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Founder of the blog, Companion Animal Psychology, where she writes about training methods and the human-canine relationship, Zazie Todd wrote Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (Greystone, 2020). Combining the latest canine research with recommendations from leading veterinarians, researchers and trainers Todd demystifies the inner lives of dogs and provides advice for cultivating a rewarding relationship with family dogs.
Todd's follow up book, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (Greystone, 2022) covers the science behind cats’ petting preferences; the multiple meanings of purrs, chirrups, and meows; how to best satisfy the scratching and stalking desires for indoor cats; and even how to keep both cats and wildlife safe if felines spend time outside.
Zazie Todd is a social psychologist, certified dog trainer and author. She writes a regular column for Psychology Today magazine and won the Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. She has a Ph.D. in Psychology (University of Nottingham) and an MFA Creative Writing (UBC).
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Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog
by Zazie Todd (Greystone $36.95)
Review by Caroline Woodward (BCBW 2025)
We’ve all seen, or tried to cope with, a dog behaving in an unseemly manner. Kicking up a fuss and barking very loudly while they’re at it. We may have been embarrassed by our dear pup’s transformation from adoring best buddy to a lunging, snarling “Cujo-wannabe” at the very sight of another dog. Even another well-behaved dog on a leash, trotting along, nose in air, paying no attention whatsoever to your slobbering Hound of the Baskervilles.
It is a test of one’s patience, especially if the pair of you have already flunked out of dog obedience classes twice and perhaps even hired an expensive, self-described “dog whisperer” to no avail.
Fear not—experienced, non-judgmental and compassionate help is at hand. Zazie Todd, best-selling author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (Greystone, 2020) and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (Greystone, 2022) once again strikes just the right tone in Bark! to buoy up pet owners at the end of our own leashes. She clearly explains why some dogs are fearful and/or anxious, which usually does not end well when they are placed in stressful situations. She shows us how to “read” a dog’s facial expressions and body language bearing in mind some breeds have features, like eyes nearly hidden by long hair or smiles which are hard to decipher. Is this a happy grin for a stranger cooing at your dog or is this a stress-induced grimace?
Todd, based in Maple Ridge, BC, is in demand internationally as an author and speaker. She has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Nottingham and a Masters in Creative Writing from UBC. In this well-written, science-based guide she establishes where humans must begin: with self-awareness. For starters, there are a lot of harmful myths about alpha dominance and punishment to dismiss.
Todd outlines parenting styles for humans that she also recommends we consider carefully while training dogs. “The parenting style that is widely seen as best for children is both having high expectations (being demanding) and taking account of the child’s needs (being responsive),” writes Todd. “This is known as an authoritative [versus an authoritarian] parenting style. An authoritative parenting style means showing warmth towards the child, giving them choices (within reasonable bounds), being willing to discuss things and negotiate with the child. This style is associated with better outcomes for the child in terms of resilience, optimism, self-esteem, and educational outcomes. Other common parenting styles are authoritarian (with strict rules, use of punishment, and little consideration of the child’s needs), permissive (indulgent), and uninvolved (neglectful).”
We learn how to de-escalate anxiety in a kind, consistent way and the vital role of exercise and play in every dog’s life. Paying attention to what our non-verbal furry friends are trying to tell us is of great importance, just as it is with human babies and toddlers. If we were dogs and needed to pee urgently, we’d all yelp and pull at our leashes, wouldn’t we? Especially if our oblivious human was glued to a (insert doggie expletive here) cell phone while plopped on a bench in a cement courtyard with grass—and sweet relief—too far out of reach. This is one of my own pet (sorry) peeves about inattentive humans. If I were such a dog, I’d bark at my owner: “Unglue your eyeballs from your all-important phone and walk me over to the nearest patch of lovely green grass instead of yanking my neck none-too-gently while I dance and yip non-stop to get my basic message across!”
Understanding why your dog is stressed about other dogs and reacts to certain humans and loud noises like thunder or fireworks is key to retraining patiently and effectively. Then there’s the issue of vets with needles, which is much like humans who experience drastic spikes in blood pressure while waiting in their doctors’ offices, aka “white coat syndrome.” Bark! is jam-packed with highly effective strategies for helping pets suffering fear of abandonment as well as dog and human safety measures, pandemic pets, puppy mill socialization issues and situations where medication is most appropriate.
Just as with a human baby crying inconsolably, it is wise to check for physical issues first. Your dog may not have a little toe losing all circulation due to a loose thread inside the foot of her onesie forming a garrotte around the toe. The point is, your dog may be injured and in pain. Or extremely thirsty. Or needing immediate veterinary attention because they have gulped down a wad of tinfoil from a campfire.
Zazie Todd is very compassionate about helping us forgive ourselves (for most of us are blundering well-meaning humans), and firmly yet kindly marches us through problem-solving sessions with an improved attitude and a list of effective skills to help our dog feel safe, first and foremost. 9781778401367
Caroline Woodward has blundered but loved mightily all the dogs and cats in her life. She certainly could have used Zazie Todd’s books on animal (and human) behaviour many times over.
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BOOKS:
Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (Greystone, 2020) $26.95 9781771643795
Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (Greystone, 2022) $32.95 9781771648141
Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog (Greystone, 2024) $36.95 9781778401367
[BCBW 2024]
Todd's follow up book, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (Greystone, 2022) covers the science behind cats’ petting preferences; the multiple meanings of purrs, chirrups, and meows; how to best satisfy the scratching and stalking desires for indoor cats; and even how to keep both cats and wildlife safe if felines spend time outside.
Zazie Todd is a social psychologist, certified dog trainer and author. She writes a regular column for Psychology Today magazine and won the Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. She has a Ph.D. in Psychology (University of Nottingham) and an MFA Creative Writing (UBC).
+++
Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog
by Zazie Todd (Greystone $36.95)
Review by Caroline Woodward (BCBW 2025)
We’ve all seen, or tried to cope with, a dog behaving in an unseemly manner. Kicking up a fuss and barking very loudly while they’re at it. We may have been embarrassed by our dear pup’s transformation from adoring best buddy to a lunging, snarling “Cujo-wannabe” at the very sight of another dog. Even another well-behaved dog on a leash, trotting along, nose in air, paying no attention whatsoever to your slobbering Hound of the Baskervilles.
It is a test of one’s patience, especially if the pair of you have already flunked out of dog obedience classes twice and perhaps even hired an expensive, self-described “dog whisperer” to no avail.
Fear not—experienced, non-judgmental and compassionate help is at hand. Zazie Todd, best-selling author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (Greystone, 2020) and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (Greystone, 2022) once again strikes just the right tone in Bark! to buoy up pet owners at the end of our own leashes. She clearly explains why some dogs are fearful and/or anxious, which usually does not end well when they are placed in stressful situations. She shows us how to “read” a dog’s facial expressions and body language bearing in mind some breeds have features, like eyes nearly hidden by long hair or smiles which are hard to decipher. Is this a happy grin for a stranger cooing at your dog or is this a stress-induced grimace?
Todd, based in Maple Ridge, BC, is in demand internationally as an author and speaker. She has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Nottingham and a Masters in Creative Writing from UBC. In this well-written, science-based guide she establishes where humans must begin: with self-awareness. For starters, there are a lot of harmful myths about alpha dominance and punishment to dismiss.
Todd outlines parenting styles for humans that she also recommends we consider carefully while training dogs. “The parenting style that is widely seen as best for children is both having high expectations (being demanding) and taking account of the child’s needs (being responsive),” writes Todd. “This is known as an authoritative [versus an authoritarian] parenting style. An authoritative parenting style means showing warmth towards the child, giving them choices (within reasonable bounds), being willing to discuss things and negotiate with the child. This style is associated with better outcomes for the child in terms of resilience, optimism, self-esteem, and educational outcomes. Other common parenting styles are authoritarian (with strict rules, use of punishment, and little consideration of the child’s needs), permissive (indulgent), and uninvolved (neglectful).”
We learn how to de-escalate anxiety in a kind, consistent way and the vital role of exercise and play in every dog’s life. Paying attention to what our non-verbal furry friends are trying to tell us is of great importance, just as it is with human babies and toddlers. If we were dogs and needed to pee urgently, we’d all yelp and pull at our leashes, wouldn’t we? Especially if our oblivious human was glued to a (insert doggie expletive here) cell phone while plopped on a bench in a cement courtyard with grass—and sweet relief—too far out of reach. This is one of my own pet (sorry) peeves about inattentive humans. If I were such a dog, I’d bark at my owner: “Unglue your eyeballs from your all-important phone and walk me over to the nearest patch of lovely green grass instead of yanking my neck none-too-gently while I dance and yip non-stop to get my basic message across!”
Understanding why your dog is stressed about other dogs and reacts to certain humans and loud noises like thunder or fireworks is key to retraining patiently and effectively. Then there’s the issue of vets with needles, which is much like humans who experience drastic spikes in blood pressure while waiting in their doctors’ offices, aka “white coat syndrome.” Bark! is jam-packed with highly effective strategies for helping pets suffering fear of abandonment as well as dog and human safety measures, pandemic pets, puppy mill socialization issues and situations where medication is most appropriate.
Just as with a human baby crying inconsolably, it is wise to check for physical issues first. Your dog may not have a little toe losing all circulation due to a loose thread inside the foot of her onesie forming a garrotte around the toe. The point is, your dog may be injured and in pain. Or extremely thirsty. Or needing immediate veterinary attention because they have gulped down a wad of tinfoil from a campfire.
Zazie Todd is very compassionate about helping us forgive ourselves (for most of us are blundering well-meaning humans), and firmly yet kindly marches us through problem-solving sessions with an improved attitude and a list of effective skills to help our dog feel safe, first and foremost. 9781778401367
Caroline Woodward has blundered but loved mightily all the dogs and cats in her life. She certainly could have used Zazie Todd’s books on animal (and human) behaviour many times over.
+++
BOOKS:
Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (Greystone, 2020) $26.95 9781771643795
Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy (Greystone, 2022) $32.95 9781771648141
Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog (Greystone, 2024) $36.95 9781778401367
[BCBW 2024]
