103. Valentine’s Love, Animal Bonds & Why Pets Become Our Heartmates

Disclaimer: Our podcast is produced as an audio resource. Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and human editing and may contain errors. Before republishing quotes, we ask that you reference the audio.

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pets, add Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products and the joy of the human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv. Hello and welcome to another episode of Pets Add Life. I am Chris Bonafide, joined as always by my night in shining armor and a day worth remembering Kristen Levine.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
That's beautiful. Thank you. Happy early Valentine's Day.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Happy early Valentine's Day folks. If you are like me and have not secured your partner's gift, do it now. Get those orders into the florist. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
I've secured Tulip's gift. It's on the way, but I have not secured Paul's gift. So that's my next, after we're done with the show, I'll do that.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yes. We're all heading to the florist. We're all heading to the C chocolatier. Do we still call 'em C chocolatier? We do. I miss those,

Speaker 2 (01:00):
But I don't, yeah,

Speaker 1 (01:02):
The simpler times. The

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Grocery store.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Before the grocery store when there were chocolatier wandering your town, hawking their wares on the street corners. The good old days. I want to

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Go back to the days of the chocolatier.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Yeah, I'm

(01:16):
Going, that's the tagline. I want to go back to the days of the chocolatier. Well, we have a love filled episode. I mean, our episodes are always love filled. But this one in particular where we're going to have two stories, two guests, two products. We're going to answer two of your questions and maybe everybody can share two gift ideas for Valentine's Day. Those of us that would be helpful. Us stuck. That would be much appreciated. So hop in those comments. Tell us what you're getting your pet for Valentine's Day, or your partner or both. Maybe you're getting matching pajamas for the whole family. I think that's what we're in for this year. Some little hearts and flowers and stuff like that on the pajamas. All decked out in red because what's, yeah. What's an American holiday without matching PJ's, huh? Kristen and Chris. Present story time. Alright. Kristen, Valentine's Day themed story time. Mine's not necessarily Valentine's Day themed, but I'm hoping to spread some good vibes. Do you want to go first or do you want me to kick it off?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, I'll go first. Mine is indeed Valentine's Day themed. And I'll start off, it's, you're

Speaker 1 (02:32):
So prepared.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
I'll start it off with a little trivia question for you. What percentage of pet parents in the US do you think buy gifts for their pets for Valentine's Day?

Speaker 1 (02:43):
62%.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
That's close. Close, but it's actually 70% according to a recent survey. And get this, the total spending is expected to top 3.7 billion. That's just for Pet Valentine's.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
I can use a slice of that.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
It is crazy. And then a little breakdown about who is buying gifts for their pets. Millennials, as you might imagine, are leading the love fest. 78% of millennials say that they're buying gifts for their pets, and they're also the most likely to post those adorable pup and present moments on social media. Urban pet parents, especially the ones that live alone, they tend to treat their pets as their closest companions. So they spend more money, 23% more than rural pet parents spend on average and high income households earning over 70 5K. They go all out with custom collars, gourmet treats, even pet spa days. And that's simply because they can afford to and they love making pets part of their part of their lifestyle. Yeah, but that's a lot of bones and treats and plushies 3.7 billion.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
I'm don't get the dog chocolate. No, don't do it. No, no, no, don't do that. I'm sure everybody knows that. But it's always nice to reward the furry love of your life with a little special something.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
And if you do, make sure you keep the chocolate out of the dog's reach. Because even if you know it's not good for them, sometimes they manage to get into it. And you don't want to spend your romantic evening at the vet er.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
No, you don't. And I know our local bakery does pet cupcakes and I'm sure they have Valentine's Day versions coming out. So check out your local stores, see what they have.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
All right. Let's hear your story, Chris.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, it has to do with love because I love this animal. And there's some really great news coming out of China where the IUC has moved giant pandas from being considered endangered to vulnerable, which is huge news for conservation efforts. So those who may not be aware, the slider they use starts with extinct and then goes to, let's see if I can remember, extinct in the wild and then critically endangered and then endangered, then vulnerable, near threatened and least concerned. So going from endangered to vulnerable has been quite the journey for the giant panda. According to data, they estimate there are 500 to 1000 mature individuals in the wild, which moves it up to vulnerable. And the population for the first time in a long time is trending upwards in the wild. Great pandas are notorious for being terrible at reproducing, whether they're in the wild or in captivity, they seem to, why does it

Speaker 3 (05:52):
Say why?

Speaker 1 (05:53):
It doesn't say why. It's one of those things where nature is interesting because they create imperfect animals all the time. I know on the show I've ranted about how koalas are just absolute freaks and shouldn't exist. Their brains are so smooth, it's just how does things survive? Pandas are kind of right up there. They're not really threatened by predators in the wild. So they live this life of comfort. And I suppose they spend most of their time eating bamboo. Bamboo, readily available, low on caloric intakes. So they have to eat a lot of it. They probably spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and sleeping and not enough time and being cute. They're

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Adorable.

Speaker 1 (06:40):
Not enough time focusing on the babies. But I just think pandas are awesome. I believe wholeheartedly in wildlife conservation. And I just thought some positive news coming into this Valentine's Day would be appreciated by everybody. So support your wildlife conservation efforts. Go to your, if you have a zoo nearby that supports wildlife conservation near here we have the Bronx Zoo, which has incredible programs to help animals that are both endangered and vulnerable, find refuge in a safe place, as well as take some of their proceeds and pump them back into direct conservation efforts. So avoid those for-profit zoos. Find the ones that do good work. I really don't think there's many for-profit zoos left. They fell out of favor a while ago. And the ones that were for-profit have since pivoted to make sure that their PR is good. So whether it's motivated by their love of animals or their bottom line, it is good to see some results. That's what we're all chasing. So congrats to the panda.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yay pandas.

Speaker 1 (07:55):
You're vulnerable. Like Chris on Valentine's Day, beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Alright, on as part of our Valentine's Day show, it is my honor to welcome Dr. Monique Del. She's a human animal bond scientist and associate professor at Oregon State University where she directs the human animal interaction lab. Now, her research focuses on how dogs form social bonds with humans, how those relationships develop over time, and how dogs learn to navigate human environments like shelters, homes, and their working roles. Dr. Del is widely recognized for her work on dog cognition, attachment and emotional connections, challenging long held assumptions about how dogs think and why they bond so strongly with people. Her research has also been featured in major scientific journals and mainstream media helping to bridge the gap between laboratory science and everyday life with dogs. As I mentioned, with Valentine's Day approaching, Dr. Del joins the podcast to explore what science can tell us about love attachment and why dogs often become our most loyal and emotionally our most loyal. And I can't read that word, attune. Sorry. You want me to read that last part, Ron again? Okay. And as Valentine's Day approaches, Dr. Del joins the Pet Side Live podcast to explore what science can tell us about how attachment and why dogs are becoming one of our the most loyal companions. Welcome Dr. Yael.

Speaker 4 (09:33):
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, it's great to have you. Let's kick it off by asking you this question. When people say they love their dogs and they feel so deeply bonded to them, what is science actually telling us about those relationships?

Speaker 4 (09:49):
Yeah, it's actually really interesting. So there's been a lot of research asking this question, and with humans we can often ask them directly, how do you feel about your dog? What does this relationship look like? What are you willing to do for your dog? What level of care do you provide? And from answers to those sorts of questions, we can sort of get at the kind of relationship that people perceive themselves having with their dogs and how they feel about them. And we are seeing this increasing trend towards people describing their relationship with their dog as one of a loving companionship, but also sometimes parenthood we're seeing that increase as well where people believe their dogs or their children or the pets in the home are like their children or definitely family members. And while there's probably some people all along that have felt that way, we've seen that trend increase the number of people who feel that way about their pets. But of course, the individual relationships are individual and their diverse. So there's all sorts of kinds of relationships between people and animals. We can study.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
And that sort of bond doesn't happen automatically, even though sometimes it feels like it does. But dogs, they form these relationships through experience. So what are some of the factors that most strongly shape a dog's attachment to a specific person?

Speaker 4 (11:05):
So there's the human attachment to the dog and then the dog's attachment to the human. And sometimes those things coincide and sometimes they don't match up as well. And so we have to ask those questions of the dog too. So we're thinking about from the dog's perspective, what are the kinds of things that help solidify the bond? Really it falls into two categories of behavior, one where we call responsiveness and warmth, and one where we call high expectation. And it's very similar in the human parenting literature. And the idea is that if we attend to our dog's needs, if we understand their needs, we're sensitive to when they're afraid or when they're hungry or when they're hurt and we respond appropriately and we help, that helps provide a sense of security and underlying support. At the same time, when we have high expectations, when we give our dogs opportunities for enrichment to make a choice to explore their environment independently, that helps 'em build resilience and confidence. And those things also help solidify a trusting relationship between the person and the animal because that person is the individual who facilitates these feelings of security and confidence.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
And speaking of feelings, a lot of dog parents will say that their dog is their true soulmate. And so I'd be curious to know what the science says about why we sometimes feel more emotionally connected to our dogs than maybe to other family members.

Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, that's a great question too. Again, it boils down to this idea that relationships are very individual and we've known for a long time in human history, humans have had the capacity to form bonds not only with each other but with other animals. They feel this bond towards them, they can use them also as a support system or a source of security. We see children forming especially strong bonds with animals. So children that are raised around animals in their home, their bonds to the animals might be a little different than the parents in the household or the adults in the household who are providing the caregiving. Instead, the child's bond to the animal sometimes starts off more as like a sibling or a friend or a security relationship of its own. And so one of the things that we've seen in research is that children who do struggle sometimes to form relationships with people for whatever reason, and that could be because of difficult circumstances or it may be lack of availability of certain people to bond to, or it could just be struggle reading human social cues or something like that.

(13:39):
Those children often form incredibly strong bonds to the animal in the household. And the younger the children are usually the stronger they report their bonds being. And so while those bonds can maintain, I think if you develop that foundation for the strong relationship, especially early in life, it can really set the stage for meaningful relationships later in life. And I mean, these are animals that are there for us. They can be by our side and we can confide in them and people do. They look to them and they seek that comfort and trust. So yeah, I truly believe that people can be very bonded to their pets.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
We believe it too here on the PAL podcast. But Dr. Yel, I wanted to ask about the environment specifically, like the environment that a dog is being raised in and how that could impact the bond. I imagine that being in a shelter situation would dramatically change the experience as compared to a pet being in a warm cozy home.

Speaker 4 (14:45):
It depends a lot on the environment and the experience. One of the incredible things of working with shelters around the country is that these are people who have such compassion for animals. And I think that the quality of shelters and the quality of interaction in these environments is increasing because they're filled with people who care so much and are doing their best. So I definitely believe that environment matters. Shelters still pose other challenges. It's a change in environment, which is stressful and hard. It can be loud, it can be sort of limited in the amount of social interaction because as many people as there are out there who really love these animals, there's only so much time to go around. So I think what we know is that dogs, especially animals, tend to do really well when they have people who are engaging socially with them in a positive way.

(15:39):
They do well if they have freedom of movement and interaction and enrichment. And so certainly if we can have more animals and homes as opposed to shelter environments, they're going to have these ample opportunities for these sorts of interactions. But we see that dogs are also incredibly resilient. So dogs that we see go into shelters, they have no trouble forming bonds if they were socialized early in life and they've been able to bond to people before, they have no problem forming bonds to new people in most cases. And so even a senior dog in a shelter could be really successful in a home and form really strong new bonds in a home. And so part of it is just making sure that while the dogs are in the shelter, if they can have the best positive experiences or they can go for fosters and continue to experience the kind of lifestyle and environment that we're hoping they move back into one day, that does a lot to support that transition and growth in the future.

Speaker 2 (16:38):
And along those lines, it makes me think about some of the dogs that I've adopted. I have adopted from shelters. My two recent dogs that were adopted were adopted as young puppies, but the one prior to that was Buck, and he was adopted when he was about four or five months old, and he had already been in at least one home prior to coming to the shelter. And without knowing, having much knowledge about what that experience was like, what I noticed that was different about Buck than the other two dogs was that he formed an incredibly strong attachment to me to the point of ultimately developing separation anxiety. And I'm just curious to know how at a young age a dog reacts to being in multiple homes and then ultimately finding his forever home. Does that impact how they bond with humans?

Speaker 4 (17:32):
Yeah, it depends. It depends on the quality of the interactions in each of those locations. It depends on the timing of those transitions. So there's something to be said for stability for sure, and especially during early development and puppyhood, when the brain's developing and the information about who are my social companions? Can I rely on a person for trust or security? Those things are sensitive in that period. It's actually called a sensitive period of social development. And so we need more information. There is the truth. I mean, we have some research in that area, but one of the things that we're trying to look at in our lab is exactly that. How does changing across households potentially impact the bond? What we know from research that exists though is that if there's opportunities to form secure attachments that are really stabilized and secure, that secure attach has the potential to increase future secure attachments and the positive bond formation in new environments.

(18:33):
So it's not that if we have an animal changing across homes that they're necessarily going to struggle with forming attachments, that the timing and the quality of those prior interactions are going to matter just like they do in humans. If we develop the strong base of trust, it's easier to trust people in the future. If we've had kind of rough interactions before, a lot of instability, then it might be hard to trust that in the future. And so it can be overcome, but it definitely sets the stage for how challenging it might be and what kinds of environments might be most supportive in those sorts of cases.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, that's great stuff. And we are getting close to time, but I wanted to squeeze in this question because we are fast approaching Valentine's Day, so I was wondering if there's anything our pet parents at home who are listening, if there's anything they can do today to start strengthening the bond between them and their dog.

Speaker 4 (19:25):
So two quick tips. One, I would say pay attention. Watch what your dog does, watch what it likes to do when you're not making the choices. Offer a variety of treats and see what they choose. This is part of that warmth and responsiveness and taking their perspective and considering their unique dog perspective. The second thing that I would recommend doing a little exercise is synchronize your behavior with your dog. So play sort of copycat synchronization is the glue of a lot of social bonds, and there's actually research suggesting that dogs prefer people who follow them around from place to place for a few minutes. So give your dog some opportunity to lead, whether that's on a walk, let them sniff what they want to take your time, let the dog guide the walk, or even just around your home if they want to play, play, if they want to sit down and rest, sit down and rest next to them. And just doing those two things, that's kind of giving them some of that choice and control, which is that high expectation sort of behavior. Paying attention gives that warmth and compassion, and that's a good first step to sort of practicing the skills that help strengthen the bond.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
Those are excellent tips. Well, Dr. Udal, your work is fascinating. Where can we follow you or learn more about what you're working on?

Speaker 4 (20:41):
Yeah, so our website is the human animal bond.com. That's a great place to find all of our information, including ways to help them participate.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
Fantastic. Well, thank you for joining us and for all the great work you do to help increase the bond between our pets and people.

Speaker 4 (20:57):
Yeah, thanks so much for doing this and for having me.

Speaker 1 (21:02):
Kristen. One of the things she brought up was like the children in a household forming a different kind of bond with the animals, and I think she put into words this feeling I've had that I didn't even realize I had. It's like the cats I grew up with always feel like the cat, like other cats just get compared to this cat. And I guess really appreciated that I'm not the only one and that it's a thing.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Oh, absolutely. I remember as a child, my pets always felt kind of like siblings. I would tell my secrets to my pet, and there are things that I wouldn't tell other people that I would share with my pet. So that's

Speaker 1 (21:49):
Normal. Yeah, be careful around some cats though. They'll blab it out. These cats, they can't be trusted with your secrets. They'll post it all over the internet.

Speaker 2 (22:01):
Well, February is Pet Dental Health month, so we have the perfect guest. Joining me today, Dr. Naomi Hoyer is a veterinarian, a veterinary dentist, and her work focuses on how clear effective communication about dental health can change our behavior as pet parents and dramatically improve long-term outcomes for dogs and cats. Through her research and clinical experience, Dr. Hoyer has shown that when we truly understand oral disease, what it looks like, how it progresses and why it matters, we are far more likely to prioritize preventative care. So rather than treating dental health as an isolated issue, Dr. Hoyer Hoyer going to help us understand its connection to overall wellbeing. Did I do okay?

Speaker 5 (22:42):
You did great.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
Okay, great. That was

Speaker 5 (22:44):
A lot of big words.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
It was. Okay. Well, I appreciate you joining us. Thanks for being here on the podcast. You're welcome. Yeah. So this is a very important topic. So let's just kick it off with what are pet parents most commonly misunderstanding about dental disease?

Speaker 5 (22:58):
I think the most common thing that we misunderstand in our dog and cat patients is the fact that we think that they are going to let us know when they have dental disease, and so often they just don't. So the disease can be really serious before you see any symptoms at home.

Speaker 2 (23:13):
So how does better communication at the veterinary practice change the way we think about that?

Speaker 5 (23:20):
So I think two things. One, I think the pet parent at home learning to be an advocate for their own pet. So have your veterinarian show you what we're looking for. So red bleeding gums, areas of gum disease, so gingival recession where gum is pulling away from the tooth so that you can be noticing those things, you can be bringing them the attention to of your veterinarian. And then you guys can have a conversation about how do we stop this? And more importantly, what can I do at home to prevent it? Right,

Speaker 2 (23:47):
Because it's not just bad breath that you're looking for, right?

Speaker 5 (23:50):
No, it's really not the gums. So just like in us, if we stopped brushing or flossing, our dentist would be really mad at us just like that with dogs, we need to have things that we're doing at home to prevent periodontal disease.

Speaker 2 (24:01):
You know what really helped me? We had our dog tulips, her teeth cleaned last year, and when I picked her up, our vet provided us with a before and after photo.

Speaker 5 (24:10):
So hopeful that was, I am a huge advocate of before and after pictures and something when I'm here at a conference like this, teaching veterinarians, that's one of the big things I say is Your pet parents want to know what happened, give them a before and after picture.

Speaker 2 (24:23):
We do, even if we know it's important. It's really helpful to see the difference.

Speaker 5 (24:27):
Well, because it's really hard to see, especially in the very far back of your pet's mouth while they're awake. So we really, really want to know what it looks like while they're anesthetized.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
So why do you think dental health is sometimes thought of as optional by pet parents?

Speaker 5 (24:44):
I think unfortunately, it's just an area. Again, because dogs and cats often don't show us any clinical signs, it's easy to overlook. My dog seems fine, he's eating, he's drinking, he's chewing. My cat is doing all their normal behaviors. So it's easy to miss those really subtle little things that help us indicate that they're struggling with the disease.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
Okay. Let's talk about the problems that poor dental health can ultimately lead to.

Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, I mean, worst case scenario, dental disease can just be chronic and inflammation. So your body is trying to fight that chronic inflammation. And so we know there's effects on organs outside of the body, kidneys, heart, liver are all part of the body that is removing inflammatory mediators. And so if we're not keeping our mouth healthy, that can have effects. I think that it also affects aging. So some of our, because dental disease gets worse in general as patients age. And so I can't even tell you how many times I've had a client where we have fixed some dental disease in a dog where they thought, oh, he is just slowing down. He's just not as active because he's older. We made the dental disease go away. And the owners are like, it's a new dog. It's a new dog. I didn't even appreciate how much the parent was affecting him.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
Sure.

Speaker 5 (25:58):
So

Speaker 2 (25:59):
You're a veterinary dentist. I am. But my veterinarian is not a veterinary dentist, so to speak, but she performed the dental cleaning. So what is the difference between what you do and what another primary care

Speaker 5 (26:12):
Veterinary? I think it is a great distinction to understand and so important because your family veterinarian should be the place where you're getting most of the dentistry done for your patient. So good comprehensive cleanings, full mouth x-rays, screenings for disease, all should be happening regularly, sometimes as frequently as every year, depending on your pet at your family veterinarian. And then I get involved with cases with maybe the dog had a fractured tooth and needed a root canal, or maybe your primary veterinarian discovered that your dog had an oral tumor, or maybe your cat needs all their teeth out because of a disease. And so I kind of am there to help support the family veterinarians when it's something that maybe they aren't able to take on. So that's really my role.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
That makes sense. So you've emphasized preventative care over Christ waiting for a crisis. What does a realistic preventative dental plan look like for the average

Speaker 5 (27:06):
Pet owner? Let's talk dogs

Speaker 6 (27:07):
And cats.

Speaker 5 (27:08):
Yeah. So I would say the thing that I love to say to remind people how important it is, is that brushing is really best. So if we are looking at trying to prevent periodontal disease, which is red bleeding gums, we want to prevent buildup a plaque just like us. And so brushing, teaching your dog or cat actually to have their teeth brushed best thing. And then the next best thing to that is some kind of home care that is going to remove plaque. So dental treats and chew dental diets, all of those can be really, really important components of that. Okay.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Are the additives, and not ask you to

Speaker 5 (27:45):
Talk

Speaker 2 (27:45):
About your favorite products or your, but I know there's some enzyme products that you add to the water.

Speaker 5 (27:51):
Yeah, I would say there's a great website called the v hc.org, veterinary Oral Health Council. So that is a website where there have been products that have actually been tested to show that they help because there are a lot of products, and I think the companies mean really well, but we want to actually make sure there's some data behind those products. I think the water additives gels in general, those are not going to be as helpful as physically removing plaque. But let's say you have a patient like a cat who's not going to let you brush their teeth or maybe a little dog. I love chihuahuas. They're absolutely my favorite breed in the whole world, but I don't know a lot of dog owners with chihuahuas who can brush their teeth effectively. So we want to have something else. We want to have another option. So then a combination of diets and then things like the enzymatic products can be really good.

Speaker 2 (28:34):
Okay, fantastic. So we will make sure to put the link to that site for our pet parents so they can go check it out. And thank you so much for being here. It was great timing that we could talk to you during February Dental Health Month.

Speaker 5 (28:46):
Every month should be Dental Health Month.

Speaker 2 (28:47):
That's true. That's a good point to make too. Every day is Dental Health Day. Absolutely. For both your dog and yourself. So

Speaker 5 (28:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (28:54):
Thank you, Dr.

Speaker 5 (28:55):
You're welcome. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, it was really great that we got to snag Dr. Hoyer while we were at VMX to talk about pet dental health, one of the very few boarded veterinary dentists. So pretty cool to get to talk to her and to learn more about not only pet dental health, but what a veterinary dentist does as opposed to what your primary care veterinarian would do in terms of a maintenance teeth cleaning.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
Real shame that I wasn't there for it, but the interview was much more professional without me. So we're going to chalk that one up to a win the product of the week. It is time for the product of the week, Valentine's Edition. And we're still here in, what is it? Pet Dental Health Awareness Month. We're talking about teeth. We're talking about your pet's teeth.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (29:54):
We've been the chompers. Yeah, we've been talking a lot of dog and cat because it's sort of a lesser known variable in their health. But anyone who may own a small animal, the Guinea pig, hamsters, gerbils of the world should know that their dental health is much more important. They have teeth that will keep on growing and growing and growing until it becomes a danger to themselves and those who handle them. So the upkeep for small animals is much more important. And the good news is a natural diet would go ahead and take care of most of those issues. It's just the erosion of the teeth from chewing. But when you're feeding your small animal the pellets, it's not going to do the tricks. So there's this great little product from Oxbow. I mean, it couldn't be simpler. They're sticks. It's a bundle of sticks people. And the great thing is, is you're like, oh man, can I just go outside and pick up sticks? Yeah,

Speaker 2 (31:06):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (31:06):
These sticks,

Speaker 2 (31:07):
Why pick them up when you can pay for them?

Speaker 1 (31:09):
Well, you can pay for 'em and it's only like four bucks. Okay, this is a $4 product. And the thing is with the sticks, you want it to be the right size and you want it to be the right texture. So this is Apple Wood, which is apparently perfect for their teeth, and it's just a bundle of sticks and you just throw one in their cage and let 'em chew on it. And there's your maintenance. For small animals, it does wonders for cleaning the teeth and helping them stay in the proper shape and the proper size. So if you are looking for a solution that is not artificial, there's a lot of artificial products out there, a lot of things that you could sort of set up in the cage for them to chew on something that is just a little bit more in line with their natural process. Oxbow has your sticks covered? Or if you have a toddler, send 'em out and tell 'em to find small little sticks for the animal to chew on. That could be their chore.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Good idea. Alright, that's a good one. My product first, lemme say the smart thing to do this month, as you mentioned, February Dental Health Month, is to go to that website, VOHC that we mentioned on the last couple shows, v hc.org and choose a vet approved dental product for your dog or cat. But the fun thing to do is what I did and this I ordered Tulip. Okay, well let me back up. I'm a fan of Stranger Things. Are you Chris? Have you watched the series?

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Oh yeah. Oh boy. Don't get me started.

Speaker 2 (32:37):
Oh yeah. Okay. So if you're a fan, you're going to love this. Max Bone has dropped a Stranger Things themed collection of pet apparel and toys just in time for Valentine's Day. So I ordered Tulip, the Dagor Plush Toy and the Hellfire Club, which she's going to totally rock. It is adorable. I was so excited when I found this yesterday. So it's in the mail, I can't wait to show it to you. And I looked on their website, I didn't see other Stranger Things themed gear or toys, but it says they have a whole collection. So jump on their website, max bone.com and check it out. And be careful. You may want to buy the whole upside down if you find more products, but I just thought that was so much fun. And it's kind of a surprise for Paul too. He loves that show.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
Yeah, we binged it like crazy. I think we've watched the entire series three times now.

Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't get, when people rewatch stuff, I watch it once and I don't want to watch it again

Speaker 1 (33:44):
Up with that. I'm right there with you. I'm right there with you. Hope, loves rewatching stuff and I don't have the willpower to fight. Yeah, I don't. I don't. A lot of

Speaker 2 (33:54):
People do.

Speaker 1 (33:56):
Yeah, you do get some extra detail, but some of those episodes are really long. I mean, the last episode was Speak your Length. It was like two and a half hours long and I was looking at my watch, I'm like, they got to put an intermission in here. I guess I could just pause it.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
Popcorn,

Speaker 1 (34:14):
They need to tell me it's halftime. They need to get on the screen and say it's halftime. Go get a drink of water, go use the bathroom, stretch, decompress, and come back to it. But hey, some people love that long format stuff Q and as. Alright, Kristen, it's time for our favorite part of the show. That's right. We're going to answer two questions from our lovely audience, and I know what you're thinking. How do I get my question answered by Chris and Kristen? Well, couldn't be simpler. You're going to head on over to the website pets ad life.org/podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of that page and you'll see a form to submit your question. Or if you're feeling as brave as a husband who's waited till the last minute to purchase that Valentine's Day gift, you could record a voice memo and your question may be played live on our show. So without further ado, Kristen, our first question comes from Alex in Boulder, Colorado. Thank you, Alex for your question. And I just glanced at it. Kristen, I glanced at the question. I know I'm clinically under prepared, so I figured we bring in a ringer. So we're going to welcome back in Dr. Del to answer this question. Dr. Del, welcome back to the program.

Speaker 4 (35:33):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (35:35):
Are you ready for Alex's question?

Speaker 4 (35:37):
I hope so.

Speaker 1 (35:38):
Okay, here we go. So Alex asks, I love my dog, but sometimes I feel like we're not really connected the way other people describe. Are there science backed ways to deepen my bond with my dog if it doesn't come naturally?

Speaker 4 (35:50):
Yeah, that's a great question. Well, one of the things that might be worth considering is whether your dog is showing you love or showing preference for ways of expressing that relationship that may be different from what we sort of expect as a society. So we often assume that dogs show their love by being really snugly and physically close and seeking out that sort of affection or attention. And that's not always true. So sometimes dogs really enjoy going for walks with their people or playing ball or playing with toys, and they may not be especially cuddly or they may only be seeking that close contact at certain times. And so one of the things that you could potentially do is pay attention to what your dog is sort of asking for. What kind of interactions are they initiating? When are they initiating those interactions and try to reciprocate and sort of that scale.

(36:42):
You can also offer up other things or other activities that you think your dog may especially like as opportunities to bond. So it's kind even in human relationships, relationships are stronger when we also pay attention to what the other person's interests and needs are. And by paying more attention to that, it might give your dog the space to form a connection with you in ways that they feel comfortable. And in some cases, that also means they feel more comfortable with some of those other behaviors that we maybe more traditionally associate with bonds from the human perspective. So maybe give that a try and see how it goes.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
That is a great answer, Dr. Al. Usually Chris and I answer these questions and I'm so glad you were available to answer this because otherwise I would've had to and you did a much better job than I would've.

Speaker 4 (37:26):
Thanks. I'll,

Speaker 2 (37:29):
Chris, I have a question for you from Ryan in San Mateo, California. Ryan says, I keep a large aquarium and I feel calm just watching my fish swim. Do fish actually recognize or respond to their owners in any meaningful way? Or is the connection just one sided?

Speaker 1 (37:47):
That is a great question. And I went down the rabbit hole, I went down the fish hole, the eel burrow, I dunno. Fish have holes, right? Yeah, sure. Yeah,

Speaker 3 (37:57):
Sure.

Speaker 1 (37:58):
And there's been a lot of really interesting research into this. And general consensus is that many fish can recognize their owners and distinguish between human faces. So the study I read looked at Archer Fish, which I'm not really sure what archer fish are, but they were trained to distinguish human faces from up to 44 new unfamiliar faces indicating they can learn to recognize specific complex patterns like human faces. I think fish in general are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. I know there's that whole idea of goldfish memory and them forgetting everything every few seconds. But fish are a diverse creature. There's so many different kinds and the varieties and saying, so there are some fish that do recognize what's happening outside of their tank. In fact, I saw a TikTok recently of somebody watching King Kong Skull Island great film, and they're sitting there watching and the camera's on the TV and then it pans over to their fish tank and all the fish are pointed, glued to the TV just looking at big monkey. So yeah, I would say, are you going to get the type of recognition from a fish that you would from a dog or a cat? No, come on, let's be realistic.

Speaker 2 (39:23):
Lower your expectations.

Speaker 1 (39:24):
Do fish recognize, at least recognize the hand that feeds? Yes, they're going to see you and understand this is the person who comes and delivers the food and they're friendly and they take care of us, and that's our person. And studies show that there are a wide variety of fish who are capable of at least that. But if you are looking to fill a certain type of void that requires a little more recognition, you may want something small and furry is what I'll say. But you'd be surprised. There's all sorts of research out there. Here's a pro tip. Here's something that I do on this podcast and I'm going to tip my hand a little bit to all of our viewers. If you go to Google and you ask your question, you're going to get that stupid little AI readout. Ignore that. Go on to Google Scholar. There's a tab there all the way at the bottom. And you could actually search through scientific journals and you could ask your question and see if actual scientists have done a study. And sometimes these things are tough to read through, but a lot of times just the thesis statement at the beginning will give you the general idea, which is all you need as a layman. So a little pro tip. I love that. Where does this all come from? Does Chris really know all this stuff? Absolutely not. But

Speaker 2 (40:40):
Don't ask Google Scholar. You can ask us exactly

Speaker 1 (40:43):
That question. I will have some little, and we'll ask Google Stars. I'll have funny little quips. Google can't be funny like me.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
That's true. And if Google ever does become as funny as I am, then I'm out of a job and you'll see me panhandling on the street. But hey Kristen, that's the end of our show, our little Valentine's Day show. So for everybody celebrating, whether it's a Valentine's Day, a Valentine's Day, or if you're going to sit in a long chair with a 12 pack and the TV on and just mu it over and think about where life went wrong, that's fine. These are all valid Valentine's Day celebrations. So from our lovely couple here on the podcast to yours, happy Valentine's Day.

Speaker 2 (41:35):
Yeah, and I'll leave you with this interesting twist on the demographic spending of pet gifts for Valentine's Day. Single people are 30% more likely to buy Valentine's gifts for pets than people in romantic relations are. So why is that? I guess because pets are emotional anchors somewhat.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
I agree. You do the math people, 30% pets add life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.

Speaker 2 (42:18):
Hey guys, I'm Kristen Levine, your host of The New Show, the Experts. This is where I bring to you three pet experts to answer your burning questions about your furry friend. So you can't do the show without your questions. So here's what you do. Take out your phone, videotape yourself horizontally asking your question about your pet, and send it to dog tv.com/experts. And we might just feature you on the next episode.

Speaker 7 (42:43):
So whatcha waiting for? So what exactly is Pet's ad Life you're asking? It's a weekly podcast with two hosts sharing two pet stories, interviewing two amazing guests, recommending two awesome products and answering two questions from the audience. And all this is produced by two major pet brands, I guess you can say is too good to be true. You're right. Check out pets. Add life with new episodes every

Speaker 1 (43:09):
Tuesday. If you encounter a snake, don't be a Chris, just walk the other way. Pets add Life with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonti, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv. Guess what, suckers, we got a special episode for you. Big round

Speaker 2 (43:27):
Of applause for all the

Speaker 1 (43:27):
Winter. Kidding.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
Congratulations Scott. We are going to show you some of our best, funniest, smartest, greatest guests. Oh, sorry Chris.

Speaker 1 (43:36):
That's me. You go ahead. You're getting right to what I was. I'm so excited. I know, I know. I know. Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion, passionate professionalism. Yeah. Go to the vet. Don't ask us.

Speaker 6 (43:53):
Oh, this is our dog shaped cat. Birdie.

Speaker 1 (44:00):
Wow. Is Chris as handsome as asy sounds? Oh my

Speaker 6 (44:08):
Gosh. It's cool the product of the week because we're having so much fun together. Hopefully some bloopers, I don't

Speaker 1 (44:26):
Know, big bloopers might be in there. Bloopers. We don't make mistakes we don't make. There's going to be no bloopers If you encounter a snake, don't be a Chris. Just walk the other way. Don't be a Chris. Why risk it? People with big feelings and dogs with big feelings. I think you get applied words to so many situations that I've seen

Speaker 6 (44:44):
To allow your dog to just kind of think that you're a bit more fun than you are. Boring at tail end. Yes. Q and eight. He says sometimes he wants to be a puppy again. Don't we all? He was always.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
Next time she comes on the show, she's going to be like, yeah. So I was training dragons in inner trainer.

Speaker 6 (45:15):
You never know what you never know. You really don't. Lemme tell you, my life is full surprises and I wouldn't be surprised. Kristen

Speaker 1 (45:21):
And Chris, present story time. Your step count must have been ridiculous. Insane. And I'm over here. There's some days where I rack up work from home days and I'm racking up like 45 steps. So I don't think I'm any further away. We already have the giggles. I'm sure that the energy's un h. Yeah, the energy's un the charts. I'm going to be an old man doing pet's ad life, prayer self, but

Speaker 6 (45:50):
No chef's Kiss.

Speaker 1 (45:52):
Listen to pet's ad life with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonti. Every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts,

Speaker 6 (46:02):
God questions, the experts have answers. Every Friday a brand episode of the Experts Drops featuring the biggest names in pet care. From behavior to health, training to nutrition are panel of top veterinarians, trainers, and technicians tackles it all. Real questions from real pet parents and real answers. From the best in the business, the experts. Every Friday only on unleashed by dog tv. Watch and learn. Your pet

Speaker 8 (46:31):
Will think My human leaves and I'm on my own. I'm just a P. Not fully grow home. I hear that. Fun. Familiar too. It's dog tv. My fun starts soon. I please turn it on. There's always something new to see every day. I.