The Long Leash with James Jacobson

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The Long Leash with James Jacobson episodes

October 28, 2022 A Place to Call Home for Senior Dogs with Valerie Reid | The Long Leash #65
Today on the show, Valerie Reid, who started the non-profit Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary. The mission? To provide an extraordinary retirement community for senior dogs who find themselves unhoused and unhumaned.
Elderly dogs find their way to Valerie for one of several reasons. Their human may have passed, and their surviving family members can’t provide proper care. Other dogs come from horrendous hoarding situations. Others are rescued from horrible conditions at drug houses.
Peanut, who watches over Valerie throughout this conversation, is a drug house rescue. As he sits on Valerie’s lap, you would never guess this serene little one-eyed gentleman was found blistered and scalded and in desperate need of care. He was left in a cage in 90-degree weather with no food or water. Those who used the drug house he was rescued from didn’t let him out to pee, so he had terrible urine scald. His skin was blistered from the beating sun.
Who would take in such a pathetic creature, who had so much need? Whispering Willows, Valerie’s nonprofit.
Whispering Willows is a senior dogs’ paradise. A gracious home on five acres of fenced property in Missouri gives them shelter and food and companionship for the rest of their days. The dogs are never left alone or caged. They have free range to go where they want, whenever they want. They receive 24-hour care and live as a family with their Caregivers.
They are never, ever alone, right up until the end.
About Valerie Reid
Valerie Reid is the President and Founder of Whispering Willows. Since starting the sanctuary, Whispering Willows has been able to offer full time care for over 600 senior dogs. Over 550 of those seniors have passed over the Rainbow Bridge, with love being whispered until their last breath.
Episode Links
Whispering Willows Senior Dog Sanctuary
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments
Dog Cancer Answers: which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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52 min
October 21, 2022 Making Your Vet Visit Fear Free with Dr. Marty Becker | The Long Leash #64
Dr. Marty Becker has devoted his life to helping animals in need. For many years he made regular appearances on national TV shows such as Good Morning America and Dr. Oz. That is where he got his moniker as America’s Vet.
He has owned or co-owned seven different veterinary hospitals, lectured to veterinarians on six continents, and has written 25 books (selling over 8 million copies with three New York Times bestsellers).
On today’s show, Dr. Marty Becker shares the impact fear can have on your dog—especially when it comes to vet visits. He believes fear is the worst thing any social species can experience, and it is his mission to educate pet professionals and pet owners to eliminate fear-filled experiences.
That’s why he founded Fear Free. Dr. Marty Becker and his team are taking the “pet” out of “petrified” by eliminating and alleviating fear, anxiety, and stress in pets. What should you look for when selecting a vet? How can you make the waiting room experience less stressful? How do you examine a pet on their terms?
Dr. Marty Becker tells all in this incredible discussion. He also gives us a sneak peak into a new direction of pet health, and its nothing to yawn about...
About Dr. Marty Becker
Dr. Becker was the resident veterinary contributor on "Good Morning America" for 17 years. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of American Humane as well as its Chief Veterinary Correspondent. His special fondness for older pets has led him to a spot on the Advisory Board of The Grey Muzzle Organization, which is dedicated to helping homeless senior dogs.
A passionate advocate for the human-animal bond, Dr. Becker practices at North Idaho Animal Hospital because he loves veterinary medicine, pets, and the people who care for them.
Dr. Marty Becker: https://www.drmartybecker.com/
Episode Links
Dog Edition episode #55: The Lost Dogs of War in Ukraine
Fear Free pets
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments
Dog Cancer Answers: which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 8 min
October 14, 2022 My Life as a Hollywood Animal Trainer with Mark Harden | The Long Leash #63
It’s likely that you have watched some of the animals Mark Harden has trained. Do any of these titles ring a bell: Stuart Little, Hachiko, Dracula, Arachnophobia, or Pirates of the Caribbean?
Mark takes us behind the scenes to show us the art of animal training and Hollywood production. How do you use makeup to make a dog look old? How do you keep a dog actor in perpetual puppyhood? How has CGI transformed animal acting in Hollywood?
After forty years in the business, there isn’t anything Mark doesn’t know.
Mark has trained many species, but he says dogs are special. They can learn complex behaviours and portray a range of emotions that most other animals simply cannot.
During this conversation, Mark shares with us the life of a wild animal trainer who transitioned to working in Hollywood … who has embraced the occupational hazard of adopting dogs from the set.
About Mark Harden
Hollywood animal trainer Mark Harden has worked with and trained animals of all sizes and species, from elephants to ants. In a career spanning over four decades, he has trained animals to act on the sets of major blockbuster hits, like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story, Dennis the Menace, and Captain Marvel. He has been married to Lori since 1983. They have three children.
Mark Harden IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362103/
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments
Dog Cancer Answers: which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
55 min
October 07, 2022 When a Swimming Legend met a Water Rescue Dog with Lynne Cox | The Long Leash #62
Throughout her life, super swimmer Lynne Cox has been making waves; she has swum the Nile, around the Cape of Good Hope, and more than a mile in Antarctic waters. She was also the first person to swim the Bering Strait. This accomplishment earned her praise from both U.S. President Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev.
Lynne has swum nearly 55,000 miles (that’s two trips around the world!) in dangerous, open water. So, when she saw a video of a rescue dog fearlessly leaping from a helicopter, she was mesmerized. On today’s show, Lynne shares how she recognized a kindred spirit in that daredevil dog, and how she joined the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs.
What does it take for a chocolate Newfoundland named Al to become an expert water rescue dog? A lot of heart, a couple of dog treats, and one furry hero.
Cover art image provided by: Steven Gronfenbrenner
Episode Links
Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs (SICS): http://www.academyofwaterrescue.org/
About Lynne Cox
Lynne Cox is an American long-distance open-water swimmer, motivational speaker, and author. Over the course of more than 35 years, Lynne accomplished swims setting world records and opening borders, contributed to medical research, supported environmental causes, and inspired people to overcome great obstacles. She is best known for her swim across the Bering Strait from the United States to the Soviet Union 7 August 1987. She twice held the overall record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel from England to France and has completed over 60 challenging swims around the world, holding over 50 world records.
Lynne Cox: https://www.lynnecox.com/
Books Written by Lynne Cox
Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer
Tales of Al: The Water Rescue Dog
Swimming in the Sink: A Memoir
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments
Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
41 min
September 30, 2022 Sit, Stay, Speak...with Buttons! with Leo Trottier | The Long Leash #61
Do dogs have abstract thoughts? What do they dream about? Do they understand us? Do they know each other’s names? We have so many questions!
And lately, it seems, we may be getting answers … from dogs themselves.
Cognitive scientist Leo Trottier is confirming what dog lovers already suspect: our pets have complex inner lives and can directly communicate with humans. He is gathering evidence for his hypothesis using recordable communication buttons.
Leo is the CEO of Clever Path. His company has developed a tool dog parents use to record commands like “outside” or “playtime” into an easy-to-press button. There is no limit to the number of buttons that can be added, nor the “conversations” you can have with your dog.
In this interview, Leo shares the science behind these talking buttons and the psychology of communication. He also shares what he hopes will come next in his research.
With new technology on the horizon, getting a text message from your dog while at work isn’t so far-fetched.
About Leo Trottier
Leo Trottier is a unique blend of cognitive scientist, software engineer, product designer, and entrepreneur. He is founder and CEO of CleverPet, a startup that uses smart hardware to teach pets automatically through advanced cognitive and behavioral science techniques. Leo is an alumnus of San Diego’s EvoNexus and the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator (powered by Techstars). He has a degree from the cognitive science and A.I. program at the University of Toronto, and started CleverPet while a PhD candidate at UC San Diego. Before CleverPet, Leo ran Scholarpedia, Wikipedia’s academic equivalent, where he worked with Nobel Laureates to “wikify scholarly canons.”
FluentPet’s website: https://fluent.pet/
The original talking buttons on CleverPet: https://clever.pet/
Question forum for CleverPet buttons: https://how.theycantalk.org/c/home
Episode Links
See the video of the grieving cat here.
FluentPet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluentpet/
FluentPet on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FluentPet
FluentPet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fluentpet
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments
Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
56 min
September 23, 2022 A Journalist’s Journey to Save her Boxer with Jane Cowan | The Long Leash #60
Jane Cowan is an Australian journalist who has reported from around the world, including as a foreign correspondent in the United States. But as life would have it, her biggest assignment as an investigative journalist would be her own attempt to save her dog’s life.
Jane spent 20 years at Australia’s national broadcaster the ABC, reporting internationally on the biggest news stories and most elevated subjects, winning awards along the way. Upon her return home to Australia to work as a photojournalist, she (finally) adopted the dog she’d longed for over the years.
Her joy over her new puppy, Shiva, a boxer, didn’t last. The happy, healthy 18-month-old suddenly found himself unable to bend down or move his neck. He was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and prescribed steroids as treatment.
But the steroids risked organ damage … leading Jane to wonder about alternatives. Her investigative journey lead her into the sometimes counter-intuitive world of canine health and wellbeing. Soon, she was leveraging her decades in hard news reportage to write a book on how to raise a healthier dog.
About Jane Cowan
Jane Cowan is the author of Supercanine: How to Raise a Healthier Dog or Revitalize a Sick One. The book is drawn from her experiences restoring her own dog’s health after drug damage caused by steroids prescribed for an autoimmune condition. Jane spent two decades as an award-winning journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, including six years as a foreign correspondent based in the United States, before walking away from it all to apply her investigative training to canine health and wellbeing. She writes the Boxer Dog Diaries, a comprehensive resource for Boxer owners and the blog Shiny Happy Doggy.
The Boxer Dog Diaries: https://boxerdogdiaries.com/
Shiny Happy Doggy: https://shinyhappydoggy.com/home/
Episode Links
Supercanine book: https://boxerdogdiaries.com/book-supercanine/
How to Raw Feed Your Dog online course: https://www.subscribepage.com/s4h5g1
About Dog Podcast Network (DPN)
DPN is the first of its kind. A podcasting network as devoted to dogs, as they are to us. Our mission is simple: entertain, inspire and inform. We will improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows:
Dog Edition: our flagship show where a global team of dog-obsessed journalists and storytellers feature news, in-depth reporting, analysis, features, and interview segments
Dog Cancer Answers: which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
53 min
September 16, 2022 Combining Archaeology & Canine Forensics with Alex DeGeorgey | The Long Leash #59
Wildfires move rapidly and destroy everything in their path within minutes. In the chaos of evacuation, many have little warning and must leave immediately. Some don't even have time to grab a family member's urn. Can these cremains be recovered in the devastation?
Alex DeGeorgey is the principal investigator at an archaeological consulting firm. When a coworker lost his home in a wildfire (and his father's urn inside), Alex wanted to help. He discovered a way to incorporate the incredible power of dog’s noses into his archaeological toolbox.
Working with the Institute for Canine Forensics, Alex founded the Alta Heritage Foundation. Their mission? To provide solace to families who have lost their loved ones, twice. In today’s show, Alex shares with us how dogs are helping recover those precious cremains.
About Alta Heritage Foundation
It is our mission is to use applied archaeology techniques in support of humanitarian efforts; to provide heritage educational opportunities; to foster historic preservation events; to address climate change impacts to cultural resources; and to provide support to students, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations conducting archaeology or historic preservation activities.
https://altahf.org/
About Alex DeGeorgey
Alex’s professional career began in 1994. Since that time, he has completed projects with both public agencies and the private sector engaged in the management of cultural resources. He manages prehistoric and historic-era resources investigations, including directing large-scale field studies and assembling field teams.
https://www.altaac.com/
About The Long Leash
Dogs know that the most delicious and nourishing treats are often found on the ground. In The Long Leash, we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show. Go behind the scenes of a fledgling podcast network dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
If you have enjoyed listening, please SUBSCRIBE so you’ll never miss out!
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows.
Follow us in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
39 min
September 09, 2022 Confronting Past Trauma with Golden Courage with Ward Serrill | The Long Leash # 58
An exile from Corporate America, Ward Serrill sought the untamed Alaskan wilderness to discover himself … and found himself fighting off demons from his abusive childhood. Alone in a cabin far from other humans, despairing and lonely, he found himself in communion with one other person: his yellow Labrador. Woody’s steadfast companionship and love inspired Ward to gather his courage, confront his past, and change his future.
Their extraordinary story is captured in Serrill’s memoir, To Crack the World Open. Join us as the author and award-winning documentary filmmaker leads a heart-to-heart conversation about love, dogs, healing ... and how imagination can often conjure up our best self-therapy.
About Ward Serrill
Ward Serrill is the award-winning writer and director of The Heart of the Game, released by Miramax to wide critical acclaim as well as The Bowmakers. He has created more than ninety short films including Building One House with Robert Redford and Wild America with Sissy Spacek. His fourth feature, Dancing with the Dead: the Life and Times of Red Pine, is in production. Ward’s memoir, To Crack the World Open – Solitude, Alaska, and a Dog Named Woody is published by Girl Friday Books.
To purchase To Crack the Word Open – Solitude, Alaska, and a Dog Named Woody by Ward Serrill, click here.
For more about Dancing with the Dead, Red Pine and the Art of Translation, click here.
https://wardserrill.com/
Episode Links
Dog Edition: Dogs as Healers
About The Long Leash
Dogs know that the most delicious and nourishing treats are often found on the ground. In The Long Leash, we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show. Go behind the scenes of a fledgling podcast network dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.

If you have enjoyed listening, please SUBSCRIBE so you’ll never miss out!
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows.
Follow us in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
45 min
September 02, 2022 My Life Transformed by a Golden Angel with Dean Koontz | The Long Leash # 57
Dean Koontz has written more than 100 novels and sold over 500 million copies worldwide. And just like us, this international bestselling author absolutely loves dogs. In this special episode, Dean shares his story of a life transformed by the love of a good dog.
An admitted workaholic, Dean says he only learned to live in the moment after he adopted Trixie, his golden retriever. Not only did she enforce reasonable working hours, but she taught the writing legend to open his eyes to the wonder of the world around them.
Join us for a conversation about loving and respecting dogs, and the pivotal role that they play in our lives.
Episode Links
Canine Companions for Independence: https://canine.org/
“The Big Dark Sky” by Dean Koontz: https://www.deankoontz.com/my-new-novel-available-for-pre-order-2/
About Dean Koontz
International bestselling author Dean Koontz has written more than 105 novels, a number of novellas and short stories, and has sold over 500 million copies to date. Fourteen of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list, making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. After graduating from Shippensburg State College Dean Koontz wrote nights and weekends around other jobs to launch his career as an author. With the support of his wife Gerda, Dean eventually made his mark and she eventually quit her job to run the business end of her husband’s writing career. The couple live in Southern California with their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens now passed, Trixie and Anna.
https://www.deankoontz.com/
About The Long Leash
Dogs know that the most delicious and nourishing treats are often found on the ground. In The Long Leash, we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show. Go behind the scenes of a fledgling podcast network dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for dogs and the people who love them.
If you have enjoyed listening, please SUBSCRIBE so you’ll never miss out!
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows.
Follow us in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 5 min
August 19, 2022 Presidential Pooches with Andrew Hager | The Long Leash #56
Many dogs have helped men with presidential ambitions get elected, and one even helped a President prevent nuclear catastrophe.
Andrew Hager, Historian-in-Residence at the Presidential Pet Museum, joins host James Jacobson to discuss the presidential pooches who have pooped on the White House lawn. Ronald Reagan had Lucky. JFK was gifted Pushinka. Richard Nixon defended Checkers. Most American Presidents have been dog lovers, too … even dogs so naughty one was named Satan.
Andrew tells tall tales about the dogs we’ve loved, including our current #DOTUS (Dog of the United States), and the first shelter dog, Major.
About Andrew Hager
Andrew Hager has been historian-in-residence at the Presidential Pet Museum since 2017. Prior to that, he spent a decade teaching middle school social studies for Baltimore County Public Schools. He graduated from Towson University with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and a Master’s in the Art of Teaching. Andrew understands firsthand the power of a canine companion. He is legally blind and travels with a black Labrador Retriever guide dog named Sammy. Andrew also has two cats, a fish, and a fluffy mixed-breed rescue dog named Emmy.
About ALL-AMERICAN DOGS: A History of Presidential Pets from Every Era by Andrew Hager
Not only is the book filled with incredible facts about presidential pets, but Hager includes his original research and some rare photographs from the National Archives to trace the history of America’s first dogs as well. Readers will learn not only past presidents’ dogs in each historical era, but also the cultural history of dogs as pets too. This book is perfect for pet-lovers and history-buffs alike!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59314717-all-american-dogs
About the Presidential Pet Museum
Founded by Claire McClean in 1999, the Presidential Pet Museum was established as a means of preserving information, artifacts, and items related to the presidential pets in an educational and fun way.
https://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/
Episode Links
Millie’s Book by Barbara Bush
Dear Socks, Dear Buddy: Kids’ Letters to the First Pets by Hillary Clinton
https://theovalpawffice.com/
https://www.instagram.com/first_dogs_usa/
If you have enjoyed listening, please SUBSCRIBE so you’ll never miss out!
Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows.
Follow us in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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54 min

About The Long Leash with James Jacobson

From the publisher's feed

Dogs know that the most delicious and nourishing treats are often found on the ground. In “The Long Leash,” we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show. Listen…