Interview with Zazie Todd

Zazie Todd is the critically acclaimed author of several books, including Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She’s coming out with yet another book, releasing October 1st, Bark: The Science of Helping Your Fearful and Reactive Dog.

We got a sneak preview of Bark, and loved every single page. It reveals all the latest research on fearful pets, and more importantly, how to make them feel safe and comfortable again.

Zazie Todd was gracious enough to give us an interview, so after reading both her dog books, we asked these questions:

Q: I’d love to hear a bit more about you! What’s a fun fact about you outside of your passion for dogs?

A: I’m lucky to have lived in a few different places and to have travelled a lot. I grew up in the north of England, spent a couple of years in Thailand, and now live in BC, Canada. When I was younger, I spoke fluent French, excellent Thai, and fairly good Japanese, Spanish, and German. Now, I have forgotten it all!

Q: With chihuahuas, a common problem is fear of the groomers. They may be terrified of having their nails clipped—but clipping their nails must happen or their nails could grow into their paw pads. What do you recommend people do when they are in a situation where they need to counter condition something a dog is afraid of, but it also must happen regularly even when they are afraid?

A: This is a great question because it’s such a common problem. I would recommend speaking to your vet about getting the nails clipped there while you continue to work on the training at home. Often you can arrange for a vet tech to trim the nails for you. Ideally your vet will be Fear Free certified or use low stress handling techniques, and the vet might also want to prescribe medication to help your dog with the nail trims and make it easier for your dog.

In the meantime, you can continue to work through a counter-conditioning plan to teach your dog that nail trims are good. Pay attention to your technique, because it makes a big difference (there are lots of tips in Bark!). A common mistake is to go too fast, and that’s especially likely when you have something that needs to be done. Slow right down, especially in the early stages, and make sure you really are working at your dog’s pace.

Some people like to use positive reinforcement to teach their dog to use a scratch board to keep their nails trim, so that’s another approach to consider.

Q: The story of Bodger touched my heart. I am so glad you were able to help him become comfortable with treatment behaviors. If someone else has a similar dog, what would you recommend them doing if they’re not an expert? How would they get a similarly detailed training plan?

A: Thank you! These days, it’s much easier to get training plans for cooperative care including treatment behaviors like stationing (keeping still) and being handled. There’s a great resource from my alma mater, The Academy for Dog Trainers, called The Husbandry Project. They have written and tested training plans for a wide range of vet procedures, with input from dog owners and veterinarians, and the final result is available on their website for free. They also give tips for splits to help with those dogs who need things broken down into even easier stages. You can find it at https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/husbandry-project/

The other thing is that I would recommend getting help from a good trainer. You have to pick a trainer with care because dog training is not regulated, but a good trainer who will stick to reward-based methods and who has experience with fearful dogs will be able to help you make faster progress than if you are just working on your own. And your vet may be able to help with happy visits where your dog goes to the vet just to get treats and have a good time. Talk to them about whether this is something they offer and when is a good time to visit. It can help your dog get used to the clinic without having anything scary happen.

Q: You mention that 4 hours is about the length of time a dog can be left home alone. What do you recommend people who must work 8 hour shifts do to help make their dog more comfortable? Can you include a free or inexpensive strategy, in case a person is financially insecure?

A: We don’t have any specific research on how long dogs can be left, and it varies from dog to dog. Hiring a dog walker to break up the day or putting your dog in doggy daycare are common solutions. But one thing that is a free or inexpensive strategy is to ask around your friends and family and find someone who loves dogs but isn’t able to have one of their own. They might be willing to pop in regularly to take the dog for walks, spend time with them, and just enjoy being with your dog. It’s kind of like being the dog’s auntie or uncle. I’ve known several people make this arrangement and it can work really well. Of course another strategy, if your employer is open to it and your dog would like it, is to take your dog to work with you.

Q: Here’s a fun one! You mentioned the problem with “Cute” pet videos that often make the pet uncomfortable. This is actually pretty common with chihuahuas, unfortunately, as people often think a chihuahua defending itself/asking for more space as cute because they’re so small. What would be a cute pet video you’d like to see, that doesn’t make the pup uncomfortable?

A: This is a really fun one! I think for me the key to videos being actually cute is that the dog is happy. So any kind of video in which the chihuahua is clearly having a good time, whether they are being petted, doing tricks, or playing with toys. What would be absolutely perfect would be a chihuahua with a toy in their mouth, rolling over and showing their tummy still holding the toy. You would know they were completely comfortable and just absorbed in play with the toy. What’s more cute than that?!

Q: What would you envision a perfect, dog-centric world to be?

A: A perfect dog-centric world has to be good for people too, because it would be one where it’s easy to find rental properties that take pets, where many people can take their dog to work if they want to, where there are lots of restaurant patios where you can sit and enjoy a meal with your dog for company (with heaters for the winter, of course!). I think a dog-centric world would also be one that lets dogs be dogs and do doggie things like run off-leash in safe areas, hang out with other friendly dogs who they see often, and where people respect the dog’s boundaries and don’t force them to do things (like be hugged) if they don’t want it.

Q: In Wag!, Zazie mentions the huge number of problems associated with puppy mill/BYB dogs. These include socialization issues, genetics, prenatal stress, and so much more. It seems like the most ethical thing to do is to choose a genetically health tested dog who was bred for good health, socialized, and from a mother who was not stressed during pregnancy.

On the flip side of the coin is shelter dogs. Most well-bred dogs come with a contract saying essentially, if for any reason you don’t want the dog anymore it goes back to the breeder. (My Leia was a returned dog.) It’s unlikely any of the dogs you find up for adoption come from genetically health tested, socialized, unstressed animals.

How do you balance getting a healthy pup with the hundreds of dogs out there in need of adoption? What are your thoughts on the ethics of which to choose?

A: I find that a lot of people seem to have a personal preference for either a pup from a breeder or one from a shelter and that’s okay. In both cases, the key is that you find a reputable breeder or shelter. And a reputable breeder or shelter will take a dog back if things don’t work out for some reason. As you mention, with a good breeder you have the benefit of knowing that health checks have been done and there’s a good socialization program for the puppy—always ask about these things! Although you don’t know about the health of the parents of a dog from a shelter, usually you have information that the shelter has learned from the previous owner and from their own assessments. A good shelter will work on behavioral issues (if there are any) using humane training techniques, and they also make sure that the dogs in their care get any needed medical treatment. And the advantage of adopting a friendly adult dog is that you know they are already a friendly adult dog. So I think people can make the decision that best suits them, whether that’s to go to a breeder or a shelter, but just pay attention to make sure they are a good one. 

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