Dennis Wormald loves to find creative ways to educate dog owners on the misconceptions of dog behavior.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Dennis has a Ph.D. in veterinary medicine, focused on canine anxiety. As a vet, he exclusively treats dogs with mental health conditions and come to him with a wide range of behavior issues, such as aggression or separation anxiety.
He recently published his first book titled "A Dedication to Difficult Dogs," which gives a fresh perspective on canine mental health, covering common misconceptions of dog behavior, punishment versus training, and ownership vs. guardianship of dogs.
I reached out to Dennis to talk about the mental health conditions that can become present in our dogs as they age, wanting to learn more about cognitive decline and how we as pet guardians can allow our dogs to age gracefully.
What to listen for
3:25 How Dennis defines "reactivity" in dogs
6:45 Why a dog's first few vet visits can affect the rest of her life
18:13 How to identify cognitive decline and other medical conditions
24:06 The importance of consistently interacting with your dog
31:25 Treatment options for dogs with cognitive decline
36:16 Changes you can make in your home to help your senior dog
Where to find Dennis
A Dedication to Difficult Dogs
Resources mentioned
