Embracing the Animal’s Perspective: Living Our Best Lives With Companion Animals

This is not intended to be a book about training. There are many excellent books available on teaching animals. It is also not intended to explore the depths of animal behavior. There are meaningful resources on that as well. Furthermore, this is not a book on including animals in therapy or other forms of work, although it has relevance for that. I will share some key resources, of course, but I mostly hope to convey ideas I have found helpful in shifting how we people perceive the animals among us. This work is drawn from a number of theoretical orientations, such as ethology, humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, behaviorism, comparative psychology, interpersonal theory, systems theory, bioecological systems, and development and attachment theory. Lest this list of theories leads the reader to think this will be a heavy book, I assure you that my focus will be strongly practical with examples of how one can implement the ideas at home. I mention these only to show that there are many ways of thinking that have influenced what is written here.

My hope is that this book will help readers increase their awareness of opportunities to enhance their interactions with the animals in their lives through concepts such as realistic expectations, empathy and acceptance, consent and eagerness, empowerment and agency, and mutual enjoyment. These are some of the building blocks that can lead toward greater mutuality, reciprocity, and satisfaction in human-animal relationships of all kinds. -Rise VanFleet, July, 2026

Reviews

“If your dogs, your cats, or your horses could talk, they would beg you to read this book. Risë VanFleet’s new book, Embracing the Animal’s Perspective, is a must read for anyone who loves animals and cherishes their relationship with them. Full of enlightening stories and well-researched references, this is a book that inspires us all to be the friends our animals want us to be, and tells us how. Bravo!”

    - Patricia McConnell, PhD, Author, The Other End of the Leash

“For me, as both a researcher and educator in animal behavior and human-animal interactions and as someone who cares deeply about the agency and voices of animals, this book of Dr. Risë VanFleet felt like a true immersive and transformative journey. What makes it so powerful is its storytelling combined with scientific insight. Through the eyes of Boots, the cat who communicates with humans in meaningful ways; Jake, the dog who offers and withholds consent during grooming; the Alaskan bears adapting their fishing strategies to a changing environment; and the horses whose sense of safety depends on one another—we begin to perceive the world not as a human-centered space, but as a shared, multispecies reality.

“Dr. VanFleet doesn’t ask you to simply understand animals. She invites you to feel with them, to listen more carefully, and to recognize the depth, intelligence, and individuality in every interaction. This is not just a book you read. It is a world you enter. And if you let yourself slow down and truly engage with it, you may find that the way you relate to animals will never be quite the same.”

- Professor Dr. Alina S. Rusu, Ethologist and Psychologist, Coordinator of “Human-Animal Interaction Research Lab”, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania

“I feel I have been waiting a long time to read a book like this. A book which is accessible for both professionals as well as for those living their lives with animals as companions and really delves into the view from the animal’s perspective. Not only does the author really consider the human’s ability to observe and consider, but the detail in considering the potential for improved connections and outcomes when we truly reflect on empathy and what animal choice and opportunity can bring, is eye opening. This is a long overdue, practical consideration of identifying, developing, providing and immersing in animal wellbeing which has the potential to enhance not only the lives of the animals but of the humans who are sharing it. The companion animal world has been waiting for this book.”

- Dr Amber Batson BVetMed MRCVS, Veterinarian and Animal Behaviour Professional. Understand Animals, Wiltshire, UK

“This book provides a significant and timely contribution to the field of human-animal relationships, most importantly from the perspectives of our companion animals. The chapters encompass insightful and rich discussions on crucial aspects of animal behaviour and communication, relationships, species-specific needs, pathways for companion animal autonomy, and paying attention to individuality among our non-human animal companions. It is yet another example of the extensive level of expertise and experience across the fields of human and animal behaviour and wellbeing that Dr Risë VanFleet provides readers. Living and working alongside non-human animals is a privilege, but with that comes an obligation to understand their needs and how they experience the situations we place them in, an aspect all too often neglected in practice. VanFleet provides a book that is suitable for readers from all backgrounds and experiences. A practical and informative book that will leave readers with a whole new level of understanding of how we can be better guardians for our companion animals. In our human-centric world, this book puts the non-human animal front and centre and is a must for the bookshelf of all animal handling professionals and people who share their lives with animals everywhere.”

- Laura Mundy, BSc, PGradDipPsych, Cert III Dog Behaviour and Training, Founder and Educator at Mundy Dogs (Melbourne, VIC, Australia), specialising in training and education for therapy dog handlers, animal assisted support services for individuals and families, and consulting organisations and government services. PhD Candidate Researcher, The Animal-Assisted Interventions Alliance, The University of Queensland

“Animals do not love us unconditionally. Their love—like all love—must be earned and cherished. Embracing the Animal’s Perspective is a travel guide into their wild hearts and a how-to become worthy of the life-saving love lessons they have to teach us in the 21st Century.”

- Meg Daley Olmert, Scientific Advisor, The Big Fix Uganda/Comfort Dog Project; Author of Made For Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond

“As part of my own training of handlers and dogs, I always stress looking at things from the dog’s point of view—our opinions don’t matter because what we might deem as safe, the dog may not. Unfortunately too many people have such high expectations of what their dogs should be, they don’t take into account what the dog can handle at any given moment. This can lead to frustration and harsh corrections from the human and fear and aggression from the dog. Risë cleans up the cobwebs that might be clouding your vision, thus putting ‘living life with dog’ into better perspective.”

- Pamela Dennison, CDBC, CWRI, Author of You Can Train Your Dog: Mastering the Art & Science of Modern Dog Training; How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong: The Roadmap for Rehabilitating Aggressive & Reactive Dogs; and Bringing Light to Shadow: A Dog Trainer’s Diary

“Dr. VanFleet’s wonderful words are inspiring us to do better as humans by truly observing the animals that we share our lives with in order that we don’t make assumptions on what they think or feel or need or want. If we truly value a full relationship with the animals in our lives, we must accept them for who they are. This book helps us to more fully understand that.”

- Debby McMullen, CDBC, Author of How Many Dogs?! Using Positive Reinforcement Training to Manage a Multiple Dog Household, Pittsburgh, PA

“Embracing the Animal’s Perspective is a paradigm-shifting book. Deeply important for professional and animal caregivers alike who want to have a deeper relationship with their animals or for those who support them and want to truly understand the animals in their care.”

- Jessie Sams Fdsc, APBC and ABTC-Clinical Animal Behaviourist, Family Dog Mediator, International Equine Professionals (Full Member)

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Part I EXPECTATIONS
(Understanding)
Chapter 1 - ANIMALS LIVING IN A HUMAN WORLD
Chapter 2 - OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION: SEEING ANIMALS AS THEY ARE
Chapter 3 - NATURAL BEHAVIORS IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS
Chapter 4 - REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Part II EMPATHY 
(Acceptance)
Chapter 5 - EMPATHY: CONSIDERING THE ANIMAL’S PERSPECTIVE
Chapter 6 - RECIPROCITY IN RELATIONSHIP
Chapter 7 - ANIMAL-RESPONSIVE HANDLING AND DECISION-MAKING
Chapter 8 - GOODNESS OF FIT

Part III EXPLORATION
(Motivation)
Chapter 9 - EXPLORATION, MOTIVATION, AND NOVELTY
Chapter 10 - SHARED ADVENTURES: RELATIONSHIP-STRENGTHENING, EXPLORATION, ENJOYMENT
Chapter 11 - ANIMAL-DRIVEN LEARNING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING

Part IV EMPOWERMENT
(Agency, Consent)
Chapter 12 - ANIMAL AGENCY: EMPOWERMENT, ENRICHMENT, VOICE, AND CHOICE
Chapter 13 - CONSENT
Chapter 14 - THE ROLE OF CONTROL
Chapter 15 - WELFARE AND ADVOCACY

Part V ENTHUSIASM
(Enjoyment, Play, and Social Relationships)
Chapter 16 - ENJOYMENT AND FUN
Chapter 17 - PLAY
Chapter 18 - SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND INTERACTIONS

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

About the Author

Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, CAEBI is a licensed psychologist, registered play therapist supervisor, certified dog behavior consultant, and certified animal ethology and behavior instructor with 50 years of experience in the fields of child/family mental health, organizational development, professional training, and animal behavior. She is the founder and president of both the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center, Inc. and the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy® headquartered in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania USA. She provides professional training in mental health, Filial Therapy, Animal Assisted Play Therapy®, and animal ethology, behavior, and welfare throughout the world. Dr. VanFleet offers consultations about companion animal concerns directly to families and also volunteers her assistance to shelters and rescues to assist with highly fearful and very withdrawn animals. She is the author of dozens of articles, chapters, online courses, and books, including Animal Assisted Play Therapy with coauthor Tracie Faa-Thompson, which won the 2017 Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers Association of America as the best book on the human-animal bond. She has received numerous other national and international awards for her writing, photography, and training, including the Distinguished Contributions to the Science and Profession of Psychology Award (Pennsylvania Psychological Association). She is an accomplished pianist who loves music of all kinds and enjoys spending time in wilderness areas hiking and photographing wildlife. She currently lives with three dogs, two cats, and one husband.