Sometimes There's Side Eye

This week, we are addressing the importance of mindset regarding our dogs, sports, and training. Maintaining a positive perspective and committing to seeing the best in our dogs allows us to foster a more productive and supportive relationship. In our discussion, Heather shares her personal experiences with Trin as they train and mature together. Additionally, Kristi discusses her commitment to speaking kindly about Jaxon since his adoption. We also examine how mindset influences the treatment of dogs within competitive sports. Our goal is to continue striving for kindness toward both our dogs and ourselves, and we remain committed to strengthening our mindset to achieve this.

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This week we are talking about when social media looks impressive but there is more to the dog's behavior than meets the eye. We recently saw a video that showed a group of dogs behaving militantly and when a little bit of enthusiasm was shown by one dog it was immediately corrected and shut down. While controlling a large group of dogs may appear impressive initially, once the body language of the dogs is taken into account it is obvious the dogs are all lacking joy. We talk through having a relationship that leads to better behavior versus forcing a dog to behave regardless of what that takes. A joyful and obedient dog is not about control, but is instead about the relationship. So next time you see something you think looks impressive online take a second look and consider if that is the type of relationship you want with your dog.

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This week we are talking about extremists.  The dog world is full of extremists in a variety of areas.  We talk through a variety of hot button topics that often show up in extremes like breeding vs rescue, doodles, raw vs kibble, vaccines, and training.  As we talk through the issues we come to the conclusion that we (as a society) would do well to lead with curiosity and compassion rather than accusations and absolutes.  When we ask questions and get genuinely curious, we are often able to better understand all sides of a topic and extend kindness even when someone's opinion is different from ours.  

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Currently ranked as one of our most popular episodes! Let's revisit how responsible rescue and ethical breeding go hand in hand.

In this episode we are excited to interview Christy Cole, the president of Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue (DHDR).  We are addressing all sorts of topics with Christy; from how she got involved with Dobermans, to how responsible breeders can help end the need for rescue.  Christy addresses both the immediate needs in rescue, as well as big picture, assessment, and planning. 

DHDR is diligently working to do right by both humans and dogs and have a lot of value centered policies around that concept, including not adopting out dangerous dogs.  While they adopt out about 100 dogs a year, they also help connect the nearly 500 potential adopters they get a year to other reputable rescues and breeders alike.  Christy is a wealth of knowledge and a pillar of responsible rescue. We think you will enjoy listening to this interview as much as we enjoyed having Christy as a guest.

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Links:⁠Arizona Doberman Rescue - Desert Harbor Doberman Rescue (azdoberescue.org)⁠⁠DHDR on Facebook⁠

⁠DHDR on Instagram

This episode we are digging into the common saying "don't punish the growl." What does this actually mean? We better define and explain this saying. We also talk through multiple types of growls and how to address them without punishment.

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This week we are talking about misbehaving dogs. Sometimes it’s easier to label a behavior or lack of behavior in a negative light rather than recognizing that dog behavior differs from human behaviors. Realistically, a lot of “bad behavior” has a lot more to do with our human expectations than any sort of unusual or unnatural dog behavior.  It’s import that we remember that our dog’s behavior is not a vendetta against us, it’s not personal. Dogs are sentient beings with their own desires and motivators, which is why sometimes management is necessary. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

This week we are excited to have Kate Rapkoch from Paws and Breathe back on the podcast to discuss all things puppy yoga. Can you ever go wrong with puppy yoga? Actually yes, we think there is both ethical and unethical puppy yoga. While puppy yoga started as a way for rescues to raise much needed funds there are now many commercialized puppy yoga businesses. Unfortunately there are many stories of unhealthy, lethargic and tick infested puppies coming for these all day commercialized classes unsupervised and without food or water.  Because puppy/dog welfare is the utmost importance to us we think it’s imperative to talk about how to spot both ethical and unethical puppy yoga. We think you’ll learn a lot from Kate in this episode. 

Katie Rapkoch | Animal-Assisted Wellness (@pawsandbreatheaz) • Instagram photos and videos

Paws + Breathe | Yoga, Wellness, and Animal Support in Arizona

Sometimes There's Side Eye Podcast (@sometimestheressideeye) • Instagram photos and videos

This week we are talking about the welfare of dogs and people in our modern society. We talk about people getting the dog they want, a dog who fits in their lifestyle, who is trustworthy and safe, etc. We talk about some of the reasons we see behavior issues with dogs & what we expect of dogs. The topic of doodles came up, and we talk about the idea that people have to wait for a tragedy to strike in order to get the breed or mixed breed that they want. We discuss why waiting for a dog hoarding bust is not the answer to finding a dog.  We also discuss how ethics come into the welfare of both dogs and people and why it involves both rescue and responsible breeding.  Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

We just got back from Westminster and are recapping our experience.  First and foremost, we observed relationships between handlers and dogs.  Our first day we watched agility and were beyond impressed with both the handlers and the dogs.  The following days we attended the confirmation shows.  With Westminster being a bench show we were able to approach the dogs and handlers in the bench/prep area.  This provided a unique opportunity to talk with owners, handlers and breeders as well as meet a variety of the dogs.   Of course we can't resist talking about ethical breeding, health testing, and how it relates back to shelter dogs.  We even address dogs just being dogs and seeing a few naughty dogs in the show ring, as well as the handlers who so beautifully dealt with the dogs who weren't behaving perfectly.  We were also lucky enough to meet and observe some dogs in central park who we have to talk about as well.Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

This week we are talking about ways to destress with your pets. We first want to recognize that we are living through some troubling times. We also want to be clear that we are not experts in mental health & recommend professional help if your mental health is suffering. What we do have is experience with our dogs, and we want to share some things we do to help us destress with our dogs. Things like grounding, finding joy in the little things, finding beauty in unexpected places and moving your body. We hope our suggestions help you think of ways you can benefit from your pet’s presence in your life. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠