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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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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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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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
 
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Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to make a living being a Dog Mom? Tori Mistick is here to tell us how she turned her blog Wear Wag Repeat from a creative outlet into her full-time job – including all the pivots along the way.
I’ve learned so much from Tori’s online courses for petprenuers (entrepreneurs in the pet industry) and from her monthly membership group, the Wear Wag Repeat Society.  Tori also shares with us why it’s important to her that the Wear Wag Repeat Podcast is a platform for women in the pet industry.
Tori recently completed a course in Canine Enrichment and she gives us some fun & easy tips to create more joy in our dogs’ lives.
I’m also appreciative to Tori for vulnerably sharing some of her hardest moments as a young pet parent with us.
 
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/episode71
 
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Are all of us communicating with our animals and we just don’t realize it?  This is one of the questions we explore today with Animal Communicator Shannon Cutts.
While Shannon grew up loving nature and always wanting a pet bird, it took many years for Shannon to follow her intuitive calling to work as an animal communicator.  Shannon shares her long and winding journey with us, including the many ways animals have been healers in her life.
We also explore how Highly Sensitive Pets experience the world differently and how pet parents can identify and best support their pets who fall into this category.
Shannon is also a Reiki Master and we explore what reiki is and how this is connected to her work as an animal communicator.  I also share my experiences with Reiki.
Does Shannon think we all have the ability to be animal communicators?  We discuss our intuition, how to quiet our minds and demystify the woo-woo.
Learn more about Shannon's work, classes, book and podcast at
https://animallovelanguages.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 & Show Notes at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode70
 
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How did Ruby Balaram go from being a reluctant dog mom to pet industry CEO? You don’t want to miss this episode.
Like me, Ruby grew up in a house where she wasn’t allowed to have pets - except that one time she & her mom tried to sneak in a cat! So when Ruby met her partner, Turk, he came with a dog and she wasn’t so sure about jumping into the Dog Mom Life.
But when Turk’s dog got a second cancer diagnosis, Ruby witnesses the power of feeding fresh real food to dogs when the grumpy old Doberman started running around with puppy-like energy. Ruby & Turk were so amazed that they wanted to start a company to make fresh real food accessible to all dog owners.
Ruby shares their early entrepreneurial journey with us and all the pivots they made along the way to form Real Dog Box in 2015.
No matter what diet you feed your dog, Real Dog Box is an easy and affordable way to add fun and healthy variety to your dog’s bowl. And you definitely don’t want to miss out on the fun of the Secret Shop!
Ruby & her team have now launched the Feed Real Institute which was born out of all the questions they’ve received from Pet Parents over the past 8 years.
Creating digital courses for both Pet Parents and Veterinarians, Ruby wants everyone to have access to the scientific-backed information showing the healthiest food choices for our dogs.
Want to try Real Dog Box for your dog? Save $10 off your first order at: https://real.dog/erinthedogmom
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at: https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode69
 
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By day, Jen Danna is a scientist studying infectious diseases. But at night, Jen has immersed herself in creating the world of FBI K9 Handler Meg Jennings and her dog Hawk. 
 
From domestic terrorism to human trafficking, the FBI K9 series follows Meg & Hawk as part of the FBI’s Human Scent Detection Team.  From page one, these books had me hooked and it felt like I was along for the ride as Meg & Hawk are tasked with locating the missing, lost, escaped or dead.
 
Jen shares her writing process with us and how it has changed following the recent loss of her longtime writing partner, Ann Vanderlaan.
 
We discuss the critical importance of the partnership and bond between law enforcement K9s and their handlers.
 
At the end of the episode I share what I’ve learned about the history of law enforcement K9s in the US. I was surprised to discover that  my hometown of Baltimore plays a uniquely special role in this history of law enforcement K9s!
 
Get 20% off your next order of Teef, for your dog's dental health with the code: ADM.
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode68
 
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We’re diving into an age-old question today: do dog trainers train dogs … or people?  As a dog trainer and pet health coach, Jessica Fisher has a lot to share on this topic.
 
Despite having some “not so great” experiences with pets when she was growing up, Jessica was on her way to becoming a bit of a crazy cat lady when she met the man who would become her husband … and his chihuahua.
 
But it took her dog Kimberly, a rescue who came with separation anxiety, for Jessica to find her calling as a dog trainer.
 
Jessica and I discuss everything from how to work with a dog trainer over Zoom to how vulnerable it is to share your story on a podcast.
 
Jessica is also a member of the Two Podcasts Club – you can listen to her on The Parenting Reset and Pet Health Junkies.  I highly recommend listening to Jessica share her story on the episode: Why Are Dog Moms Not Having Kids?
 
Get 20% off your next order of Teef, for your dog's dental health with the code: ADM.
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode67
 
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We see these memes online everyday joking that all of our dogs are freelance emotional support dogs.  But what if it’s your dog’s behavior that’s causing you anxiety?
 
I’m grateful to Karoline Edmonds of Dog Mom Mentality for courageously sharing her ups and downs with us today.
 
Admittedly a bit of a reluctant and naïve dog owner, in early 2020 Karoline agreed that her boyfriend could get a dog – if he was willing to do all the work.  Then COVID happened and Karoline found herself being the one at home all day everyday with Layla the Australian Shepherd mix.
 
When Layla began showing fear, reactivity and even some fear aggression, Karoline found that her dog’s anxiety was giving her anxiety!  So now what was she going to do?
 
Over the past 3 years Karoline has embarked on a journey of Growing & Heeling – working on her own mental and emotional health, as well as Layla’s behavioral challenges.
 
Karoline has now created the Growing & Heeling Journal to help pet parents navigate through both the awesome times and those times when it’s unexpectedly difficult sharing your life with your dog.
 
Get 10% off Karoline's Growing & Heeling Journal with the code: BID10.
 
Get 20% off your next order of Teef, for your dog's dental health with the code: ADM.
 
Find Links and Show Notes at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode66
 
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Who is caring for your pets when you’re traveling?  That’s the question today’s guest, Isabel Alvarez Arata, is going to help us answer.
Isabel describes herself an advocate for in-home pet sitting and shares with us everything we should know before hiring a pet sitter.
Though she’s a lifelong animal lover, Isabel never intended on a career in the pet industry.  But when she had trouble finding a dog walker for her newly adopted dog Titan, Isabel saw a career changing opportunity and spent the next 15 years running a highly in-demand pet sitting business in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC.
A Dog Mom, Cat Mom, Human Mom and military spouse, Isabel is now a writer,  journalist, content creator and creator of the Covered in Pet Hair Podcast.  Isabel describes her podcast as a boozy show for pet lovers and every episode features cocktails and games mixed in with her interviews. (You can catch my episode of Covered in Pet Hair here.)
Spending her early years living in Ecuador before moving to Miami, Isabel shares this experience and reflects on how family pets are viewed in the Latin American culture and how that has evolved in the last 30 years.
This interview was recorded shortly after Isabel and her family said goodbye to their 15 ½ year old dog Titan.  Isabel describes how her family celebrated Titan’s life and how she prepared her children to say goodbye. (Unbeknownst to me at the time, this was the last interview I recorded with Penny by my side.)
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode65
 
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Today we’re welcoming two guests to the podcast!
 
First we’ll meet Michelle Dumont who created a series of children’s books based on Phoebe Cakes, the tiny special needs bulldog who spent 4 amazing years with Michelle & her family.
 
While Michelle always thought of herself as a “cat person,” she quickly fell in love with dogs after her sons' campaign for a canine family member.
 
When looking to adopt a bulldog from a local rescue, Michelle wasn’t deterred when she learned that her family was 21st on a list of applicants for a bulldog who needed some extra special attention.  And it was meant to be when Phoebe joined their family.
 
From rides to Starbucks to her Mardi Gras Barkus Parade “float,” Phoebe lived and loved to the fullest.  Michelle’s books continue to spread Phoebe’s zest for life to children with her fun interactive books. 
 
I even learned some new dog breeds in Phoebe Cake’s Alphabet Tails!  And how to pronounce Xoloitzcuintli.
 
 Next we’ll meet young entrepreneur Ari Minkus, the founder of Always Happy Pets.
 
As a middle schooler, Ari created his company to provide high-quality sustainable gift baskets for dogs filled with treats and toys - which ship nationwide!
Ari shares what inspired him to start this venture, how he sources the products and why he stopped using actual baskets and what he uses instead.
 
We’ll also learn how COVID affected his schooling and his plans for the future.  I think it’s safe to say this young man has a bright future ahead!
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode64
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Thank you for your patience as I took a mini hiatus from the podcast these last couple weeks. When Lisa & I recorded this episode at the end of 2022, I didn’t know it would be hitting so close to home right now.  As many of you know, we recently and very unexpectedly said goodbye to our beloved Penny when she suffered a sudden health crisis.  
It’s very special to me that Penny was so much a part of my conversation with today’s guest, Lisa Rimmert.
 
Lisa is here to share the story of Dakota who inspired her book: STAY – My Forever Friendship with an Aging Dog. Have you ever felt like maybe you want to punch someone who calls your dog “old” or a “senior”?  Lisa’s been there.  But Lisa was pretty sure that her “elder states-dog” of the dog park was going to live forever.
 
Lisa graduated college, became a military spouse and adopted Dakota all within a few months in her early 20s. She spent her whole adult life with Dakota by her side –  while crisscrossing the USA with her husband’s military assignments.
 
Lisa didn’t know how to be an adult without Dakota. And when Dakota begins to show concerning signs of a degenerative spinal disorder, Lisa didn’t want to have to be the grown-up to make difficult decisions on Dakota’s behalf. 
 
Lisa & I share how much our dogs have taught us about ourselves – from enjoying the caregiver role to work/life balance – from being present to learning how to show up for others during hard times.  I think many of us have felt that our dogs play a huge role in making you … you.
 
Both Lisa’s book and this conversation are vulnerable but perhaps surprisingly funny reflections of everything from mystery poops to examining our own internal monologue.
 
Lisa & I cover topics such as assessing your dog’s quality of life, advocating for your dog’s health and a few Public Service Announcements of things we’ve learned the hard way which might come handy for you in the future.
 
Trigger Warning: General theme of pet loss, but specifically may need tissues in the first 7 minutes.
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode63
 
If you feel called to, you can make a donation in Penny’s memory to B-More Dog.
 
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From running away from home with her dog to bringing her dog to college, Mindy Dutka has been passionate about her love for dogs since childhood.  And Mindy’s other lifelong passion is photography. 
 
6 years ago Mindy merged her passions to create her pet photography company: Dogs I Meet. From family photo shoots to working with pet brands, Mindy is dedicated to using photography to create connection through visual storytelling.
 
Mindy generously shares her best tips & tricks with us so we can all take better photos of our dogs with our phones. (I was doing one of these things right!)  Check the show notes for these tips!
 
We also discuss the value of investing in photography for your family and how that can take on even more meaning after your dog has passed.
 
From free spay/neuter clinics in Mexico to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, Mindy’s photography has taken her on several adventures to document the amazingly powerful work of rescuers and volunteers working to save dogs’ lives globally.
 
Did you know a good photo can even save a dog’s life? Mindy also shares with us about her experiences volunteering with animal shelters and rescues to take photos of dogs looking to be adopted.
 
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode62
 
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Steph Evans is a Physiotherapist (UK term for Physical Therapist) for both people and animals.  She shares with us everything we should know to not only rehab our dogs after an injury – but also how to prevent injuries in the first place with Prehab.  We’ll also learn signs of pain to look for in our dogs and thoughts about how to choose a harness versus a collar for your dog.
 
Steph is also the creator of the Ultimutt Bootcamp for Pet Parents and their pups to exercise together.  Not only is this a great way to keep our bodies moving but it’s an amazing way to bond with our dogs! With her background in Physiotherapy, Steph is able to tailor exercises for each Pet Parent and their dog based on their limitations.
 
There’s so much more to my conversation with Steph though. After wanting a dog her whole life, 3 years ago Steph finally became a Dog Mom to Teddy the Golden Retriever – who has NOT been an easy dog. Steph is incredibly honest about her struggles with Teddy and all that she’s learned along the way. From how to select a dog trainer to motivating a dog who’s not interested in food, Steph shares invaluable insights.
Steph is so much fun to listen to and you can’t help but laugh at her adventures chasing Teddy through a sheep field in Wales, hoping he’s ok when he jumped off that cliff and becoming the Pied Piper of all the dogs in her neighborhood – except Teddy! – as she tried to lure him with a roast chicken.
 
Thank you for listening to the Believe in Dog Podcast and making 2022 our best year yet!
Find Links, Show Notes & Photos at:
https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode61
Episode Sponsored By:
Hugs & Belly Rubs Dog Health Journal. Use Code: XMAS22 to save $2 before December 22.
https://www.hugsandbellyrubs.com/doghealthjournal
 
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