Dog Chats – Details, episodes & analysis

Have you ever listened to someone speak about their mission and felt chills and motivation to make positive change happen?  Listening to Dr. Christi during this episode will have you visualizing the power that compassionate care can evoke and give you a better sense of how we can move towards a viable solution for the many dogs in need of medical care and a safe home.  Compassion Without Borders is supporting animals and their humans both in the US and Mexico, and Emma and Kirsten felt so fortunate to learn more about this incredible rescue organization and the work they are doing during this episode.  

Dog training is an unregulated industry where anyone can call themselves a "trainer" and make an eye-catching website in order to sell you their quick fix services- sometimes at great cost to the welfare of your dog.  In a world where we have so many options, it is vital to educate yourself on the types of methods available and to consider how you want to teach and support your dog in a humane way.  In this episode, Emma and Kirsten unpack different training methodologies and ask the question:  "How can we best support our dogs' learning and well-being?"  Buckle your seatbelts because this is a courageous ride into the dichotomy of the dog training world.  Fear not as Emma and Kirsten are yet again your confident and wise guides.

In episode 14, The Podiversary Episode, Emma and Kirsten interview the professional pet sitter and dog walker, Lynes Downing, Jr. As our hosts share their own concerns about finding the right pet sitter when they travel, Lynes offers reassuring advice and wisdom about how to choose a good sitter, and how to set the sitter up for success.  

Lynes can be reached at 

His website www.petsitpro.org

Or his email petsittingprofessionals@gmail.com

In this episode, Emma and Kirsten share their thoughts on the current research that defines the social systems of dogs. The amazing matrix of status, communication and relationships that are a part of our dogs' social environments is beautiful and complex.  Let's unpack some of the  misunderstood research about pack theory and dominance so we can examine our own relationships with our dogs in a meaningful way.

Suzanne Gollin, the Foster Care Coordinator at Marin Humane, has been working to connect animals in need with loving foster families for 23 years.  Have you ever considered fostering a pet?  In this episode, we walk you through the joyful process of fostering and hope to inspire some of you to bring a shelter pet into your home, if even for a very brief period.  Emma and Kirsten both have "forever foster" pets in their homes, and want to share a bit of their stories with you.

Analyzing dog body language brings us so much closer to understanding how our dogs are thinking and feeling.  In this episode your hosts share their insights into how dogs communicate with humans and with other dogs. Having this knowledge gives you a chance to empathize and communicate better with your own dog.

Emma and Kirsten had the incredible opportunity to chat with Marion Fitzgibbon, Marin Humane’s Humanitarian of the year recipient in 2008, for Episode 10.  Marion is a champion of animal welfare who created and directs the Limerick Animal Welfare Sanctuary in Kilfinane, Ireland.  She shares her inspirational story from helping stray dogs as an 8-year-old girl, to creating one of the largest and desperately needed animal shelters in Ireland.  So pull up a stool, have a listen, and get ready for a beautiful interview with Marion’s lovely, lilting brogue and poignant message about working towards a better future for animals.  Marion's story was chronicled in The Dogs of Avalon by Laura Schenone. If you would like to make a donation for the vet clinic at the Limerick Animal Welfare Sanctuary, contact Emma and Kirsten on their Dog Chats Facebook page, or you can donate to the sanctuary directly on their website https://www.limerickanimalwelfare.com/.

We love our dogs so deeply, and they bring us so much joy and happiness.   But unfortunately their time here on Earth is not long enough.  When they are gone, the grief is raw and the pain is real.  In this episode Emma and Kirsten recall stories of their past dogs' journeys from the joy when they joined their families, until their passing.  With heart-felt emotion, support and advice in the areas of grieving and moving on, your hosts share their great love of dogs and acknowledge the pain of their passing. 

With their easy-going, authentic conversation and genuine concern for both dogs and their guardians, Emma and Kirsten reveal what they have in store for you in 2023.   In this episode, our hosts reflect on past training practices and the evolution of dog training as it has transitioned from control to choice.   They answer questions about current changes in their profession, what inspires them and where they are heading.  

The holidays are almost upon us and Kirsten and Emma have some thoughtful tips about how to keep our dogs healthy and happy during this special season. Also they offer creative ways to include our dogs in our rituals and traditions, while sharing some humorous stories about their own past holiday dog memories.  Baking dog biscuits, preparing for holiday guests and thinking about the holidays from our dogs' perspective- Episode 7 will leave you with warm, holiday spirit feelings and practical advice.