Paws & Reward Podcast

Join Marissa Martino's interview with Sue Sternberg about behaviorally challenged dogs in the sheltering industry. They go back several decades to discuss the history of behavior cases in animal shelters, how things have changed dramatically over the years, and why sociability matters.

Sue defines the 3 broad categories of dogs in shelters: good/behaviorally well dogs, borderline/gray dogs, and dangerous dogs and how these populations have changed over the years. Sue also defines what high sociability looks like and why it’s important to prevent aggression. 

This podcast originally aired on June 19th, 2023, and was removed within 48 hours. During that time it was brought to my attention that some of the content of the episode was problematic and racist. The podcast was pulled down to avoid any further harm. I am reposting the episode with recorded asides to address this situation. Given our privilege, we were unaware of the impact of this language at the time of the initial recording. We very much understand that impact now and thank everyone who came forward to say something. We take responsibility for our behavior. 

In episode 65, Marissa Martino and Kathy Sdao talk about a necessary topic for pet parents and pet professionals: listening. Some questions that are addressed during the episode include:

• What are the three levels of listening?
• Why is silence so important?
• How could our own best intentions be getting in the way of truly listening?
• When should we educate -vs- empathize? Can we do both?

Kathy Sdao, she/her, is the owner of Bright Spot Dog Training in Tacoma, WA. She is one of the original faculty members of the Karen Pryor Academy ClickerExpo. She has trained animal actors, written for The Clicker Journal and the Seattle Times, consulted with Guide Dogs for the Blind and with Susquehanna Service Dogs.

Kathy has taught more than 300 seminars, workshops, conference presentations & webinars, enjoying these opportunities to share her passion for the incredible power of positive-reinforcement training, confirmed over decades of working with dozens of species.

In episode 64, Marissa Martino speaks with Naomi Rotenberg about resolving conflicts between your dog and cat. Some questions that are addressed during the episode include

• What expectations do we have for our pets that may or may not be realistic? How can we adjust our expectations?
• Does the environment factor into behavior issues?
• Can we find solutions for a more harmonious household
• How can we address all of our pet’s needs without drastically changing our homes and lives? 

Naomi Rotenberg, she/her, is the owner of Praiseworthy Pets and focuses on the cat-dog interspecies relationship. She helps pet clients all over the world enjoy a household where cats and dogs coexist safely and peacefully. She also provides coaching for other pet professionals who want another pair of eyes on their cat-dog cases.

In episode 63, Marissa and Lisa Mullinax discuss their risk assessment methods both for animal shelters and their private practices. Determining whether a dog will be at risk of doing harm to another can be a difficult process and one that needs a compassionate, nuanced, and multi-tiered approach. Their risk assessment perspective gives them a comprehensive look at the dog’s environment and the many factors that can affect their behavior. Join them as they discuss the many factors they consider when assessing risk in dogs. 

On episode 62, Belinda Breen, a dog behavior professional currently earning her doctorate in clinical psychology, and Marissa Martino talk about an important topic: grief. It shows up in so many different ways in our relationships with our dogs and therefore it’s important that we shine a gentle light on it. 

Whether we are saying goodbye to a beloved pet, making a hard rehoming decision, or letting go of how we thought life would be with our dog, we discover there’s an abundance of grief when opening our heart to another living creature. 

They discuss the five stages of grief, why community is important during this process, and how to show up for others going through a difficult time.

In episode 61 of the Paws & Reward Podcast, Marissa is joined by her clients and colleagues, Kelly Ferber, Tiffany Chen, and Jenni Pfafman, all of whom recently took my Reflective Relationship Program. A 3-month program where we explore ourselves through the relationship with our dogs. This program cultivates the necessary human end of the leash skills for successful training sessions, sustainable behavior change, and connected relationships. to help you build a better relationship with your dog. Every other week, a new module is released with recorded webinars highlighting one of my 6 connection principles. There is homework to help take what you learn and bring it into action. The following week we all meet in a live community video call where we discuss the homework, learn from one another, and grow together in the community!

Listen to Marissa Martino chat with Tara Stillwell, a licensed family dog mediator about the challenging topic of rehoming a beloved pet. Tara was brave enough to come onto the podcast to discuss her recent rehoming experience with her dog, Eva. Marissa and Tara decided to discuss this topic on the podcast to shine some light and grace on the controversial topic of rehoming. The goal is to avoid the shame that we experience, or unfortunately, receive from others regarding the very painful and layered decision. Listen with an open heart. 

In Ep 59, Lisa Mullinax and Marissa discuss compassionate communication and how to have hard conversations in the most empathetic and effective ways. What leads to these difficult topics? How can we be better listeners? And what can we do when we come up against our own ethical boundaries? They share stories from the shelter world as well as personal experiences while recognizing they, too, are still learning and growing.

In episode 58, Marissa chats with Tabitha Kucera, a registered veterinary technician and certified positive reinforcement behavior consultant about the Fear Free Movement. They discuss why keeping data about your pet's emotional experience is so important for their well-being and how you can do it accurately using the FAS (Fear, Anxiety, Stress) scale.

In episode 57 of the Paws & Reward Podcast, I speak with Liza Radar about their canine exercise framework and their unique approach toward exercise and physical enrichment. During the episode, Liza introduces their exercise framework. The framework includes four elements: 1) Physical Exercise, 2) Mental Exercise, 3) Low Intensity, and 4) High Intensity. We discuss the details of each element and how you can create an individualized canine exercise program for your dog.