The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

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/
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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

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
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

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/
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

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 Goo
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

Zazie and Kristi are joined by Prof. Carri Westgarth to answer your questions about dog bites, how to avoid getting bitten by a dog, and what to do if you have been bitten by a dog.
We talked about:
Why dogs bite
How to use management to keep people safe from dogs
How to keep children safe from dog bites
What to do if a loose dog charges you
How to regain trust if your own dog has bitten you
The difference between predatory behaviour and fear aggression
The systemic factors that can make a difference to the prevalence of dog bites, and why education is only part of the answer
Why Breed Specific Legislation isn't the solution to dog bites
And more!

Also mentioned in this episode:
Dr. Sophia Yin's video with loose dogs (correction: it was in Australia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhm36dDFrk4
The Care for Reactive Dogs website https://careforreactivedogs.com/
Zazie's email list. Sign up here: https://companionanimalpsychology.kit.com/a88e8d1a2a

Books by Prof. Carri Westgarth:
The Happy Dog Owner
Dog Bites: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (co-edited with Daniel Mills)

Books by Zazie Todd PhD:
Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy
Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog

Professor Carri Westgarth is Chair in Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Liverpool with a passion for understanding the relationships we have with our pets. With a background in animal behaviour and dog training she has trained in veterinary epidemiology and human public health. Her research interests focus on the implications of dog ownership for human health and wellbeing, but also how owner management of their dogs can impact dog welfare. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used to tackle her primary research questions of how to improve population health through the promotion of dog walking, and how to prevent dog bites. Her expertise on understanding and changing the behaviour of dog owners is sought by many organisations wishing to prevent dog bites and promote ‘responsible’ dog owner behaviour, such as her work as a consultant for Royal Mail. She is also a Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and founder of
Send us a text to say hello!
Support the show
About the co-hosts:
Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online classes. She is also a northern anthropologist.
Kristi Benson's website Facebook


Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and has a column at Psychology Today. She lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, a dog and a cat.
Instagram BlueSky