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 in as James Jacobson, founder of Dog Podcast Network, chats with newsmakers and celebrated dog lovers. 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.
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The Future of At-Home Vet Tests with Jen Hagness | The Long Leash #75
Episode 75
Friday, January 20, 2023 • Duration 36:31
You’ve come home from work to discover evidence your dog has diarrhea. Ugh. It continues, and you call the vet. No appointments for two weeks, unless you want to pay for an emergency visit … but this doesn’t seem like a huge emergency.
Most veterinary visits are for the same few problems. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get basic health tests – like fresh poop samples you scrape off your floor – done from home, and get the results back in time for your scheduled veterinary visit?
Today we are speaking with CEO Jen Hagness of MySimplePetLab, the first from home general wellness company. MySimplePetLab offers at-home and from-clinic testing kits for dogs and cats. The test kits are designed by veterinarians, and MySimplePetLab provides the tests, shipping to their lab for testing, and the results delivered to both you and your vet.
Jen shares with us the benefits to pet parents and veterinarians of these kits, and what the future may hold for at home testing.
Episode Links
MySimplePetLab
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
00:00 Start
02:56 MySimplePetLab
07:33 Traditional Pet Parents vs. Modern Pet Parents
11:33 Gold Standard Testing
12:59 Vets Included
15:29 2023 Teaser
20:02 Telemedicine
30:29 Being a CEO
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
I Miss You Already: Anticipatory Grief with Nancy Gordon | The Long Leash #74
Episode 74
Friday, December 30, 2022 • Duration 53:51
We have grieved the loss of our dogs ever since they first became man's best friend, thousands of years ago. Everyone experiences loss in their own way, but it is a pain that is shared by everyone who has ever loved a dog. But is there anything you can do to prepare for that grief?
Our guest Nancy Gordon works to raise awareness about the different stages of pet grief, and how to process the guilt and heartache from end-of-life decisions.
As a licensed clinical social worker and certified life coach, Nancy understands the pain of loss through her personal journey. After a terrible car accident, she had to leave her practice and focus on her own recovery with chronic illness and debilitating pain. Relief from the pain (both physical and mental) came to her through her service dogs, Pink and Toaster.
But then, the inevitable happened. Both of her service dogs had to cross over the rainbow bridge and Nancy was left navigating that loss. Taking what she learned from that experience, Nancy continues to help others through the dark days that follow the death of a beloved pet.
In today’s touching conversation, Jim and Nancy discuss anticipatory grief and how facing that inevitable loss ahead of time can help transform that experience for you and your dog.
Episode Links
Nancy Gordon
I Miss You Already: Bearing the Unbearable Loss of Your Pet by Nancy Gordon
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:22 Start of Interview
4:45 Unhealed Grief
7:30 The 7 Stages of Grief
29:22 Jim’s Pet Loss Therapy Session
38:05 Continuted Bond
42:41 How to Find the Right Therapist
47:24 Outro
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
Force Free Dog Training with Shannon Riley-Coyner | The Long Leash #73
Episode 73
Friday, December 23, 2022 • Duration 45:36
Today on the show we discuss the history and evolution of dog training. Dog training now looks very different than it did just a few decades ago. It used to be commonly accepted that the best way to train a dog was to punish them when they did something wrong. Whether it was spanking them, rubbing their nose in their accidents, or using choke chains or shock collars.
But things are changing. This evolution of dog training has taken us from punishment and pain training, to something much more powerful. Shannon Riley-Coyner created Truly Force Free animal training to help you train your dog without using pain or fear.
Shannon has over 30 years of experience training dogs and is optimistic about the direction her industry is heading: towards more positive reinforcement. On today’s episode, Shannon shares with us the evolution of dog training, what science tells us about how dogs learn, and what to look for in a trainer.
Episode Links
Force Free Dog Training
The Evolution of Dog Training by Shannon Riley-Coyner
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
12:24 The Neck is Very Vulnerable
16:01 Trauma Bond
27:20 Picking A Trainer
29:10 Group Training vs. One-on-One
30:56 Online Training Videos
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
The Dog Genius Challenge with Dr. Claudia Fugazza | The Long Leash #72
Episode 72
Friday, December 16, 2022 • Duration 55:44
Today on the show: dog geniuses. What does it mean to be a truly gifted dog? Researcher Dr. Claudia Fugazza has been on a mission to better understand how dogs learn. She is particularly interested in the dogs that can memorize dozens of toy names.
Everyone thinks they have the smartest dog in the world (or at least the best!) but what makes a dog a prodigy? Dogs like Chaser, a border collie who has purportedly learned the name of over 1,000 toy names! But that kind of talent is very rare. And it’s not well known why they are able to do this.
Is it breed? The way they were trained? Were they just born talented? Dr. Fugazza and her colleagues at the University of Budapest want to find more. Thus, the Genius Dog Challenge was born.
In her search to better understand talent and language in dogs, Dr. Fugazza has started an online initiative to study smart dogs around. In this conversation, we delve into the world of dog learning, and you will find out how to test if your dog is a genius.
Episode Links
Genius Dog Challenge
The Long Leash #61 Sit, Stay, Speak...with Buttons! With Leo Trottier
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:30 What is a Smart Dog?
14:21 Talent in Dogs
24:40 Rico and Chaser-Genius Dogs
30:27 Do As I Do
36:52 Episodic Memory
43:56 Is Your Dog a Genius?
49:12 Outro
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
Solving Crime One Sniff at a Time with Jen Danna | The Long Leash #71
Episode 71
Friday, December 9, 2022 • Duration 33:42
On today’s show we hear from Jen Danna, a crime novelist whose FBI K9 novel series explores the world of FBI agent Meg Jennings and her search-and-rescue dog Hawk.
If you’re thinking “I thought that series was written by Sara Driscoll,” you’re right.
Sara Driscoll is a joint pen name for Danna, a Canadian infectious disease researcher, and her co-author, Ann Vanderlaan, a Texan oil biz technical writer.
Their very different work and their shared passion for writing inspired them to pen seven novels under their joint pseudonym.
Danna’s dedication to scientific accuracy drives her storytelling. She shares what she has learned about the deep connection between FBI working dogs and their handlers.
Danna also talks about the seventh novel in their series, “Still Waters,” which has been published half-posthumously after Vanderlaan’s death earlier this year. Even as she celebrates the new novel, Danna reflects on how she will continue Meg Jennings’ story now that she has lost her other writing half.
Episode Links
Still Waters: An FBI K9 Novel by Sara Driscoll (aka Jen Danna and Ann Vanderlaan)
Jen Danna official website
Bouchercon World Mystery Convention
Does the Dog Die
The Long Leash Episode #57 My Life Transformed by a Golden Angel with writing legend Dean Koontz
Dog Edition Episode #71 From the Titanic to Queen Mary 2: Transatlantic Dogs
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
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
Connecting Human Health with Vet Care with Dr. Michael Blackwell | The Long Leash #70
Episode 70
Friday, December 2, 2022 • Duration 01:03:32
Too many people face a cold reality when their dog gets sick: they want to give vet care, but simply cannot afford it. Ways to cope vary, including hoping and wishing the problem will disappear on its own, reducing pain and other medication use to “make them last,” and even euthanizing a dog who might recover with proper care.
It’s devastating for the family members and the veterinarians and their staff who must help them make these terrible choices.
When money is the issue, and money is not there, no question has an easy answer.
Our guest today is Dr. Michael Blackwell, the founder of AlignCare Health. His organization is a national, community-funded One Health interprofessional system that helps families with limited means get access to veterinary care.
In other words, he helps keep families together, regardless of species.
Dr. Michael Blackwell’s received his calling to help after hearing about a veteran whose dog was put to sleep because he could not afford his treatments. What was the problem? A police officer had shot his dog (unjustly), and the resulting injuries required extensive and expensive procedures.
The veteran’s utter loss and devastating pain “lit a fire” in Dr. Blackwell’s soul. That’s when the high-ranking government official and educator decided to start breaking down economic barriers that prevent pets and their families from getting the care they need.
Dr. Blackwell joins us for an in-depth, moving discussion about how our pet’s care influences our own health and healthcare, and why affordable veterinary care is critical to our health as a species and citizens.
Episode Links
Access to Veterinary Care-Barriers, Current Practices, and Public Policy A project of the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition, Dec 2018
AlignCare Health official website
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:26 Start of Interview
4:09 The Event that Changed Everything
6:38 1 in 4 Families Lack the Ability to Pay for Vet Care
8:58 Phycological Benefits of Having a Pet
11:32 Economic Barriers to Vet Care
13:05 Status of Pet Insurance
17:03 Health Benefits Associated with Pet Ownership
19:21 What is AlignCare?
22:47 AlignCare in Los Angeles
34:55 The Emotional and Financial Stress of Being a Vet
45:54 The Importance of Public Servants
50:09 First Minority Dean of a Major Vet College
54:14 Future of AlignCare
56:52 Outro
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
What it Means to be “Dog-Friendly” with Beth Miller | The Long Leash #69
Episode 69
Friday, November 25, 2022 • Duration 37:13
Every dog-loving human has their own idea about what being dog-friendly means. For some, it’s the neighbor who switches to non-toxic snail bait. For others, it’s a dog water bowl in front of a business, or a grassy dog park in an otherwise quiet neighborhood.
But some humans have bigger ideas, like creating dog-friendly architecture and dog-friendly legislation. Dog-friendly school curriculums and dog-friendly business models. How do we include human's best friend in our life design efforts?
Beth Miller, the founder of Wagtown, joins us to talk about the macroeconomic and health benefits of dog-friendly planning. Her non-profit helps communities define what dog-friendly means to them … and then become more dog friendly.
In Miller’s world, dollars follow dogs. Creating more dog-friendly spaces impacts economic development, business growth, housing markets … and even our own lifespans, which are longer when we share them with dogs.
Wagtown has been involved in many dog-friendly planning projects. Beth shares how they changed patio laws for the state of Ohio in a “Pups on Patio” campaign. Wagtown also assisted local law enforcement officers in building a working relationship with community dog walkers. Listen and be inspired to create a more dog-friendly future for all humanity!
Episode Links
Wagtown
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:36 What does it mean to be dog-friendly?
3:12 Dog friendliness desert
4:50 Dog friendliness is a factor of location
8:29 What is Wagtown?
13:22 Interviewing 600 people
14:25 What to consider when building a new dog park
19:22 Building dog friendly spaces
20:26 The economic benefits of being dog-friendly
21:00 Pups on patios
27:19 Future of a dog-friendly society
29:09 Dog walkers working with law enforcement
30:52 Outro
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
A Sommelier's Guide to Pairing Dogs with Wine with Michele Gargiulo | The Long Leash #68
Episode 68
Friday, November 18, 2022 • Duration 36:50
How do you pair wine with something that’s not food? Our guest today says it’s simple: compare the personalities and traits of both. And yes, you can pair wine with dogs!
Michele Gargiulo, certified sommelier, wanted to sprinkle some joy into the winery world, which she says takes itself far too seriously. In her book Pairing Paws, Gargiulo discerns the distinctive personalities of various vintages and a multitude of mutts … and makes a compelling argument for which goes with what.
Sound weird? Maybe. Not everyone thought this book was a good idea. Gargiulo’s personal story about writing and publishing her quirky and fabulous book started out as a romantic adventure tale, but soon turned tragic when her boyfriend died. Gargiulo credits her dog, Riesling, with keeping her moving and bringing love and light back into her story.
Episode Links
Pairing Paws by Michele Gargiulo
Azores Wine Company Arinto dos Açores White to be paired with Maltese
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:26 Pairing Paws the book
11:19 Pairing dogs with wine
15:49 How do you publish a book?
22:31 What it REALLY means to be a master sommelier
24:02 Making the wine world more accessible
26:24 Surviving the loss of a loved one
30:16 Outro
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
When a Vet Oncologist Gets Cancer with Dr. Renée Alsarraf | The Long Leash #67
Episode 67
Friday, November 11, 2022 • Duration 51:29
For more than two decades Dr. Renée Alsarraf treated cancer in her canine patients. Then, at age fifty-one, she was diagnosed with cancer herself … and so was her boxer, Newton.
The healing nature of their bond helped Dr. Alsarraf fight. Newton acted as her guide dog through chemo, therapy, and recovery.
Dr. Alsarraf joins us to share what’s she learned about cancer from her own ordeal. There are similarities in between the species that she understands more deeply than ever. The lessons she learned on her journey she incorporates into her current veterinary practice.
Now cancer-free, Dr. Alsarraf connects with the parents of sick animals with a new level of empathy and experience.
Dogs teach us how to live well, if we pay attention – and Dr. Alsarraf pays attention. She has chronicled her extraordinary experience in her book “Sit, Stay, Heal.”
Episode Links
Sit, Stay, Heal: What Dogs Can Teach us About Living Well by Dr. Renée Alsarraf
This episode is sponsored in part by EverPup and BarkBox.
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
The Emotional Cost of Being a Vet with George Melillo | The Long Leash #66
Episode 66
Friday, November 4, 2022 • Duration 32:44
Veterinarians are animal lovers, and many expect their career to be all about spending quality time with animals. Reality is a little different, though.
First, veterinary school is hard. It’s also expensive. When vets graduate, their starting yearly salary might be half of their debt burden.
Practicing animal medicine is an emotional roller coaster, and every day features new and more loop-the-loops. Over the course of a single workday, a general practice veterinarian goes from handling a playful kitten to helping someone understand their pet is dying.
This daily fluctuation in emotional tone is sometimes called the killing-caring paradox. It can take a heavy toll on caregivers.
And now things are changing. Pet health providers have responded to pet parents viewing their dogs and cats as family members. The medicine is better, the vet practice is safer, and the stakes are even higher than they have been.
Where does that leave the veterinarians?
On today’s show, we discuss changes in veterinary medicine, and how to improve wellness for those who care for our pets.
George Melillo is the CEO and founder of a chain of veterinary hospitals called Heart + Paw. In his hospitals, the veterinarian’s mental well-being is the priority … with the aim of improving pet care, as well.
George Melillo’s innovations may seem simple, but they could be seen as revolutionary. Aiming to reduce stress in an incredibly stressful profession, he gives veterinarians more autonomy when it comes to scheduling and includes pet parents are included in all aspects of care.
Join us as Dr. Melillo explains why his business approach will help animals and veterinarians alike.
Episode Links
Heart + Paw
Chapters
[00:00:00] Teaser
[00:00:14] Introduction
[00:01:41] Introducing George Melillo
[00:03:54] The Challenging Career of Veterinary Professionals
[00:06:04] High Rates of Veterinarian Suicide
[00:07:15] Creating a Safe Space for Veterinarians
[00:13:47] Changes in the Vet Industry
[00:16:33] Changes in the Industry as a Result of COVID
[00:22:55] Heart + Paw
[00:24:57] Giving Advice to your Past Self
[00:26:17] Outro
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
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