Remember when you were 14- years- old and you were a totally balanced, perfect teenager?  Of course you don't...because how could you feel calm and confident when your world was changing and your body was taken over by alien hormones.  It is the same for our adolescent dogs and in this episode, Emma and Kirsten share the science behind this challenging development stage while offering tips on how to support your struggling teen.  Discovering that you no longer are the center of your pup's universe?  That's normal and healthy.  Find out how to nurture them through this stage while keeping your relationship intact.

With her incredible wit and wisdom, special guest Alexis Davison offers insights into the importance of communication in the role of behavior change, the history of positive reinforcement training and how using the UnChase Protocol can help pets learn to live together and be safe alongside wildlife.  Alexis is a professional mentor to both Emma and Kirsten.  Ready to learn a bit about life and predatory action behavior patterns?  Listen to this fascinating episode that unpacks the "how" and "why" of chasing and how positive reinforcement works to help your dog learn new habits.

Now that the days are shorter and we are spending more time indoors with our dogs, it is time to cozy up for a Towel Dry, Hot Lava, scenting games and fun DIY enrichment activities.  Your hosts Emma and Kirsten describe some of their favorite indoor dog games and offer tips about keeping your dogs busy and happy while growing your relationship together.

Visit us @dogchats_podcast on Instagram for more tips from this episode!

Does your dog communicate their fear or frustration through barking, lunging and snapping?  Check out this new episode where Kirsten unravels some of the "why" and "how" behind these maladaptive  behaviors.  She offers a few tips for pet parents who are working to support their dogs and reminds us to start from a place of empathy and understanding for both dog and human clients.

In episode 14, The Podiversary Episode, Emma and Kirsten interview the professional pet sitter and dog walker, Lynes Downing, Jr. As our hosts share their own concerns about finding the right pet sitter when they travel, Lynes offers reassuring advice and wisdom about how to choose a good sitter, and how to set the sitter up for success.  

Lynes can be reached at 

His website www.petsitpro.org

Or his email [email protected]

In this episode, Emma and Kirsten share their thoughts on the current research that defines the social systems of dogs. The amazing matrix of status, communication and relationships that are a part of our dogs' social environments is beautiful and complex.  Let's unpack some of the  misunderstood research about pack theory and dominance so we can examine our own relationships with our dogs in a meaningful way.

Suzanne Gollin, the Foster Care Coordinator at Marin Humane, has been working to connect animals in need with loving foster families for 23 years.  Have you ever considered fostering a pet?  In this episode, we walk you through the joyful process of fostering and hope to inspire some of you to bring a shelter pet into your home, if even for a very brief period.  Emma and Kirsten both have "forever foster" pets in their homes, and want to share a bit of their stories with you.