49. Paws, Hearts, and Breakthroughs – The Science of Connection and Training for a Better Pet Life

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Chris
Pets add life. Your guide to the latest in pet trends, products and the joy of the human animal bond with Christian Levine and Chris Bowen, a fan powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.

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Chris
Hello pals! Welcome to another wonderful episode of the Pets and Life podcast. I'm Chris Bonafide, joined as always by the lovely. And now I'm drawing a brick blank because it's hard.

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Chris
Quit telling me this at 4 a.m. in a warehouse. This is the sixth episode in a row that we filmed.

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Kristen
So attractive is plenty. Don't worry about it.

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Chris
Yeah, she is absolutely lovely. And, her name is Kristen Levine. Kristen, welcome.

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Kristen
Hey, Chris. Great to see you again. You're wearing the same thing you wore last week.

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Chris
So am I, because it's 4 a.m. in the warehouse, and this episode is all. This is all lighting. Yeah.

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Kristen
Hey, we got a great show today. We've got one of our favorite guests that we are going to be having. I won't tell you who it is, but he's inventor Ting a new. What do you call it? Like a holiday or awareness week?

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Chris
Awareness week?

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Kristen
Awareness week? Yes. Yes.

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Chris
Yes. And, we're going to hear all about that. And I love it when people, put these awareness week forward. It's almost like survival of the awareness where there's a lot of people trying to push them. Yeah. Only the strong may remain, but I've got a really good feeling about this. I've got a really good feeling that I think it's going to stick, for a while.

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Chris
But other than that. Hey, we've got, two, two total guests. So you're going to hear from that guest and one other. We're going to tell two awesome stories. We've got two just absolutely, fundamentally incredible promise to introduce to you all. And then when it's all said and done, we're going to answer two of your hot burning questions.

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Chris
We picked the hottest, spiciest. Yes, absolutely. Most delectable. Gobble it up. Lick your fingers afterwards. Questions to answer this week. So you're going to want to hold onto your horses. Don't touch that dial. Don't even think about it, I see you, I'm looking at you right now. I'm looking at you through the camera, through the archives of your radio.

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Chris
And I see your finger hovering over the next button. And I'm telling you, you do this. We're not friends. Anyone?

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Chris
And if you're still listening, you're one of my bestie. So there we go.

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Kristen
First, let's move on. Yeah. Let's get the world's longest intro.

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Chris
Let's get into this episode of the Peloponnese. Oh, Kristin and Chris present story time.

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Kristen
Okay, Chris, it is story time. And I'm. I'm going to let you kick it off this time.

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Chris
Okay? Yeah, it's at that. I'm going, for the first time this year, I'm putting on my lab coat and crispy. The science G is coming out. Oh, goody. Because I want to talk about pangolins, which are kind of like little armadillo guys, that they're like. They're like little armadillo scaly, sort of like mammalian, almost, but, like, almost look reptilian.

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Chris
They're adorable and, this is a really cool story that I saw, in a scientific journal, but I'm going to put, like a summary. I don't I don't think I expect anybody to read the science like, I, I'm a nerd. Geek. But the, I'm just trying to find the name of the scientist. This is the zoological survey of India.

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Chris
So this is the logical survey of India. Conducted a DNA analysis on array and an array of pangolins. And they have discuss a new species of Asian and and what does that mean? Why is this a big deal? Well, the big deal is that pangolins are largely endangered. And when animals can't adapt to their surroundings, they go extinct, right?

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Chris
A new species become discovered and emerge. It means that the animal is adapting, and is finding new ways to alter its DNA through evolution, to adapt to ever changing times. Now, while this creature has probably been around for a while, they trace its DNA back like something like 3.4 million years. This is where, they believe that that split in DNA happened.

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Chris
Discovering it now for the first time for such a rare creature is huge in the scientific community. It's great news for conservationists. It's great news for little cute animal fans who love seeing these guys. So I just thought it's like, a pretty uplifting, story. It's really cool how they do these DNA analysis. The link to the actual scientific journals in the article.

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Chris
If you're a nerd like me and you want to see all about the study, I highly recommend it. But I just thought it was a really cool one to share with all my fellow animal lovers.

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Kristen
Chris, I really think you missed your calling in life. I think you would have made a great science teacher like high school science teacher.

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Chris
Yeah, I, I think I would have done that if, if teachers weren't the most mistreated profession, if not afraid. I think I definitely would have, would have gone on and, and who knows, maybe I should have done it. And I could have pulled, like, a Walter White and guess, you know, a chemistry teacher for sure.

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Chris
So there, half an episode. Yeah, I guess one episode.

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Kristen
Well, I've got another, scientific sort of a story for you. I'm excited to share that a brand new study shows how deep the bond between dogs and their people really is. Scientists have discovered something really amazing, and that is that our our dogs hearts actually sync up with our hearts when we're together. How cool is that?

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Chris
Yeah, I've heard of this one before. I've heard.

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Kristen
Have we talked about this? Yeah, I actually I saw it on the Harry website. And so this is from the University of Helsinki, and they, they found that the dog's heart rate actually adapts to match their owner's heart rate during certain interactions. And they studied 25 dog owner pairs. And they did focus on certain breeds, like retrievers and herding dogs, so they monitored both dogs and their owners during activities like playing, petting and training.

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Kristen
And the synchronization only happened. This is not surprising to me, but the synchronization only happened between the actual dog owner and the dog, not with like the trainer or, you know, some random person, obviously, super. But I think it's pretty cool. And I think it proves scientifically what many of us have already kind of felt and is that emotional connection with our dogs is real, and it's actually measurable.

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Kristen
So, you know, just like a parent and child can influence each other's emotional states, we now know, and we have scientific proof that dogs and their humans share that same kind of emotional connection.

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Chris
Yeah, but that's proving through science what we all already know to be, so, if I believe every website is Happy.

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Kristen
Dawg.

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Chris
Or.

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Kristen
Happy hour, I.

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Chris
Yes, it is a b r i.org. They have, all sorts of cool research that is very similar to the story, that Kristen, just shared with you all. So go ahead and take a look if you want to read some more. Yeah. Beyond the Leash Exploring the Untold Stories of pet passion and Professionals.

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Kristen
I'm so excited to introduce our guest, my friend, my colleague, Doctor Courtney Campbell, who is a renowned veterinary surgeon. He's also a media personality and an advocate for animal wellness with board certification in small animals specialty surgery. He's become a trusted voice in veterinary medicine, combining expertise with a flair for entertainment. And he's got a great personality. He makes complex topics really accessible, inspiring, and entertaining.

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Kristen
Doctor Courtney is also the chief creative officer at vet Candy, and he leads the surgical team at wait for it. Stitches Veterinary Surgery center. Greatest name ever for a veterinary surgery center. This is in Long Beach, California, and his practice offers cutting edge surgical solutions, including orthopedic surgery, minimally invasive techniques, and surgical oncology. Now, Recently, he was featured on dog TV's new show vets A to Z and Doctor Courtney.

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Kristen
Impact. His impact extends far beyond the operating room. As the veterinary field evolves, he remains a steadfast advocate for independent, community driven pet care. Now, one of the reasons we wanted to have Doctor Courtney on the show is because Pet Surgery Week is approaching, and we've got some questions about Pet Surgery Week. It sounds like a really cool awareness week.

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Kristen
It's not till March, but we're going to dive into that a little bit here. Welcome Doctor Courtney.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for having me. With an intro like that. I feel like I should just with an intro like that, I feel like I should just retire or something. Yeah, let's just wrap it up.

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Kristen
Yeah, we actually don't. We actually don't need an interview because I just mentioned everything in it. Just kidding. Get that.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
Intro. Thank you so, so much for having me. Honestly, it's, you know, something I've been looking forward to. I always look forward to chatting with you guys and yeah, I, I can't believe it, but, it's a brand new day, for the launch of our of our surgical center here in Long Beach, California. So it's just a beautiful year to start off with.

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Kristen
Let's start off with that. I want to hear about stitches. How you came up with the name. And tell us a little bit about the surgery center.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
Yeah. You know, it's it's a fascinating question because I'll be honest with you, to be completely transparent, it is something that I grappled with because in my history, just in my tenure within veterinary medicine, I've been part of some outstanding practices and they've always kind of run or been known by their acronym, whether it's animal surgical emergency center or veterinary referral emergency.

00;10;04;22 - 00;10;31;03
Dr. Courtney Campbell
And. Right. And it's just everybody just knows it by the letters. And so when I had this, I guess you could call it sort of whimsical name, I hesitated because I wasn't sure. But what I really focused on was what's something that's relatable, to, to the pet families out there and parents out there also, what is something that makes takes the fear out of out of surgery as well?

00;10;31;03 - 00;10;53;00
Dr. Courtney Campbell
Because of, you know, veterinary surgery, you're taking your dog in for surgery can be a very stressful or anxious event, and it shouldn't have to be that way. It shouldn't have to be. And so just starting from a name to the way that we practice, the goal is to make it more relatable, more, less scary and, and drive down the anxiety.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
And I think that if you can start with the name, that's a good place to start.

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Chris
Yeah, I learned, you know, think thinking in terms of like having a, bit of a more approachable name, to your practice. You're bearing the torch on pet surgery, awareness week. So why don't you tell us a little bit about the nature of that week? What you're trying to accomplish, and maybe some cool things coming down the line in pet surgery that could save, a lot of our furry friends lives.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
Yeah. Thank you so much for that question. You know, there are, fortunately, some really outstanding people doing great work in terms of pet awareness throughout the year. Right. For one example is, pet, pet dental month. Right. And, and we know that that's in February. We know that animal cruelty awareness Month is throughout the year. Right. So there's certain times of the year where we draw attention to pets.

00;11;46;20 - 00;12;07;08
Dr. Courtney Campbell
And I think that pet surgery week is an outstanding time to do that. And what really it's about is the word commitment. There are so many pet parents who are committed to their pets well-being and committed to their pets health. One tiny example is the use of a cone call right or the use of a foam collar. A donut color.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
That's a commitment to say, hey, listen, my pet just had surgery and I'm committed to their aftercare so that they don't lick or groom that surgery site. And when I see a pet parent who comes in with one of those collars on or a different permutation, let's say, a tee shirt to cover the surgical incision to me, I say, wow, look at that.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
They're committed. They're committed towards the aftercare. They're committed to getting their pet healthier. Just pet parents who do follow up after surgery. They come in for x rays to see how that, fracture is healing to me. That's a commitment. They've made a commitment to their pets well-being, to follow up with, to do follow up care, and investigate a big mass or tumor that's growing.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
Unfortunately, they're saying, hey, listen, this is not normal. This tumor is getting bigger. I'm committed to my pets health. Let's go get that investigated. And once we determine it's time for surgery, we can remove it. So for me, pet surgery week is just about the passion and the commitment from everybody. Pet families, the veterinarian and the staff that surrounds them.

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Kristen
Yeah, that's a that's a great way to to explain it. And that's coming up in March. Right. Is that, it's a, it's a new event that you created and, yeah, we're excited that.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
It's exciting because it is it doesn't it. Right now it doesn't exist. Right. So the cool thing is you can, you know, the cool thing is you can, during this month, this week in March, it's going to be all hands on deck and everybody's going to participate. So I'm excited about this coming down. And, there's going to be some exciting stuff coming up in the future.

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
We're going to be talking a little bit about the other side, right. The other side of the spectrum where we're talking about advanced imaging, the use of CT scans, the use of something called fluoroscopy, which is like a video X-ray. I specialize in something called arthroscopy, which is taking a camera and putting it inside of a joint. So there's everything from the community to pet families to sort of advanced imaging techniques.

00;14;11;25 - 00;14;14;07
Dr. Courtney Campbell
We kind of cover the whole spectrum.

00;14;14;09 - 00;14;33;29
Kristen
I love it, I love it, and kind of along the lines of bringing pet parents and veterinarians together in terms of the knowledge and education. Do you have a role, both as a surgeon but also as a media personality? So how do you use, a platform like vet can't vet candy to bridge that gap between, veterinarians and pet parents?

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
You know it. It's got beautiful Nexus, which I call infotainment, where or educate you tainment. Right. Where. Yeah, you can provide education in a very riveting, engaging and dynamic way because the reality is sometimes this information can be pretty heavy. And, you know, people are tired at the end of the day, I don't want anybody falling asleep.

00;14;56;00 - 00;15;16;03
Dr. Courtney Campbell
Right? So if we can take the information and make it information in the star, right. Make the education, the star of the show. And if I'm a conduit for that, then I, you know, on that can be able to take platforms and we talk about wound care. We talk about suturing. We talk about we try to educate other veterinarians.

00;15;16;08 - 00;15;38;03
Dr. Courtney Campbell
And so regarding orthopedic disease. Right. So we're able to take education and hopefully take it to the next level because I've been to med school internships, residencies and they're not always there. It's those times are not always the most entertaining time. So if we can change that a little bit, that's a lot of fun.

00;15;38;05 - 00;15;59;05
Chris
Yeah. Yeah, that's that's absolutely awesome. And, you know, we have a lot of listeners, out here who are pet parents. Obviously, it's a pet podcast. What are some, ways they could get involved or what sorts of resources should they be on the lookout for so that they could learn more? In case, you know, nobody ever wants their pet to have to have surgery.

00;15;59;05 - 00;16;07;09
Chris
But if it were to happen, they obviously want as many resources as possible. Where could they go to kind of find more and, and stay on top of these sorts of things?

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Dr. Courtney Campbell
That's a great question. So they I truly believe in meeting pet parents where they are. Right. And a lot of pet parents are cruising on socials. A lot of parents, fortunately, are dog TV. A lot of pet parents are on the interwebs looking at digital content. And so I was fortunate enough during my, grand opening this Sunday to have on all of my monitors in the hospital just a nice constant playlist and stream of dog TV.

00;16;37;17 - 00;17;01;18
Dr. Courtney Campbell
And I've been able to, fortunately, with the help that, you know, you guys just an outstanding team is produce some great content with dog TV in terms of, you know, animals A to Z. Right. And we just go down that alphabetical list and provide preventative care techniques, early detection and just lean in and dig into what it actually means to take care of your pet.

00;17;01;20 - 00;17;27;04
Dr. Courtney Campbell
Obviously. Vet candy digital platform. They're my social platform at Doctor Courtney, DVM. There's, information there that you can glean from. So, and more content will be continuing to come out. Right. And so a podcast like this is a great way on your commute, right? Instead of like sitting in traffic and getting frustrated, you can listen to an outstanding podcast like this and continue to get information and resources.

00;17;27;04 - 00;17;47;15
Dr. Courtney Campbell
So I would say for any parent who's listening, stay tuned to this podcast. Guys. There's going to be more every week that comes out that I think is going to be so powerful. And then on top of that, we're going to be producing new and exciting content in 2025. So, listen, if you stay tuned, I think there's exciting things to come.

00;17;47;17 - 00;17;55;08
Chris
You're doing that job for me. I thought I was going to take my job, but no, it's Doctor Courtney Campbell. He's gunning for it.

00;17;55;11 - 00;17;59;24
Kristen
Well, Chris, he did co-host. He did co-host a couple of episodes. Yeah.

00;17;59;26 - 00;18;03;02
Chris
Yeah. That's true, that's true. He's pretty good at this kind of stuff.

00;18;03;05 - 00;18;20;22
Dr. Courtney Campbell
No, no, it's just like I said, it's just like I said, it's a privilege to be on with you guys, and I. One thing that I love more than anything is your passion, right? I can feel it and people can hear it. And I know people who are listening are equally as passionate. So at the end of the day, we're all dog people, right?

00;18;20;22 - 00;18;22;26
Dr. Courtney Campbell
And so that's makes it fun.

00;18;22;28 - 00;18;44;01
Kristen
And I think you found a great niche, Doctor Courtney in, in the concept of surgery and making it less scary. And kudos to that. And we're excited to see, all the things you do it at stitches and to watch you on social and that sort of thing. And, and I know you've got patients waiting for you, so we're going to let you go, but, it's always great to have you on the show and look forward to seeing you soon.

00;18;44;04 - 00;18;51;09
Dr. Courtney Campbell
Thank you so much. You guys have been fantastic. And like I said, exciting things to come and I'm really fortunate to be with you.

00;18;51;11 - 00;18;52;13
Kristen
All right. Thank you.

00;18;52;13 - 00;18;53;14
Chris
Folks in the back.

00;18;53;14 - 00;18;58;06
Kristen
Here by.

00;18;58;08 - 00;19;24;22
Kristen
He's always so fun to talk to. And I really do love the name stitches for the practice. I once, I was skiing and, I don't remember if it was Beavercreek or Breckenridge one year and I noticed a, a veterinary hospital called dog and Cat repair, and I thought that was the cutest name. But when we went back the next year, it had been bought by a, you know, a corporation, and they changed that to something maybe.

00;19;24;28 - 00;19;31;00
Kristen
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But me. Oh, that was such a cute name. I guess, you know, but whatever covered.

00;19;31;00 - 00;20;01;11
Chris
Pets and life and continuing on with Dog Training Month, we are now welcoming Tricia Stewart, an internationally acclaimed dog trainer, author and speaker known for her transformative work in dog reactivity and canine empowerment. Based in Oregon, Grisha founded Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle in 2003, a pioneering force free training that garnered multiple awards, including Best of Seattle and Best of Western Washington.

00;20;01;14 - 00;20;37;18
Chris
She is also the visionary behind the Gracious Stuart Academy, an online hub for dog trainers and families, offering over 150 courses and webinars on dog behavior. Chris's groundbreaking approach to training is encapsulated in her widely celebrated Behavior Adjustment training. You might hear us call It That methodology outlined in her books, including Behavior Adjustment Training, to point out these techniques, rooted in compassion and nonviolence, empower dogs and their families by addressing the underlying causes of fear, aggression, and reactivity.

00;20;37;18 - 00;20;44;10
Chris
So that is our quick introduction. Grisha, how are you doing today? Welcome. Thanks for joining the show.

00;20;44;12 - 00;20;51;13
Grisha
Thank you, I feel great. It's. It was sunny outside yesterday. I still feel pretty sandy today, so I'm really glad.

00;20;51;13 - 00;20;57;27
Chris
Very lucky. On the East coast, it is nothing but clouds and cold. So glad.

00;20;57;27 - 00;20;58;21
Kristen
You got some sun.

00;20;58;26 - 00;21;06;14
Grisha
Yes, yes. I mean, I don't have any right now. Like, right this minute outside it's cloudy, but I just internally I carry some of the sun from yesterday.

00;21;06;14 - 00;21;10;02
Chris
So that's, that is a great attitude to have.

00;21;10;04 - 00;21;14;01
Grisha
The downside of the sun is the cold. But you know. Yes with him.

00;21;14;01 - 00;21;36;19
Chris
But what are you going to do right. So my first question, you know, reading through that introduction, let's talk about your bat method methodology. I think that for the listeners, would be the thing that jumps out as the biggest unknown there. So can you walk us through your theory and methodology and what maybe makes it a little different from other, dog training theories?

00;21;36;21 - 00;22;00;22
Grisha
Sure. So Bat stands for behavior adjustment training, which, the the intentionality behind that is that we adjust the behavior, but we also are meeting the need of the, of the dog. So basically there's this sequence of behavior where they bark or growl or whatever it is in order to feel more safe, or to, to maintain access to something that makes them satisfied.

00;22;00;24 - 00;22;21;09
Grisha
And so if all we're doing is kind of in the other series, if we're just punishing them for doing something that we don't like or reinforcing with treats for some behavior that we do like, we're missing the key element, which is that behavior exists for a reason. It exists to meet a need. And so our work is it's functional.

00;22;21;09 - 00;22;54;12
Grisha
So in using kind of technical term, and it's really about giving the dog enough space and time to be able to, to make different choices and to rehearse them at a distance where they feel comfortable and then gradually allowing them to get closer. And so the human role instead of where and a lot of training, it's about directing the dog, in that the role is more of a parachute that we're there to, to monitor their nervous system and see whether they can handle the situation they're in right now.

00;22;54;15 - 00;22;58;29
Grisha
And if they can't, then we're tracking that.

00;22;59;01 - 00;23;18;04
Kristen
Yeah, I love that approach. And thanks for, you know, describing that for us. I'm curious to know, is there a difference between behavior adjustment training and behavior modification that seems to behavior modification is a term that I hear quite frequently. Yeah. How are they different?

00;23;18;07 - 00;23;40;27
Grisha
Yeah. So behavior modification is a big umbrella category of of looking at behavior and how we can change it. So there's a whole science of that and behavior adjustment training. It's it's a technique that I, came up with essentially for my own dog, peanut. But also I was I was a trainer. I had lots of, you know, aggressive dog classes going on our classes for dog aggression.

00;23;40;29 - 00;23;54;09
Grisha
And so it's a more specific thing that we're specifically like, what to do in this moment, how to move our hands, how to walk away, what behavior we're looking for. So it's a subcategory of a behavior modification technique.

00;23;54;15 - 00;24;16;23
Kristen
Gotcha. Okay. That makes sense. So actually I had my other question. I just wanted to get that question answered real quick. Yeah. So, a lot of listeners might have reactive dogs. I've had a reactive dog, you know, many years ago. What are some common mistakes that pet parents make when trying to manage the reactivity? And what are some simple strategies?

00;24;16;26 - 00;24;19;22
Kristen
They can start using right away.

00;24;19;25 - 00;24;42;02
Grisha
So, one of the main mistakes is looking at people tend to put dogs in situations where they just can't handle it, and then try to figure out what to do from there. And so the fix for that is to look like sort of zoom out and look at the entire, you know, nervous system of the dog and see, like, can we work on the baseline in these other places?

00;24;42;02 - 00;25;06;27
Grisha
So that's not bad. That's just sort of good, good practice. And then specifically when we're, when we're close enough, that we're, that we're really monitoring the dogs just like how, how comfortable they can be. So I'm just going to loop back to your question, which is, you know, what are the mistakes people make? A lot of it is driven by wanting our dogs to sort of just deal with the situation that we have.

00;25;07;00 - 00;25;23;14
Grisha
Right. And so we're like, I have company. I want them to be able to handle that. And that's great. And if you were a person who's afraid of spiders and you have, a partner who has a collection of spiders like you, it may not be like a person they break.

00;25;23;14 - 00;25;24;00
Chris
Up.

00;25;24;03 - 00;25;55;14
Grisha
When you break up, right? Or there they are. The person is like, you know what? Actually, I don't have to have this collection of spiders, right? Somebody's got to be considerate of somebody else. And make sure. And so, it's really a humbling. It's a lesson in consideration. And also it's a lesson in, recognizing that we are narrow dogs and that, if we maybe we want to show up for someone else in a certain situation, and we're willing to make sacrifices of ourselves to be able to show up.

00;25;55;14 - 00;26;04;25
Grisha
For that reason, we cannot make our dog sacrifices to like. We have to take their nervous system into account. Their a separate being.

00;26;04;28 - 00;26;25;03
Chris
And so yeah, that's some really great points though. If my wife were to ever start collecting spiders divorce papers so neatly, I want to talk a little bit about the gracious Stewart Academy because I was, I was I was on the website, I was poking around a little bit. And I think it's really, a really cool concept.

00;26;25;06 - 00;26;34;02
Chris
So can you talk a little bit about what inspired you to start that and maybe talk about some of the upcoming content that's going to be released on that website?

00;26;34;04 - 00;26;52;16
Grisha
Sure. So what inspired me to create it as a, as an online school was many years ago. I lived in Alaska and I was traveling around the world teaching, and it was home for about one week out of the year. So it was just like, we need a way, like better than sending my physical body around the planet.

00;26;52;19 - 00;27;13;25
Grisha
So I did that for about ten years, and then eventually it was like, okay, this is enough of this. As much as I love to travel, yeah. And meet people and other things, and then also along the way, I met these wonderful humans who, who know much more than me about other things. And so, I love collaborating with other people.

00;27;13;25 - 00;27;36;24
Grisha
I always have a practice of hiring people that are smarter than me to work with, and, and so I, Yeah. So there's people that I love learning. And so I wanted a place where I can learn to. And so we have, like you said, it's 150. It's actually probably 160 or so by now. It just keeps growing, which is lovely as a thing.

00;27;36;26 - 00;27;55;18
Grisha
And so some of our next classes, we've got Rex in the city, you know, the pandemic, and, so for urban dogs, we also have like, for example, a class that's already on demand called Urban Bat. So how to do my technique in the city. And that's taught by Vivian Rumanian, who lives in New York City.

00;27;55;21 - 00;28;15;08
Grisha
And so, like, there are things that I can teach and other people who bring their insights and their practices and their experiences with dogs. Too, it just makes a much more, rich experience. And and then also our school is, is one of the unique pieces is that we care as much about the human as we do about dogs.

00;28;15;11 - 00;28;38;02
Grisha
And so we have a class called How to Human in there. Other upcoming things for members, for example, are we have a, a session where Tom Candy from the will be going over our studies. So people will be bringing examples with their own dogs and comparing like in the context of the classes that we're teaching, what how do we apply it to this dog.

00;28;38;04 - 00;28;50;12
Grisha
So it's a great space. Cargo is, the head of the school now, which is lovely to have a great, administrator. She's doing all sorts great things with that.

00;28;50;14 - 00;29;07;16
Kristen
I wanted to ask you about. I know that you often talk about canine empowerment and collaborative relationships like you just were, how does that philosophy redefine traditional training methods and strengthen our bonds with our dogs?

00;29;07;19 - 00;29;11;19
Grisha
I can talk about that for a whole week. So,

00;29;11;21 - 00;29;13;21
Chris
And then you get to do it in about two minutes and two.

00;29;13;21 - 00;29;36;03
Grisha
Minutes. All right, let's do this. This thing's version. So, Yeah. So when I say traditionally, I mean more like since World War two. So traditionally there's been this structure of hierarchy, because a lot of our training in the Western world comes from the military. And so it's very much like somebody is in charge. They are the boss.

00;29;36;03 - 00;30;00;10
Grisha
They make the dog do the thing. And that's very different than the way that we approach life and dogs, for many reasons. And one of them, it's kind of made me sound a little out there, but is that we how we do one thing is how we do everything. So the ways we relate to our dogs is also how we might relate to our children or our partners or the parts of ourselves.

00;30;00;12 - 00;30;29;17
Grisha
And so by learning to navigate, with equity so that every, every being, every part of us is taken into account, we have a chance to, to limit the aggression in the world. And so we can do that in bite size by looking at the, the aggression or the problems or the jumping up or down, whatever it is with our dogs, we can rehearse in that space and have that carry over to all these other spaces.

00;30;29;20 - 00;30;32;12
Chris
You did a great job. Summarize. Yeah.

00;30;32;14 - 00;30;33;16
Grisha
Thank you. I.

00;30;33;16 - 00;30;56;22
Chris
Feel like you really have that down pat. We are coming up to the, end of our time, so I just want to give you the opportunity to let our dear listeners listening on their way to work, while cleaning or while relaxing on their comfy couch with their furry companion. Where they can go to, learn more about the school, about your philosophy, and follow your journey.

00;30;56;22 - 00;30;57;28
Chris
Hear more from you?

00;30;58;00 - 00;31;15;27
Grisha
Yeah, sure. They can go to Grisha stuart.com. And from there, there are two pathways that they can take. One is to the Grisha Stuart Academy, and the other is actually to a project that I'm working on called Stellar Village, which is basically applying this directly to the human side of things.

00;31;16;00 - 00;31;16;23
Chris
Wow.

00;31;16;25 - 00;31;17;17
Kristen
Very cool.

00;31;17;18 - 00;31;23;21
Chris
You are keeping yourself busy. Yes, I am, that's awesome. Well, thank you.

00;31;23;21 - 00;31;25;13
Kristen
So thank you for your time.

00;31;25;18 - 00;31;31;20
Grisha
Yeah. Thank you so much. This is great. Yeah.

00;31;31;22 - 00;31;43;27
Kristen
I love what she said about, you know, as humans with dogs that we sometimes have to be humble and considerate. Yes. Of where they're at. And instead of always trying to make them accommodate what we want them to accommodate.

00;31;43;27 - 00;32;15;15
Chris
Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, just what not fulsome and holistic way to close out dog training month. Really? Yeah. A really great capstone on it. It definitely check out, the gracious Stewart Academy. She let me know that they've got a class coming up called resilience and Framework, which sounds really awesome. She's working on all these, not just human animal, bond projects, but also just humanism and bettering yourself, and improving your outlook on life.

00;32;15;15 - 00;32;19;21
Chris
And then the the year of radical self-care. Big thumbs up.

00;32;19;21 - 00;32;22;20
Kristen
So another another class for you, Chris. You're getting busy.

00;32;22;21 - 00;32;36;01
Chris
They're really piling up the product of the week. And now it is time for the product of the week. Man, we need it.

00;32;36;02 - 00;32;38;24
Kristen
We need a drum roll to.

00;32;38;26 - 00;32;53;02
Chris
Yeah, yeah, we we need a lot. We're asking for a lot here. We are a drum roll. We need fireworks. I need lasers, lasers, lasers. Kristen, why don't you go ahead and go first? Where do you go?

00;32;53;05 - 00;32;59;02
Kristen
Okay. All right. Okay. This is something that you need to get for Tiger.

00;32;59;05 - 00;33;00;14
Chris
Oh, I'm okay.

00;33;00;14 - 00;33;25;29
Kristen
I'm loving this and loving this product. Okay. With temperatures dropping, you know, we've been talking about how cold it is in both of our locations, so this is a great product for cats. Especially senior kitties and or ones with achy joints. It's called the need. Need is spelled k and e a d appropriately therapeutic bed. And it's actually the world's first therapeutic cat bed designed for cats with arthritis.

00;33;26;01 - 00;33;51;23
Kristen
Now this. It was designed by veterinarians and feline behaviorists. And it uses this special nano heating technology. So it gives like a gentle, cat friendly warmth that it can't get too hot. So obviously perfect for those cold winter days. And the bed is also, it uses memory foam, and it's ergonomically designed with special contours that support your cat's joints.

00;33;51;26 - 00;34;05;15
Kristen
So I think that would be a great bed for Tiger. And also it has amazing reviews online. It's got a perfect five star rating from over 150 cat ferrets. Wow. Yeah. Pretty cool.

00;34;05;18 - 00;34;28;19
Chris
You sold Tiger when you said heated. Yes. Well consist of following the sun around, and then when the sun goes down, going into, like, her little. It's like this random box we got a, I think, like, like a storage container. And it's like a very small box, maybe like that wide of about six inches up. For those of you who refused.

00;34;28;19 - 00;34;28;28
Kristen
To watch.

00;34;29;05 - 00;34;41;02
Chris
The video version of the show, and she'll guess we've left it for her because she loves going in there and she has, like, squeezing, but it keeps her all warm. So maybe maybe she does need a nice ergonomic heated bed.

00;34;41;05 - 00;35;02;03
Kristen
I think so, too. And, it's, the website is. We'll put a link in the show notes, but it's called need cats. Dot com need is again. Kate. Nobody but listen to this. Well, first of all right now it's 30% off regularly. 239 now it's 169 I don't know how for how long that is, but they even have a try before you buy option.

00;35;02;05 - 00;35;14;07
Kristen
Oh, I think they give you a certain period of time, you know, before you actually pay for it. But I thought that was pretty cool too. So you're welcome, Tiger. What what do you have for us, Chris?

00;35;14;09 - 00;35;44;29
Chris
I'm keeping the cat theme going because, I found I didn't find, but, you know, we oftentimes do some research when it comes to these products of the week. And Tiger is a simple cat. She doesn't use a lot of stuff compared to other cats or dogs. I mean, dogs use so much more stuff. But I've always given Tiger the same treat, and recently Tiger has been stressing me out at meal time because you guys want to sit down and eat your food like, normal and, like, relax.

00;35;45;06 - 00;36;09;12
Chris
Like she's all up in the business trying to get to get her paws in the buffalo sauce and lick it and then throw up like it's it's a it's a mess. So I give her treats and a little thing so that she's, distracted and will eat those and not bother us when we, when we're eating dinner. Well, I, I've been wanting to up her treat game a bit and I've tried a few that haven't worked.

00;36;09;15 - 00;36;32;24
Chris
And this is next up on the list, but I have a really good feeling about this. It's from and nab, and they make those, carrot tubes, but she doesn't like the tubes to. She wants to chew on something. But these are curated bites, and they're almost like a soft treat. So great for Tiger because she doesn't like to crunch on on hard food.

00;36;32;24 - 00;37;02;03
Chris
She's cold. She she doesn't have the teeth for it. And I was looking through, the ingredient list and the nutritional facts and the guaranteed analysis. And I got to say, I'm impressed. We're talking chicken water, tuna, tapioca, egg white. And then we get into the preservatives, and there's three free preservative, vitamin E supplement, and then a green tea extract.

00;37;02;03 - 00;37;24;26
Chris
I don't know what the green tea extract does, but, that that sounds that sounds pretty good to me. So. And there's salt because I've tried, like the freeze dried because she goes nuts for chicken. I've tried, like, freeze dried chicken, which is one ingredient tree chicken. She doesn't like it. And then I tried, like, the dollar store treats and she goes nuts for it.

00;37;24;27 - 00;37;45;23
Chris
But I knew that those aren't good for the cat. Right? So I'm like, all right, I gotta find something that has like that little bit of artificial, not artificial, but that little bit of added, that they throw in there to really get the K going for it because the pure stuff isn't because I need the break. I need to put these treats down in their little toy, and I need to be able to.

00;37;45;26 - 00;37;46;11
Kristen
Write.

00;37;46;14 - 00;37;47;06
Chris
Down whatever I need.

00;37;47;06 - 00;37;49;09
Kristen
Do you need something that works? Something that works?

00;37;49;09 - 00;38;06;18
Chris
I need some of that works in this, Arbor for these treats was chosen, by Petit, for an Editors Choice award in 204. So that's how I found out about it. And, yeah, I'm going to give him a whirl. I'll report back, let everybody know how it went.

00;38;06;21 - 00;38;09;22
Kristen
She's going to love it. She's going to love that. And her new therapeutic bed.

00;38;09;24 - 00;38;37;06
Chris
Yes. They're very expensive. Therapeutic bed. I'm going to be a sucker. And I see 30% off. And I'm like, that basically means it's free, right? You and A's all right, pals, and it's time for our favorite part of the show. We to answer two burning spicy hot, super pressing. Need the answer right now. Questions from you, our beloved audience.

00;38;37;06 - 00;38;59;01
Chris
And I know what you're thinking. I can read minds. Doesn't matter if you're listening to this. I could do it through the radio and you're thinking, how do I get my question answered by Chris and Chris? And well, it's quite simple, folks. You add on over to pets, add life.org/podcasts. Scroll on down to the bottom of the page and you'll see to submit your question.

00;38;59;01 - 00;39;21;22
Chris
Or if you're feeling as brave as Doctor Courtney Campbell, about to perform a surgery for one of his patients who's about to have surgery, you can record your voice uploading, have it played live for everybody to hear. You can be as famous as Chris Levine. They would have thought, well.

00;39;21;22 - 00;39;25;22
Kristen
That's a that's inspiring.

00;39;25;25 - 00;39;34;23
Chris
You didn't say, like, what is that? Said that pretty flatly. Oh, man. Okay, well, without further ado, let's hop into today's question.

00;39;34;23 - 00;39;39;06
Kristen
Yes, let's do it. I'm going to I'm going to you the first question first.

00;39;39;06 - 00;39;40;00
Chris
Go ahead.

00;39;40;03 - 00;40;02;03
Kristen
Yeah. So this is from Taylor in Chicago. Shout out to Chicago. All right. Taylor says, hey, I've heard about dogs having separation anxiety, but I think my cat biscuit might have it. She seems stressed and even destructive when I leave her alone for long periods. Is cat separation anxiety a real thing, and how can it help her feel more secure when I'm away?

00;40;02;05 - 00;40;23;22
Chris
It is for sure a real thing. Taylor, thank you for the question. It's for sure real thing. Way less common than dogs. Dogs are very much so. Like, I need something around me. Cats. There's you think about in nature. There's a lot of cats that have a herd or pride, that live in like a family unit.

00;40;23;22 - 00;40;46;06
Chris
And then there's cats that are fully independent, that, you know, like like you think of, jaguars, mountain lions. Right? Largely just kind of on their own. Bobcats on it, kind of on their own. So, it's not as prevalent, but could totally happen to totally, definitely 100% happen. So the advice is largely the same for, for dogs.

00;40;46;09 - 00;40;50;02
Chris
But it's a little different with cats simply because, you.

00;40;50;02 - 00;40;51;01
Kristen
Know, a cats no.

00;40;51;01 - 00;41;18;27
Chris
Dog. Your cat is not a dog. And if your cat is a dog, you're going to want to take it to the vet. Don't don't ask me. So, you know, there's a lot of really great products out there. We talked about a lot of them on the show, that are sort of automatic, automated, enrichment toys, things like, balls or little mice that sort of, roam around on the ground and, and sort of distract and entertain.

00;41;18;29 - 00;41;43;20
Chris
I think sometimes two pet owners, misinterpret, loneliness and anxiety with just, just boredom sometimes, sometimes the cat isn't. It's a separation anxiety. They're just bored without you around. You know, they're more entertained when you're there to bother, to bother us on purpose. You think you see the videos of cats knocking things off of counters?

00;41;43;20 - 00;42;08;29
Chris
Yeah, that's the tension. They don't do that when they're alone. It's. They see you and they're like, oh, if I do this, he's going to pay attention to me right now. So yeah, sometimes cats are just craving attention. They're a little bored. So, some stimulation toys are good. If you're going to be gone for, you know, I think extended period of time is very different for cat owners because I've left my cat, home alone for upwards of three days.

00;42;09;02 - 00;42;37;29
Chris
And tigers find out her own automatic feeder water thing, cameras, the whole deal. And she's good. If your version of, extended time is that you might have to have a, pet sitter come drop in on the cat, make sure that they're okay. But if you're saying extended is like a work that, get some puzzle toys or licking mats and stuff like that, something that's going to take them a little bit longer to get through and they're eventually going to grow tired of and then go to sleep.

00;42;38;01 - 00;43;04;13
Chris
So I hope that's helpful. It's not as clear cut as it is with dogs where it's like, yes, the dog is definitely anxious because, I'm gone. It's way more difficult to tell what's going on in those cats. Little, little, little noggins. But if you do start to see a decrease in appetite or a lack of interest in things they're always interested in, do please take the cat to the vet.

00;43;04;15 - 00;43;09;00
Chris
Because it can be indicative of a greater problem.

00;43;09;03 - 00;43;10;23
Kristen
Excellent answer.

00;43;10;26 - 00;43;11;21
Chris
I try.

00;43;11;24 - 00;43;12;23
Kristen
I got one for me.

00;43;12;25 - 00;43;25;03
Chris
I do, I do. I have a question here. Oh. We're going right on back to Denver. Again. Oh, no, we were just there, but we're going back. We've got fans in Denver.

00;43;25;04 - 00;43;26;04
Kristen
We do.

00;43;26;06 - 00;43;49;18
Chris
And this question comes from Marcus. Marcus asks, hi, my dog isn't a fan of socializing with other dogs and gets really nervous around groups. Lots of nervous animals these days. But that's why we're here. I don't want to push him too hard, but I know socially ization is important. What steps can I take to help him feel more comfortable without overwhelming.

00;43;49;21 - 00;43;59;23
Kristen
Well, that's a, thoughtful question. Marcus. I'm, I'm glad that you're that concerned about. I don't think you mentioned the dog's name dirty.

00;43;59;26 - 00;44;05;24
Chris
Max dog is a mess. Yeah, yeah. You skipped right over it because you guys are bad.

00;44;05;27 - 00;44;29;10
Kristen
No. No worries. And actually, I think this is a really great question considering we just talked to Grisha. What I want to say first is that I think the goal here isn't necessarily to make Max love other dogs. It's to help him feel safe and comfortable in his world. So, you know, some dogs can learn to enjoy socializing while others are just going to be happier.

00;44;29;12 - 00;45;05;27
Kristen
You know, hanging around with humans. So. And either way, it's fine. But it's certainly possible that he can learn to be, you know, more social or not be, you know, fearful, fearful or uncomfortable around other dogs. So, if that's the case, do you want to give that a try? I would say, you know, skip a dog park where there's like a lot of dogs and, you know, things that can make him nervous, take him maybe to a quiet park that's more like a people park, maybe where dogs are being walked and keep distance between Max and the other dogs.

00;45;05;29 - 00;45;30;21
Kristen
And I would say treat him, you know, reinforce, that he, when he's calm, make sure he understands that, you know, he's been a good boy and then maybe you can kind of close that distance in a little bit. Also, you can try, you know, interactions between just one dog and Max to see how they do starting out again, you know, with the dog not in close proximity to Max, but see how he does as the other dog.

00;45;30;21 - 00;45;48;24
Kristen
Maybe you got a friend to help you with this. How does how he does as you move the dog closer? I think ultimately, if, if he's just not comfortable, then Max is just one of those dogs that isn't comfortable with other dogs. And you'll, you know, probably want to make some modifications to make sure that he's not uncomfortable.

00;45;48;24 - 00;46;10;19
Kristen
So we can't force it, but we can certainly set him up for success by, you know, starting slow and, introducing more social interaction as he's comfortable with it. So so good luck with that. And, Max, nothing to be afraid of. Other dogs are your friends sometimes.

00;46;10;19 - 00;46;14;03
Chris
Another not always great answer. Kristen. You're still virally.

00;46;14;08 - 00;46;15;13
Kristen
I'm trying, I'm trying.

00;46;15;16 - 00;46;18;01
Chris
I 2025 is what.

00;46;18;03 - 00;46;21;21
Kristen
I slack all week so I can bring my best to the show.

00;46;21;23 - 00;46;39;12
Chris
And that is, That is incredible. I wish I, I wish that were my case. Yeah, I'm over here. I was talking about how many support tickets I closed out in my day job. I wish this was my day job. This is my night gig. It is for I am in a warehouse, and this is our sixth episode that we're after.

00;46;39;16 - 00;46;40;25
Kristen
It's a marathon.

00;46;40;27 - 00;47;00;03
Chris
But, I'm I'm I'm looking forward to some slacking off. And speaking of slacking off, that's the end of the episode, which means everybody gets to just go, nothing and be lazy. And, hey, well, listen, folks, thank you for joining us. It means a lot. We're back every single Tuesday. We're not stopping anytime soon.

00;47;00;05 - 00;47;01;23
Kristen
It's right. You can't make it stop.

00;47;01;26 - 00;47;41;24
Chris
You can't keep likes to try and won't work. It won't work. We're all we're on social media and, follow us on YouTube. Find the videos on dog TV. Look at our beautiful faces as we continue to improve our our little home and office studios as Chris continues to add Easter eggs to his backdrop and Kristen continues to have a much more attractive space than Chris, it's just you could watch a nuclear arms race of knickknacks, the Christmas light bulb, and you only get that wonderful content if you're watching us on video.

00;47;41;26 - 00;47;44;27
Grisha
But until that all right.

00;47;45;00 - 00;47;50;02
Kristen
I stunned like is he is he done? I'm. I'm sorry I told you I'm slacking already. I thought, yeah.

00;47;50;02 - 00;48;10;01
Chris
She's already, she's already. She's already on lunch. Oh. I hear the union bell whistling It's lunchtime. So that is it for us this week. We'll be right back. Next Tuesday. Find us everywhere to get your podcasts and wonderful video content. So until then, be kind to yourself. Be kind your animals, and we'll see you in a week.

00;48;10;03 - 00;48;14;25
Kristen
Bow wow. Meow for now. Why do you laugh every time I do that?

00;48;15;03 - 00;48;15;20
Grisha
That's cute.