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RNZ News
21 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Common myths and curly questions about our fur friends answered
Not all tail wags from our dogs are actually friendly. Photo: Unsplash What does it really mean when your dogs wags its tail? Why do they sometimes like to eat poo? And can cats really make good therapy animals like dogs? Well animal behaviourist and certified dog trainer Dr Zazie Todd answered some curly questions around our canine and cat behaviours. Todd told Sunday Morning there were many myths surrounding our furry friends, including what it meant when dogs wagged their tails. She said the way a dog wagged its tail suggested it was feeling positive or negative emotions. "There's some research that shows that depending on the side of the dogs body that they are wagging too, it tells you something about the hemisphere of their brain that's involved. "So if the dog is wagging the tail to the left it would mean that the right hemisphere is involved and that's more associated with negative emotions, where as if their tail is wagging more to the right, that means that the left hemisphere is involved and that's positive emotions." But she said not all tail wags from our fur friends were actually friendly. "If the tail is quite up right and if it's kind of a tight wag and sometimes quite a quick one, that actually is a sign of the dog feeling stressed and aroused and that is also a sign that you should be more careful of that dog." Zazie Todd with her late dog Bodger Photo: Supplied ' Todd said when it comes to the personality of a dog it is largely not determined by its breed. "There's actually a lot of variability in a breed, in terms of how those dogs behave. "There is probably more variability within breeds than, you know, between different breeds, so the breed of a dog doesn't tell you everything about how that dog is going to behave. Genetics and environment both shaped a dogs behaviour, she said. Todd said dogs eating poo is actually a really common behaviour. "From the dogs perspective, poo seems to be quite a delicacy and something they enjoy eating and it might even have some nutrients in it from the food that has been eaten before." She said the best thing owner could do was just not give their dog the opportunity to do so. "Clearing up in our yards... maybe also have a conversation with your vet if your dog likes to eat poop often and think about making sure you have de-wormed them. "As well we can teach them to leave it and that's a really helpful thing to teach dogs anyway," she said. Cats can sometimes be a therapy animal. Photo: Unsplash Another mystery question that needed answering was whether cats could be a therapy animal like dogs? Todd told Sunday Morning they could, but it was uncommon. "Therapy cats can help people feel less stressed... but most cats won't enjoy this," she said. "The cat also has to go somewhere for this to happen, which is something most cats don't like. If you think of what most cats do when you get a cat carrier out - they run and hide." She also said scent was really important to cats, and when placed in an unfamiliar environment that didn't smell like their home "it can be quite stressful for them". "So i think some cats can make great therapy cats but I think they are a minority." Just like a dog wagging its tail, a cat purring didn't always mean they were happy, Todd said. She said sometimes cats could purr when they were sick or scared. "There is something that we call a solicitation purr... which kind of corresponds to the frequency of a babies cry. "So when the cat is waiting to be feed and wants some food that is the purr you will hear," she said. Cats have evolved this particular frequency overtime, Todd said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Dr Zazie Todd: Understanding strange dog behaviour
Animal behaviorist and certified dog trainer, Dr Zazie Todd joins us once again. This week, Zazie and Jim discuss some of the curly questions around canine behaviour, like why do some dogs like to eat poo? Zazie's most recent book is Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Zazie Todd with her late dog Bodger Photo: Supplied
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
My First London Home: Amanda Wakeley
I was born in Chester Royal Infirmary and grew up on the outskirts of the city in a lovely rambling Georgian farmhouse, in a village called Mickle Trafford. Growing up in a house with two older brothers it was a happy noisy home! We had a goldfish, a naughty Welsh mountain pony called Tempo and three dogs. Our gorgeous white labrador Bodger arrived about the same time I did. I would take naps in his basket as a child and was devastated when we lost him at 13. After I left home, I ended up living in the States for four years before moving to London in 1986 with my first husband. We bought a beautiful first-floor flat with high ceilings and great proportions on Stanhope Gardens in South Kensington. The reception room had French doors that overlooked the communal gardens, and there was a roof terrace where we'd sit in the evenings. When my business first launched, I only did bespoke designs from my studio on Ifield Road, in Chelsea. It was a busy time, designing night and day and then I began dressing Princess Diana. She always had a clear idea of what she liked, so it was a brilliantly collaborative process. And of course, she looked wonderful in everything. When I opened my first London store, I launched my ready-to-wear collection and have since dressed everyone from JLo to Beyoncé and both the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex. It was thrilling to see people in your designs. In 2021, I lost my dear brother, and my company went into administration. It was an incredibly difficult time but also an opportunity to pause and think about the future. I'd been on the hamster wheel with my business for 30 years and knew I didn't want another brand, but I needed a purpose. Years earlier, I had an idea for a book, loosely called Discovering Your Style DNA, which proved to be a brilliant concept for my now-podcast, StyleDNA. I love a challenge, and it has proved my real passion. I'm now writing the book too! In terms of natural style, they don't come much chicer than Yasmin Le Bon. I've known her for years as she walked my first catwalk show, but her style is effortless and she's a generous and sweet friend too. When it comes to my own style, I mostly shop online as I have a well-trained eye. I do a YouTube show called Friday Night Fashion with Jo Elvin, where we cherry-pick pieces, so I see a lot of what's on offer. But I also think the high street has never been better, and I love a wander around Notting Hill or along London's King's Road. COS, James Perse and Joseph are favourites. I think women these days are thinking more sustainably, buying less but spending a little more on pieces you can wear more often. My partner Hugh and I have lived in an apartment overlooking the Thames in Chelsea for ten years. I love living by the water, seeing the tide come in and out, the fresh air that comes with it. I watch the huge barges being manoeuvred with such precision; it's transfixing to watch, like a beautiful ballet. Occasionally, we see a seal bobbing along the river too. My podcast is recorded at home, as I wanted the setting to feel informal and relaxed. I'm so delighted by how it has grown. I started off mostly interviewing friends, but have now had everyone from Elle Macpherson to Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the show. I think a local pub is very important for the community. We have the Fox & Pheasant – James Blunt's place – just a short walk away. It's very relaxed and does wonderful food. We also love No. Fifty Cheyne on Cheyne Walk for simple food cooked on the grill, and for a night out, it's hard to beat La Loma in Oswald's, Mayfair. During the day you'll often find me in Chelsea Green, where I buy all my fruit and veg from Andreas'. I also can't resist popping into Birley Bakery, the latest venture from restaurateur Robin Birley. Everything in there is delicious! When we're not in London, my partner Hugh and I love travel and adventure. A couple of years ago, we went on an extraordinary trip to Antarctica, skiing. We travelled out there on an expedition ship through the most breathtaking scenery. Each day, we'd skin (climb) up the mountain with ropes and crampons and then ski down. We would see penguins popping up through the ice as we made our descent. Our next adventure is rebuilding an old sailing ship that we'll moor just south of Barcelona.
