Believe in Dog

REPLAY: If you can name a Dog Sport, Melissa Stagnaro has most likely tried it at some point over the past 20 years. And today we’re so fortunate to have Melissa sharing tips and insight from her years of experience. I loved her canine enrichment idea for dogs recovering from an injury! But did you know that you can learn the sport of Search & Rescue? If you’ve ever wanted your dog to learn how to find someone in the woods or track a scent trail, there’s a sport for that! Commonly referred to as “RH,” the dog sport of Search & Rescue is open to dogs of all ages, breeds and backgrounds. Melissa shares with us all about RH and how to get your dog started. I’m always curious about how to start teaching your dog the more advanced skills and Melissa gives us a great breakdown of how to approach training sessions. Plus, I got to meet Melissa and many other Search & Rescue competitors at a recent Mock Trial and I’m sharing everything I learned at the event. Find Links & Show Notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode48 Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Have you ever thought about your time with your dog as a chapter of your life? For teacher, speaker, and lifelong journaler Patricia Eagle, her story is told in ten chapters – with each devoted to a dog who changed her life. In her new book, Dog Love Stories: The Canines Who Changed Me, Patricia reflects on the love, lessons, and legacies each dog left behind. While some chapters are long and others short, all are deeply meaningful. In this episode, Patricia & I explore the many ways our dogs support us – especially through life’s hardest times. She shares how creating rituals around loss has helped her honor and heal from the passing of her dogs, and how these moments can also become celebrations of joy and connection. We also talk about the silly songs we make up for our dogs (yes, Patricia sings one!) and what it means to be a respectful Pet Parent – especially around those in our lives who may not be dog lovers. Trigger Warning: This episode includes themes of pet loss and grief, as well as mentions of the deaths of a spouse and child, and childhood sexual abuse. Find links and show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode123 Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist. Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM. Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

What does it really take to save lives in a shelter where the need never stops? For leaders like Courtney Cross (Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter) and Ruby Fooks (Butler County Animal Shelter), it means getting scrappy — not just in strategy, but in spirit. Across the country, life-saving work is happening in shelters not powered by excess resources, but by relentless grit, creativity, and the strength of community. In this episode, we’re joined by Cara Achterberg — author, advocate, and founder of the nonprofit Who Will Let the Dogs Out (Episode 75) — along with two remarkable shelter directors who are redefining what animal sheltering can look like when it’s rooted in community and driven by purpose. Cara’s newest book, Who Will Let the Dogs Out, shines a light on shelters making extraordinary impact, often with limited means. She shares three core pillars of life-saving work: strong leadership, community engagement, and spay/neuter programs — all of which Ruby and Courtney embody. You’ll hear how Ruby scrapped plans for a new shelter building to open a spay/neuter clinic instead — because that’s what her community truly needed. And how Courtney created space for community at a new shelter property while reducing a 50% euthanasia rate to just 3%. Leaders like Courtney and Ruby aren’t just running shelters — they’re building trust, rewriting systems, and saving lives. Find links and show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode121 Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

How are you enriching your dog’s life today? This Canine Enrichment Round-Up episode features segments with three amazing guests who are leading the way in canine enrichment. Each guest shares ideas to help you bring more joy to your dog’s life and celebrate their dog-ness. First, we’ll hear from Michelle Baker of Fur Kids, Inc. in Tampa, FL. Michelle shares her inspiration for modernizing the world of doggy daycare. We’ll learn about a typical day at Fur Kids, the training and education their staff receives, and how they honor the needs of each dog in their care. Next, we welcome back Tori Mistick of Wear Wag Repeat. As a Certified Canine Enrichment Technician, Tori reveals the enrichment you’re probably already doing without even realizing it! Tori’s philosophy is that enrichment should be fun, easy & affordable. She shares games, tricks, and activities to easily incorporate into your routine, making your dog’s life more exciting. Be sure to check out Tori’s Canine Activity Pack for even more inspiration. Last, but certainly not least, we meet Michelle Morrow of Paws with Me K9 in Concord, NH. Michelle tells us about the dog who inspired her to become a trainer and enrichment specialist. Michelle’s enrichment classes, designed with shy, anxious, and reactive dogs in mind, are packed with fun activities like obstacle courses and sniffaris that challenge your dog’s mind and body while boosting their confidence. Find link, photos and show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode119 Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist. Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM. Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Have you ever struggled with your dog’s reactivity? Whether your dog is reactive to other dogs, people or something in the environment, Grisha Stewart’s Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) may be what you’ve been looking for to help your dog lead a more comfortable life. Grisha developed BAT training while dealing with her own dog, Peanut’s, reactivity. Despite doing everything “right” – according to the dog training advice available at the time – she was she still struggling. Grisha shares with us the principles of BAT and how BAT is based on positive reinforcement, but without the use of food. Focusing on resiliency and empowering your dog, BAT builds your dog’s confidence, communication and trust. What about those times when we face a setback and our dog does get reactive? We’ll learn about the choices we can make to best support our dog from the human end of the leash, as well. Find links, photos and show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode117 Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist. Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM. Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Do you have goals for your dogs in 2025? In this solo episode, Erin shares: My complicated relationship with the concept of goal setting; The goals I’ve had for my dogs over the past 20 years … before Nessie; How I feel about setting goals for my dogs today; and The goals I have for my dogs in 2025. I’m also sharing the experience Nessie & I had when we dipped our toe into the world of dog sports with our Odor Recognition Test - and whether or not we’ll continue on with nose work titles. Tell me your goals for your dog in 2025! @erin_the_dog_mom Find links & show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode115 February is Pet Dental Health Month! Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM. Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Have you ever used herbal remedies for your dog? or yourself? If you started your day with a cup of coffee or tea, then your answer is Yes! Rita Hogan, the Canine Herbalist, has so much wisdom to share with us. From being raised on a rural farm to running a holistic pug rescue, Rita has dedicated her life to practicing western herbal medicine for pets and people. For many of us, essential oils are a common form of herbal remedies that we’re familiar with. But Rita shares with us why essential oils should NOT be your first choice for healing – and what to use instead. Rita also discusses her wholistic perspective on the treatment of anxiety in dogs – giving us a sample of what to expect from her new book, The Herbal Dog, which covers herbal approaches to healing 20+ common conditions in dogs. We also touch on the history of plants as medicine and the mind-boggling relationship between pharmaceutical medicines and plants. Find photos, links & show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode113 Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist. Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM. Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review.

Have you ever wondered if you’re making the “right” decisions for your dog during an injury or illness? Support this podcast, subscribe on your favorite app and leave a rating or review. Teef: The easiest way to improve your dog’s dental health is with a spoonful of Teef powder in their water. Save 20% on your Teef orders when you use the code: ADM. Hear Erin on the Rescued by a Dog Podcast Get your free checklist: Join Erin the Dog Mom's email list to receive the 12 Changes in Your Dog to Never Ignore checklist. *** Have you ever wondered if you’re making the “right” decisions for your dog during an injury or illness? All Michelle Slater ever wanted was to have a dog of her own with whom she felt a special connection and bond. And her German Shepherd, Brady, was that dog. In fact, Michelle even started learning animal communication to enhance her connection with Brady – something that she kept to herself, concerned her fellow professors in academia wouldn’t understand or would ridicule. However, after a rollercoaster of adventures, Brady was struck with a life-threatening illness at only 5 years old. He spent months living at a vet hospital – where Michelle often slept on the floor next to him at night. Michelle again turns to animal communication to guide her – with Brady’s input – to make the best decisions for his health during this scary time. And Brady’s profound messages are lessons for all of us. Exploring topics of grief, loss – both human and animal – and the human-animal bond, Michelle’s book Soulmate Dog is part memoir and part essay. If you’ve ever been curious about how people have viewed animal telepathy over the years, it’s fascinating! TW: Themes of grief and loss, both human and animal, throughout. Find links & show notes at:https://believeindogpodcast.com/episodes-1/episode111