Dog Chats

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.

Episode 6: Adding Another Pet to Your Home

Thinking about bringing a new dog or cat into your home and wondering how you can set your resident pets up for a successful transition?  In this episode Emma and Kirsten share a few management tips, procedure advice and thoughtful insights about how to expand your pet family in a way that is positive for all the animals and humans involved.

Episode 5: Twenty Questions

Fall is in the air and kids are back in school, so we thought, why not find out what students want to know about dogs?  Kids have such creative minds and fresh perspectives, and It seems to us that having more knowledge about dogs should be a priority.  No Dog Left Behind.  So we asked some local teachers to poll their students and gather up some questions, and the result is a podcast episode meant for adults and children alike.  Sometimes funny and always interesting, answering these twenty questions made Emma and Kirsten think a bit and laugh a lot.

Episode 4: Games to Meet Your Dog’s Needs

Our dogs are so intelligent and perceptive.  It is our task as their guardians to offer them sensory enrichment and engaging mental and physical stimulation.  In Episode 4, Emma and Kirsten share practical tips and creative games designed to encourage your dogs to express their inherent canine behaviors through activities, puzzles and exercises you can do together to enrich both of your lives.

Episode 3: Camping with our Dogs

Camping with your dog can be so fulfilling if you are prepared and set up for a positive experience.  Episode 3 discusses the incredible enrichment camping offers both dogs and their guardians, along with some practical advice of what to pack and what to consider when you pick a destination.  And don't worry, Kirsten shares her strong feelings about Snowy Plovers and their "nesting rights," but she is really a bird lover at heart.  

Episode 2: Summer Dog Treks

Wondering about which summer outings are fun from your dog's perspective and looking for ways to successfully include them on your adventures?  This episode unpacks various dog-friendly treks and offers tips to help you be prepared and thoughtful about summer-time fun with your pup.

Episode 1: Welcome to Dog Chats

Emma and Kirsten give you a bit of their background into why they were inspired to work as dog behavior professionals and they share some fun stories about their own dogs.  They point out that dog training philosophy and the socio-cultural perspective of our pet dogs today is so different from their childhood memories of 70's dogs.   A few wise tips and some witty repertoire in this episode will get you hooked on their podcast.
To connect with your Dog Chats podcast hosts use these links:Emma: https://www.ecdogtraining.com/
Kirsten: https://www.kwhappydogs.com/