Your Family Dog Podcast (Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring)

No scheduled topic today! Instead pull up a chair and join Tina Spring  and Julie Fudge Smith for some general, dog-related chitchat. Grab a cup of coffee and listen in as the conversation ranges from socialization to learning your dog's body language to what effect (if any) Covid lockdown had on canine behavior issues.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

It's the most wonderful time of the year...but also sometimes the most stressful, both for people and their pets. Parties, visitors, traveling, and of course all the food can throw even the calmest and most well-trained dog for a loop. But chaos doesn't have to be the name of the game! Julie and Tina provide advice and tips on how to manage the hustle and bustle of the holidays so that you and your dogs can both find some comfort and joy.

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog

How much does breed really matter when choosing a dog? Does it ever make sense for someone who doesn't actually have a sheep farm to own a herding dog? What do you do if your "dream breed" doesn't fit with your lifestyle? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss the importance of breed and how to choose one that fits best with your family.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk about the difference between arousal and friendliness, as well as using sequencing to train behaviors that will reduce arousal. They also challenge each other to train their dogs for 10 minutes a day to see what can be accomplished with so small an investment of time!

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Old age, death, and loss are topics most of us prefer to avoid. They’re uncomfortable, sometimes even painful to discuss, and most people don’t like to think about their own mortality- or that of their pets. Death, however, is an inevitable part of life, and avoiding conversations about it can make it even harder for us to become comfortable with it. Helen St. Pierre, founder of the non-profit Old Dogs Go To Helen, has spent the past several years helping senior and hospice dogs to live the best life they can before passing on. She joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about becoming comfortable with the reality of death while finding meaning and beauty in caring for animals at the end of their life.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog Podcast

To spay or neuter your dog may seem like a no-brainer decision, but is it? Are there unintended consequences to when or if you alter your pet? Is this always the right decision for you and your dog. In Part 1 of this two part series on Spay and Neuter we talk with Barb Dobbins, author of the Whole Dog Journal article, To Neuter, or Not to Neuter Your Dog: That is the Question, about this not not inconsequential decision.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

It's the most basic of commands, but can be one of the hardest to master- the deceptively simple "Come!" (or, in trainer parlance, the "recall.") Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss the different types of recall and offer advice on how to help your dog learn to come no matter what.

For more information and show notes please go to:  Your Family Dog

Robin Bennett, doggie daycare expert and co-owner of The Dog Gurus, joined Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about what owners should be thinking about and looking for when choosing a doggie daycare.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

The whole idea behind training your dog is to get rid of the behaviors you don't want, while encouraging the ones you do. Sounds simple enough, right? Until, despite your best efforts, you end up accidentally doing the opposite. Today, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about how we can unintentionally reinforce the wrong behaviors in our dogs, and offer solutions for what to do when that happens.

For more information please go to: Your Family Dog

It's one thing to teach your dog a new behavior in a setting free from distractions or interruptions. It's another thing entirely to try that behavior in the "real" world, with all its noise and color and annoying squirrels. So how do you move a behavior from one situation to another without it all falling apart? That's where the idea of working below the threshold comes in. Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring as they discuss training in lower-stress environments and how to work up to the "real deal."

For show notes and more please go to: Your Family Dog

Wendie Patrick, founder of Dogs of Pride and Finnessiam Health, based in Nova Scotia Canada, joined Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about her all natural pet products designed "employing science and nature, much testing and research." Learn what Wendie has to offer that just might improve the quality of your dog's life.

For show notes and more information  please go to: Your Family Dog.

Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith address some of the most common questions they get from listeners and clients about canine diet, weight, age, and of course, so much more!

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

As much as we love our dogs, they do have some annoying habits- and begging at the table is definitely one of them. It's nearly impossible to sit down and enjoy your dinner when Fido is constantly pawing at you for his share. But what's the best way to put a stop to this? Or, better yet, is there a way to prevent it from happening in the first place? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about how to stop- or even prevent- begging at the table and keep everybody happy at dinner.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

The holidays are here and what better way to celebrate than with a buffet? Join  Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring as they serve up a smorgasbord of tips and tricks on everything from traveling with your pups to getting uncooperative pets to take their pills.

For more info and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

We all have our own little quirks, and so do our dogs. In fact, a lot of the things our canine friends do cross the line from quirky into downright weird. Whether it's fake-peeing, favoring one leg over the other when going to the bathroom, or rolling in dead animals, there are all kinds of things that make us scratch our heads and say "Why does my dog DO that?" Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss the weird things our dogs do and what may (or may not) be going through their furry little heads while they do them.

For show notes and more, please go to: Your Family Dog

We've all heard the phrase "you are what you eat," and we all know about the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet (even if we don't always do a good job with it). But what about our pets? Good nutrition is just as important for our animals as it is for us, but the information out there is often just as confusing as well. Today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring are joined by veterinary nutritionist Dr. Laura Gaylord to discuss the importance of good nutrition and how to begin putting together a healthy diet for your furry friends.

For more information please see: Your Family Dog

"I'm sorry, but your dog has cancer," can be heartbreaking and terrifying for owners to hear. Dr. Erin Malone, veterinary oncologist at MedVet Columbus joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about cancer, treatment, quality of life, and what it means for the many pet owners who will face this diagnosis in their beloved pet.

For more information and show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

It's time for trainer talk! Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring are joined by fellow positive reinforcement trainer Susan Riley-Coyner BA, RVT, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, to talk about the benefits of positive training, their experience as crossover trainers, and where dog training might be headed next.

For show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

Marlena DeMartini-Price joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about one of the most common problems for dogs and their people- separation anxiety. Learn what it is and what you can do to help both you and your furry friend feel less stressed. There is hope!

For more information and show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

Marlena's book: Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Welcome back to Your Family...Cat? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring switch focus slightly this week as they welcome back one of their favorite guests, Dr. Zazie Todd, to discuss her new book "Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy." Tune in for tips on training your cat, lessons on kitten socialization, and even a brief interlude of "My Strange Addiction: Animal Edition."

For show notes and links please go to: Your Family Dog

Kids and dogs are a great combination in theory, but the reality can be a lot messier, especially when little brains- whether human or canine- are still growing. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring are joined once again by Julie's sister, Dr. Sara Wyckoff, to talk about the best way to help kids build a relationship with their dog at every stage of development.

For more information and show notes please see: Your Family Dog

Discussions of domestic violence, abuse, homelessness, and other difficult living situations almost always focus on the human victims- as they should. But animals are often involved in these situations, too, which can cause added complications. Victims are sometimes reluctant to leave an abusive or unsafe living situation because they fear leaving their pet behind, while those with limited resources, such as elderly or homeless individuals may struggle to give their pets the care they need. Social worker Carol Ann Adams joined Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about how best to help both people and pets who find themselves in a crisis situation. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of domestic abuse and intimate partner violence. Listeners with small children or who are particularly sensitive to these topics may want to exercise discretion when listening. 

For show notes and more please go to: Your Family Dog

In this episode, Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk with cat person, Ruth Batchelor, to get her perspective on dogs and why some are okay, but others make her uncomfortable. Learn what you as a dog owner can do to make your cat crazy friends enjoy your canine companion.

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Thomas King of the Cleary Company, in Columbus Ohio, and Nathan Coker of Stanfield Air Systems, in Athens Georgia, join Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith for a discussion of how dogs, their owners, and contractors can work together. Whether the job lasts an hour or a month, learn what you can do to make sure that the job gets done and everyone is happy!

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

This year, as we once again gather for the holidays, new challenges for our family dogs may arise! Jen Shryock from Family Paws Parent Education joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk strategies for better managing kids and dogs during the upcoming holiday season.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

Dr. Chris Blazina rejoins Your Family Dog to talk about his newest book,   One Unwavering Friend, a collection of stories about famous men and their dogs. Learn how Dickens, Freud, and Darwin all counted on their dogs for companionship and so much more.

For more information please check out: Your Family Dog Podcast

The topic of enrichment for your dog is a frequent one on the podcast. We all know the importance of providing your canine friend with a variety of games and activities to keep their days interesting and their minds engaged. But what about dogs who have suffered the loss of one of their senses? Providing enrichment activities for dogs who can't see or hear (or possibly both) presents unique challenges for their owners. Holistic dog behaviorist Deb Bowers specializes in the care of blind and/or deaf dogs and joins Julie and Tina today to talk about ways to continue to provide enrichment for your disabled dog.

For more information: Your Family Dog

Spring is here, which for many of us means more walks outside and runs at the dog park. But the great outdoors brings other things as well, namely distractions galore. How are you supposed to get Fido to behave when everywhere he looks there are bicycles, school kids, strange looking bushes, and squirrels? Today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring tackle the topic of distractions and discuss ways to help keep your furry friend focused and well-behaved even in the busiest of environments.

For show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about what to look for in a doggie daycare and whether or not it's right for your dog. 

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

When a new dog comes to live with us, an adjustment period is only to be expected- both for us and our new pet. But how long does this adjustment period take? At what point can we expect Fido to settle into a comfortable rhythm in his new home? Conventional wisdom often cites a timeline of "three days, three weeks, three months," but is this really the case? Today, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring look at what constitutes a realistic time period for a new dog to settle in, and offer advice on how to make that process easier for everybody.

For more information please go to: Your Family Dog

Dog bites can be both physically and emotionally damaging.  Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith discuss: whether or not to report the bite, should you seek medical attention, and what are the consequences to you and your family if your dog bites someone.

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

In this episode Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith give listeners the inside scoop on what trainers talk about with each other, how they view the world of dogs and humans and, some of the challenges they face as dog owners and trainers.

For show notes please see: Your Family Dog 

Does your dog see aliens in every corner of the yard and let you know the invasion is imminent? Perhaps he's come more sensitive to noises such as thunder, or is scared by shadows? If you're lucky, your dog may be able to sense space invaders before they land! But, more likely, she's getting older and her senses are dimming, and movement, noises, and shadows are now scary for her. In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about some of the changes you can look for as your dog ages and what you can do to help.

For more information and show notes please see: Your Family Dog

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Summer vacation can be a great time for both people and their pets. But the summer months also come with their own stresses and challenges that can range from the merely annoying to the seriously life-threatening. From the anxiety of Fourth of July fireworks to the dangers of heat stroke, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring go through some of the common summer concerns to help you and your pooch stay happy and safe.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

It's no secret that dogs in shelters often come from bad situations, but some are particularly terrible, such as hoarding situations or puppy mills. It's tempting to think that with enough love and care, we can fix everything these dogs have been through, but unfortunately, that isn't always true. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring take a look at what's involved when dealing with dogs with especially traumatic pasts.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

There was just too much good stuff for one episode, and so Dr. Deborah Jones is back to continue the conversation about cooperative care. Tune in for more advice from the woman who literally wrote the book designed to help you and your pet work together to stay happy and healthy.

For more information please go to: Your Family Dog

A criticism often leveled at force free training is that it doesn't work or isn't as effective as more traditional punishment-based methods. Your Family Dog has tackled this topic before, but today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring use an internet video making the rounds to once again address some of the more common criticisms about positive reinforcement training.

For show notes please see: Your Family Dog

Dr. Karen Becker "believes in a deliberate, common sense approach to creating and maintaining vibrant health for companion animals and an unconventional, integrative approach to addressing disease and re-establishing wellbeing in ill pets." She joined Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith for a lively discussion about about canine health and well-being and her upcoming book, The Forever Dog.

For show notes and more information please go to: Your Family Dog

To preorder The Forever Dog,  please click here.

Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk about the value of having your dog not only accept, but love her crate and how you can get your dog to think this is the best idea she ever had!

For more information please see: Your Family Dog

Your Family...Cicada? For the first time since Thomas Jefferson was president, two cycles of cicadas will emerge at the same time this summer. What- if anything- does this mean for you and your dogs? Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring on an exploration of cicadas, snakes, dogs, and the nature of consciousness.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Post-holiday blues got you down? Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith can help you beat the winter doldrums with these suggestions for training your dog even when cold weather has you stuck inside.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

We talk about "dog behaviorists" and "dog trainers," but really, aren't they pretty much the same thing? What is training, after all, other than getting your dog to behave in a desirable way? But dog *behavior* is different from dog *training* and knowing what makes them different can go a long way to improving your relationship with your dog. Repeat guest Karen Deeds returns today to talk about the differences between behavior and training, and how focusing on one often brings about positive changes in the other.

For More Information and Show Notes: Your Family Dog

Major life changes- a move, a death in the family, an illness- obviously cause us a lot of stress. But big disruptions like this are also stressful for our animal friends. In addition to managing our own stress, it's important to remember to take care of our dogs as well. Today, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about how to reassure your dog and help them cope through times of extreme stress.

For more information: Your Family Dog

Is a golden retriever the right companion for your golden years? For many people, the thought of not having a dog is almost incomprehensible. But as individuals get older, they aren't always up to the task of caring for a dog, at least in the way they're used to. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about the issues that can arise for elderly individuals and their dogs, as well as ways to overcome them and make sure that both Grandma and Fido are happy and healthy.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog

Consent- it's not just for humans. Our animal companions can also give or withhold consent, and they appreciate being asked for it as much as we do. Asking for your dog's consent and respecting when they say no not only deepens your relationship with your canine companion, but also ultimately leads to a more cheerfully compliant pup. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss the importance of asking your dog for consent, and learning how to recognize when they say yes or no.

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog

Socialization is often described as exposing your puppy to a wide variety of people, places, dogs, and experiences in a positive way. Those are important aspects to socializing a puppy, but Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith explore the idea that enrichment is also a form of socialization and one that can be easily achieved during these uncertain times.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

Annelise Halliday Norman had a Corgi shaped hole in her heart for many years before she was able to fill it. She joins Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith to discuss the research, preparation, as well as the surprises that came with adopting a puppy as a single woman and graduate student.

For more information and show notes please go to Your Family Dog

In this bonus track to episode 143, Julie Fudge Smith, Tina Spring, and veterinary oncologist, Dr. Lori Cesario, discuss canine health insurance and what you need to consider when choosing a plan.

For more information please go to: Your Family Dog

Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk about some soft resolutions for the New Year. In other words: those things that one might have a chance of actually achieving! They offer ideas and suggestions for managing your dog a bit better so you can carve out 15 minutes a day to do something decadent like read a book or have a cup of tea!

For show notes and other information please go to: Your Family Dog

Door dashing- it's great when it's someone bringing you tacos, not so great when it's your dog making a run for it. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring address one of the most common, most bothersome- but thankfully very fixable- problems people experience with their dogs.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

Sometimes, it really is okay to dial it in- at least, it is if you're talking about the Dial Method. What's the Dial Method, you ask? You're about to find out! Today, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Dial Method creator Justine Schuurmans to talk about her new program designed to improve how families relate to, live with, and train their dogs.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Spring is here...maybe? The weather going haywire this time of year- snowshoes in the morning and sandals in the afternoon- can be just as confusing to your dog as it is to you. How do you keep training when the weather is great for outside work one minute and awful for it the next? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about how to adapt your training for unpredictable weather, especially when you're working on getting Fido to ignore the craziness outside and come to you.

For show notes and more please go to: Your Family Dog

We've covered a lot of topics on "Your Family Dog" over the years, but sometimes it's good to get back to basics and remember why we got started in the first place- not just with podcasting, but with dog training itself. Today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring start at the beginning to discuss their early love affairs with dogs, their philosophy of training, and why they do what they do today.

For Show Notes and more: Your Family Dog

Emergencies are scary and not knowing what to do in one can make it even scarier. Drawing on personal experience, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring help you prepare for emergency situations by discussing the importance of trusting your gut, keeping good records, and looking out for your vet staff.

For show notes and more information go to: Your Family Dog

he subject of giving what we think of as "human" medications (such as anti-depressants) to our dogs has come up before on the podcast. But why is it, exactly that some medications- Prozac, for example- work incredibly well across species, while others, such as NSAIDS, don't? Does spaying or neutering your dog at an earlier age have the same effect as sterilization at younger ages in humans? And how are environmental factors affecting the hormones and health of both us and our dogs? Joining Julie and Tina to dig into these topics today is endocrinologist Dr. Mike Morales. Tune in to learn about all this, plus why cortisol is actually your friend and the one fact about the endocrinology system that everybody should know.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

Triggers- you have them, I have them, and our dogs have them, too! Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring help you learn to recognize your dog's stress triggers and effectively manage them before they build up and boil over.

For show notes and more please go to: Your Family Dog

What role does creativity play in helping dogs or children learn to navigate their worlds? Does structure aid in the creative process and how does that apply to raising kids or training dogs? These are some of the questions we explore with Dr. Sara Wyckoff, Assistant Professor at The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

Those of us with less sensitive noses seldom realize just how big of a role odors play in the lives of our dogs. But for dogs, smell is a vital and integral part of how they perceive the world and gather information about it. Playing scent-based games with our dogs can be a great way to bond with them and learn to understand and interact with them better. Dianna Santos, the owner of Scent Work University, came on the show today to talk about scent work and how it can improve your relationship with your dog and their quality of life. 

To learn more: Your Family Dog

Molly Schultz, of Walking Wild Fox Rescue and Wolf Dog Rescue, joins Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith to talk about her non-profit safe haven for captive bred foxes and wolf dogs. Find out how she provides the best home possible for these amazing animals. 

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog Podcast

Winter isn't just cold and flu season for humans- respiratory illnesses increases among dogs this time of year as well. These are normally minor illnesses that respond well to treatment, but this year vets are reporting seeing a new illness among dogs, one that seems to last longer and possibly be more serious than your run-of-the-mill colds. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring look at what we know about this new illness and talk about what you can do to help protect your dog.

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog

When was the last time your dog grabbed something that you didn't want him to have? Was it easy to get it from him? In this episode, Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith discuss how to get your pup to willingly relinquish his treasure, and how trades help prevent future resource guarding.

For show notes and more information please go to: Your Family Dog

Physical therapy is one of those things nobody thinks about until they need it. And if we don't think about it for us, even less do we think about it for our dog. But dogs, like humans, can benefit from physical therapy, even without it being necessitated by injury or surgery. Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring as they chat with Steph Evans, a physiotherapist for both humans and their pets, about the benefits of physical therapy and the best way to keep you and your dog in tiptop condition.

For show notes and links please go to: Your Family Dog

Few things are more annoying or stressful for owners than dogs who won't stop barking. All of us know the anxiety caused by a barking dog and the helpless feeling of being unable to stop or distract them. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring tackle the topic of barking dogs and look at simple solutions to help both you and Fido feel calmer and more in control.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

Colleen Pelar comes back to Your Family Dog to join hosts Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring for a wide ranging discussion on choosing the right dog for you and your family. Among the topics: whether a puppy or an adult dog would best fill that canine shaped hole in your heart, and what qualities we consider essential for your family dog. 

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog Podcast

Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring continue the discussion from episode 131 on crate training by talking about enrichment and how to help your dog learn to love her crate, ex-pen, or other cozy enclosure!

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Dr. Chris Blazina, psychologist, retired professor, and author of seven books, joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about the special bond between men and their dogs.

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring dive into the topic of external parasites and what you need to know to prevent (or treat) an infestation of these tiny purveyors of disease.

For show notes and more information please go to: Your Family Dog

Do you ever feel like you and your dog are constantly butting heads? That you're both vying to be the one in control? Or like you're spending more time trying to get Fido to do what you want than actually enjoying his canine company? In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about "premacking," a strange name for a relatively simple concept that will introduce more cooperation into your relationship with your dog and help both of you to feel like you're on the same team.

For Show Notes and More: Your Family Dog

Dog parks- big open spaces for your favorite canine to run, play, and make new friends! What's not to love? Well, quite a bit actually, especially if you have a dog who is shy. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss the pros and cons of dog parks, as well as the best way to navigate them, particularly if you have an overly sensitive pooch.

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog

House-training can be a dilemma for owners and dogs alike. Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith discuss some of the biggest challenges to house-training and how to teach your dog what's expected when it comes to bathroom etiquette.

For more information, please go to: Your Family Dog

Police dogs, military dogs, rescue dogs, security dogs...in addition to being man's best friend, dogs are often his best co-workers as well. But all too often, when their days of service are over, these faithful dogs get left behind. That's where Mission K9 Rescue comes in, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing retired working dogs and finding them loving homes where they can enjoy their retirement in peace. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Bob Bryant, the CTO of Mission K9 to talk about the meaningful work his organization does.

For show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring tackle the topic of how to manage a multi-pet household on a daily basis as well as during the holidays when stress may be higher for you and your pets.

For show notes and more information, please go to: Your Family Dog

If you've ever wondered why your dog does what he does, animal ethologist Marc Bekoff can tell you- he literally wrote the book on it! Today he joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to discuss his upcoming book, becoming a "citizen scientist," and emotions in dogs (and octopuses!).

For show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

Long time listeners of Your Family Dog will be familiar with the Five Freedoms and how they can help your dog have a happier, healthier life. Similar to this is the idea of the Five Domains- the five areas of life where you can not just remove negative experience from your dog's life but actively add in positive ones as well. Julie and Tina talk about the Five Domains and how simple additions to your routine can make a big difference in the life of your canine friend.

For show notes and more, please see: Your Family Dog

Why do dogs stare at us? Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk about the various reasons that dogs look at us, and how we can use eye contact to better understand our canine companions, and train them as well.

For show notes and more please go to: Your Family Dog

Stephanie Kern, vet tech and dog trainer, joins Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith to discuss what you can do to make your veterinary visits better for everyone...pets and people alike!

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

A new year means new guests! Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Austin-based dog trainer Brady Foulk to talk about training service dogs, learning through play, allowing yourself to fail, and the importance of keeping it weird.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Does having an obedient dog make for a good owner-pet relationship? Or is a good relationship instead the prerequisite for an obedient dog? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss the importance of an owner-dog relationship rooted in trust and understanding and how that ultimately leads to a more positive training experience, and a happier, better-behaved pup.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

How can you tell if your dog needs more sleep? In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring discuss three young pups whose behavior indicated that with a few more zzz's they could be the happy, well-mannered dogs their owners desired. Find out what you can do to help your dog be the best (and best rested) dog on the block!

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Behavior vs. training- what's the difference? Is training simply what you do to get the behavior you want? Or is there a little more to it than that? In this episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring break down the differences between behavior and training, look at how and where they intersect, and examine ways to modify your training when you hit a behavioral roadblock.

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

"Walking the dog" is one of those things that's often a lot harder than it sounds. Julie and Tina break down the art of loose leash walking and offer advice and suggestions to help both you and Fido enjoy your walks.

For show notes, please go to: Your Family Dog

Are you considering adding a dog to your family? Whether this is your first dog, your fifteenth, a solo pet, or another canine companion, there are things you will want to consider when making this decision. Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk in detail about how you can improve your chances of making this a successful addition to your family.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

In part 2 of our series with Dr. Ryan Yamka, we look at the recent controversy over grain free foods and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Are they really linked? What started the debate and what do you need to know?

For more information and show notes please visit: Your Family Dog 

Just like other mental and emotional conditions, such as depression and anxiety, PTSD is not limited to humans- our dogs can suffer from it as well. As with humans, PTSD can make it difficult, if not impossible, for a dog to enjoy a normal life. But just as humans can find healing with time and therapy, dogs too can overcome traumatic experiences and go on to thrive. Phoning in all the way from Sweden today is canine PTSD expert Caroline Alupo, to discuss what kind of trauma dogs can experience and how they can heal and grow afterwards.

For more information please go to: Your Family Dog

It's a phrase we hear over and over again whenever we read about dog bites or other human-animal scuffles- "unprovoked attack." But is that really true? Is there really such a thing as an animal attack that is truly completely unprovoked? Or is there perhaps more going on that we're simply not aware of? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring dig into this phrase and discuss whether or not animal attacks are really "unprovoked.

For show notes and more: Your Family Dog

We've all heard the old adage that practice makes perfect. It would seem to follow, then, that we should be careful what we practice, lest we become perfect at the wrong thing. The same goes for our dogs as well- it's much easier to practice good habits right off the bat than to have to unlearn and retrain behaviors later. Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring as they discuss how to make sure that you and your dog are practicing the right habits the right way.

For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Colleen Pelar comes back to Your Family Dog to join hosts Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring for a wide ranging discussion on choosing the right dog for you and your family. Among the topics: whether a puppy or an adult dog would best fill that canine shaped hole in your heart, and what qualities we consider essential for your family dog.

For show notes and more please go to: Your Family Dog

So you've got a new dog- now what? You love Fido, but he's got some behaviors you could live without- things like jumping, chewing the furniture, and tugging at the leash. Where do you start with all this? What do you tackle first and how? Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring as they discuss the best way to start when it comes to training and behavior modification so you can get started on the road to success.

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Since Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith could not coordinate their schedules, Julie takes the reins and talks about her hopes for you and your family dog.

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Dr. Ryan Yamka, PhD, FACN, PAS, Dipl ACAS, is a canine nutrition expert and founder of Guardian Pet Food. He joins Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith for a discussion of canine nutrition and what dog owners need to know to choose the best way to feed their best friend.

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Most of us have at least heard of stem cell therapy and the potential it seems to have for treating any number of illnesses- everything from cancer to diabetes to regular old wrinkles. But what you may not know is that stem cell therapy isn't just for humans. It can be- and is!- used to great effect in veterinary medicine as well. Mark Kyle, of PrepVet, joins Your Family Dog to discuss what stem cell therapy is, and how it can be used to help dogs and other animals lead happier, healthier lives.

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Dr. Lori Cesario, Veterinary Oncologist joins Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to talk about what pet owners need to know about cancer tests, diagnosis, and how to be proactive in caring for their pets before and after a cancer diagnosis.

For more information and show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk about the need for teaching your dog to be separate from you, even when you are home. Having a dog who is comfortable on his own increases the quality of everyone's life...including the dog's!

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Support- your kids need it, your dogs need it, and you need it as well. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about the best way to support every member of your family- yourself included- so that you can prevent problems before they arise, deal with them effectively when they do, and set everybody up for success.

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"Cooperative care" is a subject that has come up frequently over the years on "Your Family Dog." now, for the 200th (yes, 200th!) episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Dr. Deborah Jones, the woman who literally wrote the book on cooperative care, to talk about how to make caring for your dog a partnership, rather than a battle of wills.

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The new year is upon us! For many of us, this means setting goals and making resolutions. For almost as many of us, this also means having them blown to smithereens before January even hits its halfway point. So what can we do about it? Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring offer advice not only on how to set goals for yourself and your dog, but also on how to achieve those goals and give yourself and Fido grace if you fall short.

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Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith have a lively discussion about socializing your puppy during a pandemic, how socialization can be over done, and the importance of allowing your dog to set the pace for meeting new people, places, and experiences.

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In part 2 of our series with Barbara Dobbins on spaying or neutering your dog, we have a far ranging discussion that includes: the role of hormones in the life of a dog, the effects on behavior when you alter your dog, and whether or not a connection exists between spaying and neutering and cancer.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

Wilt Chamberlain once said, "Everything is habit forming, so make sure what you do is what you want to be doing." Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith talk about how that idea applies to dog training as well as to pursuing a more positive trajectory in every day (and every dog's) life.

For show notes and more information please go to: Your Family Dog