Embracing an Animal's Perspective Can Be a Life-Changer

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Just about everyone who chooses to live with a companion animal (AKA "pet") wants their nonhuman friend to have the best life possible. While there are some exceptions, I can only hope that these people, along with those who already are dedicated to giving their nonhuman friends the best lives possible, will read, reread, and share Dr. Risë VanFleet's book titled Embracing the Animal's Perspective: Living Our Best Lives With Companion Animals.

In this remarkable science- and story-based interdisciplinary book, VanFleet weaves in vital information from different fields including "ethology, humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, behaviorism, comparative psychology, interpersonal theory, systems theory, bioecological systems, and development and attachment theory."

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Embracing the Animal’s Perspective?

Risë VanFleet: Sometimes, I see examples where people do not understand their animals accurately. I was there once myself. A wonderful eye-opener for me came long ago, when I began to see my own animals more clearly. In my workshops for therapists learning animal-assisted play therapy, we have emphasized how understanding animals’ perspectives benefits people and animals alike. Participants have been very positive about this; the book is a way to share these ideas with more people.

MB: How does your book relate to your background and general areas of interest?

RV: I have many interests, and this book highlights some key ones. I’m a relationship-focused family psychologist, and I also love animals. I have studied ethology and animal behavior for years. Your work, Marc, has been very influential in my journey. I find our human-animal relationships fascinating, and I want everyone to enjoy them in respectful ways that see each person and each animal as an individual.

MB: Who do you hope to reach?

RV: After working with professionals who work with animals, I saw how things I taught helped them. Many described their increased awareness of animals as “life-changing,” and I wanted to share that experience for anyone who lives with and loves animals, and even for those who sometimes become frustrated with their companion animals. This is the first book I’ve written for the public at large (others were for human or animal professionals), and I’ve included real-life examples for dogs, horses, and cats; the material applies to other species, too. I wanted to share some core skills and ideas that help people see their animals more clearly. That leads to better relationships and mutual enjoyment of life together. This book might be useful for those who enjoy their companion animals as well as animal professionals and therapists.

Source: Risë VanFleet.

MB: What topics do you consider, and what are some of your major messages?

RV: This is not a book about training animals—there are many of them available. I focus more on building relationships based on understanding our animals better. In a way, it’s about learning by listening to the animals themselves. The book is divided into sections, each with several chapters. Each section includes science-based concepts along with many practical examples. I've included parallels among species, as well as with wild animals.

Expectations: How we can develop realistic expectations of our animals based on observations, understanding their natural behaviors, and getting to know them as unique individuals.

Empathy: How we can see and accept each animal’s perspective to build relationships responsive to their needs while determining their best fit for the activities we ask them to do.

Exploration: When we understand the need to explore and search the environments in which our animals (and we) live, we can increase their motivation, solve problems that occur, and share enjoyable adventures.

Empowerment: We explore ways to give our animals greater agency when possible and practical—allowing them to make more choices that affect and enrich their lives. We consider the role of control along with comparisons of wild animals and our domesticated companion animals. This section highlights the positive impact of obtaining animal consent and input more frequently, reducing our intrusiveness, and linking empowerment to animal welfare and our own well-being and connections.

Enthusiasm: How we can increase the enjoyment and fun in our relationships with animals, the value of play for animals and their people, and how we can understand animals’ social relationships with other animals and with us.

The book prompts readers to consider how well their lifestyles serve their animals and themselves, and how small changes can make big, positive differences.

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MB: How does your book differ from others that consider some of the same general topics?

RVF: While I have blended the practical with the scientific and drawn from many aspects of my own experiences, this book was in reality created by the many animals I have known. This includes my lifetime with companion animals, the countless dogs in rescue environments with whom I volunteered for 25 years, the animals who inspired the way we teach animal-assisted play therapy in an animal-centered way, and the many with whom I’ve conducted behavioral consults to help animals and their humans live more compatibly in their homes. All of them had something to say, and the better I listened, the better things turned out. As far as I know, it’s the first of its kind to combine these specific elements and show how they work together; a better understanding of companion animals will also increase our confidence and satisfaction with our relationships with animals in our lives. There are, of course, many wonderful books available (including your own), and I’ve referenced many of them in my book for readers to dive into topics. Perhaps of most use is the ability to read this book and try its ideas with one’s own animal friends.

MB: Will learning to see through a pet's eyes improve how we live with them?

RV: Absolutely. The reader can easily try the ideas in the book, and the more we understand our animals, the less frustration we feel and the more our animals enjoy being with us. I hope readers will see that when we regularly look for, pay attention to, and respond to each animal’s perspective, it allows our animals to be who they are while also enriching our own lives.