Simplifying Shelter Behaviour

In this episode, Tom is joined by Jessica Powell of Proud Paws Dog Training, a certified professional dog trainer based in Los Angeles with years of experience in a shelter behaviour department. Jessica explains why behaviour categories matter, starting with safety and clear, objective communication. When a dog has passed through animal control, medical staff and intake before anyone reads their n...

In this episode, Tom is joined by Harleigh Garcia, founder of Border Tails Rescue in Chicago, to talk about the rescue’s partnership with the Chicago Wolves hockey team. Harleigh explains what the Wolves’ Season of Giving has meant for Border Tails. The support helps them say yes to the medical cases they’re passionate about, and it covers everyday costs like rent. She also explains why, for her,...

In this episode, Tom is joined by Samantha Wayland of Samantha Wayland Dog Training, co-founder of the Rescue Dog Care Network (RDCN), to explore how rescue staff, volunteers and trainers can better support people adopting dogs from overseas. Drawing on her experience fostering 60 to 70 dogs, Samantha shares why preparing adopters before their dog arrives is so important, particularly when it come...

This week Tom is joined by Amy Fitzsimmons from Dog Possible Austin for a really practical chat about life for dogs in shelters. Amy brings along plenty of real dogs she has worked with, and it's their stories that shape the whole conversation, showing how small, simple changes can make a big difference to how a dog copes in kennels. Tom and Amy talk about getting more out of the time dogs spe...

In this episode, we're joined by researcher Lauren Powell, whose work looks at why people get pets, what they expect from them, and why so many end up back in shelters. The conversation moves through four threads: the genuine benefits pets bring to our lives, the gap between what new owners expect and what actually happens, how that gap drives relinquishment, and the specific behaviour problem...

About This Episode In this episode, we're chatting with Dr. Ly about animal welfare and how research into one welfare, is changing how we think about supporting animals. We dig into the reasons why animals end up needing care, what affects whether owners can reclaim them, and the real challenges faced by caregivers looking after them. Understanding how we support owners over and above relinqui...

  In this episode, Lorenzo JW Fox and I explore  coregulation , how a calm human nervous system can help a stressed dog settle and why it matters so much for shelter dogs. We talk about the quiet power of presence and touch, how  Constructional Affection  builds a fearful dog's comfort with people by handing them control of the interaction, and why  Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed  pai...

This episode really got my brain turning! The amazing Adrian Ray-Avalani brought their linguistic background to the table and spoke to us about a parent-child communication framework that helps us support owners in our conversations, and helps owners in the conversations they have with their dogs! You can nearly hear the cogs in my brain turning as Adrian talks us through how to build good communi...

Episode Summary In this episode, Tom Candy and Kelly Dunbar to talk about Open Paw, the training and enrichment programme reshaping how rescue centres care for dogs and cats. Co-developed in the US in 2000 by behaviourist Kelly Gorman Dunbar and, British behaviourist and author Dr Ian Dunbar, Open Paw has spent over two decades proving that shelter animals don’t have to be “unlucky inmates” waitin...

In this episode Tom is joined by Dr. Karen Griffin to discuss quality of life in shelter dogs and how her current research project is exploring this topic. Focusing on adapting Maslow's Hierarchy the research group aims to better understand QoL in dogs pre and post adoption

Here's a focused episode summary based on those two core ideas: In this episode, Jo Middleton introduces the idea of an animal's  emotional bank account  — a framework for understanding how every interaction with a shelter or rescue animal either deposits trust, safety, and positive association, or withdraws it. For animals arriving from neglect, abuse, or prolonged kennel stress, the acco...

In this episode, Karen Deeds discusses box feeding (the "Dopamine Box"), a technique originally developed in the bite sport world that she has adapted for pet dogs, shelter animals, and behaviour modification. The method is simple in concept — teaching a dog to eat out of a box — but powerfully effective: the box becomes a contextual cue that triggers dopamine release through eating, bui...

In this episode we discuss community interventions to support owners and animals in need as an alternative to traditional animal control models

In this thoughtful and compassionate episode, Helen St. Pierre explore one of the most meaningful, and often avoided, conversations in veterinary and pet care: what does a good death look like for an animal in hospice? Drawing from their experience, they walk listeners through a practical yet humane framework built around three core considerations: Function, Purpose, and Joy. Tom and Helen open by...

In this episode, we're joined by Jessica Wheatcraft, who shares her honest reflections on years spent working with reactive shelter dogs, those that lunge, bark, and snap at the world around them. Jessica talks through how her approach has evolved over time, what she wishes she'd known earlier, and why so many well-intentioned training efforts fall flat in the shelter environment. She offers a tho...

This episode explores the multidimensional concept of quality of life (QoL) within animal shelters, emphasising its impact not only on dogs, but also on staff and adopters. Framed through a behavioural welfare lens, the discussion highlights the interdependence between canine wellbeing, human experience, and organisational outcomes. For dogs, QoL is positioned as more than the absence of distress,...

In this episode we discuss the importance of integrating behaviour into all of our shelter practices, including how we can do this successfully, what some of the challenges are and what structures look like in a range of shelter operations with and without behaviour teams. About Dr. Herron Dr. Meghan Herron serves as the senior director of behavior, research and education at Gigi’s, a shelter orga...

In this episode, we explore how dog shelter and rescue professionals can reshape public perception of muzzles, using one of the most powerful tools available: photography. While muzzles are often misunderstood as symbols of aggression, they are valuable tools for safety, training, enrichment, and responsible handling. The challenge isn’t the muzzle itself it’s the story the image tells. We’ll disc...

In this episode, veterinary behaviourist Dr. Elise Christensen examines the role of underlying medical conditions in shaping animal behaviour within shelter environments. She discusses how pain, systemic illness, and stress-related physiological changes can manifest as behavioural concerns that are often misattributed to behaviour or training concerns. Emphasizing evidence-based assessment, Dr. Ch...

Ep. 54 want more time, money and resources, here’s where to start. Behaviour edition with Leeron Liftik In this episode, we explore the journey of Leeron Liftik into shelter and rescue dog behaviour, shaped by early hands-on work in high-pressure shelter environments. Seeing how many decisions about dogs were made with limited evidence sparked a shift toward behavioural science and data-driven app...

In this episode, Tom is joined by  Dr. Kim Brophey , applied ethologist, author, and founder of Family Dog Mediation®, for an in-depth conversation on the  L.E.G.S.® model ,  Family Dog Mediation , and the  Total Welfare Model . Together, they explore how moving beyond one-size-fits-all training and behaviour labels can transform outcomes for dogs and the people who care for them. Dr. Brophey brea...

In this episode, we’re joined by behaviour specialist Dr Liam Clay, whose research focuses on canine behaviour assessment, behavioural problems and adoption suitability in shelter environments.  Together, we unpack what behaviour assessments in shelters actually tell us about a dog and what they don’t. About Dr. Clay Dr. Clay studied at the University of Queensland (UQ), from which he holds his ho...

In this episode, veterinary behaviourist Dr. Sophie Liu dives into the complex world of shelter dogs and frustration-related behaviour, why it happens, how it looks, and what we can practically do to help these dogs cope and thrive. The conversation starts by unpacking what frustration actually is for dogs in a shelter setting: the emotional state that sits between “I want something” and “I can’t...

Ep.50 Simplifying Puppy Raising in Shelter and Rescue with Suzanne Clothier  In this episode, Tom talks with Susanne Clothier about what it takes to raise behaviourally healthy puppies, with a focus on the special considerations for those growing up in rescue or shelter settings. Suzanne shares her experiences with supporting puppies’ emotional and social development, creating positive early exper...

About this episode In this episode, we discuss how to best support deaf dogs both in a kennel environment and how they move into their new homes. They explore how communication through visual and tactile cues can replace verbal signals,helping dogs feel secure and understood. The conversation highlights the importance of building a trusting relationship, creating consistency between caregivers, an...