133. Back to School: Classroom Pets, Dog Grooming & Helping Pets Adjust to Change

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond with Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonafati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV. Hello and welcome to another episode of Pets Ad Life. I am one of your co-hosts, Chris Bonafati, and joining me as always is a custom pencil case, Kristen Levine. Kristen, how are we doing today?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
We're doing great. Custom pencil case. It must be back to school season.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Must be back to school season. I don't know about you, but when I was in grade school, it was always a competition to see who had either A, the best pencil case or B, the textbook covers, but the nylon ones, but we also had people who would do the brown paper bag wrapping and would color it themselves.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
The DIY

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Version.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yes. Yes. Those are for the cool cats. Well,

Speaker 2 (01:03):
There's a lot of happy parents out there right now. The kids are going back to school. Get some

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Free

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Time back.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
A lot of happy parents and a lot of upset doggies and kitties that their friends aren't going to be around as often. Very true. Especially those of you who may have welcomed an animal into your home over the summer while the kids were playing around and hanging out. It's a big time of change for everybody, especially families who may have a kid who's just starting school or moving schools or moving up to a big grade to start middle school, the start of high school. I remember when I started high school, that was the worst. Believe it or not, I was unpopular, nerdy, and easily bullied.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Oh, really?

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah, like all podcasters were.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
That's why you're a podcaster now.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
That's why I'm a podcaster. You've got

Speaker 2 (01:55):
The mic.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
I've got the power. I've got the microphone. Look who's laughing now. But hey, just because it's back to school, we're not changing things up. We're going to go through two stories. We're going to bring in two guests. One, a dear friend of the show. Can't wait to hear from them. No spoilers. So you're going to have to stick around and see what we've got to talk about. Two products. We're going to answer two questions. Anything else, Kristen? Did I miss anything? No. That's the curriculum.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Nice. I see somebody prepared for this episode. Do you have any more school puns?

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Somebody's got to.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
You got any more in the holster?

Speaker 2 (02:36):
No, not yet. I'm

Speaker 1 (02:37):
Going to

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Save some.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
All right. So it's going to be any school puns you hear from Kristen from here on out are on the fly. And that's the true talent. So without further ado, let's go ahead and jump into story time. Kristen and Chris present Storytime.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
All right, Chris, what kind of story do you have for us this week?

Speaker 1 (03:00):
I've got a nice heartwarming one. It's a little old, but I was trying to find some fun back to school related stories about people with animals. And I found this older story on the Dodo where they write all about things with people and animals. And this story dates all the way back to 2018, but I think it's still relevant and fun and cute. But it's about a, at the time, 13 year old girl named Savannah who started middle school and had a rooster named Frog, which already we're off to a great start. I love it. And had a very incredible bond with this rooster, which I think is adorable for a child. And then went off to middle school where now she's going and taking the bus and being away all day. And the rooster would walk her to the bus every morning. She would get out of the house and put on her little backpack.

(04:04):
And I put the link in here because they have pictures and videos and stuff and you have to see it because it's so adorable. And she would literally walk. The rooster just walks to her side, clucks around all day and then would hear the bus coming back and would go to the end of the driveway and wait for Savannah to get off the bus to greet her on her way back home. And I chose this story because I think we see this all the time with dogs and cats waiting for, I call it the primary person, waiting for the primary person to get home. But it's not just dogs and cats. There are all sorts of animals that could form meaningful bonds and relationships with us. I think Frog is just a really cute example. Some of the pictures are adorable. There's one of her walking with the rooster in her hoodie in the back in the hood using it as a little backpack.

(05:03):
Little basket.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, a little basket. I guess it was so heartwarming and so pure. So as difficult as these back to school days can be on a family unit with all of the change, it is also a time to sit back and embrace the beauty of change. You can't get a story like that unless something changes. Otherwise it's just a girl hanging out with a rooster at home, which I guess is kind of fun, but you need things to change in order to see how deep a human animal bond can really go. So shout out to Frog from 2018. Frog, I hope you're still taking, I doubt it. I hope so. Eigh years would be a long time for a rooster to live. And now think about this, 2018 says eight years. 13 year old Savannah is now 21.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1 (05:59):
Yikes. Yikes. Big girl.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
She's a big

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Girl now. I love that story. That is one of my favorite stories you've ever shared. Super

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Cool. I can just picture it.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
What

Speaker 1 (06:08):
Do you got for us, Kristen?

Speaker 2 (06:09):
So my story is, well, first of all, I just wanted to mention that September marks National Service Dog Month.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
And

Speaker 2 (06:17):
This goes back, it started back in 2008. Remember Dick Van Patten who started, was it Natural Balance Pet Food, I think it was. He actually started this annual observance and he partnered with the Petco Foundation and basically they raised money for training of service dogs. And I read this statistic that was pretty amazing. There are roughly a half million service dogs in the US that are currently working with their people. However, there is an estimated 61 million American adults that live with some form of disability that would really benefit from having a service dog. So there's a big gap between the number of service dogs we have and the number of people that need them. And it's for a lot of reasons. First of all, it costs a lot of money to train these service dogs. 50 to 70%, this blew me away, 50 to 70% of service dogs fail out of their training at some point in their training, and it takes about one to two years to train them.

(07:21):
So that's why there's such a demand for service dogs. So I just wanted to remind folks about the importance that these dogs play and to encourage you to donate to a group like Canine Companions or if you have a local seeing eye or working dog group, that would be really great. And I do have a back to school tie in on this one. A lot of families are sending the kids back to school this month with a service dog for the first time. So if you see a working dog of your child listening or if you're a parent of a child, remind them that if they see a working dog on school campus, the golden rule is not to distract the dog, not to pet the dog and not to call out the dog's name. He is on the clock doing his job. So just say hi to the handler instead.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
That is great advice because it is so tough to ignore those service dogs. It is. When I go to the airport and I see the security dogs and it has the big vest that says do not pet, it makes me just want to pet them so much more. I know. It makes me want to pet them so much more. But I was completely unaware that September was service dog awareness. National

Speaker 2 (08:28):
Service Dog Month.

Speaker 1 (08:30):
National Service Dog Month, whole month form.

Speaker 2 (08:32):
Yep.

Speaker 1 (08:32):
Beyond the Leash: Exploring the Untold Stories of Pet Passion and Professionalism.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Join me in welcoming Jess Rona. She is one of the most recognizable dog groomers in the world. Jess is a celebrity dog groomer, author, educator, and founder of Jess Rona Grooming in Los Angeles. Known for her incredible grooming transformations and the joyful videos that have attracted millions of fans online, Jess has helped pet parents see grooming as much more than just making a dog look good. It's an important part of their health, comfort, and overall wellbeing. She's also the author of Groomed: Expert Tips for Styling: Caring for Your Dog, and we're excited to share that she'll soon be teaching dog grooming and coat care on Dog TV's new learning platform, Dog TV Academy. Welcome, Jess.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
Hi, what a beautiful intro. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
Well, hey, it's all you. It's all you. We're glad to have you today. Let's start off by talking about how a lot of people think of grooming as strictly about their dog's appearance, but it's really a part of your dog's overall health as well. So can you talk to us about that?

Speaker 3 (09:43):
Oh yeah, totally. So groomers are the first line of defense. We are able to see skin issues, ticks, fleas. One time we were washing a dog's face and my bather well, he found a firm spot on a dog's face. We alerted the owner and it turned out the dog had a full on tooth abscess. And how would she find that? And so I've seen nails growing into the pads if the nails are too long, especially those dew claws. Those dew claws grow and grow and grow. We see if a dog is super tangled, we can see ear infections. So we're examining things as we go and we can put our spidey senses on and know if there's a problem and we can communicate that to the owner. So yeah, we get up in the nooks and crannies of the dog so we're able to see everything.

(10:38):
Yeah. It's not just looking cute, but that is a big part of it because dogs have to look real

Speaker 1 (10:42):
Cute. You got to look cute and you got to be healthy, but you've probably seen thousands of dogs come through your doors throughout your career and some of them you may not be working on for the first time. You may be fixing some mistakes that pet parents have made. So what mistakes are coming through your door? What are pet parents doing wrong at home over and over again that you could talk about to inform our listeners in case they wanted to try to do some home grooming?

Speaker 3 (11:14):
Yeah, sure. I mean, I love fixing a choppy haircut. It's pure joy. It also shows people how skilled a groomer actually is when they try to do it. So I love that validation, honestly. When someone's like, "I tried it. I really messed up." So as a groomer, I'm like, "See, we're worth it. We are worth the money you're paying. However, you're grooming your dog at home." That said, I noticed, okay, so you know how the hair flows and it flows in a line? Think of it like grains of wood. Do you know what I mean? So you could think of it as lines, like your hair flows, you go with the grain of the coat. So a lot of times people think going against the grain is going to cut the hair. So picture someone with really long hair like cousin it, you're going to go against the grain to cut bangs.

(12:10):
So the grain goes down and you're going to go horizontally to cut the bangs, right? So if you go with the grain on the legs, on the body, whatever, you're going to actually kind of blend it. Now that said, obviously you have to have some sort of education on what you're doing, which is why I have a whole library of online courses

(12:32):
For anyone who wants to groom their dog. But yeah, so just know that going with the green will have a blendier look and going against the grain will create chops. So sometimes I'll just get a dog and it's like chop, chop, chop, chop, chop because they're going against the grain everywhere. And that's what will make the dog look super choppy. I also always say thinning shears are your friend. Thinning shears are the best. They're not like regular scissors where they just have a solid blade. The blade actually has teeth, so they're really forgiving. So you can chop at something, but it only thins it out. It doesn't create a big chop. So grab a pair of thinning shears. That's my advice to the kitty pies doing it at home.

Speaker 2 (13:24):
So just let me ask you about this. So I imagine a lot of dogs that come to you to be groomed, they love it and they enjoy it, but some dogs get really nervous the moment they enter your salon. What are your best tips for helping dogs and whether it's young dogs or adult dogs develop a positive relationship with their groomer?

Speaker 3 (13:45):
Well, that's a tricky question because let's just say the groomer is a cozy bear. The groomer is really skilled and calm and nice at handling the dog. Okay. We're just going to assume that. And then the dog is just freaked out for no big reason. I would say the owner should have a no big deal energy when dropping off the dog and the dog should go pretty often in the beginning, if possible, to build a relationship with the groomer and maybe give the groomer some treats to give the dog some delicious chicken or something really easy to chew, although sometimes dogs who are super fearful won't eat. You can also try dropping your dog off as the first appointment of the day. Usually this is better for an anxious dog because the salon is more quiet. It's more of a one-on-one experience and the dog is going to be the first one in and the first one out.

(14:40):
So if you just have a naturally anxious dog, then I would do that. Look for, there's something called fear-free certified, which is something that a groomer can do to help with calming the dog. Basically, an anxious dog is not a trusting dog. So if you can do something to help build the trust between the groomer and the dog, that would really help. Sometimes you can maybe just go in for a nail trim or just go in for a treat if you're close and you have the time. Go in for a treat, get some pets and snuggles, and then you're on your way. That could help if the dog is super duper anxious. But if I had a super anxious dog and I was a pet parent and I was not a groomer, I would just be the first appointment in because I do that with my vet.

(15:26):
I'm just like, "What's your first appointment? Let me be your first one." Because my dogs hate the vet, so that's what I do. And I'm not

Speaker 1 (15:34):
A vet. That's fair. Yeah.

(15:36):
So there's a lot of pet parents, they want to do some of the maintenance at home, especially I always yell at my parents about the way they gave our dog a bath and how traumatizing the experience was basically using a garden hose to spray down the dog after she'd play around in the mud. So I'm just wondering, there's all sorts of different breeds and coat styles. Are there any universal rules that are good or is it truly like you have to understand your dog's needs and form a routine around that? Are there any general tips that can be given out?

Speaker 3 (16:17):
Yeah, I think it's all of the above. I just watched this Instagram of this grooming salon that has a self wash and they had a camera set up. Love and light to everyone, but if you're not a groomer and you're setting up and you own a dog grooming salon, maybe have a groomer consult with those setup. And I love you all. So I watched - I'm

Speaker 1 (16:44):
Growing love and light to everyone. Love and light to everyone,

Speaker 3 (16:46):
But part of the reason I started my business was because I kept working for people who were not groomers who didn't understand what grooming is and they owned a grooming business.

(16:56):
Anyway, so you need water pressure and they have this big huge doodle and you have to wet the coat thoroughly. So just like your own hair, if you're going to wash your own hair, you don't want half dry hair when you're shampooing it. You want water. Water will activate the shampoo. It'll help it glide through the coat. So you want water pressure. There's a couple really great inventions. There's the Rinsero. I don't know how much water pressure it has, but I know that it'll help people not use a hose because that's cold. Some dogs don't care, like labs that jump in lakes that just don't care, but you don't want to hose down a lot of dogs. They're going to freak out. It's freezing. And then there is this thing by Waterpik. It's like a wand. So that is another. There's a million different extensions, but you want pressure.

(17:51):
You want water pressure that's going to penetrate to the skin of the dog to get it absolutely soaking wet before you put the shampoo. Another thing people can do that's kind of universal and it's a tip to make your life so much easier is you get a big plastic pitcher or some kind of bucket or something big, you fill it with cozy warm water and you put the shampoo in there and you judge it up together. You could just pour that over a not totally wet coat and it'll lather up really nicely. So you don't have to wet, shampoo, wet.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
Well, I'm going to have to check out some of these episodes just because I've been told I am tacky and lack creativity.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (18:33):
And I think I could truly bring out my creative spirit by learning how to groom animals. I think that's.

Speaker 3 (18:41):
Yeah. I think that by nature we're all creative and I guarantee you that that tacky and creative log line for you is absolutely wrong and you should fight it.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
I do try to fight it, but it ends up just playing into my opponents, my rival's hands. Anyway, Jess, enough about me. We got to let you go. But before we let you go, where can our pet parents find those courses, follow you on social media? Where do they go to learn more about your adventures?

Speaker 3 (19:12):
For all my courses, jessrona.com. And then for my socials, it's Jessrona grooming everywhere.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
There we go. There we go. Jess, thank you so much. These are some great tips. I'm feeling mighty inspired. Can't wait to see the episodes coming out on Dog TV Academy, and hopefully we'll be hearing from you again soon.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yay. Thanks, you guys.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
Jess, she's hilarious.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Yeah. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe she gave me permission to beat up my bullies.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
I think she did.

Speaker 1 (19:47):
I think she did.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
First you have to say love and light to you. I'm

Speaker 1 (19:50):
Going to kick your butt. Love and light to everyone. And now I'm going to beat you up for being mean to me. But no, I mean, I think we do a lot of advice content on this podcast and it's often medical and behavioral, but there are a lot. I mean, having a dog is getting expensive and there's a lot of pet parents out there who want to try and do some of these, let's call them luxury services at home. And it's a tough skill. It's not easy, especially if you've got a shaggy dog or a dog with a particular kind of coat. These things are not easy. And I think it's great that there's folks like Jess out there trying to make these skills just a bit more accessible.

Speaker 2 (20:31):
Yeah, exactly. So check out her courses. If you do have a dog that might be difficult to DIY a groom, check out her courses online. And if nothing else, maybe it'll help you extend that maintenance period so you don't have to go to the groomer as often. But yeah, if you are near her salon, I would love for her to be my dog's groomer.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
Yeah, me

Speaker 2 (20:52):
Too.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
Because you

Speaker 2 (20:53):
Know they'd be getting the special treatment.

Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yep. As families across the country get ready for a new school year, our next guest is helping thousands of students head back to the classroom with a very special classmate waiting for them. Melinda Thomas is the executive director of the Pet Care Trust and the Pets in the Classroom Program, an organization that provides grants and resources to help teachers bring classroom pets into schools across America, from fish and guinea pigs to reptiles and rabbits. These classroom companions are helping students build responsibility, empathy, confidence, and a lifelong love of animals. You may have also recently seen Melinda and Pets in the Classroom featured in Dog TV's new documentary series, The Pet Innovation Lab, filmed at Global Pet Expo where the organization shared its mission of bringing the benefits of pets to even more students nationwide. Melinda, welcome back to the show. Thank

Speaker 4 (21:50):
You. So happy to be here. Thank you guys.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
Of course, of course. So this is our back to school episode and as families prepare for the start of a new school year, what are some of the biggest benefits you've seen classroom pets bring to students and teachers alike, especially in this time of transition?

Speaker 4 (22:09):
Yeah. Man, it is that sense of calm, right? We all want to go somewhere where we're comfortable and we feel really good about entering. And when there's a classroom pet, it just sets a different tone to that classroom, right? We know that pets are not judgmental. They love us all. And when we can have that calm, for these young people going back to the classroom and entering new friendships or exiting old friendships or new schools, new communities, new teachers, it is just that safe place to explore and feel good about. So many of our teachers just share that with us that it really helps those kids enter that door and feel good.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Yeah, for sure. So Melinda, let me ask you this. For somebody like me who hasn't been in a classroom for a really long time and we hear classroom pet, we might immediately think of a hamster in the corner of the classroom. How has the role of pets in the classroom evolved over the years?

Speaker 4 (23:07):
Yeah, I think you're right. We often see fish tanks and hamsters and reptiles and all of those lovely animals that make us feel good in the classroom. Today, those roles are more engaging, right? I think that's one of the things that Pets in the Classroom has really done. We've worked hard to increase our lesson plan library and activities like that where teachers can incorporate these pets into everyday curriculum that they're already being asked to implement. And so with that, it makes a much more engaging experience. The kids are really eager to do a research project, to see what they like to eat, to make sure that these pets just thrive. I think that's one of the biggest roles, but I think especially coming out of COVID a few years now, we are realizing more of the social and emotional needs of our students and the teachers alike in the classroom and all of the chaotic things that happen in our lives outside of that.

(24:12):
So these pets are just more increasingly important to give those students that safe place to learn and the very engaging aspect of it.

Speaker 1 (24:22):
I think those are all excellent points. As somebody who had a classroom turtle back in, I think first grade, I can attest to the benefits personally, but I want to talk a bit about the grant program because I'm sure we have some listeners out there who may be teachers and may be having their ears perked up by hearing this. Can you explain how the grant program works and who's eligible to apply for the school year?

Speaker 4 (24:45):
Yeah, thank you. So it is in all 50 states, and if anyone's listening from Canada or Puerto Rico, it applies to those areas as well. And with that, teachers can simply go to our website, which is petsintheclassroom.org and click apply for a grant. And with that, it's a simple process, a lot of information about contacting them and being able to follow up, and it might take six or seven minutes, so not very long. We try to make it as easy for a teacher to apply. With that, the teacher has a couple options. They can either get a coupon package from one of our national retailers, or they can apply for a rebate grant, which means that they're going to their independent pet store to make the selections that they need to care for their pet. And then we do reimbursement for that simple upload. So it's a pretty easy process, but it is the key is petsintheclassroom.org is where a teacher would start.

(25:45):
That's where a teacher can find all of those other assets I was talking about, whether it be animal care guides so they can make the proper selection for them or the lesson plans as well.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
Yeah. And traditionally, Pets in the Classroom has kind of been at the elementary level, but did I read somewhere that you've expanded to include high school classrooms as well? We did. Okay. And then what kinds of opportunities do pets create for the older kids?

Speaker 4 (26:15):
Yeah. It's interesting. Pets love us all at any age, whether we're just new to life or we're a senior. So we knew and we kept hearing from, especially teachers in the high schools because we weren't there yet, that could they have this opportunity? So one of it was the engagement. There's always something natural about the pets that they bring to us, whether students are learning around ecosystems and water and all of those types of things that a science teacher might be engaging in, but there's still that emotional side that our young adults are developing and needing from the support of a classroom pet. So the academics, I would tell you, the research projects that go along with the pets is quite impressive. We have a lot of school districts that are doing aquaponics and all those types of things. So those are things that as the students are young and experiencing those, they might say, "Oh, hey, we're getting produce from the aquaponic systems to be able to support our pets and they can learn about where the food comes from and what's best." And as they dive into those kind of processes, that really allows students to kind of learn more hands on when they can do that practical application.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
Yeah. I wholeheartedly agree. I have another anecdote. When I was in eighth grade, we did a project around migratory birds. So they weren't quite pets, but we would go outside and record what birds we saw and we had the opportunity to feed them and they eventually became comfortable enough. They were landing in our hands. I brought this up. I was visiting my parents. I brought this up to my mom and she's like, "It's so funny that you still remember that because every single kid from your grade and all the parents remember that project because all the kids would come home so excited being able to name the birds and talk about it. And still to this day, I've got all sorts of weird bird facts up here." So it's incredible when. And I was an eighth grader, like a 13-year-old punk, actually learning and engaging with this thing.

(28:30):
So I really do think it is some incredible stuff.

Speaker 4 (28:36):
I was going to say, I love to hear that story because I think when teachers are looking to make an impact, that is just another reason. These are lifelong applications that will apply and they won't forget. And we hear that all the time. I think if you

Speaker 1 (28:51):
Walk

Speaker 4 (28:51):
Down the street and you go in a coffee shop and you talk to an adult, there's probably a classroom pet that they can remember might not.

Speaker 1 (29:00):
That is amazing. Well, we recently got to see pets in the classroom featured in the Pet Innovation Lab, which happened at Global Pet Expo. You shared your mission with a wider audience and collaborated with so many other organizations and people. But what was that experience really like when you kind of open up your story and your needs to a wider audience and seeing so many different people working to improve the lives of pets and people?

Speaker 4 (29:28):
Yeah. Man, first off, thank you for that opportunity as you guys did so much work on that. I really appreciate that because for us it's about building awareness. It is amazing to me

(29:40):
Working within the pet industry for 20 years, working with the education community for a long time, how many individuals don't know that pets in the classroom and our resources are there to help teachers and to help school districts really engage their students and provide the best learning environment possible? So that's one of the things I would About that experience. And we realized that we have a lot of opportunity to grow the organization in awareness. And that innovation lab really enabled us to do that. And I think that's one of the things is how do we work together? Because so many of those organizations are doing great work that you guys were able to feature in that. And sometimes we can work together with adoption agencies or that also was enabling us to connect with a, and you guys will see this in the months to come, but with a farm in Illinois who has a large social media presence.

(30:38):
And so we're really excited to be able to share that to a broader audience, but really it's about awareness and building that community.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
Well, and congratulations because you all won that competition. We did. And there was some tough competition because like you said, all the organizations are doing incredible work and all the marketing pros that were assigned to the nonprofits were all terrific too. So it was a great experience from my side too as a judge.

Speaker 4 (31:11):
Yeah. And that was one of the other opportunities. There were fresh eyes, right? People that we were collaborating with that were not familiar with the Pets in the Classroom, the Dogs in the Classroom program. So with that, they were able to kind of give us some new insights and some things to think about and especially on that marketing side. So that was really exciting to be able to meet new people that we have not touched base with in the past.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
Lots of smart cookies in the pet industry. Oh, for sure. For sure. Melinda, we're coming up on time. So one more time, where can potential teachers or people who want to learn more, where can they go to learn more about Pets in the Classroom?

Speaker 4 (31:50):
Thank you. It is petsintheclassroom.org. It's a pretty simple website. So just keeping pets in the classroom, pets in the classroom on your mind. And that's where everyone can get information as an educator or as a pet lover or a parent who wants to share that with their educators.

Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah. Parents, let your teachers know because like Melinda said, not a lot of people are aware of this program and it's there. The money's there. So be sure to use it. Thank you, Melinda, for being an amazing repeat guest in front of the show. I'm sure we'll have you back soon.

Speaker 2 (32:24):
Keep up the great work.

Speaker 4 (32:25):
We will. Have a great school year. I know you might not be educators, but we're all educators.

Speaker 1 (32:31):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (32:33):
Thanks guys.

Speaker 2 (32:38):
So Chris, do you remember the turtle's name in your classroom?

Speaker 1 (32:41):
No, I really don't. It's such a long time. First grade, I have maybe two memories, you know what I mean? And one of them is- Is the turtle. I just remember the little. And it was a simpler time. They didn't have as nice habitats as they have now. Sure. And I remember the box essentially that it was kept in. I remember the lettuce that it would eat. We weren't allowed to feed the turtle other than the approved lettuce. And that was part of the education is knowing that different things have different needs. And I think it was really impactful. I always had pets too, so it wasn't like that was my only access to animals. I grew up in a borderline rural suburban town, so there were also a lot of animals just hanging out in the neighborhood. But I think it was a really cool thing.

(33:32):
And hopefully, we actually just got a membership for a local animal sanctuary so that when things start to cool off and summer isn't as summering and there's less activities for Grayson, he could go hang out with some of the animals that they're taking care of indoors. So I think I personally really stand on that soapbox that animals are an important part of education.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
Absolutely. I predict you'll have a pet by the time he's three.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
I think before then. He's already starting to - Really? Yeah. Oh goody. He's officially expressing opinion. He'll shake his head no at things. So I always said once he's able to express himself, that's when we'll do it. I got to get through the next few hectic weeks of my life before I start thinking about anything like that, but I think maybe a second birthday present possible.

Speaker 2 (34:22):
I love it. Looking forward to it.

Speaker 1 (34:24):
The product of the week. All right folks, it's time for our products of the week back to school edition. Kristen, why don't you kick us off with your product procurement selection. I tried to think of a third keyword. I couldn't get there.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
Okay. That's okay. Close enough. Well, mine is an oldie but goodie. And since Jess walked us through why grooming matters so much today and how more and more people are doing grooming at home, I chose the Firminator.

(34:59):
It's a de-shedding tool. It's about 30 bucks. You can get it on Amazon, Chewy, just about anywhere because it's such a popular product. They make them now for medium, short hair and long hair. So you can match the right Firminator to your dog's coat. And I think what made the Firminator so famous is that it reaches the undercoat. Now you may not need a Ferminator if you have a dog like Tulip. She has just a real flat coat. I don't need any special type of grooming tool for her, but some dogs have an undercoat and that's where Firminator is really handy. It gets that undercoat, cuts down on the loose hair around the house, feels great. It's a great moment for bonding. And of course, a groomed coat is a healthy coat. So like I said, it comes in different sizes, different colors, got a really comfy ergonomic handle.

(35:53):
And I feel like any dog with an undercoat should have one.

Speaker 1 (35:58):
Yeah. It's one of those things where you'll know if you have that problem. Yeah, you do. Do I need this for my dog? You'd know. You'd know. 100% you'd know. Absolutely. Yep. Yeah. Those undercoats, I mean, man, they shed like crazy, especially with fall coming. You would think, oh, winter, the colder weather's coming. Doesn't that mean they're going to retain their hair? No, they shed their undercoat to grow in a new thicker undercoat. Exactly. Exactly. So they're shedding year round basically.

Speaker 2 (36:30):
Let's put it this way. If you have to vacuum dog hair more than twice a week or three times a week, you probably need a Ferminator.

Speaker 1 (36:37):
Yeah. If you're the kind of dog where every time you're the kind of dog, you have the kind of dog where every time you brush them, you feel like with that hair, you can make a second dog, Ferminator.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
What do you have for us?

Speaker 1 (36:51):
All right. So I was trying to stay in the back to school vein, which is difficult because most dogs don't go back to school. But one of the most important back to school items is the backpack. And did you know they make backpacks for dogs? No. They do. They do. They make backpacks for dogs. So this one comes from Curgo and for whatever reason, I'm over here in Connecticut having the worst internet issues of all time. So I can't load up the page, so I can't tell you how much it costs, but it was not expensive. And I remember it vividly because I though, how cool.

(37:32):
It's for medium to large size dogs. So the dog backpacks are not for the teeny tiny guys. I don't think they're going to want to wear them anyway. They can't really support any extra weight on their vertebrae, but for your medium to large size dogs, and this one is really great because it also doubles as a life jacket. So it's a flotation life jacket underneath. It has the buoyancy padding. And then on the back and the sides are basically some pockets so your dog can pick up their own weight when you go for the hikes or the walks. I think a lot of people kind of shoo-shoo that as like, "Oh, why would I make my dog carry things? I could do it." Yeah, absolutely. But not everybody in the world is as able-bodied as you are. And I think this is a great tie into National Service Dog Month.

(38:20):
Service dogs are often helping people with disabilities that are both apparent and unapparent, things that you can't necessarily see. So if you are somebody who struggles with carrying things, especially for walks and you want to treat your dog to a long walk, but you can't bring water for your dog or water for yourself or snacks or treats or things like that, you could load them up on your professional partner and they could carry it for you. And there's all sorts of different styles. I think Kirgo does a great job with this whole line. They have a few different choices and there's other brands as well. I pulled Kurgo because I've talked about them on the show before and I trust their products, but look for the one that's going to fit your dog properly. There's a sizing chart on the website that goes over weight and dimensions.

(39:03):
You want to make sure that's snug and comfortable, especially if you're going to be loading it up with some stuff for them to carry.

Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah. And I just pulled it up, Chris. They range from about 30 to 70 bucks depending on the size that you get.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
There we go. Thank you, Kristen, for being my internet sleuth. So it's not going to kill your wallet. Q&As. All right, folks. It is time for our favorite part of the show. That's right. We're going to answer two questions from our inquisitive audience. And I know what you're thinking inquisitive audience. How do I have my question answered by Chris and Kristen? Well, it couldn't simpler head on over topsidelife.org/podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of that page and you'll see a form to submit your question. Or if you are feeling as brave as a high school freshman starting at the new big school with the cool kids smoking their cigarettes outside, I don't even think this generation has kids. I don't think they do. The're vaping. They're vaping. Yeah. Blowing big vape clouds outside. Well, guess what? If you're blowing big vape clouds outside the high school, you should A, be arrested and B, should record a voice memo for your questioning.

(40:10):
You may hear it played live on air or it may be retained as evidence against you.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
Where are we

Speaker 1 (40:19):
Going? I don't know. I don't know. Now that I've taken the train completely out of the station, we're going to focus in Kristen because we're going to focus in because Kristen, I have a burning question from one of your neighbors. This is Sarah from Charlotte.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (40:34):
And Sarah wanted to ask, "My Golden Doodles coat seems to get matted almost overnight, especially behind her ears and under her legs. I brush her regularly, but I still end up having to shave her down every few months. What am I doing wrong and how can I keep her coat healthy between grooming appointments?" It's a great question.

Speaker 2 (40:54):
Yes, it is. And too bad Jess couldn't stick around to answer this one, but I think I got this one. So typically doodle coats are notorious for doing this and it's usually not because you're not brushing your dog often enough. It's more about brushing all the way down to the skin because doodles have those, I don't know if you call it an undercoat, but their hair is curly.

(41:18):
And so you really have to get all the way through the hair down to the skin without hurting their skin. And this happens a lot behind their ears and under their little armpits, under the collar where the collar's moving around a lot. So I would try a slicker brush and then maybe follow it with one of those metal combs to make sure you've gotten all the way through the coat. Do that at least a couple times a week, see if that makes a difference. And if not, you can certainly talk to a groomer like Jess to get some advice. You probably take your doodle to get regular groomings. Did she say that in between groomings? I can't remember.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
Yeah, she did. She did. So I would ask your groomer for some advice as well, and maybe she has a product recommendation for you to help keep those mats away in between groomings. So good luck, Sarah. All right. Let's see who we have for you, Chris. We've got a question from Ben in Portland, Oregon. He says, "I have a two-year-old border collie who has endless energy, shocker, and loves learning new tricks. I've been thinking about trying agility, but we're both complete beginners. Is agility something any dog can enjoy? And what's the best way to get started without overwhelming them?"

Speaker 1 (42:38):
Yeah, absolutely. A, yes, I think agility can. This is my opinion. I'm not a veterinarian and I'm a professional. I think any dog can do agility other than maybe older dogs or dogs with any sort of bone or structural issue. But I think even your lazy basset hounds can enjoy agility. They may not be good at it, but they can certainly try. And Border Collies, I mean, this sport was built for them. So really, the only way to learn is by beginning and the only way to begin is by getting started. So just A, recognize that your dog has a lot of energy, but they tend to overwork themselves almost. You want to keep these sessions short is what I'm trying to say. You don't need to run this dog forever and ever because that border collie, I've seen it before, they will run themselves until it's an issue because it's just simply the way that they operate.

(43:45):
So there are places that you could do this publicly, like certain dog parks or agility facilities. That's fun to say, agility facilities, can have the equipment for you to go and maybe purchase a membership or go practice, but there's also products that we featured on the show that you could set up in your own yard to use. And I would just say this is a great time to increase the bond between you and your pet. It is a great way to spend the time. It is a great way to keep yourself in shape because you're going to be at least walking around to guide the dog through the course, maybe even working yourself up to a little jog or canter to keep up. It's good for your dog. Canter. Yeah, canter. Kind of horsebird. I

Speaker 2 (44:26):
Love it.

Speaker 1 (44:27):
Yeah, yeah. Not quite a gallop, but a canter. So it's doable. You're going to have to learn a little bit, but I also think if you're not going to be competing, yeah, just go. If the dog messes it up, they mess it up. We all make mistakes. Let them just run around the yard. Maybe they'll learn a couple of things. Maybe this is a good opportunity to train them and get some control back with some positive reinforcement in playing the way that you want the course to be played. So I think it's a great opportunity, Ben. And even if you didn't have a Border Collie, if you had came in here and said, "I've got a chihuahua with way too much energy," I'd say go for it. Understand the limits of your dog. Don't push them too hard, but these types of things can be for any canine or human being who has the will and the way.

Speaker 2 (45:24):
Absolutely. Hey, and a shout out to Fit Paws. They have products that you can. They're like agility products and

Speaker 1 (45:30):
Equipment

Speaker 2 (45:31):
That you can use at home.

Speaker 1 (45:32):
Yeah, that was the brand. We had them on the show, right? There was one. Yeah, we did. Yeah, I forgot the name of it. That's why I said look back. You do the homework. Don't expect Chris to remember things. That's ridiculous. That's unfair. Anyway, hey -

Speaker 2 (45:44):
I've been looking at the weave poles for tulip. I'm considering

Speaker 1 (45:46):
Getting the weave poles. I always thought that has to be pretty hard to train.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
Well, it might be. I don't know. I haven't done it yet, but I'm thinking if I just have a really high value treat and I kind of walk her through it, maybe that's how. I mean, I need to get some advice from a real trainer, but that's how I would approach it initially. Maybe just have her do one or two poles at a time and then, I don't know, we'll see.

Speaker 1 (46:09):
When I watch the professional agility, because of course I do, anytime I see it on TV or get recommended on YouTube, I'm like, "Yeah, I got 10 minutes." I'm always impressed on how the handlers remember how the course is supposed to be run. I know. Because it's counterintuitive sometimes on purpose for the dog's sake where like, oh, it's obvious you're supposed to go this way, but really you got to go this way and around. And they're so good at mapping it out and remembering it all. Not for me.

Speaker 2 (46:39):
It's choreographed. It

Speaker 1 (46:40):
Looks

Speaker 2 (46:40):
Complicated.

Speaker 1 (46:41):
It's impressive stuff, but thank you. Thank you, Ben, for that question. Good luck. I'm sure your Border Collie will appreciate it. But hey, that brings us to the end of our back to school faux special. I hope everybody had a great Tuesday. If you're listening to this on a Tuesday or whenever you listen to this, it's okay if you don't listen to us on the day it comes out. I think that's fine. And you know what? No, it's not fun. When we drop these episodes, you need to drop everything and listen.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
That's right. And actually this could be your new kids listening, this could be your new afterschool special, the

Speaker 1 (47:16):
PAL Podcast. There we go. The PAL Podcast where we're educating tomorrow's leaders. I'm sure that's exactly what parents want. Their parents want their children influenced by Before you do your homework.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Listen

Speaker 1 (47:29):
To

Speaker 2 (47:29):
The PAL podcast.

Speaker 1 (47:30):
Yeah. Before you do homework, before you listen to your parents, you should be listening to us.

Speaker 2 (47:35):
You're getting us in trouble.

Speaker 1 (47:37):
I am. I am getting us in trouble. Hey, good luck to all the kiddos and parents this September. You'll do great. I believe in you.

Speaker 2 (47:45):
Class dismissed.

Speaker 1 (47:46):
Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in pet trends, products, and the joy of the human animal bond. With Kristen Levine and me, Chris Bonifati, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.