Bark! Fest gets off to a tail-wagging start with a conversation with one of the world’s top dog trainers. Jean Donaldson’s seminal book The Culture Clash reframed how we think about dogs and has inspired generations of dog trainers to use (or switch to) reward-based methods. Join us to talk about all things dog training, including positive reinforcement, fearful dogs, and education for dog owners and trainers alike.

This recording is of a panel at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, that took place in September 2024. Bark! Fest was organized to celebrate the launch of Zazie Todd's third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. Bark!.

All of the Bark! Fest books are available from good bookstores, including from Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores): https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers

We talked about:

• why Jean wrote her book The Culture Clash
• what the Transparency Challenge is and why it's so important for dog trainers to answer these questions
• her advice to someone who is struggling with their dog's behaviour
• what is distinctive about the Academy for Dog Trainers
• a writing tip
• her favourite thing that's changed in the world of dog training over the years
• and she answered lots of questions from the audience

Resources mentioned:

Transparency in dog training https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=987644334623619 

The Academy for Dog Trainers https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/

Find a PPG professional https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/find-a-ppg-professional/ 

Karen Pryor Academy https://karenpryoracademy.com/

Victoria Stilwell Academy https://www.vsdogtrainingacademy.com/ 

The Great Courses Dog Training 101 https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/dog-training-101 

The ultimate dog training tip https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2017/04/the-ultimate-dog-training-tip.html (Companion Animal Psychology)

Emily Priestley Wild at Heart Dog Training and her book, Urban Sheepdog https://wildatheartdogs.com/ (see also our recent podcast with Emily, https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/11/what-you-need-to-know-about-herding.html )

Cooperative Paws by Veronica Sanchez https://cooperativepaws.com/ 

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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.

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