Pooch Parenting

Today's episode is dedicated to the members of The Pooch Parenting Society. Every week, they get the opportunity to ask me questions about parenting kids and dogs, or raising dogs in general. This question was so important that I thought I'd answer it by turning it into a podcast episode. She wanted to know what I would do differently when raising my next puppy.

As a dog trainer, how to raise puppies is a topic I think about a LOT. I have recently been fostering puppies for Dogwood Animal Rescue, and so this is freshly relevant. While many people think that house training puppies would be the most important thing, I have other priorities.

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

While working with families who have kids and dogs, I have noticed that couples commonly experience strain, stress, and pressure on their relationship or marriage. Partners often disagree on the best strategy to raise their kids and their dogs, which can lead to resentment and lots of arguments. 

But by bringing in a compassionate dog trainer who is not on "anyone's side", couples can often work through challenges that are deeply straining their marriage. In some cases, a marriage can be saved when couples implement advice given by a non biased dog training professional.

Need some support? I'd be honored to help. www.poochparenting.net

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

People often ask me how they should respond when people send them photos of their "cute" dogs and babies having unsafe interactions together. Or maybe they see a dangerous interaction on social media and aren't sure if they should say something. Many people resent unsolicited advice and become defensive (or block you for trying to help them). 

In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of offering unsolicited advice. I also share some tips for how to give advice that people are actually willing to hear. 

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

In today's episode, I talk with Connor Kingfisher and Marie Silverberg, founders of the Superpup Academy, an online puppy training program. We discuss loads of topics that relate to raising puppies, choosing the right puppy, and keeping parenting real so that families are successful together. Not only do we talk about dog and child safety, but we also discuss how a dog's "tolerance" of children is way too low of a standard. We should be helping families to select dogs who love children - and we discuss how you can tell if a potential family dog candidate would be a good fit.

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

In today's episode with Loyla Louvis, we talk about how parents can experience small wins so that they don't lose hope when things are hard. There are SO many aspects of parenting kids and dogs that are the same. Both benefit from predictability, which reduced stress for the whole family.

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

Clients call me to help them feel more confident as they parent their kids and dogs. Parenting is the hardest thing most of us have done, and when you throw a puppy into the mix, it can feel even more chaotic than you could have imagined. When safety is a concern, parents feel an urgent need to get support. And sometimes, I get called to solve a family debate. In today's episode, I share how I helped a couple to understand that their child should not go into the dog crate.

Dog crates need to represent a safe space. If a child violates that trust, it can not only be dangerous in the moment, but it can damage the trust between that dog and child moving forward. 

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

I absolutely loved this interview with Sarah Sproule. She is an expert in helping parents to talk about sensitive topics, such as bodies, puberty and sex. Of course, this is not an episode about sex. But we DO talk about how dogs can be an excellent model to discuss consent with our kids. You will love it if you have ever struggled with discussing delicate topics with your kids.

Find Sarah on Instagram: www.Instagram.com/iamsarahsproule

Sarah also has a podcast about how to address sensitive parenting topics called Sitting In a Car

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

Toddlers have big feelings and act in BIG ways. Sometimes they get frustrated and yell at our dogs, which can be difficult for many dogs to handle, and difficult for us to process as parents. By using a combination of modeling appropriate behavior, redirecting and playing developmentally appropriate games with our kids, we can often change their behavior.

If you have a question that you'd like to ask Michelle of Pooch Parenting, please record it here.

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

It can be overwhelming to parent kids and dogs at the same time. There are so many decisions to make that it can be easy to feel paralyzed and not take any action at all.  Unfortunately, when kids and dogs live together, you can't afford not to step in and try to help your dog to behave better.  The good news is that if you take baby steps, you will see more improvement than if you just wait and hope things will improve on their own.

Between the hundreds of dog training videos you can find on YouTube, blog articles and dog trainers online, it can feel overwhelming when you don't know who you can trust. Fortunately, as a parent, family dog mediator, and certified professional dog trainer, you can trust me. I get it. I raised two kids alongside dogs and I know what it's like to live in your shoes.  

In this episode, we discuss 3 examples of how I used baby steps to help different dogs to make progress. Sometimes it feels messy, but remember - imperfect action can still help you and your dog to make progress.

If you'd like ongoing support as your kids and dogs grow up together, or even for just a few months to help you to get through a rough patch, please get on the waitlist for The Pooch Parenting Society (safekidsanddogs.com). You'll enjoy the practical advice and fun family activities that will help your dog family live together in harmony.

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.

There is nothing like the fear that comes when a dog growls at your newborn. But the good news is that with a little preparation and practice, there are some easy strategies that can help your dog to relax on the other side of a barrier. 

Sometimes, as a parent, you just need to breathe a little easier. Management, training, and even outside support can make all of the difference in the world about how you feel about raising dogs and kids together.

In this episode with Beth Berkobien, of Rehab your Rescue, we discuss 2 case studies in which these management strategies gave parents (and their dogs) the relief they needed.

Michelle of Pooch Parenting is now retired. Thank you for the support over the past decade. Many of her resources are now available on YouTube for FREE.