The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

Canine Blockbusters with Alexis Devine and Teresa J Rhyne at Bark! Fest

Zazie Todd & Kristi Benson Episode 25

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Celebrate the dog-human bond with these bestselling authors. Social media stars Alexis Devine and her dog Bunny examine our ability to communicate with dogs through buttons that let them “talk” in I Am Bunny. And in Poppy in the Wild, #1 New York Times bestselling author Teresa J Rhyne tells the breathtaking tale of a dog lost and then found in the wilderness.

We talked about:

  • Why Alexis decided to start using buttons to teach Bunny to 'talk'
  • How Alexis went about the research for the sections on animal communication
  • Cute stories about some of the specific buttons that Bunny uses
  • How Poppy came into Teresa's life
  • The Thanksgiving that for many people would be a dog lovers' dream
  • What it felt like to search for Poppy in the wilderness
  • Plus readings from both authors, and more!

The books are available wherever books are sold, including from:

Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers 

UK Bookshop https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-the-book-festival-for-animal-lovers 

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub/list/S3BJZSCWLQKG

The authors' websites:

Alexis Devine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whataboutbunny/

Teresa J Rhyne: https://teresarhyne.com/

As you'll hear me say in the audio, Kerry Nichols was unfortunately unable to join us for this session due to a puppy situation. I'm happy to say it all turned out well for the puppies. In her national bestseller, Puppy Brain, you can learn the best ways to raise a puppy so that they become happy and resilient. You can learn more about Nichols on her website https://www.kerrynichols.com/

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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