Burnout and compassion fatigue are all too common in animal care workers, but we don’t talk about it enough. Laura Henderson is a licensed professional counselor who has worked with the Denver Dumb Friends League as a consultant and mental health coach. She speaks with Emily and Libby about secondary trauma in shelter and rescue workers, how to spot compassion fatigue in ourselves, and ways we can use self-care to help lighten the heavy load we sometimes carry when working with animals.

To learn more about Laura Henderson and her work or to contact her for workshops: https://www.laurahendersoncounseling.com/

More compassion fatigue resources: https://jessicadolce.com/resources/

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score

For transcripts, visit www.podtotherescue.com

Credits: Libby Felts and Emily Wolf (Hosts and Creators). Original music by Mike Pesci. Production and editing by James Ede of Be Heard.

Whether you’re fostering or adopting, bringing another dog into your home is an exciting time! Dr. Patricia McConnell is back to talk with Emily and Libby about integrating multi-dog households. They discuss the common myths we face when bringing a second (or third or fourth) dog home, why that sweet rescue pup who was described as “good with other dogs” in the shelter is now growling at your resident dog, best practices for introducing new dogs to one another, and some skills to cultivate as a multi-dog guardian.

To learn more about Dr. Patricia McConnell, visit her website: https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/about-patricia/

ASPCA webinar: https://www.aspcapro.org/webinar/20140129/multi-dog-households#video-player

Parallel walking: https://youtu.be/sZVJyE-KLS0

Trauma, Decompression, and Going Slow with Patricia McConnell, PhD, CAAB: https://www.podtotherescue.com/dr-patricia-mcconnell1.html

Management with Mary Angilly CTC, CPDT-KA: https://www.podtotherescue.com/management.html

For transcripts, visit www.podtotherescue.com

Credits: Libby Felts and Emily Wolf (Hosts and Creators). Original music by Mike Pesci. Production and editing by James Ede of Be Heard.

Dogs bark for a reason. Sometimes, they’ve been bred to bark - sometimes, they’re simply communicating! In this episode, Libby and Emily break down barking: why dogs do it, how we can manage the behavior, and more. They break down bark collars, citronella, and how some of the ways we mitigate barking are ineffective at best and cruel at worst. You’ll walk away with practical and easy tips on how to work with dogs who present this behavior.

The book Emily references is called Barking: The Sound of the Language.

We put out the call: what are your questions about all things dogs, training, and rescue? You sure answered! Emily and Libby address listener questions like, “what do I do about resource guarding?” “How do I get a dog ready for a new baby?” And more.

Show Notes: 

www.podtotherescue.com

https://www.dogwise.com/mine-a-practical-guide-to-resource-guarding-in-dogs/

http://lindsaywoodbrown.com/

Behavior Vets and Chewy the dog: https://youtu.be/3JYbtyAiC5g

Family Paws YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsDoHZeiT2t5qQTZ0SYtvatDGr23IqrUz

https://www.familypaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FPPE-Dog-Baby-Sheet-sm.pdf

https://fearfreepets.com/

Leslie McDevitt’s Pattern Games: https://youtu.be/Mtn-BeI9lHE

In this episode, Libby and Emily sit down with Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Christopher Pachel.

Dr. Pachel’s way of viewing our companion animals is spacious, generous, and compassionate. This is a conversation that has us considering the larger questions of animal behavior, the why of how we train, and more.

Visit the Animal Behavior Clinic here. 

This is episode 2 of our response to the tragic Marshall Fire that devastated our beloved community. 

Dog trainers Mary Angilly and Chrissy Messik speak with Emily and Libby about supporting your animals through the potential loss of home and routine after a natural disaster. Not only were Chrissy and Libby both directly impacted by the Marshall Fire, but they have some great tips for practical and emotional support through this post-fire time, which is applicable across situations that involve upheaval or loss for you and your animals.

This episode is a response to the Marshall Fire on December 30, 2021. Emily and Libby speak with four guests:

Did you know that leash walking is not a natural behavior for dogs? It may be why your dog is inclined to rip your arm off during your walks! In this training basics episode, Libby and Emily talk about:

Credits. Libby Felts and Emily Wolf (Hosts and Creators.) Original music by Mike Pesci. Graphic design, editing, and production by Alex Lee-Ammons and For The Love Media, LLC.

Emily and Libby sit down with trainers and behavioral consultants Marge and Eileen about a much-anticipated topic: puppy socialization! Marge and Eileen talk about:

This is a wonderful conversation for anyone working with puppies on a regular basis or new adopters.

Jennifer Shryock wants dogs to happily coexist in families with children and babies. She is so passionate about this that she founded Family Paws, an organization that offers resources to dog-loving families. In this informative episode, she talks to Emily and Libby about:

Jennifer has an immense amount of compassion not just for dogs but for the families willing to bring them into the folds of their lives. This is a truly uplifting conversation and not to be missed if you have a family, have a dog and are family planning, or want to bring a foster into your family. 

If you have children or want to learn more about how to educate potential adopters with children, learn more about Family Paws here.