Animal Tales

Heidi and Tommy host a fun and informative discussion with guest Cassidy Koch, a millennial who provides a peek into the mindset of the younger generation, and how they feel about and interact with their pets. Not surprisingly, there is a shift in this mentality, and marketing is often aimed at and tailored to these […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 9: Talking Dogs and Animals wi...

Heidi is joined by renowned horse trainer and clinician Clinton Anderson, who founded Downunder Horsemanship. They engage in a thought-provoking and lively conversation exploring the importance of horse training, the challenges posed by the current emotional climate surrounding animals, and a whole lot more in this not-to-be-missed episode! “This episode contains explicit language.” Episode...

People seem to equate socializing their dogs with the way they might socialize as humans. This is really not the case. Hosts Heidi and Tommy provide an in-depth and informative discussion of what is really meant when socializing a dog. Also, get the low down on retractable leashes, and hear the answer to a viewer’s […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 8: Socializing Your Dog. What i...

Lolita aka Toki is living at the Miami Seaquarium. She is in her mid to late fifties, and there are plans to take her from the home and surroundings she’s known for over 50 years and set her ‘free’. The experts say the odds are not in her favor. In episode 16 we talked to […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 17: Lolita, The Killer Whale Saga, Continued appeared first on Radio Influence .

This is a common question/consideration. Should I bring my dog with me on my trip or vacation? Hosts Heidi Herriott and Tommy Fahey break down the pros and cons to help you decide. There is more to consider than you may have thought! Tune in to learn more. We would sincerely appreciate it if you […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 7: Planning a Trip or Vacation? Should Your Pet Com...

In the 1990’s there was a movie, Free Willy about a killer whale that returned to the wild. Subsequently, there was an attempt to free a real whale, Keiko, the whale from the movie, and it ended with disastrous results. Mark Simmons, who was the lead trainer and behaviorist on the project resigned, and then […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 16: How did the Free Willy whale, Keiko’s story rea...

How well would your family and pets fare in an emergency? Planning is the key! Hosts Heidi Herriott and Tommy Fahey go in depth on planning for your pets. How to prepare, what to consider, and ensuring they will be fine with a change of circumstances. Everything from identifiers on the animal, to knowing where […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 6: Emergency Planning. Do You Have A...

The critics of circus animals, primarily the animal rights groups, certainly have a lot to say yet without any real experience. Heidi has a lively conversation with Megan O’Malley, who was a member of the circus band and came to her own conclusions about circus animal care by witnessing it firsthand. An important episode for […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 15: Seeing Is Believing…Ringling...

Hosts Heidi Herriott and Tommy Fahey delve into how to know if you are ready for a dog, and, if so, where to get your dog from. Options include shelters, rescues, breeders, and pet stores (if not banned in your community – check out episode 4 for more on this topic!). We would sincerely appreciate […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 5: Decisions, Decisions! Am I Ready For A Dog? Wh...

Animals are important to so many of us. We care deeply and want them taken care of. Legislative Consultant Vanessa Gagne walks us through some of the pending legislation; the good, the bad, and the ugly! She highlights how those who care about animals can be duped into signing on to, or voting for bills […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 14: Are Animals Being Legislated Out Of Our Lives? appe...

Hosts Heidi Herriott and Tommy Fahey pull back the curtain on this popular marketing slogan that strongly encourages people to adopt/get their dogs only from shelters and rescues. There is so much more to this story you need to know! We would sincerely appreciate it if you would please subscribe, rate and review this podcast. […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 4: ‘Adopt Don’t Shop...

Dr. Ted Friend, a retired Texas A&M University animal behavioral scientist, initiated a study in the early 2000’s on elephants and big cats traveling with circuses as he was intrigued with the information about their alleged mistreatment that was spread by animal rights groups. He was neither advocating for or against circuses, but rather a […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 13: Circus El...

Hosts Heidi Herriott and Tommy Fahey continue their discussion and breakdown of training methods/theories. Positive reinforcement training is one quadrant of Operant Conditioning. They also discuss LIMA (least intrusive; minimally aversive) which is the method recommended by dog training associations. Tune in to hear their discussion about these methods, as well as useful training tips […] T...

Pets are popular in the US, but we don’t always think reptiles. Approximately five percent of the US population have a reptile as a pet. Phil Goss, President of U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK), provides more detail on the various species and how some are even trained. Heidi and Phil also engage in a […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 12: It’s a Reptile Roundup of Information...

Hosts Heidi Herriott and Tommy Fahey talk about best practices in caring for our pets, and how this relates to recent canine flu outbreaks and more. They discuss the trend of trainers advertising that they train only with Positive Reinforcement. What is the actual training method/theory in place here? Tune in to find out this […] The post Doggone Good Information EPISODE 2: Positive Reinforc...

Americans love their pets! Approximately 68% of homes have some type of pet according to industry stats with dogs being the most popular. Along with this trend come businesses and industries to support pet owners and cash in. There is also an overabundance of information, and misinformation. DOGGONE GOOD INFORMATION will take a deep dive […] The post Animal Tales EPISODE 11: New series &#821...

Horses pulling wagons built New York. Central Park was designed to be seen from a horse drawn carriage. Spokesperson and carriage driver Christina Hansen provides an often visual picture of the iconic horses and carriage drivers of New York City in beautiful Central Park. She highlights that a large part of this debate is really […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 10: The Great NYC Carriage H...

Wallis Brozman, the Advocacy Coordinator and Lead Story Teller for Canine Companions, provides a very heartfelt account of what these amazing service dogs mean to those who are fortunate enough to be teamed up with one. She reveals her own story, and how her service dogs have made an impact on her life Heidi and […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 9: The Noble Work of Service Dogs appeared fi...

This is an important distinction that Theresa Lucas, Executive Director of Protect the Harvest, will help define for us. Heidi and Theresa discuss how our compassion and desire to have animals in our lives is hijacked by animal rights activists. Founded by Forrest Lucas, Protect the Harvest exists to provide important and factual information to […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 8: Animal Ri...

Meet Iditarod CEO Rob Urbach who manages the iconic dog race. Learn about this incredible half a century old event and the amazing collaboration between man and dog. Heid and Rob discuss how veterinarians, cutting edge animal care specialists, nutritionists, mushers and technology experts, and more partner to organize and run The Last Great Race. […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 7: Dogs Le...

Marlo Calico, President and CEO of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, speaks with Heidi with passion and expertise about state and county fairs and how they promote wonderful youth and agriculture/livestock programs. Hear how the county fair began as a gathering of animal owners and farmers exchanging information, ideas, animals, and more! The […] The post Animal Tales:...

Heidi’s guest is big cat trainer and founder of the Big Cat Habitat, Kay Rosaire. Kay and her family own and operate this beautiful animal habitat in Sarasota Florida, which is home to a variety of species including lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, birds and more. Kay discusses the myriad of challenges that come with operating […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 5: LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, O...

One of the world’s foremost authorities on elephant reproduction, Dr. Dennis Schmitt joins Heidi. With all the misinformation and emotion about elephants, especially those in human care in zoos and circuses, this conversation is not to be missed! Dr. Schmitt, a veterinarian and elephant expert respected worldwide, has served as the lead vet credited with […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE #4...

Heidi’s guest on this very insightful episode is Dr. Cindy Buckmaster, who holds a PHD in Neurobiology, and has over 25 years of experience in nearly every aspect of animal research. Impressively, she has the courage and conviction to be transparent about all of it! Listen in as Dr. Buckmaster pulls back the curtain on […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 3: Transparency and Truth about Animal...

Heidi is joined by Patti Strand, Founder and President of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA). We take a first look at how pet shelters and rescues got started; whether there are really too many adoptable pets looking for homes; and the importation of more than a million dogs and puppies annually from other countries […] The post Animal Tales: EPISODE 2: The Shelter Myth – Misconcep...