Zazie and Kristi are joined by Grant Hayter-Menzies to talk about his book Freddie: The Rescue Dog Who Rescued Me.

In this episode, we’re joined by writer and biographer Grant Hayter-Menzies to talk about his book Freddie: The Rescue Dog Who Rescued Me. We talk about how Freddie came into his life and the important ways in which dogs help us, even when we think we’re the ones saving them.

Freddie was a terrified rescue dog who took time to settle in, and became so important to Hayter-Menzies. Hayter-Menzies tells us about how he wrote biographies of extraordinary women, and Freddie’s influence led him to start writing biographies of important animals, like Rags (the World War 1 dog), Muggins (the Canadian canine war hero who raised funds for charity in BC), and Woo (Emily Carr’s monkey).

Then a test at the vet showed Freddie had the cancer hemangiosarcoma. We talk about how they got through this difficult time, Freddie’s bravery, and the importance of memorializing pets once they are gone.

Having adopted Freddie as a fearful rescue dog, we get Hayter-Menzies’ tips for anyone considering doing the same. We also ask for his advice on writing.

And finally, we discuss the books we’re reading. This episode we recommend:

Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter by E.B. Bartels.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

Rose Adams by Margie Taylor.

About Grant Hayter-Menzies:

Grant Hayter-Menzies is a biographer and historian specializing in the lives of extraordinary and unsung heroes of the past, notably the role of animals in times of war. He is the author of thirteen books, including Muggins: The Life and Afterlife of a Canadian Canine War Hero, Woo: The Monkey Who Inspired Emily Carr, Dorothy Brooke and the Fight to Save Cairo’s Lost War Horses, and From Stray Dog to World War One Hero: The Paris Terrier Who Joined the First Division. He is also literary executor of playwright William Luce.

Learn more about Grant Hayter-Menzies on his website https://grantmenzies.wixsite.com/author or follow him on social media:

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/GrantHayter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.menzies/

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.

Facebook Instagram BlueSky

Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book, Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables, which is out now in paperback.

In this episode of The Pawsitive Post in Conversation, Zazie and Kristi are joined by zoologist and writer Dr. Jo Wimpenny to talk about her book Aesop’s Animals: The Science Behind the Fables. We talk about the history of Aesop’s fables and the role they still play in society today, before moving on to wonder whether there is a grain of truth in them when it comes to animal behaviour.

We consider some of the most popular fables. Are crows really as clever as Aesop suggested? Why are wolves always the villain? Do dogs recognize their shadow? And what is the yellow snow test all about?

We also talk about the difference between what the fable says on the surface, and what happens when you really dig deep into the question—the ant and the grasshopper is the fable that comes to mind here.

In Wimpenny’s book, the animals are the characters in their own stories. We talk about writing about animals and the importance of discussing myths.

And, of course, we talk about the books we’re reading. This episode, we recommend:

Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke.

Venomous Lumpsucker by Ned Beauman.

Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande.

Before and After the Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book by Courtney Maum.

Abou

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.

Facebook Instagram BlueSky

Zazie and Kristi are joined by TikTok star Jennifer Malawey (Dizzy Dancing Dog) who shares her secrets about how to us social media to help dogs.

Jennifer Malawey has a CTC from the Academy for Dog Trainers andis a Certified SA Pro trainer who works on separation anxiety cases. She also puts out fantastic content on dog training on her social media and Youtube. She joined us to chat about how we can use social media to help people learn about dogs and dog training.

Jennifer talks about how she comes up with ideas for content creation, and how much work it is to put a video together. We learn what she thinks are the most important things to get across about dog training. And we all know that social media can have its downsides, but we ask Jennifer about what she finds most rewarding about it. We also get her tips for getting more engagement on social media.

Then we chat about the books we're reading. This episode, we recommend:

All the Devils Are Here: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Book 16) by Louise Penny.

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller.

The Invention of the Modern Dog: Breed and Blood in Victorian Britain by Michael Worboys, Julie-Marie Strange, and Neil Pemberton.

About Jennifer Malawey CTC:

Jennifer Malawey is a dog-trainer-turned-content-creator. She currently works with Instinct Portland as a behavior consultant and social media manager, as well as partnering with brands in the pet space and doodling on her own TikTok channel. When she’s not working or lovin’ on her dogs (Dizzy, Keely, and Pizza), she can be found in her garden, on the lindy hop dance floor, or in a book.

Follow her on social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifermalawey/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dizzydancingdog

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferMalawey

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.

Facebook Instagram BlueSky