Petra, Kate and I wish to thank all of our wonderful loyal listeners for the past ten, twelve? Fourteen years. We have had a blast but things change. Two of us are moving. Kindred Spirits Dog Training is closing. It's the end of an era. But thank you!

What happens once your pet is gone? Will your other pets grieve? Liz's middle dog, Hero, is having a bit of a hard time after Bones passed away as is her orange tabby cat, Kirk. Yet the youngest dog, Seven, is absolutely fine. Your three hosts discuss grieving, how to help your pet after the loss of their companion, and how to find that new normal

One of the downfalls of loving dogs (and other pets) is they don't live long enough. Liz recently lost her good dog, Bones. Your three hosts talk about making the decision as to when to say goodbye, whether to take your dog to the vet clinic or have one come to the house, and other issues concerning end of life. This isn't a happy subject to discuss but is one everyone will face at some time.

Dog owners and trainers both face challenges in keeping training new, fresh, and interesting for both dogs and their owners. If training becomes rote and boring, no one is going to have fun with it and if you're not having fun, you're less likely to do it. If the dog doesn't enjoy it, he's less likely to cooperate. Kindred Spirits is introducing a new program that combines obedience training, trick training, and games. Join Liz, Petra, and Kate as they talk about their hopes for it.

Newly adopted dogs don't go to their new home and immediately adapt. It takes time for them to learn where they are, who the people are, what the rules, are and so much more. Plus, the dog's behavior is going to change as they adapt to the new home. Join Liz, Petra, and Kate as they explain what the stages of adjustment are, what to expect, and how to react.

Recently someone told Kate that his dog was bilingual. She asked, "'English and dog?" He laughed, "Okay, tri-lingual. Dog, English, and Spanish." Our dogs understand what we teach them. So how about Klingon? Or Harry Potter spells? Or Italian dishes? Yep, people have taught their dogs a whole lot of different languages.

There is a dog club for every dog owners. Clubs for German Shepherd owners, people interested in agility, clubs for therapy dog owners; clubs for everything. Let's define what certain kinds of clubs are, who could benefit, and why you might want to join one. And of course, how to avoid the politics.

Let's talk about dog care, coat types,, shedding, grooming, toenails and more. Dogs need a surprising amount of care.

Ideally, choosing a puppy or dog for you should be more than falling in love with a puppy. All puppies are cute, right? Tune in and listen as Liz, Petra, and Kate talk about breed tendencies and other things you should be aware of.

As we recorded this podcast we're still in the midst of COVID and most of us are at home either full time or part time. We're all, at least, being careful. Last year we recorded a couple of podcasts with suggestions about keeping your dog occupied or at least not bored, but we thought we'd revisit that topic. A year ago, none of us thought we'd still be doing this. Join us for some more ideas.