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Zazie Todd PhD

@zazietodd.bsky.social

3.9K followers 3.2K following 1.6K posts

Writer. Dog and cat behaviour and training. Award-winning author of Wag, Purr, Bark!. Blog: Companion Animal Psychology. Podcast: The Pawsitive Post in Conversation. Maple Ridge, BC, Canada. #Dogs #Cats #Books https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/

www.companionanimalpsychology.com

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · Nov 8

Hello new folk. I post mostly about dogs, cats, books, and kind, humane training methods. This is my dog Pepper with my new book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. This is my blog, with links to my podcast: www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html

A senior Shih Tzu wearing a bandana poses indoors next to a copy of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog by Zazie Todd. The book cover is blue with a cute Chihuahua. Pepper is a mix of black, grey, and white fur and he is looking happy because he knows he's about to get a treat.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 17h

Toasted poppyseed bagel with cream cheese

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Reposted by Zazie Todd PhD

Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 1d

One of the things about this study is that a lot of baby and toddler books are written in house, by editors. So the study reveals the whiteness of editorial in kidlit even if not explicitly. But, big picture, this trend is unacceptable. I remember so many promises www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

‘Catastrophic decline’ in Black representation in children’s books

A report by charity Inclusive Books for Children found that of the 2,721 books surveyed, only 51 featured a Black main character, down by 21.5% since 2023

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Zazie Todd PhD

Melissa Manlove @mmanlove.bsky.social · 2d

Psst! I am opening up to unagented children's book submissions *just for the month of October*! This is an exciting experiment. The email to send submissions to is [email protected]. You can find out about what I'm looking for at www.manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/me...

Melissa Manlove – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

www.manuscriptwishlist.com

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Reposted by Zazie Todd PhD

Debbie Ridpath Ohi @debbieohi.com · 23h

Thanks to the stranger who took this photo of me reading THE FABULOUS ZED WATSON by Basil Sylvester & @kevinarts.bsky.social w/my Toronto Library tote. #BannedBooksWeek

bsky.app/profile/debb...

Person in red Canadian maple leaf cap reading a book, with a Toronto Public Library Freedom To Read tote bag. Person is masked and standing on a subway platform.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 19h

Great news!

Reposted by Zazie Todd PhD

Janet Hill @saskajanet.bsky.social · 1d

Scenes from an American Robin bath #birds

Brown bird with rufous belly and chest and bright yellow beak is splashing in a bird bath.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 20h

I'm so sorry for your loss.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

“I still think back to the moment when those plants were discovered. It was joyful. I actually cried when I heard about it and when I heard of the care that the machine operators took." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Creatures buried in soil for over a century burst back to life in Toronto waterfront

A project to restore coastal wetland leads to astonishing discoveries of a host of life: seeds and plant scraps, as well as water fleas, worms, larvae and plankton

www.theguardian.com

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

It takes a team!

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

I'm glad you found a trainer to help, though. It's a hard thing to go through, for the dog and for their family

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Oh goodness!! She did so well to work it out. What a long time for the dog to suffer!! I'm glad he is doing so well now.

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you! I agree, it's important to check all boxes, and those of us who aren't vets can't make assumptions about what a vet should or might say

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Only a vet can make the decision about medication, but it's very common for trainers to insist on a referral before working on a sepanx case, because they need the vet to make that determination either way

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Reposted by Zazie Todd PhD

Simon Little 🍁 @simonplittle.ca · 1d

Seems bad

CHEK News @cheknews.ca · 1d

Influencers had the "loudest voices" online in this spring’s federal election, overtaking news outlets and politicians, says a new report.

Influencers — not news outlets or politicians — ‘dominated’ election online: report

Influencers had the "loudest voices" online in this spring’s federal election, overtaking news outlets and politicians, says a new report.

cheknews.ca

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks. And that's what I thought too, but it's useful to be able to put numbers on it!

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

You can read my piece about these two studies here: www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2025/10/dog-...

Dog Trainers' Methods are Linked to Views on Vet Referrals, Studies Show

It turns out that some dog trainers are more willing than others to suggest referrals to a veterinarian, which may have consequences for some dogs.

www.companionanimalpsychology.com

Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

If you notice a sudden change in your pet's behaviour, you think your dog has separation anxiety, or something just doesn't seem right, make an appointment to see your vet in case there is a medical issue or psychoactive meds might help.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Clomipramine and fluoxetine prescriptions remained steady over the ten years of the study, while trazodone prescriptions have increased.

These numbers are especially low when you consider how many dogs have some kind of fear or anxiety.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Also of note, new JAVMA paper looks at the records of more than 32 million American dogs between 2010 and 2020 and found that 0.03% were prescribed clomipramine, 0.02% were prescribed fluoxetine, and 1.33% were prescribed trazodone (Weng et al 2025).

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Perhaps it's not surprising that trainers who use outdated aversive methods are also less likely to refer their client to a veterinarian. It's another reason to make sure that if you hire a dog trainer, you pick one who uses reward-based methods.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

(In case you need a reminder, the words that should describe dog training methods are reward-based or positive reinforcement) www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2023/06/what...

What are Reward-Based Training Methods for Dogs (and Cats)?

It's best for your pet if you only use reward-based methods to train them. Here’s what that means.

www.companionanimalpsychology.com

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Trainers were less likely than expected to recommend a vet consult if they said the words “balanced”, “obedience”, and/or “pack leader” described their training methods, if they were opposed to the regulation of dog trainers, or if they were in the province of Ontario.

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Another study, this time in Canada, also asked dog trainers about how likely they were to refer a client to a vet for a behaviour issue. This was part of a wider survey on dog trainers' education, methods, and views on regulation. www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15...

www.mdpi.com

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Remember, meds are part of the treatment protocol for separation anxiety (which can only be diagnosed by a vet). The authors write, “It is therefore concerning that a number of trainers in this study felt confident to decide that medication was not indicated.”

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Zazie Todd PhD @zazietodd.bsky.social · 1d

Reward-based trainers were significantly more likely than balanced trainers to say that referral for medication was an important factor in managing separation anxiety.

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