Rita Hogan, the Canine Herbalist, has so much wisdom to share with us.  From being raised on a rural farm to running a holistic pug rescue, Rita has dedicated her life to practicing western herbal medicine for pets and people. 

For many of us, essential oils are a common form of herbal remedies that we’re familiar with.  But Rita shares with us why essential oils should NOT be your first choice for healing – and what to use instead.

Rita also discusses her wholistic perspective on the treatment of anxiety in dogs – giving us a sample of what to expect from her new book, The Herbal Dog, which covers herbal approaches to healing  20+ common conditions in dogs.

Want to give your dog the best year ever?  Let your dog be a dog with more canine enrichment activities in their lives!

Taylor shares with us that canine enrichment isn’t just Kong recipes – it’s so much more! Taylor’s new book, The Happiest Dog on the Block: Canine Enrichment Activities to Keep Your Dog Young & Healthy, is packed with fun and easy activities that are also backed by scientific research.

Taylor even tells us how to choose or modify enrichment activities for puppies and senior dogs, as well as fearful or reactive dogs. 

Have you ever wondered if you’re making the “right” decisions for your dog during an injury or illness?

All Michelle Slater ever wanted was to have a dog of her own with whom she felt a special connection and bond.  And her German Shepherd, Brady, was that dog.  

However, after a rollercoaster of adventures, Brady was struck with a life-threatening illness at only 5 years old. 

 Michelle turns to animal communication to guide her – with Brady’s input – to make the best decisions for his health during this scary time.  And Brady’s profound messages are lessons for all of us.

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy shopping for other people but have a more difficult time telling people what they should get you. This episode will give you plenty of ideas for your Holiday Wish List (and your dog!), no matter where you are in your Pet Parent journey.

What If you could solve your dog’s biggest behavior challenge TODAY? Dog trainer Juliana DeWillems says that while immediate results usually aren’t possible in dog training – they can be when we use management techniques. 

In her new book Manage It! Hacks for Improving Your Dog’s Behavior, Juliana shares how us Pet Parents can easily solve many of our dog’s behavior challenges by changing our environment.  

We’ll discuss the difference between training and management – and when to use each one (or both!).   Juliana & I also share some of our favorite management tools and techniques that we use with our own dogs.

In this solo episode, Erin is celebrating one year since their family adopted Nessie – which hasn’t always gone according to plan.

Erin shares the story of how Nessie joined their family and what she wishes they had done differently in the meet & greet process.

Erin also reveals what Nessie has taught her – not just about training dogs but about herself, too.  And this lesson might be something you’ve never heard before.

Has your dog ever helped you through a hard time in life?  Your answer to this is most likely, a resounding YES, right?

Author Christopher Dale credits Vector, his rescued “sato” dog from Puerto Rico, with helping him start a new chapter in life after going through hard times.  Like really hard times.  Like life-changing medical diagnosis turned depression turned addiction turned nearly blowing up his marriage-type hard times.

Chris became curious if other people were having a life-changingly special relationship with their rescue dog too.  In his book “We Saved Each Other: How Rescue Dogs Help Us Through Hardship,” Chris mixes in his own memoir reflections with profiles of other rescue dog adopters to explore experiences such as trauma, grief, addiction and mental health challenges and examine the role of their dogs in their journey. (Trigger warning for ongoing discussion of these themes throughout the episode.)

Have you ever thought about your pet parenting philosophy? Maybe you have an idea in your head of what you want your relationship with you dog(s) to look like, but how would you describe it?

Debby is known for sharing her life with multiple dogs. Working as a dog trainer since the late 1990s, Debby developed a niche in the dog training world helping families introduce & integrate new dogs into multi-dog households. 

Debby shares – what I will call – her “ pet parenting philosophy” and it’s the closest explanation I’ve seen to how I feel about my relationship with my dogs.  We discuss what this looks like through setting boundaries and the importance of routines & predictability for establishing trust with a new dog in your home.

So are you ready to introduce a new dog to your family?  Whether you are or not, Debby identifies important body language and training cues that are helpful for any & every pet parent.  We also discuss how to teach your dog good behavior without needing a clicker!

Has your dog ever shown fear, anxiety or reactivity?  If your dog hasn’t, I’d be willing to bet that you know someone whose dog is dealing with one of these issues.

Returning guest Dr. Zazie Todd is a psychologist who digs into the science of dog behavior to help us make the best decisions for our dogs. Her new book, Bark!  The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful or Reactive Dog is going to help so many dogs & their people.  And I’m so thrilled that she’s here to share her insight with us.

Have you ever heard that it’s wrong to comfort your dog when you they’re showing signs of fear?  This is just one of the outdated dog training myths that Zazie helps us myth bust.

 So what should we do to help our fearful dogs?  Zazie shares how we can create a safe space for our dogs and how to be their safe person.