Sometimes There's Side Eye

This week we are talking with Tina Vickrey, who is an ORT (Odor Recognition Test) judge and an active competitor in the sport of scent work.  Scent work is relatively new and only became a dog sport in 2005.  There are two major organizations you can compete with in scent work, which are AKC and NACSW. While both have the same goal and are considered the same sport, the organizations take very dif...

This week we have Danielle Cyr on the podcast to discuss weighted pull and canine fitness.  Daniel has a number of titles and certificates including Judges' Liaison and Treasurer for United Dog Sports of Northern New England, Founder/President of Dirigo Working Dogs, UKC Weight Pull Judge, APA Weight Pull Judge, Iron Dog Weight Pull Judge, W3PO Weight Pull Judge, CGC Evaluator, SPOT Evaluator,...

This week we are talking about barn hunt with special guest Heather Bilodeau.  Barn hunt is a relatively new sport and was created in 2012 to give dogs an outlet for their natural scent and hunting skills.  Dogs use their natural abilities to sniff out rats that are in protective tubes within a preset course of stacked straw bales. There are several levels for people and dogs to compete at which w...

This week we are talking with Jessica Stricker who has 2 Australian Shepherds, Ivy and Riddler.  She competes in a variety of sports including disc, dock diving, barn hunt, agility, scent work and fastCAT. Additionally, she is a Canine Good Citizen and Trick evaluator for AKC as well as being a trick evaluator, canine conditioning and fitness coach, animal actors evaluator, and stunt dog judge for...

This week we are talking with Marissa who is known on socials as  @kotaspen .  She is a dog mom and sport handler of two adopted dogs, Kota and Aspen.  Marissa has experience in Dock Diving, Barn Hunt, Rally/Obedience, Agility and FastCat with her dogs.  Additionally, she co-teaches group training classes on the weekends along with offering some day training.  We wanted to bring on this well-round...

This week we are introducing our upcoming series on dog sports.  We'll have a variety of guests from newer competitors to seasoned competitors, in a variety of dog sports.  Heather obviously loves dog sports, while Kristi loves training for sports, but never competes.  So even if you never plan to compete with your dog, we believe this series will be useful in giving you structured enrichment...

In this episode we have an in depth conversation with special guests Cindy and Khrisann about their life with a seeing eye dog. Cindy is legally blind and June is her current seeing eye dog. CIndy gives us the inside scoop on guide dogs including the process of getting one, going to school to be matched with your dog, retiring a guide dog, and what happens when a dog is not a good fit. Cindy also...

This week we are taking a post directly off social media and discussing it in detail.  This post stated that "shelter dogs are not normal" and that they "may never be normal." We both feel that this statement is incredibly damaging to shelter dogs everywhere as well as rescue dogs.  We work our way though some subtext that implies shelter dogs are not safe which we also disagre...

In this episode, Heather is vulnerable enough to share her journey as she learns to bond with her newest dog, Trin. We are talking about why Heather has felt a lot of pressure to bond quickly with her new puppy and how that has been a struggle at times. While Trin is a wonderful puppy, there is a lot that goes into bonding with a new dog far beyond the puppy's personality. We also talk through som...

This week we are talking about not tricking your dog.  We talk through how we can build trust through positive reinforcement, which will enhance your relationship with your dog overall.  Often our tone and intention can play a big role in how we set up our dogs for success both when they have a choice and when they don't. Many times, people aren't tricking their dog on purpose; the things they are...

This week we are talking about scratching the enrichment itch.  Enrichment has become a popular buzzword in the K9 world, but for us enrichment just means fulfilling your dog's natural needs. This can look very different for different dogs. This episode was inspired by Kristi's foster dog Jaxon who was getting lots of different types of enrichment, but his needs were not being met until he...

In this episode we are talking through adding a 3rd dog to your home (or really any new dog to a home with existing dogs).  Obviously expenses, time and space are considerations, but the list is much more than these basics.  Whether you are adopting an adult dog or adding a puppy there are many things to think through beyond the basics like dog personalities and individual needs.  Knowing your exi...

In this episode we are talking all things potty training!  The good, the bad, and the shitty.  We are going over the basics as well as common mistakes, and even some really great insider tips. Although the basics may be the same for big and small breed dogs there are some distinct differences pet owners should keep in mind. We are also discussing the benefits and downfalls of doggy doors, pee pads...

This week we are talking about advocating for our dogs, but we're looking at it from a slightly different angle. We are talking about why advocating can be tougher than expected.  There are a variety of reasons advocating can be difficult including standing up to an authority figure, not knowing how to advocate without causing a scene, along with countless other reasons.   We'll be sharing...

Join us as we explore Kristi's brain, or at least her thought process.  After watching a dog and owner out in public Kristi had a series of thoughts and feelings pile up in rapid succession.  Since these thoughts and questions about dog behavior and dog training are where the idea for this podcast stemmed from, we decided to talk through it here with all of you.  We think you will be entertain...

In this episode we will be discussing the veterinary industry and have a veterinarian guest that we will refer to as the "Dogtor."  She has asked to remain anonymous so she can speak freely and unfiltered with us. We tackle all sorts of topics like pet insurance and why it might be useful for pet parents.  We talk through the cost of diagnostic tests, and how vet care costs and treatment...

In this episode we are talking about grief and are honored to have Dr. Jenn Pereira, who is a licensed professional counselor joining us.  It will come as no surprise that we are going to issue a tissue warning for this episode, but we promise there is also a lot of laughter as well.  We talk about pet loss being a form of disenfranchised grief and how that can affect our grieving process.  Jenn g...

In this episode we're discussing puppy socialization.  We address what it is and what it is not, including the common misnomer that puppy socialization is simply letting puppies play together.  We are also addressing why it is important for current and future training in addition to the lifelong benefits dog's experience through appropriate puppy socialization.  As with any training implem...

We are wrapping up 2023 talking about what we are thankful for. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we thought it was time to share some of the things we've been most thankful for this year with our listeners topping the list! Our thankful lists run the gamut from adding a puppy to the family to celebrating a life well lived at the rainbow bridge.  We are issuing a tissue warning, but th...

In this episode we are talking with special guest Monica Adalsteinsson from Pup + Me Photo about her experience living with her last dog, Odin.  We would like to warn listeners that there may be content in this episode that some individuals may find triggering as we revisit some of her experiences over the years which do include dog bites, etc.  We also want to issue a tissue warning on this episo...

This week we are talking about puppy parties! We've mentioned puppy parties in some of our previous episodes, and since Heather just got back from a puppy party, we are talking through this recent experience.  This fun and lighthearted episode gives a more personalized recap of puppy parties for anyone who may be curious about them. We talk about how stations are set up, what the stations incl...

Are you considering adding a new dog to your family?  In this episode we discuss the many things we personally think through before adding an additional 4-legged family member.  One item that is a high priority on both of our lists is energy level.  Now is not the time to hope your future dog will be your workout coach, inspiring you to a new levels of fitness that you've never experienced bef...

We are wrapping up our series on ethical rescue and breeding with ethical breeder Lorelei.  She tells us about her breeding program and rescue efforts alike.  Lorelei explains how much time and effort she put into selecting purchasers, selecting breeding pairs, and building a strong foundation for her puppies through things like puppy culture. She also shares everything from why she started breedi...

In this episode, we talk about responsible/ethical breeders.  First, we want to say this is an important and beneficial topic for everyone in the dog world; including rescue people, those looking for purebred or mixed breed dogs, and those in the sport and show worlds.  We are talking about some of the ways to define ethical breeders including everything from contracts, education, taking a dog bac...

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 rescue.  Christy addresses both the immediate needs in rescue, as well as big picture, assessment, and planning.  DHDR is diligently worki...