CAAB Chat: The Education of Will – A Window on Comparative Trauma in People and Dogs

Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Patricia McConnell’s new book, a memoir titled The Education of Will, brings up many issues related to the experience and treatment of trauma in both people and companion animals. In conversation with Drs. Suzanne Hetts and Dan Estep, the book is used as a starting point to discuss:
* Is it reasonable to talk about animals like our dogs or cats as capable of being traumatized? Having PTSD?
* If we accept that both companion animals and people can be traumatized, how would our experiences be similar? How would they be different?
* What can treatments for human victims of trauma teach us about treating trauma in companion animals? What about the other direction—from pets to people?
* What do we know, both from science and anecdotal experience, that can help us evaluate the practice of using other animal to help people recover from trauma?