The Good Dog Pod

Nicole is joined by Good Breeder Shonnie Layland, who breeds Leonbergers under the program name Sinnsro Leonbergers. This episode is all about the critical process of carefully selecting foundation stock when beginning your breeding program. It takes a lot to start a breeding program the right way - from finding and choosing the right foundation dogs, to doing the right health testing, to learning everything you can about your breed.

Shonnie describes her journey with Leonbergers as she has built her breeding program - plus she teaches us a bit about the breed's history!

Listeners of The Good Dog Pod get 15% off the Good Dog merch store with the code GDP15. Go to shop.gooddog.com to redeem this exclusive discount!

We are joined again by America's Vet, Dr. Marty Becker! Dr. Becker founded the Fear Free Movement and made it his mission to prevent and alleviate fear, anxiety & stress in pets by inspiring and educating the people who care for them. Today we discuss Dr. Becker's recent trip to the Ukrainian border, where he helped in the ongoing efforts to take care of the pets that have been displaced by the war in Ukraine.

Hear from Dr. Becker as he recounts some of his incredible experiences in assisting with the logistics and on-the-ground support in Romania and Moldova on the Ukrainian border.

We are joined by Fred Helfers, a retired police detective who got his start with detection dog training over 40 years ago. Fred is a certified canine nosework instructor and offers training resources on scent detection, which you can find out more about on his website, fredhelfers.com.

In this episode, Fred talks about getting his start with hunting dogs, and how he transitioned to using detection dogs in the police. Learn the ins and outs of how detection dogs do their jobs, how to train them, and how important the human-dog dynamic is!

Breeders on Good Dog get $100 every year to spend on health testing and access to exclusive discounts from our partners, including Embark, Paw Print Genetics, and AKC Reunite. If you're already a member of our community, you can check out the discounts here. And if you're not a member, but would like to know more, you can join here!

This week we are joined by Dr. Karen DeMatteo, a research scientist from Washington University in St. Louis, who is focused on studying the interactions that occur at the species and community level. Among the many techniques she uses in her research, Dr. DeMatteo uses detection dogs in conservation work across South America & the United States.

We discuss Dr. DeMatteo's research in tracking and studying the elusive bush dog using detection dogs. Learn why detection dogs can be a useful research tool for scientists, how to train them to track these rare animals, and what happens when the scent they're tracking gets mixed with another animal's scent!

Good Dog’s Breeding Foundations course provides expert advice on pedigrees, genetics, contracts, and everything else you need to set your breeding program up for success. This course usually costs $245, but you can access it for free when you join Good Dog today! If you're already a member, you can access the course here.

Today we are joined by Megan Foster, owner of Synergy Dog Sports, long-time judge for the United States Dog Agility Association, and expert agility coach! We are also joined by two of Good Dog's own, Regan Abromitis & Rachel Jefferds, who regularly compete in agility with their Aussies.

Megan describes what agility is, what's so engaging about it, and what you need to get started. She also discusses the human-dog relationship, and how that factors into competing in agility.

We finish the episode with a conversation between Mikel, Regan, and Rachel to learn about Regan & Rachel's personal experiences with agility. Learn about their dogs, how they got into agility, and what they love about it!

Your Litter A to Z is the leading, science-based course for dog breeders. It includes expertly designed 18 modules, checklists, and reports that cover before breeding, getting your bitch pregnant, whelping your litter and raising your pups. If you're already a member of Good Dog, you can access the course here! And if you're not a member, you can join our community here.

Today we are joined by Dr. Jasmine Fusi from the University of Milan. Dr. Fusi studies everything relating to canine (and feline) reproduction, including intensive care for neonates, artificial insemination, neonatal health, and much more. In this episode, we dive into her research looking at stress hormones & newborn puppies.

Dr. Fusi uses a non-invasive method to measure hormone levels in puppies, which involves taking samples of their nails at regular intervals. We know that the conditions a human experiences in utero can have an effect on their entire life; Dr. Fusi is researching what different hormone levels (for example, cortisol) can do for a puppy's neonatal health as well as for their entire life experience. Contrary to what you might think, it's actually important for puppies to have a certain amount of cortisol to get them to take their first breaths (though too much cortisol is detrimental, so you need a balance!). Listen to the episode to get to know more about Dr. Fusi's research.

Good Dog hosts monthly webinars with canine health experts, including Dr. Robert Hutchison, Dr. Marty Greer, and many more. Access all of our past webinars - and stay up to date on upcoming webinars - by visiting the Good Breeder Center.

Today we are joined by Dr. Kristina, who is a veterinarian and blogger at wellbredvet.com. She serves on the board of directors for the Society of Theriogenology and is an owner and practitioner at Elon Oaks Veterinary Hospital in North Carolina.

Drawing on Dr. Kristina's expertise in reproductive medicine, today's episode is all about clinical disorders in neonatal puppies.

Listen to the episode to learn about common congenital and inherited defects that might occur in neonatal puppies, the importance of colostrum, how to know what's going wrong with a neonatal puppy, and more!

Your Litter A to Z is the leading, science-based course for dog breeders. It includes expertly designed 18 modules, checklists, and reports that cover before breeding, getting your bitch pregnant, whelping your litter and raising your pups. If you're already a member of Good Dog, you can access the course here! And if you're not a member, you can join our community here.

Nicole, Good Dog's Breeder Community Lead, begins the episode by discussing her personal experience with pet loss and how we as a society have shifted our views on grieving over pets.

The second part of the episode features Good Breeder Julie Walker of Knucklehead Cane Corso, who Nicole interviews about her experience with pet loss and how she navigates the loss of puppies as a breeder.

We hope you were able to find some comfort and solace in this episode, and know that you are not alone in how you’re feeling, and that there are resources out there, as simple as calling a fellow pet loving friend to tell them how you’re feeling, or seeking professional help if you need.

Good Dog provides breeders in our community with free and exclusive access to puppy contract templates and legal resources created by our team of lawyers, specifically for dog breeders. If you're already a member of Good Dog, you can access these resources here. And if you're not a member, but would like to join, you can sign up here!

Dr. Mikel Delgado speaks to grief specialist Brenda Brown about coping with the loss of a pet. Brenda started GAP (Grief About Pets) which offers support services to pet parents and their families before and after the loss of a pet.

Many of us have experienced the painful loss of a pet. Let's talk about what we can do to help ourselves, as well as others, through the process of grief.

Good Dog’s Breeding Foundations course provides expert advice on pedigrees, genetics, contracts, and everything else you need to set your breeding program up for success. This course usually costs $245, but you can access it for free when you join Good Dog today! Or if you're already a member, you can access the course here.

In this episode, Jennifer Shyrock discusses how we can increase safety and reduce stress in homes with young children and family dogs.

Jennifer Shyrock is the owner and founder of Family Paws, which supports new and expecting families in balancing dog and baby/toddler dynamics. She is also a certified dog behavior consultant, and worked as a special education teacher - so she knows a thing or two about dogs and kids!

Adding a dog to a young family (or adding a baby to a family with a dog) can be overwhelming and stressful. Jennifer teaches us what mistakes new families often make, and what we can do to ensure that the transition into a new family life is a smooth one.

Your Litter A to Z is the leading, science-based course for dog breeders. It includes expertly designed 18 modules, checklists, and reports that cover before breeding, getting your bitch pregnant, whelping your litter and raising your pups. If you're already a member of Good Dog, you can access the course here! And if you're not a member, you can join our community here.