35. Around the World with a Dog and Animal Behavior Insights

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00:00:00:04 - 00:00:14:17
Voice Over
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 Bonifati powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.

00:00:14:19 - 00:00:29:14
Chris
Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode of the Pets Add Life podcast. I am Chris Bonifati joined as always by the intelligent and illustrious Kristen Levine. Kristen, how are you doing today?

00:00:29:19 - 00:00:36:04
Kristen
I'm doing great. I'm doing great. How long does it take you to come up with those two new adjectives that you used for my introduction each week?

00:00:36:04 - 00:00:58:07
Chris
It's actually funny, we were just talking about Chris's night. Think like I'm a night thinker. And last night I thought of we're recording two episodes today and I thought of a few and then this morning completely forgot them. That those were intelligent and illustrious is guess what came out? It's easy because I am looking at you through a webcam and so you're just you're just a font of inspiration.

00:00:58:09 - 00:01:14:13
Kristen
Oh you're funny. Isn't it weird how the the thoughts you have at night or like, in the middle of the night or early in the morning always seem like they're brilliant, like you're a brilliant idea. And then once you wake up, take a shower and, like, get your wits about you. You're like, that was the stupidest idea I've ever had.

00:01:14:15 - 00:01:45:19
Chris
That is just a regular occurrence in my life. It's just this. It's just this cycle of innovation and self-doubt that continues to push me forward to ever expanding new heights. But yeah, I completely agree. There's you know, there are some times, though, where I, you know, I don't necessarily always sleep well. And sometimes I'll wake up and I'll let the cat get some water because she's thirsty and I'll go downstairs and I'll help myself to a nice cool slice of American cheese right out of the refrigerator.

00:01:45:23 - 00:01:58:00
Chris
And there's like this moment of clarity at like 330 in the morning that could strike where you're almost thoughtless. Yeah. If that makes sense. Like, your mind is just perfectly clear, like you've this. Right?

00:01:58:01 - 00:02:01:08
Kristen
Because you're so kind of asleep. Not, like, literally asleep.

00:02:01:10 - 00:02:14:04
Chris
But you're not even, like, actively dreaming. You're just sort of existing. And I kind of find that nice. It's like a very me moment, right? Like there's nothing else going on. It's just me and my slice of American cheese.

00:02:14:06 - 00:02:16:17
Kristen
Why American cheese?

00:02:16:19 - 00:02:17:17
Chris
It's delicious.

00:02:17:18 - 00:02:20:05
Kristen
I'll tell you. Gosh, no, no.

00:02:20:07 - 00:02:31:21
Chris
It's good, it's good. You can't knock it till you try it. Is everybody right now, if you're listening to this at home, go to your kitchen, grab a slice of American cheese and enjoy it and enjoy.

00:02:31:21 - 00:02:36:19
Kristen
It's not even real cheese. So it's like Velveeta.

00:02:36:21 - 00:02:38:12
Chris
Speaking of real.

00:02:38:12 - 00:02:40:02
Kristen
Cheese, we've got a.

00:02:40:02 - 00:02:41:06
Chris
Real create up to.

00:02:41:06 - 00:02:43:02
Kristen
7.0.

00:02:43:03 - 00:02:58:02
Chris
Where we're going to be talking to you two amazing guests, sharing two great stories, recommending two products. And at the very end of the episode, we're going to answer two of your questions. So enough about the night thinking. Let's go ahead. The story time.

00:02:58:04 - 00:03:02:02
Voice Over
Kristen and Chris present story time.

00:03:02:04 - 00:03:06:09
Kristen
Okay, Chris, do you think about your stories in the middle of the night?

00:03:06:11 - 00:03:18:19
Chris
I do not, for I need the internet to find this. Unfortunately, I don't have a treasure trove of of of happenings. But you know who does the Associated Press?

00:03:18:21 - 00:03:20:00
Kristen
All right, let's let's.

00:03:20:06 - 00:04:03:20
Chris
I got this story. And, you know, this is a really inspiration one. We've had some guests on the show in the past that talk about, sort of, you know, they're part of programs that try to keep pets with people who are struggling either financially or or they're ill and in the hospital. Well, this is a guy named, Simon Rubik in Colorado has, started an organization called Positive Recovery that is like the pun, and essentially, Simon had struggled with decades of alcoholism and drug addiction, and finally decided to go to rehab.

00:04:03:23 - 00:04:27:11
Chris
And the most difficult part was he ended up becoming separated from, his dog. And for a while, his brother was taking care of the dog back home. But then he had to leave. So, like, the future of this dog was up in the air. And that experience really inspired Simon to think, okay, like, this sucks.

00:04:27:13 - 00:04:45:08
Chris
Like, there's no better way to put it. Like, I'm at the lowest point in my life right now, and I'm having to think about thinking, thinking about giving up my dog. And, you know, we always talk about how it's just like that one constant through your life. Right. You know, they're always your best friend. They're never judgmental.

00:04:45:10 - 00:05:06:11
Chris
So, he was basically talking in this article about how most rehab centers in the United States don't let you bring pets. And that's his entire goal. He said, you know, his quoted saying, if there's, it basically came down to being able to take care of my dog or being able to take care of myself. And that's incredibly sad.

00:05:06:12 - 00:05:31:12
Chris
So he's found a way, to start some of these, some of these groups where, if you can't bring your animal with you to your rehab facility, they will find people to foster them in the meantime. And they're already putting pressure in advocating, the Colorado state legislature. To start passing legislation that requires rehab centers to allow people with pets to bring them.

00:05:31:14 - 00:05:43:19
Chris
You know, I I'm lucky enough that I've never, suffered from anything like that, but I would imagine if I was ever there, I would want my pet to be there with me and go on that journey with me.

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Kristen
So, absolutely.

00:05:45:10 - 00:05:57:12
Chris
A great, great story. By from Simon here. Really showing what it means to, struggle and be an animal lover and try to give back after experiencing something so profound.

00:05:57:14 - 00:06:19:00
Kristen
Yeah. Good on you, Simon. That's really. That's awesome. I mean, pets have such healing powers for us, so, that seems like, you know, hopefully ten years from now, it'll just be like, nobody would ever believe that you couldn't have your pet with you. And in a rehab facility or in an in a situation where you're battling an illness.

00:06:19:02 - 00:06:23:05
Chris
Yep. All right. Well, on that, cheery, happy, like.

00:06:23:07 - 00:06:25:09
Kristen
You got it got sad real fast.

00:06:25:09 - 00:06:27:14
Chris
Christian. Yeah. So, yeah, that's a good one.

00:06:27:16 - 00:06:54:05
Kristen
Okay. Well, mine has a similar feel to it. It's about the human benefit, the human benefits of fostering shelter animals. And I know earlier this year, I had shared a report about, a foster program for the elderly and how how it was proven that they were that fostering pets made the elderly people happier. So this one just kind of, it's a it's a similar study.

00:06:54:05 - 00:07:22:22
Kristen
The 131 foster caregivers from five different animal shelters across the US participated in a study. And, the study found that although the fostering the pets didn't noticeably enhance their mental well-being, although maybe it probably did. A lot of the caregivers reported self perceived benefits in their overall quality of life with with love, affection and companionship from the foster animals.

00:07:23:00 - 00:07:54:18
Kristen
And the, the dog caregivers reported significantly, significantly higher emotional and social quality of life than the cast than the cat foster caregivers. So, you know, obviously, we know that the human animal bond is a real thing. But, and with with so many homeless pets, I think it's just such an awesome opportunity to enhance your life, enhance your family's life, your children's life, by committing to fostering a pet even for a short period of time, until that animal finds a forever home.

00:07:54:23 - 00:08:18:11
Kristen
And we all know that many times the fostering experience fails and you end up adopting that pet. And that's not such a bad thing. That's how we ended up with our little dog, tulip. But, just another scientific study showing the benefits of people spending time with animals. So there you have it. I try to pull us out of that little dip.

00:08:18:12 - 00:08:26:12
Chris
You did for a bit there. You did, you did. Yeah. And, you know, good on you for you found a study too. So you get to wear the science lab coat.

00:08:26:13 - 00:08:28:23
Kristen
Oh, you're going to let me borrow it for the week.

00:08:29:01 - 00:08:45:13
Chris
Yeah, I still I still have to find I swear I have a lab coat, like, I have this big box of costumes, stuff I gotta find for the next live show. I got to bring it. Okay. Coat. Yeah. And maybe, like, some big wig goggles. Professor. Podcast.

00:08:45:15 - 00:08:47:09
Kristen
Maybe a beaker.

00:08:47:11 - 00:08:49:06
Chris
Yeah, maybe a beaker. Maybe the

00:08:49:12 - 00:08:53:21
Voice Over
Beyond the Leash exploring the untold stories of passion and professionalism.

00:08:53:23 - 00:09:19:10
Kristen
I'm really excited about this. Next guest. Tom Turcich is a motivational speaker, photographer, and the 10th person ever to walk around the world. After a personal tragedy struck him at the age of 17, Tom decided to dedicate his life to exploring the world on foot, an adventure that spanned seven years and 28,000 miles across six continents and 38 countries.

00:09:19:12 - 00:09:45:10
Kristen
His faithful companion, a dog named Savannah, joined him for the journey, making them the first man dog duo to ever achieve such a feat. That is so cool. Now, throughout his trek, Tom experienced the extremes of humanity and nature, from Life-Threatening encounters to acts of incredible kindness. His story, captured in his memoir The World Walk, is a testament to resilience, adventure, and the deep connection between man and his best friend.

00:09:45:12 - 00:09:47:03
Kristen
Welcome, Tom.

00:09:47:05 - 00:09:48:22
Tom
Thank you so much for having me.

00:09:49:00 - 00:10:00:19
Kristen
Wow, I just I love story. What what was the most unexpected lesson you learned during this seven year journey with your dog around the world?

00:10:00:21 - 00:10:35:00
Tom
I'd say the most unexpected one was just how small we all are. I think it really bears out when you see the world on foot, one step at a time, how much everyone and our lives are influenced by geography that you're born into, the politics, the family you're born into, and it really drives home just that. We are very tiny and I think seeing the world on foot also, you know, you see the cities are concentrated into these little areas.

00:10:35:00 - 00:10:41:21
Tom
And then in between them are these big expanses of still pretty untouched nature.

00:10:41:23 - 00:11:08:11
Chris
That's absolutely extraordinary. I mean, your step count must have been ridiculous. And I'm over here. There's some days where I rack up, like, work from home days, and I'm racking up, like, 45 steps. So I, I don't think I'm any further away from what you were able to achieve, but I think what's most, not necessarily impressive, but awesome about your story in particular is that you did this walk with Savannah.

00:11:08:11 - 00:11:13:12
Chris
So I would imagine that you guys have a very unique bond after a trip like that.

00:11:13:14 - 00:11:38:19
Tom
Yeah, I would say unique is the correct word there. She's the first dog to walk around the world. So in turn, I'm the first dog, first person to walk around the world with a dog. And I adopted her in Austin, Texas, after four months of walking and camping in strange places and being on my own and realizing how nice it would be to have a dog that could listen while I was sleeping.

00:11:38:21 - 00:12:03:00
Tom
And so really, I got her initially, just for the original reason. We paired up with dogs, which was, you know, wake me at night if something was coming and I would give her some food and, you know, protection myself. But as time went on and we spent every minute of every day together and were navigating these cities and Central America that I didn't yet fully understand.

00:12:03:00 - 00:12:32:03
Tom
And then we're walking through the deserts of Peru and Chile and over the mountains of the Andes, and then into Europe and North Africa and everywhere else, and going through all these challenges and changes together. We were together through everything, and we were each other's only constant through this endless barrage of change. And so I really relied on her like nothing else.

00:12:32:03 - 00:12:53:01
Tom
And we had these really intense days sometimes, or these really boring days in the deserts. And at the end of every day it was me and her sitting side by side taking it in. And I was thinking this morning just how many like, truly perfect moments that we shared together.

00:12:53:03 - 00:12:54:01
Kristen


00:12:54:03 - 00:13:15:06
Chris
Yeah. That's awesome. I mean, as extreme as your situation was, it's actually kind of cool to hear how similar it is to just everybody with their pet. You know, everything around you changes, but you know that that one, being, that's by your side, that's going to be a constant through all the changes that life throws at you.

00:13:15:07 - 00:13:28:20
Tom
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's it's one of the great greatest things about dogs is that you open the door and they are hope to see you like nothing else. And when you're ready to go for a walk like I was, they are ready to go for.

00:13:28:22 - 00:13:31:04
Chris
Ready to walk. It was.

00:13:31:06 - 00:13:31:18
Kristen
Tom was.

00:13:31:18 - 00:13:35:18
Tom
Flashing to the AC. They're ready for that to did.

00:13:35:18 - 00:13:43:18
Kristen
I can imagine that she probably kept you motivated. Did you find that you had to keep her motivated, or was she just ready to go every morning?

00:13:43:19 - 00:14:04:20
Tom
She was ready to go every morning in the first month after I adopted her. Well, the first month really was getting vaccinations and, getting the parvo vax and all that. And then after that, our first month of walking together, she was in this baby carriage that I pushed a lot of the time with all my things in it, because she was so tiny and she wasn't leash trained.

00:14:04:22 - 00:14:25:14
Tom
And so gradually I got her up to speed. And by the time we reached Mexico, she was walking the full 24 miles a day with me, and she kind of decided on her own, I would, you know, take her out for an hour or two hours and train her and, and walk. But as we reached Mexico, she jumped out of the car and was like, I'm not going back in there.

00:14:25:17 - 00:14:54:16
Tom
We're walking every day. And so she was relentless. I remember, like two years in or so when we were in these stretches of Peru and Chile, in the desert for months, we would sometimes do 30, 36 miles in a day, and at the end of the day, I would be exhausted. I'd be on the tarp, laid out somewhere, spilling my legs, throbbing my ears, and Savannah would come up with a little bottle cap or a steak or something and her tail wagging and want to play.

00:14:54:18 - 00:15:13:17
Tom
So she had truly endless energy. I mean, she was ready to go all the time. Whenever, as soon as I picked up that leash, she was ready to go. And, you know, it was just a thing of this was her whole life. This is all she ever did is from four months on, five months on whatever however old she was.

00:15:13:17 - 00:15:21:09
Tom
This is the only life she knew was that you're going to get up and we're going to walk eight hours a day, and then we're going to go find somewhere to camp.

00:15:21:11 - 00:15:40:08
Chris
It's absolutely incredible. And, you know, now that you've settled back down, putting some roots down back to, you know, maybe a more traditional lifestyle, we'll call it. What's that transition been like for both you and Savannah? I could imagine the dog getting a little confused as to why you're not nomadic anymore.

00:15:40:10 - 00:16:00:22
Tom
Yeah, I think it came at a good time for both of us, because it was seven years on the road that we spent together. Yeah. And Savannah was the same age as the walk. So she, when we finished, was kind of like, all right, this is probably a good time for retirement. But when we did actually stop, we were both just totally restless.

00:16:00:22 - 00:16:15:10
Tom
We didn't know what to do with ourselves. So we moved out to Seattle to be with my girlfriend, and I was working on this memoir. So I'm working from home, basically, and I just didn't know what to do with myself. So Savannah and I would still walk like four hours every day because.

00:16:15:10 - 00:16:16:08
Kristen
I just went.

00:16:16:11 - 00:16:45:08
Tom
It. And Savannah would sit by the door like, you know, when are we going to go do something? But gradually, you know, we both settled in a little bit better. And so I really found her spot on the sofa and we go for the morning walk, maybe a little afternoon walk and evening walk. We'd still do probably three walks a day, just out of that restlessness and and this kind of guilt that I felt to always be providing for Savannah, providing some adventure for Savannah.

00:16:45:10 - 00:16:49:19
Tom
But yeah, it was a it was a difficult transition at first, for sure.

00:16:49:21 - 00:17:01:20
Kristen
I'm sure, I'm sure. Well, Tom, what advice would you give to somebody that's considering, you know, a long term trip hike or an adventure with their dog? What what advice would you maybe.

00:17:01:20 - 00:17:10:07
Chris
Not seven years around the world. Yeah, like a starting distance of, like, maybe like a week long, hike or something like that.

00:17:10:09 - 00:17:42:21
Tom
Yeah, I might say like the younger the dog, you could do it the better. I think it's a great way to train a dog, too, because, again, you're just side by side with them all the time. And the training kind of happens naturally. Whereas if you're going into the office, if you're working and then you come back and you feel like you have to apply this training really specifically to an hour, or you know, half an hour really mindfully, it can be difficult to kind of change the behavior, get, you know, the dog to really connect with you.

00:17:42:23 - 00:18:03:07
Tom
But if you can go for some long walks with a puppy, I think it's really beneficial to getting them to sync up with you and you thinking up with them and learning their behaviors. But if you're going with a dog that's a little bit older, we'll say, you know, just watch there. Watch the Paul's, savannahs were like living stones.

00:18:03:07 - 00:18:21:13
Tom
Basically. She grew up on the road. She never had a problem with them. They were insanely strong. So I think it takes a little time. And then also, you know, just watch, like, their size, a little bit like their shoulders. I think that's where Sam's, As she got older, she would limp a little bit, after the walk.

00:18:21:13 - 00:18:38:23
Tom
And it would be from, you know, she'd get a little. I give her a little massage, and she'd be feeling better. But yeah, I would say, I would say, just do it. Dogs love walking, and they love being out there with you. So, you know, I think anything that you can handle, the dog can handle, and take a break in the day if it's very hot midday.

00:18:38:23 - 00:18:41:03
Tom
I think that's a big thing, actually, Savannah.

00:18:41:03 - 00:18:43:05
Chris
That all the time. Yeah. No reason.

00:18:43:07 - 00:18:58:00
Tom
Savannah told me that in Houston. Riga. Exactly where I before was just barreling through the heat. And then it sort of clicked at a certain point that, oh, this is not that fun for Savannah, who's in basically a down jacket.

00:18:58:04 - 00:19:03:00
Chris
So like, and and it's literally sweat. Yeah. Physically that sweat.

00:19:03:02 - 00:19:06:00
Tom
Yeah. So just listen to them and take a break in the day.

00:19:06:02 - 00:19:22:18
Chris
That's great. I'm going to ask you a tough question here. Out of all the places that you have visited and seen, which may be your favorite, and then on top of that, any places in particular that were exceptionally dog friendly?

00:19:22:20 - 00:19:43:03
Tom
Yeah. Actually a very easy question, but I think of this in so I'm thinking this in Savannah's mind. Okay, then as mind, the best country was Kyrgyzstan by a mile, which is a little mountainous country in Central Asia. And we had two guides where he had a guide and horseman and two horses with all our things on it.

00:19:43:05 - 00:20:10:05
Tom
And then we just walked these mountain valleys for two months, and Savannah was off leash the entire time, running from a yak to another shepherd dog to a you're living the best dog life you could possibly live. So Kyrgyzstan was basically heaven on earth for Savannah. And then beyond that, I would say America is pretty much by far the friendliest dog country.

00:20:10:06 - 00:20:30:11
Tom
We're such a dog culture and there's a lot of dog friendly hotels. People have a lot of experience with dogs. There's not a lot of strays. There's good infrastructure. Dogs are are spayed and neutered. I'd say in America by a pretty wide margin. Is the friendliest dog country.

00:20:30:12 - 00:20:31:01
Chris
There we go.

00:20:31:07 - 00:20:34:12
Kristen
That's fantastic. Hagerstown. Not the answer we would have expected.

00:20:34:12 - 00:20:39:09
Chris
I did not I did not see that coming. It wasn't even on the list.

00:20:39:11 - 00:20:42:02
Tom
It took me about 25,000 miles to get to that point.

00:20:42:02 - 00:20:55:17
Chris
I had to I had to go through the mine palace to make sure you weren't pranking me, and make sure that was a real place. Like, I had to just flip through some encyclopedic knowledge. I was like, okay, yeah, that is a real country. He's not just pulling my leg.

00:20:55:19 - 00:20:56:11
Tom
Somewhere in there.

00:20:56:15 - 00:20:56:23
Chris
Somewhere.

00:20:57:03 - 00:21:08:16
Kristen
Tom, you're there. Your story is fascinating. It's inspiring. And, your book is called The World Walk and I assume it's available wherever books are sold.

00:21:08:18 - 00:21:25:08
Tom
Yeah, it should be, widely distributed by, published by Skyhorse, distributed by Simon and Schuster. Getting pretty great reviews so far. And, yeah, I think it's a great, it's a great adventure story, especially in Savannah.

00:21:25:10 - 00:21:35:09
Kristen
Fantastic. Well, it's a pick it up, or it's a great gift idea to for the for the dog lover in your life. And thanks so much for joining us today. We we really enjoyed hearing your story.

00:21:35:11 - 00:21:40:09
Tom
Yeah. Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure to pretty impressive.

00:21:40:14 - 00:22:05:13
Chris
Yeah. I mean, the other day I was looking back at some of my steps from Global Pet Expo. And over a three day period, I did like 32 miles indoors and it felt like my knee was going to explode. I was sore, I was miserable, I was complaining about it a lot. Right. And then there's guys like Tom who were like, yeah, for seven years.

00:22:05:13 - 00:22:17:02
Chris
I walked a marathon every day with my dog. It was great. Sometimes I'll just step out and go for a five hour walk nowadays, and I'm sitting over here, I'm sweating.

00:22:17:04 - 00:22:17:17
Kristen
You know.

00:22:17:22 - 00:22:19:20
Chris
Wondering how it's even possible.

00:22:20:00 - 00:22:33:18
Kristen
Really puts things in perspective. Obviously, that's an extreme adventure, but, but what a great way to bond with a dog, even on short walks. You know, short, even a short walk is a great way to bond with your dog.

00:22:33:20 - 00:22:52:12
Chris
Yeah, yeah. You know, you really do only get one life, right? And so having that type of adventure under your belt now, he never has to do it again, though I have a feeling there may be a sequel. Walk. Coming. I don't know, I'm not. I'm yet not to speak for Tom, but I just have a feeling that at some point, there's going to be a sequel.

00:22:52:17 - 00:23:21:17
Chris
Stay tuned to. Okay. And joining us now is Dr. Roger Mugford, a renowned animal psychologist widely regarded as Britain's leading expert in the field of animal behavior with a distinguished academic background, including a Bachelor of Science in zoology and psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Hull, doctor Mumford has dedicated his career to understanding and improving the behavior of animals.

00:23:21:19 - 00:23:48:21
Chris
He is the founder of the Animal Behavior Center, which has become a leading authority in behavioral therapy for pets. Over his career, Doctor Mumford has treated over 50,000 animals, has authored several influential books on dog training and behavior, including The Perfect Dog. He's also the inventor of the Healthy Head collar and other innovative training aids, which you're probably all using and not even realizing, which are distributed by his company, The Company of Animals.

00:23:48:23 - 00:23:59:01
Chris
Thank you so much. What an impressive resume right off the bat. So many things in a long, illustrious career. So thank you for joining us today, Doctor Medford.

00:23:59:03 - 00:24:25:08
Dr. Mugford
I've been plowing this furrow for 44 years, and I recently retired from being the CEO at the head of my company. But the greatest pleasure is that I have a talented vet daughter who's taken over the chairmanship of the company, so I can do a lot of other things for pets and with pets, and on behalf of pets and on behalf of the society, because I come to this theme of dogs in society from the human standpoint.

00:24:25:10 - 00:24:48:09
Dr. Mugford
Originally I trained as a human psychologist, and, I actually worked in a psychiatric hospital for a couple of years before I went onto a career with animals. And, it affected me greatly. And I saw the the unhappiness and loneliness of institutionalized people and the way in which their lives blossomed. As soon as you introduce an animal.

00:24:48:09 - 00:24:58:15
Dr. Mugford
And it didn't have to be something cultured, like a dog or a cat, it could be a wild animal the size of a squirrel. Side of singing birds. So animals are really important for human happiness.

00:24:58:17 - 00:25:15:02
Chris
Yeah, absolutely. And would you say that that is sort of what inspired you to make that transition from, you know, human, psychology into animal psychology was sort of that that sparkling moment where you realized how powerful the human animal bond is.

00:25:15:04 - 00:25:39:12
Dr. Mugford
It really, really is. You know, I spent time in University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and, you know, I saw lonely people living on the streets. And the only possession was the dog, which was part of their begging routine or, down in Baltimore and people living in really poor circumstances. If you're talking about the 19 6070s, that's how old I am, by the way.

00:25:39:14 - 00:26:04:15
Dr. Mugford
And, within those communities, the vibrant role of dogs in, in those communities. So not just posh gets like me, but, you know, people who are down on their uppers on, Nakia in life. And so pets as therapy is a really big theme. And, now I'm retired from running my company, I'm able to spend more time dealing with charities.

00:26:04:15 - 00:26:10:00
Dr. Mugford
And the causes that I profoundly believe are so important to human happiness.

00:26:10:01 - 00:26:22:11
Kristen
Well, Doctor Mumford, you you've been doing this for a long time. What would you say? Can you just give us a snapshot of the things that have changed the most in terms of how we think about animal behavior and training?

00:26:22:13 - 00:26:42:21
Dr. Mugford
Thank you. Well, first of all, there are far fewer horrible stories about the diseases you get from dogs or from pregnant ladies. From cats. Yeah. It's, you know, there are far more good news stories. And, I used to work for a little company called Mars who has that rather large,

00:26:43:00 - 00:26:45:02
Chris
Tiny little company.

00:26:45:04 - 00:27:08:15
Dr. Mugford
I was their psychologist. Animal behaviorist. And, and I ran a, you know, if you like a good you sort of looking into research, into the benefits of pets for people, and and there are multiple. It's a long list. So I started with elderly people living in a in an institution. Well, in that in homes, and just the companionship of a little bird, a call a buddy.

00:27:08:15 - 00:27:32:13
Dr. Mugford
Regardless, more common and were more common in Europe than in, in America. And and of course, dogs and dogs and dogs and and when you look into why people keep dogs, it is for those benefits. It's not because of the way they look or the way they defecate all the way that they cause arguments with the neighbors. It's none of that, you know, it's this animal companionship.

00:27:32:15 - 00:27:55:04
Dr. Mugford
And, but, the when you ask people, what would you do when Rover, your present dog, dies and 10% of people adopt a dog owners, said that they wouldn't replace Rover because he's seen such a pain in the ass. You know that dog I he ripped up my mail. I got no visitors. I couldn't have my grandchildren around.

00:27:55:04 - 00:28:17:13
Dr. Mugford
You know, he just pulled on the lead, and they broke my leg here and dragged me into traffic. So behavioral problems were a really big issue and a negative issue. And that was about 10% of dog owners in the UK. And I think it's even higher statistic in the UK, US. So not all good dog human relationships are happy.

00:28:17:15 - 00:28:40:07
Dr. Mugford
And it's interesting interestingly, amongst cats and there's the same question. Only 2% of cats are unhappy. So cats have a higher success rate, which it really annoys me. I am a cat lover and owner or a correction, a cat owns me, but I would be right. And but but dog owners are broadly successful, but a lot of them are really a nuisance.

00:28:40:09 - 00:29:00:04
Dr. Mugford
And, and in the UK and Holland and most of Europe, we keep sheep and sheep farmers are integrated with villages. And so people have dogs in the villages as pets, and then they go out and chase until the sheep. And so sheep chasing is a big, big issue over here and and so on and so on.

00:29:00:04 - 00:29:28:17
Dr. Mugford
And so the, the correcting or dealing with these issues was my challenge when I left Mars, to begin this consultancy. And I was one of the first in the field and doing a number of really good people who were working in the US at the same time. So, and the first thing that struck me is the bizarre way in which people control their pets, you know, like, you wouldn't treat a horse with something like this.

00:29:28:17 - 00:29:53:11
Dr. Mugford
Excuse me? This is a white color. Yes. You can still buy it in your local pet store. In America and in the UK, these have been banned in the UK, but virtually. But then perhaps not so horrible, but pretty useless piece of junk here. I've crafted halters for specific animals, and, they voila came the hottie. So.

00:29:53:17 - 00:30:16:03
Dr. Mugford
And the whole thing really caught the imagination of dog trainers. Who said, you cheat? You, you got a training dog so that they respect you and they don't call because, you tell them not to pull and you throw things at them and you scream at them and show them you're the boss and. Right, you know, that sort of attitude is what it's.

00:30:16:06 - 00:30:19:18
Dr. Mugford
You still find some trainers with that sort of attitude.

00:30:19:20 - 00:30:20:00
Kristen
Yeah.

00:30:20:00 - 00:30:22:13
Dr. Mugford
But they're a declining breed. Thank goodness.

00:30:22:17 - 00:30:24:01
Kristen
Thank goodness, thank goodness.

00:30:24:05 - 00:30:48:09
Chris
So Roger you were sort of hinting at this already. And I feel like I know where you're going to land on this question based on some of the stuff we've already been talking about. But there's an ongoing debate in dog training and dog behavior about aversive versus positive reinforcement training methods. So can you talk a little bit about where you land on that and maybe some of the findings you've had throughout your career, that sport?

00:30:48:12 - 00:30:57:16
Dr. Mugford
I'm going to illustrate it with my little dog here. He's called shadow. Why she goes shadow because she, you know, she follows me everywhere. Come on, come, come come shadow.

00:30:57:16 - 00:30:58:14
Kristen
Eye shadow.

00:30:58:14 - 00:31:33:02
Dr. Mugford
Come on. The funny every so shadow is either the I don't know how her elbow cage with six dogs in South Korea. And she will do anything for food and I'm sorry about, I know stroke, but not all ones. But most of us would do anything for food, so if you read old books like the monks of skeet, dog trainers and things like that, they frown on them because they think that if you if you spoil dogs with treats, then they you undermine the respectful relationship that they should have with you.

00:31:33:07 - 00:31:54:02
Dr. Mugford
Well, that is so much balderdash, isn't it? Really? And it is one of the strongest driving force that, of course, not just for for dogs, it is for humans. And if I want to write that my carefully, then send a dog around them, I just rustle a bucket with some food and they all come running short. And sometimes they knock me over.

00:31:54:02 - 00:32:17:05
Dr. Mugford
They're so enthusiastic. So, I, I'm a balanced dog trainer, which is sometimes associated with some bad meaning amongst the dog training fraternity. But this I made that I would never use something like that. I mean, never use a stick, but I know that changes in my voice can turn to negative or they can be positive. Excuse me.

00:32:17:07 - 00:32:50:18
Dr. Mugford
And so in that respect, I can use my voice as a, as a positive reward system, as something that is aversive. And sometimes the dogs do outrageous things like rolling and fox shit and, even worse, trying to either attack some little old lady or a passing car. And so in those occasions, and they're usually highly sensitive dogs and like border collies with the, you know, working breeds of dogs.

00:32:50:20 - 00:33:23:02
Dr. Mugford
And for those I invented this and this amazing little system is just a and I've been using that system as an aversive to interrupt unwanted behavior. And it began because I was once attacked by a bulldog who was tied to a, fix in the floor, and he attacked everything, and he he even put his head to the door, when he wanted to kill an attack, a mailman, a postman.

00:33:23:04 - 00:33:42:11
Dr. Mugford
So he really hated people, and, oh, he's kind of broke. And he came at me, and I just happened to have this, 30 kilo, gas cylinder fire extinguisher and just completely in my pocket and, and, and I interrupted it, and he stopped.

00:33:42:13 - 00:33:46:00
Kristen
Oh. Right, I did it.

00:33:46:02 - 00:34:16:00
Dr. Mugford
The change was so dramatic. And this is a dog who'd rehearsed this technique of attacking anyone who came into his, owners house. And that shows the profound effect of well timed, appropriate punishment. Not by proof. I do not mean hitting dogs or doing anything seriously aversive. But we evolved this sound training system from Rogers to this little product, and this is a product advertisement.

00:34:16:04 - 00:34:21:19
Dr. Mugford
Ladies and gentlemen, this is called a pet tracer, which you can by your local pet store. And we.

00:34:21:20 - 00:34:28:07
Kristen
Sell Doctor mustard. I, I have the pet corrector, I do you release? Absolutely. Yes.

00:34:28:09 - 00:34:28:14
Chris
It's a.

00:34:28:14 - 00:34:35:00
Kristen
Terrific device. And I also wanted to talk to you about. Yep. There it is. The pet corrector.

00:34:35:02 - 00:34:37:06
Dr. Mugford
I can't use it because my dogs are terrified of it.

00:34:37:06 - 00:34:39:08
Kristen
I wouldn't dream of using it till.

00:34:39:09 - 00:34:41:11
Chris
It's too much for them. It's a little too great.

00:34:41:11 - 00:34:54:01
Kristen
Right? And it's just to get get their attention when that's appropriate. But talk to us about your creation of the Hulk and how that ultimately led to really a revolution in the way people are training dogs.

00:34:54:01 - 00:35:16:20
Dr. Mugford
Yeah, yeah, well, it was it was war on dog trainers on both sides of the Atlantic because of this outmoded stuff. And, and, you know, there were two articles on the appropriate type of net collar, collar having really high were put pressure upon the old or the older trained meteors, which is these sort of sensitive bones at the back of a dog's hair.

00:35:16:22 - 00:35:40:18
Dr. Mugford
And it just seemed awful, really. So, I, told you that I was really a farming background and and so and crafted, head collars for all sorts of animals, head shapes. And so I made the first healthy, which looked not a lot like this because it had lots of rings and bits and pieces, and I've refined the design and, and changed the, the proportions.

00:35:40:19 - 00:36:06:06
Dr. Mugford
So it now fits virtually all breeds and types of dogs, because obviously dogs vary so much in their head shape. And a healthy shouldn't be for every dog and not all of its life. It's for young dogs, usually Labradors and police. All of them can go dogs. The beta puppy classes have been well trained. They've been trained on the slack lead as they should be, and they won't need a head collar.

00:36:06:08 - 00:36:34:19
Dr. Mugford
But there are some that never learned those lessons, or they didn't have the benefit of that type of training from their puppy trainer. So, those animals are going to be a disaster for life. And, in a study in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, something like 20% of all the, hospital entries of people over 65 were because they were pulled over by their dog and they had, you know, and broken hips and, and, and that sort of thing.

00:36:34:19 - 00:36:54:20
Dr. Mugford
So dogs that pull over is, are really a danger to their owners and especially to themselves. And you get all sorts of pressure damage to the neck, the, the delicate carotid arteries here. The esophagus is there. It's quite soft tissue. So I would I would say try it on yourself. You get it. It's a rope and.

00:36:54:20 - 00:37:00:09
Kristen
All right. But the multi the multi puts the pressure on the on the bridge of the nose not pressure.

00:37:00:09 - 00:37:22:03
Dr. Mugford
There is another design of head collar which you mentioned and which does put pressure. But this is purely a simple steering action. It's just left right left right left right. And it should be used on a slight lead. And I'm a big believer in two points of contact. So a, one on the head collar and the other on a regular collar.

00:37:22:05 - 00:37:48:02
Dr. Mugford
So I sort of introduce the concept of, although incorrectly known as the European double ended lead, which are at least six feet long. Do we make everything better here? So the two meters long, I'm pleased to say, even in American pet stores, that there are not so many, spike collars and chains sold, and they're invisible in the UK, thank goodness.

00:37:48:02 - 00:38:10:05
Dr. Mugford
And in the rest of Europe, it's a declining situation. So the message has really caught on. And that's been such a big pleasure for me to to see this change in animal handling, because training dogs isn't all about dogs being sort of superstars and, and, you know, it is about just having a happy relationship with their owner.

00:38:10:06 - 00:38:30:16
Dr. Mugford
And so people here do a lot of agility training and a lot of scent work, a lot of dog work and so on. And these are all very impressive dogs. But those people just want then take the dog for a walk and have it come back when they release it to them. And those are my people. That's, you know, I'm there to serve those people.

00:38:30:18 - 00:38:54:05
Kristen
Oh, absolutely. Doctor Mumford, you you've been prolific in creating the most amazing training tools and, you know, ways to manage our pets, behavior in positive ways. You mentioned earlier, before we were, recording that you had retired as, head of your company. What do you focus on today?

00:38:54:07 - 00:39:18:02
Dr. Mugford
Well, I've always been a cattle farmer. So I've got a whole song, and I got about 60 cattle here. And, they sort of keep me busy, but I'm. I'm going electric. I drive an EV electric car, and, I'm turning over, to 30 acres to a solar farm. And I charge EVs and electric vehicles from my solar power.

00:39:18:04 - 00:39:39:17
Dr. Mugford
So. So that's a big, investment and activity. So, I just planted 4000 trees and mostly oak trees, but all over the place, unlike my farm. So we're going to green, green, green. Because would you believe the planet is in a state of distress? So we got to do something good for the planet. And so that's my my driving force.

00:39:39:19 - 00:39:59:18
Dr. Mugford
And, yeah, I'm still inventing one of my latest inventions. Is this a translucent muzzle? So muzzles. That look like that is scary. This is called invisible Muzzle. So the I was wearing this is not, you know.

00:39:59:20 - 00:40:00:01
Kristen
It's a.

00:40:00:01 - 00:40:18:06
Dr. Mugford
Scary dog. And, So, yeah. Not all dogs. I'm a big, defender of, well, pit bulls and all the other breeds again. If you like criminal eyes as being bad dogs, there is no such thing as a bad dog. And.

00:40:18:07 - 00:40:19:02
Kristen
So true.

00:40:19:04 - 00:40:43:05
Dr. Mugford
So, I feel like if a dog does have aggressive tendencies and it could be a Chihuahua. Or it could be an Excel bully, then give it a chance. Give it a chance to be retrained. But meanwhile, make it safe by wearing a nice muzzle. And that's called the basketball muscle. Which is not that my big inventions, but we're working on them.

00:40:43:06 - 00:41:10:01
Dr. Mugford
Better feeding systems, better treat systems for dogs and, refining, some of the techniques and clicker training of a big believer in clicker training. But can we use, voice and, yeah, it snaps the fingers rather than that. And, really getting people into doing more exciting, exotic things with their dogs not just being what we call couch potato.

00:41:10:01 - 00:41:39:15
Dr. Mugford
It was just a boring, boring life at home. And, I'm a big o over there. You can see a pup pod. And so, cognition. And I see one of your broadcasts about, The clever things that dogs can do. I'm a a scientific advisor to medical detection dogs, and we can train dogs to particular odors associated with particular illnesses using this sort of semi-automated system.

00:41:39:15 - 00:42:04:09
Dr. Mugford
So Papon is an amazing canine cognition exploration tool. And you can buy him in American from the pepper.com. And I'm the one of the the backers of anything that enriches makes the life of dogs more interesting, more exciting. And this purported system is one of the most impressive.

00:42:04:11 - 00:42:11:01
Chris
The doctor mug for you know, when you retire, you're supposed to kind of, relax and.

00:42:11:03 - 00:42:13:18
Kristen
Then stop doing you just listed.

00:42:13:18 - 00:42:16:00
Chris
Like 12 things you're doing.

00:42:16:01 - 00:42:18:05
Kristen
And I'm over here.

00:42:18:07 - 00:42:20:10
Chris
And I'm like, all right, what do I have going on? Well, I.

00:42:20:10 - 00:42:22:00
Kristen
Record this podcast.

00:42:22:00 - 00:42:46:23
Chris
And I suppose that's keeping me busy. You're absolutely, you know, you're an amazing person, an inspiration to us all. We are, unfortunately, out of time here. But genuinely, you're you're an inspiration to the entire industry. Thank you for everything that you've done in moving, the way we treat our animals forward. All of the great products that you've invented that helped have helped so many, families and their animals.

00:42:46:23 - 00:42:54:01
Chris
So from the bottom of the pile podcast to to to you. You over there in the UK. Thank you.

00:42:54:03 - 00:42:58:01
Dr. Mugford
I'm going to be one of your kitties followers from now on. Thank you Christine.

00:42:58:01 - 00:42:58:19
Chris
Appreciate that.

00:42:59:00 - 00:43:02:19
Kristen
Thank you Chris. So much. It was an absolute pleasure.

00:43:02:21 - 00:43:03:07
Dr. Mugford
Thank you.

00:43:03:10 - 00:43:05:20
Voice Over
Pets add life.

00:43:05:22 - 00:43:09:10
Kristen
Wow. Well, doctor Mugford didn't have much to say today.

00:43:09:12 - 00:43:30:05
Chris
No it was it was really hard to get it out of him. You know, I think an extensive career like that, and, I mean, I was, I was really jab, jab in him in our little post interview breakdown there about his retirement being more busy than my current life. It's it's wild. Everything that he's involved with.

00:43:30:05 - 00:43:56:10
Chris
And, you know, if you've, trained a dog or read something online about, you know, positive reinforcement or own some of these, products from the Company of Animals or other products that have been inspired by it, you know, your life has been touched by by, Doctor Mumford. So, he's got an incredible reach across, ridiculously long and low world career.

00:43:56:12 - 00:44:22:06
Kristen
Right? He does. And and you know what the biggest for me when we were talking to him is when he talked about when he was younger on the farm, how he created a halter for to lead his calf around the, you know, the pasture. Yeah. And you know, I realize, you know, to be able to work with such large animals and to control large animals, you can't use force because they're so much bigger and stronger than we are.

00:44:22:06 - 00:44:36:00
Kristen
So it's just really brilliant how he used the way that he was. You know, what he had learned from working on the farm, to how to, you know, get dogs to walk on a leash and not pull and things like that. So it's pretty cool.

00:44:36:00 - 00:44:59:12
Chris
It's interesting too, just like colloquially and language that we've used in English, you know, with farm animals, we say animal husbandry, but with pets we say pet ownership. And I just think that's like a little interesting. That is a little thing there, where, you know, Roger was inspired by the way they treated the farm animals. That content tend to be more stubborn.

00:44:59:13 - 00:45:03:20
Chris
And that led him to change the way he treated his pet. And I think that's awesome.

00:45:03:20 - 00:45:10:13
Voice Over
The Product of the Week

00:45:10:15 - 00:45:23:09
Chris
All right, it's that time. It's time for the product of the week. And I gave my story first, so, Kristen, I'm going to and tell you to go for volunteers.

00:45:23:10 - 00:45:50:13
Kristen
Okay? No problem. This one's kind of fun. I discovered this on the internet. It's by a company called Wolf, and it's called the popsicle. And what it is, is it's this round rubber ball kind of toy that you unscrew and you pop this treat into it. It's, like, shaped like a ball. And I'm not really sure why they call it a popsicle, because it's not really a frozen.

00:45:50:15 - 00:46:18:00
Kristen
Although they do say that you can, you can replace the treats that come with the popsicle with your own treats. So I guess you could replace a frozen like, ball in there. But they come in pretty colors. They come in small, medium and large. And this is just another one of those awesome. Toy. Like, I guess it's kind of like a puzzle toy, because the dog has to lick the treat out of the center of the ball and they can't get the ball up.

00:46:18:02 - 00:46:20:22
Kristen
Hopefully they can't get the ball apart so they claim.

00:46:20:22 - 00:46:25:12
Chris
And and if they are really smart dog, then you have opposable thumbs.

00:46:25:14 - 00:46:48:05
Kristen
Right? But they say that it's great for a long lasting distraction for your dog. It's supposed to last up to 30 minutes per use. I'd like to test that out, but I think it's really cool. And it's very, it's machine or dishwasher safe, so you can just unscrew it when it's after your dog's finished, wash it in the dishwasher, and then you can pop different types of treats in there if you choose to.

00:46:48:05 - 00:47:05:02
Kristen
Otherwise they they do sell the refill pops, which they actually look pretty yummy. So, that is my product of the week, and I don't even oh, here, 1999. So not a bad price for a 30 minute distraction every day.

00:47:05:04 - 00:47:27:01
Chris
Sounds great. It's actually funny. I was doing research to for my product and I think I saw something similar, but I went a different direction. Oh, lucky or lucky, I did go an entirely different direction. So I'm talking about a brand here. We see this question a lot when we look at our sheet of questions. People came in about taking care of their dogs teeth.

00:47:27:03 - 00:47:53:21
Chris
And one interesting thing about dental health for both humans and animals is a lot of it's genetics. Some dogs, you straight up don't have to do anything. They've just got naturally healthy teeth and some dogs you have to pay particularly close attention to. Your vet will be able to guide you in that sense. But if your dog does require some human intervention for their teeth, this brand called Oxi Fresh makes a great line of products.

00:47:53:21 - 00:48:18:14
Chris
So they've got, a water additive that you can add into the dog's water that's going to help very mineralized their teeth. They've got and this is really what I want to talk about. They've got pet toothpaste and these finger brushes really put one on your finger. With a little bit of this, I'm pretty sure it's like chicken flavored toothpaste.

00:48:18:16 - 00:48:35:03
Chris
Yeah. Go in there and you could scrub. And it's just so, so much easier than trying to use a human toothbrush or something like that. And then if your dog's really doesn't like you touching their teeth, they make a line of toys as well, that are sort of made out of that hard plastic. They're more spiny now.

00:48:35:04 - 00:48:53:01
Chris
Basically acts like dental floss for for dogs. So they've got a great website. It's going to be in the show notes. It's called Oxi Fresh. All sorts of great stuff offered at very reasonable prices. So whatever you feel like you need, you get this question all the time. How do I take care of that? I don't see how do I take care of my dog?

00:48:53:03 - 00:49:07:03
Chris
This is a great line of products to start with, but as always, talk to your vet first. See if this is even necessary. And if it is, check out Oxi Fresh. You might find something good. Keep those pearly whites, pearly whites.

00:49:07:05 - 00:49:08:12
Voice Over
Q and A's.

00:49:08:13 - 00:49:29:18
Chris
All right, folks, it's time for our favorite segment of the show. That's right. We're going to answer two questions that some of our wonderful listeners submitted. And hey, if you're listening to this and going, I've got a question for Chris and Kristen, you're in luck. You could submit your questions over at Petsaddlife.org/podcast. Scroll on down to the bottom of the page.

00:49:29:18 - 00:49:46:06
Chris
You'll see a form to submit your question. Or if you're feeling as brave as Savannah, the dog on a seven year long, that's you can record a voice memo and you may hear your question played live on the show.

00:49:46:08 - 00:49:48:03
Kristen
But without cool. Would that be.

00:49:48:05 - 00:50:11:12
Chris
Question number two on our little sheet over here of wonderful questions from wonderful people? It's from Daniel in Austin, Texas, and Daniel asks, I've heard that some dogs can develop anxiety around certain triggers like thunderstorms or car rides. What are some of the most effective techniques for helping a dog manage and overcome these anxieties?

00:50:11:13 - 00:50:40:09
Kristen
Great questions Daniel. Thank you for submitting it. I just saw something come across my inbox. I think it was yesterday. From, a veterinary behaviorist that I worked with in the past. And she in the email, it says 50% of dogs have noise phobia or will develop noise phobia. So thunder storms, fireworks. Even, you know, if you live in the city, even, traffic noises, sirens, construction.

00:50:40:09 - 00:51:05:19
Kristen
There are a lot of different noises and loud noises that dogs can become fearful of. And I think the challenge is, you know, if your dog is a puppy, you can do some desensitizing to some of these noises, like play recorded, sounds of thunder or, fireworks at a low volume and, and associate it with a positive, treat or like a positive reward or, you know, I just get excited.

00:51:05:19 - 00:51:29:19
Kristen
And now it's a, you know, make your dog associate noises with fun, or at least just not fright, you know, scary. But if your dog is past the puppy stages and has already developed those fears, it's it's really going to be more about managing. It's very difficult once a dog has developed a noise phobia to to cure them of it, but that doesn't mean you can't manage it.

00:51:29:19 - 00:52:10:01
Kristen
There are so many calming products on the market, everything from, you know, calming chews to anxiety wraps to, even even puzzle toys that kind of help distract an animal or get their brain exercise. So you really kind of have to start experimenting. And also it's very important to talk to your vet as soon as you notice those symptoms, because your vet can help you, with either if it's severe enough medication, or with some behavior modification techniques that you can use to again, manage that situation because if you leave it untreated, that typically gets worse as your dog ages.

00:52:10:05 - 00:52:34:02
Kristen
As far as, car rides, I forget the statistic, but, it's something like a third of dogs get have motion sickness in the car. So the anxiety that you're seeing the annual could be because your dog is, you know, getting motion sickness in the car and maybe, you know, obviously when when she sees the car, when you say, let's go for a car ride, she's thinking, oh, crap.

00:52:34:04 - 00:53:04:17
Kristen
But there are, there are medications for, just like we can take Dramamine. There's a medication called serenity that your vet can prescribe if you're taking your if your dog is showing signs of, of, motion sickness. So, and if it's just an anxiety about car rides, then maybe starting off with really short trips around the block again, associating that trip with a positive treat with positive experience, and then gradually lengthening those trips as your dog feels more comfortable.

00:53:04:19 - 00:53:07:13
Chris
So that's a great answer, Kristen. Very thorough.

00:53:07:15 - 00:53:15:18
Kristen
Well thank you. I've. I've had dogs with both anxieties, noise and car rides. So I've had the.

00:53:15:21 - 00:53:17:12
Chris
So you're an expert.

00:53:17:14 - 00:53:18:16
Kristen
I'm an expert.

00:53:18:18 - 00:53:21:20
Chris
On that. There we go. That's that's why we have me on the show. Because you're an.

00:53:21:20 - 00:53:22:11
Kristen
Expert, I wonder.

00:53:22:14 - 00:53:26:01
Chris
I wonder why they have me.

00:53:26:03 - 00:53:30:22
Kristen
Oh, Chris, you are an expert as well. And I have a question for you now.

00:53:31:00 - 00:53:31:13
Chris
Okay.

00:53:31:15 - 00:53:40:03
Kristen
And this is from Emma in Seattle, Washington. Emma wants to know if you can feed your dog American cheese.

00:53:40:05 - 00:53:52:19
Chris
You. I actually don't think dogs are supposed to have dairy. Cats can have a very limited amount of dairy. But with the American cheese, the danger is the salt, right? Animal shouldn't be having that much salt.

00:53:52:23 - 00:53:54:18
Kristen
But that's not really the question. I'm kidding.

00:53:54:20 - 00:54:00:18
Chris
My opinion on using treats like that for animals is they could always have a little teeny tiny taste.

00:54:00:22 - 00:54:19:17
Kristen
Teeny teeny teeny tiny tiny. But seriously, now Emma would like to know. She says, my dog seems to be overly protective of me when we go on walks, she often barks or lunges at other dogs and people. What steps can I take to help him feel more secure and reduce this reactive behavior?

00:54:19:19 - 00:54:40:05
Chris
That is a heck of a question. And while I may not be an animal behavior specialist, I do play one on TV. So, Emma, you're in luck. I think there's kind of two tacks you could take with this. The first is, the dog may be protective of you because it views itself as like the leader of the pack.

00:54:40:07 - 00:55:00:22
Chris
So you may need to just take a more, dominant approach. Don't let the dog walk ahead of you. Make sure you're walking, like, maybe even slightly ahead of it and keep it on a shorter leash. But you could also train a quiet or shush command. And the easiest way to do that is at home in a controlled environment.

00:55:00:22 - 00:55:29:08
Chris
This isn't something they're going to learn while on a walk where there's like a gazillion different variables that are going to affect training, but you can just sort of leave the dog near an open window, and obviously something's going to come by eventually and they're going to start to bark. And when that happens, you in your best dog command voice, which is stern but not anxious or angry, say quiet, wait for them to get quiet and then reward them.

00:55:29:10 - 00:55:49:09
Chris
And you just sort of continue that trend like you would training any trick where you're going to wait, you're going to expect them to obey the command faster. They're going to wait to give them the treat. Maybe ten seconds of quiet before then. Then you're going to start to sporadically, you know, give the treat every other time, every third time.

00:55:49:14 - 00:56:10:05
Chris
And before you know it, your dog is going to respond to a quiet command. And so if you feel like you can't change the dynamic, the dog is fully come into like this alpha, protective role. Maybe you just teach it the quiet command. And, you know, dogs can learn this kind of stuff. They want to be able to communicate with us.

00:56:10:06 - 00:56:36:16
Chris
And, and we've, you know, developed all of these techniques to, to to train them, so that I think that would be my advice. You know, I don't think you're ever really going to beat that rabbit out of a dog. And I know, a few friends of mine who have dogs that are, very territorial, very protective of, you know, the house and their handlers and things like that, but respond really well to either a down or a command.

00:56:36:18 - 00:56:41:17
Chris
And now they're not a problem at all. So there you go. Yeah.

00:56:41:18 - 00:56:48:07
Kristen
Great advice and just be persistent. And if, if you're struggling, you can always hire a dog trainer to help you out. Yeah.

00:56:48:07 - 00:57:06:12
Chris
Yeah. And I learned all that from my script where I play an animal behavior specialist on TV. But thank you, Emma and Daniel, for your wonderful questions, as always. And, hey, that is that's a show. That's the end of a that's the end of a whole dang episode. Kristen.

00:57:06:12 - 00:57:26:14
Kristen
How about I know it just went by so quickly, you know, it's so cool that we get to talk to some of the world's most respected and accomplished experts, pet experts, and and also people, everyday people who just accomplish this amazing adventures with their dogs. It's just you never know who you're going to meet here on the Pets Add Life podcast.

00:57:26:18 - 00:57:53:03
Chris
Yeah. I mean, it's I think it's great because not everybody's going to be like a Tom Tucker six, right? And walk around the world. But there are a gazillion million Emmas and, and Daniel Daniels who achieved things that they didn't think were possible with their animals just through research and discipline and sometimes adamant stubbornness, which is.

00:57:53:03 - 00:58:20:17
Chris
Yeah, my expertise. And I just want to say, those folks, you're just as amazing as the guy who walked around the world for sure. Because, you know, every every small challenge can be a big one, depending on your perspective. So for those of you out there conquering life's everyday obstacles, while it may not be the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, which I'm still, you know, I, I'm going to look at a map later and find out exactly where that is.

00:58:20:18 - 00:58:39:10
Chris
You know, it's it's just it's just as impressive. And we're just as proud of you. So anyway, folks, we will be here next week on Tuesday. I believe we're going to be celebrating National Cat day next Tuesday. I mean, it's right near Halloween. So if you're listening to this, get on to the get onto the gram.

00:58:39:10 - 00:58:43:17
Chris
Let's see some of those cat costumes, folks. And I don't mean you in a cat costume.

00:58:43:17 - 00:58:49:17
Kristen
No, no no no, the cat in a costume, because we all know how much cat we know. Cats love to wear costumes.

00:58:49:17 - 00:59:12:06
Chris
So, yeah, we put our Maine Coon growing up in a Batman costume once, and it was the grumpus Batman in the, I guess, sitting there like, I can't believe I'm doing this. So let's let's see those costumes. We'll see you back here in a week for National Cat day. I think we're close to Halloween, too. Wow. All that.

00:59:12:08 - 00:59:17:15
Chris
And until then, be kind to yourself. Be kind to your pets, and we will see you in one week's time.

00:59:17:17 - 00:59:19:07
Kristen
Bye now.

00:59:19:09 - 00:59:19:22
Voice Over
Pets Add Life.