Dogs, trauma, and both ends of the leash with Patricia McConnell PhD

The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

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Patricia B. McConnell PhD is an internationally-renowned applied animal behaviourist who has dedicated her life to improving the relationship between people and animals. Amongst her many treasured dog training books, The Other End of the Leash draws our attention to the human side of dog training.

McConnell’s memoir, The Education of Will, is a beautifully-written and uplifting account of how to reclaim life after trauma, for both humans and dogs. Join us to talk about dog behaviour, overcoming hardships, and the importance of compassion and science in dog training.

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 Dr. McConnell's writing process, how she became interested in the human side of the leash, why she wrote The Education of Will, understanding trauma in people and dogs, differences and similarities between people and dogs, finding grace, and healing.

In The Education of Will, bestselling author and internationally renowned animal psychologist and dog trainer Patricia McConnell “gives a voice to those who can’t speak in words and provides hope for fearful animals everywhere” (Temple Grandin) in this powerful and uplifting memoir about healing.

Dr. McConnell mentions several books in the conversation. They are:

• After Silence by Nancy Venable Raine
• Good Morning, I Love You by Shauna Shapiro
• Unlearn Your Pain by MD Howard Schubiner

Patricia McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an author, speaker, and animal behaviorist who has consulted with pet owners for over thirty years about serious behavioral problems. She co-hosted Calling All Pets with Larry Meiller on Wisconsin Public Radio for fourteen years, and has educated and entertained audiences around the world about animal behavior (human and canine!). Patricia taught "The Biology and Philosophy of Human/Animal Relationships" in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for twenty-five years. Her self-published books

About the co-hosts:

Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of 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 teaching and consultations. Kristi is on staff at the Academy for Dog Trainers, helping to shape the next generation of canine professionals. Kristi’s dogs are rescue sled dogs, mostly retired and thoroughly enjoying a good snooze in front of the woodstove.

Kristi Benson's website Facebook

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of 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 also has a column at Psychology Today. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and one cat.

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