August 4, 2025
Training dogs, lizards, and sea lions with Dr. Adrian Walton
The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal PsychologyAbout this episode
What's a veterinarian's view on dog training methods? And if your pet is terrified of going to the vet, how can they help? We find out from an amazing veterinarian, Dr. Adrian Walton of Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, BC. We talked about: Dr. Walton’s position on dog training methods, and his experience of so-called “balanced” trainers How he trained sealions at the Toronto Zoo with a whistle and a bucket of fish How a large lizard ended up at his clinic and what his technician taught the Nile monitor to do How we know that lizards can count The difference that medication can make for pets who are scared at the vet How pain can affect pets’ behaviour What it’s like working with exotic animals The best pet to get for your kid And Dr. Walton recommends the books he’s been reading The books: Invertebrate Medicine by Gregory A Lewbart Boat Camping in Haida Gwaii by Neil Frazer Dr. Adrian Walton is the owner of Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, BC. He’s a graduate of University of Guelph and has degrees in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University and a Masters Degree from Simon Fraser University. Prior to moving to Maple Ridge he was an emergency veterinarian in Seattle. His area of interest is exotic animal medicine and spends a lot of his spare time helping abandoned and neglected reptiles and exotics find forever homes. Website: https://dewdneyvet.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dewdneyvet/ See the videos of the lizard and its training on Youtube here https://youtu.be/LD75UntRMwI?t=789 (and again at 19.25). The lizard video is courtesy of Dr. Adrian Walton. Send us a text to say hello! Support the show About the co-hosts: Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online classes . She is also a northern anthropologist. Kristi Benson's website Facebook Zazie Todd, PhD , is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog , Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy . She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and has a column at Psychology Today. She lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, a dog and a cat. Instagram BlueSky