Dog Talk ® (and Kitties Too!)

#882A: Simon Van Booy discusses his newest novel “Sipsworth,” which enchanted Tracie with its depiction of a rare and beautiful relationship between an elderly lonely lady and the mouse who transforms her life.

#882B: Tracie talks to dog trainer Annie Phenix — who specializes in aggressive dogs — about the immorality of asking her to help rehome a dangerous “Czech shepherd” dog that has shown aggression to other dogs and to people. 

#881A: Helen Brown speaks from Australia about the healing power of a feline companion in her memoir “Mickey: the Cat Who Raised Me.” 

#881B: Kerry Nichols writes with exuberance in her book “PUPPY BRAIN: How Our Dogs Learn, Think, and Love,” about how puppies’ minds and feelings develop and our impact on them.

#880A: Bill Wasik [New York Times Magazine executive editor) and his wife Monica Murphy (Park Slope veterinarian and writer) collaborated on a sweeping history of how animals and people coexisted in the 19th century in their impressive book OUR KINDRED CREATURES: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals.

#880B: Amy Creel is a hilarious curmudgeonly TikTok presence [amymaurercreel] where she recounts her amusingly frustrating experiences helping dogs find homes through her Knine Rescue in Maryland.

#879A: Tommy Tomlinson talks about his book “DOGLAND: Passion, Glory and lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show,” filled with wonderful canine anecdotes.

#879B: Dr. Starr Cameron [Clinical Associate Professor in Small Animal Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin at Madison] has been studying feline dementia and the symptoms like disorientation, changes in sleep/wake cycles, reduced activity and interaction with people or other pets, house soiling, anxiety and problems with learning/memory.

#878A: Doctoral candidate Jemma Forman at the University of Sussex is co-author of a peer-reviewed study of 1,154 cats from around the globe who play fetch with their owners.  Tracie asks: What does it mean for a cat to be “dog-like?”

#878B: Anne Abel explains how she happened to make an appearance at a Moth event and wowed everybody with the story in her memoir “Mattie, Milo and Me” - of never wanting a dog but then adoring the one she got for her son.

#877A: Brianna Madia’s memoir “Never Leave the Dogs Behind” describes the rollicking nomadic life she has led with her family — a pack of dogs!

#877B: Dr. Stephanie McGrath, associate professor of neurology at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, has been studying dog and cat dementia and discusses what they have learned so far.

#876A: Tommy Hyde, the director of “Underdog” streaming on Amazon Prime & Apple TV, talks about the protagonist of his film, a “hanging-on-by-a-thread” Vermont dairy farmer with a pack of German Shorthaired Pointer sled dogs he dreams of racing in the Iditarod.

#876B: Lisa  Rimmert’s memoir “Stay: My Forever Friendship with an Aging Dog” is a gentle tale of staying by a dog’s side as his muzzle becomes gray and they head into the twilight of their years.

#875A: Kathleen Donnelly talks about her newest National Forest K-9 thriller, “Killer Secrets,” featuring HRD (Human Remains Detection) dogs and other tracking dogs, trained and handled by volunteers, that can apprehend even a wily serial killer.

#875B: Dr. Brian Bourquin, the new Board President of NOMV — talks about why “Not One More Vet” is needed because of the high suicide rate in the profession because of psychological pressures on DVM’s, who are naturally empathetic perfectionists, dealing with social media bashing.

#874A: Alex Kava discusses “Midnight Creed” her 8th (!) book in the best-selling series, this one touching on social issues like homelessness while keeping us in suspense about Ryder Creed and his wonderful working dog.  

#874B: Dr. Ricky Walther is the Chief Medical Advisor at Pawlicy Advisor which offers an unbiased assessment of pet insurance companies — with an objective free personalized comparison of what each company can offer you.

#873A: Andy Roark is a veterinarian with a hugely popular blog and delightful podcast called “The Cone of Shame” about the pleasures, pressures and pain of being a vet — and advocates dancing in the clinic to counteract what they are carrying every day.

#873B: Stefani Cohen [MSW] dealt with her daughter’s fear of dogs, then has helped many patients and their families with easy to follow guidance in her book “Overcoming Your Child's Fear of Dogs: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents.” 

#872A: Dog trainer Annie Phenix discusses the 24 documented bites inflicted by the Biden’s German Shepherd Dog on Secret Service personnel — and how positive reinforcement training can keep your own reactive dog from becoming aggressive and dangerous — so she doesn't trigger a lawsuit or wind up being put to sleep for other peoples’ safety.

#872B: Jeffrey Burton talks about his newest thriller “The Dead Years,” about a serial killer, and the hero’s Human Detection Remains dogs, one of which is an English Springer Spaniel!

#871A: Amanda Baity is co-founder of the non-profit Semper K9 Assistance Dogs, where she and her veteran husband train PTSD service dogs and place them with veterans at no cost. Amanda is also the co-founder of the Association of Service Dog Providers, the umbrella organization for many non profits like hers — all of which hope to submit short films for the 9th Annual NY Dog Film Festival in the n...

#871B: Dr. Stacey Wilkinson is a board certified specialized reptile veterinarian, owner of the Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital of Georgia, who gives presentations to other veterinarians to debunk common myths about bearded dragons, the most popular reptile pet. She also talks about the need for more exotic animal veterinarians across the country.

#870A: Dr. Lee Morgan talks about his book “Four Thousand Paws: Caring for the Dogs of the Iditarod” and his fascinating experiences traveling from his home and veterinary practice in Washington, D.C., to the wilds of Alaska as one of the volunteer veterinarians looking out for the welfare of the sled dogs and their devoted owners.