Guest Bio:

Else Verbeek is the founder of Amazing Animal Minds and an Associate Professor of Animal Welfare at the Agricultural University in Uppsala (Sweden). At Amazing Animal Minds, I help dogs (and their owners) overcome stress, fear and anxiety. In addition, I provide training and education about dog behaviour, stress and emotion for dog trainers and behaviourists. My research explored the link between cognition, emotion and (stress) physiology with the aim to improve animal welfare.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, Else Verbeek joins Daniel to explore the science of stress, welfare, and emotion. She explains the role of the HPA axis and cortisol in animals, unpacking what stress hormones really tell us—and what they don’t. Else discusses the differences between acute and chronic stress, the challenges of measuring welfare across species, and the parallels (and limits) between animal and human mental health research. The conversation also dives into how environment, enrichment, and even the microbiome shape behaviour, and why focusing on positive welfare—allowing animals to thrive, not just survive—is the next frontier for science and practice.

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