Life Well Lived with Dogs

Hey friends it's been a minute!

I'm so excited for this week's chat with Summer Willow Fitch! Summer is a transformational leader helping businesses implement strategies to curate a better experience for both employees and customers.

She also, has a brand new puppy, Olivia.

In this episode we talk about the journey of having a new puppy at home, finding community and the discrepancies in adoption practices.

Summer's Work
https://kabodconsults.com/

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

This week I have a very special guest, Marianne Ahern from Glad Dogs Nation.

Marianne has been working with rescue programs and fostering dogs for 17 years. Eventually, she started wondering what could be a more impactful way of helping and supporting dogs in need. That's when Glad Dogs Nation was born.

In this episode, you'll hear how Marianne and her team take gently used children's toys and give them a new life as dog toys. 100% of the profits from these toys go to support their non-profit programs for pets in need.

Key Topics

• How Glad Dogs Nation was founded 
• How you can get involved
• What's happening in the shelters

Check out https://gladdogsnation.com/  to shop available toys and see how YOU can get involved! 

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

Veterinarian Marisa Brunetti is back on the show this week to talk about pain in both dogs and cats.

It's only recently that us humans have recognized that dogs can feel pain too.  Just like us, dogs deserve to have their pain looked at, treated and managed to the best of our ability.

But how do you know when your pet is experiencing pain? Today Marisa Brunetti, VMD is showing us exactly what to look for in our pets.

Key Topics

• How to recognize pain in your pet
• When to bring your pet in for pain
• What to expect as your dog gets older 
• Medications 

Check out Marisa's Podcast:  IndeVets Happy Hour
Listen to our last episode w/ Marisa:
Ep 21: Changes in the Vet Industry w/ Marisa Brunetti, VMD

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

It can be extremely overwhelming trying to do everything right by your dog. There are thousands of options and everyone has their own opinion on them.

This week I'm challenging you to get back to basics with your training and reminding you what really matters when it comes to training your dog.

Key Topics 

• Meeting biological needs first 
• Using play as a runway for huge shifts in training 
• Spending quality time with your dog to improve training

If you like this episode you'll also enjoy:
Ep 23: Teaching your Dog Lessons Through Play 
Ep 16: Micro Communication w/ your Dog

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

A few weeks ago I promised I would dive into the Windows Theory. 

I believe this can be a more powerful framework than training and teaching tactical skills alone. 

The Window Theory is all about helping dogs understand what behavior & state of mind is appropriate throughout day to day situations by dividing your time into different "windows". 

Listen to this episode to hear me explain the Window Theory in depth and give you practical examples that you can start implementing with your dog right away. 

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

What's your plan for communicating with your dog? 

There are so many methods, tips and opinions on the best way to communicate what you want to your dog. 

This week I'm building off the last two episodes to empower you to learn to communicate with your dog in a way that makes sense for both of you. 

If you haven't yet, listen to Episodes 22 & 23 to get the full picture of creating success with your dog by looking at their health & enrichment through play. 

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

Hey friends,

This week I am continuing on last week's episode reflecting on the idea of starting with basic diagnostics and looking at things that impact behavior with our dogs.

Last week I dove into looking at your dog's health and their biological fulfillment as a starting point for any training you may want to do.

In this episode, I want to help you create a bigger context for all the things you're doing with your dogs. Today, I'm focusing on play with our dogs as a useful tool for training, creating a feedback system and bonding with your dog.

Key Topics

• Creating Clarity
• Going beyond performance based commands 
• Developing a useful feedback system

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

To start off the year at Opportunity Barks we hosted Jay Jack from Next Level Dogs & what he had to say blew everyone's mind.

Today, I wanted to share some of that with you.

Dogs have biological needs but, what does that look like in your home?

In this episode, I'm giving you practical and tangible activities for you to start allowing your dog to practice species specific behaviors.

Key Topics: 

• Defining Enrichment
• The Right Questions to Ask
• Layered Stress Model 

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

Hello friends,

This week I have on my incredible friend Marisa Brunetti. Marisa is a practicing veterinarian and one of the founders of IndeVets.

IndeVets puts Vets first and strives to provide a better work-life balance for those they employ. To learn more about IndeVets and their mission visit https://indevets.com/

In this episode, we talk all about changes in the vet industry and walk through how these changes will affect all pet owners.

TW: Pet Death & Euthanasia 

Check out Marisa's Podcast:  IndeVets Happy Hour

Key Topics: 

• Mental Health in Vets 
• Changes in the vet industry
• The importance of having a good mentor 
• How the tides are changing in the vet industry
• The effects of the Pandemic in the vet industry

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403

Today I'm so excited to have on Bryna Donnelly founder of Rescue Rebuild.

Rescue Rebuild is an organization that works to help people, pets, and the planet by mobilizing in response to need and amplifying the good. Specifically, they help shelters renovate, build & improve their structures to increase their success in animal welfare.

In today's conversation, we get the real side of what it means to be involved in animal welfare.

Check Out Rescue Rebuild
rescuerebuild.org

Key Topics: 

• Working w/ people experiencing homelessness & victims of domestic violence to keep their pets safe. 
• The role shelters can play to support people in crisis
• How you can get involved with animal welfare in your community

Reach Out to Me:
[email protected]
@opbarks on Instagram
opbarks.com

Credits
Production: Shannon Kuehl https://novapodcasts.com
Music: Daniele Musto https://app.soundstripe.com/artists/403