Ruff Around The Edges (Kajsa van Overbeek)
Explorez tous les épisodes de Ruff Around The Edges
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Feb 2022 | Bonus Episode 001 | How feeling frustration can help you be less frustrated with your dog | 00:20:40 | |
In this episode, I go a little meta on you. Do you know what frustration feels like for you in your body? I talk about the importance and benefits of being able to pinpoint different emotions in your body. How can being able to describe the physical sensation of frustration help you feel less frustrated about life with your challenging dog? The books I mention in this episode are: Burnout
If you are intrigued about life coaching and mindset work and all that it can do for you (a lot!), my website is: Sign up for the free self-paced mini-mindset course for guardians of challenging dogs here: kajsavanoverbeek.com/think-mini-course Do let me know if this was useful or if you have certain topics you would like me to discuss. | |||
| 11 Feb 2022 | 011 | Nicole den Broeder & Haley, Living Next Door to the Dog Who Attacked Your Spanish Rescue | 01:25:43 | |
Nicole den Broeder & Haley Imagine falling in love with a rescue dog from Spain, who started life by the side of a road, and then spent some days in the vet clinic fighting for her life. You decide to help find her a home by spreading her picture online. You then figure, why not foster her? And finally, she just becomes yours, but not without overcoming many difficulties. Imagine living in a flat, an apartment complex, the farthest from the elevator and the staircase. Now your dog gets attacked by the neighbor dog escaping from their front door and the only way for you to take your dog outside to potty or to go on a walk is to walk past that same front multiple times every day. That’s what happened to poor Haley, and seems to be a contributing factor to her increased reactivity. Nicole tells us about her journey, the dog training rabbit hole she went down (like most of us do), about deciding to get a 3rd dog even after all she had been through with Haley, oh and about the book she wrote detailing that journey. And last but not least, we talk, about the search for that highest of high value treats. We promised you the recipe in the show notes, so here it is: ------- Haley’s favorite treats: 1/4 cup flour 4 eggs 2 cans of sardines in water (120grams or 4.25oz per can) Tablespoon peanut butter (no artificial sweetener!) (If you like you could add a little cheese as extra) Mix everything in a blender and divide over a silicone treat mat The batter will be the consistency of pancake-batter (think European, more crepe than American pancake) and is enough to fill 2 mats. Bake for about 25minutes at 200 C / 390 F The cookies will be soft and malleable when they’re done. Nicole, Zoe, Haley & Lacey on Instagram: @gsdlacey Haley’s book, or should we say Nicole’s book: On Amazon.com (also in Kindle-version): Reactive Rescue Understanding the Misunderstood On Amazon.co.uk: Reactive Rescue Understanding the Misunderstood On Amazon.de: Reactive Rescue Understanding the Misunderstood On Amazon.fr: Reactive Rescue Understanding the Misunderstood On Amazon.nl: Reactive Rescue Understanding the Misunderstood | |||
| 21 Feb 2022 | Bonus Episode 002 | How solid is your own drop it cue? Can you drop your expectations? | 00:17:33 | |
Do you have a drop it cue? Not your dog, you… Can you drop your expectations? Can you drop your frustration? Can you drop your anger? Can you drop your schedule and improvise when something doesn’t go according to plan? I know that you can. That you can be a champion at “drop it”. What if you could drop the idea of what life with your dog is supposed to be like and take life as it comes? No expectation, no disappointment, no frustration. | |||
| 21 Mar 2022 | 012 | Tara Stillwell & Eva, Curri and Duke | 01:01:00 | |
So much good stuff in this episode! I want to turn half of the quotes in this episode into memes. Like, how learning how to do agility with a border collie is like learning to drive in a Lamborghini. Meet Tara Stillwell and her dogs Eva, the red and white border collie, Curri, the sable border collie and Duke the mini-Aussie. It’s absolutely clear to me that Tara has put a lot of effort into reflecting on how her dogs have affected all the relationships in her life. How the expectations we put on ourselves and our dog can trip either of us up. Most importantly though, she shares so many insights that have helped her embrace life with her dogs again. We talk about dealing with the guilt she had about not knowing what everyone who’s had multiple dogs before must surely have already known. Here’s one thought Tara gave to combat that guilt. You can try it on yourself and see if it serves you: “Nobody says: “Let me get a messed up dog so that I can then modify their behavior!”” Isn’t that the truth? She also mentions importantly how she has adapted her thoughts about what other dog guardians are supposed to do or not do. She doesn’t expect them to be able to recall their dogs for example. Can you imagine what that’s like? If you drop that expectation and instead feel compassion for the other guardians? And of course we talk about some of her and my favorite podcasts and trainers that have already gotten multiple shoutouts on this podcast as well: Sarah Stremming of the Cognitive Canine, and Marissa Martino of Paws and Reward And then also, Kim Brophy (CLICK HERE for her website), who I didn’t know yet but who has some amazing stuff out there dealing with dog ethology. She uses the LEGS (Learning, Environment, Genetics & Self) model (CLICK HERE to sign up for her course and/or get a free preview) to account for a lot of why dogs (and us humans too) are the way they and we are. In short, it’s not all in how you raise them. That is something I believe all of us dealing with guilt around what we believe are our insufficient training skills should take to heart. CLICK HERE for the link to Kim’s insightful TED talk on “The Problem with Treating Dogs Like a Pet” | |||
| 08 Apr 2022 | Bonus Episode 003 | Why trying to keep everyone in your household happy doesn't work | 00:12:40 | |
Are you always trying to keep everyone in your household happy? | |||
| 26 Apr 2022 | Bonus Episode 004 | Looking at training setbacks differently | 00:09:47 | |
Remember the star charts for kids? You only add stars for good behavior and never remove any for bad behavior. | |||
| 09 May 2022 | Bonus Episode 005 | Get-there-itis, parallels between flying and life with our dogs | 00:16:34 | |
| 20 Apr 2022 | 013 | Karolina Joniec & Lou, a life altering travel souvenir from Nicaragua | 00:57:54 | |
A travel souvenir from NicaraguaImagine falling in love with two abandoned 5 weeks old street dog puppies whilst abroad in Nicaragua. The second you lay eyes on them you know you’re in trouble because you’re not going to give these dogs up. So you crowdfund in pre-crowdfunding days to get the money together to bring these dogs to the Netherlands. Once they get there you find out, that the vet abroad provided you with falsified papers and you lose your now-teenage dogs to a 4 months quarantine. On a scale of 0 to 10 how would you rate…This is when Lou, like so many dogs on this podcast, turns Karolina’s life upside down. She puts Karolina on a completely new life path directed toward animal welfare. Listen to Karolina talk about the importance of vet checks, nutrition and taking a holistic approach to animal wellbeing. Included in her story is how she learned like all of us that not everyone who has had dogs for longer than we have knows more about them, and be gobsmacked like I was about her use of a simple mental 0-10 reactivity scale as a way to track Lou’s improvement. Lou’s a 2-3 on that scale now most days and loves man-trailing and dog-trailing. LinksThe Facebook Group Karolina co-moderates with her friends (highly recommended for its positive non-judgemental vibe): and her own group focusing on all things cat&dog, such as dietary choices, places to buy food, natural remedies, behavior, etc. | |||
| 03 May 2022 | 014 | Annie Phenix & her dogs, the shifts in our thinking about dogs and the sad topic of behavioral euthanasia | 02:14:38 | |
Trigger Warning: Behavioral Euthanasia Many of you will know Annie as the author of the book “The Midnight Dog Walkers” and as a dog trainer who specializes in dealing with reactivity and aggression cases and we do talk about that, but in this episode she also talks about life with her own dogs, Radar, Echo , Zimmie , Cooper and Finn (the latter two also being known affectionately as “the hooligans”). That shift has everything to do with seeing our dogs as sentient beings with emotional and physical needs that need to be met ALONGSIDE those of the human. It’s not “either/or”, it’s “and”. A plethora of trainers and new training ideas come up in our discussion and they are all linked below. We talk about how she only wanted three things from her hooligan cattledog mixes and that was: to get along with people, to get along with dogs, and to come when called. We also talk about why Annie decided on cattledogs, when “her breed” is the German Shepherd. That has everything to do with Zimmie, her Shiloh Shepherd who Annie has had to put to sleep because of behavioral issues. Annie hasn’t been able to have another German Shepherd after, and that says something. Behavioral euthanasia is not an option any dog lover wants to choose ever. Annie explains what led up to the decision, and talks about her thoughts and feelings afterward as well. She’s worked in rescue a long time and is a trainer who specializes in difficult dogs which might have made it even more difficult to accept that “we can’t save them all”. What brings her the most sadness is the knowledge her other dogs suffered because of Zimmie. If you are considering behavioral euthanasia for your dog or have had to go through it already, please find a host of links on the topic at the bottom of this post that could be of worth you, whether to aid you in making the decision or to help you process the grief afterward. Links & Tons of Information on the podcast episode website which you can find here: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/014-ruff-around-the-edges-with-annie-phenix/ | |||
| 16 May 2022 | 015 | Meaghan Marton, Sunny & Puppy, on setting Sunny free from his troubled life on earth, and celebrating all that he was. | 01:45:20 | |
Trigger Warning: behavioral euthanasia
This episode is full of amazement, wonder, celebration, grief, sadness, guilt, love and I want to say almost any and all of the emotions from all over the spectrum.
It’s long and unedited because a story like that of Meaghan and Sunny, which unfortunately does not have a happy end, needs to be told in full. As you listen to the episode you’ll hear how close happiness and sadness really are. You may judge or not, you may find relief in the story or not, you may ask “what if” or not, you may cry or not, but above all you will realize the impact making the decision to put an animal to sleep has on a person. This topic is not talked about enough. A lot of shame exists around it, and often where there is shame there is silence. We need to talk about it though, for the sake of our animals and the humans that love(d) them. So before we dive in I want to thank Meaghan for being vulnerable and willing to come on the podcast to share her story.
That story begins with a chance encounter with a gorgeous pitbull named Sunny on the streets of LA. It continues with living the vanlife and traveling the continental USA, to end up back in Canada. It’s a story that speaks of learning as you go along. Like so many of us, Meaghan changed over from punishment-based learning styles to force-free training. She describes how she got to understand Sunny better as she learned more and more about how he ticked, and how it was fear that drove his behavior. She also explains how and why she finally came to the decision to end Sunny’s life, and talks about the grief and guilt that came with it. She too, similar to Annie Phenix, describes how tremendously helpful Losing Lulu, the Facebook group that provides support for guardians who have made the decision to go ahead with behavioral euthanasia, was. Finally, we talk about serendipity and how a cat named Puppy helped her heal. I hope that mainly what comes through in this episode though is the celebration of Sunny’s life. Links: Meaghan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meaghanmariie/ Meaghan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeaghanMarieMarton Running For A Reason fundraising initiative: https://www.instagram.com/running_forareason/ The animal farm Meaghan volunteers at: Charlotte’s Freedom Farm: https://instagram.com/charlottesfreedomfarm?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Losing Lulu on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/losinglulu) – this is an extremely well-moderated support group for owners who have made the decision to put down a pet for behavioral reasons. The support here is first class. If you ever felt alone in this painful decision, this compassionate group will prove to you that you are not alone. Behaviour Euthanasia Decision and Support Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2232229546906347 | |||
| 24 May 2022 | Bonus Episode 006 | Does doing the best for your dog have to feel hard? | 00:13:07 | |
Sometimes we imagine that doing our utmost for our dogs has to feel like we are making a real effort. In other words, it has to feel hard. But does it really have to? Are we stressing ourselves out unnecessarily? Is it simply because we are not used to the fact that doing our best can feel like smooth sailing too? That’s what this episode is about. | |||
| 31 May 2022 | 016 | Jennifer Cook & her motley crew of her own, foster and dog-walking dogs, a laid back Aussie attitude goes a long way | 00:57:45 | |
I loved this interview with Jennifer. Talking with her I understand 100% how she manages to work with all of her canine companions (and their people) so well. We talk about how she went from IT specialist to having a dog walking service and how she hasn’t regretted it at all. She talks about what it is like to foster dogs (and mentions that all of you who have adopted a dog from foster care should definitely feel free to keep photo updates on your dog coming indefinitely). I am sure that is made possible by her general relaxed attitude towards life, combined with a genuine curiosity to learn more about our canine friends. Though she is not a dog trainer she explains how she tries to adhere to the training protocols used by the trainers of her different dog walking dogs as well as possible. If I were living in Amsterdam I would hire her pronto. How many dogwalkers do you know that will gladly walk reactive dogs and be willing to follow your training methods? Links to where you can find Jennifer Apparently, during the interview, some of the laid-back attitude also rubbed off on me and I almost forgot to ask her where people could find her and her service, but not to worry, you will find the links below. If you’re wanting some pointers on starting your own dogwalking service, then Jennifer mentions she’s happy to provide you with some information.
Jen’s business social media: https://www.facebook.com/Expatspetsandmore https://www.instagram.com/expatspetsandmoreamsterdam/ Her own Instagram account (well, more like her dogs’ but that’s to be expected): https://www.instagram.com/jackson.and.friends/ The helpful Facebook group we are both a member of:
Expats with Dogs in Amsterdam: https://www.facebook.com/groups/search/groups_home/?q=expats%20with%20dogs%20in%20amsterdam
Jenn is currently fostering for: https://www.poolseasielhonden.nl/ Stanley and Jackson came from: https://www.dutchyadoptions.com/ | |||
| 06 Jun 2022 | Bonus Episode 007 | Are you categorizing your dog walks as good or bad? | 00:16:34 | |
If you’re someone who comes home from a dog walk to then classify it as good, bad, great, a disaster, or only a step shy of Valhalla, then you want to listen to this episode. Consider that it is actually you who makes your dog walks “bad” or “good”. And I say that very lovingly. Because it’s good news. Awareness is everything. Did you know you can just think: “Crap happened and I get to feel crappy about it, without having to get sucked into the doomsday-vortex to never resurface ever again?” Have a listen and as always, if any of it resonated, then I would love to hear from you.
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| 21 Jun 2022 | Bonus Episode 008 | Worry about being too emotional and passing stress down the leash | 00:15:54 | |
In this episode, I address the concept of passing stress down the leash to your dog and all of its variants. I ask you to question what's the chicken and what's the egg? Which came first? Your stress or the dog's behavior? Is your stress the result of your dog lunging or the cause? What does worrying about your stress, sensitivity or emotionality do for you? Does it make you doubt yourself? Judge yourself? Try to change yourself? Are you believing that your work is to become less emotional? More confident? You'll learn why maybe all there is to it is to accept yourself for who you are. Oh, and you'll hear about how I deal with emotionality myself and crying in particular. It has something to do with the movies Top Gun and Marley and Me. Have a listen to see how those two link into things. Links: kajsavanoverbeek.com Top Gun on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gun | |||
| 14 Jun 2022 | 017 | Airen & Pili, on the intersection of life as a trans and queer person and life with our challenging dogs | 01:03:48 | |
Do you have to deal with comments from others when you’re out and about with your (challenging) dog? Do you get remarks on working with food rewards? Made fun of for “rewarding” your dog for lunging or barking?
Imagine going through that and getting snide remarks about your sexuality thrown into the mix. Like how of course it’s the dyke who brings a rug for their dog to relax on at a cafe. Airen has had to deal with experiences like this for a long time. He is a queer and trans person with the most adorable sight hound named Pili, whom he raises force free with the utmost respect for Pili being a sentient being of their own.
You can probably imagine that Airen has done his fair share of mindset- and thoughtwork to learn how to handle other people’s judgment. If you, like me, are a person who holds almost all of the world’s privileges it’s almost impossible to comprehend what he experiences on a day-to-day basis. I believe this is precisely why it’s so valuable to educate yourself and to listen to and really hear stories like Airen’s. Airen holds a degree in biochemistry and a Master’s degree in biotechnology, so like me, he loves science and what it can teach us. He did not find all that he was looking for in the world of academia and has now veered off to embark on a career uniquely his own. He combines science, education and art with his love for dogs and experiences as a queer and trans person to teach people about gender identity and dog well-being.
So, press play and listen to the wisdom Airen had to share. There are a lot, lot, lot of golden nuggets in there.
Find Airen here: https://www.instagram.com/perretologia/
Other links: The article on dogs, aversive treatment and the effects of predictability:
The article on breed stereotypes that Airen and I talk about: | |||
| 05 Jul 2022 | Bonus Episode 009 | When there is no specific recipe for training | 00:18:59 | |
There’s nothing more maddening than working off of a recipe that doesn’t properly specify the ingredients, or their quantities. It’s like when someone tells you to add a “dollop” of something and you wonder: Big dollop? Small dollop? Teaspoon full? Ladle? Internally you. are screaming for someone to please just give you an exact measurement already! We want the same when it comes to our dogs. We want a specific step by step training plan. All bases should be covered. We want every if-then-else scenario accounted for. Why though? Have you ever stopped and asked yourself that? What are we afraid will happen if we don’t know all the steps? Why do we want or need someone else to tell us? What are we missing out on by putting all our eggs in the dog trainer’s basket? What questions don’t we want to ask ourselves? The episode isn’t all heavy, but you might want to listen to it after you have already eaten something or you might find yourself mysteriously longing for pancakes and pizza. Just saying. My coaching will help you do just that. Jump on a call with me to find out if it’s for you. I’ll help you find the questions you need to answer so you can rely less on others and feel confident trusting yourself. | |||
| 29 Jun 2022 | 018 | Jay Gurden & Finn, how an anxious dog turned their guardian into a canine author who rallies to create awareness around imposter syndrome | 01:12:16 | |
Very fittingly. I learned about Jay, whose a canine author, blogger and freelance Writer, and her dog Finn through a piece of her writing. It was an article that Jay wrote for Dogs Today a while ago, but that still makes the rounds among guardians of challenging dogs. What she wrote resonates deeply with most of us. You can read the full article here: https://dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/2019/02/19/the-emotional-toll-of-reactive-dog/ But here are two quotes: There are any number of articles that you can find about how to reassure and help your reactive dog. There are far, far fewer that in any way prepare you for the emotional rollercoaster that is being the owner or handler of a reactive dog. and I have cried more tears over this one dog than over any other animal I’ve ever had, even the ones that I’ve had to say that permanent goodbye to. Because of Finn, I have been patronised, pitied, sworn at and despised. If you have ever wondered whether you messed your dog up because he was your first dog, then you will want to listen to Jay. She was used to living and working with border collies actually working sheep, and “still” she ended up with a very anxious dog. Jay talks about the moment when someone told her she should just have her dog killed. We discuss what were pivot points in her life with Finn, like hearing the term reactive dog for the first time, and taking Canine Principles courses. She explains how she ended up writing books, which, spoiler alert, was basically by embracing Nike’s slogan: just do it! and combining it with the belief that there is no one better to write about a topic than someone who has just had to deal it. Jay also talks about how Finn’s stunning looks don’t always work in his favor. Imagine attracting every human within visual range to your blue merle coat, but being afraid of humans… And of course, we talk about mindset and the relation with imposter syndrome, which is another topic that Jay is passionate about, and about how that ties into life with Finn. All of the ways you can find Jay and learn more about her: https://www.instagram.com/bluemerleminion/ https://www.instagram.com/jaygurden/ https://twitter.com/bluemerleminion https://www.facebook.com/bluemerleminion/ https://www.facebook.com/jaygurdenwriter https://www.facebook.com/Dogguardianshub
Imposter Syndrome FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/124746796350145
Imposter Syndrome Blog: https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/2563786379369033227 Blog: https://splodgycollies.blogspot.com Websites: https://www.goodguardianship.com/ Book list: https://books2read.com/ap/RQr7oX/Jay-Gurden Other Links: Kim Brophy’s ethology courses: | |||
| 12 Jul 2022 | 019 | Lauren and Stella, when you live in New York City with an anxious dog | 01:40:30 | |
Imagine living in New York City with an anxious dog. I was pretty curious as to that experience and so when I found Lauren and Stella on Instagram, asked them to come on the podcast, and were there stories to tell.
First of all we talk about how Lauren ended up choosing Stella, who is a she when she had set out to adopt a male dog. This had everything to do with Sammy her previous dog, who was also a little Ruff Around the Edges. Then there is so much more, from the practicalities of living in the city, to how Lauren makes sure she meets her personal needs (making them a mandatory requirement). We discuss the impact living with Stella has had on her relationships and friendships and what her mindset has been around that. There may be some talk about West Elm rugs and candy crush too, but you will just. have to listen to the episode for that. Also, West Elm, if you’re reading this and you want to sponsor Lauren and Stella, then by all means reach out! Lauren and Stella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitstaystella_/ https://sammysstraysrescue.org/ | |||
| 26 Jul 2022 | 020 | Life Coach Rachel Hudson interviews Kajsa van Overbeek (me) on everything coaching, family and dog | 01:06:48 | |
| 19 Jul 2022 | Bonus Episode 010 | Weaponized incompetence, when you believe someone is sabotaging your training on purpose | 00:16:34 | |
Weaponized incompetence, had you heard of it? Until recently I had honestly never heard the term. It’s when someone pretends to be really bad at something in order to not be able to do it, like training or walking the dog… In this episode, I examine how mindset plays into that. Can incompetence be a weapon if we choose to not let it be? | |||
| 02 Aug 2022 | Bonus Episode 011 | How we think about our dogs matters for our own mental health | 00:21:35 | |
| 09 Aug 2022 | 021 | Sara Rafai and Kiwi, this Dubai team teaches us the importance of communication | 01:23:37 | |
What do most guardians of our podcast dogs have in common? They go down the dog training rabbit hole, learning all there is to learn about dogs and dog training. At some point most of them have the thought: “I might as well become a dog trainer now!” Sara is no different. We talk about that, but also about the importance of communication in her journey with Kiwi, a desert mix, as Dubai’s strays are often referred to. What made her discontinue training with the balanced trainer that had been recommended to her? What was it about how PPG accredited Dubai trainer Aimee of @pawfectbehaviourme described her services that made it easy for Sara to switch over to force-free training? Then there was COVID. The strict lockdown in Dubai was a blessing in disguise for Kiwi and for Sara and her husband too. The latter proved instrumental for the mental health of the whole human-dog family. He showed up in the background during our recording and jokingly asked Sara whether she was only saying good things about him. If you listen to this episode I imagine you’ll agree with me that that’s a resounding YES. Find Sara here (and consider booking her services as a trainer if you’re in Dubai): @kiwiskronicles Aimee, Sara’s trainer and mentor, a PPG accredited force-free dog trainer in Dubai: @pawfectbehaviourme Other Instagram accounts that get a shoutout in this episode: | |||
| 16 Aug 2022 | Bonus Episode 012 | A different way of looking at training mistakes and regret | 00:31:15 | |
Do you sometimes feel yourself end up living in a place of regret about things you wish you had done differently for and with your dog? | |||
| 24 Aug 2022 | 022 | Logan, Nobu and Mona, on getting a new puppy after going through behavioural euthanasia | 01:28:43 | |
TRIGGER WARNING: behavioral euthanasia | |||
| 27 Aug 2022 | Bonus Episode 013 | Overcoming perfectionism when learning languages and training our dogs | 00:24:40 | |
Being perfectionistic is a badge we often wear with pride, but perfectionism mostly doesn't serve us. It doesn't serve us if we're learning new languages and it doesn't serve us when we are training our dogs. Have you ever refrained from saying something or asking a question because you didn't know how to word it quite right? Do you know you would make more progress if you didn't care about getting things perfect but you don't know how to get over that perfectionism? If you're a self-proclaimed perfectionist, you may want to listen to this episode. I try to not only state the obvious but to also give you some actionable steps as to how you can start to curb your inner perfectionist. It's all about not standing yourself into a car (and if that sounds weird you will just have to listen to the episode). | |||
| 12 Sep 2022 | Bonus Episode 014 | Curiosity, Collar Pops, Caesar Milan and Crumbs | 00:23:00 | |
This episode is all about how staying curious can help your dog, your relationships, and yourself. My conversation with her once more drove home the point I always try to make, which is that curiosity is the best antidote to judgment, both judgment of your dog, human others, and yourself. It's how we keep communication open between people and species with possibly opposing views. That communication in turn is what brings us closer together and brings about positive change in the world. Yes, I am unapologetically idealistic. Of course, I try to come up with some practical advice as well, which is: - When you feel an emotion bubbling up...
Listen to the whole episode to hear how I answered those questions and what things came up for me. I hope the episode is useful. Do let me know your thoughts! | |||
| 06 Sep 2022 | 023 | Megan and Luna, on the intersection of pica, food indiscrimination, and reactivity | 01:39:47 | |
Megan and I talk about all things complex dogs: - Labels and when to use them. Is Luna, reactive, aggressive, complex, or "simply" a dog dealing with health issues? -What are her health issues? What's causing her extreme pica and food indiscrimination? -Is pica a cause or symptom of Luna's anxiety? -What's behind her resource guarding of her own vomit? And what is making her vomit in the first place? -The importance of having a great primary care veterinarian, especially a force-free one -The magic of a muzzle -Feeling alone in having a dog with such a peculiar and unique set of behavior problems -The importance of doing things without your dog Megan and Luna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luna_the_cur_/ The other Instagram account with a mention: Lauren and Stella: https://www.instagram.com/stellainthecity22/ | |||
| 20 Sep 2022 | 024 | Marijke Riddering (and Scott) & SupDog, a 1600-mile decompression walk on the Pacific Crest Trail | 01:38:28 | |
You’ve heard of decompression walks, letting your dog enjoy nature and sniff away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. How about a 1600-mile decompression walk? Luna (Marijke) and Werewolf (Scott) hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (2650 miles) for their honeymoon and after clearing the desert section in Southern California, their dog SupDog (“real” name Balu) joined them for the remainder of the trail. What food did they bring? What’s it like bringing a black dog in warm weather? How did they deal with judgment from others? What are town visits like? (“scamming” a sausage off the local butcher anyone?) Or that time where he would mysteriously refuse to walk every late afternoon and it took a while to figure out what was going on. As Marijke explains it was just a stringing together of a series of decisions, constantly evaluating where you are at and what is the best way forward based on the situation as it is. One of my favorite parts is where Marijke explains that SupDog was sound sensitive and the choice was simply between him being sound sensitive at home or sound sensitive on the trail with the family who loves him. It doesn’t sound like too hard of a choice to make, when you put it that way. After coming back home Marijke and Scott decided to pay it forward and they started the Thru-Hiker Dog Facebook Group to exchange information with those considering thru-hiking with their dog that is judgment free. I am a member of that group and if you’re considering hiking longer distances with your dog I highly encourage you to join. You will be able to ask all the questions you need to figure out what works for you and your dog. Marijke also mentions that her present dog probably is not a long-distance trail dog. This is one conclusion you might come to as well based on the information shared freely within the group. It’s all about what you believe is right for you and your dog. The Thru-hiker Dogs Facebook Group, that was started by Marijke and Scott to provide dog guardians with information, tips, and tricks, given by people who’ve actually been there and done that: https://www.facebook.com/groups/907294749289972 The dehydrated dog food SupDog was eating on trail: https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/ The Pacific Crest Trail Association: The other two major long-distance trails: The Appalachian Trail: https://appalachiantrail.org/ The Continental Divide Trail: https://continentaldividetrail.org/ MSR Gear: https://www.msrgear.com/ | |||
| 26 Sep 2022 | Bonus Episode 015 | Spinning in Indecision, Why You Do It, and How to Get Out of It | 00:13:09 | |
If you agonize over decisions, research purchases to death before buying, and weigh the pros and cons seemingly endlessly, then this is the episode for you. There’s a reason your brain does this. It’s trying to be kind to you. And its kindness often hurts more than it helps. All is not lost though. We’re not at the mercy of our brains. We actually have a say in things, which is what I explain in the episode. There may or may not be an anecdote in there about me having to decide on the colors of Rusty’s backpack. His backpack was made by an awesome woman-owned boutique business in the USA, called Groundbird Gear. They provide your dog with a custom harness to which you can add separable roll-top saddle bags. I highly recommend them. You can find their website here: https://www.groundbirdgear.com/ | |||
| 05 Oct 2022 | 025 | Marissa Martino & Sully, on why “fixing” your dog’s behavior as a way out of discomfort won’t work | 01:07:57 | |
After she had gotten several shoutouts on the podcast already, it was about time I interview the one and only Marissa Martino of Paws and Reward herself. Or rather, I got lucky enough to have her on the show. If I were you, I would listen to this show twice. There are so many gems in there. Listen to it once, just to absorb what Marissa is saying, and then listen again and ask yourself how what she says applies to you and your situation. It will be time well spent. Marissa describes how unlike many others on this podcast her road to dog training did not start with a challenging dog. Her dog training journey started before she ever had a dog. She now focuses heavily on the human end of the leash, and mindset in particular (can you guess why I wanted to talk to her?). The spark that lit that particular fire was provided by a therapist who managed to point out how strategies Marissa already used with her dog training clients could also apply in her own life. Once Pandora’s box of parallels had been opened Marissa couldn’t unsee these parallels between the connections with our dog and the connections we have with others and ourselves anymore. The rest as they say is history. About how knowledge is both power and very confronting and often uncomfortable. We talk about how that discomfort often leads us to play the blame game and the power of embracing discomfort. As I keep hearing conflicting opinions on whether LIMA (Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive) as a training philosophy is “good” or “bad”, because the humane hierarchy it is based on mentions positive punishment, I ask Marissa about that too. Fittingly enough, Marissa is also the first person on the show to describe which feeling the words expectation, frustration and celebration trigger for her. Of course, showing up throughout the story is Sully, who was a senior dog when he recently passed away. Marissa’s website: https://pawsandreward.com/ Marissa on Instagram: @pawsandreward Marissa’s book, Human-Canine Behavior Connection: https://pawsandreward.com/book/ LIMA and the humane hierarchy: https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/hierarchy/ The Paws and Reward Podcast episode with Chris Pachel Marissa mentions detailing the humane hierarchy: Episode 47: The Humane Hierarchy with Dr. Chris Pachel Pet harmony offers mentorships for dog trainers: https://petharmonytraining.com/ Sarah Stremming’s website: https://thecognitivecanine.com/ | |||
| 11 Oct 2022 | Bonus Episode 016 | Stop chasing the wrong goal and limit frustration | 00:16:49 | |
Are you going after the wrong goal? Is your goal to be able to trust your dog? Is your goal to not want to be afraid of something bad happening to your dog or because of your dog? Is your goal to be able to have relaxed non-training dog walks? Or is it to be able to be calm under all circumstances? You might be chasing after the wrong thing. You wouldn't tell someone who's been in a car accident that the goal is for them to get to believing that driving is perfectly safe again. You would rather help them get in the car again despite being afraid. You would help them to accept that being afraid is part of the process. Start with acceptance of where you are at. Denying reality is only setting you up for more stress. Continuously wanting your dog walks to be relaxed when they're not, is fighting reality. It's saying: it shouldn't be like this. That is cause enough for frustration. ----------- | |||
| 01 Nov 2022 | 026 | Grace & Piper, on being a veterinarian as well as the guardian of a reactive dog | 01:18:23 | |
UK veterinarian Grace and I talk about her Romanian Rescue dog Piper and how being the guardian of a challenging dog has impacted her work as a veterinarian. We also talk about all the terms and certifications being thrown around that relate to animal behavior and training. Are there vet behaviorists in the UK? Who can call themselves that? Did you know you can do a master's level studies in animal behavior in the UK? But also, did you know many veterinarians have not been taught about dog body language in vet school? And what about ruling out pain? Turns out that you as the guardian are the person in the best position to notice if chronic pain is an issue. | |||
| 07 Dec 2022 | Bonus Episode 017 | Stress, how to feel it and think about it differently | 00:28:43 | |
Would you categorize stress as a negative emotion? Are you willing to feel it? | |||
| 24 Jan 2023 | 027 | Haley & Scout (and Sean), on finding out where you and your dog fit in the (dog)world | 01:52:07 | |
Grab your dog and plan a dog walk or two. Better yet, sit down, grab pen and paper and take notes. This episode is long and chock-full of wisdom. Here are just some of the things Haley of @paws.andreflect talk about:
(What Haley describes are actually techniques you will learn in coaching with me as well).
But also:
Find Haley, her husband Sean, their van Hermes and their blue heeler Scout here: https://www.instagram.com/paws.andreflect/ https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/paws-and-reflect/id1645967746 https://open.spotify.com/show/1Eu3BJt11SLdDeALOd6RVq?si=07654b34d5fd4832 Episode website: | |||
| 31 Jan 2023 | Mindset Episode 018 | When something or someone always suffers because you're juggling too many things | 00:23:22 | |
This podcast episode is a reply to an email I received from someone on my email-list. | |||
| 10 Feb 2023 | 028 | Jumy on no longer wanting to be the only R+ horse trainer in the U.A.E. | 01:22:46 | |
Jumy is a positive reinforcement horse trainer from the U.A.E. who opened her own livery yard, malath paddock paradise, 3 years ago, but she’s been in the industry for 13 years already. I ask lots of no doubt cringe worthy questions, as I know nothing about horses, and we touch upon a ton of things. Of course I want to know how Jumy ended up in the force free training world. Unlike many dog guardians it wasn’t because she had exhausted punitive methods or because her horse had behavioral problems. Rather it was trick training that sparked the idea of using positive reinforcement training to train all kinds of behavior. If you can use it to teach a horse tricks, why couldn’t you use it to teach other behaviors after all? Being a trailblazer had both upsides and downsides. The biggest positive was that she never fell into any kind of trap of wanting to be able to do it all and know it all at once. She simply had to follow a try-as-you-go path of discovery. When her clients find her though, it usually is because they are experiencing problems with their horses. So we discuss Jumy’s approach to dealing with horse guardians who may be using tools on their horses that she doesn’t necessarily agree with. Her assumption is that the guardian loves their horse. She never wants to shame them or make the feel guilty about their choice of tool. Rather she lets them draw their own conclusions. So what about the differences? With the horse being a prey animal and the dog being a predator, Jumy explains how that affects the required rate of reinforcement. Then there is natural horsemanship. Jumy explains her views on that and how horses who are trained with that method can mentally shut down. Naturally, I ask about her dogs who live at the stables and are allowed to free roam. Funnily enough, they chill most of the time, unless they are breaking up horse fights or they decide to come along on a hack with the horses, that is. Finally, Jumy explains her criteria for canceling a session with a horse when she isn’t in the right mindset herself, and what the alternatives are, such as adapting the type of the session to her energy levels. Links: https://kajsavanoverbeek.com/028-jumy-on-no-longer-wanting-to-be-the-only-r-plus-horse-trainer-in-the-u-a-e/ Jumy’s livery yard: https://www.malathpaddockparadise.com/ Tango, the miniature horse: https://www.instagram.com/tangotheminiature/ Tango stacking rings: https://www.instagram.com/p/BY0VktphmWH/ The dogs who inhabit Mallath Paddock Paradise: https://www.instagram.com/thestabledog/ Mallath Paddock Paradise on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malath.paddock.paradise/
Adele, the horse trainer that Jumy got a lot of inspiration from: https://www.instagram.com/thewillingequine/ Dog trainer Amy: | |||
| 17 Feb 2023 | Mindset Episode 019 | The best way to relax is not what you think | 00:21:28 | |
Do you ever have a hard time relaxing after something stressful happens? | |||
| 08 Mar 2023 | 029 | Ali & Indie of Rebarkable, on becoming and being a dog trainer and not burning out | 01:27:24 | |
Ali was from London but now lives in Maryland We talk about how she got into the business of dog training, which has a little something to do with her German Shepherd cross Indie. We talk about the widespread misunderstanding that all dogs should love all dogs and I may or may not tell an anecdote of me hugging a stranger to try and show them that they wouldn’t appreciate being crowded either. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.
Ali also explains something that I think is amazing: She tells new clients to first take a break from everything (like training) for a week or so, so they can reconnect with all the reasons why they love their dog in the first place. Another tough nut to crack for most of us is that of questioning authority. Ali had fewer difficulties there as asking “Why?” comes naturally to her. My hope is that by listening to Ali talk, more people will feel free to do the same. Ali’s training philosophy is that she wants to provide people with the skills that allow them to be able to tackle possible future setbacks, since it serves us well to take into account that your anxious dog will probably keep showing some anxiety from time to time, despite all the training effort you put in.
We talk about all things dog professional: The emotional burden of being a dog trainer, the taking on the setback and emotions of your clients, not earning enough to make a living, and giving away a part of you every time so that there’s less and less of you to go around.
So, how did she manage to find that elusive work-life balance? Upon moving to the USA she completely restructured her business and she explains what that looks like. Her advice to aspiring dog trainers: Don’t try to be everything to all people.
And finally, there’s Ali’s summary of her thoughts on expectation, frustration and celebration. It’s so on point, that I would be remiss if I didn’t write it down here: Manage expectation, minimize frustration, maximize celebration
Ali’s website: https://rebarkable.com/ Find Ali on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/re.barkable/ Ali’s podcast “Ask Ali” on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/ask-ali-a-professional-dog-trainer-answers-your-dog/id1586671078 and on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/49evBFpTbFUdOakjRA6FTV?si=21ad9666aa1d4e27 Email her: woof @ rebarkable.com | |||
| 11 Apr 2023 | Mindset Episode 020 | How to believe in overall success so you can work through setbacks | 00:18:42 | |
If only you knew you would get there in the end, then the setbacks wouldn't be so hard to bear. | |||
| 28 Apr 2023 | 🇳🇱🇧🇪 030 | Isabelle Schippers & Thiseas, over omgaan met kritiek en trainen van probleemgedrag door er niet op te trainen | 01:09:36 | |
This 50th jubilee episode of Ruff Around the Edges is in Dutch! Na een stressvolle start in het leven (Thiseas wordt met 6 weken met een gebroken pootje langs de weg gevonden en nadien ook nog met het vliegtuig naar zij nieuwe thuis vervoerd) is al snel duidelijk dat Thiseas meer nodig heeft dan de “hij moet het maar leren”-aanpak. Isabelle vertelt hoe ze echt leerde kijken naar wie haar hond was, wie zij was en wat ze samen konden doen waar ze allebei lol aan hadden.
Eén van de dingen die Isabelle noemt is iets, dat ik nog niet vaak zo mooi expliciet heb horen benoemen. Ze vertelt dat we als mens al gauw geneigd zijn om te kijken naar wat de hond moeilijk vindt en ons daar dan qua training op te focussen, terwijl het juist heel positief kan zijn op iets compleet anders te trainen, iets waar de hond en jij plezier uit halen. Dat zorgt voor meer zelfvertrouwen in de hond draagt zo op indirecte wijze bijdraagt aan verbetering van het “probleem”. Zo voorkom je de frustratie die vaak bij beide partijen ontstaat door alleen op het probleemgedrag te trainen.
Wat ze ook heel duidelijk maakt is dat je op je buikgevoel moet vertrouwen. Als je zelf doorhebt dit werkt niet en je dat ook constant voelt, vertrouw er dan ook op.
Dan het thema “andere mensen” en hoe die met je hond omgaan. Hoe laat je de frustratie los rondom het niet opvolgen van je instructie? Wat als je al 100 keer aan je familie hebt gevraagd om geen oogcontact met je hond te maken als ze binnekomen? En ze doen het gewoon niet? Hoe zorg je dat je dat je niet gek laat maken? Isabelle legt uit welk inzicht haar daar veel geholpen heeft. Hoe ze heeft geleerd om geen probleem meer te hebben met kritiek van anderen. Wat doe je met ongevraagd advies?
De kracht van het omgaan met gelijkgestemden en het belang om je eigen twijfels te kunnen delen met anderen komt ook aan bod, net als het schuldgevoel als je eens voor jezelf en niet voor je hond kiest. Ook daar vertelt Isabelle hoe ze dat oppakt.
Verder komt het topic van medicatie voorbij. Juist een podcast aflevering van Ruff Around the Edges (die met Annie Phenix) tipte Isabelle om op tijd contact op te nemen met een gedragsdeskundige toen ze zag dat Thiseas begon te fixeren op reflecties. Medicatie laat hem juist meer zichzelf zijn in plaats van minder.
Als laatste hebben we het ook nog over “adopt, don’t shop” in het licht van de flinke rugzak die adoptiehonden soms met zich meedragen.
Links: Thiseas op Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thiseas.the.kokoni/
Daniëlla van Paws in Touch: https://pawsintouch.be/ Paws in Touch op Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawsintouch/
Nina van Tilbeurgh op Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina_van_tilbeurgh/ | |||
| 04 May 2023 | Mindset Episode 021 | Considering where the other person's coming from, when you feel triggered | 00:21:56 | |
Does your partner brush off your dog's reaction like it was nothing? Don't they understand the concept op threshold and the importance of limiting reactions? | |||
| 31 Aug 2023 | Mindset Episode 22 | Thinking about changing is changing, so is relapsing, so is not thinking about changing. | 00:25:44 | |
Beating yourself up about being stuck in the "I kind of want to change, but I can't get myself to change, so I must not want the change bad enough" is one of the most counterproductive ways to talk to yourself. | |||
| 24 Aug 2023 | 031 | Georgie of Trickwoofs on compassion fatigue in the dog training world, the parallels with raising a human child, learning to love frustration and more | 01:18:01 | |
If you follow any kind of dog related social media, then you will know Georgie, where she posts under the handle @trickwoofs. You will have seen the lovely whimsical cartoons she draws about life with a reactive dog, which are so extremely on point they always make me laugh. A particular cartoon comes to mind that has the guardian and their dog navigating the urban jungle that is the city, James Bond style, ducking behind walls and sneaking around corners, all in an attempt to avoid triggers.
The topics we discuss are as diverse as Georgie’s interests. We talk about compassion fatigue in the dog training world, the parallels to raising a human child, learning to love frustration, following your passion and almost feeling like you’re not worthy of it, and so much more.
Did you know, Georgie transitioned from a modeling career to dog training? Many people wanting to make a career switch in life will recognize the little voice that Georgie describes. The one that asks the question: Could I really be worthy of making a living doing the thing I love?
I ask Georgie about compassion fatigue in the dog world and the dog rescue world in particular. She describes it as no longer feeling anything when you know you should be feeling something. It’s like the body shuts down to all emotions. The question becomes. How does one prevent or overcome it? Georgie’s short answer is by finding community and talking about it! To not believe that there is some kind of limit below which it is no longer okay to ask for help. She also recommends finding what works for you when it comes to doing a bodily reset. For her it’s yoga and breathwork, but for someone it might be boxing or rock climbing.
We talk about allowing emotions in ours dogs and ourselves similar to what we do with our children and not feeling the pressure to of needing to respond to something.
And of course, we talk about her art, and her other project which is the development of a treat dispensing muzzle. What keeps her going? What allows her to press pause when needed? What has she learned about failure and also: How DOES she manage to combine all the things she does (and she does a LOT)?
Links: The Trickwoofs website: https://www.trickwoofs.com/ Trickwoofs on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trickwoofs/ And on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trickwoofs | |||
| 27 Oct 2023 | NEW: Mind's Best Friend Group Coaching, deadline for enrolment November 5th | 00:16:17 | |
A spontaneous unscripted ramble about my new Mind's Best Friend group coaching program.
Then jump on this offer! | |||
| 07 Dec 2023 | 032 | Ninke Lemmens & Luka en Ellie over buitenlandse adoptie honden, de zoektocht naar hulp, en de rol van pijn | 01:15:04 | |
Als Ninke Luka adopteert heeft hij al twee jaar lang in een Russisch asiel gezeten. Eenmaal thuis in Belgisch Limburg durft hij niet eens binnen te komen, zo ontzettend moet hij wennen aan zijn nieuwe leven. | |||
| 11 Jan 2024 | 033 | Agnieszka Janarek of Tromplo on errorless learning, (lack of) perfectionism and resilience in both humans and dogs | 01:05:38 | |
This episode is for you if you identify as a perfectionist. Simply talking with Aga, the short version for Agnieszka about the concept of errorless learning has given me another way to look at perfectionism and how it can (often but not always) be unhelpful. Aga talks about training behaviors to fluency which is different from perfection, and about the benefits of playing by someone else's rules now and then, just to get you out of your comfort zone. She will have you completely rethink the idea of "just one more repetition" and "ending on a win". Not just that. What about extinction and frustration? Do we need frustration or can we skip it? Aga also blew my mind by giving me a way of looking at resilience completely differently. What if resilience, the ability to bounce back, isn't an innate trait? What if it simply amounts to having a big enough skillset to be able to handle errors? And since skills can be taught, what if you could teach resilience? Errorlessly? With minimal frustration? How does this apply to humans? How does she apply it in her personal life and her business? And of course, we chat about Agnieszka's new book, the Animal Trainer's Comprehensive Handbook. Listen to this episode multiple times. It's packed with gems! Tromplo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tromplo/ Agnieszka's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agnieszkajanarektrainer/ The Tromplo website: https://tromplo.com/ The link to the new book, the Animal Trainer's Comprehensive Handbook: https://tromplo.com/product/animal-trainers-comprehensive-handbook-by-agnieszka-janarek/
Also mentioned: Dr. Susan Friedman: https://www.behaviorworks.org/ Ken Ramirez: https://www.kenramireztraining.com/ Kay Laurence: https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/ | |||
| 02 Mar 2024 | 034 | Aimee of Pawfect Behavior on everything mindset and dogs and leaving the UK to be a Dubai dog trainer | 01:15:29 | |
How does a UK national end up a dog (and other animals) trainer in Dubai? Just listening to Aimee's backstory will have you in awe of the way she has stayed true to herself making big life decisions. | |||
| 12 Mar 2024 | Mindset Episode 023 | When you can't find the muscle you're supposed to train | 00:19:19 | |
When you have to train something you don't know how to identify, where do you start? | |||
| 18 Apr 2024 | 035 | Matilda Kelsall & Rafiki and Nala on dog-sparked personal growth in leaps and bounds | 01:38:33 | |
[The audio of this episode is a bit wonky, but I hope you'll put up with it because the content is great] | |||
| 28 May 2024 | 036 | Leah Lykos of Canine Movement Lab on Somatic Work and Your Dog as Your Mirror | 01:11:51 | |
Leah Lykos, a dog behaviorist out of Chattanooga Tennessee and guardian to three dogs, Eva, Biggie, and Mia explains how her focus is on movement and somatic work. That makes sense given that she operates from the philosophy that for dogs even more so than for humans there is no separation of mind and body. We discuss something new to me: resistance feeding. The idea behind resistance feeding is to not control the dog's behavior but to provide an appropriate outlet for it. Everything is always on a spectrum, so we discuss how to know if you're allowing stress to dissipate or adding to the dog's stress. In that same sense of knowing if something is helpful or not, we touch on the concept of your dog as a mirror. When is hurting to see it that way and when is it helping? Leah explains how she differentiates between people who are already so aware of their own stress and so focused on solving for that, that it inhibits them in working with their dog, and people who are so detached from their body and their feelings. that they have no idea they may be projecting onto their dog. When you have trouble connecting with your dog, what part of yourself do you have trouble connecting with or accepting? How does understanding your dog help to understand yourself? How do we regulate our own nervous system?
Leah explains that it is her daily work to figure out how she can stay passionate about what she's doing, without getting completely wrapped up in every single case. Leah's website: https://www.caninemovementlab.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caninemovementlab/ The YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSlbjJXVMBxSGBgkbNWXOZw | |||
| 10 Jul 2024 | Mindset Episode 024 | What do you do when you have no time to grieve? | 00:21:35 | |
Warning: this episode references euthanasia | |||
| 04 Sep 2024 | 037 | Claire Martin & Ozzy of Motherpuppers on Shutting Up and Showing Up | 01:24:39 | |
Claire describes such familiar themes. Like what it’s like to look back at how her childhood dogs were treated with the knowledge she has now. How she thought she knew quite a bit about dogs until Ozzy came along. Claire's website: https://www.motherpuppersdogtraining.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motherpuppersdogtraining/ https://www.instagram.com/ozzyfromromania/ The dogwalking company Claire's partner Matt walks for: https://fetchcambridge.co.uk/ Dog trainer Sarah Stremming: https://sarahstremming.com/, and Hannah Brannigan: | |||
| 21 Sep 2024 | Mindset Episode 025 | Listening to Your No to Find Your Yes: How to Heed Your Gut to Find That No | 00:24:06 | |
In this episode of Ruff Around the Edges, I explore the power of starting with a "no" to gain clarity on what we truly want. By identifying what we're not willing or able to do, we make it easier to figure out where we want to go — whether it’s choosing how to manage our dog’s behavior or making parenting decisions. I also dive into the importance of listening to your body’s signals to understand when something is a genuine no, and when it’s simply fear trying to hold you back. I give some questions you can ask yourself to differentiate between discomfort that’s protective and discomfort that signals growth, so you can feel more confident you're doing the right thing. If you often find yourself struggling with the fear of disappointing others or second-guessing your choices, this episode will help you shift your perspective. I propose practical ways to honor your own needs while still being mindful of the people (and dogs!) you care about. | |||
| 09 Dec 2024 | 038 | Barbara van Rheenen over wanneer je hond aan de beurt is en wanneer jijzelf | 01:12:28 | |
Barbara van Rheenen is illustratrice en woont samen met haar twee witte herders Guzzi en Lupo. | |||
| 17 Dec 2024 | Mindset Episode 026 | Not wanting your dog to suffer because of your choices | 00:20:00 | |
It's not my dog's fault I'm sick... | |||
| 24 Feb 2021 | 001 | Kate Oates & Vader | 00:47:15 | |
In the first episode of Ruff Around The Edges I talk to Kate Oates about her Australian Shepherd Vader. It seems only right she be the first to be featured on the show as she inspired the name. We talk about all the small things that in combination led to his reactivity, and about the the stress she felt when she got a warning from the municipality threatening her with a $2000 fine if Vader wouldn’t stop barking. We discuss how we each deal with “my dog is friendly” people and what feelings these people invoke, how she got around to telling people “my dog bites” in order to keep them at bay, and what finally led her to not only try force free training but to become a force free trainer herself. http://coolcanines.com.au/index.html https://www.facebook.com/CoolCanines | |||
| 24 Feb 2021 | 002 | Elissa Chasen & Bodhi | 00:37:07 | |
On this episode I talk to Elissa Chasen about life with her leash reactive dog Bodhi. We talk about the concept of “socialisation” and how we’re still not clear on it but that we’ve found out the hard way that it does not mean “meet every dog”. We discuss the differences we see in our dogs when we move them out of the trigger-rich city environment. Elissa mentions how she regrets not having filmed Bodhi’s reactions at first so she would have been able to better see his improvements. In that light, we consider how we are our own worst critics and how we are each trying to embrace the “We did the best we could at the time”-adage. Finally Elissa tells us how her life has changed since getting Bodhi. | |||
| 24 Feb 2021 | 003 | Leana Mayzlina & Atlas | 00:50:04 | |
Sooooo…. this episode is a long one, but in my humble opinion it is worth a listen. Though we talk about Atlas’ story, for the bigger part of the episode the talk is about acceptance and personal growth. Leana fell in love with the gorgeous black pup with the recently operated on, crushed, leg being fostered by her brother. That leg caused him to be on house rest for half (!) of the first two years of his life. During that time he slowly transformed from a mr. Wigglebutts to a fearful dog- and human reactive pup. We talk about the public perception that all dogs “should” somehow be lovely, cuddly, non-barking, non-biting living cuddly toys; about embracing the “and” and not the “or” in all aspects of life including life with our dogs, which can be amazing and hard at the same time. Then there is what the feeling of being judged does to us. Also, you will hear a bit of my own story with Rusty as we ponder the question what life would have been like for our dogs had they grown up with someone else. Finally, we sing the praises of another podcast: Paws and Reward The Instagram handle of her brother, who regularly fosters rescue dogs in the Seattle area is: @dmitriysdogs | |||
| 04 Mar 2021 | 004 | Vanessa O'Sullivan & Darwin | 01:04:11 | |
After several years an MRI finally reveals brain abnormalities in Black Mouth Cur Darwin’s brain. Rather than give up and accept the status quo, Vanessa keeps trying out new training ideas and management strategies to improve quality of life for everyone in the multi-dog (and cat!) household. Strap in for another long episode people. Follow along as Vanessa recounts how a perfectly behaved puppy changed to an anxious adult dog after puberty. We discuss how assumptions can lead to blind spots. For the longest time, Vanessa and Ryan had assumed that the move from the US to The Netherlands and the plane ride over had been the triggering event for the decline in Darwin’s behavior. Going through old photographs looking for clues in Darwin’s body posture, they realized that assumption was false as the signs had been there earlier. Vanessa tells us what it took for her to gain confidence in her own knowledge of dog behavior. A short improvement in behavior after quitting Darwin’s anxiety medication gave them hope briefly, as did the possibility of maybe being able to participate in an RTMS trial at the Belgian University of Ghent, but none of it was meant to be. Darwin’s anxiety is such that having to make simple decisions such as “Should I get on the couch?” are stress inducing for him. Muzzle training turned out to be a blessing in disguise. As a bonus side effect to the muzzle training, it became a tool to help Darwin relax. You can find Vanessa on Instagram: @overseas.with.pets As soon as her dog training business website officially launches, you will be able to find it here too. A link to the scientific article that got Vanessa to contact the university of Ghent is here: TMS improves anxious aggressive behaviour in dogs: A case study | |||
| 13 Mar 2021 | 005 | Trillian Ross & Fenrir | 01:06:06 | |
Trillian shares her and Fenrir’s story, both the training techniques she tried as well as all the management involved. Fenrir is a stunning Czechoslovakian Vlcak (or Wolfdog) who’s no small boy, measuring 29 inches at the withers (if you’ve listened to the podcast you’ll know why that tidbit of information is in here). He suffers from pretty bad anxiety of which Trillian gives some examples. The management involved in giving him his best life is quite extensive. From providing Fenrir with 40 minute chews to buy the humans an hour outside the house (but then waiting in front of the door during the buildup phase to hear what’s going on), to having one person stay upstairs while the other was downstairs because having two people in the same room was stressing Fenrir out too much. We talk anxiety in combination with crate training, BAT training and howling (yes howling and not barking), and how medication seems to be helping Fenrir to find a little more calm, but also brings about an unexpected “disadvantage”. Also, I learn what combisport is (and that it’s probably not for me). Links: The Czechoslovakian Vlcak Club of America BAT training: https://grishastewart.com/bat-overview/ The book on BAT training at Amazon.de: Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs (affiliate link, if you use it you’ll help support the podcast ) Karen Overall’s book on behavior modification: Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats (affiliate link) | |||
| 16 Apr 2021 | 006 | Joanne Yip & Summer | 01:46:07 | |
Buckle up for a long podcast episode. Listen to it in two sittings if you wish, because there’s lots of good stuff in here. In this episode, we get to know all about Summer, a Singapore Special as rescue dogs are called in the island city-state. Joanne gives us a little background info on what it is like to live in Singapore, and what policies are in place when it comes to stray dogs. She gives us a feel of the general public’s awareness and perception of dogs so we have some more background to understand Summer’s journey. A two-dog attack on Summer during one of her fear periods left both her and Joanne rattled. Nonetheless, all seemed relatively fine in the beginning, until when it wasn’t anymore. Joanne has done a lot of reflection and we discuss for example what we would now look for when selecting a dog. How some of the process and thought-work that goes into selecting an appropriate breed can also still apply when trying to find your rescue dog match. We talk about the time when she hilariously still thought about getting a second dog. Joanne and her husband moved to Washington state right at the start of the pandemic. So naturally, we talk about the differences between life in Singapore and the US, and how people in the US seem to have a little more dog awareness. Joanne also talks about the kindness of strangers and how much she appreciates meeting those humans who are considerate of her and Summer’s needs. She explains the ongoing work she’s doing with Summer in the USA including BAT training.
The trainer Joanne and Summer are working with on the Seattle East Side to do their BAT training: Wiggles and Woofs | |||
| 06 May 2021 | 007 | Forrest Duplantier & Tucker | 00:58:34 | |
Forrest's story is an absolutely lovely one and different from most of the stories so far. Forrest and his wife did not hire any trainer to help them with Tucker, but relied a lot on their own observations of him, figuring out what worked and what didn't along the way. Absolutely not an easy feat when you consider having to rely on dog parks I loved hearing how Forrest managed to find a way to balance the needs of both his very different dogs. | |||
| 27 May 2021 | 008 | Hanna Fuqua & Keller | 01:38:22 | |
I loved talking to Hannah on the podcast. She has so much experience both as the owner/guardian of a reactive dog and as a dog walker and trainer. We discuss her move from rural Alabama to urban Richmond, Virginia. This involved shifting from the Alabama mindset of "Hey, I think it's kinda cool you alerted me to the delivery guy, cause we are out in the middle of nowhere" (ok, I exaggerate but you get my point) to the Virginia mindset of "Mweahhhh, it might not be so great for the neighbours should that happen every time". In Virginia, Hannah started working for the Richmond SPCA which sounds like an awesome organisation, leading the way to jobs as a dog walker and trainer. She has worked with lots of reactive dog clients and we discuss all that is involved in "handling encounters with other dogs and their owners", how you can get into the "you don't owe anyone an explanation" mindset (fake it till you make it) and much much more. Links: Hannah's girls on Instagram: @the__four__pack The training business Hannah works for: Canine Adventure, Canineadventure.net, training@canineadventure.net, phone:+1-804-432-7570 The Richmond SPCA: https://richmondspca.org/ Focusing on the celebrations: The book Hannah describes as "clicker training for humans": | |||
| 29 Oct 2021 | 009 | Kajsa van Overbeek & Rusty | 01:22:59 | |
In this episode, I get interviewed by previous podcast guest Leana Mayzlina about my dog Rusty, the Mascotte of the podcast. We discuss why I decided to get a puppy from a breeder rather than a rescue. We talk about starting out with positive reinforcement dog training and all the doubts that go with it, and how I wish I would have had more practical advice in the beginning stages. We also look at why regular puppy classes might not have worked as well for Rusty. We talk about the doubts I had after Rusty had bitten another dog and got kicked out of his dog walking service. I explain what management tactics we employ whilst out on walks now, and of course, I also answer the “expectation, frustration and celebration”-questions. Links Instagram: @theruscattledog Kajsa's website: kajsavanoverbeek.com Ruff Around The Edges Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ruffaroundtheedges Search for a rescue dog in the database of Dutch Animal Shelters: https://dierenasiels.com/ | |||
| 24 Jan 2022 | 010 | Liz & Titan | 01:27:36 | |
In this episode I talk to Liz about her amazing blue heeler Titan. Titan was Liz’s obedience champion prospect and Liz had visions of him and her Shetland Sheepdog Tucker getting along and being best friends. Alas, the universe had different plans for all of them. Liz is able to articulate something that is dear to my heart as well. Teaching “obedience drills” or tricks is very different from behavior modification. We also talk about her moving away from positive reinforcement training in an attempt to get that perfect dog that according to experts is hiding somewhere inside Titan out of him, and how she moved back to it after having gone down a “learn everything there is about dog aggression rabbit hole” and heaving read Marissa Martino’s book “Human-Canine Behavior Connection; Building Better Relationships Through Dog Training”. I wholeheartedly support Marissa’s training philosophies. You can find the link to her website Paws and Reward here: https://pawsandreward.com/ The link to the Paws and Reward podcast episode featuring Liz and Titan on the value of neutral is here: https://pawsandreward.com/episode35/ Coming back to this podcast episode though, Liz also beautifully describes how the larger herding community helped her see how great Titan is. As she wrote to me later, herding people seem to understand inherently that you can’t breed for certain characteristics without getting some other stuff to come along for the ride and that’s just the way it is and the dog is still awesome. I could not have said it better myself. We also discuss the beauty of simple management strategies like baby gates. | |||