Believe in Dog

Everything You Need to Know About Therapy Dogs with Sherrie Rohde

Have you ever wondered if your dog could be a Therapy Dog?  Are you & your dog ready to be a therapy team?  Where do you even start?
 
After working in tech for many years, Sherrie Rohde decided to make a career change and become a therapist. And when she learned (through Instagram!) about animal-assisted therapy work, Sherrie became excited about the idea of incorporating dogs into her new career.
 
When Sherrie adopted her dog Sunny, they started training courses right away.  Sherrie became more determined than ever that Sunny would be great therapy dog partner.
 
But what did Sunny think?  From eating her obedience certificate to needing more practice on her therapy dog skills, Sherrie realizes that Sunny’s imperfect journey has been a great lesson to them both.
 
Through her Therapy Dog Talk Podcast and online course for therapy dog teams, Sherrie is an incredible resource for anyone interested in learning more about therapy dog work.
 
Exciting news! The Believe in Dog Podcast is featured in Women Who Podcast Magazine and we’re celebrating the 4th anniversary of Believe in Dog!
 
Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode81
 
Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM
 
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Can Dogs Be Neurodiverse? How Sharon Vincuilla Helps Dogs Who Experience the World Differently

Have you ever been around a dog who doesn’t “dog” like other dogs?  Maybe you’ve experienced a dog who is reactive or has separation anxiety or a noise-phobia?
 
Sharon Vincuilla and I explore how dogs (and people!) can experience the world differently and how neurodiversity shows up in a dog’s behavior.  And Sharon has experienced this first-hand with her dog, Muggins!
 
Sharon found that life with Muggins was even triggering her own trauma.  Seemingly ordinary life events like walking the dog or having a friend stop by her house would turn into stressful ordeals with Muggins.
 
Leaning on her work as both a dog trainer and an Occupational Therapist, Sharon shares with us the strategies she developed that allow both her and Muggins to thrive.  And she teaches us strategies we can incorporate into our lives with our dogs who might “dog” a little differently.
 
Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode80
 
Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM
 
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How Therapy Dog Lil’ Leo Inspired a Global Humane Education Movement with Parnita Senjit

Panita Senjit grew up in India where she learned to be terrified of dogs.  So you might be wondering how she’s become the award-winning author of a children’s book series based on her therapy dog, Lil’ Leo.  And the answer is: her son really wanted a dog.
 
When living in Austin, Texas, Panita was introduced to Therapy Dog work and realized their family dog, Leo had the perfect temperament for being a therapy dog.  Panita was quickly drawn to the impact of therapy dog work with children.
 
After moving back to the UK, Parnita and Leo passed another Therapy Dog assessment – so he’s a therapy dog in two countries!
 
During COVID-19, Parnita was inspired to write children’s books based on Leo’s adventures.  With 3 books currently published, Parnita shares with us why she’s so focused on having the books translated into many different languages – to spread a message of kindness globally.
 
Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.
 
Find Links and Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode79
 
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Healing from Pet Loss Grief with Erica Messer of Wolfie’s Wish

Has your life been impacted by the loss of a pet?  Erica Messer and her husband adopted Wolfgang, a sickly kitten found in a barn during the height of COVID quarantine in 2020.  But when a tragic accident ended Wolfie’s life the following year, it completely changed the direction of Erica’s life.
Now the Founder of Wolfie’s Wish, Erica created the product she was looking for on her grief journey but couldn’t find.  Wolfie’s Wish Grieving Cards are affirmation-style cards that help you incorporate healing practices into your day.
I’m so grateful to Erica for sharing her grief journey with us and the coping skills and tools she learned along the way.  Erica also holds space for me as I share about the unexpected loss of Penny in January 2023. We also discuss that the struggle that many of us feel to not show our emotions when we’re not ok. Erica & I believe: It’s ok not be ok.
You can get Erica’s template for writing a love letter to your pet at www.wolfieswish.com. 
 
Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.
 
Find Links and Show Notes at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode78
 
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Rescue is a Full-Time Job: Rescue Roundtable Part 2

What do burnout, self-care and boundaries have to do with rescue? Everything! We’ll learn the emotional toll that rescue has taken on our Roundtable participants.  This conversation gets incredibly vulnerable and I commend the courage that it took to share this with the world.
Our Rescue Roundtable also explores ideas for creating a more sustainable organization and what they would differently in the future.
We start off picking up where we left off last week and jump right into those Home Visits.  While some people may think these are borderline invasive, our Rescuers spill the tea on the real reasons that they’ve turned down potential adopters after a home visit.  And it’s nothing to do with those dust bunnies behind the tv!
We also discuss how rescues choose the dogs that they take into their organization. I had a lot of questions about this because I’ve seen so much smack talk on social media about this over the years.  I was surprised to learn how much thought goes into creating the right balance of adoptable dogs!
And also, what do rescues do with difficult dogs that they don’t think they can safely place in a home?
I’m so grateful to our Rescue Roundtable: Nichol O'Marr (foster for Pitties & Purrs Rescue), Melissa Trotman (founder of Bella’s Bully Buddies which adopted out 1,000+ dogs from 2012 – 2019) and Jen Carle (currently Director of Operations for Tara’s House Animal Rescue).
 
If you like this episode, you won’t want to miss Episode 60 and Episode 75!
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode77
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The Rescue Underground: Rescue Roundtable Part 1

Dogs, drama and death threats…oh my!
On this Roundtable, we’ll hear from 3 women in Baltimore’s animal rescue community who have collectively impacted the lives of countless dogs.
I brought these guests together so we could dive into topics such as who determines Adoption Requirements & Procedures and how rescues can set up their Foster Families for success.
But while I’ve been around the animal welfare world since 2008, there was still a lot that I didn’t know – especially about the “dark side” of rescue and even dogs in “witness protection.”  Some of it was quite shocking!
In fact, while we were recording the Roundtable, Nichol was getting text message updates about a dog situation that had been unfolding since 3 AM – and this is emotional to hear.
So we dig into the tough topics as well: guilt, social media drama and why can’t the rescues just all get along?
Special thanks to: Nichol O’Marr (foster for Pitties & Purrs Rescue), Melissa Trotman (founder of Bella’s Bully Buddies which found homes for 1,000+ dogs from 2012 – 2019) and Jen Carle (currently Director of Operations for Tara’s House Animal Rescue).
 
If you like this episode, you won’t want to miss Episode 60 and Episode 75!
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode76
 
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Where Do All the Shelter Dogs Come From? With Cara Achterberg

This might be the most important conversation I’ve ever had on the Believe in Dog Podcast.
Have you ever wondered why there’s a seemingly endless stream of homeless pets in need at shelters and rescues across the USA? 
As a writer, Cara Sue Achterberg began documenting her family’s experiences fostering dogs for a local rescue and wrote the book Another Good Dog - One Family and 50 Foster Dogs.
Cara shares with us her dog fostering wisdom learned from now more than 150+ dogs who have spent time in her home.  You may also be surprised to learn that fostering dogs brought Cara’s children and family closer than ever – even through their teen years!
But Cara did wonder – where were all these dogs coming from? The answer was mostly the Southeastern USA.  So when she embarked on a book tour she decided to also make it a shelter tour so she could see firsthand where the dogs were coming from.
And this decision changed her life.
Cara will share with us what she’s learned from visiting 120+ animal shelters in 12 states over the past several years.  We’ll hear the 3 factors that lead to animal shelters successfully saving lives.  And about the unsung heroes who persevere through unimaginable obstacles to give dogs a chance.
Cara created the organization Who Will Let The Dogs Out to support the shelters and rescues lacking budgets, resources and often a staff.  Who Will Let The Dogs Out is bringing awareness and resources to homeless dogs and the heroes who fight for them.
Trigger Warning: The topic of animal euthanization is a theme of this episode. Please take care while listening.
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode75
 
The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM
https://www.teefhealth.com/?aff=58
 
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The 3 Key Causes of Cancer in Dogs with Dr. Marty Goldstein

What does pioneering integrative veterinarian Dr. Marty Goldstein want you to know about the cause of cancer in dogs?  Today we’ll hear the 3 biggest causes for the exponential increase in cancer rates over the past 50 years.
I was fascinated to learn that it was Dr. Marty’s journey with his own health that led him to questioning the medical establishment for  both people and pets.  And when Dr. Marty witnessed the connection between diet and health, he made his life’s work to spread this truth even in the face of adversity. 
And there was plenty of adversity – from concerns of bankruptcy to having his veterinary license threatened. Of course this was before he started crossing paths with everyone from George Harrison to Oprah and having the documentary, The Dog Doc, filmed about his groundbreaking work.
Dr. Marty also regales us with tales from his upcoming book – like why he still cringes when he thinks about that time he met Ray Charles on an airplane.
 
Episode Sponsored by The Dog Health Journal
Find Links & Show Notes at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode74
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Creating Connection Beyond Sound with Your Hearing Dog

Did you know that hearing dogs are trained to support the deaf and hard-of-hearing community?  I recently learned this when I connected with David Allery, Founder of the nonprofit organization, Your Hearing Dog.
David, who experienced a loss of hearing due to a medical condition, shares his own experiences and the societal isolation experienced by many people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.  
Hearing dogs are not only trained to alert to vital needs such as a smoke detector, but serve an equally important role in connection and companionship.
We’re also joined today by Judith Mueller, a Board Member of Your Hearing Dog, who joined the organization due to her passion for dogs and desire to make a difference.   
David and Judith share with us why Your Hearing Dog is passionate about training shelter and rescue dogs, how the training process works and how dogs and people are matched.
If you or someone you know is deaf or hard-of-hearing, this episode offers valuable insights into the life-changing impact our four-legged companions can have.
A transcript of this episode is available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community is linked HERE.
 
Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM.
 
Find Links & Show Notes at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode73
 
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How a Puppy Mill Dog Forever Changed Jo Anna Kloster’s Life

What is life like with a rescued puppy mill dog?  And is there anything we can do to stop puppy mills? 
These are the questions we explore today with Dog Mom and Advocate Jo Anna Kloster, author of Lily Unleashed.
Jo Anna shares the story of how Cagney, her first rescued puppy mill dog, changed her life and gave her passion and purpose.  Jo Anna shares all that she’s learned about the inner workings of puppy mills, pet stores and the laws that aren’t being enforced.
Jo Anna’s passion and career as a teacher led her to writing Lily Unleashed, a chapter book for all ages that tells the story of how a rescued puppy mill dog inspires an insecure 6th grader to speak up and take a stand for what’s right.We’re also joined today by Megan, a young lady who just completed 6th grade, who gives us her book review of Lily Unleashed and what she thinks about puppy mills.
The good news is that more Congressional leaders than ever are sponsoring new laws – Goldie’s Act and the Puppy Mill Protection Act – which all of us can support with emails and phone calls. 
Check the Show Notes for quick links to take action and support these laws today!
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode72
 
Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water.  Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM
https://www.teefhealth.com/?aff=58
 
Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.