Social work is hard. Shelter work is hard. Putting the two of them together seems like it would be almost impossible. But that’s what my guest today has done. Kelly Bremkin is a veterinary social worker who provides mental and emotional support for shelter workers, helping them to navigate the demands and emotional pressures of their job. Over the years, she’s learned a lot about what support really means and what it looks like to different individuals. Join us today for a conversation about recognizing burnout in yourself, personalizing help for others, and the importance of self-compassion.

https://colleenpelar.com/144

Yvonne Rosenberger hoped to be a flight attendant, ended up behind an insurance desk, and realized she didn’t want to die there, so she took her friend’s advice to open her own pet care business. In the process, she’s learned one very important lesson—never say never.

Yvonne joined me on the show today to discuss all the things she was never going to do—from getting married to owning her own business—but somehow ended up doing anyway. Join us for a conversation about self-acceptance, introspection, self-examination, and the bonds we forge with other people’s animals.

Children, both animal and human, instinctively know how to play. The drive to have fun and engage in games is there right from the beginning. As we get older, though, we begin to shut down that instinct to play. We get distracted by the responsibilities of adult life and forget how to simply enjoy the moment. And when we lose access to play, we lose access to its amazing ability to help us heal and bring us joy.

Choice can be empowering. We all want to be in control of our lives and feel like we have some say in what happens to us. But how often do we apply that to the animals in our life? How often do we–perhaps without even meaning to–limit the ability of our animal companions to exercise agency? How often do we limit our own agency?

https://colleenpelar.com/141

There’s a huge world of dog training out there. Family dogs, competition dogs, working dogs, therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, scent dogs…they all have unique training needs and Karen Deed has worked with almost all of them! Along the way, she installed computers, trained horses, and discovered positive reinforcement training before it was cool. She joined me today to share the story of the winding and varied road that brought her to where she is now. Tune in as we discuss knowing better and doing better, the importance of kindness (including to yourself), and how dog-training is really about people.

Links worth clicking:

https://colleenpelar.com/140

We often talk about dogs being “man’s best friend,” but very seldom do we stop to ask, “Am I my dog’s best friend?” Changing the way we think about our relationship can change the way we interact with our dogs, and has the potential to make our friendships with them even deeper and more meaningful.

Links worth clicking:

https://colleenpelar.com/139

With today’s twenty-four hour news cycle, coupled with the rise of social media, we often feel as though we are constantly being bombarded with headlines, most of them negative. It can be hard to keep any kind of positive attitude at all as we are perpetually reminded of all the things that are wrong in the world. Before long, we find ourselves feeling stuck and hopeless.

Links worth clicking:

https://colleenpelar.com/138

A lot of dog trainers have come on the show, but most of them didn’t start out wanting to be dog trainers, or even realize that was an option until later in life. Today, however, the script is flipped as I’m joined for perhaps the first time by a dog trainer who actually grew up wanting to be a dog trainer!

Of course, life still had plenty of surprises in store for trainer Kari Joly, and despite being the thing she wanted to be as a kid, it wasn’t a straight path to get there, nor does it look exactly like she thought it would.

Join us today as she shares how she went from wanting to train guide dogs to helping train family dogs, as well as a discussion about confidence, humility, and the importance of celebrating the small wins.

Links worth clicking:

https://colleenpelar.com/137

The modern world is full of noise. We are constantly surrounded by sound, always hearing something. But there’s a difference between hearing and listening. We may be doing the former, but are we doing the latter? What does it mean anyway, to really and truly listen to the people, the animals, the world around us?

Links worth clicking:

https://colleenpelar.com/136

Grief, regret, and loss are not things any of us like to experience but they remain an inevitable part of life, particularly for pet professionals. Grief isn't just about death. It also shows up when we have desires that can't be fulfilled. Sometimes there are relationships that can't be healed, dreams that can't be realized, decisions that can't be changed, animals that cannot be saved, each of these situations (and many others) can evoke grief.

Robynn Harris is a non-profit dog trainer, who understands the grief that is part of love, and she works to help support people through it by providing free end-of-life care for animals. Join us today for a discussion about the importance of community, the nature of grief, and how guilt can help us do better going forward.

Links worth clicking:

https://colleenpelar.com/135