How to help your dog behave with guests with Jeff Millman Artwork

The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

The show about how to have a better relationship with your dog or cat. Get tips on dog training, dog behaviour, cat behaviour and training, learn about the science on dogs and cats, and find out which books we're reading (animal-related and more generally). Kind, humane, reward-based training methods only. Hosted by Zazie Todd PhD and Kristi Benson CTC of Companion Animal Psychology blog. Made in Canada.

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The Pawsitive Post in Conversation by Companion Animal Psychology

How to help your dog behave with guests with Jeff Millman

March 17, 2026 • Zazie Todd PhD and Kristi Benson CTC • Episode 54

0:00 | 31:24

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How can you help your dog to like it--and behave well--when visitors come to your home? Zazie and Kristi are joined by dog trainer Jeff Millman, author of Triggers and Reactions: A Guide to Fixing Your Dog Behavior Problems, to chat about this common issue.

We talk about:

Why having your dog jump on guests is in some ways a nice problem to have
The behaviours we can teach them to do instead
The signs to look for that would suggest that your dog is shy or fearful of guests
How to use management when guests come over
Understanding how to use desensitization and counter conditioning for fearful dogs
How dog training culture has changed over the years and reward-based methods have become more popular
What it was like to study at the original Academy for Dog Trainers and how much Jeff loved it
and finally, we ask Jeff what he's been reading lately

The books recommended by Jeff are:

When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows... Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life by Steven Pinker
Never: A Novel by Ken Follett

About Jeff Millman: Jeff Millman was always known as an animal fanatic since he was a little boy. After studying journalism, living in Alaska after college while living in a tent, working professionally as an internet consultant and creative director, he studied dog training with the world-famous Jean Donaldson in San Francisco in 2002. Since then, he has been honing his dog training craft while training thousands of dogs. He’s the author of three books, including the two-volume Triggers and Reactions: A Guide to Fixing Dog Behavior Problems. lives in Cary, NC with his two wonderful children, amazing wife, and English Shepherds, Sky and Storm.

Jeff Millman's website: https://www.jeffmillman.com/

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About the co-hosts:

Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, 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 classes. She is also a northern anthropologist.

Kristi Benson's website Facebook

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, 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 has a column at Psychology Today. She lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, a dog and a cat.

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