The Good Dog Pod

In this week’s episode, our host Laura Reeves is joined by two very special guests: Brian and Jenna O'Connor, who talk about one of the least common breeds in the US, the Drent. 

The Drent is a hunting dog, that has been around for the past 350 years or so, and were brought up through the Spanish occupation. Something that makes the history of the Drent very unique is the fact they come from the Dutch province of Drenthe which is how the name Drent originated. Within Drenthe, the everyday man had the right to hunt and had the ability to afford only one hunting dog that could do everything. Their solution? The Drent.

Drents can do anything and everything; there is very little that a Drent can’t do. They are great as an emotional support dog, or as a medical response dog because of the bond they form with their owners. They are smart, they are funny, they are naughty, and they are the kind of dog that would not thrive in a kennel environment: they need their people. 

To Laura, purebred dogs tell a story. They are living through history and they tell the story of that place and time. To her, it is the poetry of purebred dogs. Give this episode a listen to find out more about one of the rare breeds that Good Dog supports!

This week on the Good Dog Pod, our host Laura Reeves is joined by Erin Runcan, an Associate Professor of Clinical Theriogenology and Reproductive Medicine at The Ohio State University as well as our very own Judi Stella, Head of Standards and Research at Good Dog.

Other than a really long word, what exactly is a Theriogenologist you may ask? The simple translation: a Veterinary Reproductive Specialist. 

In this episode, Erin touches on high risk pregnancies among dogs. A high risk pregnancy, by definition, is any condition that jeopardizes the health of either the mother or the offspring during a pregnancy - it is a very broad term. Conditions include: a very large littler, a very small litter, the breed of the dog, as well as more serious conditions such as pregnancy toxemia, fungal diseases or bitches with trauma. 

For the duration of the episode, Erin dives deep into certain High Risk Pregnancy conditions, giving her insights on how breeders can deal with these conditions, and how to make the right breeding decisions to minimize risky pregnancy scenarios. Give the episode a listen to hear Erin’s expert advice!

This week’s episode of the Good Dog Pod features Meredith Mapes, a successful musher. Judi Stella, Head of Standards and Research at Good Dog, joins Laura in interviewing Meredith. Meredith lives in Alaska, breeds sled dogs and has competed in the Iditarod! How cool is that?

Meredith’s journey with sled dogs began at the age of six, during a girl scout meeting. She trained, and won the first race she ever ran - at six years old.

In Alaska sledding isn’t majorly common, let alone in the rest of the US. Meredith shares her background in breeding sled dogs, how she keeps them active, and how she keeps all of her dogs mentally stimulated. Here is a brief insight to what is covered in the episode:

How many dogs do you run on a team? You can run any number of dogs. You can start recreationally with your poodle or lab! Meredith runs 12-16 dogs in a race. 

What goes into breeding sled dogs? They are bred for what they do, not for what they look like. Dog mushers have the same general goals when breeding: they are trying to breed smart, fast dogs with tough feet. For distance mushing your dogs need to have a good coat to remain warm. Sprint mushing dogs are bred to have a shorter coat, so they don’t overheat when running fast. And finally: dog’s need to have a strong head and drive. They need to withstand days of racing, so dogs need to be mentally tough. 

Interested in knowing how much food sled dogs must consume to maintain their high energy? Give the episode a listen to find out!

This week on the Good Dog Pod, Laura Reeves is accompanied by Dr. Stephen Jones, the Assistant Professor of Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery at The Ohio State University, our very own Dr. Judi Stella as well as Good Dog Advisor Susan Patterson.

The episode is specifically focused on ACL tears, which is something a lot of dog owners encounter with their dogs. Dr. Jones gives listeners the run-down of what exactly the ACL is, as well as common ACL-related dog injuries. 

The catch-all phrase for these injuries is an ACL tear, but there are different presentations of that: it can be partial in nature, complete and functional or it can be complete and non-functional. Complete tears lead to a dog limping and being unbalanced. Unlike in humans, where ACL injuries are due to a hyperextension of the knee, the majority of dog-related ACL injuries are a degenerative process. Over time, the ligament begins to break down. 

You may wonder how prevalent ACL tears are in dogs. Certain breeds are more prone to ACL injuries, and within those breeds it is seen is around 5-10% of those breeds. Dr. Jones dives deep into the two main categories of treatment: conservative therapy and surgery. 

Dr. Jones’ top tip to prevent ACL injuries? Keep your dog thin and fit. Head over to the episode to hear why!

This week on the Good Dog Pod, our host Laura Reeves is joined by Dr. Leanne Lilly, an Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the Ohio State University, as well as Susan Patterson and our very own Dr. Judi Stella.

Veterinary visits are not always a walk in the park (no pun intended). They can be anxiety-inducing and create fear for our dogs. The idea of Fear Free veterinary visits was introduced to explore what data and tools can be used to decrease or even eliminate the stress our dogs experience during veterinary visits. Doing so can result in more accurate test results, faster wound healing and other medical benefits. 

Unsure how to tell if your dog is anxious? Body language is the best indicator to gage where we are on the pet's scale of fear and anxiety. Here are some body features to look out for:

• Eye-Contact. Where is your puppy looking at? Averting gaze can imply fear, while intently staring into your own eyes can also convey worry. 
• Tail. Where is the tail? How is it moving? A stress-free tail is moving in a slow flowing motion.
• Facial Expression. We are looking for the area around your dog’s face and eyes to be soft. If facial tension is present, we have an uncomfortable dog.
• Fidget Behaviors. Lip-licking or licking their owner can be a fidget behavior which is used to get rid of nervous energy. 

For more tips on creating smoother veterinary visits, give this week’s episode a listen!

This week on the Good Dog Pod, Allison Alexander joins Laura Reeves to talk all-things grooming. Allison is an esteemed groomer in the dog community ready to provide the audience with her top tips on how to keep your dog healthy, clean and matte-free at home.

The three key skills covered in this episode are how to bathe, brush and trim your dog's toenails correctly. Even though these may seem basic, there is no shame in being new to the grooming world and learning how to do it. Everybody learns.

Allison shares her Secret Hacks to grooming:

1. Vinegar Rinse. Having trouble removing the shampoo from your dog? You can put a 10% vinegar rinse, leave it for a minute and it will help rinse out shampoo out of there.
2. Listerine in water (10% dilution): wipes stink off. Gets shiny and removes dandruff.
3. Scratch test - before you use any brush on your dog, brush it against your arm. If it scratches you, you should not be using it on your dog.

About Dr. Rustin Moore: Dr. Moore is the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University.

Laura has a discussion with Susan Patterson, Dr. Judi Stella, and Dr. Rustin Moore about Dr. Moore about his experience as the Dean in helping guide students to veterinarian careers. They discuss the importance of the relationship between a vet and their (human) clients and what makes a successful vet.

The conversation moves to the topic of specialists and vet techs, and the relationships they have with each other (and with breeders).

About Kristin Sandstede: Kristin is the founder of Big Moose Dog Training and has been teaching obedience since 1998. She has spent many years working in the pet care industry, including 2 years as a Veterinary Assistant. She has a very good understanding of not only dog handling, body language, & behavior but she also has a medical background as well. Since 2002 Kristin has designed and taught such classes as: Puppy Kindergarten, Basic Obedience, JV Puppy, Intermediate Obedience, Rally 4 Fun, Advanced Games, as well as developing and customizing behavior modification protocols for individual trainers ranging in topics from new puppy manners to dog-dog aggression.

Tune in to this episode to learn about what reactivity is, how to understand canine body language, where reactivity comes from, and how to train your dog!

This episode originally aired on Pure Dog Talk.

About Dr. Casey Carl DVM: Dr. Carl is the Associate Medical Director at Paw Print Genetics. He is a veterinarian and is a strong proponent of using preventative medicine to limit animal suffering. He has experience working with the AVMA in addition to his 4 years in clinical practice.

Dr. Carl joins Good Dog in a live Q&A to talk genetics of coat color and traits. In part 1 about the primary colors in dogs, and what the different loci mean. Dr. Carl gives an overview of how genetics works in influencing what colors dogs are.

Become a member of our community to stay tuned for future Q&A sessions! Please visit https://www.gooddog.com/join-as-breeder to learn more, and also check out some of our other articles an webinars at www.gooddog.com/good-breeder-center!

About Dr. Trisha Rettig: Dr. Rettig’s research focuses on the immune response to vaccination in space (in fact, she’s sent mice to space to study this!). Dr. Rettig is an expert on immunology, which is the study of the immune system.

Dr. Rettig gives an overview of what an immune response is, how it relates to vaccinations, and the difference between innate and acquired immunity. Laura and Dr. Rettig also discuss the specifics of titers and what breeders should consider when vaccinating their dogs.