Sometimes There's Side Eye

This week we are talking about the idea of mandatory spay and neuter. We are talking through the pitfalls of mandating spay and neuter as well as ideas to help reduce unwanted animals in our community. We all agree that there are too many animals in rescue, and the reason they end up there can vary drastically. If we require all dogs to stop breeding it may help current populations, however it wil...

This week we are talking about setting you and your dog up for success in new experiences. Jaxon and Kristi recently went on their first kayak trip and Trin and Heather are preparing for their first trip in the next week. We talk through what preparation looked like for each of us, and what we are doing to support each dog during the new experience. Although it's impossible to plan for every s...

This week, we are addressing the importance of mindset regarding our dogs, sports, and training. Maintaining a positive perspective and committing to seeing the best in our dogs allows us to foster a more productive and supportive relationship. In our discussion, Heather shares her personal experiences with Trin as they train and mature together. Additionally, Kristi discusses her commitment to sp...

This week we are talking about when social media looks impressive but there is more to the dog's behavior than meets the eye. We recently saw a video that showed a group of dogs behaving militantly and when a little bit of enthusiasm was shown by one dog it was immediately corrected and shut down. While controlling a large group of dogs may appear impressive initially, once the body language o...

This week we are talking about extremists.  The dog world is full of extremists in a variety of areas.  We talk through a variety of hot button topics that often show up in extremes like breeding vs rescue, doodles, raw vs kibble, vaccines, and training.  As we talk through the issues we come to the conclusion that we (as a society) would do well to lead with curiosity and compassion rather than a...

Currently ranked as one of our most popular episodes! Let's revisit how responsible rescue and ethical breeding go hand in hand. In this episode we are excited to interview Christy Cole, the president of Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue (DHDR).  We are addressing all sorts of topics with Christy; from how she got involved with Dobermans, to how responsible breeders can help end the need for rescu...

This episode we are digging into the common saying "don't punish the growl." What does this actually mean? We better define and explain this saying. We also talk through multiple types of growls and how to address them without punishment. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

This week we are talking about misbehaving dogs. Sometimes it’s easier to label a behavior or lack of behavior in a negative light rather than recognizing that dog behavior differs from human behaviors. Realistically, a lot of “bad behavior” has a lot more to do with our human expectations than any sort of unusual or unnatural dog behavior.  It’s import that we remember that our dog’s behavior is...

This week we are excited to have Kate Rapkoch from Paws and Breathe back on the podcast to discuss all things puppy yoga. Can you ever go wrong with puppy yoga? Actually yes, we think there is both ethical and unethical puppy yoga. While puppy yoga started as a way for rescues to raise much needed funds there are now many commercialized puppy yoga businesses. Unfortunately there are many stories o...

This week we are talking about the welfare of dogs and people in our modern society. We talk about people getting the dog they want, a dog who fits in their lifestyle, who is trustworthy and safe, etc. We talk about some of the reasons we see behavior issues with dogs & what we expect of dogs. The topic of doodles came up, and we talk about the idea that people have to wait for a tragedy to st...

We just got back from Westminster and are recapping our experience.  First and foremost, we observed relationships between handlers and dogs.  Our first day we watched agility and were beyond impressed with both the handlers and the dogs.  The following days we attended the confirmation shows.  With Westminster being a bench show we were able to approach the dogs and handlers in the bench/prep are...

This week we are talking about ways to destress with your pets. We first want to recognize that we are living through some troubling times. We also want to be clear that we are not experts in mental health & recommend professional help if your mental health is suffering. What we do have is experience with our dogs, and we want to share some things we do to help us destress with our dogs. Thing...

This week we are talking about frustration on the human side of the leash.  We are taking a deeper look at what causes frustration including things like comparison, physical health/limitations, motivation, and learning styles. We are also talking about why we want to recognize our own frustrations in order to lessen or prevent them in the future.  We are getting honest about our own experiences an...

We are starting the new year out with a subject we are both passionate about, shelter versus purposely bred dogs.  Are purebred dogs better than rescue dogs?  Are there more behavior issues in one versus the other? We discuss how breed equates to predictability, even if that predictability is not a desired behavior or trait.   It can be common to blame some undesired behaviors on dogs coming from...

This week we are talking about what we are thankful for in regard to all things dogs.  Of course, you our listeners make the shortlist, as well as our dogs and all the comfort and joy they bring.  Tune in to hear our complete list as well as a few dad jokes (which we are also thankful for). Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠

Is gentle parenting only for gentle dogs? This week we explore if gentler methods can be effective with more unruly or difficult dogs. Or are kinder/force free methods only for easy or sensitive dogs? We explore our own experiences and take an honest look at how we interact and train with dogs who have different personalities. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheress...

This week we are talking through training some of our favorite tricks and cues. Some of those include naming rooms in the house, go around, pick it up, take it with you, sit pretty, relax, etc. We also talk through teaching things formally vs. informally.  So listen along for some fun inspiration and ideas. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠

Currently ranked as our 2nd most popular episode! Let's remind ourselves to be kind to both ends of the leash. Are you playing the shame game, like the rest of us? Where does shame come from and how do we combat it? Explore the subject of the shame game, and the equally fun shame spiral, that so many of us find ourselves in when the life we planned with our dogs, goes awry. Dive into the reaso...

This week we are talking about adding a confident dog to your home to help your shy dog.  This can be immeasurably helpful for some dogs, while for others it makes almost no difference at all.  We'll discuss what things to consider when adding another dog.  We'll also talk about how to stack the deck in your favor for the best possible results. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instag...

**Tissue alert....we discuss grief and loss in this episode*** This week we are talking to Kate Rapkoch, who runs Paws and Breathe. Kate is not only a talented and trauma informed yoga instructor, but she is also a certified end of life pet doula. We have an open and sometimes emotional talk about pet loss as well as healing after a loss. Kate is kind enough to share her experience of loosing her...

This week we are addressing the comparison game that so many of us are playing.  We have a real and raw conversation on how comparison has been the thief of joyful moments with our dogs. We both find that we don’t compare our dogs' abilities to other dogs but instead compare our individual shortcomings to other more successful or experienced handlers. Realistically we should be proud of both o...

In this episode we are taking on the difficult subject of behavioral euthanasia.  Both Heather and Kristi share their personal experiences with behavioral euthanasia. For Heather a suspected brain tumor created huge changes in Cash's behavior and personality.  For Kristi it was Ginny's increased anxiety that put Ginny and other dogs in the home at risk.  However, other people have to make...

This week we are talking about how hormones can drastically change behaviors in dogs.  Trin's most recent heat cycle ended up leading to some aggressive behaviors, which was a bit triggering for Heather.  However, as we have preached in the past, behavior doesn't change on a dime, and typically there is a medical issue.  In this case the medical issue was hormones. Hormones can affect indi...

This week we are talking about separation anxiety with Caitlin Wolfe.  After adopting a dog who suffered from separation anxiety Caitlin wanted to be able to help other dog owners experiencing the same thing. While Caitlin works with a variety of behavior issues, she is specifically CSAT certified for separation anxiety.  Each dog is an individual and it's important that the training can be cu...

The teen/adolescent years - regardless of the species they can be tumultuous.  So how much stock should we put into teenageadolecent dog behavior? The adolescent years for dog can be messy.  Often owners see a side of their dog they haven't seen before, or behaviors intensify during this time.  We talk through some of the behaviors that we have experienced with our own dogs and how we addresse...