My family in general,
we've always gravitated toward

76
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:13,480
animals.
My sister is an emergency

77
00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,840
veterinarian.
We've always had animals in the

78
00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,279
home.
And I think really my spark came

79
00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,040
from my first dog that I had
with my husband.

80
00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:26,840
And his name was Boomer.
And he was a pity, a pit bull,

81
00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,240
and he passed away probably
about three years ago.

82
00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,240
But he was just the sweetest,
kindest soul and our bond was

83
00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,560
indescribable.
And I heard all the stigma

84
00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,280
around pit bulls and I just, I
wouldn't look at him every day

85
00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:42,600
and be like, oh, if only they
could meet you and maybe it

86
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,400
would change some minds.
And when he passed, I had this

87
00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,840
aha moment that I just needed to
move into animal behavior.

88
00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:51,880
Over the years in this field, my
interests have just grown from

89
00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,480
animal behavior to understanding
how pain plays a role in the

90
00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,840
behavior we see and how human
behavior impacts our pets and

91
00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,520
ultimately how our bonds impact
each other.

92
00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:07,120
I think for many people who have
ever been a pet owner and as you

93
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,920
shared, you've owned a wide
variety of animals over their

94
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,080
time, they talk about that
special pet known as your heart

95
00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,000
animal.
And there's something unique

96
00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,440
about that bond.
And sometimes you may get lucky

97
00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,760
in your lifetime and own more
than one animal where you have

98
00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,880
that unique experience.
And today we're going to focus

99
00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:28,360
in on the broad benefits pets
for health and well-being.

100
00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,480
And I'd like to do a caveat
before we dive in is we could

101
00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:35,760
likely do an entire series of
podcast conversations with you

102
00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,320
where we would dive into the
benefits of pets for brain

103
00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,400
health on physical, mental,
social, emotional well-being.

104
00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,480
But we're going to do a first
introduction on these multiple

105
00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,840
domains of Wellness.
So I appreciate you accepting my

106
00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:52,960
brain challenge to give us these
initial highlights.

107
00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,560
And so I think the best way we
could start this conversation is

108
00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:00,280
give an introduction to the
research of how pets influence

109
00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:04,280
our health and walk through what
do we know in these different

110
00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:06,920
areas.
And so maybe we begin with the

111
00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,640
one people might have the most
level of awareness.

112
00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,960
What does the research tell us
about physiological health and

113
00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,800
how owning pets may influence
that health and well-being?

114
00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,640
The really cool thing is that
this is so broad.

115
00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:25,880
There has been so much research
done and it's really head to toe

116
00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,480
like on how they benefit us.
So across the span of our

117
00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,640
system, we see benefits.
So we can start with things like

118
00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,760
blood pressure, for example, and
we found many studies that have

119
00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:41,240
supported the benefits of pet
caregiving pet ownership in

120
00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,480
relation to diastolic and
systolic blood pressures, noting

121
00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:49,440
that the numbers for those two
types, systems of blood pressure

122
00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,120
are often lower for pet owners
when accounting for other

123
00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,960
variables that might influence
those numbers.

124
00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,760
If we look at how our pets
impact us physically, we often

125
00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,880
see that those with dogs are
more likely to engage in

126
00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:04,760
movement.
They're more likely to get up

127
00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:09,040
and get out and walk those dogs.
And so we're more likely to even

128
00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,640
get activity levels that are
closer to those benchmarks or

129
00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,280
those recommendations that our
health professionals want us to

130
00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,800
get to.
So those 150 minutes a week of

131
00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,160
exercise that we need to get
upward toward 300, of course,

132
00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,880
when we move into lipid levels,
limited research, small pools of

133
00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,000
research on this, but some
suggest that because we're

134
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,720
walking our dogs and engaging in
that movement, we might see

135
00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,080
improvements in our lipid
levels, cardiovascular benefits.

136
00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,720
So there's research on patients
with cardiac risk factors

137
00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,360
greater than or equal to 1 and
looking at these patients in

138
00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:46,000
relation to their pet ownership.
And we're seeing things like

139
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:50,000
greater parasympathetic
activities and lower sympathetic

140
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,560
activities.
So just a reminder that

141
00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,400
parasympathetic system is
associated with that rest and

142
00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:59,200
digest, right functions of lower
heart rate and constricted

143
00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:03,040
pupils and promotion of
digestive functions, whereas the

144
00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:04,840
sympathetic system is fight or
flight.

145
00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,240
So increased heart rate, dilated
pupils, decreased digestive of

146
00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,960
activity.
So overall, in any research we

147
00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,560
review, I would say be a
cautious consumer of

148
00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,480
information, right?
Always read the information

149
00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,720
thoroughly and make sure you're
getting it from the right

150
00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,120
sources.
And realize that there are some

151
00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,520
studies that suggest different
benefits or have opposite

152
00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:27,040
findings.
But overall, it's really

153
00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,600
exciting to see these details,
our entire physiological system,

154
00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,640
and see these correlations start
to develop.

155
00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,280
And of course, I've walked
through a bunch of different

156
00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,240
types of information here, and
this comes from a variety of

157
00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,760
different studies.
All of the studies are cited and

158
00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:47,360
referenced in my information.
So just to make sure, we give

159
00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,960
those wonderful researchers
their credit.

160
00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,400
Yes, and we'll include a link in
our show notes where people can

161
00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,000
find all of the resources that
you're referencing in your talk

162
00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,160
today.
What you highlighted for us are

163
00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,720
all these big bucket areas that
we see in brain health when we

164
00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,600
talk blood pressure, additional
movement and walking, lipid

165
00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,920
levels, cardiac system, stress
and digestion, that these are

166
00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,600
big areas and we've heard many
experts talk about and more in

167
00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,720
depth these areas in previous
episodes on our podcast.

168
00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,760
And if you read The Lancet
Commission report, these are

169
00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,280
those key areas that we target
for dimension risk and

170
00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,120
prevention when it comes online
in the conversation for brain

171
00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:32,160
health and interacting to see
how pets influence some of these

172
00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:36,160
risk factors that we also target
from studying in the aging

173
00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:37,960
field.
I always used to hear the

174
00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,960
running joke was what's the best
way to get moving in terms of

175
00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,760
exercise?
And they would say get a dog or

176
00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,280
get a pet because the idea was
we would feel more obligated to

177
00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,440
walk that dog most of the time
than we would to actually move

178
00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,720
ourselves or our own bodies.
And there was a large body of

179
00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:00,080
research that would support
that, with the caveat that pets

180
00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,720
work for everyone.
But a lot of the research would

181
00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:06,840
show that there are additional
benefits that came with getting

182
00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:11,440
up in walking that dog, social
connection, emotional benefits

183
00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:15,640
that came from connecting with
others and walking group.

184
00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:21,120
But pets were one option to
consider and it didn't collect

185
00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,840
the dust that a treadmill would.
We have a lot more growing

186
00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:26,520
research now behind that.
You're touching upon something

187
00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,600
there, right?
We have all these systems and

188
00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:34,080
ways to get that movement in,
but what better system than an

189
00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:37,520
animal that we have
companionship, relationship

190
00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:41,200
with, that we can go out and
enjoy nature with and not only

191
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,280
promote physical activity but
promote social interaction.

192
00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,920
And that leads us to the next
area of health and well-being

193
00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,280
that has a pretty big depth in
breadth of research.

194
00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:57,680
Behind it is the psychological
benefits of pet ownership.

195
00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,080
Can you give us some of the
highlights of that for us now?

196
00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,480
It is such a huge topic, but
let's start with the changes we

197
00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,600
experienced even when we're
presented with a stressor.

198
00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:13,280
So some research has suggested
that pet ownership not only

199
00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:17,720
impacts our blood pressure in a
general sense, but also seems to

200
00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,200
be diminished when we're faced
with a mental stressor after

201
00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,360
like a six months of pet
ownership and caregiving.

202
00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:29,840
Beyond this, we also find that
that we generally see pet

203
00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:34,160
caregivers, pet owners have
lower cortisol levels, which

204
00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,080
just as a reminder that's that
stress hormone and higher levels

205
00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,920
of oxytocin.
And just a reminder for that

206
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,200
too.
Oxytocin we more affectionately

207
00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:47,360
refer to as our like love
hormone often associated with

208
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,800
emotions like trust or feelings
of attraction or bonding.

209
00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,720
And we see those higher levels
when we've got pets in our lives

210
00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,120
and we might even see higher
levels of self esteem, for

211
00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:58,680
example.
So there was a great article

212
00:11:58,680 --> 00:12:01,320
that this that a lot of this
comes from the friend who keeps

213
00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:04,760
you young from it's 2023 and I
think it's Sir Johns Hopkins and

214
00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:06,960
they talk about a lot of these
benefits.

215
00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,800
But this goes beyond just
general mental well-being,

216
00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,320
right?
We can also see pets impacting

217
00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,080
symptoms, severity of mental
health diagnosis.

218
00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,240
We can't touch on all of the
diagnosis today, of course,

219
00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,640
that's like a whole list of it.
But we can focus on something

220
00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,240
like PTSD, for example.
And in this same article, we

221
00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:30,280
found that when we read what
these authors wrote, 84% of PTSD

222
00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:34,160
patients who are paired with a
service dog report significant

223
00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:38,520
reduction in symptoms, and then
40% of those patients are able

224
00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,480
to additionally decrease
medication.

225
00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,280
These are huge percentages.
This is demonstrating that

226
00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,520
impact that not only do our dogs
have all these amazing

227
00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:51,080
physiological impacts on us, but
we're also seeing psychological

228
00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,520
benefits as well.
And this seems to be for

229
00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,960
individuals where pets are an
option in a fit for them, which

230
00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:01,520
is a subset of a population of
people where we say this

231
00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,120
conversation isn't for everyone,
it's for people where pets

232
00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:09,240
ownership resonates with them.
If we broaden the right lens a

233
00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:13,080
little bit wider, what might be
the overall brain health

234
00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,160
benefits associated with having
a pet?

235
00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:20,200
We see some really incredible
benefits in particular with dog

236
00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,680
ownership, too, when we're
looking at brain health.

237
00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:24,520
There's just so many studies
about.

238
00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:29,880
McDonough in 2022 took data from
the Alabama Brain Study, and

239
00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,920
they found greater cognition and
larger brain structures from

240
00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,600
those with pets.
And then they took this a little

241
00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,560
further and they found that
their pet ownership was really

242
00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:42,520
associated with other things
like better processing speeds,

243
00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,720
orienting attention, episodic
memory related to storytelling,

244
00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,320
and more impacts on your dorsal
and limbic areas and or systems.

245
00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,680
And beyond this, in the same
study, they noted that pet

246
00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:59,280
ownership can reduce brain age
by 15 years, so really serving

247
00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,440
as a protective factor to the
aging that happens as we get

248
00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,160
older.
Are there any insights from the

249
00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:09,120
research that you reviewed that
pet aging is offering some of

250
00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,800
those benefits for the aging
brain?

251
00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,320
Of course, we've got those
physiological benefits like

252
00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,200
we're getting out, we're getting
exercise, we're playing with our

253
00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,440
dogs in our yards and on walks.
And physical benefits impact our

254
00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,400
brain health like you've spoken
about before.

255
00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:27,360
So I think that's part of it.
But I think also when we're

256
00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,560
engaging in all these things,
like when we're storytelling,

257
00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:35,400
those funny stories that you
tell about your pet who ate the

258
00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,840
pizza off your plate when you
walked away or the funny things

259
00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,920
that they do, you're engaging
all these areas of the right.

260
00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:43,920
You're engaging that episodic
memory, right?

261
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,120
When we have to be aware of
their cues that they give us so

262
00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,120
that we know how to respond
appropriately, so we know that

263
00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,840
they're stressed out or we're
sure that we're engaging the

264
00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:58,880
environment in a way that
promotes their safety.

265
00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,960
Like we got to make sure that
door stays closed so we have to

266
00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,200
be quick about it.
All of these things that are

267
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,840
promoting memory and processing
and motor movement and orienting

268
00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,800
and attention, this is all brain
related concepts.

269
00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,800
These are all things that your
brain has to process and do

270
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,520
related to your pet.
You're thinking and processing

271
00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,040
pretty hard when we're engaging
with our pets to meet their

272
00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,120
needs.
And we know too, in building on

273
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:30,240
all the complex tasks that your
brain is asked to do as part of

274
00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:35,400
pet ownership, social health
plays a key component of overall

275
00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:39,080
brain health.
And it's very hard to ever go

276
00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,680
anywhere with a pet and not
engage in additional social

277
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,960
interaction.
So can you tell us a bit more

278
00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:51,760
about the psychosocial benefits
connected to having a pet?

279
00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,960
Yeah, And I will put a caveat in
there that make sure that if you

280
00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:59,600
see a dog on a walk, you always
ask first to pet or approach.

281
00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,880
I know that they're so hard to
resist, but when we look at

282
00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:09,240
psychosocial areas, Zhao in 2025
looked at this correlation and

283
00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,200
specific to social capital.
And what they found was pet

284
00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:16,240
ownership was correlated to
higher social capital.

285
00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,840
And just to give a little bit of
an idea of what were we meaning

286
00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:21,800
by social capital?
How was this being measured?

287
00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,320
Some of the scale items where
things like generally my

288
00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:29,520
neighbors can be trusted or my
neighbors and I help each other

289
00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:31,880
or I feel like I'm part of this
neighborhood.

290
00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:35,920
So overall, we see this
suggestion that pet ownership

291
00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,080
was potentially fostering not
only your health, but this like

292
00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:43,360
social well-being and this
specifically psychosocial

293
00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,120
benefits with social capital.
Interesting to see how pets

294
00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,000
bring people together.
I think it's been this long

295
00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,120
standing saying there's
something unique about pets and

296
00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:59,520
babies that have people connect.
Strangers out in public will

297
00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:05,200
connect even from very far
social distances in the way of

298
00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,920
non verbal communication as well
as verbal communication and it

299
00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,200
brings the very physical
distance that people have.

300
00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:16,680
A part will narrow between that,
that there's just something

301
00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,400
uniquely innate about that
happened between human

302
00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:25,640
connection and bonding between
animals and babies among people

303
00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,040
of all ages and something to
always just watch if you're ever

304
00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,560
out people watching.
It happens and it unfolds all

305
00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:33,480
the time.
I don't remember the exact words

306
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,920
of that saying, but it's always
just been passed down and

307
00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,960
different iterations through
theology, psychology, and just

308
00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,400
innate human wisdom.
And I hear a social experiment

309
00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,440
on the horizon here from you
like.

310
00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:51,960
Mental health tends to be top of
mind for a lot of people and

311
00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:56,880
there seems to be this broad
emotional component that comes

312
00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:00,960
online for pets and well-being.
Is there anything that we may be

313
00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,440
missed about when we've covered
these domains of health that you

314
00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,720
want to highlight through any of
the research or any of the

315
00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:12,160
research limitations or where
the research is going that you

316
00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,000
want us to know about for pets
and our health?

317
00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,440
Of course, like I said, anything
mental health related or social

318
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,480
related could be its own
podcast, right?

319
00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,760
You look at factors of
loneliness and stress and

320
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:24,960
emotional well-being.
All of those in and of

321
00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,480
themselves are also factors that
have been influenced in positive

322
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:30,640
ways.
In general, when I look at this

323
00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,600
research, I think what we can
say is that these findings are

324
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,360
exciting and we're going to be
cautious consumers of research.

325
00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:42,040
We want to see replication.
We want to see more studies

326
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,320
demonstrating these
correlations, and we want to

327
00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,240
dive into those correlations
further.

328
00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:48,960
We want to know more, why do
these things exist?

329
00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:50,400
Why are we seeing what we're
seeing?

330
00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:53,760
So I think there's more work
needs to be done, but I think

331
00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,680
that we can be excited by them
and that's fair.

332
00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,120
That's a fair thing.
Like it's fair to see these

333
00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:03,240
correlations and think, wow, how
amazing this relationship that

334
00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,480
we have with our pets and the
benefits that we see.

335
00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,960
Appreciate you sharing that
years ago when I first got into

336
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,040
this research I came at it as
one being interested in

337
00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,720
psychology.
But also for years I've started

338
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,360
as a volunteer puppy raiser for
a non profit that raises service

339
00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:21,160
dogs and gives them away to
people with disabilities.

340
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:25,760
And through those experiences
got into wanting to know how

341
00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,280
pets benefit people's health.
And of course they're

342
00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,400
interacting with the public.
And my own lens of learning the

343
00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,040
social sciences was a helping to
educate others and volunteers

344
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,320
experiences and having that
science lens of what do we

345
00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:41,320
critique?
And after you dig in the

346
00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,520
sciences, it always brought me
back because there's only one

347
00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,200
thing that can happen is we
can't ever look at the human pet

348
00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,320
connection without the human
involved.

349
00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,200
Because if the human's not
involved, then it's not a pet.

350
00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:59,440
It becomes just the animal, and
that was always the main thing

351
00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,440
that drew the line for the
research.

352
00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:05,640
And after I read that and kept
that in my cap, if the human

353
00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:09,120
wasn't involved, then it's not a
pet, it's an animal.

354
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:13,920
It's an animal outside in
nature, in its own environment.

355
00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:18,400
So there's always that human
element of us being involved in

356
00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,840
some way, and it's very hard to
control in real world and

357
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:23,960
experiments.
Is this not a perfect?

358
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,760
Science all the time like we
want ideally and through

359
00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,680
scientific research.
And so it's what is the best we

360
00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,680
can do and how do we make sense
of that in the research and how

361
00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,080
do we make meaning of it for
ourselves in our lives.

362
00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:39,600
You have insights from
everything you've been reading

363
00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,000
because you are way more in
depth in this field than I am.

364
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,200
No, I think we have to be
cautious consumers, right?

365
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,440
I think we're headed in the
right direction.

366
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:51,640
We have so many research labs
out there that are looking at so

367
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,680
many different topics.
They're looking at these

368
00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,760
physiological logical topics,
they're looking at brain health

369
00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:00,400
topics, they're looking at
canine cognition and what they

370
00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,440
know and how canines understand
us.

371
00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:07,800
And there's just so many really
interesting, amazing labs doing

372
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,520
incredible work out there.
And there are a lot of human

373
00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,360
animal interaction labs now
looking at these bonds and

374
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:20,360
looking at what it means to have
a pet and to have a relationship

375
00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:23,360
with this animal and how do we
make it better, How do we make

376
00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:26,880
our relationships better so that
they're benefiting both of us?

377
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,080
They're benefiting the human and
the pet.

378
00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,320
I always say be a cautious
consumer, but it's OK to be

379
00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,320
excited in science.
It's OK to see these

380
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:39,160
correlations and say wow this is
amazing and I can't wait to find

381
00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,280
out more.
We're on that point of we're

382
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,200
finding out a lot more about
what we do know and I'm excited

383
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:46,840
for this next half of the
conversation because we are

384
00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,680
going to talk a bit about this
canine connection.

385
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:55,080
What do we know about how dogs
are experiencing us as humans

386
00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:58,880
and what we can do to support
our pets brain health and

387
00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,840
Wellness?
First, what does the science of

388
00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:06,720
canine cognition teach us about
how dogs understand or

389
00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:10,200
experience us as humans?
Yeah, I think that's a great

390
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,080
question.
This is one of the areas of

391
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,480
science that we are just diving
deeper and deeper.

392
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,520
And I love these cognition labs
out there.

393
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,480
If you work for a dog cognition
lab and you want to do research,

394
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,840
let's do it.
But these dogs are incredibly

395
00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:27,560
intelligent and they're
perceptive.

396
00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,080
When we look at how they
perceive us, we actually see

397
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,440
them engaging in what we call
left gaze bias.

398
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,120
And this is specific to reading
human facial expressions, that

399
00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:39,880
they do this with us, but not
necessarily each other.

400
00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,600
Left gaze bias is actually
something that we as humans also

401
00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,200
participate in when we're
analyzing each other's facial

402
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,160
expressions.
So it's our tendency to look to

403
00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,160
the left side of the viewy's
face and spend more time there

404
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,480
analyzing it.
And they're incredibly accurate

405
00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,040
in reading our facial
expressions and what our body

406
00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:00,960
language means.
Doctor Hare has also spoken

407
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,400
about this pretty frequently and
how they also engage in things

408
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,360
like social referencing.
When we point and look, they

409
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:11,360
follow it.
They look in those directions,

410
00:23:11,360 --> 00:23:13,880
right?
Ultimately, our dogs are working

411
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:18,120
very hard to understand us and
to decode what we are looking

412
00:23:18,120 --> 00:23:20,960
for from them.
And they're using strategies

413
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:25,120
that we as humans use to decode
facial expressions and behavior.

414
00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,160
It's pretty incredible to see
their cognition in action.

415
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:34,200
Thank you so much for telling us
about what we do know and how

416
00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:37,960
the Canine Cognition Labs are
starting to better understand

417
00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,200
the dog human interaction from
their perspective, looking at

418
00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:46,080
us, understand what we are
trying to ask of them.

419
00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,960
And what a lot of people might
not know is that dogs can

420
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:54,080
experience a cognitive
trajectory, human similar to

421
00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:57,320
human, which may follow an aging
care continuum.

422
00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,720
And that can include cognitive
decline that may happen later in

423
00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:04,360
their canine years.
And some of this can be similar

424
00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:08,440
to dementia that we talked about
at the later years of life for

425
00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,120
aging adults.
Can you tell us a bit about what

426
00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:14,360
this called this decline can
look like in our canine?

427
00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,800
And what are some of those early
warning signs that pet owners

428
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,240
might want to be aware of or
look out for?

429
00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,960
Ultimately, this is something
you should screen with your

430
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,360
veterinarian.
It's super important to always

431
00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:32,520
share your observations and ask
questions in those exam rooms,

432
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:35,680
really to ensure your medical
team knows what's going on

433
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:39,480
because you're seeing this
animal everyday, their norms of

434
00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:41,680
behavior.
So your observations are really

435
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,000
important.
We want to ensure that your vet

436
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,280
knows about those things.
We want to ensure your concerns

437
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,600
are addressed.
So before I dive into this, I

438
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:52,120
want to be super clear about
something.

439
00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:56,960
Do not hesitate to ask questions
to your medical professionals.

440
00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,600
Those observations and those
questions can be vital in

441
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,280
ensuring that your pets going to
get what they need and your vets

442
00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,360
have an accurate picture of
what's going on at home.

443
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,520
So don't hesitate to ask those
questions and to bring in those

444
00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:11,640
observations.
When we talk about what we call

445
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,960
CCDS or canine cognitive
dysfunction syndrome, there are

446
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,240
a lot of different potential
symptoms.

447
00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,880
So this is a jumping off list
that you can talk to your

448
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,160
veterinarian about.
But you might see things like

449
00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:27,640
confusion, disorientation,
increased irritability, maybe

450
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:31,040
some slowing and responding to
cues, changes in the sleep wake

451
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,120
cycle, decreased interaction
with people.

452
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,520
You might even see that they
have some difficulty performing

453
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,320
cues that you know that they've
learned before, some cues that

454
00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:43,760
you've taught them behaviorally.
You might even see changes in

455
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:45,840
house training or interest to
food.

456
00:25:46,120 --> 00:25:48,920
You might see changes in
attention, activity levels,

457
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,800
awareness of their surroundings.
You might see the development of

458
00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,880
compulsive behaviors or circling
or tremors.

459
00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,080
Again, those sleeping patterns
may change inappropriate

460
00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,840
vocalizations of physically, you
might see stiffness or weakness.

461
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,560
Horowitz 2001 did a great speech
about this and she had all of

462
00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:08,960
these wonderful descriptors in
there.

463
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:12,160
Again, none of this replaces you
going to see your veterinary

464
00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,240
team, but this is information
you can use to start that

465
00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,360
conversation.
If you have concerns, bring it

466
00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:21,400
to your vet, talk about it.
Do not be afraid to ask those

467
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,000
questions.
They're extremely important to

468
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,080
ask.
So much like for ourselves, we

469
00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,000
should start the brain health
conversation with our healthcare

470
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,360
provider or our pets and bring
in any observation that we may

471
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:36,720
notice.
Is there a time frame for our

472
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:40,080
aging pets that we may want to
be aware of these symptoms or

473
00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,520
when to start the conversation?
Because I know for humans, we

474
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,760
say we should at least check
this in about once a year in the

475
00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,960
elderly year.
So I would say this would pair

476
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,480
really well with your annual vet
visit that you would take your

477
00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,040
pet to.
But as the annual behavior

478
00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:58,080
specialist, do you have any
other recommendations or kind of

479
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,120
rule of thumb to put in the
minds of our listeners today?

480
00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,160
I think you're spot on.
Anytime you're having an annual

481
00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:08,240
visit, bring your observations.
As a behavior analyst, I tend to

482
00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:12,120
tell folks, keep a little
notebook somewhere in your house

483
00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:15,320
or take notes on your phone, but
keep a little running list.

484
00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:19,880
And if you see something that
sparks that curiosity, oh, I

485
00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,920
wonder why my dog did this,
write it down and then you can

486
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,080
bring that list with you to your
annual vet appointments.

487
00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:30,600
Certainly as our dogs become
seniors and our dogs age

488
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,720
differently depending on their
size, as we get older in years,

489
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:38,720
when you start getting closer to
those senior years, you

490
00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,720
definitely want to talk to you
about senior health, just like

491
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,440
us.
And there's a shift in how often

492
00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,760
we should check certain things
and how often we should make

493
00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:52,320
certain observations or making
sure that we're writing down

494
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,520
specific behaviors and bringing
it to their attention.

495
00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:57,560
It means different things at
different stages of development

496
00:27:57,560 --> 00:28:01,840
in different stages of life.
I encourage you to become really

497
00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:06,360
aware and observant of what your
pets are doing, what's normal

498
00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:09,800
for them, what looks normal to
them, and what seems off.

499
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,400
And then have an open
discussion.

500
00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,440
Bring those questions, bring
those observations, and don't be

501
00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,000
afraid to do that.
It's an open conversation.

502
00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:21,600
Now I can share someone that has
supported a dog through their

503
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,440
dementia journey to the end of
life.

504
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,040
And as someone that has to start
this conversation with my own

505
00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:34,280
vet for my senior dog, what we
have noticed is her back paws,

506
00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,440
she's getting tripped up on them
and it's not physical decline if

507
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,320
you're observing your own pet,
it's when her paws, they flip

508
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:42,920
over.
So when your pads would

509
00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,280
typically rest on the bottom,
hers are getting turned over and

510
00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:47,720
she's not able to flip them
back.

511
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,560
So she's not able to get back
onto her own pads of her feet.

512
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:53,760
We have to start that
conversation with our provider

513
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,240
because we know it's
neurological and it's bilateral,

514
00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:01,160
both sides, not just one.
So those are the observations.

515
00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,120
That's the call we've had into
our vets.

516
00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:06,560
And so that's a little bit
earlier of a checkup she's going

517
00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,160
to go in for.
And so that's just insights

518
00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:11,120
people can have to watch for
their dogs.

519
00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:14,280
I've been down this path before
and I know I have a little more

520
00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,960
working knowledge than most
around the brain health but so

521
00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,480
hard to see in your own pets but
there in their later years.

522
00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:25,120
Yeah, and it's hard to see, but
I think the great thing too is

523
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,360
that if you're bringing those
observations ahead of time, like

524
00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:32,440
we can talk a little bit about
how to make quality of life

525
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,600
better for your pets as they
age.

526
00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,720
What can we do for that dog
that's having difficulty with

527
00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:41,200
those back paws, right?
How can we make the house safer?

528
00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:46,680
Can we add those anti slip mats
in the house so that maybe if

529
00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,360
your dog's having a little bit
more difficulty with walking,

530
00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:51,680
we're promoting safety, safety
in the house and we're

531
00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:53,800
preventing further injury,
right?

532
00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:55,680
We're preventing other things
from going wrong.

533
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,720
So I think that's why those
observations are so important,

534
00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:01,800
because you might see this and
say, I guess they're just aging,

535
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,760
but there might be things that
we can do to help that quality

536
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,920
of life as they age.
There's many times we talk about

537
00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:13,240
how our pets benefit us, and you
hope to focus the responsibility

538
00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:17,000
that we have to support our
brain health of our pets.

539
00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,080
As a pet owner, what should we
understand about keeping our

540
00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,960
animals mentally healthy as they
age?

541
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:28,200
Our relationships with our pets
is exactly what that is.

542
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,120
It's a relationship, right?
In that way, we have a

543
00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,280
responsibility to them to
support their health as they

544
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,320
age, and that includes their
brain health.

545
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,240
We've seen research supporting
enrichment as something that

546
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:44,400
might even slow the progression
of canine cognitive dysfunction,

547
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,120
the symptoms that they have.
That was a study in 2021 by

548
00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,320
O'Brien and her team, which is
incredible to see, right?

549
00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,960
We don't have to necessarily
just succumb to this.

550
00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,400
We can maybe improve the quality
of life.

551
00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,560
We can maybe slow the
progression of some of this.

552
00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:03,720
And really we want to look at
how do we do that?

553
00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:06,760
And enrichment is one of those
ways that we can stimulate our

554
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:10,640
pets cognitively and get our
dogs problem solving and get our

555
00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,040
dogs engaging in innate
behaviors too.

556
00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,600
I think that's a really
important piece as well for

557
00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:17,640
their brain.
We might set up some food based

558
00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:20,600
puzzles and promote them
engaging and sniffing and

559
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,040
finding the food right.
So they're problem solving, but

560
00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,960
we should be ensuring that they
have access to safe enrichment.

561
00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:32,000
Thank you for encouraging us to
support the brain health of our

562
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,320
pets and that there are the
actionable things that we can

563
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:38,080
do.
If you how quickly our

564
00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:42,320
conversations can go with our
expert guests, I'd like to make

565
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:46,200
sure we can give people action
steps that they can take from

566
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,160
today's conversation.
Yeah, if we wanted to make one

567
00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:54,320
small change this week that
could benefit both our brain

568
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,000
health and our pet, what would
you recommend we do?

569
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,240
I would say enrichment,
enrichment, enrichment.

570
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:05,320
An enrichment includes training
that includes positive

571
00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,840
reinforcement training.
So just a few minutes of

572
00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,400
training really helps us
cognitively.

573
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,080
And I think the fun thing there
is that when you're engaging in

574
00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,480
training, you are also being
challenged cognitively, right?

575
00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:22,480
You're focusing on how do I set
up these cues?

576
00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,720
How do I shape this behavior
while your dog is problem

577
00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:27,280
solving?
And they're saying like, what do

578
00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,480
I need to do to get access to
the street?

579
00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,880
Or what does that mean that this
human is doing right?

580
00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,560
It's cognitively stimulating for
both of you.

581
00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:38,400
So I think it's a great jumping
off point for both of us in

582
00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,120
terms of cognitive health,
positive reinforcement training.

583
00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:42,840
And it can be something super
fun.

584
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,480
It could be a functional cue,
having your dog touch their nose

585
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:48,880
to your hand.
Or it could be just something

586
00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:52,120
super fun, like having your dog
weave between legs, right.

587
00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:55,600
It doesn't have to be anything
terribly serious, just fun.

588
00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:59,280
Positive reinforcement based
training builds rapport, builds

589
00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,120
trust, gets you cognitively
thinking, gets your dog

590
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:04,600
cognitively thinking.
It's just a great starting point

591
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,880
for that cognitive health.
It helps you bond, Yes.

592
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:11,040
What a win win around for both
of you.

593
00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,920
Now it's something you said.
You've given us lots of great

594
00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,440
ideas, has really resonated with
our listeners.

595
00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,960
Where can they learn more about
you and follow your work?

596
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:23,760
Yeah, So I am on LinkedIn under
Etona Berger or Doctor Etona

597
00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:25,560
Berger.
I'm often posting about a

598
00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,280
variety of behavioral topics, so
feel free to send me a

599
00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,400
connection request and follow me
on there.

600
00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:33,680
My company is Compassionate
Animal Learning.

601
00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,680
We offer a variety of services
now, training classes, grant

602
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:42,440
writing, research review,
academic writing, speakers and

603
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,760
conference engagements.
And we just launched our first

604
00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,360
ever separation related behavior
workshop and virtual meet Up

605
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,240
series to support owners with
pets diagnosed with separation

606
00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,720
anxiety.
It's launching May 11th, so feel

607
00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:57,320
free to reach out and find out
more.

608
00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:02,720
Our website is IGB, as in
boyhw.com.

609
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,120
You can fill out a contact form
today and look for posts on

610
00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:08,719
LinkedIn.
I'm also involved deeply with my

611
00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:12,120
sister's nonprofit work rescuing
animals from the Caribbean to

612
00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:15,239
get them medical care and
adoption.

613
00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,760
And you can find out more about
that work at the Susie Project

614
00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:23,080
Coconut Freedom
fund@susiecff.com.

615
00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,520
And our listeners can grab links
to all that below in our show

616
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,440
notes.
And I want to make sure you have

617
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:32,520
the final word today.
What is the message that you

618
00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,600
want people to take away from
today's conversation?

619
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,960
Our pets do so much for us.
They impact our health, they

620
00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,560
benefit our mental health.
They are incredible companions

621
00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:48,320
and they bring us so many
moments of happiness and joy.

622
00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:52,800
But this is a two way St.
It is important that we also

623
00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:54,239
think about what we can do for
them.

624
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:56,840
Be patient with them as they
learn.

625
00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,720
Use positive reinforcement
techniques in your training.

626
00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,880
Let them engage in innate
behaviors like sniffing and

627
00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:06,320
maybe even some barking like you
heard today.

628
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,560
Moderate your expectations.
When you're gone all day at work

629
00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,400
and you come home, understand
they're going to want to play,

630
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,120
they're going to want to engage
with you.

631
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,400
So maybe change that expectation
a little bit.

632
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:19,640
We don't want to just expect
that they'll sit quietly when

633
00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,560
you get home so you can relax on
the sofa, even though that's

634
00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:25,400
understandable.
Enjoy your relationships with

635
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:29,200
your pets because they're just
full of incredible moments of

636
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:31,880
joy and ultimately, it goes
fast.

637
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:36,760
Pets give us unconditional love,
companionship, routine,

638
00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:40,720
movement, and connection.
This conversation reminds us

639
00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:42,880
that relationship goes both
ways.

640
00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:47,480
If animals support our health,
we also share the responsibility

641
00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,800
to support theirs.
If you have a pet, think about

642
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:54,080
one small step that you can take
this week to support both your

643
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,280
brain health and your pet's
well-being.

644
00:35:56,720 --> 00:36:01,120
A short walk, a new enrichment
activity, More intentional time

645
00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,920
together.
Small daily actions add up.

646
00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:07,360
If you enjoyed this
conversation, share this episode

647
00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:08,920
with someone who loves their
pet.

648
00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:12,200
You are helping more people
learn how to build better brain

649
00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,720
health.
Doctor Tanya Berger, thank you

650
00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:18,040
so much for letting me pick your
brilliant brain on the Let's

651
00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:21,920
Talk Brain Health Podcast.
Thank you for investing your

652
00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:25,320
time and energy into your
personal brain care by listening

653
00:36:25,320 --> 00:36:28,400
to today's episode of the Let's
Talk Brain Health Podcast.

654
00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,000
I hope our conversation gave you
fresh insights, a bit of

655
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,760
inspiration, or practical steps
that you can take on your own

656
00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,960
personal brain care journey.
If you enjoyed today's

657
00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,200
conversation, I'd like to ask
you to please share this episode

658
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:45,480
with someone who could benefit
from it or consider leaving us a

659
00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,560
review.
If you have questions or a topic

660
00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:51,680
in brain health you'd like me to
explore, please e-mail me

661
00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:55,800
anytime at podcast at
virtualbrightonhealthcenter.com.

662
00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:59,200
I'd love to hear from you.
We have so many Any more

663
00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,520
exciting topics ahead?
And I can't wait to continue

664
00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,880
this lifelong journey of better
brain health together with you

665
00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:08,040
and our growing virtual
community.

666
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,560
Until next time, remember to
give your brain the care it

667
00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,760
deserves and make your brain
health a priority.