Kristi Benson

09/15/2026

Update: This event is now FULL.

Next week, we have an amazing panel all about cats at Bark! Fest. 400 people have already signed up for this event. You can save your spot via the link in bio.

Sep 18 at 11am PT (2pm ET / 7pm UK)
Sarah Brown PhD: The Hidden Language of Cats: How They Have Us at Meow
Caroline Clark: A Professional's Guide to Feline Behaviour: Understanding, Improving, and Resolving Problems
Dr. Meghan Herron DACVB and Dr Carlo Siracusa DACVB: Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones (edited by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, including Dr Herron, Dr Siracusa, and Dr Horwitz)

It's free, but registration is required. A recording will be available for those who register.

09/13/2026

If you love books and you love dogs and cats, you'll want to know about the books we're celebrating at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers, in September 2026.

Come and listen to your favourite authors talk about and read from their books, and have the chance to ask questions and win door prizes. If you can't attend live, sign up to get the recording.

This is the book list:-
Sophie From Romania by Rory Cellan-Jones
More Than Just a Dog by Simon Wooler
Away to Me by Patricia McConnell
What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren
Dogs of the World by Lili Chin
Misadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer by Melissa McCue-McGrath
Puppy Brain by Kerry Nichols
Inside of a Dog (2nd edition) by Alexandra Horowitz
The Hidden Language of Cats by Sarah Brown
A Professional's Guide to Feline Behaviour by Caroline Clark
Decoding Your Cat by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, represented by Meghan Herron DACVB and Carlo Siracusa DACVB
Mine!, 2nd edition, by Jean Donaldson
The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead by Antony Johnston
The Dog Park Detectives Paw and Order by Blake Mara
Broken House by Louisa Scarr
Love In Their Hearts by Marc Bekoff
Detective Dogs by Alison Pearce Stevens
New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Cafe by Julie Haworth
Washed Up by Nicola Knight
Pugs and Kisses by Farrah Rochon
Heal the Beasts by Philipp Schott DVM
Yap! A Short History of Small Dogs by Stephanie Howard-Smith

Get the full details of all the panels and sign up to attend at https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html

With panels on fiction and non-fiction, there's something for everyone. Can you solve the crimes in the crime and mystery panel? You will be swooning over the romances. And learning all about dogs, cats, and writing in these fun and educational panels.

Join us, because what's better than curling up with a book and your dog or cat by your side?!

09/13/2026

Next week, Bark! Fest kicks off with the authors of these two books. Will you join us?

Rory Cellan-Jones’ Sophie From Romania tells the story of how Sophie arrived in his life—and then hid behind the sofa for weeks. Full of the ups and downs of life with a rescue dog, this book will restore your faith in humanity. Simon Wooler’s More Than Just a Dog is a must-read for dog lovers, full of wisdom, wit, and stories about the many dogs that Si has worked with—including Sophie.

September 14 at 10 am PT (1 pm ET / 6pm UK).
Save your spot via the link in bio.

It's free, but registration is required. A recording will be available for those who register.

P.S. That's Melina making sure that you know about this event!

09/13/2026

Next week, come and join these two much-loved, best-selling authors for an informal conversation about writing fiction with dogs as important (and realistic) characters. They will share wisdom about dogs and writing. And if you're thinking that one of these books is non-fiction, you're right! There's a secret ahead: As they work on their second and first novels, respectively, these two incredible authors will discuss the writing (and re-writing) that makes canine characters leap off the page. Come and be the first to learn about what they are working on now!

Sep 15 at 1pm PT (4pm ET / 9pm UK).
Online (on Zoom).
Free, but registration is required. A recording will be available for all those who register.

More than 150 people are already signed up for this. Make sure you save your spot!

Sign up via the link in bio or comment and I will DM it to you.

09/13/2026

Did you know we've got fiction at Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers? It takes place online Sep 14 to 25. Sign up via the link in bio.

09/13/2026

Join us!

09/09/2026

Our dogs adore mealtimes and we adore our dogs! I recently spoke with reporter Elana Spivack about how to use food to increase our bond with our dogs.

Feeding time is a chance to connect with your dog. Here’s the science behind the dog-human bond, and simple ways to make mealtime meaningful.

08/21/2026

If you struggle to argue against "bothsidesism" and the big tent approach, Zazie and I had a great conversation about these topics (is that a cute dog you're seeing through the overton window? [sorry]) for our most recent podcast.

New episode! Kristi and I chatted about dog training methods, why it's so important to pick reward-based ones, and how we can best advocate for this--including why presenting both sides of the argument is not helpful when there's a strong scientific consensus on something. Listen to The Pawsitive Post in Conversation wherever you get your podcasts, watch on Youtube, or do both and read the show notes and transcript on my blog (link in bio).

08/19/2026

Did you know that using the library is a great way to support authors? Yes, we love it if you buy our books (especially if you pre-order them)--but we also love it if you borrow them from the library. This is Kristi Benson's haul of books from a recent library visit and if you look closely, you might recognize them as some of the books that will be celebrated at this year's Bark! Fest, the book festival for animal lovers. (Oh but wait, one of these events hasn't even been announced yet!!!). 😎

Get the details of Bark! Fest and sign up to join this star-studded line-up at Companion Animal Psychology https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/home.html

08/18/2026

I can't really understate how important Jean has been in my life as an educator, mentor, and friend. Do not miss this one, friends.

I've got another fabulous Bark! Fest event to share with you. On Sep 21 we're joined by the amazing Jean Donaldson of The Academy for Dog Trainers to talk about the second edition of her book Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs. We'll be talking about the bigger picture of dog training as well as the little details that make all the difference.

Sep 21 at 11 am Pacific (2 pm Eastern / 7 pm UK time)
Save your spot: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2317855351843/WN_vk6fpD97RmO5BdDZj-tJ1g

Mine!, second edition, is available wherever books are sold including:
My Amazon store : https://www.amazon.com/shop/animalbookclub/list/1AOFRUDRWF9B7?ref_=aipsflist
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/bark-fest-2026

This event is hosted by myself and Kristi Benson It will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be sent to everyone who registers.