Have you ever wondered if we’re [accidentally] making our dogs’ anxiety worse?  Alex Peacock – a dog trainer who specializes in working with anxious dogs – is going help us answer this question and understand why anxious people and anxious dogs seem to attract each other.

Alex works with pet parents of anxious dogs through a comprehensive program he designed.  He’ll share with us the three pillars of his program and give us powerful tips for any pet parent dealing with an anxious dog. 

But what if we could stop dog anxiety before it even starts?  Alex shares the one BIG thing pet parents can do to avoid dog anxiety in the first place.

Our dogs are always talking to us … but are we listening?   I believe that learning our dogs’ body language is one of THE most important aspects of being a pet parent.

So thank goodness for Lili Chin’s work translating Doggie Language for us humans. In fact, if you follow anything dog-related on social media, you’re probably familiar with Lili’s illustrations and artwork.

Have you – or someone you know – ever struggled with a challenging dog? 

After struggling for 5 years with her own dog, Maya, Souha met a series of life-changing teachers and mentors.  These experiences led her to develop a philosophy to heal the relationship and strengthen the bond we have with our troubled dogs.

Souha explains to us her 3-stage method that she calls the Way of Life. This system is like hitting the “reset” button on your relationship with your dog – at any age and no matter how long your dog has been part of the family.

Dog Mom Confession: Sometimes it’s stressful adopting a new dog!    

Have you ever heard of the 3-3-3 Rule?  This advice gives Pet Parents an expectation of what to expect 3 Days, 3 Weeks and 3 Months after bringing a new dog home.

Today’s guest Ann King is the dog trainer who has popularized the 3-3-3 Rule for the shelter & rescue community.

Ann is also the creator of the Rescue SMART framework. SMART is an acronym for Ann’s five steps for successfully introducing and integrating a new dog to your home:

s your dog as happy as you think? Are there scientifically proven ways to make your dog happy? Dr. Zazie Todd shines light on these questions in her book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.

(This is a re-broadcast of Episode 9, which originally aired March 9, 2020.)

Did you know that the most common cause of trauma in dogs is at the hands of people – particularly harsh handling by Pet Professionals such as groomers, veterinarians and dog trainers?

Caroline shares the signs to look for in your dog’s behavior AND physical health when determining if PTSD is present. 

We’ll also learn the Do’s and Don’ts to creating a healing environment for dogs that have experienced traumatic events. And we’ll learn tips for protecting our dogs and how to prevent these situations from happening in the first place.

I was utterly shocked learning about the institutionalized lack of accountability in caring for the retired military and contract working dogs that protect the U.S.

Many of us weren’t aware that this was a problem until the outcry of animal advocates after the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 where contract working dogs were left behind.  

Fortunately, there’s people like Bob Bryant and Mission K9 in the world who are doing something about it.

From arranging transport from the far corners of the world to rehabbing the dogs’ physical and psychological wounds to finding appropriate adopters, Mission K9 keeps these commitments to each dog they rescue.

Can dogs see colors?  How does your dog’s breed affect their vision?  What changes in your dog’s behavior could indicate they are losing their vision?

Cathy Symons, CVT, CCRP, answers all these questions and more for us. 

Cathy’s pug Booda, aka The Emperor, was a bold and adventurous dog who loved his agility class and lived life to the fullest.  Until the day he didn’t, and Cathy realized that Booda had gone blind due to a condition known as SARDS (Sudden Acute Retinal Degeneration Syndrome) that is known to affect small breed dogs.

Pulling herself together, Cathy threw herself into creating a safe environment for Booda as he regained his confidence and learned to thrive in his new world.

Have you ever had one of those experiences that seemed like it was the worst thing that ever happened to you but then it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to you?

Kay Stewart was shocked when her position of 32 years was abruptly eliminated.  But this career loss helped Kay realize how out of alignment she had become with her childhood goal of helping animals.  When she stumbled onto a job listing posted by Ruby, Founder of Real Dog Box, Kay began to find her true passion. 

Hired to create a course for the Feed Real Institute, Kay experienced a true paradigm shift learning about what a true species-appropriate diet for dogs looked like.  And it wasn’t a bag of Kibble. Kay & I discuss the history of Kibble and why it’s so bad for our dogs . . . even the “Good Kibble.”

So what should our dogs be eating?  Kay shares the Feed Real approach to fresh feeding.  And some curious facts about chickens too.

Have you ever wondered if your dog could be a Therapy Dog?  Are you & your dog ready to be a therapy team?  Where do you even start?

When Sherrie adopted her dog Sunny, they started training courses right away.  Sherrie became more determined than ever that Sunny would be great therapy dog partner.

But what did Sunny think?  From eating her obedience certificate to needing more practice on her therapy skills, Sherrie realizes that Sunny’s imperfect journey has been a great lesson to them both.

Through her Therapy Dog Talk Podcast and online course for therapy dog teams, Sherrie is an incredible resource for anyone interested in learning more about therapy dog work.