The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

Zazie Todd PhD and Kristi Benson CTC
  • 4.4 (8)
  • PETS & ANIMALS
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

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. FEB 3

    Patricia McConnell PhD and her first novel Away to Me

    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 novelThe main character, Maddie McGowanWhether it was fun to be writing dogs as charactersHow 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 bookPatricia 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 WarrenPatricia'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/16149739The 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/ 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

    30 min

  2. JAN 20

    Caring for dogs vs caring for cats

    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 enrichmentTheir sense of smellGoing places with your dog, but not your catHouse trainingVet care and husbandryAnd 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 HappyZazie'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 MullenSnap: A Novel by Susin NielsonSend 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

    40 min

  3. JAN 6

    How to help dogs with separation anxiety with Malena DeMartini

    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 guardianswhat it means to suspend absences for your doghow video helps to show the moment when the dog starts to get distressed, and what happens before thatwhy it's important to speak to a vet about medication for separation anxietyhow crates are not the answer for dogs with separation anxietyhow 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/ 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

    32 min

  4. 12/23/2025

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

    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 bookZazie and Kristi chat about their highlights of the yearwith 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 ritualsZazie and Kristi chat about Holiday ritualswith Erica Beckwith CTC of A Matter of Manners Dog Training, we talk about how to get cute Holiday photos of your petsand finally we share which books we've been readingThe 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/14597289Canine emotions and perceptions with Marc Bekoff PhD, Zazie Todd PhD, and Cat Warren at Bark! Fest https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16276537Animal emotions with Marc Bekoff, PhD, at Bark! Fest https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/17148973The benefits of tricks training for dogs and cats with Erica Beckwith https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/12793661Also 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/18168422Wild Rituals by Caitlin O'ConnellJane GooSend 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

    1h 8m

  5. 12/09/2025

    Dog bites: Ask Me Anything with Carri Westgarth PhD

    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 biteHow to use management to keep people safe from dogsHow to keep children safe from dog bitesWhat to do if a loose dog charges you How to regain trust if your own dog has bitten youThe difference between predatory behaviour and fear aggressionThe systemic factors that can make a difference to the prevalence of dog bites, and why education is only part of the answerWhy Breed Specific Legislation isn't the solution to dog bitesAnd 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=Lhm36dDFrk4The 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 OwnerDog Bites: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (co-edited with Daniel Mills) Books by Zazie Todd PhD: Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog HappyBark! 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

    56 min

  6. 11/25/2025

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

    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 aboutWhy scent work is fun for dogs and for their humansWhat to expect at a beginner classWhether scent work is for all dogsThe kinds of scent that are used, how dogs progress to searching for a target odour, and the kinds of searches they doWhat Bonnie has learned about her dogs from doing scent workHow Kristi's dog Archer is likely to do at scent work if she tries itDifferences between scent work classes and professional scent workIf 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

    41 min

  7. 11/11/2025

    Reactive and fearful dogs: Your questions answered

    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 dogsHelping dogs who are afraid of elevatorsFear of strangersHelping reactive dogs in tricky environments like apartment buildings and citiesReactivity to other dogsFear of loud noisesHow the unfortunate side effects of shock collars can persist after training is overHow to persuade people not to use aversivesand 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

    57 min

  8. 10/28/2025

    Conservation dogs and Deadly Trade by Sara Driscoll

    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 islandsWhy Sara was inspired to write about conservation canines in Deadly TradeHow to write about dogs as characters in their own rightThe kind of training that Hawk, the FBI canine, and the conservation dogs in the book would go through in real lifeHow the dogs influence the success of the missionHow Hawk picks up on things his handler, Meg, can'tWhy Sara chose to write about endangered birdsWhat it's like writing with a co-authorAnd 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 nowYou 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/16149739Learn 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

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
8 Ratings

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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