The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

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 book
The importance of preventing dog bites, and why children are especially at risk
Why children should learn to ask the dog
How the relationship between dogs and children has changed over the years
What it was like working with an illustrator for the book
The work of the EveryCat Health Foundation and their research on taurine in cat food, FIP, diabetes, and heart disease
How research on cat health has also benefited human health
Also mentioned:
The EveryCat Health Foundation is at everycat.org
Theater 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 Byrne
Ask 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

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 Jalaluddin
Crier's War by Nina Varela
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

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 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/
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

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 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 wi
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

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 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