Believe in Dog

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. From 1st time Pet Parent to the Dog-Obsessed and everything in between, click here for the list: https://believeindogpodcast...

Holiday Giving Campaign:  Let’s help Cara Achterberg ( Episode 75 )  provide her newest book Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories & Solutions for FREE to America’s shelters and rescues!   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...

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 someth...

Has your dog ever helped you through a hard time in life?  Your answer  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 mar...

Have you ever thought about your pet parenting philosophy? Maybe you have an idea in your head of what you want your relationship with your dog(s) to look like, but how would you describe it? A few months ago, on an Amazon recommendation & a whim, I bought Debby McMullen’s book How Many Dogs?! Using Positive Reinforcement training to Manage a Multiple Dog Household .  And I loved the book so m...

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. https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode105   Get your free checklist: Join Erin the...

Do we really have to understand science to teach our dogs? According to Annie Grossman, it really does help -  both us & our dogs - if we grasp the basics of how dogs learn.  And she should know.  Annie is the author of the new book How to Train Your Dog with Love & Science as well as the founder of the dog training collective School for the Dogs based in New York City. But science doesn’t...

Have you ever heard someone say that you should be your dog’s “alpha”?   I’ve heard all types of odd advice over the years, like don’t let your dog walk through the doorway before you or never feed your dog before you eat.  And I’ve always had lots of questions.   Do dogs have alphas?  or is that a wolf thing? You often hear the term “alpha male,” but in nature aren’t alpha females just as common?...

We know that people can have different types of intelligence, but what about our dogs?  I think every pet parent I know has been astonished by how smart their dog is – and usually in a good way. Author Jennifer Holland explores the many different ways that dogs show their intelligence in her new book Dog Smart: Life Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence . Jennifer interviewed everyone from scien...

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with an animal communicator?  This is Part 2 of our family’s session with animal communicator, Nancy Mello . In just the past few days, we discovered another one of Nancy’s insights about Neno’s health is correct! We’re jumping back into our session with Nancy where we connected with Neno, Nessie & Penny.  After each segment from Nancy, Tim & I...

Happy 100th Episode!! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with an animal communicator?   After connecting with Nancy Mello earlier this year , Tim & I decided to book a session with her to see if we could gain some insight into the lack of connection between our old man Neno and newly adopted Nessie.   I was grateful that Nancy allowed us to record the session so we could reference b...

Did you know there are many reasons why a dog could be wearing a muzzle?  I like to think that the presence of a muzzle isn’t the sign of a bad dog – but of a good pet parent! While working with some of the UK’s most challenging dogs in rescue at Dogs Trust, Clara Hewson spent years advising pet parents on the benefits of training their dog to wear a muzzle. But Clara had never experienced one of...

It feels like we’re finally at a time in society when pet loss grief is starting to be acknowledged and resources are becoming more readily available.  But do we really know how to take care of ourselves and others in times of pet loss?  Do you know how to give good grief? We’re joined by Mindy Meiering, LCSW, a licensed therapist, life coach, and mindfulness teacher who specializes in grief and l...

In Part 2 with Chris Hannah (Dog Dad to Cole the Deaf Dog), I share my observation that not only is Cole a special dog, but that Chris is a special human to have the emotional bandwidth to hold space for the many people he encounters during their therapy work.  Chris explains how Cole’s influence has shown him parts of himself that he didn’t know he had. We discuss the powerful experience of volun...

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. Chris shares with us why adopting a deaf dog was the obvious choice for him – even when it might sound like a surprising decision for a music teacher to make.  A...

Today we’re talking to renowned trainer Deb Jones, Ph. D. , 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. If you’d rather get a root canal than take your dog to the vet or if you can’t trim your dog’s nails wit...

It’s the Puppy Episode!  I’ve always heard that the best way to set yourself & your dog up for success is by putting in 12 months of solid training with your puppy so you can reap the rewards for the next 12+ years (hopefully!) with your amazing dog. 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...

Did you know that the health decisions you make for your dog today will impact their long-term health?  including whether your dog could be at-risk developing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction aka canine dementia?   I learned that as many as 50% of dogs show signs of canine dementia in their lifetime – and these signs can show up as early as 5 years old for larger breed dogs!   Francine Barish-Stern le...

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 hasn’t been all love & light.    Nancy describes herself as “not at a...

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.   My bigg...

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...

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 th...

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,...

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 framewo...

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 hus...