Dog Chats

Episode 16: Barking, Lunging, Biting: Keep Calm and Carry On

Does your dog communicate their fear or frustration through barking, lunging and snapping?  Check out this new episode where Kirsten unravels some of the "why" and "how" behind these maladaptive  behaviors.  She offers a few tips for pet parents who are working to support their dogs and reminds us to start from a place of empathy and understanding for both dog and human clients.

Episode 15: Puppy Chats

Whether you just got a new puppy, or are introducing a new dog to your home and world, you will love Emma's pearls of wisdom about the significance of socialization,  independence and getting support from a professional.  Like usual, Emma makes a complex topic easy to understand as she offers a few important tips for pet parents.
 
ecdogtraining.com website
ec_training instagram
emma13clifford@icloud.com

Episode 14: A Trusted Pet Sitter is Priceless

In episode 14, The Podiversary Episode, Emma and Kirsten interview the professional pet sitter and dog walker, Lynes Downing, Jr. As our hosts share their own concerns about finding the right pet sitter when they travel, Lynes offers reassuring advice and wisdom about how to choose a good sitter, and how to set the sitter up for success.  
 
Lynes can be reached at 
His website www.petsitpro.org
Or his email petsittingprofessionals@gmail.com

Episode 13: Alpha Dog- What Does This Really Mean?

In this episode, Emma and Kirsten share their thoughts on the current research that defines the social systems of dogs. The amazing matrix of status, communication and relationships that are a part of our dogs' social environments is beautiful and complex.  Let's unpack some of the  misunderstood research about pack theory and dominance so we can examine our own relationships with our dogs in a meaningful way.

Episode 12: Interested in fostering? Interview with Suzanne Gollin- Foster Care Coordinator

Suzanne Gollin, the Foster Care Coordinator at Marin Humane, has been working to connect animals in need with loving foster families for 23 years.  Have you ever considered fostering a pet?  In this episode, we walk you through the joyful process of fostering and hope to inspire some of you to bring a shelter pet into your home, if even for a very brief period.  Emma and Kirsten both have "forever foster" pets in their homes, and want to share a bit of their stories with you.

Episode 11: Do You Speak Dog?

Analyzing dog body language brings us so much closer to understanding how our dogs are thinking and feeling.  In this episode your hosts share their insights into how dogs communicate with humans and with other dogs. Having this knowledge gives you a chance to empathize and communicate better with your own dog.
recommended reading
Dogs in Translation by Maue and Krauss
Doggie Language by Lili Chin

Episode 10: Limerick Animal Welfare Sanctuary: an interview with Marion Fitzgibbon

Emma and Kirsten had the incredible opportunity to chat with Marion Fitzgibbon, Marin Humane’s Humanitarian of the year recipient in 2008, for Episode 10.  Marion is a champion of animal welfare who created and directs the Limerick Animal Welfare Sanctuary in Kilfinane, Ireland.  She shares her inspirational story from helping stray dogs as an 8-year-old girl, to creating one of the largest and desperately needed animal shelters in Ireland.  So pull up a stool, have a listen, and get ready for a beautiful interview with Marion’s lovely, lilting brogue and poignant message about working towards a better future for animals.  Marion's story was chronicled in The Dogs of Avalon by Laura Schenone. If you would like to make a donation for the vet clinic at the Limerick Animal Welfare Sanctuary, contact Emma and Kirsten on their Dog Chats Facebook page, or you can donate to the sanctuary directly on their website https://www.limerickanimalwelfare.com/.

Episode 9: Our Dogs - Love and Loss

We love our dogs so deeply, and they bring us so much joy and happiness.   But unfortunately their time here on Earth is not long enough.  When they are gone, the grief is raw and the pain is real.  In this episode Emma and Kirsten recall stories of their past dogs' journeys from the joy when they joined their families, until their passing.  With heart-felt emotion, support and advice in the areas of grieving and moving on, your hosts share their great love of dogs and acknowledge the pain of their passing. 

Episode 8: Building Confidence, Resiliency and Optimism

With their easy-going, authentic conversation and genuine concern for both dogs and their guardians, Emma and Kirsten reveal what they have in store for you in 2023.   In this episode, our hosts reflect on past training practices and the evolution of dog training as it has transitioned from control to choice.   They answer questions about current changes in their profession, what inspires them and where they are heading.  

Episode 7: Sharing the Holidays with Your Dogs

The holidays are almost upon us and Kirsten and Emma have some thoughtful tips about how to keep our dogs healthy and happy during this special season. Also they offer creative ways to include our dogs in our rituals and traditions, while sharing some humorous stories about their own past holiday dog memories.  Baking dog biscuits, preparing for holiday guests and thinking about the holidays from our dogs' perspective- Episode 7 will leave you with warm, holiday spirit feelings and practical advice.