Sometimes a dog comes along, and nothing is ever the same again – in the best way possible!  In 2017, when Chris Hannah decided it was time to adopt a dog, he didn’t realize exactly how much of a life-changing of a decision this would be.

From day one, Chris witnessed the impact Cole made on his students and everyone he meets.  Learning about Cole’s disability opened an unexpected dialogue for children (and adults too!) that disabilities aren’t inabilities – and sometimes those qualities that make us different are our superpowers.

Today we’re talking to renowned trainer Deb Jones about Cooperative Care - the most important skills you’re (probably) not training your dog to do!  Also called Consent Care or Husbandry, I’m referring to the procedures needed to keep dogs healthy such as veterinary care and grooming.

Deb is the author of the book Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry.  Her methods encourage our dogs to become willing partners in the training process rather than using heavy-handed forceful practices that can damage our relationship with our dog and hurt their trust.

Deb shares with us what she learned from dolphin trainers that will help our dogs, what to do if you accidentally “quick” your dog while trimming their nails and how to handle those times when your dog needs immediate care to avoid causing a setback in your training and relationship. We’ll also hear the #1 most common skill that veterinarians wish Pet Parents trained their dogs to do!

It’s the Puppy Episode! 

So how do you best set up your new puppy for success – not just in your home but in the world too?  What is proper puppy socialization?  And what isn’t? 

As the author of the book, Welcoming Your Puppy From Planet Dog – How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend, Kathy shares with us everything we need to before we bring one home.  From setting up your home to setting your expectations, Kathy’s book is not just a “how to” reference but a mindset guide as well. 

Did you know that the health decisions you make for your dog today impact their long-term health?  Including whether your dog could be at-risk developing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction aka canine dementia.

Francine Barish-Stern learned all of this first-hand after her experiences with her dog, Shamrock.  She spent years trying to get a proper diagnosis for Shamrock that would explain both the physical and the behavior changes she was seeing in her dog: Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. 

Now a Dog Mom advocate on a mission, Francine shares with us everything Pet Parents should know about treating and preventing canine dementia in our dogs.

What do you think are the most common complaints our dogs have about us Pet Parents?  Animal Communicator Nancy Mello shares the two most common grievances she hears – and I definitely needed to hear this!

While some of us might be completely intrigued by the concept of animal communication, for Nancy Mello, her experience has not been all “love & light.”  Nancy describes herself as not at all woo-woo. She spent the first 30+ years of her life trying to repress her abilities and just live as a “normal” daughter, military spouse and mom. 

Is your dog always 100% confident? While Kelly Lee of Dogkind Training specializes in working with fearful dogs, her confidence building tips will help you build your dog’s confidence in any situation.

Kelly shares her top Do’s and Don’ts for increasing your dog’s confidence. Whether it’s a brand-new situation or an experience you may need to reintroduce to your dog in a different way, Kelly’s philosophy is to always make it fun!

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: