The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

Recent episodes

1. Love in Their Hearts and compassion for animals with Marc Bekoff, PhD

   Aug 4, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Marc Bekoff, PhD, joins Zazie and Kristi to talk about his new book Love in Their Hearts , his work (and upcoming book) with Jane Goodall, and what it's like studying canids. We talked about: Why Marc and his co-author Jeff Campbell wrote Love In Their Hearts The time Marc's dog Jethro rescued a baby bunny, and stories of the grizzly bear known as 399 The importance of naming animals Marc's research on dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes, and how his work replaced theories of dominance leading to the dissolution of litters in the wild How animals tell stories Marc's work with Jane Goodall, how he first heard of her, and how she influenced his work The educator's kit that goes with Love In Their Hearts and how it can inspire hope and activism in young readers The book Marc recommended is Knowing Wonder: An Elephant Story by Merrill Sapp illustrated by Gareth Hooks. You can read Marc's interview with Merrill Sapp here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/202412/an-elephants-world-from-the-mind-and-heart-of-a-matriarch Love In Their Hearts: A Celebration of Animal Emotions and a Guide to Compassionate Action is by Marc Bekoff and Jeff Campbell. Every Elephant Has a Name by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff illustrated by Gavin Scott will be published on Feb 8, 2027. Marc Bekoff will be at Bark! Fest to talk about Love In Their Hearts on Sep 23, joining Alison Pearce Stevens ( Detective Dogs ). Sign up here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1317856369316/WN_QnjJGASbSvyWmpRL-mp1lQ Find out more about Bark! Fest and sign up for the other events at companionanimalpsychology.com Marc Bekoff is professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has won many awards for his research and writing, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society. He writes regularly for Psychology Today and has published more than thirty books, including The Emotional Lives of Animals and numerous scientific and popular essays. Visit marcbekoff.com to learn more. Find Marc's Psych Today blog here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions 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

2. Setting standards in dog training and animal behaviour with Fiona Cooke of the ABTC

   Jul 21, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! How can we set and maintain standards for dog training and animal behaviour? Zazie and Kristi are joined by Fiona Cooke, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Animal Behaviour and Training Council to learn all about their important work in the UK, and what anyone can do if they want to make a difference. We talked about: What the ABTC does Why it's so important to follow a compassionate, non-punitive approach in training and animal behaviour The wide range of organizations who are part of the ABTC (and how they represent people who work with dogs, cats, horses, and exotics) The benefits of being on the ABTC register for practitioners in the UK, and how the public can use it to find a good trainer or behaviourist We get a sneak peek of what the ABTC is working on right now The importance of collaboration and how people can increase awareness of the ABTC and support their work We get Fiona's tips on what people can do to make a difference And finally we find out what Fiona's been reading, which turns out to include an instruction booklet for building a wardrobe! The books Fiona recommends are The Secret Hour by Mick Herron and also his Slough House series, of which the first is Slow Horses. The Animal Behaviour and Training Council sets and maintains standards of knowledge and practical skills needed to be an animal trainer, training instructor or animal behaviour therapist and maintains the national Register of appropriately assessed practitioners. ABTC members include major animal welfare charities, organisations concerned with human-animal interactions, educational institutions and membership organisations for practitioners. The Council represents the training and behaviour sector to the public and to governments. Visit the ABTC website: https://abtc.org.uk/ Sponsor the ABTC: https://abtc.org.uk/sponsors/ ABTC merch: https://shop.abtc.org.uk/ Fiona Cooke is Chair of the ABTC Board of Trustees. She is Head of Specialist Services (vet, behaviour, training and research) at Woodgreen Pets Charity. Her PhD focused on the role of local government in the implementation and enforcement of animal welfare legislation. She is a lecturer in law and runs an animal behaviour company working with complex behavioural issues of dogs and cats. Fiona is a full member of the APBC and FABC as well as an ABTC registered CAB. 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

3. Can your dog tell if you're pregnant and smell if you're stressed? with Dr. Catherine Reeve

   Jul 7, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Zazie and Kristi chat with scientist Dr. Catherine Reeve about her research to find out whether dogs change their behaviour when their owner is pregnant and if they can use their noses to detect when someone is stressed. We talked about: The survey that investigated whether women think their dog's behaviour changed when they were pregnant The kinds of dogs that were most likely to show changes How the scientists got scent samples from people who were stressed The training to teach dogs to alert to the scent How well the dogs did at the task The implications for ordinary dog guardians The papers we talked about are: Dog owners’ perceptions of their dog’s behaviour during pregnancy https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2025.2502241 Dogs can discriminate between human baseline and psychological stress condition odours https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0274143 The books Catherine recommended are The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce Perry and The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica. Also mentioned: Earlier episodes on surveys and understanding research (Ep61), and on dogs and scent work (Ep56 with Melissa McCue-McGrath; Ep 46 with Bonnie Hartney; Ep35 with Kim Cooper and Cat Warren). Dr. Catherine Reeve is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Mount Saint Vincent University. She has a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Dalhousie University. She’s interested in applied canine behaviour, canine cognition, especially olfaction, and human-animal interaction. And she’s the head trainer at Epic Tails Canine Adventures in Halifax, Nova Scotia. University website: https://www.msvu.ca/academics/bachelor-of-science-bsc/psychology/faculty-and-staff/dr-catherine-reeve/ Epic Tails Canine Adventures: https://epic-tails.ca/ 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

4. How to evaluate the scientific research on dogs and cats: A guide

   Jun 23, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! New research on dogs and cats helps us to understand them better and give them better lives. But how do we know if the research is any good, and what about our feelings about the results? Zazie and Kristi chat about how to evaluate the science. We talk about: Taking an ethical stance on dogs and cats that recognizes that they are sentient beings How it can be tricky to assess research if you're not trained as a scientist The research on training methods shows risks to using aversives and that it's much better to only use reward-based training methods Why we look for more than one study to teach us something We consider different types of research, including the value of questionnaire studies and of experiments What a meta-analysis is How it can feel emotional if you don't like the results of a particular study People's willingness to take part in research A re-evaluation of a classic study on spanking children that is relevant to the discussion And finally we talk about the books we're reading The books we recommend this time are: People, Places, Things by Chuck Palahniuk New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe by Julie Haworth Also mentioned is Zazie's post about a literature review on dog training methods: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/04/new-literature-review-recommends-reward.html 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

5. Resource guarding in dogs: What to do about it with Jean Donaldson

   Jun 9, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Jean Donaldson has just published a new edition of her book Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs . If you have a dog who guards food, objects, people, or locations, you need this book! Jean joins Zazie and Kristi to discuss what to do if your dog guards food, locations, or other resources. We talk about: Why it was time for a new edition of Mine! and what it was like to write it How to decide if your dog needs a regular training plan or a more incremental one to resolve their guarding behaviour Why it's a myth that you should be able to take your dog's food away from them How we can add food to puppies' bowls to help prevent food guarding Why there's not really anything wrong with the personality of a dog who guards resources The other behaviour issues that sometimes accompany guarding behaviour What it means to be "warmed up" or "cold" in a dog training plan Why dog trainers like the spicy dogs The Olde English Sheepdog who was a bit of a challenge Guarding behaviour in Jean's dog Buffy and Kristi's dogs Archer and Soleil When to hire a dog trainer to help with resource guarding The book Jean recommended to us is The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV by Helen Kastor. To be the first to learn about Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, sign up to the Companion Animal Psychology newsletter . Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs by Jean Donaldson is available wherever books are sold. Jean Donaldson is one of the world's top dog trainers, founder of the Academy for Dog Trainers, and author of the seminal book Culture Clash , which was named number one training and behaviour book by The Association of Pet Dog Trainers. In 2017, Jean authored and instructed Dog Training 101 for The Great Courses, another wonderful resource for dog guardians. Her most recent book is the second edition of Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs. Follow Jean at the Academy for Dog Trainers: Website: https://academyfordogtrainers.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcademyforDogTrainers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/academy4dogtrainers/?hl=en You might also like: Understanding resource guarding in dogs and how to fix it with Lisa Skavienski 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

6. Why children should Ask the Dog if they want to be petted with Steve Dale

   May 26, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Kids are routinely taught to ask a dog's owner before petting the dog. Today, radio host Steve Dale joins us to talk about how they should also find out if the dog wants to be petted or not. We learn about Steve's new children's book, Ask the Dog, which is a fun story with an important message, and we also talk about some good news in cat health. We talked about: Why Steve wrote the book The importance of preventing dog bites, and why children are especially at risk Why children should learn to ask the dog How the relationship between dogs and children has changed over the years What it was like working with an illustrator for the book The work of the EveryCat Health Foundation and their research on taurine in cat food, FIP, diabetes, and heart disease How research on cat health has also benefited human health Also mentioned: The EveryCat Health Foundation is at everycat.org Theater of the Mind created by David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar is at the Goodman Theater in Chicago through August 30 2026 https://theaterofthemindchicago.com/ Steve Dale's interview with David Byrne https://stevedalepetworld.com/blog/conversation-with-david-byrne-booth-46/ The book Steve recommended is Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne Ask the Dog by Steve Dale, illustrated by Shelby Koehler, is available wherever books are sold. Steve Dale is a certified animal behavior consultant, a radio host, and his show Steve Dale’s Pet World is essential listening for everyone who loves pets. He co-edited Decoding Your Dog, written by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and has written and contributed to many other books. Ask the Dog is his first children's book. Steve is the host of Steve Dale's Pet World on WGN radio and also hosts a Sunday afternoon talk show at WGN radio. Learn more about Steve and sign up for his newsletter at stevedale.tv . 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

7. Dogs and cats, breeds and behaviour: Quick questions

   May 12, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Zazie and Kristi ask each other rapid fire questions about dogs and cats, breeds and behaviour. But in this game of this or that, we also discuss the answers, illuminating ideas about training and enrichment. By the end of the show, you'll know Zazie and Kristi a lot better, but you'll also have learned something about dogs and cats. As you listen, be sure to shout out your answers too! Or you can leave us a voicemail and let us know. Do you have any this-or-that questions that you would like us to answer? Send them in! At the end of the episode, we discuss the books we've been reading: Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin Crier's War by Nina Varela 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

8. Why we should love the beasties with Dr. Jo Wimpenny

   Apr 28, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Zazie and Kristi chat with Dr. Jo Wimpenny, author of Beauty of the Beasts, to learn more about wasps, mosquitoes, vultures, sharks, and other unloved animals. We talk about:- why Jo wanted to write about the beasties how everything is connected the value of wasps and mosquitoes to the ecosystem how sharks are not necessarily out to get people (even if sometimes they are) whether some animals are over-rated which animal Jo most loved writing about and finally Jo told us which book she's been reading. Beauty of the Beasts: Rethinking Nature's Least Loved Animals is available wherever books are sold. The book Jo recommended to us is The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay. Previous episodes with Jo: The Holiday Special 2025 (Ep48) Animal minds and our favourite fables (Ep15) Also mentioned: Kristi's blog post on making a living in the world . Jo Wimpenny is a zoologist and writer, with a research background in animal behaviour and the history of science. She studied Zoology at the University of Bristol, and went on to research problem-solving in crows for her DPhil at Oxford University. She’s the author of Aesop’s Animals, which we’ve talked about with her before, and her new book which is just out now is Beauty of the Beasts: Rethinking Nature’s Least Loved Animals. Jo's website: https://jowimpenny.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jowimpenny/ 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

9. Can pet dogs sniff out an invasive species? with Melissa McCue-McGrath

   Apr 14, 2026

   Leave us a voicemail! Can pet dogs use their nose to find the eggs of an invasive species, the spotted lanternfly--and what was it like taking part in citizen science to find out? Zazie and Kristi are joined by dog trainer and author Melissa McCue-McGrath to learn all about this fun project. We also learn about Melissa's book, Misadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer. We talk about: the nose work classes that Melissa teaches why the spotted lanternfly is such a problem why Melissa wanted to take part in citizen science the real life issues that affected the project the training that they did with the dogs the field trials at the end of the project the real world applications and why it was fun to be part of it what Melissa would say to someone considering signing up for a citizen science project with their dog why Melissa wrote her new book and what it's about Misadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer is available wherever books are sold. Also mentioned: BewilderBeasts podcast Melissa's interview on DogCast radio The Accidental Veterinarian by Philipp Schott Tell Me Where it Hurts by Nick Trout Bark! Fest with Philipp Schott Victoria Stilwell Academy The books that Melissa recommended are Away To Me by Patricia McConnell and The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett. Melissa McCue-McGrath is a professional dog trainer and behaviour consultant. She is a faculty advisor for the Victoria Stilwell Academy and she is the first non-UK person to be accredited with PACT. She’s the author of Considerations for the City Dog, and her new book, Misadventures of the World’s Okayest Dog Trainer, is just out now. If you liked this, you might also like: Why you and your dog will love nose work with Bonnie Hartney (Ep46) Human remains detection dogs and historic searches with Kim Cooper and Cat Warren (Ep35) 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

10. Senior dogs and young dogs living together: How to keep everyone safe and happy

    Mar 31, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! Content warning: The books section at the end of the episode includes subject matter that may be distressing. Having both a senior dog and a young dog in the same home can be wonderful, revitalizing the older dog and providing company for the younger dog. But it can also have its challenges. Zazie and Kristi talk about how to make sure everyone is happy and stays safe. We talk about: How training can help when you have both an old dog and a young dog or puppy What to consider when deciding whether to bring a young dog into your home when you have a senior dog Whether bringing a young dog into the home can be beneficial for an old dog What kinds of issues people can have in this situation When to seek help from a dog trainer for your dog-dog issues Management options that can make a difference and help to prevent issues from arising We also discuss Zazie's book Bark!s win in the DWAA awards and Zazie shows Kristi her medal And finally we chat about the books we've been reading The webinar that Kristi is presenting for the Pet Professional Guild is called Mixing Young Dogs and Senior Dogs: Management, Safety, and Training on April 8 2026. https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/webinars-events/webinars/mixing-young-and-senior-dogs-management-safety-and-training-with-kristi-benson/ Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog is available wherever books are sold. https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/books.html The Dog Writers Association of America competition details: https://dogwriters.org/winners/ The books we recommend in this episode are: Consent: A Memoir by Vanessa Springora trans Natasha Lehrer People of Means: A Novel by Nancy Johnson 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

11. How to help your dog behave with guests with Jeff Millman

    Mar 17, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! How can you help your dog to like it--and behave well--when visitors come to your home? Zazie and Kristi are joined by dog trainer Jeff Millman, author of Triggers and Reactions: A Guide to Fixing Your Dog Behavior Problems, to chat about this common issue. We talk about: Why having your dog jump on guests is in some ways a nice problem to have The behaviours we can teach them to do instead The signs to look for that would suggest that your dog is shy or fearful of guests How to use management when guests come over Understanding how to use desensitization and counter conditioning for fearful dogs How dog training culture has changed over the years and reward-based methods have become more popular What it was like to study at the original Academy for Dog Trainers and how much Jeff loved it and finally, we ask Jeff what he's been reading lately The books recommended by Jeff are: When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows... Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life by Steven Pinker Never: A Novel by Ken Follett About Jeff Millman: Jeff Millman was always known as an animal fanatic since he was a little boy. After studying journalism, living in Alaska after college while living in a tent, working professionally as an internet consultant and creative director, he studied dog training with the world-famous Jean Donaldson in San Francisco in 2002. Since then, he has been honing his dog training craft while training thousands of dogs. He’s the author of three books, including the two-volume Triggers and Reactions: A Guide to Fixing Dog Behavior Problems. lives in Cary, NC with his two wonderful children, amazing wife, and English Shepherds, Sky and Storm. Jeff Millman's website: https://www.jeffmillman.com/ 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

12. How to help dogs and cats get along with each other

    Mar 4, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! Zazie and Kristi talk about how to help dogs and cats get along, and why it all starts with thinking about the cat's feeling of safety. We talk about: the need to manage introductions between dogs and cats what that means from the dog's perspective, and the cat's perspective the importance of letting them vote with their feet the need for safe spaces, and how to make safe spaces for a cat the idea of training the dog to be safe around cats how to keep the peace at mealtimes placement of the cat's resources whether dogs are ever scared of cats how some dogs cannot be trusted to live with a cat The books we recommend in this episode are: Dog Affirmations: An Illustrated Journey Through Your Dog's Thoughts by Andrea Cáceres The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules: A Novel by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg Previous episodes mentioned in the show: Caring for dogs versus caring for cats How to help your reactive or fearful dog For more on how to set your house up for your cat, check out Zazie's book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy , which is available wherever books are sold. Learn more about Zazie's books here . 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

13. Everything you need to know about cat carriers with Dr. Mansum Yau

    Feb 17, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! What's the best kind of carrier to choose for your cat? We get a veterinarian's perspective from Dr. Mansum Yau, author of The Ins and Outs of Cat Carriers: A Veterinarian's Guide to Cat Carriers. We talk about: why, as a vet, Dr. Mansum is interested in cat carriers what kind of carrier is the best one to choose how to help cats be more comfortable at the vet how she became a stand-up comedian on top of being a vet, and how humour can help at the vet why toothbrushing is so important for cats and how a video of Dr. Mansum brushing her cat's teeth went viral the best carriers for adventure cats, and what happened one time with her cat what it was like illustrating her book and finally, she tells us about a book she's reading The book Dr. Mansum picked is Bony Legs and Other Stories by Pat Edwards. Also mentioned in this episode, the cat toothbrushing episode that went viral: https://www.instagram.com/p/DGW-oi1xPSC/ Dr. Mansum Yau graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2010 and earned her certificate in canine massage from the Royal Canadian College of Massage Therapy in 2025. She is Human Animal Bond and Fear Free Level 3 certified and passionate about preventative care and client education. When she is not caring for cats and dogs, she enjoys reading, writing, painting, drawing, performing clean stand-up comedy, raising awareness for endangered animals, and exploring nature with her one-eyed dog, Penny, and adventure cat, Boo. She is the author and illustrator of The Ins and Outs of Cat Carriers: A Veterinarian’s Guide to Cat Carriers, available wherever cat lovers read. She also shares tips for cats and dogs at pet events and on Instagram and YouTube. Dr. Mansum Yau is on: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drmansum/ Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@drmansum LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/in/drmansum 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

14. Patricia McConnell PhD and her first novel Away to Me

    Feb 3, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! Away to Me is Patricia McConnell PhD's first mystery novel, and it's gorgeous. Zazie and Kristi chat with Patricia to learn more about the book and why she decided to write fiction set in the dog world. We talk about: What made Patricia decide to write a mystery novel The main character, Maddie McGowan Whether it was fun to be writing dogs as characters How she wrote about the dogs as real characters & without turning the interactions into negative/aversive ones. The many different dog training cases that appear as secondary characters in the book Patricia has previously written many wonderful non-fiction books, including her memoir, The Education of Will . What’s different about writing fiction? The power and importance of friendships and how dogs are one of the ways that many people can find a community? What motivates her to write, and will we see more of Maddie after this? Away to Me will be published on Feb 24th and is available for pre-order wherever books are sold. Also mentioned: What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren Patricia's blog post on finding grace https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/natl-dog-training-month-or-you-and-54/ Susanna Daniel and Madison Writers' Studio https://madisonwriters.com/ Patricia McConnell at Bark! Fest https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16149739 The book Patricia recommend is The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow. Learn more about Patricia and her book, Away to Me, on her website: https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/ 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

15. Caring for dogs vs caring for cats

    Jan 20, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! How is caring for a dog different than caring for a cat, and what is the same? We talk about what dogs and cats need for a happy life with us. We talk about: Training dogs and training cats (and why you should train your cat) The importance of enrichment Their sense of smell Going places with your dog, but not your cat House training Vet care and husbandry And the books we've been reading. Also mentioned in this episode: There is a training plan to teach your cat to go in their carrier at the end of Zazie's book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy Zazie's blog post on 3 easy ways to start training your cat includes notes on carrier training https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2023/05/3-easy-ways-to-get-started-with.html The husbandry project from the Academy for Dog Trainers https://academyfordogtrainers.com/husbandry-project/ The books are: The Black AntiFascist Tradition by Jeanelle K Hope and Bill V Mullen Snap: A Novel by Susin Nielson 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

16. How to help dogs with separation anxiety with Malena DeMartini

    Jan 6, 2026

    Leave us a voicemail! If your dog has separation anxiety, what can you do to help them, how can you cope with not leaving your dog alone for longer than they can handle, and why is it so important? We're joined by separation anxiety expert Malena DeMartini to talk about how you can help your dog with their separation-related issues. We talk about: what separation anxiety is and whether other labels like separation-related distress are useful to dog trainers and dog guardians what it means to suspend absences for your dog how video helps to show the moment when the dog starts to get distressed, and what happens before that why it's important to speak to a vet about medication for separation anxiety how crates are not the answer for dogs with separation anxiety how dog trainers can become certified to work with separation anxiety cases (CSATs) through Malena's school And Malena tells us about a book she loves Malena DeMartini is a Certified Trainer and Counselor (CTC) and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC). Since 2001, she has specialized exclusively in canine separation anxiety, having worked hundreds of cases and constantly innovating to find better ways to treat the condition and support guardians, other trainers, rescues, and shelters. Malena is the author of two ground-breaking books, Separation Anxiety in Dogs, Next Generation in Treatment Protocols and Practices (2020) and Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs. is the founder of the prestigious Separation Anxiety Certification Program (SACP), which has graduated hundreds of Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers (CSATs) across the globe. She also has an online self-paced course, Mission: POSSIBLE, which is an invaluable resource. Learn more at https://malenademartini.com/ 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

17. Holiday Special with Dr. Jo Wimpenny, Dr. Marc Bekoff, and Erica Beckwith CTC

    Dec 23, 2025

    Leave us a voicemail! In this special episode, Zazie and Kristi are joined by some of the most popular guests from previous episodes to chat about all things animal behaviour, including dogs, cats, ants, penguins, and crows. We talk about: with Jo Wimpenny, PhD, author of Aesop's Animals, we talk about The Ant and the Grasshopper and how we know whether or not animals can plan ahead--plus we get exciting news about her next book Zazie and Kristi chat about their highlights of the year with Marc Bekoff, PhD, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals (and many other books) we talk about ethology, his research with penguins, and whether animals have rituals Zazie and Kristi chat about Holiday rituals with Erica Beckwith CTC of A Matter of Manners Dog Training, we talk about how to get cute Holiday photos of your pets and finally we share which books we've been reading The full show notes are available on the Companion Animal Psychology website: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/ Previous episodes with these guests: Animal minds and our favourite fables with Jo Wimpenny , PhD https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/14597289 Canine emotions and perceptions with Marc Bekoff PhD, Zazie Todd PhD, and Cat Warren at Bark! Fest https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16276537 Animal emotions with Marc Bekoff, PhD, at Bark! Fest https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/17148973 The benefits of tricks training for dogs and cats with Erica Beckwith https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/12793661 Also mentioned in this episode: Preorder Beauty of the Beasts by Jo Wimpenny https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/beauty-of-the-beasts-9781399417617/ Ask Me Anything about Fearful and Reactive Dogs https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/18168422 Wild Rituals by Caitlin O'Connell Jane Goodall Erica Beckwith's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amatterofmannersdogtraining/ The books we chose are: A Woman Among Wolves by Diane K Boyd 4 Days a Week by Juliet B Schor The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa trans. Allison Markin Powell Dare I Say It by Naomi Watts Learn more about: Dr. Jo Wimpenny https://jowimpenny.com/ Dr. Marc Bekoff https://marcbekoff.com/ Erica Beckwith CTC https://www.amatterofmannersdogtraining.com/ Kristi Benson CTC https://www.kristibenson.com/ Zazie Todd, PhD https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/ (This is also where you'll find full show notes and a transcript). 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

18. Dog bites: Ask Me Anything with Carri Westgarth PhD

    Dec 9, 2025

    Leave us a voicemail! 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 the Merseyside Dog Safety Partnership. In her spare time Carri teaches dog training classes, and previously was a professional Assistance Dog Instructor. Her practical experience in many areas relating to dogs, combined with a multi-disciplinary academic perspective, gives unique strength and relevance to her expertise. Website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/carri-westgarth 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

19. Why you and your dog will love nose work with Bonnie Hartney

    Nov 25, 2025

    Leave us a voicemail! 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 with 4 certified Nose Work Instructors and more than 95 dog teams. Bonnie's website, Ocean Park Dog Training https://www.oceanparkdogtraining.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/oceanparkdogtraining/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/oceanparkdog/ You might also like Ep 35 on human remains detection dogs with Kim Cooper and Cat Warren https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/17384889 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

20. Reactive and fearful dogs: Your questions answered

    Nov 11, 2025

    Leave us a voicemail! 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 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