Shy Dog Diaries

Boop our inbox! 🐾 What does it take to help a foreign rescue dog feel safe in a world that may be completely unfamiliar? In this episode of Shy Dog Diaries, I’m joined by dog trainer Toby Craze of Craze Dog Training to explore the experiences and needs of dogs adopted from overseas, including former street and free-roaming dogs. Toby shares how his work with animals took him from rescue elephants...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify.  The longer I live with Nessie, the more I realize how tempting it is to search for one explanation for who she is. She’s a rescue. She’s anxious. She’s fearful. She may not have been well socialized. She’s a Pointer-Lab mix. Some of those things may be relevant. But none of them, on their own, explain the whole dog....

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify. **** A note about this episode: This conversation reflects one guardian’s individual experience with behavioral euthanasia and the difficult, deeply personal decisions surrounding it. It is not intended as guidance for other cases.**** In this deeply personal episode of Shy Dog Diaries , I sit down with dog trainer Sa...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify.  What happens when loving dogs also comes with guilt, grief, worry, and the constant feeling that you should be doing more? In this episode of Shy Dog Diaries , I sit down with Jill Gray, a licensed marriage and family therapist, certified thanatologist, and grief counselor—and someone who has been an important part o...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify.  What happens when the puppy you carefully prepared for enters the world already afraid? In this episode, I’m joined by Melissa, guardian of Red, a Goldendoodle who showed intense sensitivity and fear almost immediately after coming home. Melissa had done everything she thought she was supposed to do: researched breed...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify.  When people meet a fearful dog, it's easy to focus on what they can't do. But what if we're asking the wrong questions? In this episode of Shy Dog Diaries , I sit down with certified dog behavior consultant Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, to talk about what really happens insi...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify.   When I first introduced nose work to my anxious dog, Nessie, I thought it would simply be a fun enrichment activity. What I didn't realize was that it would become one of the most powerful confidence-building tools in our journey together. In this episode of Shy Dog Diaries , I sit down with Nancy Reyes, founde...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 🎥 This episode is also available in video format on Spotify if you want to see some of Nessie’s recent progress. What if the biggest breakthrough with your sensitive dog isn’t fixing them—but finally understanding them? In this episode of Shy Dog Diaries, I’m sharing a deeply personal reflection on what changed when I stopped trying to turn Nessie into the dog I imagined… and s...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kelly Lee, founder of Dogkind Training, to talk about what it truly means to support fearful, anxious, and traumatized dogs. Dr. Lee holds degrees in Zoology, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and she’s an honors graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers (CTC). But what makes this conversation so powerful isn’t...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 In this episode, I’m joined by certified dog trainer and behavior consultant Genie Tuttle of Dog Genie to talk about helping shy and anxious dogs build confidence. Together, we revisit Nessie’s early training days and explore how choice and agency play a powerful role in behavior work. We also talk about how nose work and scent-based enrichment can transform fear into curiosity,...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 What if your dog isn’t “difficult” or “stubborn” — but anxious, overwhelmed, and trying their best? In this episode of Shy Dog Diaries , I sit down with board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Sueda to talk about what’s really going on behind fear-based behaviors in dogs — and how we can truly help them thrive. Dr. Sueda explains what a veterinary behaviorist does, how...

Boop our inbox! 🐾 In this very first episode, I introduce you to Shy Dog Diaries — a podcast about living with, training, and celebrating dogs who see the world a little differently. You’ll hear the story of my rescue dog Nessie, how she inspired this project, and what you can expect from future episodes: Real stories about anxious and sensitive dogs Expert interviews and lived experiences Traini...