The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

Zazie Todd PhD and Kristi Benson CTC
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  • Pets & Animals
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The show about how to have a better relationship with your dog or cat. Get tips on dog training, dog behaviour, cat behaviour and training, learn about the science on dogs and cats, and find out which books we're reading (animal-related and more generally). Kind, humane, reward-based training methods only. Hosted by Zazie Todd PhD and Kristi Benson CTC of Companion Animal Psychology blog. Made in Canada.

  1. 9 Jun

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

    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 itHow to decide if your dog needs a regular training plan or a more incremental one to resolve their guarding behaviourWhy it's a myth that you should be able to take your dog's food away from themHow we can add food to puppies' bowls to help prevent food guardingWhy there's not really anything wrong with the personality of a dog who guards resourcesThe other behaviour issues that sometimes accompany guarding behaviourWhat it means to be "warmed up" or "cold" in a dog training planWhy dog trainers like the spicy dogsThe Olde English Sheepdog who was a bit of a challengeGuarding behaviour in Jean's dog Buffy and Kristi's dogs Archer and SoleilWhen to hire a dog trainer to help with resource guardingThe 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

    26 min

  2. 26 May

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

    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 bookThe importance of preventing dog bites, and why children are especially at riskWhy children should learn to ask the dogHow the relationship between dogs and children has changed over the yearsWhat it was like working with an illustrator for the bookThe work of the EveryCat Health Foundation and their research on taurine in cat food, FIP, diabetes, and heart diseaseHow research on cat health has also benefited human healthAlso mentioned: The EveryCat Health Foundation is at everycat.orgTheater 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 ByrneAsk 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

    44 min

  3. 12 May

    Dogs and cats, breeds and behaviour: Quick questions

    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 JalaluddinCrier's War by Nina VarelaSupport 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

    48 min

  4. 28 Apr

    Why we should love the beasties with Dr. Jo Wimpenny

    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 beastieshow everything is connectedthe value of wasps and mosquitoes to the ecosystemhow sharks are not necessarily out to get people (even if sometimes they are)whether some animals are over-ratedwhich animal Jo most loved writing aboutand 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

    37 min

  5. 14 Apr

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

    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 teacheswhy the spotted lanternfly is such a problemwhy Melissa wanted to take part in citizen sciencethe real life issues that affected the projectthe training that they did with the dogsthe field trials at the end of the projectthe real world applications and why it was fun to be part of itwhat Melissa would say to someone considering signing up for a citizen science project with their dogwhy Melissa wrote her new book and what it's aboutMisadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer is available wherever books are sold.  Also mentioned: BewilderBeasts podcastMelissa's interview on DogCast radioThe Accidental Veterinarian by Philipp SchottTell Me Where it Hurts by Nick TroutBark! Fest with Philipp SchottVictoria Stilwell AcademyThe 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

    54 min

  6. 31 Mar

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

    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 puppyWhat to consider when deciding whether to bring a young dog into your home when you have a senior dogWhether bringing a young dog into the home can be beneficial for an old dogWhat kinds of issues people can have in this situationWhen to seek help from a dog trainer for your dog-dog issuesManagement options that can make a difference and help to prevent issues from arisingWe also discuss Zazie's book Bark!s win in the DWAA awards and Zazie shows Kristi her medalAnd 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 LehrerPeople of Means: A Novel by Nancy JohnsonSupport 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

    37 min

  7. 17 Mar

    How to help your dog behave with guests with Jeff Millman

    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 haveThe behaviours we can teach them to do insteadThe signs to look for that would suggest that your dog is shy or fearful of guestsHow to use management when guests come overUnderstanding how to use desensitization and counter conditioning for fearful dogsHow dog training culture has changed over the years and reward-based methods have become more popularWhat it was like to study at the original Academy for Dog Trainers and how much Jeff loved itand 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 PinkerNever: 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

    31 min

  8. 4 Mar

    How to help dogs and cats get along with each other

    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 catswhat that means from the dog's perspective, and the cat's perspectivethe importance of letting them vote with their feetthe need for safe spaces, and how to make safe spaces for a catthe idea of training the dog to be safe around catshow to keep the peace at mealtimesplacement of the cat's resourceswhether dogs are ever scared of catshow 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 CáceresThe 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 catsHow 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

    32 min
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About

The show about how to have a better relationship with your dog or cat. Get tips on dog training, dog behaviour, cat behaviour and training, learn about the science on dogs and cats, and find out which books we're reading (animal-related and more generally). Kind, humane, reward-based training methods only. Hosted by Zazie Todd PhD and Kristi Benson CTC of Companion Animal Psychology blog. Made in Canada.

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