Advertise on podcast: Believe in Dog

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. Lili never anticipated that adopting Boogie, the Boston Terrier, would impact her life and career in so many ways.  She also hadn’t anticipated Boogie nearly getting her evicted after biting her apartment building manager! After a few disappointing experiences with other trainers, Lili was introduced to positive force-free training methods and learned to understand what Boogie was communicating all along. Dog trainers and other professionals soon began commissioning Lili’s artwork to share important messages for pet parents.  From Dog Body Language to Your Dog’s Emotional Cup, Lili’s work is shared far & wide on social media impacting pet parents daily. Get the Doggie Language book for your collection HERE. (Aff. link)   Find links and show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode89   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.   Oncotect: With 1 in 3 dogs being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, Oncotect is the first at-home screening test that Pet Parents can purchase to get peace of mind.  Get 15% off when you use the code: BELIEVEINDOG   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Have you – or someone you know – ever struggled with a challenging dog?  Where you’ve tried everything from trainers to vets to behaviorists, but life with the dog is still a daily struggle – whether fear, reactivity or feeling like the dog runs the house instead of the humans. If any of this sounds familiar, then you won’t want to miss this episode. 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 Method. 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. Souha’s Way of Life is a methodical approach to adjusting the expectations we have for our dogs and involves re-establishing our life and our home in a structured way that sets our dogs up for success.  This is a completely force-free and non-aversive methodology. In Souha’s book, The Way of Life Method, she provides daily schedules, exercises and bonding activities intended to create the connection with your dog that you’ve always wanted but didn’t think was possible.   Find links & show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode88   Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist.   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.   Oncotect: With 1 in 3 dogs being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, Oncotect is the first at-home screening test that Pet Parents can purchase to get peace of mind.  Get 15% off when you use the code: BELIEVEINDOG   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

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 to successfully introducing and integrating a new dog to your home: Structure Management Activity Red Flags Training Ann will share what each of these components means and how to implement the SMART framework in your home. Ann will also tell us how she developed the framework – including all the mistakes she made along the way.   We’ll also learn the most common mistakes that Pet Parents make when introducing a new dog to their home and the easy ways to fix or prevent these. Share this episode with your shelter and rescue friends!  Rescue SMART is a totally free resource that includes videos and PDF downloads to help anyone introducing a new dog to their home.   Find links & show notes at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode87   Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist.   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Is 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. Zazie Todd did not grow up with pets, while on her way to becoming an accomplished social psychologist. When she & her husband adopted 2 dogs within 6 weeks from their local humane society, Zazie used her psychology and research background to make sure she was doing the “right” things for her dogs. As she began looking into the burgeoning field of canine science and what we are learning about dogs, Zazie shared her findings by starting her blog, Companion Animal Psychology. If you’ve ever wondered if your dog is as happy as you hope, or if you are making the right decisions for your dog, Zazie shares all that she’s learned in her book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.   Find links & show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode86   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

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 Alupo is a Sweden-based ethologist and dog trainer who literally wrote the guide to diagnosing PTSD in dogs.  This topic is extra-personal for me as I believe my dog, Neno, meets the criteria for Complex PTSD from abuse and neglect he experienced before we adopted him.   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.   Learn more from Caroline on the Petli app! (Available for Apple and Android.)   Happy Holidays from the Believe in Dog Podcast!  Join Erin the Dog Mom’s email list at: https://www.erinthedogmom.com/   Find links & show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode85   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

If you’re playing a drinking game along with this episode, “shocked” is the word of the day.  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.  In fact, it wasn’t until 2016 that a law was passed stating that the U.S. military had to bring their retired dogs stateside – but Bob tells us about the loopholes that muddy the waters on this. (Researching more about this topic led me to the shameful history of the U.S. military’s abandonment of 5,000+ dogs during the Vietnam War.) 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. Watch this video from the 2017 Petco Helping Heroes Award to learn more about Mission K9. In this season of giving, I hope you’ll consider supporting organizations like Mission K9 or animal welfare organizations in your community.   Find links, show notes and photos of rescued K9s at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode84 Join Erin the Dog Mom’s email list at:https://www.erinthedogmom.com/    

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 after this diagnosis, Cathy threw herself into creating a safe environment for Booda as he regained his confidence and learned to thrive in his new world. Cathy wrote the book Blind Devotion to share with Pet Parents dealing with their dog’s vision loss everything that she wishes she had known. Cathy is also the author of the children’s book Watching Out for Digger, named after her second blind pug.In her day job, Cathy works as a Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and she shares with us what Pet Parents should know about this field and the most common physical conditions and healing modalities she works with.You can hear Cathy and her Canine Rehab partner Chris on the PetAbility Podcast where they share their decades of knowledge with us so we can keep our pets’ best quality of life for as long as possible.   Don’t miss the fun of Black Furday from November 25 – December 1.  Register here: https://www.blackfurday.info   Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode83   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.  

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 paradigm shift learning about what a true species-appropriate diet for dogs looked like.  And it wasn’t a bag of Kibble (used here in the generic sense to describe any dry dog food pellets). Kay & I discuss the history of Kibble and why it’s so bad for our dogs . . . even the “Good Kibble.”   We dive into the veterinary profession’s problems with fresh feeding – and why the Feed Real courses put these concerns to rest once and for all.  But what do veterinarians think about that?  Kay shares the reception of Feed Real’s RACE (continuing education)-approved course from both holistic and conventional veterinarians.   So what should our dogs be eating?  Kay shares the Feed Real approach to fresh feeding.  And some curious facts about chickens too.   Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode82   Dr. Ruth’s Holistic Shop: Save 10% on your orders from Dr. Ruth’s Holistic Shop featuring 400+ high quality supplements - including some of your favorite brands! - curated by Holistic Vet Dr. Ruth Roberts with the code: ERINTHEDOGMOM (aff. link)   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

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?   After working in tech for many years, Sherrie Rohde decided to make a career change and become a therapist. And when she learned (through Instagram!) about animal-assisted therapy work, Sherrie became excited about the idea of incorporating dogs into her new career.   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 dog 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.   Exciting news! The Believe in Dog Podcast is featured in Women Who Podcast Magazine and we’re celebrating the 4th anniversary of Believe in Dog!   Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode81   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Have you ever been around a dog who doesn’t “dog” like other dogs?  Maybe you’ve experienced a dog who is reactive or has separation anxiety or a noise-phobia?   Sharon Vincuilla and I explore how dogs (and people!) can experience the world differently and how neurodiversity shows up in a dog’s behavior.  And Sharon has experienced this first-hand with her dog, Muggins!   Sharon found that life with Muggins was even triggering her own trauma.  Seemingly ordinary life events like walking the dog or having a friend stop by her house would turn into stressful ordeals with Muggins.   Leaning on her work as both a dog trainer and an Occupational Therapist, Sharon shares with us the strategies she developed that allow both her and Muggins to thrive.  And she teaches us strategies we can incorporate into our lives with our dogs who might “dog” a little differently.   Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode80   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.    

Panita Senjit grew up in India where she learned to be terrified of dogs.  So you might be wondering how she’s become the award-winning author of a children’s book series based on her therapy dog, Lil’ Leo.  And the answer is: her son really wanted a dog.   When living in Austin, Texas, Panita was introduced to Therapy Dog work and realized their family dog, Leo had the perfect temperament for being a therapy dog.  Panita was quickly drawn to the impact of therapy dog work with children.   After moving back to the UK, Parnita and Leo passed another Therapy Dog assessment – so he’s a therapy dog in two countries!   During COVID-19, Parnita was inspired to write children’s books based on Leo’s adventures.  With 3 books currently published, Parnita shares with us why she’s so focused on having the books translated into many different languages – to spread a message of kindness globally.   Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.   Find Links and Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode79   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Has your life been impacted by the loss of a pet?  Erica Messer and her husband adopted Wolfgang, a sickly kitten found in a barn during the height of COVID quarantine in 2020.  But when a tragic accident ended Wolfie’s life the following year, it completely changed the direction of Erica’s life. Now the Founder of Wolfie’s Wish, Erica created the product she was looking for on her grief journey but couldn’t find.  Wolfie’s Wish Grieving Cards are affirmation-style cards that help you incorporate healing practices into your day. I’m so grateful to Erica for sharing her grief journey with us and the coping skills and tools she learned along the way.  Erica also holds space for me as I share about the unexpected loss of Penny in January 2023. We also discuss that the struggle that many of us feel to not show our emotions when we’re not ok. Erica & I believe: It’s ok not be ok. You can get Erica’s template for writing a love letter to your pet at www.wolfieswish.com.    Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.   Find Links and Show Notes at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode78   Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.