Episodes

Dec 9

Zazie and Kristi are joined by Prof. Carri Westgarth to answer your questions about dog bites, how to avoid getting bitten by a dog, and what to do if you have been bitten by a dog. We talked about: Why dogs bite How to use management to keep people safe from dogs How to keep children safe from dog bites What to do if a loose dog charges you How to regain trust if your own dog has bitten you The difference between predatory behaviour and fear aggression The systemic factors that can make a difference to the prevalence of dog bites, and why education is only part of the answer Why Breed Specific Legislation isn't the solution to dog bites And more! Also mentioned in this episode: Dr. Sophia Yin's video with loose dogs (correction: it was in Australia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhm36dDFrk4 The Care for Reactive Dogs website https://careforreactivedogs.com/ Zazie's email list. Sign up here: https://companionanimalpsychology.kit.com/a88e8d1a2a Books by Prof. Carri Westgarth: The Happy Dog Owner Dog Bites: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (co-edited with Daniel Mills) Books by Zazie Todd PhD: Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog Professor Carri Westgarth is Chair in Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Liverpool with a passion for understanding the relationships we have with our pets. With a background in animal behaviour and dog training she has trained in veterinary epidemiology and human public health. Her research interests focus on the implications of dog ownership for human health and wellbeing, but also how owner management of their dogs can impact dog welfare. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to tackle her primary research questions of how to improve population health through the promotion of dog walking, and how to prevent dog bites. Her expertise on understanding and changing the behaviour of dog owners is sought by many organisations wishing to prevent dog bites and promote ‘responsible’ dog owner behaviour, such as her work as a consultant for Royal Mail. She is also a Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and founder of 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

Nov 25

We learn what canine scent work is, why it's so good for dogs, and how to get started--and progress--in this activity with Certified Nose Work Instructor Bonnie Hartney of Ocean Park Dog Training. We talk about: How Bonnie got started in scent work and how the activity first came about Why scent work is fun for dogs and for their humans What to expect at a beginner class Whether scent work is for all dogs The kinds of scent that are used, how dogs progress to searching for a target odour, and the kinds of searches they do What Bonnie has learned about her dogs from doing scent work How Kristi's dog Archer is likely to do at scent work if she tries it Differences between scent work classes and professional scent work If you'd like to try nose work, Bonnie recommends: National Association of Canine Scent Work: https://www.nacsw.net/ Find an Instructor https://education.k9nosework.com/instructor_extsearch Online Scent Training with Scent Work University: https://www.scentworku.com/collections/foundation-sniffing-program For shy and fearful dogs with Kelly Lee; https://www.dogkindtraining.com/sniff The book Bonnie chose is Finding Flora by Elinor Florence. Bonnie Hartney is the owner and head instructor/trainer of Ocean Park Dog Training in Surrey, BC, which is AnimalKind accredited. Bonnie is a force-free, reward-based dog training professional, who brings knowledge and experience working with shelter dogs and pet dogs to advance other’s understanding of pet dog behaviour. Bonnie earned her CTC (Certificate in Training and Counselling) from a distinguished, international leader, Jean Donaldson at the Academy for Dog Trainers. To further her understanding of scent detection for pet dogs, Bonnie studied with NACSW (National Association of Canine Scent Work) founders and is a certified CNWI (Certified NoseWork Instructor) with 9 years experience teaching Nose Work. For over 25 years, Bonnie has volunteered and worked with the BC SPCA, helping shelter dogs to be adopted. Currently they have Nose Work classes every day of the week 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

Nov 11

We hosted an Ask Me Anything on anxious, fearful, and reactive dogs. You asked some incredible questions, and this is the result. We talked about: How to find the starting place for working with anxious dogs Helping dogs who are afraid of elevators Fear of strangers Helping reactive dogs in tricky environments like apartment buildings and cities Reactivity to other dogs Fear of loud noises How the unfortunate side effects of shock collars can persist after training is over How to persuade people not to use aversives and more! Also mentioned in this episode: Understanding resource guarding in dogs (and what to do about it) with Lisa Skavienski https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/12905737 (episode 8) Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for this episode and/or who attended the live event. If you'd like to see more events like this, let us know! This event was arranged to celebrate the publication of my book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, which is available wherever books are sold, including Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bark-Science-Helping-Anxious-Reactive/dp/1778403328/ and Greystone Books https://greystonebooks.com/products/bark 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

Oct 28

We talk about the real world of conservation dogs and the fictional world of FBI dogs and conservation canines with Jen J. Danna, who writes under the name Sara Driscoll. Deadly Trade is the latest FBI K-9 mystery from author Sara Driscoll. K-9 handler Meg Jennings can never walk away from her job, even amid her Hawaiian Islands honeymoon, where she and her search-and-rescue black Lab encounter a double threat from wildlife poachers and Mother Nature. We talked about: The work of conservation dogs and what they do on the Hawaiian islands Why Sara was inspired to write about conservation canines in Deadly Trade How to write about dogs as characters in their own right The kind of training that Hawk, the FBI canine, and the conservation dogs in the book would go through in real life How the dogs influence the success of the mission How Hawk picks up on things his handler, Meg, can't Why Sara chose to write about endangered birds What it's like writing with a co-author And as always, we ask for a book recommendation! Deadly Trade is published on 28th October 2025 and is available from all good bookstores. Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna, coauthor of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and author of the FBI K-9 Mysteries and NYPD Negotiators series. After over 30 years in infectious diseases research, Jen hung up her lab coat to concentrate on her real love—writing “exceptional” thrillers (Publishers Weekly). She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and lives with her husband and four rescued cats outside of Toronto, Ontario. Learn more about Sara Driscoll on her websites, saradriscollauthor.com and https://jenjdanna.com/. Also mentioned in this episode: Away to Me by Patricia McConnell PhD will be published in February 2026 and is available for pre-order now You can hear Patricia McConnell talking about the book at 2024's Bark! Fest, which is available as a previous episode of this podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16149739 Learn about the work of historical scent detection dogs in an episode with Kim Cooper and Cat Warren https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/17384889 The Hawaiian crow is the ‘Alalā. Learn about the ‘Alalā project https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/alalaproject/ 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

Oct 14

Demand barking is a type of barking that dogs do to get something they want, like a treat, toy, or attention. It happens because we've previously (accidentally) rewarded them for it. So what should you do if your dog is demand barking? In this episode, we talk about: How dogs bark for different reasons, including watchdog barking and barking due to fear What demand barking is Why the phrase "demand barking" is actually a bit of a misnomer We give examples of demand barking, including when Zazie's dog Pepper does this We share ideas and tips for what to do about it Kristi talks about why she set up a course on this and what's included And finally we talk about the books we're reading. The books we recommend in this episode are: Spoiler Alert: You're Gonna Die by Korttany Finn and Jacquie Purcell Junie: A Novel by Chelene Knight Also mentioned in this episode: The episode on harmonious multidog households and resource guarding in dogs https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/17835523 The episode on how to help your reactive or fearful dog https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/17695165 The Hogan's Alley Society https://www.hogansalleysociety.org/ Learn more about Kristi Benson and her courses: https://www.kristibenson.com/ Learn more about Zazie Todd: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html Get Zazie's books from all good bookstores or here: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/books.html 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

Oct 1

Dog sports are fun activities for you and your dog, but with so many to choose from, it can feel daunting to get started. We demystify dog sports with trainer Ayoka Bubar, a Rally Obedience judge who has taught (and tried) many different sports. She shares the details and tells us how to match sports to dogs. We talked about: Why Ayoka loves dog sports Why dog sports are good for dogs We get examples: rally o, tricks training, barn hunt, and carting Which kinds of dogs and people these sports are best for The best place to start if someone is interested in trying a dog sport The role of a dog's breed in choosing a dog sport Which dog sports are suitable for reactive and fearful dogs What Ayoka has learned from doing so many different dog sports The kind of community that is found amongst dog sports people And as always, we get a book recommendation Ayoka chose Atomic Habits by James Clear as her book choice. Ayoka Bubar is an approved judge for the Canadian Association of Rally Obedience and she never passes up an opportunity to try a new sport with her Rottweilers. She has trained or trialed in Flyball, Agility, Tracking, Trick Titling, Herding, Rally Obedience, Mondioring, IGP, and Scentwork, so she is the perfect person to tell us about dog sports. As well, Ayoka believes that dog training should be fun for dogs and their humans, which we love to hear. And she likes to use positive reinforcement techniques to help handlers communicate more effectively with their dogs. Learn more and get details of classes at https://ayokabubar.com/ Ayoka on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ayoka.bubar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theogrottendog/ Also mentioned in this episode: Bark! The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Zazie Todd. Available wherever books are sold. Tricks classes by Erica Beckwith of A Matter of Manners Dog Training https://www.amatterofmannersdogtraining.com/ 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

Sep 16

The benefits of having more than one dog and what you should do to ensure everyone gets along. We talk about: How having another dog in the home can be beneficial for a dog How it can cause issues Disagreements between dogs are normal, just like people disagree What kind of disagreement is okay The mistake many people make which makes things worse How to make sure resources aren't a source of stress How to deal with dog fights and break them up Management can be life-saving for multi-dog homes On the fly training for polite interactions And as always, we recommend some books The books recommended in this episode are: How to P*** Off Men: 109 Things to Say to Shatter the Male Ego by Kyle Prue Birds of Coastal British Columbia by Nancy Baron and John Acorn This episode topic was suggested by a listener. If you have ideas for things you'd like us to talk about, let us know! 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

Sep 2

Content warning: Suicidal ideation comes up in this conversation. Help is available. In Canada or the US, call or text 988 for the suicide crisis helpline. In the UK, the Samaritans are on 116 123. When a cute puppy turns into a terrible teen, many people struggle. Tina Spring of Sit Happens joins us to talk about adolescent canines and how she helps people with their teenage dog in a place where many pups miss out on puppy class. Tina is also the smart, funny, and kind host of Your Family Dog podcast. We talked about: the importance of puppy class and how to socialize your puppy why Tina offers an adolescent puppy class the issues that people have as their puppy becomes a teen the importance of food treats and seeing things through your puppy's eyes what Tina says when people are struggling with their adolescent dog similarities between parenting teenage puppies and teenage humans burnout and trauma in dog training Your Family Dog podcast and how Tina got involved Zazie Todd and Marc Bekoff on Your Family Dog Zazie on YFD to talk about anxious dogs and happy dogs The Beast Keepers by Julie Fudge Smith Colleen Pelar https://colleenpelar.com/ Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. The full show notes and transcript are available here: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2025/09/teenage-dogs-and-what-to-do-about-them.html Tina Spring started training dogs as a child in 1979 in 4H. Her love of dogs and of teaching led her to a career working with dogs and families. She published her first book, 90 Days to the Perfect Puppy, in 2005 and it’s now part of her online puppy rearing program that bears the same name. She is the owner of Sit Happens Dog Training & Behavior, LLC in Athens, Georgia, where she does in person and online consults and specializes in fear and aggression and the special relationships between kids & dogs. She’s also the co-host of the Your Family Dog podcast, which is a really fun and excellent podcast. 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

Aug 19

If a dog is reactive, fearful, or anxious, often the dog is struggling--and so is their person. We share tips to help you to help your fearful dog, from the first chapter of Zazie's book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Bark! is out now in paperback and available wherever books are sold. Get Bark!: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/books.html We talked about: How important it is to recognize the signs of stress in dogs Your priority is to help your dog feel safe Pick a food your dog really loves that you can use to teach them to like the thing they are scared of The kinds of food that are best How to be prepared and make sure you have those tasty treats to hand How to bridge and fridge The importance of finding activities that both you and your dog love Kristi and Zazie each share a story of a time something unexpected happened and they had treats to hand And finally we talked about the books we're reading. The books we mention in this episode: The Beaverton podcast (okay, it's a podcast!) The Home Cookbook, 125th anniversary edition Otter by Jackie Morris Also mentioned is a study on how people spot signs of stress in dogs interacting with children. You can read about it here: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/05/people-mistakenly-think-anxious-dogs.html 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

Aug 4

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

Jul 22

Writers talk about what brings them hope for the human-dog, human-cat, and human-animal bond. This is a bonus episode featuring Patricia McConnell PhD, Jean Donaldson, Marc Bekoff PhD, and all of the writers who took part in Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers. Together they share their insights on what is cause for hope. Bark! Fest celebrated the launch of my book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, which is out now. A few years back, I heard one of my favourite authors speak at an online literary festival. Amin Maalouf is a member of the Academie Francaise and the author of novels including Samarkand and The Rock of Tanios. He said, “I think the duty of a writer is to have lucidity and hope. If you spread despair, it’s best not to speak at all.” So that's what made me think to ask this question of everyone. You can find recordings of the full panel discussions in our back catalogue. The authors and their books: Patricia B. McConnell: The Education of Will and The Other End of the Leash. Jean Donaldson: The Culture Clash. Zazie Todd PhD: Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Marc Bekoff, PhD: Dogs Demystified and The Emotional Lives of Animals. Cat Warren: What the Dog Knows. Alexis Devine: I Am Bunny. Teresa J. Rhyne: Poppy in the Wild. Lili Chin: Kitty Language. Mikel Delgado PhD: Play With Your Cat! . Lucy Hoile: the book your cat wishes you would read. Pilley Bianchi: For the Love of Dog, illustrated by Calum Heath. Wendy Lyons Sunshine: Tender Paws. Carri Westgarth PhD: The Happy Dog Owner. Antony Johnston: The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead. Louisa Scarr: Gallows Wood. Philipp Schott DVM: Eleven Huskies: A Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery. Sarah Chauncey: P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna, illustrated by Francis Tremblay. Sassafras Patterdale (Lowrey): Claw This Journal. Rachel Wells: Alfie the Christmas Cat. E.B. Bartels: Good Grief. Rev. Sarah A. Bowen: Sacred Sendoffs. Karen Fine DVM: The Other Family Doctor. Kristi Benson. Finding hope in dog training and animal behaviour (Psych Today) https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/fellow-creatures/202103/finding-hope-in-dog-training-and-animal-behavior 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

Jul 7

As we take a summer break, we're replaying this fun and fantastic interview with Erica Beckwith of A Matter of Manners dog training about the benefits of tricks training for dogs and cats. We talked about: the benefits of tricks training how tricks training can help you love your pet even more how Erica got into training tricks Erica's favourite tricks to teach others in classes tips on how to take a selfie with your dog how to find the right reinforcement for your cat, and the right way to deliver that reinforcement This episode was first published in 2022. About Erica Beckwith: Erica Beckwith of A Matter of Manners Dog Training in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Erica is an amazing positive reinforcement trainer who first got into dogs as a volunteer at Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary in South Korea. After moving back to America, Erica studied at the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers where she got her CTC. Erica is also a CBCC-KA and a Fear Free certified professional. Erica loves cats too, and earlier this year she graduated with a certificate in Advanced Feline behaviour for Cat Professionals with Distinction from International Cat Care. Website: https://www.amatterofmannersdogtraining.com/ See Erica’s dogs (including Ruckus and the trumpet) in the video Yes Sir, That’s My Baby from The Academy for Dog Trainers. Kristi Benson’s website and courses: http://www.kristibenson.com/ Zazie Todd's book Purr includes a training plan to teach your cat to go into their carrier and to teach them to sit pretty. Purr, Wag, and Bark! are available wherever books are sold. 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

Jun 23

Dogs have incredible noses, and can trained to search for the scent of human remains, bringing closure to those who are grieving and the opportunity to memorialize. As well as recent remains, they can also search for historic remains. We're joined by two experts in the field, Kim Cooper of Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue, and Cat Warren, author of the NYT-bestseller What the Dog Knows, to learn more about these dogs and the work that they do. We talk about: How Kim and Cat got started in working with human remains detection dogs and how the dogs are trained Historic human remains detection dogs How these dogs can help with searches at the sites of former residential schools in Canada The emotional side of a search from the handler's perspective and the skills a handler needs to work with communities Working with communities and the role of oral history in historical searches What type of dog is best suited to this work (breed, personality, size, etc.) And finally, we talk about the books we're reading The books we recommend: The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods Native Nations: A Millenium in North America by Kathleen DuVal Words Are My Matter: Writings on Life and Books by Ursula Le Guin Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell Also mentioned: The work in Croatia is described in this article by Cat Warren https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/dog-archaeology-ancient-human-remains-bones-croatia-a9522776.html Cat Warren at Bark! Fest (with Marc Bekoff and Zazie Todd) https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16276537 Cat Warren's books are What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World, and the Young Reader's Edition of What the Dog Knows. They are available wherever books are sold. Learn more about Kim Cooper on the Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association website: https://www.ovsarda.on.ca/ Learn more about Cat Warren: https:// 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

Jun 9

Zazie Todd is at the forefront of the move towards positive animal welfare and kind, humane dog training methods. Her third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is a compassionate and practical guide to overcoming your dog’s fears. In this panel from Bark! Fest, you’ll learn how to help your dog feel safe, how your presence can help your dog, and get a new understanding of the training techniques that can make a difference, as she shares tips from Bark!. We talked about: How Bark! Fest came about How to counsel people that slow is the new fast when it comes to fearful dogs Decisions about how much of the "why" and "how" to include in the book Why tricks training is included in a book for fearful and anxious dogs How to keep dogs and people safe Whether pandemic puppies really do have more behaviour issues, and how we can use management to help a fearful dog The gorgeous cover of Bark! and how much input authors get into book covers and titles with a traditional publisher Plus Zazie did a reading from the book Bark! is out now in paperback. It is available wherever books are sold. Find out about upcoming events and learn more about Zazie Todd, PhD, on her website https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html The recording of Bark! Fest with Patricia McConnell, PhD, is here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16149739 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

May 26

Living with pets sadly means losing them too. There wasn't a dry eye in the house (in a good way) at this event. Loving pets means thinking of them both in life and after their loss. In the poignant and personal Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter , E.B. Bartels takes us on a global tour of how we love and mourn our pets. Sarah Bowen shares her deep insights on the lives and loss of all animals—pets and wildlife—in Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, and Trying to Heal the Planet . And Karen Fine DVM’s heartwarming memoir about becoming a veterinarian, The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality , is full of tales about what we can learn from the animals in our lives. We talked about: Why E.B. Bartels wrote her book and what she learned about how people memorialize their pets, including taxidermy and mummification The way that grief for a lost pet is often disenfranchised What an animal chaplain is and why Sarah Bowen wrote her book Blending science with spirituality, and practical tips to help when someone loses a pet What it's like being a veterinarian, and how Dr. Karen Fine was influenced by her grandfather The value of making home visits as a veterinarian, and helping other pets cope when one of their fellow pets has passed Plus each author did an amazing reading from their book The quote by Irving Townsend can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/37516-we-who-choose-to-surround-ourselves-with-lives-even-more Learn more about the authors: E.B. Bartels: https://www.ebbartels.com/ Rev. Sarah Bowen: https://www.sacredsendoffs.com/ Karen Fine DVM: https://karenfinedvm.com/ 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

May 13

When The Emotional Lives of Animals was first published in 2007, it was a gamechanger for its exploration of animal emotions and cognition. Now, a second edition has been published to bring us up to date on all the new science of animal emotions. Marc Bekoff joins us in this webinar to talk about animals’ experiences of joy, empathy, grief, anger, and embarrassment. You’ll never see animals the same way again. We talked about: What Marc Bekoff was hoping to do when he wrote the first edition of this book in 2007, and why he wrote a second edition Bekoff says, "It is no longer radical to recognize, respect, and want to protect the emotional lives of animals.” We talk about how people can recognize, respect, and protect animal emotions What he looks out for when he watches dogs run around and play at the dog park Examples of sorrow and empathy in non-human animals Bekoff's research on wild canids including wolves What it was like to create the book, Jane Goodall at 90 Plus Marc did a reading from the book and we were all captivated! The books are available from all good bookstores. To learn more about Marc Bekoff, visit his website: https://marcbekoff.com/ You can contact him via the website to ask to join his email list, which is mentioned in the recording. Also mentioned in this episode is Thinking Like a Wolf by Rick McIntyre. 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

Apr 28

Reflect on what cats mean to us and the many ways they influence our lives with these 3 feline authors. Sarah Chauncey’s heartfelt P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna is a touching celebration of our bond with our cats, illustrated by Francis Tremblay. Claw This Journal: An Activity Book for Cats and Their Humans by Sassafras Patterdale (Lowrey) is packed with crafts, training, and activities and a deep understanding of cats’ emotional wellbeing. In the latest in the Sunday Times bestselling series, Alfie the cat is preparing for a purrfect festive show when things go wrong, in Alfie the Christmas Cat by Rachel Wells. We talked about: The story of how PS I Love You More Than Tuna came about (and the Easter eggs in the book) How this book is designed to be given away, and how giving became part of Sarah's process The role that a Muse Medallion from the Cat Writer's Association for an article by Sassafras played in making Claw This Journal come about The range of activities in the book (and which ones are Sassafras's favourites) Why Rachel started writing the Alfie the Cat series, and the themes behind Alfie the Christmas Cat What it's like to sustain a feline character and their supporting cast over so many books And you can listen to each author do a reading Learn more about the authors: Sarah Chauncey https://www.sarahchauncey.com/ Sassafras Patterdale https://sassafraspatterdale.com/ Rachel Wells https://itsacatslifebyrachelwells.substack.com/ 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

Apr 9

Zazie chats with Kerry Nichols, bestselling author of Puppy Brain: How Our Dogs Learn, Think, and Love . We talk about: How Kerry got into breeding dogs Why we both love Golden Retrievers How the book, Puppy Brain, came about What puppies are like when they are born Examples of the socialization that Kerry does with puppies Her favourite part of the first 8 weeks of a puppy's life Advice on finding a responsible breeder (for any breed) And Kerry reads from Puppy Brain for us! Puppy Brain: How Our Dogs Learn, Think, and Love is out now in hardback. The paperback will be out on April 29th and can be pre-ordered now from all good bookstores. The books we recommend in this episode are: Dog Poems: An Anthology by Various and Christopher Wait The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson OFA - The Canine Health Information Center is at https://ofa.org/. Kerry Nichols is a former attorney turned canine educator and advocate whose journey into the world of dogs began nearly fifteen years ago. With the founding of Nicholberry Goldens, she devoted herself to raising the healthiest Golden Retrievers possible. This evolved into a mission to instill emotional resilience and agency in her own puppies, a pursuit she now shares with an audience of hundreds of thousands of followers across social media. Her methods continue to garner support from leading veterinarians, trainers, and psychologists, and notable owners of her Goldens include executives from Facebook, Microsoft, and Tinder. Kerry's website: https://www.kerrynichols.com/home 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

Mar 16

If you love crime and mystery novels, you’re in for a treat as dogs help solve crimes in these remarkable books. When a singer dies in mysterious circumstances, dog sitter Gwinny Tuffel and the singer’s Border Collie investigate in Antony Johnston’s cosy and witty The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead . In Louisa Scarr’s dark and compelling Gallows Wood , PC Lucy Halliday and her dog Moss search for the body after a severed hand is found in the woods. And when veterinarian (and amateur detective) Dr. Bannerman and his champion sniffer dog Pippin holiday near a remote lake, he has to try to save some poisoned sled dogs and figure out why a float plane crashed in Eleven Huskies by Philipp Schott DVM. We talked about: How Antony Johnston came up with the idea of Gwinny Tuffel, the pet sitter who is the amateur detective in his Dog Sitter Detective books Why Johnston especially enjoys writing cozy crime The story of PC Lucy Halliday, the human remains detection dog handler, who is the main character in Louisa Scarr's Gallow's Wood How Scarr did the research for this book which is a police procedural How Dr. Bannerman and his pet dog work together in Dr. Philipp Schott's Eleven Huskies Schott's love of the northern Canadian landscape and how it plays out in his books and more, plus readings from each of the books! Learn more about the authors: Antony Johnston: https://antonyjohnston.com/ Louisa Scarr: https://www.instagram.com/louisascarrwriter/ Dr. Philipp Schott: https://www.philippschott.com/ The books are available wherever books are sold. 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

Mar 3

Zazie and Kristi talk to dog trainer Si Wooler about his new book, More Than Just a Dog . We talk about the big changes that people are willing to make for their fearful dogs, and why the dog's relationship with their person is important for all dogs, but especially the fearful ones. We talk about what a great job Si does of helping people see things from the dog's perspective, and we ask how he talks with clients about the dog's umwelt, or how the dog perceives their world. We ask about how Si decided where to fit Sophie's story in the book. And Kristi puts Si on the spot and asks how he deals with the outdated idea of dominance when it comes up in conversation and what he thinks of toxic masculinity in dog training. More Than Just a Dog: Understanding, Loving, and Living with Dogs, The Indispensable Guide for All Dog Lovers by Simon Wooler is out now in the UK and available wherever books are sold, including UK Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14471/9780008707484 More Than Just a Dog will be published in North American on May 13th. The books we recommend in this episode are: A Dog a Day, Old Dogs, and Rescue Dogs by Sally Muir Woman at 1000 Degrees: A Novel by Hallgrímur Helgason, trans Brian FitzGibbon The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann The talk by Dr. Lindsay Parker is the A&S Colloquium Kicking the Dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN7m4sfkbZA&t=1s Si Wooler has been training dogs for more than ten years. He studied with the Academy for Dog Trainers, one of the most rigorous dog behaviour and training programmes in the world and specialises in training fearful and reactive dogs. In 2023, he worked with author and broadcaster Rory Cellan-Jones and his wife Professor Diane Coyle to help their Romanian rescue dog, Sophie, overcome her profound fears, bond with her people and gradually discover the world, a journey that was followed daily by hundreds of thousands of fans. Si came to dog training after 20 years as a sound engineer so loud barking hardly registers on his personal decibel scale. His own fearful, ‘unhomeable’ rescue dog, Thomson, was the motivator for seeking out effective, evidence-based training methods and leaving his career in sound and stage to focus on working with troubled dogs and the people 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

Feb 15

Develop a better bond with your dog with these 3 canine authors. For the Love of Dog is Pilley Bianchi’s love letter to our canine friends, sharing wisdom from her father John W. Pilley’s work with Chaser the Border Collie and illustrated by NYTimes illustrator Calum Heath. In Tender Paws , Wendy Lyons Sunshine examines what dog guardians can learn from the science of human parenting. And Carri Westgarth draws on her research into human-animal interaction to help you improve your pet’s wellbeing and become The Happy Dog Owner . This conversation was recorded at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, which celebrated the launch of Zazie Todd's new book Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. In this conversation, we talked about: How Pilley Bianchi's book, For the Love of Dog, illustrated by Calum Heath, came about The role of Chaser the Border Collie in the book and tips from her learning of words The parenting research that Wendy Lyons Sunshine drew on to write her book for dog parents How to understand parenting styles when caring for a dog Why Dr. Carri Westgarth decided to focus on how to make dog owners happy Tips from her book about finding a responsibly bred puppy, which behaviors are most important to teach, and tips on training an alert The other books mentioned in this episode are:- Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows 1000 Words by John W Pilley and Hilary Hinzmann (mentioned by Zazie and Pilley) Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Zazie Todd (mentioned by Carri) Kitty Language by Lili Chin (mentioned by Kristi) The books are available wherever books are sold, including from: Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers UK Bookshop (which supports indie bookstores in the UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers The authors' websites: Pilley Bianchi: https://www.pilleybianchi.com/ Wendy Lyons Sunshine: https://www.wendylsunshine.com/ Carri Westgarth, PhD: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/carri-westgarth 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

Jan 25

Learn about the best ways to care for cats with these 3 feline authors. The delightful and informative drawings in Kitty Language by Lili Chin teach you how to understand your feline friend. Mikel Delgado’s Play With Your Cat! will inspire you to have more fun through interactive play with your kitty. And in the book your cat wishes you would read , Lucy Hoile empowers cat guardians to build a better relationship with their cat. We talked about: How Lili researched her book, Kitty Language What she learned about feline body language that surprised her, and how her two cats influenced the book Why play is good for cats What Mikel thinks are common mistakes that people make when trying to play with their cats, and what to do about them What to consider when getting a kitten or adult cat to ensure a good match for your household What Lucy thinks is the biggest thing cat guardians get wrong Plus readings from all three authors, and more The books are available wherever books are sold, including from: Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers UK Bookshop (which supports indie bookstores in the UK) https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers The authors' websites: Lili Chin: https://doggiedrawings.net/ Mikel Delgado PhD: https://mikeldelgado.com/ Lucy Hoile: https://www.lucyhoile.co.uk/ The other books mentioned in this episode are Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd, and the book your dog wishes you would read by Louise Glazebrook. 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

Jan 10

Celebrate the dog-human bond with these bestselling authors. Social media stars Alexis Devine and her dog Bunny examine our ability to communicate with dogs through buttons that let them “talk” in I Am Bunny . And in Poppy in the Wild , #1 New York Times bestselling author Teresa J Rhyne tells the breathtaking tale of a dog lost and then found in the wilderness. We talked about: Why Alexis decided to start using buttons to teach Bunny to 'talk' How Alexis went about the research for the sections on animal communication Cute stories about some of the specific buttons that Bunny uses How Poppy came into Teresa's life The Thanksgiving that for many people would be a dog lovers' dream What it felt like to search for Poppy in the wilderness Plus readings from both authors, and more! The books are available wherever books are sold, including from: Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers UK Bookshop https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers Amazon https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub/list/S3BJZSCWLQKG The authors' websites: Alexis Devine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whataboutbunny/ Teresa J Rhyne: https://teresarhyne.com/ As you'll hear me say in the audio, Kerry Nichols was unfortunately unable to join us for this session due to a puppy situation. I'm happy to say it all turned out well for the puppies. In her national bestseller, Puppy Brain, you can learn the best ways to raise a puppy so that they become happy and resilient. You can learn more about Nichols on her website https://www.kerrynichols.com/ 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

Dec 13, 2024

Discover the role of emotions and perception in dogs’ lives. In Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine and the second edition of The Emotional Lives of Animals , Marc Bekoff updates our understanding of the emotions animals feel (and how we know they feel them). For people whose dogs feel shy or worried, Zazie Todd’s Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is a compassionate and practical guide based on the latest science. And in the beautifully-crafted New York Times bestseller What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World by Cat Warren explores the extraordinary abilities of scent detection dogs and tells the captivating story of how Warren’s dog Solo became a human remains detection dog. The books are available wherever books are sold, including from: Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers UK Bookshop https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers Amazon https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub/list/S3BJZSCWLQKG We talked about: Why Marc wrote Dogs Demystified Why Marc likes to introduce people to ethology Why Zazie wrote Bark! Balancing personal stories with science in the book How Cat got into scent work with her dog Solo How Cat deals with the emotional side of the work and many other topics, including readings from each of the books. The speakers' websites: Marc Bekoff: https://marcbekoff.com/ Kristi Benson: https://www.kristibenson.com/ Zazie Todd: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html Cat Warren: https://catwarren.com/ Resources mentioned: Dogs: The more I know, the more I say "I don't know" by Marc Bekoff https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/animal-emotions/201908/dogs-the-more-i-know-the-more-i-say-i-dont-know Sound masking to help dogs with a noise phobia or sound sensitivity by Eileen Anderson https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/noise-canceling-for-dogs/ Indiana Bones: The archaeologist dogs discovering human remains by Cat Warren quotes Adee Schoon https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/dog-archaeology-ancient-human-remains-bones-croatia-a9522776.html 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

Nov 29, 2024

Bark! Fest gets off to a tail-wagging start with a conversation with one of the world’s top dog trainers. Jean Donaldson’s seminal book The Culture Clash reframed how we think about dogs and has inspired generations of dog trainers to use (or switch to) reward-based methods. Join us to talk about all things dog training, including positive reinforcement, fearful dogs, and education for dog owners and trainers alike. This recording is of a panel at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, that took place in September 2024. Bark! Fest was organized to celebrate the launch of Zazie Todd's third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Bark!. All of the Bark! Fest books are available from good bookstores, including from Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores): https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers We talked about: why Jean wrote her book The Culture Clash what the Transparency Challenge is and why it's so important for dog trainers to answer these questions her advice to someone who is struggling with their dog's behaviour what is distinctive about the Academy for Dog Trainers a writing tip her favourite thing that's changed in the world of dog training over the years and she answered lots of questions from the audience Resources mentioned: Transparency in dog training https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=987644334623619 The Academy for Dog Trainers https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/ Find a PPG professional https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/find-a-ppg-professional/ Karen Pryor Academy https://karenpryoracademy.com/ Victoria Stilwell Academy https://www.vsdogtrainingacademy.com/ The Great Courses Dog Training 101 https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/dog-training-101 The ultimate dog training tip https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/04/the-ultimate-dog-training-tip.html (Companion Animal Psychology) Emily Priestley Wild at Heart Dog Training and her book, Urban Sheepdog https://wildatheartdogs.com/ (see also our recent podcast with Emily, https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/11/what-you-need-to-know-about-herding.html ) Cooperative Paws by Veronica Sanchez https://cooperativepaws.com/ More about Je 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

Nov 21, 2024

Patricia B. McConnell PhD is an internationally-renowned applied animal behaviourist who has dedicated her life to improving the relationship between people and animals. Amongst her many treasured dog training books, The Other End of the Leash draws our attention to the human side of dog training. McConnell’s memoir, The Education of Will, is a beautifully-written and uplifting account of how to reclaim life after trauma, for both humans and dogs. Join us to talk about dog behaviour, overcoming hardships, and the importance of compassion and science in dog training. This recording is of a panel at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, that took place in September 2024. Bark! Fest was organized to celebrate the launch of Zazie Todd's third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Bark!. All of the Bark! Fest books are available from good bookstores, including from Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores): https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers We talked about Dr. McConnell's writing process, how she became interested in the human side of the leash, why she wrote The Education of Will, understanding trauma in people and dogs, differences and similarities between people and dogs, finding grace, and healing. In The Education of Will, bestselling author and internationally renowned animal psychologist and dog trainer Patricia McConnell “gives a voice to those who can’t speak in words and provides hope for fearful animals everywhere” (Temple Grandin) in this powerful and uplifting memoir about healing. Dr. McConnell mentions several books in the conversation. They are: After Silence by Nancy Venable Raine Good Morning, I Love You by Shauna Shapiro Unlearn Your Pain by MD Howard Schubiner Patricia McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an author, speaker, and animal behaviorist who has consulted with pet owners for over thirty years about serious behavioral problems. She co-hosted Calling All Pets with Larry Meiller on Wisconsin Public Radio for fourteen years, and has educated and entertained audiences around the world about animal behavior (human and canine!). Patricia taught "The Biology and Philosophy of Human/Animal Relationships" in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for twent 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

Nov 14, 2024

In this episode, Zazie and Kristi answer wide-ranging questions about both dogs and cats that were sent in by listeners. We talked about brain games and the attention span in senior dogs; suggestions for new things to teach dogs; why dogs bark at e.g. people in hats or people going by the house; cooperative care for kittens; creating a local resource list for anxious and fearful dogs; enrichment and caring for fearful cats; the best tone of voice to use when speaking to your dog; whether dogs can detect our levels of stress; how to advocate for your dog; whether to teach a chin rest to cats for cooperative care; teaching cats to be wrapped in a towel for vet care; is watching TV good for pets,; how to teach cats to cooperate with having their claws trimmed; and we shared some tips on desensitization and counterconditioning for anxious and fearful dogs and cats. This episode was recorded with a live audience. Links and resources: Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog by Zazie Todd is out now and getting rave reviews. It’s available from all good bookstores. https://greystonebooks.com/products/bark Kristi Benson’s course on barking https://www.kristibenson.com/peace-and-quiet-barking-dogs and on grooming: https://www.kristibenson.com/freshandfearless The Husbandry project from the Academy for Dog Trainers https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/husbandry-project/ Train Your Dog Like a Pro by Jean Donaldson is also available from all good bookstores. Fear Free directory https://fearfreepets.com/ fearf Debbie Jacobs Fearful Dogs https://fearfuldogs.com/ BC SPCA desensitization and counterconditioning for cats. You can find the infographic on Bailey Eagan’s website https://www.baileyheagan.com/resources Companion Animal Psychology blog post on desensitization and counterconditioning https://www.compani 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

Oct 31, 2024

Zazie and Kristi talk to dog trainer Emily Priestley about her book Urban Sheepdog and what you need to know about herding breeds. We start by discussing which breeds count as herding breeds and what they were bred to do, and ask Emily how a herding dog first came into her life. Then we talked about the kinds of herding dog behaviours that dog guardians can sometimes struggle with, and the extent to which we consider these normal or pathological. We also talk about the importance of exercise and enrichment, and Emily's main takeaway from the book. Finally, we talk about the books we're reading. Emily Priestley is a multi-certified dog trainer, having graduated from the renowned Academy for Dog Trainers and is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant through the IAABC. She has been working with and handling dogs professionally for over a decade. Emily specializes in working with herding breed dogs struggling in pet homes. Over a century of selective breeding for working stock, as well as a rise in popularity, has led to many guardians struggling with their herders in urban settings. Emily's long career with the BC SPCA has also allowed her to have a proven track record, having personally handled over 2,000 dogs. With experience with many breeds and all problem behaviours, Emily has worked with dogs desperately needing intervention and behaviour modification. Emily specializes in reactivity and compulsive disorders but is available to help with all breed challenges from misdirected herding, "spooky" and fearful behaviour to nipping, biting and everything in between. Her book about herding dogs is called Urban Sheepdog. Emily's website: https://wildatheartdogs.com/ with links to her socials and podcast. 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

Aug 8, 2024

Zazie and Kristi speak to Nicole Ettenhofer, VP of Growth and Strategy at George Street Photo & Video, about pet-friendly ways to get cute wedding photos with your pet. As people increasingly consider pets to be part of the family, they want to involve them in their wedding. So what you can you do to make sure you get some great photos that include the pet, without overwhelming them? We begin with a personal story from Nicole that will have you tearing up in a good way, and which shows you can trust her tips to be pet-friendly. A wedding is a big event and most pets are not used to big gatherings, so we get Nicole’s tips on the preparation that people should do in advance of the celebration. A pet handler can help to make sure things go smoothly, and we talk about the kind of things they should do. Pets can play a wide range of roles in a wedding, from being the ring-bearer to simply making a brief appearance. We consider the best ways to involve them and how to take the pet’s personality into account. Nicole has ideas for getting your pet to cooperate with having their photo taken, but she also reminds us to make the most of those cute moments when the pet does something unexpected—often these unplanned moments can make the best photos. And although you might assume that we’re talking only about dogs, cats and bigger animals like horses and llamas also get a mention. Finally, we talk about the books we’re reading. About Nicole Ettenhofer: Nicole Ettenhofer is the VP of Growth & Strategy for George Street Photo & Video , a national wedding photo and video company based in Chicago, IL with experience serving thousands of customers and offering best in quality wedding coverage at an affordable cost. With over a decade of experience in the wedding industry, Nicole is an expert in wedding trends and couples photography and has helped the company achieve accolades such as The Knot’s Best of Weddings every year from 2020-2024, The Knot’s Best of Weddings Hall of Fame for the company’s commitment to quality and value and WeddingWire’s Couples’ Choice 2024. Before joining George Street, Nicole served as a thought leader within the event and hospitality industry for over 20 years. As for her personal life, Nicole resides near Denver, CO with h 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

Jul 3, 2024

Zazie and Kristi chat with Kate LaSala of Rescued By Training about the important steps to take to help dogs prepare for the arrival of a baby in the family. Kate takes a lot of fear and aggression cases and she tells us how she came to specialize in working with families with small children. She tells us about the issues people have with their dogs when they are expecting and the reasons why it's so important to start preparation early. The dog needs to get used to being flexible, to no longer getting all the attention, to changes in sleeping arrangements, and to lack of sleep too. Preparation is key and she tells us about the action plan that is part of her new self-paced course to help people get their dog ready to welcome a new baby and be comfortable with the new arrival. She also shares her favourite fact about child development that's good to know about supervising children's interactions with dogs. Kate also talks us through what to do if your dog growls at the baby or shows other signs of being uncomfortable. And finally we all talk about the books we're reading. About Kate LaSala: Kata LaSala CTC is a professional dog trainer and certified behavior consultant specializing in fear and aggression. She’s helped over 2400 dogs overcome issues their guardians thought were impossible, including fear of strangers, separation anxiety, resource guarding, and growling at toddlers. As a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator, she’s uniquely qualified to help families with babies or kids. She offers one-on-one remote services worldwide and self-paced courses included her new online course, Bringing Home Baby: Preparing Dog and Family for a New Baby. Kate's website: https://rescuedbytraining.com/ Bringing Home Baby: Preparing Dog and Family for a New Baby: https://rescuedbytraining.com/product/bringing-home-baby/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rescuedbytraining/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rescuedbytraining Family Paws: https://www.familypaws.com/ The Family Dog: https://www.thefamilydog.com/ The Books: It's Never Long Enough by Mary Gardner My Best Mistake by Terry O'Reilly The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson 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

May 22, 2024

We talk about the health issues faced by flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs and cats and why these breeds are still to popular with Dr. Dan O'Neill and Dr. Rowena Packer of the Royal Veterinary College. We start by talking about what we mean when we talk about brachycephalic dogs. Pugs, Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs are the poster children for these breeds and get the most attention, but we also get some surprising good news about Shih Tzus. When dogs are bred for flat faces it means they can struggle to breathe. Dan and Rowena talk about the health issues these dogs can face and the effects it has on their lifespan. We talk about their co-edited book, The Health and Welfare of Brachycephalic (Flat-Faced) Companion Animals: A Complete Guide for Veterinarians and Animal Professionals. The book covers a wide range of information and we talk about how the intended audience is not just vets but anyone who cares about these dogs. And there's a note of optimism as we talk about what would make a difference to the welfare of flat-faced dogs. Finally we talk about the books we're reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver Nudge: The Final Edition by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein Letters From a Lady Rancher by Monica Hopkins Bookworm: A Novel by Robin Yeatman 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

Apr 15, 2024

Zazie and Kristi are joined by Grant Hayter-Menzies to talk about his book Freddie: The Rescue Dog Who Rescued Me. In this episode, we’re joined by writer and biographer Grant Hayter-Menzies to talk about his book Freddie: The Rescue Dog Who Rescued Me. We talk about how Freddie came into his life and the important ways in which dogs help us, even when we think we’re the ones saving them. Freddie was a terrified rescue dog who took time to settle in, and became so important to Hayter-Menzies. Hayter-Menzies tells us about how he wrote biographies of extraordinary women, and Freddie’s influence led him to start writing biographies of important animals, like Rags (the World War 1 dog), Muggins (the Canadian canine war hero who raised funds for charity in BC), and Woo (Emily Carr’s monkey). Then a test at the vet showed Freddie had the cancer hemangiosarcoma. We talk about how they got through this difficult time, Freddie’s bravery, and the importance of memorializing pets once they are gone. Having adopted Freddie as a fearful rescue dog, we get Hayter-Menzies’ tips for anyone considering doing the same. We also ask for his advice on writing. And finally, we discuss the books we’re reading. This episode we recommend: Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter by E.B. Bartels. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Rose Adams by Margie Taylor. About Grant Hayter-Menzies: Grant Hayter-Menzies is a biographer and historian specializing in the lives of extraordinary and unsung heroes of the past, notably the role of animals in times of war. He is the author of thirteen books, including Muggins: The Life and Afterlife of a Canadian Canine War Hero, Woo: The Monkey Who Inspired Emily Carr, Dorothy Brooke and the Fight to Save Cairo’s Lost War Horses, and From Stray Dog to World War One Hero: The Paris Terrier Who Joined the First Division. He is also literary executor of playwright William Luce. Learn more about Grant Hayter-Menzies on his website https://grantmenzies.wixsite.com/author or follow him on social media: Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/GrantHayter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.menzies/ 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

Feb 28, 2024

Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book, Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables, which is out now in paperback. In this episode of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation, Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist and writer Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables. We talk about the history of Aesop’s fables and the role they still play in society today, before moving on to wonder whether there is a grain of truth in them when it comes to animal behaviour. We consider some of the most popular fables. Are crows really as clever as Aesop suggested? Why are wolves always the villain? Do dogs recognize their shadow? And what is the yellow snow test all about? We also talk about the difference between what the fable says on the surface, and what happens when you really dig deep into the question—the ant and the grasshopper is the fable that comes to mind here. In Wimpenny’s book, the animals are the characters in their own stories. We talk about writing about animals and the importance of discussing myths. And, of course, we talk about the books we’re reading. This episode, we recommend: Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke. Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman. Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum. 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

Dec 21, 2023

Zazie and Kristi are joined by TikTok star Jennifer Malawey (Dizzy Dancing Dog) who shares her secrets about how to us social media to help dogs. Jennifer Malawey has a CTC from the Academy for Dog Trainers andis a Certified SA Pro trainer who works on separation anxiety cases. She also puts out fantastic content on dog training on her social media and Youtube. She joined us to chat about how we can use social media to help people learn about dogs and dog training. Jennifer talks about how she comes up with ideas for content creation, and how much work it is to put a video together. We learn what she thinks are the most important things to get across about dog training. And we all know that social media can have its downsides, but we ask Jennifer about what she finds most rewarding about it. We also get her tips for getting more engagement on social media. Then we chat about the books we're reading. This episode, we recommend: All the Devils Are Here: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Book 16) by Louise Penny. Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller. The Invention of the Modern Dog: Breed and Blood in Victorian Britain by Michael Worboys, Julie-Marie Strange, and Neil Pemberton. About Jennifer Malawey CTC: Jennifer Malawey is a dog-trainer-turned-content-creator. She currently works with Instinct Portland as a behavior consultant and social media manager, as well as partnering with brands in the pet space and doodling on her own TikTok channel. When she’s not working or lovin’ on her dogs (Dizzy, Keely, and Pizza), she can be found in her garden, on the lindy hop dance floor, or in a book. Follow her on social: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifermalawey/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dizzydancingdog Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferMalawey 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

Sep 13, 2023

Zazie and Kristi chat with Victoria Schade, dog trainer and author of delightful romcoms, about her upcoming book Unleashed Holiday. We learn about the Puppy Bowl and Victoria's involvement in it as lead animal wrangler, and how she made the move to writing, first with nonfiction books about dog training and then to romcoms. We chat about how Victoria's books include real-life issues, and how she juggles the 'educator' and 'entertainer' hats. Victoria’s upcoming book, Dog Friendly, will be released on September 17th. The main character is a vet, and Victoria tells us how she went about researching the life of a vet so that she could get the details right. Zazie and Kristi wonder if any of the dogs in Victoria's books are based on real animals that she has known, and get her tips for writing about dogs. Then we ask about her book Unleashed Holiday. If you’re in the US you have the chance to win an advance reader copy of the book. Finally we chat about the books we're reading. Enter the competition to win an advance reader copy of Unleashed Holiday here: https://www.facebook.com/companionanimalpsychology/posts/pfbid025Q1JP5mxZj3H53nb6jCuC7qsXYLtR2zCKcUV1npCPwLeF3tMKme7r815zauc9qrfl You can watch some highlights from the Puppy Bowl here: https://youtu.be/aCIxotfhQ24 The books we're reading Poppy in the Wild by Teresa J. Rhyne Dog Friendly and Who Rescued Who, both by Victoria Schade The Book of Silver Linings by Nan Fischer 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

Aug 15, 2023

In this episode we chat about how to groom your cat and how to deal with mats, as well as how to trim your cat’s nails. We discuss the many reasons why it’s important not to “declaw” your cat and how it’s really like an amputation. Scratching is a natural behavior for cats and we talk about the kind of post to provide to keep your cat happy. We also discuss the tricky topic of how to give meds to your cats, including pilling, towel-wrapping, and tricks to make meds easier. Along the way we share stories about our own cats and of course a few tips for dogs as well. At the end we chat about the books we’re reading. Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd is available from all good bookstores. All of the books mentioned in the episode are available from my Amazon store. https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub The Paw Project: Cats’ paws need their claws BC’s 2018 ban on declawing cats was good news for cats, study shows What kind of scratching post do cats prefer? Caring for a diabetic cat gets easier with time, study shows How to give your cat an insulin injection (iCatCare) How to train your cat to use an asthma inhaler Teach any cat AeroKat (iCatCare) How to clip your cat’s claws (iCatCare) Two people giving a cat a pill (iCatCare) Medicating tips and tricks (Fundamentally Feline) Comfort cats in a towel wrap (Dr. Sophia Yin) Fresh and Fearless: Basic Grooming Made Easy (Kristi Benson) 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

Jul 4, 2023

Kristi and Zazie are joined by author Sassafras Lowrey to talk about her latest book, Claw This Journal, which is full of fun tips for activities to do with your cat. We learn about how Sassafras's cat Thing came into her life and why she wrote this book. We talk about enrichment for cats, and how it's important to tailor it for individual cats. We also discuss what our cats would get Best in Show prizes for. We also chat about her book for young dog lovers, Jillian at the Junior Showcase. As well, we chat about the writing life and get Sassafras's tips for aspiring writers. Finally, we chat about the books we're reading. Reading Cats and Dogs: Watch Sassafras Lowrey, Zazie Todd, and Lili Chin in conversation with Kristi Benson about their books here: https://youtu.be/f_BQ7URuT4g About Sassafras Lowrey: Sassafras Lowrey is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI), AKC CGC/Trick Dog Evaluator and AKC FIT DOG Instructor. Sassafras' dog training books include Tricks In The City and Chew This Journal. Sassafras is an author and multimedia educator who writes regularly about dog training for leading national publications. Sassafras' dog training articles have regularly appeared in leading dog magazines like Dogster, The Bark, Modern Dog, and with The American Kennel Club as well as mainstream publications including WIRED, Apartment Therapy and The New York Times. Website: https://sassafraslowrey.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sassafraslowrey Twitter: https://twitter.com/sassafraslowrey Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sassafraslowrey/ The books we chat about: On Animals by Susan Orlean Doomsday with my Dog by Yu Ishihara Comparative Animal Behavior by Richard Maier Bad Cree by Jessica Johns. The books are available from all good bookstores and the Companion Animal Psychology Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub 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

Jun 1, 2023

It’s surprisingly common for newly-adopted dogs to get lost, and for any dog to go missing at some point in their lives, even if only for a moment. How can we stop dogs from getting lost? We chat with Maria Karunungan of Fetch the Leash in Burlington, Vermont, about the steps dog guardians can take to prevent their dog from getting lost. From the best treats to use when teaching dogs to come when called, the prevention strategies all dog guardians should use, to special steps to take when your dog is new to you, this episode is packed with tips. Kristi shares the heart-stopping story of when one of her dogs went missing, long before she became a dog trainer. And we also ask Maria for tips for dog trainers on how to work with clients, based on her background in multicultural education. At the end, we chat about the books we’re reading. The books we chat about: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Zoo by Ogden Nash Book Lovers by Emily Henry The books are available from all good bookstores and Companion Animal Psychology's Amazon store . About Maria Karunungan: Maria is the owner of Fetch the Leash in Burlington, Vermont. She is an honors graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers, a PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Guild and she is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer. Maria also has a Ph.D. in educational research from Emory University, and an undergraduate degree in music from Yale University. Maria’s experience also includes working with a wide range of shelter animals at various shelters in Northern California. Fetch the Leash website: https://www.fetchtheleash.biz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fetchtheleash Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fetch_the_leash/ 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

May 26, 2023

We talk about how much grooming dogs need, whether they have short fur or long fur, and why it’s important to stay on top of it. We chat about the research that shows that dogs can find grooming stressful, and the training we can do to make it easier. It's so important to go at the dog's pace. A lot of people find doing their dog’s nails a chore, and Jane has just released a free course, Start From Scratch , that shows you how to train your dog to do their own nails using a scratch board. Finally, we talk about what we’re reading right now. Fresh and Fearless: Basic Grooming Made Easy Start From Scratch: Nail Scratchboard Class for Dogs Fear Free Groomer Certification Fear Free Directory Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd will be out in paperback on June 6th. The hardback is out now. How To Have a Happy Dog webinar How To Have a Happy Cat webinar Subscribe to the Companion Animal Psychology newsletter here The books we chat about Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses by Jackie Higgins. All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles. How To Tell If Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You by The Oatmeal and Matthew Inman. The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa. The books are available from all good bookstores and Companion Animal Psychology’s Amazon store . About Jane Wolff: Jane Wolff is the co-owner of Good 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

May 23, 2023

Resource Guarding in Dogs We talk with Lisa about what resource guarding is and the body language that you should look for to spot it. People often have an emotional response to resource guarding—it can be a shock if your dog growls at you—and we talk about why you shouldn’t punish the growl and how to deal with those completely normal feelings. We discuss how to fix resource guarding issues and why aversive methods are not the answer. Kristi and Zazie both share stories about their own dogs’ resource guarding behaviour, and we also talk about how to prevent it in the first place. Finally, we talk about the books we are reading right now. Lisa Skavienski is the owner of Dog Educated in Rochester, NY, where she specializes in classes, workshops, and private consultation for dog owners. She is deeply invested in animal welfare, participating at the local community level, as well as holding a seat on the Pet Professional Guild’s Shelter and Rescue Committee. Lisa studied with behavior expert Jean Donaldson at the highly acclaimed Academy for Dog Trainers. She is also a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer and Fear free certified. Facebook Instagram The books: Zazie Todd's Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and her upcoming book Shiver. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong was the Animal Book Club’s choice for February and March. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times (Global Icons Series) by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams with Gail Hudson. The Roller Derby Blueprint by Scott Meyer. Still I Cannot Save You by Kelly S. Thompson. Read highlights of the chat here . 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

May 11, 2023

Kindness in dog training We talk with Jane about the importance of kindness in dog training, both kindness to dogs and kindness to people. We begin by talking about the most important ways to be kind to dogs. Jane specializes in working with clients whose dogs have separation anxiety, and we also talk about how to help people deal with this tricky issue without leaving their dog alone for any longer than they are okay with. We also chat about Jane’s social justice work, and how that informs her dog training too. And in the final section we talk about the books we are reading right now. About Jane Wolff: Jane Wolff is the co-owner of Good Wolff Dog Training in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She specializes in treating separation anxiety and is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT). She also graduated with honours from the Academy for Dog Trainers (CTC) and is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers as a CPDT-KA. She has been working with dogs professionally since 2014 and loves working with dogs and their people. Facebook Instagram Fresh and Fearless: Basic Grooming Made Easy, the course by Jane available on Kristi's website. Pet Pals Mutual Aid Books Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans by Jules Howard is the Animal Book Club’s choice for November. Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon by Bronwen Dickey. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. Invisible Boy: A Memoir of Self-Discovery by Harrison Mooney. 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

May 5, 2023

Training Tricks with Your Dog (and Cat) Teaching tricks to your dog is fun and cute, and a great way to improve the human-animal bond. Plus, you get to show off how adorable your pet is. Erica Beckwith is the talented tricks trainer behind A Matter of Manners Dog Training, where she does behaviour consults for dogs and cats and runs online classes to teach a variety of tricks including peekaboo, sit pretty, chorus line kicks, and how to take a selfie with your dog. Kristi Benson and I spoke to Erica about why she loves teaching tricks, where she finds the motivation to spend time working on tricks with her dogs, and what her favourite tricks are. As well, we get some tips on how to train your dog so that you can get a better selfie with them, and the things to consider when teaching tricks to your cat. In news, Kristi’s courses now have CEUs available and there are some new courses coming soon. And Zazie will be teaching Making Pets Happy: The Role of Positive Experiences in Good Animal Welfare for the IAABC Foundation. Plus, of course, in the final section we share the books we are reading right now. About Erica Beckwith: Erica Beckwith of A Matter of Manners Dog Training in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Erica is an amazing positive reinforcement trainer who first got into dogs as a volunteer at Busan Abandoned Pet Sanctuary in South Korea. After moving back to America, Erica studied at the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers where she got her CTC. Erica is also a CBCC-KA and a Fear Free certified professional. Erica loves cats too, and earlier this year she graduated with a certificate in Advanced Feline behaviour for Cat Professionals with Distinction from International Cat Care. Website: A Matter of Manners Facebook Instagram The schedule of Erica’s online tricks classes is here . See Erica’s dogs (including Ruckus and the trumpet) in the video Yes Sir, That’s My Baby from The Academy for Dog Trainers. Kristi Benson’s website and courses . Making pets happy: The r 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

May 3, 2023

Episode 5 of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation sees Zazie and Kristi talk about the names we give our pets. We chat about how we choose them, what makes a good name, how we use our pets' names, how to change a pet's name, and whether they know their own and each other's names. As well, we talk about the books the book club is reading right now and our own choices of books we love. (There may be some spoilers in this discussion). Pet cats know their fellow cats' names, study shows (Psychology Today) Our heroes by Jean Donaldson and Kristi Benson (The Academy for Dog Trainers) Books: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd Plenty in Life is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace by Kathy Sdao Happiness: A Novel by Aminatta Forna Heroes Month is taking place at the Academy for Dog Trainers in June 2022. (On Facebook) 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

May 3, 2023

The Pawsitive Post In Conversation Ep 4 with special guest Jean Donaldson. #CAP10. Zazie and Kristi are joined by Jean Donaldson, one of the world's top dog trainers, founder of the Academy for Dog Trainers, and author of Culture Clash. Zazie, Kristi, and Jean talk about what's changed for dogs over the last ten years: the move to reward-based dog training methods, increased enrichment, better education of pet guardians, and fear free veterinary care. As well, they talk about the changes they would still like to see happen. They also talk about Dog Training 101, a 24-lesson course that Jean wrote for The Great Courses, and what students can expect from The Academy for Dog Trainers. In the final section, they share the books they are reading right now. Academy for Dog Trainers: https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/ The Great Courses: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/ (put 'dog' in the search bar and Dog Training 101 will come up) Kristi Benson: http://www.kristibenson.com/ Companion Animal Psychology: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/ Books: Life's Edge: The Search for What it Means to Be Alive by Carl Zimmer The Anglo Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400-1066 by Marc Morris Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel Alfabet/Alphabet: A Memoir of a First Language by Sadiqa de Meijer Companion Animal Psychology's Amazon store: https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub 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

May 3, 2023

we talk about countering misinformation about dogs and cats with truth sandwiches. We run through some myths about dog training and cat behaviour, talk about why they are wrong, and figure out some truth sandwiches to help correct the misinformation. We consider: why it’s wrong to take a dominance approach to dog training why we should use positive reinforcement rather than punishment in dog training the myth that dogs should just fit into our lives and why cats need to scratch. We also talk about the (then) upcoming Management Month at the Academy for Dog Trainers, which is all about celebrating how you can sometimes use management instead of training to solve dog behaviour issues. As part of Companion Animal Psychology’s tenth anniversary celebrations, you can come to Reading Cats and Dogs: A Conversation with Lili Chin, Sassafras Lowrey, and Zazie Todd. The three authors will be reading from their books (Doggie Language, Chew This Journal, and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy) and in conversation with Kristi Benson. Plus, in our regular slot at the end of the conversation, Kristi and I talk about the books we’re reading right now. 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

May 3, 2023

We talk about New Year's Resolutions, habits that are a good idea for pet guardians, helping dogs and cats cope with winter, grooming dogs and cats, writing habits, and what we're reading right now. The books mentioned: A Dog's World: Imagining the Lives of dogs in a World Without Humans by Jessice Pierce and Marc Bekoff The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It by W. Chris Winter How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa 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

May 2, 2023

We chat about the Genius Dog Challenge, where scientists are finding dogs who know a lot of words, and Stella the dog who learned to use buttons to communicate. We also talk about the words and behaviours our own dogs and cats know--and the behaviours we think are important for every pet to know. Kristi tells us about her courses for people who need help with their dog jumping up or housetraining. And finally we chat about the books we're reading. 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

May 2, 2023

Meet Zazie Todd and Kristi Benson, the hosts of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation, as they chat about dogs and cats. This podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about how to have a better relationship with their dog or cat. We'll focus on dog and cat behaviour and training. Whether you are a dog person or a cat person, there will be something for you to enjoy. We chat about how we first met via The Academy for Dog Trainers and the expertise that we bring to this topic, as well as what to expect from future episodes. Everything we do is infused by a few core principles. Reward-based training methods are effective and better for dog and cat welfare. Management is often a part of the solution for behaviour issues. And enrichment helps to ensure that we're meeting our dogs' and cats' needs. Towards the end of each show we will be sharing the books we're reading, as well as the book choices of the Animal Book Club, which can be about dogs, cats, or other animals--including humans. When we have special guests, they will also share with us what they are reading. The book recommendations can be any kind of book--not just nonfiction, but fiction, poetry, graphic novels... whichever books we happen to love. You can learn more about Zazie at https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/ (which is also where you'll find the show notes) and about Kristi (including her online courses) at http://www.kristibenson.com/ 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