Theory Of Pets Podcast

The ASPCA is an inspiring organization that works to help animals around the world. I often hear people mistakenly say that it is difficult to adopt animals from the ASPCA, and today I want to set the record straight. Not only is it easier to adopt from an ASPCA shelter than you may think, there are many other things you can do to help this organization if you’re unable to take in one of their homeless animals. I am speaking with Rena, a director of an ASPCA adoption center. She’s giving me some insight into a typical day in her shoes. She also walks me through the adoption process and shares some helpful information for potential pet parents. If you’re wondering what you can do to help your local shelter or rescue organization without adopting, Rena has some great tips for that too! Whether your home is already full or you cannot adopt for other reasons, there are a number of things you could do to help an animal shelter in your area.

What exactly are sheepdog trials? Have you ever watched this fascinating dog sport on television or seen a YouTube video of these amazing dogs at work? I’m captivated by the dedication of the dogs and handlers that compete in sheepdog trials, and I wanted to learn more about the sport. To do that, I spoke with Bridget Strang of the National Finals Sheepdog Trials. I wanted to learn more about the history of the sport and what exactly the dogs are required to do. I also wondered if the sport was safe for the dog and the sheep? Bridget helped to answer these questions and tell me more about the dogs that perform best in these trials and the benefits of this sport for dogs and their handlers. If you’ve ever wondered how to get involved in sheepdog trials, Bridget has some tips on that subject too!

Canine agility has been a popular sport for decades. It’s something that I have recently taken up with our Labrador, Saddie. I’ve seen the benefits of this sport firsthand, and I’ve also seen just how exciting and rewarding it can be for our canine companions. Today I’m speaking with Cindy Swiney, she has been involved with the sport in various capacities  since 1990. Cindy has trained many dogs and competed on various levels in the field of agility. In this interview she explains more about the sport for beginners and tells advanced agility handlers how they can get involved in the competition circle. As you’ll hear Cindy mention in this interview, virtually any dog can try agility to some degree. Whether your dog is a young athlete or a slower senior, there are obstacles that are suitable for all breeds and ages. You can participate by setting up a couple of obstacles in your backyard or training at a canine agility facility in your local area.

Dock diving has been a popular sport in the pet industry for decades. In recent years it has grown substantially. I recently stumbled onto the sport with a little from our Labrador Retriever, Saddie. Saddie loves the water and took to dock diving very quickly. It’s something that her and I both enjoy! Today I’m speaking with Kristen Cooper, who has been involved with dock diving in various capacities. From training to competing,  Kristen has firsthand experience to share with us. She has even served as a judge for competitions in recent years. In this interview she explains more about the sport for beginners and tells advanced dock diving handlers how they can get involved in the competition circle. Dock diving may not be a good fit for every dog, but if your pup loves the water there is a good chance he’ll enjoy this sport with a little practice. As Kristen explains, it may take some time and patience to get him off the dock the first time, but once your pooch gets over those initial nerves, it may just be h

The dictionary defines something that is transparent as being something that is easy to perceive or detect. Transparency in the pet food industry means that a company should offer all the information that a pet owner needs to detect the quality of their product. What ingredients are used in the making of the product? Where are these ingredients sourced? How is the product prepared? Redbarn Pet Products is one of the most transparent companies in the pet food industry, which inspired me to speak with a representative of their company to find out why this is so important. I was able to chat with Lindsay Tracy, their director of new business and product development about transparency in the industry and why pet owners should be looking for this quality in the companies they support. In this interview, Lindsay discusses the importance of knowing where pet food ingredients are sourced, and why it’s not always best to focus on ingredients sourced in the USA. She’ll also talk about some of the beneficial ingredients

Skin and coat health go hand-in-hand. If your dog has dry, itchy skin, his coat is likely going to be dry and brittle too. Most pet owners think of grooming products first when brainstorming ways to help moisturize and condition their pet’s skin and coat. Did you know that proper nutrition is one of the best ways to help pets with skin issues? Dr. Jennifer Adolphe is a regular guest on my podcast. She is the senior nutritionist for Petcurean, and is speaking with me today about how your pet’s meals can affect their skin and coat health. Dr. Adolphe has a PhD in pet nutrition, and she is my go-to resource for all things related to a pet’s diet. Today she’s sharing some tips and tricks for pet owners who are trying to improve the condition of their pet’s skin and coat. She will also share helpful information about choosing the right dog food/ingredients for pet’s with skin allergies, as well as which ingredients you should be avoiding. If you’re wondering whether or not your pet may be suffering with skin aller

Preparing for winter is important for everyone, but especially for those of us living in regions that see snow, extremely cold temperatures and brutal winter storms. While you’re making preparations to keep your family safe and healthy this winter, don’t forget the furry members! There are many winter dangers that pet owners need to be aware of, and there are a number of things that you can easily do to keep your pooch safe and healthy in the cold winter months. Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Cheryl Nelson, Weather and Disaster Prep Advisor for Cummins. Cheryl specializes in helping people prepare for inclement weather, and she shared some tips for winter pet care with me in this podcast. Does your pet spend a lot of time outside year round? Cheryl has some tips for you too! When is it too cold for your pet to be left outside? While it all depends on the pet, Cheryl will let you know some basic guidelines to follow that will keep your dog safe and give you peace of mind.

Dealing with dogs that have aggression issues can be nerve wracking and even dangerous for owners. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up making the problems worse. To begin, you must figure out what is triggering the aggression and work toward solving the problem, but there's a lot more to it, so hence this podcast episode. Jereme Paddock is a dog training working in Arizona who specializes in helping dogs that have been deemed aggressive. He works with all types of canines at his facility – Paddock’s Paws Pet Care & Training. Today he is answering my questions about aggressive dogs and what owners can do to help pets struggling with these issues. From the signs to watch out for to choosing the right dog trainer to help you, Jereme has all the information that you’ll need to decide whether or not you can care for a dog with aggressive tendencies. He’ll also discuss some of the most common types of aggression in canines and what you can do to help reduce the chances of an aggressive outburs

What are functional ingredients in pet food? I’ve heard this term used quite often lately, and I was curious to learn more about these ingredients and the benefits that they could have for our pets. Nutrition is my top concern when it comes to caring for our pets. Proper nutrition has a direct link on our pets’ overall health and wellness, so in my opinion it should be the first thing on every owners’ mind. Dr. Jennifer Adolphe is the Senior Nutritionist at Petcurean, a company devoted to creating premium pet food. I knew Dr. Adolphe would have some advice for pet owners about functional ingredients and what we should be looking for when shopping for pet food.

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is becoming a growing treatment in the human and veterinary medical fields. CBD is a substance extracted from the hemp plant, which makes it a controversial topic in either industry. As more research is being done on the effectiveness of CBD on health conditions such as cancer, arthritis, stress and anxiety, more and more people are seeking this treatment for themselves and their pets. This week I was fortunate enough to speak with Odessa Gunn. Odessa began her career as a professional bike racer, which took her to many different countries around the world. While traveling, she saw that animal welfare was a huge problem everywhere she went. Odessa has been rescuing animals around the world for over a decade, and her work has recently earned her a ‘Local Hero Award’ for her rescue efforts in China during the Yulin Meat Festival. Odessa has also fostered more than 200 animals over the years, and currently has 21 rescue animals on her small farm. Many of these foster animals have

Is your dog a picky eater? Does your cat turn her nose up at meal time? If you’re struggling with a picky pet your first instinct may be to feed them table scraps or other human food. This can be dangerous, because it will provide inadequate nutrition and too many calories for your furry companion. I spoke with Dr. Jennifer Adolphe, PhD senior nutritionist at Petcurean, to find out what we can do to help our companion animals eat the food that we provide. Of course, the first thing you need to consider is the quality of the food that you’re providing. If you’re not providing a high quality food, your pet will be less likely to gobble it up. Dr. Adolphe also explains why our pets may be picky eaters and the easiest ways to get them to eat regular meals. For example, did you consider increasing your pet’s daily exercise? Perhaps he just isn’t hungry at meal time. For more information and some very helpful tips, check out this week’s podcast episode.

You wouldn’t want to eat the same thing day in and day out for every meal, right? Why do you think that your pet would? Many owners continue to buy the same brand and the same flavor of dog or cat food for months or even years! We do this for two reasons: (1) our pet continues to eat it, so we don’t realize that it’s boring for him and (2) changing the food you feed every 2-3 days would wreak havoc on your pet’s digestive system. pawTree has created a line of superfood toppers that can be sprinkled on any canine or feline meal to add nutrition, variety and flavor to the diet without having to switch your pet’s food. Today I was able to speak with Brooke Sloate, director of product development at pawTree, to find out about the importance of adding variety to your pet’s diet. She explains why this is so important and how superfoods can help with your pet’s overall health and well-being.

When it comes to training a dog, there are so many methods, tips and tricks out there that it can be impossible to decide which is right for you. Tom Shelby is the author of Dog Training Diaries: Proven Expert Tips and Tricks to Live in Harmony with Your Dog, and I had the pleasure of speaking with him about his chosen method of canine training. I really enjoy and relate to Tom’s “depends” dog training method. He calls himself a “depends trainer,” because he says that the training style used depends on the dog, the situation, the environment and other variables. I have trained many dogs over the years, and I completely agree with this method. Today, Tom explains more about his experience as a trainer and gives some great pointers for owners who are struggling with leash training. Leash training can be quite difficult with larger breeds, dogs that pull and/or dogs that have leash aggression. When is it time to throw in the towel and consult a professional for help? Tom discusses all of that and more in this we

According to Best Friends Animal Society, more than 4,100 animals are euthanized in America’s shelters every day! There are many organizations fighting to stop the euthanization of shelter animals, but there are still hundreds of establishments around the world that follow this practice. If an animal is at the shelter for a certain length of time (usually 30-90 days) and they haven’t been adopted, they are euthanized. This is a tragic practice that Best Friends is focused on stopping. Their ‘No-Kill Initiative’ has already saved the lives of countless pets, and they’re hoping that it will be a country-wide reality within the next few years. Today I was fortunate enough to speak with Terran Tull, a Dogtown Behavior Consultant for Best Friends Animal Society. In this podcast interview Terran gives tips for potential owners who are thinking of purchasing a pet instead of adopting. She also explains what the No Kill Initiative is and its plans for the future. If you’re not currently able to adopt an animal in nee

Planning for a pet’s passing is an overwhelming and very emotional process. The better prepared you are, the easier everything will be when that time comes. I know it’s not something that any pet owner wants to think about, but you also won’t want to do research and make arrangements while trying to cope with the loss of your furry companion.

Don’t you wish every day could be take your dog to work day? Some employers are realizing that dogs are a big part of many families. While being considerate that working parents may need time off to tend to sick children or attend sports and school functions, most companies don’t take consideration for their employees’ pets. Paul LeBlanc, founder of Zogics and Zogics Pets, is hoping that this fact will change in the future.

DNA tests for canines are very similar to those for humans. Whether you’ve used one yourself or you’ve seen one performed on your favorite television show, you’re probably familiar with these simple cheek swab tests. DNA testing can tell you if you’re related to someone else and how strong that relation is. They can also give you very beneficial information about your health.

When I heard about Coley’s Toxins I knew I couldn’t keep this information to myself. They were invented in 1893 by Dr. William Coley who used them to treat about 1,000 cancer patients with better results than would be expected with a comparable group of patients today. Clinical results from this treatment have included complete cures of inoperable and/or metastatic lymphoma, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer and melanoma.

Picking the right type of nutrition approach for your dog or cat can be quite overwhelming for pet owners. There are so many options to choose from. How do you know which product is the best choice for your furry companion?  Reading labels can be confusing, and online research is time consuming.

Have you ever watched a dog show on television? It looks like so much fun, but we all know that it’s a lot more work than it seems. How do you get started with dog shows? How do you find a dog that will be suitable for showing? If it’s something you’ve thought about, this week’s podcast episode has the answers you’re looking for.