Description
Dr. Erica Cosijn has studied Mathematics, Physics and Philosophy at graduate level and Logic, Ethics and Information Science at Postgraduate level. She has worked as a badly paid philosopher, information specialist, university lecturer, noise impact assessment consultant and lately as a Tellington TTouch Practitioner and content developer for Information Literacy at tertiary level. She is the author of many articles on Information Retrieval, is co-author of a book on Information Literacy and has written over 200 Noise Impact Assessment Reports. All these skills combined perfectly for the development of the Nasty Noises course and subsequent book. Dr Erica lives in Pretoria, South Africa with her elderly rescued dogs and is quite well known for her love of orange-eyebrowed dogs.
Content of the book (subject to change)
Section One
Understanding noise, sound and hearing – This section will address sound as a physical phenomenon, the physiology of hearing and the differences between sound and noise. The differences in human and animal hearing will be also be discussed.
Section Two
Understanding the physiology and psychological impacts of fear, phobia and anxiety – The differences between fear, phobia and anxiety will be discussed in some detail, drawing from the research of Jaak Panksepp, Frans de Waal, Brian Hare, Gregory Burns and John Pilley. Other risks factors such as breed, history, socialisation, gut health and separation anxiety will also be discussed
Section Three
The components of a thunderstorm –Thunderstorms are complex phenomena with many elements that may cause fear, anxiety and phobia. Many animals are not scared of the noise as we commonly assume, but are rather triggered by changes in air pressure, electrical charge in the air, the smells associated with storms, visual shocks such as lighting flashes, ground-borne vibrations, etc. These elements will be discussed, as well as some clues to look for when determining what the animal is afraid of.
Section Four
FAQs and myths regarding noise phobia – Free advice on noise phobia is abundant on social media, but many of these are detrimental to the well-being of the animal. It is important to be aware of misconceptions regarding this potentially debilitating condition, so this section will deal with scientific research published on early and late-onset phobia, hereditary factors, mimicking behaviours and the possibilities of mitigation.
Section Five
Health issues that might exacerbate the fear response – Fear and anxiety are not always psychological responses, and there are many health factors that may cause fear responses. The following will be discussed: Illness and pain, viral CNS infections, vaccinosis, canine cognitive disfunction, exposure to toxic substances, diet and gut health, and endocrine diseases.
Section Six
Environmental control to mitigate the triggers – Controlling the environment to create a safe space for the animal is something that is easily achievable by most households. This is dependent on engaging as many of the senses as possible – sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. We will discuss the effects of furnishings on reverberation and standing sound waves, ways to shut out visual stimuli, mitigate auditory stimuli, use scents and treats to engage the senses. We will also look in some detail at the research done the types of background sound and music to help noise phobic animals.
Section Seven
Emotional assistance to mitigate the fear response and calm the animal – In this section we will discuss prescription medication available, natural remedies, aromatherapy and zoopharmacognosy. We will also look at the way that play, exercise, chewing and body pressure can play a role in calming the animal. The main part of this section will be the use of TTouch techniques and tools suitable for preparing animals to be in physical, emotional and mental balance so that they can weather a storm or noisy situation with confidence.
Section Eight – Discussing a case study
This book is published in the UK by Cetacea Publishing
Approximately 80 printed pages, A4 sizes
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