Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who see dogs not as toys or tools, but as wise souls worth our respect and care.
The 30-minute interviews with "Pawsome Humans", people who do great work for dogs and their people, you're listening to here on the podcast are one of the ways we celebrate the human-canine connection and advocate for holistic approaches to canine health and well-being.
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Données mises à jour le 05/10/2026
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Therapy dogs visit hospitals, schools, and nursing homes — but what does it actually take to build that kind of partnership with your dog? Susan Hartzler has been doing therapy dog work for 26 years, and in this conversation, she shares what she's learned about helping dogs and their people bring comfort, connection, and healing to communities. It's a glimpse into a world most of us only see from the outside — and a reminder of just how much dogs give when we learn to work alongside them.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The difference between service dogs, emotional support dogs, and therapy dogs — and why understanding those distinctions matters if you're considering any kind of working role with your dog
How to recognize whether your dog has the temperament for therapy work, and what training foundation they need before stepping into hospitals, schools, or other settings
Why therapy dog work is as much about the human as it is the dog — and what it takes to be a calm, present partner at the other end of the leash
What happens when a dog intuitively knows what someone needs, and how to follow your dog's lead rather than override it
The science-backed benefits of spending time with dogs — from lowering cortisol to calming panic attacks — and how to tap into those intentionally, not just accidentally
How Susan taught her dogs to wear hats and sunglasses (and why that skill actually matters in therapy and modeling work)
What it's like when your dog becomes both a therapy dog and a professional actor — and how those two worlds surprisingly overlap
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"He actually knew what each person needed, and I was just kind of his facilitator at the end of the leash." — Susan
ABOUT SUSAN HARTZLER
Susan Hartzler is an award-winning writer and passionate advocate for the human-animal bond. For the past 26 years, she and her pack have volunteered as certified therapy dog teams, visiting hospitals, schools, libraries, nursing homes, and community organizations across the country. Her newest book, Teaming Up with Therapy Dogs: Skills to Build Healing Partnerships, offers practical guidance for aspiring therapy dog teams, blending training insights with real stories from the field. She's also the author of two memoirs — I'm Not Single, I Have a Dog: Dating Tales from the Bark Side and The Peace Puppy: A Memoir of Caregiving and Canine Solace — and the creator of BlissDog, a Substack publication exploring the healing power of dogs. Her current pack, Seven and Paige Turner, aren't just therapy dogs — they're also professional actors and models.
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co - the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
Dog Meets Baby: Beyond Instagram's Perfect Picture with Dominika Knossalla-Pado
Dogs and babies living together isn't always the Instagram-perfect moment many parents imagine. When certified dog trainer Dominika Knossalla-Pado's beloved Labrador showed predatory behavior toward her newborn twins, it shattered the romantic picture she'd held and sent her searching for answers that simply didn't exist. This conversation offers the practical, honest guidance expecting parents and new families need to help both their children and dogs not just survive this transition, but truly thrive.
What You'll Learn
Why even well-trained dogs can struggle when a baby arrives, and how to recognize the early signs that your dog is finding the transition difficult
What you can actually prepare for before your baby is born, including the specific behaviors and routines that matter most (and why you probably don't need that expensive doll)
How to create a safe first meeting between your dog and baby, especially if your dog has never been around young children
Why those heartwarming social media posts of dogs and babies together can be misleading, and what a truly comfortable dog actually looks like in those moments
What to do when your toddler becomes mobile and suddenly your calm dog seems stressed by grabby hands, unpredictable movements and constant noise
How to give both your child and your dog the freedom they need without constant supervision becoming overwhelming
When separation and baby gates become tools for peace rather than punishment, and how to prepare your dog for these changes before stress builds
A Favourite Moment
"Give me that neighbor." — Dominika
About Dominika Knossalla-Pado
Dominika Knossalla-Pado is a certified dog trainer who graduated with honors from the Academy for Dog Trainers. When her beloved Labrador Lola showed predatory behavior toward her newborn twins, Dominika realized most parents lack the tools and knowledge to navigate these critical moments safely. That experience inspired her to found Dog Meets Baby, now a trusted resource for families worldwide through online courses, consultations and free resources. She's also the author of the children's book , which introduces young children to the concept that all animals need their own safe space.
Shift Your Energy, Change Your Dog’s Behavior with Caroline Griffith
Canine Flow and the energetic lens that changes how we understand dog behaviour — that's what this conversation is about. Caroline shares a perspective that goes beyond traditional training methods, showing how emotions, energy and even water influence our dogs' wellbeing. If you've ever felt there's something deeper going on with your dog than what you can see on the surface, this episode offers a completely different way of looking at the relationship you share.
What You'll Learn
How your dog's behaviour is actually a flow of emotion seeking expression, not something to suppress or control
Why separation anxiety often has less to do with you leaving and more to do with whether your dog can emotionally ground on you when you're present
What it means when your dog has "charge" — and how to recognise when energy has built up and needs to be released
The surprising role water plays in holding somatic trauma in both humans and dogs, and simple ways to structure your water at home
Why enrichment isn't about mentally tiring your dog but about helping them release emotional charge and find contentment
How shifts in your own state — like attending a yoga class or releasing stuck emotions — can directly change your dog's behaviour
What electromagnetic fields and Wi-Fi may be doing to dogs, who have the largest heart per body mass of any creature
A Favourite Moment
"The dog is not trying to be in charge. They have a charge." — Caroline
About Caroline
Caroline has been leading Canine Flow Retreats for dogs and their guardians for the past 16 years, specialising in soul-level behaviour transformation. She brings together decades of experience in canine nutrition and holistic therapies with a unique energetic lens that looks at how a dog's measurable energy field — what she calls the vital life force flow — influences their behaviour. Caroline is also co-founder of the Association of Pet Nutrition Consultants and works as a nutrition consultant in the international pet food industry.
Dog Training Starts With You: Boundaries and Connection with Miranda van der Heijden
Setting boundaries with your dog isn't about being harsh—it's about creating safety, connection and calm for both of you. In this conversation, Dutch dog trainer Miranda van der Heijden walks us through the delicate balance between unconditional love and healthy limits, and why the struggles we see in our dogs often mirror the patterns we carry ourselves.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why setting boundaries for your dog is an act of love, not control—and how it helps them feel safer when you're not around
How your dog's behaviour often mirrors your own fears, hesitations and resistance to change
What it really takes to help a fearful dog move through something new (and why avoiding discomfort keeps them stuck)
Why one-to-one training allows for deeper transformation than group classes—for both dogs and their people
How agility, scent work and other activities can become therapeutic mirrors for personal growth
The unexpected emotional work that comes with teaching people to train their dogs
What it means to be connected with your dog without becoming enmeshed—and why that distinction matters
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"I'm always training the person… because things don't change if you as a person do not change." — Miranda
ABOUT MIRANDA VAN DER HEIJDEN
Miranda van der Heijden has been training dogs in the Netherlands since 1987. After years of working with groups, she shifted her focus entirely to one-to-one sessions, where she can look beyond behaviour and into the relationship between dog and human. She's spent over three decades in competitive agility and now works with her own Border Collie in scent detection and mantrailing. Her training centre, located near 's-Hertogenbosch, is a space where dogs learn—and people discover what their dogs have been trying to teach them all along.
Learn From Your Dog: 13 Life Lessons That Actually Work with Bruce Littlefield
Learning from dogs isn't just sentimental—it might be the most practical life advice you'll get this year. Bruce Littlefield, bestselling author and self-described "professional appreciator of American fun," stumbled into this truth one morning when his dog Felix was having the best day ever while Bruce was having the worst. What followed was a notebook full of observations that became a book, and a shift in how he approaches his entire day.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
How one melted shirt on book launch day taught Bruce to shake things off—literally—the way dogs do when something goes wrong
Why dogs wake up with enthusiasm every single morning, and what happened when Bruce decided to try doing the same thing
The surprising side effect of taking 10-minute rest breaks during the day, inspired by watching Felix relax without guilt
How a dog's patient vigil by the door reveals something deeper about waiting for what matters without complaint
Why learning a few tricks—whether you're a dog or a human—keeps life playful and gives you something to share at parties
How Felix's morning patrol around the property became a lesson in checking in, staying grounded, and knowing your boundaries
What loyalty looks like in both dog and human form, and why Bruce says it's one of the most important traits we can cultivate
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"Felix was like, 'Hey, this is the best day ever.' And so I thought, you know what? I'm going to follow Felix today." — Bruce
ABOUT BRUCE LITTLEFIELD
Bruce Littlefield is a bestselling author, television personality, designer, and the co-author of 20 books spanning everything from garage sales to Airstream trailers to dog wisdom. His newest book, , published by Penguin Random House, is a funny and heartfelt celebration of dogs as the life coaches we never knew we needed. Bruce lives in New York and on his farm in the Catskills with his rescue dog Felix, a border collie/cattle dog mix who inspired the book after helping him shake off a very bad morning.
Dobermans as Family Dogs: What Nobody Tells You Before You Get One with John Walter
Doberman owners often wonder why their high-energy, intelligent dog seems harder to train than other breeds—or why four hours of daily walks still leave them with a restless, sometimes destructive companion. John Walter, founder of Doberman Planet, shares what makes this breed different, how they think in patterns and multi-step sequences, and why mental stimulation matters just as much as physical exercise when raising a loyal, balanced family Doberman.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why Dobermans are called emotional mirrors and what that means for daily life with them
How their pattern recognition can actually work against traditional training methods (and what to do instead)
The surprising differences between male and female Dobermans in bonding, maturity and temperament
Why over-exercising a Doberman can backfire and what they need mentally to truly settle
What makes this breed both incredibly loyal and sometimes misunderstood
How to know if a Doberman is the right fit for your family and lifestyle
The importance of routine, consistency and full integration into family life for this breed
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"Dobermans think in patterns. They don't learn 'I got in position, I got the treat.' They learn 'I pulled, I went in position, then I got the treat.'" — John
ABOUT JOHN WALTER
John Walter is the founder of Doberman Planet, a leading online educational platform devoted exclusively to the Doberman Pinscher. Through hundreds of videos, in-depth articles, original breed studies and hands-on work with Dobermans and their families, John helps owners better understand this intelligent, sensitive and often misunderstood breed. With nearly 300,000 subscribers on YouTube and a combined audience of more than 700,000 across all platforms, his work focuses on practical training, behaviour, health and strengthening the bond between Dobermans and the people who love them.
Holistic Dog Nutrition and Healing: Trust Your Dog's Wisdom with Dr. Alexia Mellor
Canine nutrition goes far beyond what sits in the bowl. When your dog won't eat, struggles with chronic health issues, or shows puzzling behavioral patterns, the answer might lie in how we understand nourishment itself. Dr. Alexia Mellor shares how her own dog's health crisis led her to question everything she thought she knew about feeding dogs—and ultimately transformed how she understands the bond between dogs and their people.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why "balanced and complete" is a marketing term, and what bioavailability actually means for your dog's ability to absorb nutrients
How to start improving your dog's diet without overwhelm, beginning with simple fresh toppers that address what's missing from kibble
The FETCH methodology for observing your dog holistically—from tracking behaviors at specific times of day to understanding what environmental factors might be affecting their wellbeing
Why restlessness at 11 PM, nibbling at certain times, or seasonal changes in appetite might be telling you something about your dog's internal health
How Chinese medicine principles and energetics can unlock puzzling health or behavior patterns that conventional approaches haven't solved
What it means to work in partnership with your dog rather than treating them as an optimization project
How curiosity about what your dog is showing you can become an entry point for deeper understanding—and why there's rarely just one root cause
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"They are gateways to our own spiritual evolution." — Alexia
ABOUT DR. ALEXIA MELLOR
Dr. Alexia Mellor is a holistic canine nutrition consultant on a mission to transform how we nourish our dogs, ourselves, and the world we share. Through Mystic Dog Mama, she explores what it truly means to be nourished—using dogs as both teacher and guide. Her work brings together canine nutrition, holistic health, systems thinking, and the wisdom of the human-animal bond. With a background in participatory art, design, and climate research, Alexia approaches dog health with curiosity, compassion, and a deep respect for the partnership between dogs and their people.
Your Dog Heals You: Heart Synchronization to Transform Your Health with Michael Priv
Your dog heals you in ways you may not fully realize. The simple act of having a dog in your life already offers measurable health benefits, but there's a whole world of untapped potential in that relationship. This conversation explores how the human-dog bond can become a deliberate pathway to better physical health, emotional balance, and everyday wellbeing.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
How synchronizing with your dog creates what Michael calls a "cocoon"—an energy system that amplifies wellbeing for both human and dog
The measurable health benefits dogs offer, from increased oxytocin and serotonin to reduced cortisol, lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and even potential cancer prevention
Why walking your dog while staring at your phone means you're missing the most healing part of the walk
How simple rituals like placing your hand on your dog while visualizing love can calm an anxious or traumatized rescue dog
The concept of "sniff walks" and why letting your dog lead the pace and choose what to investigate is actually mindfulness practice for you
How dogs act as mirrors, reflecting back our own mental and emotional states in ways that can reveal what we need to address in ourselves
Why setting too many boundaries with your dog—no couch, no bed, no jumping—might mean you're missing out on the deeper healing potential of the relationship
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"Dogs are uniquely attuned to us all the time. We look at our dog, and we see our own mental state as a reflection." — Michael
ABOUT MICHAEL PRIV
Michael Priv is a wellness innovator, writer, and former energy healer who has spent decades exploring how the human-dog bond can become a powerful pathway to better health and emotional balance. He is the creator of HoundHeart, a human-dog synchronization app that uses paired wearable devices and AI-supported insights to help people unlock the wellness benefits of the relationship they already have with their dog. Michael believes those benefits can be strengthened, measured, and made more intentional through technology and simple daily rituals.
Dog-Friendly Offices: What It Means for Life With Your Dog with Emily Birch
samedi 15 août 2026 • Durée 32:47
Dog-friendly offices aren't just a perk—they're a productivity strategy. If you've ever declined a job because you couldn't bear to leave your dog at home, or felt your stress spike during a late meeting knowing your pup had been alone all day, this conversation is for you. Emily Birch walks us through how companies can thoughtfully introduce dogs into the workplace in a way that benefits everyone—dogs, employees, and the business itself.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
How dog-friendly offices actually increase productivity and employee retention, backed by peer-reviewed research
Why predictability matters more than enthusiasm when it comes to managing dogs (and people) in shared workspaces
The traffic light system that helps dogs settle and prevents over-excitement without feeling restrictive
What makes a dog suitable for office life—and the one non-negotiable that rules a dog out entirely
How to address common concerns like allergies, phobias, and the myth that offices will turn into chaotic doggy daycares
Why some dogs need a "red light" approach even when they're friendly, and how that sets them up to succeed
What happens when new management takes over, and how to make the case for keeping dogs in the office
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"I counted and I was like, 'We've got 18 dogs in here,' and yet you wouldn't know. Every dog was just fast asleep under the table." — Emily
ABOUT EMILY BIRCH
Emily Birch is the Owner and Director of The Office Dog, where she helps organisations introduce dogs into the workplace in a structured, safe, and genuinely beneficial way. She also runs a canine consultancy focused on behaviour work. Based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, Emily has been pioneering dog-friendly office environments since 2014, working with businesses at every stage—from policy creation and training through to implementation and probation sign-off.
Fear-Based Training Creates Shutdowns: What You're Really Seeing | with Annie Grossman
mercredi 12 août 2026 • Durée 37:54
Is your well-behaved dog actually shut down? A calm, compliant dog might look like the goal — but fear-based obedience isn't the same as trust. In this conversation, journalist-turned-dog-trainer Annie Grossman explains why understanding how your dog feels matters more than getting them to behave, and how a little science goes a long way in building the relationship you both deserve.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
Why a dog who looks calm and well-behaved might actually be scared and shut down — and how to tell the difference
What classical conditioning really means, and why it matters more than you think when it comes to how your dog experiences the world
How punishment (yes, even "just a correction") can create hidden fallout you won't see in a 30-second Instagram video
Why dog body language is so misunderstood — and what that little tongue flick actually means
How focusing on what you want your dog to do instead of what you want them to stop changes everything
Why there's no such thing as "just dog training" — it's all rooted in the science of behaviour, whether people know it or not
What questions to ask before choosing a trainer, a method, or even a viral training hack
A FAVOURITE MOMENT
"A shut down dog can look like a well-behaved dog." — Annie
ABOUT ANNIE GROSSMAN
Annie Grossman is a dog trainer, journalist, and the author of How to Train Your Dog With Love + Science. A lifelong New Yorker, she spent over a decade running School For The Dogs, a storefront training centre in the East Village where she worked with thousands of dogs and their people. Before diving into dog training, Annie worked as a journalist and producer, writing for outlets like The New York Times and The Boston Globe. She's a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy and a passionate advocate for positive reinforcement rooted in behavioural science. These days, she writes Don't Be a Dick to Your Dog on Substack and speaks at conferences about making dog training less jargon-heavy and more human.
Soul Touched by Dogs, podcast de Anke Herrmann - Statistiques, épisodes et classements - My Podcast Data
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co - the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
To find out more about Soul Touched by Dogs, visit soultouchedbydogs.com.
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co — the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
To find out more about Soul Touched by Dogs, visit soultouchedbydogs.com.
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co—the Ultimate Hub for dogs and the people who love them.
Everything You Need to Know About Life You Can Learn from a Dog
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co - the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co - the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co - the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
And if you're a dog lover who wants community, trusted expert resources and coaching to create a calmer, happier, healthier life with your dog, come find us at planetcalm.co — the Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them.
And if you're a dog lover who wants a calmer, happier dog, come find us at planetcalm.co. The Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them, and the businesses they build.
To find out more about Soul Touched by Dogs, visit soultouchedbydogs.com And if you're a dog lover who wants a calmer, happier dog, come find us at planetcalm.co. The Ultimate Hub for dogs, the people who love them, and the businesses they build.
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