Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Zazie Todd, with a foreword by Dr. Marty Becker, is a BC bestseller and won a Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writer's Association of America for the best book on behavior, health, or general care. 

It is published by Greystone Books and is available as paperback, ebook and audiobook. If you want to buy in bulk (for puppy classes, dog behaviour clients, students, etc.) get in touch.

Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and links to buy

Wag: The Science of  Making Your Dog Happy is listed as one of the 7 best dog books to help you understand your furry friend by BBC Science Focus magazine. 

Buy Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

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Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy From Amazon (affiliate link)
From Indiebound (your local independent book store)
From Indigo
From Barnes and Noble
From Black Bond Books (signed copies in Canada)
From Blackwells (UK)
Via Bookshop (US only, but a percentage of proceeds goes to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation to support indie bookstores during the pandemic)
From Dogwise
And here's a map of Canadian indie bookstores that deliver

"The must-have guide to improving your dog's life."––Modern Dog Magazine

Whether you are training a new puppy, considering adopting a dog, researching dog breeds, or simply curious about your own dog's happiness and behavior, Wag has all the answers––and then some. Respected dog trainer and social psychologist, Zazie Todd, demystifies the inner life of canines and shares recommendations from leading veterinarians, researchers, and trainers to help you cultivate a rewarding and respectful relationship with your dog—which offers many benefits for you, your family, and your four-legged friend.


Praise for Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

“Zazie Todd does dogs the immeasurably good favor of taking their happiness seriously. Todd is dialed in to the science of dogs and a thoughtful trainer of dogs. Everything she writes about, you want to know. Wag is a welcome addition to the books geared to helping you help your dog.”
Alexandra Horowitz, author of Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond, and Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know (a NYT bestseller)

“If you care about your dog, you need this book. It's packed with insights from the latest canine science, and loads of advice on how you can give your dog the happiest possible life.”
Dr John Bradshaw, author of Dog Sense [In Defence of Dogs].


The buzz about Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

“The more science learns about dogs, the more extraordinary they turn out to be. And the more we understand them, the better able we are to care for them, to guide them, to make them happy. But cutting-edge science can be hard to get your head around. So thank you Zazie Todd for sorting through it all, making it relevant, and keeping it simple. This is a book your dog will want you to read.”
Dr. Mark Evans, former RSPCA chief vet and TV presenter

"Wag will become a benchmark for the way that dogs need to be cared for: as sentient creatures experiencing emotions, just like us. This is a real achievement and it will make a big difference to the lives of dogs and people.”
Dr. Pete Wedderburn, veterinarian and newspaper columnist 

"Wag is a must-read for all dog lovers. An amazing, well-written book that makes canine science easy to understand and apply in a useful manner to improve dogs' lives and the relationship we have with them. The anecdotes about Dr. Todd’s dogs are the highlight of the book."
Dr. Wailani Sung, board-certified veterinary behaviorist

How Wag: The Science of Making You Dog Happy can help you

"This book is a joy to read. It will remind you of just how incredibly tolerant dogs have been when it comes to the training mistakes we often make. Zazie Todd beautifully combines the perfect amount of science-based information with compassionate, easy-to-implement techniques. It’s not just about having a well-trained dog – it’s also about having a happy dog and strengthening the bond you share. In reading this book, you will truly benefit from Zazie’s impeccable research, sound knowledge and immense love of dogs." 
Pam Johnson-Bennett, best-selling author of Think Like a Cat

“Using the latest canine science, Zazie Todd gives us a clear and compassionate guide to bringing out the best in your dog.”
Gregory Berns, NYT-Bestelling author of How Dogs Love Us

“Our species has spent thousands of years trying to shape domestic dogs to our ever-changing lifestyles, but only in the past century have we seriously considered the unique needs of our canine companions. Fortunately for all of us, Dr. Zazie Todd has written a delightful, compact, evidence-based guide to building better partnerships with our dogs and sending more joy their way."
Bronwen Dickey, author of Pit Bull: The Battle over an American Icon

Wag is the perfect title for Zazie Todd’s lovely and insightful book. It seems simple, but your dog’s happiness and well being is wonderfully complicated — and often different for every dog. Wag is a gift you should give to every friend or relative who has a new dog or puppy in their lives. It’s organized with great sidebars, original insights from vets and dog experts, and helpful lists at the end of each chapter. Zazie Todd, a pyschologist and dog trainer, gives us the latest research and insights that can help you better understand your dog. Practical, compassionate, thorough — and based on science rather than wishful thinking — Wag is also a gift you should give to yourself and the dog or dogs in your life. I loved it!” 
Cat Warren, author of the New York Times bestseller, What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World.

"In Wag, psychologist and dog trainer Zazie Todd shows dog owners how they can use the latest research in the exploding field of canine science to improve the lives of their pets. Dog lovers will find this book fascinating, and their pets will be delighted their owners read it."
Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard To Think Straight About Animals.

How Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy can help you

“Well-written and packed with great advice, this book could fundamentally change the relationship between you and your dog."
David Grimm, author of Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs

“Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Wag brings the latest and best science on dog welfare, behavior, training and health to bear on the paramount topic for all of us interested in dogs: their happiness.  Required reading.” 
Jean Donaldson, Academy for Dog Trainers

Wag: the Science of Making Your Dog Happy is one of the most comprehensive and engaging books about dog behavior that you will ever read.”
Victoria Stilwell, Celebrity dog trainer and host of It’s Me or the Dog

“Love dogs? Then you’ll love Wag! Dr. Todd skillfully translates dozens of recent scientific studies into practical recommendations for all of us who strive to reciprocate the joy our dogs provide us so often and so well.”
Kathy Sdao, applied animal behaviorist and author of Plenty in Life is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace

"I have long admired Dr. Todd's ability to smoothly blend current science into her incredibly informative, engaging, useful, relevant, dog-related writing, and this book is no exception. I will be making it required reading for all my dog trainer academy students and interns, adding it to my recommended reading list for all of my clients, and I also suggest that it be mandatory reading for all who care about making life happier - and better - for dogs." 
Pat Miller, Peaceable Paws and The Whole Dog Journal

"A wonderful book about dogs."
Marc Bekoff, PhD 

"Fun, informative and pretty much a one stop shop for everything to do with making your dog's life the absolutely best it can be."
Steve Goodall, Barks from the Bookshelf

For more information see the press release about Wag.

Reviews and Coverage of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

"Wag deserves to be on the bookshelf of anyone who loves learning what science can tell us about our remarkable relationship with dogs."
Patricia McConnell

"Dog owners and those considering becoming one should appreciate Todd’s substantial insight into how dogs and humans relate to one another."
Publishers Weekly

"The author’s evidence-based analysis simplifies the science and reduces essential elements into practical, replicable activities geared toward enriching a dog’s life."
Library Journal (starred review)

"Kudos to Zazie Todd for writing the most helpful, kind, and loving book possible about dogs."
Book Rx: Your monthly prescription: Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy by Zazie Todd, Sweatpants and Coffee, April 2020.

"Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy will become one of my go-to books to recommend to those interested in adding a dog to their lives."
Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, Review, Puget Sound Detection Dogs, Apr 2020.

“A revolutionary book.”
Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy - a Review, Eileen and dogs, 25 Mar 2020.

"A book that’s grounded in science, elevated by empathy." 
Book Review: Wag, Janetta Harvey, 30 Apr 2020.

"If you've ever wondered what your pet is thinking and feeling, this book is a great place to start."
Wunderdog Magazine, Issue 2.

Keeping it local, Everett Public Library Blog, 16 Nov 2020.


Dogs, Science, and Happiness, Happy Paws magazine, Spring 2020.

Dig In: Summer Reading for Dog Lovers, The Academy for Dog trainers, 23 July 2020.

Author helps to deliver happier times for dogs and their humans, Vancouver Sun, 6 May 2020.

Radio Pet Lady podcast with Zazie Todd, May 2020.

Victoria talks to DBC presenter Zazie Todd, Victoria Stilwell podcast, Apr 2020.

Understand what your pet pooch is really feeling with these body language tips, The Sun on Sunday, 19 Apr 2020.

Wag - an interview with Zazie Todd about the science of making your dog happy, Kristi Benson, 24 Mar 2020.

'Sniffaris', training and treats: how to raise a happier dog, The Telegraph, 14 Mar 2020.

Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (Zazie Todd, PhD, interviewed by Dr. Marc Bekoff), Psychology Today, 10 Mar 2020.

Interview with author Zazie Todd about Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, The Academy for Dog Trainers, 10 Mar 2020.

A wag for life: Expert animal psychologist reveals how to have a happy dog, Sunday Post, 10 Mar 2020

Dogs and their people, custom extract from Wag in The Psychologist, 25 Feb 2020.

The Science of Dog's Happiness, Inside Your Dog's Mind, 2020

Pet Connection

Connie's Book Club, Modern Dog, Spring 2020

Dog Lover's Book Club, March 2020

"At the heart of all she does we are one step closer to a better world for our companion animals"
Lori Nanan's review of Wag

"Author Zazie Todd adds her (human) social psychologist background to her training skills to look at things with a dog’s mind in mind, which leads to many AHA! moments for dog devotees who are up for a little experimentation. Even if this information’s been right in front of your muzzle all along, there are still fresh takeaways."
The Goshen News

Meet the Author: Zazie Todd, Greystone Books

Best New Books Week of 3 10 2020, Avalon Library

10 must-read books that will help you be the perfect pet parent, The Telegraph of India, 27 May 2021.


Wag: The Science of Making Your  Dog Happy can help you and your dog

Podcasts with Zazie Todd about Wag: The Science of  Making Your Dog Happy

Your Family Dog podcast, 19 May 2020

Dog Talk (and Kitties Too) with Radio Pet Lady, May 2020

Canine Education for Humans: Conversation with Zazie Todd, March 2020

Barks from the Bookshelf, March 2020.

Believe in Dog podcast episode 9: Zazie Todd's Wag The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, March 2020

Intelligence for Your Health with Connie Selleca, October 2020.

Radio and TV Interviews with Zazie Todd about Wag:The Science of Making Your Dog Happy



Global National The Morning Show, 16 Mar 2020

Breakfast Television Toronto, 6 Apr 2020

The Barking Hour, BBC Radio London, 12 Mar 2020

CBC Radio interviews: Mainstreet PEI; On the Go St Johns; Mainstreet Halifax; Homestretch Calgary; Radio Active Edmonton; Afternoon Edition Saskatchewan; On the Coast Vancouver; Up to Speed Winnipeg; Airplay Whitehorse; Mainstreet Cape Breton (Sydney); All Points West Victoria; Radio West Kelowna; Up North Sudbury; Afternoon Drive London/Windsor; Yellowknife, 3 Mar 2020

The Arlene Bynon Show, Oct 2020



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