Believe in Dog

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If you can name a Dog Sport, Melissa Stagnaro has most likely tried it at some point over the past 20 years.  And today we’re so fortunate to have Melissa sharing tips and insight from her years of experience.  I loved her canine enrichment idea for dogs recovering from an injury!

But did you know that you can learn the sport of Search & Rescue?  If you’ve ever wanted your dog to learn how to find someone in the woods or track a scent trail, there’s a sport for that! 

Commonly referred t...

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Have you ever been around a dog who doesn’t “dog” like other dogs?  Maybe you’ve experienced a dog who is reactive or has separation anxiety or a noise-phobia?

Sharon Vincuilla and I explore how dogs (and people!) can experience the world differently and how neurodiversity shows up in a dog’s behavior.  And Sharon has experienced this first-hand with her dog, Muggins!

Sharon found that life with Muggins was even triggering her own trauma.  Seemingly ordinary life events like walking the dog or having a friend stop by her house would turn in...

Have you ever thought about your time with your dog as a chapter of your life?

For teacher, speaker, and lifelong journaler Patricia Eagle, her story is told in ten chapters – with each devoted to a dog who changed her life.

In her new book, Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me, Patricia reflects on the love, lessons, and legacies each dog left behind. While some chapters are long and others short, all are deeply meaningful.

In this episode, Patricia & I explore the many ways our dogs support us – especially through life’s hard...

What does leadership in animal welfare really look like when the going gets tough?

Like losing most of your staff in a single day—or raising twins, running a shelter, and opening a spay/neuter clinic all at once?

We’re back with author, advocate, and nonprofit founder Cara Achterberg (Episode 75, Who Will Let the Dogs Out), along with shelter directors Courtney Cross (Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter) and Ruby Fooks (Butler County Animal Shelter), for Part 2 of our Shelter Roundtable discussion.

In this episode, you'll hear more about Ruby’s and Courtney’s person...

What does it really take to save lives in a shelter where the need never stops?

For leaders like Courtney Cross (Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter) and Ruby Fooks (Butler County Animal Shelter), it means getting scrappy — not just in strategy, but in spirit. Across the country, life-saving work is happening in shelters not powered by excess resources, but by relentless grit, creativity, and the strength of community.

In this episode, we’re joined by Cara Achterberg — author, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit Who Will Let the Dogs Out (Episode 75) — along with two remarkable shelter...

Whether you’re looking for something fun to do with your dog or if you need help with a behavior issue, Control Unleashed might be exactly the training class you’re looking for.

Today, I’m joined by Angie Haines Madden of DogSpeak Training — the trainer my dogs & I have been working with through online Control Unleashed classes over the past several months.

A former zookeeper, Angie shares what drew her to the Control Unleashed methodology (developed by Leslie McDevitt) and how it shapes her approach to dog training.

I'll be honest — I was skepti...

How are you enriching your dog’s life today? This Canine Enrichment Round-Up episode features segments with three amazing guests who are leading the way in canine enrichment. Each guest shares ideas to help you bring more joy to your dog’s life and celebrate their dog-ness.

First, we’ll hear from Michelle Baker of Fur Kids, Inc. in Tampa, FL. Michelle shares her inspiration for modernizing the world of doggy daycare. We’ll learn about a typical day at Fur Kids, the training and education their staff receives, and how they honor the needs of each d...

What if it’s our end of the leash that needs to change?  When we’re struggling with our dog’s behavior, Sylvie Savage wants us to consider that it might be the human end of the leash that needs to evolve.

In her new book Unleash: How to Evolve from Dog Training to Dog Parenting, Sylvie encourages us to examine our guilt, judgments, expectations and dysregulation – and how these human traits impact our relationship with our dogs. 

As a Human-Canine Relationship Specialist, Sylvie is quick to tell us that she’s not a dog trainer – an...

Have you ever struggled with your dog’s reactivity?

 Whether your dog is reactive to other dogs, people or something in the environment, Grisha Stewart’s Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) may be what you’ve been looking for to help your dog lead a more comfortable life.

Grisha developed BAT training while dealing with her own dog, Peanut’s, reactivity.  Despite doing everything “right” – according to the dog training advice available at the time – she was she still struggling.

Grisha shares with us the principles of BAT and how BAT is based on positive reinforce...

Ever since Nessie joined our family, I’ve had to step up my pet parenting to incorporate more enrichment and training into our home than ever before.

I’ve spent a lot of time (and money!) over the past year trying numerous different online dog training platforms. While many of them have great information, not all of them worked well for me.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing the 4 factors you should know before choosing an online dog training class and my top 5 favorite online learning platforms.

Find links & show notes at:
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Do you have goals for your dogs in 2025?

In this solo episode, Erin shares:

My complicated relationship with the concept of goal setting;

The goals I’ve had for my dogs over the past 20 years … before Nessie;

How I feel about setting goals for my dogs today; and

The goals I have for my dogs in 2025.

I’m also sharing the experience Nessie & I had when we dipped our toe into the world of dog sports with our Odor Recognition Test - and whether or not we’ll conti...

What’s more important to you: What your dog does?  Or how your dog feels? This question is at the core of Andrew Hale’s Dog Centered Care approach.

An emerging thought leader in the dog training world, Andrew draws on his background in human psychology to place empathy and a deep understanding of a dog’s emotional experience at the heart of his work. He’ll even share with us his biggest ethical dilemma with the field of dog training.

You might want to have a notebook handy as Andrew breaks down...

Have you ever used herbal remedies for your dog? or yourself?  If you started your day with a cup of coffee or tea, then your answer is Yes!

Rita Hogan, the Canine Herbalist, has so much wisdom to share with us.  From being raised on a rural farm to running a holistic pug rescue, Rita has dedicated her life to practicing western herbal medicine for pets and people.

For many of us, essential oils are a common form of herbal remedies that we’re familiar with.  But Rita shares with us why essential oils should NOT b...

Want to give your dog the best year ever?  Let your dog be a dog with more canine enrichment activities in their lives!

When Taylor Finton & her husband adopted their American Village dogs – rescued from the island of St. Lucia - Taylor thought it would be fun to document her dogs’ new lives in Canada.  So Taylor started Bindi’s Bucket List as a blog and on Instagram.  When she started sharing her Kong recipes, pet parents around the world took notice!

But as Taylor shares with us, canine enrichment isn’t just Kong recipes – it’s so much...

Have you ever wondered if you’re making the “right” decisions for your dog during an injury or illness?

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Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.

Hear Erin on the Rescued by a Dog Podcast

Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Ne...

If you're anything like me, you enjoy shopping for other people but have a more difficult time telling people what they should get you.  

This episode will give you plenty of ideas for your Holiday Wish List (and your dog), no matter where you are in your Pet Parent journey.

From 1st time Pet Parent to the Dog-Obsessed and everything in between, click here for the list:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode110

Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to...

Holiday Giving Campaign:  Let’s help Cara Achterberg (Episode 75)  provide her newest book Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories & Solutions for FREE to America’s shelters and rescues!

What If you could solve your dog’s biggest behavior challenge TODAY? Dog trainer Juliana DeWillems says that while immediate results usually aren’t possible in dog training – they can be when we use management techniques. 

In her new book Manage It! Hacks for Improving Your Dog’s Behavior, Juliana shares how us Pet Parents can easily solve many of our dog’s behavior challenges by chan...

In this solo episode, Erin is celebrating one year since their family adopted Nessie – which hasn’t always gone according to plan.

Erin shares the story of how Nessie joined their family and what she wishes they had done differently in the meet & greet process.

Erin also reveals what Nessie has taught her – not just about training dogs but about herself, too.  And this lesson might be something you’ve never heard before.

Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog...

Has your dog ever helped you through a hard time in life?  Your answer  is most likely a resounding YES, right?

Author Christopher Dale credits Vector, his rescued “sato” dog from Puerto Rico, with helping him start a new chapter in life after going through hard times.  Like really hard times.  Like life-changing medical diagnosis turned depression turned addiction turned nearly blowing up his marriage-type hard times.

Chris became curious if other people were having a life-changingly special relationship with their rescue dog too.  In his book “We Saved Each Other: How Rescue Dogs Help Us Through...

Have you ever thought about your pet parenting philosophy? Maybe you have an idea in your head of what you want your relationship with your dog(s) to look like, but how would you describe it?

A few months ago, on an Amazon recommendation & a whim, I bought Debby McMullen’s book How Many Dogs?! Using Positive Reinforcement training to Manage a Multiple Dog Household.  And I loved the book so much, that I had to find Debby and bring her on the podcast.

Debby is known for sharing her life with multiple dogs. Working as...

Has your dog ever shown fear, anxiety or reactivity?  If your dog hasn’t, I’d be willing to bet that you know someone whose dog is dealing with one of these issues.

Returning guest Dr. Zazie Todd is a psychologist who digs into the science of dog behavior to help us make the best decisions for our dogs. https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode105

Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist.

Teef: The easiest way to improv...

Do we really have to understand science to teach our dogs?

According to Annie Grossman, it really does help -  both us & our dogs - if we grasp the basics of how dogs learn.  And she should know.  Annie is the author of the new book How to Train Your Dog with Love & Science as well as the founder of the dog training collective School for the Dogs based in New York City.

But science doesn’t have to be difficult, and Annie helps simplify the concepts for us. As Annie’s book says: if we don’...

Have you ever heard someone say that you should be your dog’s “alpha”?   I’ve heard all types of odd advice over the years, like don’t let your dog walk through the doorway before you or never feed your dog before you eat. 

And I’ve always had lots of questions.   Do dogs have alphas?  or is that a wolf thing? You often hear the term “alpha male,” but in nature aren’t alpha females just as common?  What is the role of the alpha in a pack?  Are dogs even looking for humans to be their alpha?

 Fo...

We know that people can have different types of intelligence, but what about our dogs?  I think every pet parent I know has been astonished by how smart their dog is – and usually in a good way.

Author Jennifer Holland explores the many different ways that dogs show their intelligence in her new book Dog Smart: Life Changing Lessons in Canine Intelligence.

Jennifer interviewed everyone from scientists to dog trainers to pet parents to learn how dogs demonstrate their smarts.  I was fascinated to learn about all the different types of working dogs – some of which...

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with an animal communicator?  This is Part 2 of our family’s session with animal communicator, Nancy Mello.

In just the past few days, we discovered another one of Nancy’s insights about Neno’s health is correct!

We’re jumping back into our session with Nancy where we connected with Neno, Nessie & Penny.  After each segment from Nancy, Tim & I will share our reflections with you about what points resonated with us – or didn’t.

In Part 2, we’ll learn more about newly adopted Nessie – l...

Happy 100th Episode!!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with an animal communicator?   After connecting with Nancy Mello earlier this year, Tim & I decided to book a session with her to see if we could gain some insight into the lack of connection between our old man Neno and newly adopted Nessie.  

I was grateful that Nancy allowed us to record the session so we could reference back to it, but it hadn’t been my original plan to share this.

During our session with Nancy, there were several points...

Did you know there are many reasons why a dog could be wearing a muzzle?  I like to think that the presence of a muzzle isn’t the sign of a bad dog – but of a good pet parent!

While working with some of the UK’s most challenging dogs in rescue at Dogs Trust, Clara Hewson spent years advising pet parents on the benefits of training their dog to wear a muzzle.

But Clara had never experienced one of her own dogs needing to be muzzled in public – until she adopted Tolly.  And Clara became sho...

It feels like we’re finally at a time in society when pet loss grief is starting to be acknowledged and resources are becoming more readily available.  But do we really know how to take care of ourselves and others in times of pet loss?  Do you know how to give good grief?

We’re joined by Mindy Meiering, LCSW, a licensed therapist, life coach, and mindfulness teacher who specializes in grief and loss. Even though Mindy has supported thousands of clients and families through major losses and life transitions, she was blindsided by how devastated she felt a...

In Part 2 with Chris Hannah (Dog Dad to Cole the Deaf Dog), I share my observation that not only is Cole a special dog, but that Chris is a special human to have the emotional bandwidth to hold space for the many people he encounters during their therapy work.  Chris explains how Cole’s influence has shown him parts of himself that he didn’t know he had.

We discuss the powerful experience of volunteering at a hospice facility supporting patients and their families during the most difficult time.  Chris reflects on some of the more memorable encoun...

Sometimes a dog comes along, and nothing is ever the same again – in the best way possible!  In 2017, when Chris Hannah decided it was time to adopt a dog, he didn’t realize exactly how much of a life-changing of a decision this would be.

Chris shares with us why adopting a deaf dog was the obvious choice for him – even when it might sound like a surprising decision for a music teacher to make.  And yes, Cole the Deaf Dog’s name was inspired by the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus (the deaf son of a music teache...

Today we’re talking to renowned trainer Deb Jones, Ph.D., about Cooperative Care - the most important skills you’re (probably) not training your dog to do!  Also called Consent Care or Husbandry, I’m referring to the procedures needed to keep dogs healthy such as veterinary care and grooming.

If you’d rather get a root canal than take your dog to the vet or if you can’t trim your dog’s nails without needing a drink afterwards, then you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Deb is the author of the book Cooper...

It’s the Puppy Episode! 

I’ve always heard that the best way to set yourself & your dog up for success is by putting in 12 months of solid training with your puppy so you can reap the rewards for the next 12+ years (hopefully!) with your amazing dog.

So how do you best set up your new puppy for success – not just in your home but in the world too?  What is proper puppy socialization?  And what isn’t?

Kathy Callahan, CPDT-KA, has spent the past 10 years fostering 200+ puppies while attending dog training school in her free...

Did you know that the health decisions you make for your dog today will impact their long-term health?  including whether your dog could be at-risk developing Canine Cognitive Dysfunction aka canine dementia?

I learned that as many as 50% of dogs show signs of canine dementia in their lifetime – and these signs can show up as early as 5 years old for larger breed dogs!

Francine Barish-Stern learned all of this first-hand after her experiences with her dog, Shamrock.  She spent years trying to get a proper diagnosis for Shamrock that would explain both t...

What do you think are the most common complaints our dogs have about us Pet Parents?  Animal Communicator Nancy Mello shares the two most common grievances she hears – and I definitely needed to hear this!

While some of us might be completely intrigued by the concept of animal communication, for Nancy Mello, her experience hasn’t been all love & light. 

Nancy describes herself as “not at all woo-woo.” She spent the first 30+ years of her life trying to repress her abilities and just live as a “normal” daughter, military spouse and mom. 

 <...

Is your dog always 100% confident? While Kelly Lee of Dogkind Training specializes in working with fearful dogs, her confidence building tips will help you build your dog’s confidence in any situation.

Kelly shares her top Do’s and Don’ts for increasing your dog’s confidence – whether it’s a brand-new situation or an experience you may need to reintroduce to your dog in a different way.  

My biggest takeaway is how to break down these experiences into tiny steps.  Dogkind Training’s website has amazing free resources for learning how to do this in various ways...

Have you ever wondered if we’re [accidentally] making our dogs’ anxiety worse? 

Alex Peacock – a dog trainer who specializes in working with anxious dogs – is going help us answer this question and understand why anxious people and anxious dogs seem to attract each other.

Alex works with pet parents of anxious dogs through a comprehensive program he designed.  He’ll share with us the three pillars of his program and give us powerful tips for any pet parent dealing with an anxious dog. 

Alex also advises us on how to choose the best dog trai...

Our dogs are always talking to us … but are we listening?   I believe that learning our dogs’ body language is one of THE most important aspects of being a pet parent.

So thank goodness for Lili Chin’s work translating Doggie Language for us humans. In fact, if you follow anything dog-related on social media, you’re probably familiar with Lili’s illustrations and artwork.

Lili never anticipated that adopting Boogie, the Boston Terrier, would impact her life and career in so many ways.  She also hadn’t anticipated Boogie nearly getting her evicted after biting her apar...

Have you – or someone you know – ever struggled with a challenging dog?  Where you’ve tried everything from trainers to vets to behaviorists, but life with the dog is still a daily struggle – whether fear, reactivity or feeling like the dog runs the house instead of the humans.

If any of this sounds familiar, then you won’t want to miss this episode.

After struggling for 5 years with her own dog, Maya, Souha met a series of life-changing teachers and mentors.  These experiences led her to develop a philosophy to heal the relationship and strengthen the bond we...

Dog Mom Confession: Sometimes it’s stressful adopting a new dog!    

Have you ever heard of the 3-3-3 Rule?  This advice gives Pet Parents an expectation of what to expect 3 Days, 3 Weeks and 3 Months after bringing a new dog home.

Today’s guest Ann King is the dog trainer who has popularized the 3-3-3 Rule for the shelter & rescue community.

Ann is also the creator of the Rescue SMART framework. SMART is an acronym for Ann’s five steps to successfully introducing and integrating a new dog to your home:

Is your dog as happy as you think? Are there scientifically proven ways to make your dog happy?

Dr. Zazie Todd shines light on these questions in her book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.

This is a re-broadcast of Episode 9, which originally aired March 9, 2020.

Zazie Todd did not grow up with pets, while on her way to becoming an accomplished social psychologist. When she & her husband adopted 2 dogs within 6 weeks from their local humane society, Zazie used her psychology and research background to make sure she was doing the “right” thin...