Zazie Todd did not grow up with pets, while on her way to becoming an accomplished social psychologist. When she & her husband adopted 2 dogs within 6 weeks from their local humane society, Zazie used her psychology and research background to make sure she was doing the “right” things for her dogs. As she began looking into the burgeoning field of canine science and what we are learning about dogs, Zazie shared her findings by starting her blog, Companion Animal Psychology.
If you’ve ever wondered if your dog is as happy as you hope, or if you are making the right decisions for your dog, Zazie shares all that she’s learned in her new book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, which comes out Tuesday, March 10.
Zazie and I discuss:
Her background and how her dogs Ghost and Bodger joined her family;
The behavior issues of her dogs that led to Zazie using her psychology background to looking to the research and science to ensure she was making the right decisions for her dogs;
What motivated her to start her blog, Companion Animal Psychology;
Attending Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers;
How to find the “right” information for training your dog;
Taking your dog on a “sniffari" and other items on the Checklist for a Happy Dog;
Training cats;
Zazie’s work with shelter dogs at her local humane society;
The importance of selecting the right dog for your family’s lifestyle;
Her #1 training challenge as a dog owner;
What does “fear-free” mean for veterinary care?; and
End-of-life care for our dogs.

I also give you 5 of my favorite takeaways from the book. When you order your copy of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, make sure you find the 3-page Checklist for a Happy Dog. You can even cross-reference each checklist item with the location in the book where this topic was discussed. While you may already be doing many of these but, there are a few that surprised me!
Order the book:
Paperback or Kindle
When your book/ebook is delivered, share a photo in your IG stories, and tag @believe_in_dog_podcast and @zazietodd.
Links discussed:
Companion Animal Psychology blog
The Ultimate Dog Training Tip
Is My Dog Happy? How Dogs' Body Language is a Guide
10 Tips to Integrate Dog Training into Your Everyday Life
Find Zazie online:
Companion Animal Psychology blog, Facebook or Instagram


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email: erin@believeindogpodcast.com