Hound Opinions

It's just Bill this time around.

In this solo pod, we're talking about doing nothing. Doing nothing is hard for dogs. For humans, that's a weird concept, but it's an important one when it comes to training. In the first part of the episode, Bill talks about why the ability to do nothing is important and how to teach our dogs that skill. In the second part, Bill opens up about one of the harder realities of working in the dog walking biz - the fact that people and their dogs occasionally move away.

And Bill wants to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And he wants to play your lovely voices asking those questions. You've got two options:

Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠Mastodon⁠, ⁠Discord⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

Hound Opinions is on a bit of a break this week. There'll be a new episode in two weeks, but in the meantime, enjoy this rebroadcast of Bill's chat with Lisa Lunghofer of the Grey Muzzle Organization.

By the way, Bill's older pup, Chester, turns 13 next week! Because Chester's a mensch, he wants to use his Bark Mitzvah to do some good! So he's raising money for the Grey Muzzle Organization because senior dogs are the best. If you'd like to donate, that'd be awesome. Head on over to https://www.facebook.com/donate/910542973480995/.

Fact – senior dogs are awesome. There’s really nothing like a senior dog. They’re often happy to just spend time on the couch with you. They might let you sleep in on weekends. They don’t require super-long walks or play sessions to get their energy out.

What’s not to love, right?

But despite being amazing, senior dogs that wind up in shelters or rescues are often overlooked in favor of younger dogs and puppies. They’re some of the hardest dogs to adopt out. And that needs to change.

On the pod with Bill is Lisa Lunghofer. She's the executive director of ⁠The Grey Muzzle Organization⁠. The mission of The Grey Muzzle Organization is to improve the lives of at-risk senior dogs by providing funding and resources to animal shelters, rescue organizations, sanctuaries and other nonprofit groups nationwide.

Find The Grey Muzzle Organization online at ⁠GreyMuzzle.org⁠.

Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠Mastodon⁠, ⁠Discord⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠[email protected]⁠.

This one's a bit personal for Bill. Trigger warnings: Talk of cancer and pet death. 

In May of 2021, a mass was found on Bill's dog Chester’s spleen. A trip to the emergency vet and a splenectomy later (plus a couple days at the hospital), Chester was back home with a shaved belly and a badass scar from the surgery. 

Luckily the mass was benign and Chester's still as ornery as ever. But what Bill realized is that he had no idea what spleens do, why they're so prone to masses and a particularly dangerous form of cancer known as a hemangiosarcoma and why the prognosis for a cancerous splenic mass is rarely good. 

On the pod with Bill is Dr. Mark Byrum, DVM, DACVIM. He’s a veterinary medical oncologist at MedVet Chicago and a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine as a medical oncologist. He talks to Bill all about hemangiosarcomas and explains just what spleens do and why it's possible for dogs to easily survive without them. He also talks more generally about cancer in dogs and cats. 

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

Trigger warning: This episode contains mentions of animals being used for pharmaceutical testing purposes, talk of animals being abused and animals dealing with issues of PTSD and the fallout that comes from surviving life in testing facilities.

We all know animal testing happens. But did you know that it doesn’t just happen on rats and mice? It happens on all sorts of animals, including dogs and cats. And when it comes to dogs, the breed of choice for testing, especially when it comes to toxicity testing for the pharmaceutical industry, is the beagle.

In this episode, Bill talks to Shannon Keith. She's the founder and president of the international non-profit Beagle Freedom Project. Throughout her career advocating for animals, she has been a voice for all animals on the streets, behind closed doors, in the courtroom and in state capitols.

Check out the Beagle Freedom Project at BFP.org and @BeagleFreedom on all your standard social channels.

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

Sorry for the delay! But it's finally here!

Bill's by himself this time. On this episode, he chats for a bit about expectations and why letting go of some of the traditional ideas of what it means to have a “good” or “well-behaved” dog can make everyone happier. 

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

Sometimes, rehoming a dog is the best decision for both you/your family and the dog. And there's nothing wrong with that. But it's never an easy decision. Nobody wants to feel like they're giving up on a dog, especially if that dog's had a tough go of things. 

Bill's got another returning guest this time. Sara Polk is a lifelong dog lover and licensed mental health provider in El Paso, Texas. She’s also a very dear friend of Bill's who had to make the tough decision to rehome a dog that wasn’t a good fit for her family. On this episode, they talk about how she came to make that decision and how she ultimately realized it was the right one, even if it felt terrible to make.

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

Mission K9 Rescue is a special kind of dog rescue. Based in Texas, Mission K9 is an animal welfare group dedicated to rescuing, reuniting, rehoming, repairing, and rehabilitating American working dogs. This includes military and contract working dogs, as well as retired police, TSA and other law enforcement dogs. Since 2013, the group has provided a wide array of medical and behavioral services to working dogs to offer them a comfortable and peaceful retirement.

In this episode, Bill chats with Bob Bryant. He's Mission K9's Chief Technology Officer and guardian to retired Military Working Dog Navy. Bill and Bob chat about why adopting a retired working dog isn't for everyone, but also why it's one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. They also get into some of the hard realities retired working dogs face. 

Check out Mission K9 Rescue online at MissionK9Rescue.org. You can also find them by going to @MissionK9 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

Sorry for the delay. There were technical issues. It's the holidays and you fine folx have questions. So Bill's going to answer some of them. He talks about helping to introduce your dog to new people and gets into body language. He also talks about the most unusual cues he's seen dogs do and gets into why he never uses the term "command". Happy holidays!

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

Bill's taking a bit of a holiday break this week. There'll be a new episode in a couple weeks. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, Bill is going to be putting together a live video event where he talks about dog body language and takes questions in real time. When he nails down a time, he'll announce it on Facebook, Discord and Mastodon. So get ready for that. It's going to be fun. 

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Mastodon, Discord, TikTok and Instagram under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].

It's almost time for the National Dog Show, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia!

On the pod with Bill this time is his first ever returning guest - longtime voice of the National Dog Show, David Frei. David and Bill preview the show and David shares his insights about the world of dog shows built over years of experience as an owner and handler of show dogs, as well as his experience as a judge and broadcaster. 

The National Dog Show will be broadcast November 24 at noon on NBC. It's right after the Macy's parade ends. Don't forget to tune in to hear David Frei and his longtime partner John O'Hurley calling the action and to see all your favorite dog breeds and maybe a few you've never seen before!

Big Wags Chicago is online at www.bigwagschicago.com. You can also find Big Wags on Twitter and Instagram at @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email [email protected].