The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

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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

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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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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/

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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 

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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