Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that celebrates the professional and private lives of working dogs of all disciplines. I'm so glad you're here! In this Thanksgiving episode, in honor of our American tradition of having our Thanksgiving meal center around turkey, I decided to take a deep dive into how game birds find their way onto our plates. In the first half of the episode, I chat with Greg Roberts, an outdoorsman and duck hunter, about what hunting for game entails and what a dog's purpose is on a hunt. After that I join Greg's friend, Burt Quick, and his dog, Hogan, at their duck club. Come along with me as Burt and Hogan demonstrate what waterfowl hunting is all about! I hope that as you enjoy your turkey this Thanksgiving that you take some time to reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for, including those who provide us with the food we eat...be they human or canine! 

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to it, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about that by visiting www.herobeside.me.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected] or on Instagram @herobesideme. Thanks for listening! Be sure to give the furry hero beside you some extra love today.

Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that celebrates the professional and private lives of working dogs of all disciplines. I'm so glad you're here! In this episode, I speak with Michael Hingson, who is a New York Times Bestseller as well as a speaker and business owner. Michael is blind and shares with us the ins and outs of working with a guide dog, some common misconceptions that sighted people often have about blindness, (and blunders we often make as a result), as well as his experiences escaping from the World Trade Center with his guide dog, Roselle, on 9/11.

Michael and Roselle were able to navigate their way down from the 78th floor of Tower One after the first plane hit, and he says he was not afraid that day. Now Michael has begun a coaching program to help others face and overcome their fears. You can find out more about the program, Blinded by Fear, by contacting him via michaelhingson.com, and remember to check back soon for the blindedbyfear.net. You can also read about Michael and Roselle’s escape on 9/11 in his bestselling book, Thunder Dog, or teach the children (and adults) in your life about blindness and guide dogs with his other book, Running with Roselle.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to it, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about that by visiting www.herobeside.me.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected] or on Instagram @herobesideme. Thanks for listening! Be sure to give the furry hero beside you some extra love today.

Welcome, listeners, I’m so glad you’re here! In honor of Veteran's Day, today’s episode features an excerpt of my conversation with Krystal Tronboll of The Ddamien Project. Krystal is a former U.S. Navy dog handler and has a very special relationship with our nation’s K-9 veterans. She and her husband have basically dedicated their lives to adopting and providing sanctuary to retired military working dogs, law enforcement working dogs, and contract working dogs who are not adoptable to a typical home due to medical or behavioral issues. Krystal feels strongly that these veterans deserve a safe and enjoyable retirement just like any other veteran - she believes that after years of working day in and day out, surviving the perils of war, and saving many a human veteran's life, they've earned it. Listen in to find out about her own history as a military dog handler, how she discovered her calling, and how you can help.

If you'd like to read this conversation in blog form, hop on over to The Hero Beside Me Blog on medium.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to it, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about that by visiting www.herobeside.me.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected].

You can learn more about The Ddamien Project at https://ddamienproject.org/ or on the organization's Facebook page. Learn about their umbrella organization, Mission K9 Rescue, here.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to give the furry hero beside you some extra love today.

Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that celebrates the professional and private lives of working dogs of all disciplines. I'm so glad you're here! In this episode, I speak with my guest, Amy Boggs, who works as a bed bug detection dog handler for Innovative Pest Solutions in California. Amy explains how dogs are used to detect the presence of bed bugs as well as what goes into being a bed bug detection dog handler. She even gives a few tips for how to avoid becoming a ride for these "hitchhiker" pests when you're traveling! You won't want to miss this interesting conversation!

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to the podcast, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about that by visiting www.herobeside.me.

I'd love to receive your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected].

Thanks for listening! Be sure to give the furry hero beside you some extra love today.

Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that celebrates the professional and private lives of working dogs of all disciplines. I'm so glad you're here!

In today's episode, my guests and I discuss the value of a psychiatric assistance service dog to people who are suffering with PTSD. Gina Esoldi, Program Director for Next Step Service Dogs in San Diego, CA, joins me, along with two veterans, Tony and Richard, who have PTSD service dogs of their own. During this conversation, my guests explain how exactly PTSD service dogs give aid to their handlers and why it matters. It's a conversation worth listening to for anyone, whether or not one has encountered PTSD in one's own life, because as Gina points out during the episode, not all disabilities are visible. Learning about PTSD service dogs can help all of us understand the struggles of a trauma survivor, and thereby we can all become better supports for our fellow men and women who are facing this challenge. 

I'd like to note that this episode was recorded outdoors due to Covid-19, and was recorded by a busy street. Please pardon the background noise as, in my opinion, the content is worth overlooking the audial challenges. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to the podcast, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about that by visiting www.herobeside.me.

I'd love to receive your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected].

You can learn more about Next Step Service Dogs by visiting their website, https://www.nextstepservicedogs.org/ or their Facebook page. 

Thanks for listening! Be sure to give the furry hero beside you some extra love today.

Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that exists to celebrate the working dog! The Hero Beside Me explores the professional and private lives of working dogs of all disciplines. Today I bring you a conversation I had with Brittney, a 30-year-old children's daycare professional who has MS and uses a wheelchair. She shares with us what life is like with a mobility assistance dog, her journey to acquiring her service dog, April, and what the general public should know about service dogs. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to it, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about it by visiting www.herobeside.me.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected].

You can follow the adventures of April on Instagram: @service.angel.april 

Learn more about Little Angels Service Dogs at https://www.littleangelsservicedogs.org/.

Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that exists to celebrate the working dog! The Hero Beside Me explores the professional and private lives of working dogs of all disciplines, and today we're delving into the world of conservation detection dogs.

I recorded this episode in Seligman, Arizona, when I went there to photograph a k9 team that was tracking black footed ferrets. These little guys are endangered and Working Dogs for Conservation is one organization that is helping with efforts to bring them back. This nonprofit deploys detection dogs for many conservation purposes around the world, and in this episode, you'll hear about some of them from WD4C's Outreach and Canine Specialist, Kayla Fratt. She talks to us about dogs who track endangered species that need protection, find troublesome invasive species that are wreaking havoc on their environments, and stop wildlife poachers in their tracks. She talks about the unique lifestyle of dog handlers in this field, and how having her personal pet dog become her professional partner has impacted their relationship.

If you are interested in conservation, the environment, and of course, dogs, then this episode is for you!

If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing to it, rating it, leaving a positive review, and sharing with people you know who are interested in the topic. This show exists in support of its sister photography project on the same topic and of the same name. You can learn more about it by visiting www.herobeside.me. 

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, recommendations and ideas concerning this podcast. Please reach out at [email protected].

Get in touch with Working Dogs for Conservation at www.wc4d.org.

This episode features Elaine Reiter of Wildside Unlimited in San Diego, California. Elaine is an animal trainer and has an extensive background with training all manner of animals, including marine mammals. Beginning her career at the Miami Seaquarium in the late '80's, Elaine still works with marine mammals today, but her true passion is working with dogs. Her company offers dog training, pet sitting, and nutritional consulting, but also, and most relevant to today's topic, Elaine's company is an agency for animal actors. Today she talks about what it's like to work with animals on set and what a day in the life of a canine actor is like, and shares many other fascinating insights that she has gained during her illustrious career thus far. You won't want to miss this fun episode!

For more information on Elaine's work, visit www.wildsideunlimited.com

For information on Shana T.'s photography project about working dogs, visit www.herobeside.me, and make sure to drop a note via email or sign up for the newsletter!

If you've enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing to the show and/or leaving a positive review so other people can find us!

Thanks for listening!

Welcome back, listeners, to the podcast that explores the professional and private lives of working dogs of all kinds! Today I’m sharing with you a portion of a conversation I had with Judy Fridono. Judy is a dog trainer in San Diego and founder of the nonprofit Puppy Prodigies. She has two therapy dogs who do very special work. Surf Dog Ricochet does adaptive surfing with kids who have disabilities, and does therapy work with active duty service members and veterans. She’s also a movie star! Cori, Judy’s other dog, helps children with special needs to learn to swim.

In this conversation, Judy shares about the special abilities of Surf Dog Ricochet, how dogs communicate with us, and how the presence of a therapy dog can help a person work through trauma. She also explains how Ricochet surfs with people, talks a little bit about Richochet’s role in the film, “Superpower Dogs,” and talks about Cori’s work in the pool.

If after hearing this episode you find yourself interested in being a service dog puppy raiser, getting a degree in canine studies, supporting Judy's nonprofit or volunteering with your own therapy dog, I've included links to the all the relevant information that was mentioned during the show.

I'm your host, Shana T., and I'm also a professional photographer. This podcast was created to accompany and support my current photography project, the goal of which is to document the professional and private lives of working dogs of all kinds. If you would like to stay updated about the project, please visit www.herobeside.me and sign up for the newsletter, or get in touch via email at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Relevant links from the episode:

Surf Dog Ricochet: https://www.surfdogricochet.com/ @surfdogricochet

Puppy Prodigies: https://www.puppyprodigies.org/

Canine Companions for Independence: https://www.cci.org/

Bergin University of Canine Studies: https://www.berginu.edu/

Pawsitive Teams: https://pawsteams.org/

Shana T. Photography: https://shanatphoto.com

The Hero Beside Me: https://herobeside.me @herobesideme

In this episode, you'll hear from Allison and Kirsty, two women who compete with their Belgian Malinois in the sports of Mondioring and French Ring, respectively. Kirsty also raises roping horses professionally, and uses dogs to help her herd cattle. These ladies give us an inside look at the world of competitive canine ring sports and also life on a ranch with a working dog.