About this episode

Ryan Cartlidge and Kapil Patwardhan discuss the challenges and coexistence of street dogs in urban environments.

In this perspective-shifting conversation, Ryan Cartlidge is joined by Kapil Patwardhan — a volunteer providing medical aid and food for dogs in Pune, India, an educator focused on community coexistence, and the author of the moving book The Dog I Could Not Save . Kapil brings a unique lens to the animal training world by advocating for the role of a "dog listener", emphasizing the profound wisdom found in free-ranging dogs who navigate complex human environments every day. Together, Ryan and Kapil explore the lives of "Indie" dogs and the delicate balance of coexisting with animals that aren't "owned" in the Western sense but are integral members of their local communities. Kapil shares his philosophy of non-interference and silent observation, explaining how allowing dogs to be our teachers can fundamentally change how we understand body language, social structures, and the concept of choice. He reflects on his personal journey from a technical background to providing hands-on medical aid in the streets of Pune, and how a singular, tragic loss shaped his mission to help others understand the "why" behind dog behavior to reduce human-animal conflict. The conversation also…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Cartlidge

Guest: Kapil Patwardhan

Topics covered

• street dogs
• community coexistence
• animal behavior
• dog training
• urbanization
• human-animal conflict

Keywords

• street dogs
• dog listener
• Indie dogs
• non-interference
• canine signals
• urbanization
• animal training

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Dog I Could Not Save

Places: Pune, India

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• Leading with Compassion for Humans and Dogs with Danielle Beck [Episode 282] · June 15, 2026 · 1h 1m
• From Intuition to Objective Evidence with Shane Gorbett [Episode 281] · June 1, 2026 · 1h 20m

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