Sometimes There's Side Eye

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-rounded guest for so many reasons, includ...

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 ideas for your dog.  If you have ev...

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 disagree with as a generalization.  Many ...

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 was allowed dog to dog interactio...

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 existing dogs, understanding their ne...

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, and leashing your dog during this...

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 our own experiences with advocacy...

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 entertained by the way Kristi's brain pi...

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 treatments compare to human healthcare. The ...

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 gives us so many good nuggets of wis...

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 implementation there are risks and reward...

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 there are still plenty of laughs, sar...

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 episode as all 3 of us shed a few tears ...

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 included, and why.  We also talk throug...

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 before. We also carefully weigh what h...

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 breeding dogs to some of her favorites, a...