70. Training Superdogs, Pet Parties & the Happy Cat Hotel

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Speaker 1 (00:00):

Pets, add Life, your guide to the latest in pet Trends products and the joy of the human animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv. Try. Lemme try. Lemme

Speaker 2 (00:15):

Try. Lemme try.

Speaker 1 (00:18):

Everybody made me sound like, like a sea captain. Hello. Land lovers. Like a pirate captain. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (00:28):

I think we're scaring people.

Speaker 1 (00:30):

Yeah. Let's try it one more time.

Speaker 2 (00:32):

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (00:32):

Hello you. Hello. Wow. Look at you all here. Nestled up, bundled up next to year podcasting machine, or your television. Joining us for another lovely episode of Pets Ad Life. Hey, I'm Chris Bon Fadi and I'm joined as always by the woman who's traveled the world. She's seen it all. She's been there and back. And there again, it's Kristen Levine. Kristen, how are we doing today?

Speaker 2 (00:59):

I call bs. I have not traveled the world.

Speaker 1 (01:01):

Yeah, I'm going to tell lies about you. Okay. I'm going to tell fun. Just make sure they're good

Speaker 2 (01:06):

Ones.

Speaker 1 (01:06):

Yes. I would never disparage you. I would never, I know. Never. You're too sweet for that years. Yeah. Waiting.

Speaker 2 (01:13):

I'm doing great. We are officially in summer. It is summertime. Some summertime.

Speaker 1 (01:18):

Truly, we have gone beyond the solstice. The days are getting shorter, which is always so weird to think about, right? Because it's like you're coming out of winter, the days are getting longer, and then it's like summer just starts and then the days get shorter. That feels like a cop out. I want to talk to the police about this because it seems a little unfair and I know the police can help you with that, but I hope everybody's enjoying these long, long summer days. You're getting out, getting some sunshine. Maybe not as much as me as I'm a little lobster colored today, but it is truly the dog days. We got 4th of July coming up as always. We're going to be doing some special content around that. We're coming up at the end of animal anxiety awareness month. So I assume, Kristen, you've got some more content planned there to wrap us all up. I sure do. I got to remind everybody to watch the Experts,

Speaker 2 (02:08):

Which is airing all month of June, right up until July 4th on dog TV's through Unleashed Channel, which you can find on their YouTube channel. You can find it on Amazon fire channels and Tgo tv. It's an hour long jam packed. Just the top dogs literally in dog behavior are on this show, and we get a chance to do a deep dive and get some help from them.

Speaker 1 (02:31):

Yeah, y'all should be watching. The production value is insane.

Speaker 2 (02:35):

It is.

Speaker 1 (02:36):

It's so much higher than what you get here. If you think, wow, Chris's sofa looks real nice today. Wait to see the sofa. What the, they got some

Speaker 2 (02:44):

Serious experts,

Speaker 1 (02:45):

Serious sofa game on the experts. You know what? You should do a special episode where it's like the interior design team and that's the experts and they could tell you how to decorate your podcast studio, which I could use a little help with, help with. So hey, if you have some decor ideas and you want to hop into comments, we are accepting recommendations.

Speaker 2 (03:10):

Anyway, you nailed it.

Speaker 1 (03:12):

It's story time. Kristen and Chris. Present story time and it's story time. Kristen story, story, story time. You want to go first? You want me to go first? Sure. Alright, you go ahead. Lead us off.

Speaker 2 (03:29):

I dug this one out of the litter box. It's finally

Speaker 1 (03:33):

Sure. It smells amazing.

Speaker 2 (03:36):

Well, actually, I guess that was a bad, bad way to start because this is actually a really great story for

Speaker 3 (03:42):

Cats

Speaker 2 (03:43):

And cat dads like you. So there's finally a hotel chain that caters to the most discerning travelers. Cats, of course. So the Happy Cat Hotel and Spa, which I've never heard of, but I saw pictures of it on the internet and it's pretty cool. They're expanding with three new franchise locations and this school, they're adding one in Albuquerque, St. Petersburg, which is kind of back in my old hood and Norwalk.

Speaker 1 (04:12):

Isn't

Speaker 2 (04:13):

That

Speaker 1 (04:13):

Connecticut?

Speaker 2 (04:14):

Yeah, that's what it says. It says Norwalk.

Speaker 1 (04:16):

That's in my backyard. How have I not heard of this? I know. What's my local news station doing?

Speaker 2 (04:21):

Because it hasn't opened yet. They're expanding. They're going to

Speaker 1 (04:24):

Listen. I get a weekly article about the new Wegmans that's being built. They can let me know about the Cat Hotel. Okay, that's true.

Speaker 2 (04:29):

That's true.

Speaker 1 (04:30):

All Norwalk Insider. Yeah,

Speaker 2 (04:33):

So it's a boutique style facility designed, especially for cats, not dogs. Dogs cannot stay there, no dogs allowed. They have webcams so that cat dads and cat moms can spy on their cats as they lounge around. They've got personalized experiences tailored to each cat's personality. I'm not really sure what that means, but you'll have to check it out and let us know. And they have full spa services, including grooming, de shedding and nail trims for your cat while you're away. So I don't know, I think this is kind of cool. I don't know if you ever, when you and hope go away, do you have somebody come in to watch

Speaker 1 (05:09):

Her or do you board pack? Yeah, we typically have somebody house sitting, but that's literally just for the cat. She's so old.

Speaker 3 (05:17):

This

Speaker 1 (05:17):

Would be, and I hate to say it, I'm not going to say it too loud, but this would be like a next cat thing for us because, but I think that sounds amazing and if your cat is comfortable being boarded, I wouldn't want to leave my cat in a bare bones kennel because cats

(05:37):

Get really sad and I don't want my cat sad and this sounds like a place I could leave my cat and know. Okay, sure, they're going to be kenneled at night and stuff, but there's going to be someone looking after them during the day. They're going to have a chance to play. There's no dogs in the facility so they won't be intimidated. And so that sounds lovely. I can't believe I'm seriously mad at my local payer. I'm going to dig to the bottom of this. I might have to call the mayor's office and understand what's going on.

Speaker 2 (06:08):

Well, if you're interested, it's called the Happy Cat Hotel and Spa and they already have locations in Connecticut. See, they're already there. Chris, Virginia, New York, Georgia, and Texas. So there you go.

Speaker 1 (06:20):

There we go. That sounds awesome. Alright. My story kind of sciencey, but I don't think it's quite a Chris B, the science G story. But I found it really interesting. I read this on BB, C, A study about living with animals having profound effects on our immunity. And these researchers actually conducted the study on the Amish and the Mennonites and there was a very interesting difference that they found. So to summarize, this is a huge article, and I'll admit it. I did not read the whole thing the first to admit, I did not read the whole thing. But a really interesting finding that they saw was that it's the farm animals that really boost our immunities to both infections and allergies. But there was a statistically significant difference between the Amish and these are the Hutterites, which is a farming community in South Dakota. The difference between the Amish and the Hutterites is that Hutterites have fully embraced industrialized farming technologies and the Amish have not.

(07:36):

So the Amish live in closer proximity to animals because they still use ox pulled carts and they still have herding dogs and things like that. And they found a very significant difference in the appearance of allergies, in the appearance of immune deficiencies in those communities. And the study has led them to see that it's dogs and cats actually help with reducing your likelihood of developing asthma or allergies. So if you grew up physically interacting with a farm animal, you have about a 50% reduction in risk. And if you grew up with even just a dog or cat in your home, you have a 13 to 14% reduction in risk. So I'm not going to get into the nitty gritties on why I think that is or why the researchers think that is. I just think that animals are good for you, they're good for your physical health and your mental health. Bottom line, bottom line of the story, the point I'm trying to make is that animals are awesome and good for you and everybody should have a pet.

Speaker 2 (08:40):

That's right. Pets add life.

Speaker 1 (08:42):

Pets add life. This is, I want to kind of send this over to Steve Feldman too to see if he's heard of this story because I know it's not necessarily the bond aspect, but just being in proximity to animals and having them be part of your community and your daily life leading to physical changes, measurable physical changes in your health, maybe that will interest good old Hari over there beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

Speaker 2 (09:16):

Okay, Chris, our next guest is a special one. It's Sarah Carson hailing from Ontario Canada. She's a renowned dog trainer, celebrated for her innovative trick training and captivating performances. Get this at the young age of 15, she established her own dog training facility where she taught obedience puppy foundations tricks and agility for five years. Sarah gained national recognition after securing fifth place on season 12 of America's Got Talent in 2017 alongside her super clie hero. The performances have graced shows like The Late Show with David Letterman and the Ellen DeGeneres show and chanting audiences worldwide. Let's see, Sarah's contributed significantly to the dog training community and she authored Super Dog Tricks, a Guide to Teaching Dogs Impressive Tricks, and also co-founded the Pup app offering step-by-step training lessons to dog owners globally. Welcome Sarah.

Speaker 1 (10:12):

What a resume.

Speaker 4 (10:13):

Wow. I know. Very busy. I feel like you took that off my website. I was like, if you would've asked me, I'd have been like, I'm a dog trainer, I'm trainer. I know. That's why we don't Dog trainers always say that I'm a dog trainer.

Speaker 1 (10:22):

I think it's impossible to write your own introduction because

Speaker 4 (10:25):

I had somebody write that for my website.

Speaker 1 (10:28):

Exactly, exactly to jump right in 15 because 15 you're what? Like a sophomore in high school?

Speaker 4 (10:36):

Yeah, I mean I had no friends. I was an outcast.

Speaker 1 (10:40):

I did too, but I did not start a dog tree at school.

Speaker 4 (10:43):

Well, so the reason why I did that was because I had a family dog and that's what I spent all my time doing. And my family didn't like dogs, so they were like, you don't need any more dogs. I started my own dog training business. I was like, this is how I'll get to work with other dogs.

Speaker 2 (10:55):

I love that. I love that. And you've got a guest here. We want to kind talk softly because Joker your dog is sleeping. Oh,

Speaker 4 (11:04):

He's sleep through anything. Tell us about him. Yeah, Joker's a 2-year-old Border Collie. I got him when he was about eight months old from a family in Arkansas. They posted him on Facebook and I just so happened to see it and they're like, this dog's insane. Please someone come take him. So yeah, I got him and he's been performing ever since.

Speaker 1 (11:20):

And speaking of some of those performances, we saw some clips of you on America's Got Talent and the biggest show I've ever been on is the PAL podcast. So I'm kind just curious what that experience is performing in front of so many people knowing it's going to be on national tv. Were you nervous? Were you just super confident? What was that like for you?

Speaker 4 (11:43):

So I was very fortunate that the dog that I was doing that with was incredible.

(11:49):

That's literally the bottom line. He was incredible. So when I only had four days to come up with a brand new routine to perform in front of days, millions of millions of people, it was easy. And yes, it's still difficult. It's a dog and I'm the one coordinating everything. But that dog was just incredible. He was perfect. And so it was a really good experience because of that. But I still get incredibly nervous just to perform in front of three people. So I don't eat, I don't sleep. I want to throw up. I was always told, if you're not nervous, you need to quit and find something else. I still to this day, and yes, I'm performing with dogs that are not hero. So it is a little more stressful because that dog I could take anywhere and no, he's going to do it. He's going to do it well. But no, it was an overall really good experience because of the dog that I did it with.

Speaker 2 (12:36):

Yeah, I'm sure. So tell us about Super Colies.

Speaker 4 (12:40):

I started it because of the name hero. So when I got another dog, I was like, well, I need a theme, so let's just stick with that. So I've had quite a few dogs throughout the years. I've had Marvel, Loki, Thor. I now have Hawkeye Archer who's named after the comic books, the Golden Archer. He's a golden retriever. And then I have Joker. So I have the super colleagues, which they are just by pets. They travel, they perform. We've been to every state in the US and we've been obviously to Canada where I'm from.

Speaker 1 (13:10):

But

Speaker 4 (13:10):

Yeah, so that's kind of who I have right now.

Speaker 1 (13:13):

So traveling to every state in the United States insane. I travel for work too. I'm not even close to that number. What are some of those standout memories from having just such a wide spread career performing in all these different states? Just pull out a couple of highlights for us.

Speaker 4 (13:30):

I would say, and this is so cliche, but the Grand Canyon just visiting, that was an emotional experience, not the second time. Just the first time. Just

Speaker 3 (13:37):

The first time,

Speaker 4 (13:38):

Yeah. Standout experiences for me in the performing aspect of my life. My dogs have given me the opportunity to go amazing places, but also perform at some really unique places. I've performed at a really exclusive nightclub in New York City multiple times with my dogs, and it's just something surreal that I would never imagine doing.

Speaker 2 (13:58):

So

Speaker 4 (13:59):

Yeah, I'm very grateful for them.

Speaker 2 (14:01):

Now you train dogs in a lot of different disciplines, from agility to dog diving. How do you decide which activities are

Speaker 4 (14:07):

Right for which dogs? That's a great question. Every dog just kind of shows you. I have two border colleagues right now that will do anything and everything. And I have one that I got him right after Hero retired, and I was like, you're going to be my new dancing dog. He hates it. He can do everything Ready, doesn't enjoy it, but he hates, I can tell I've used him at Dollywood and stuff and people can't tell. They're like, he did so good. I'm like, I only used him because Joker didn't want to do it. That's the only reason. But no, they show you. You can tell. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (14:39):

That's awesome. And speaking of maybe some rookie experience folks who want to get into this kind of stuff, you have this new Pupper app. How has it helped make that dog training a bit more accessible? It could be really intimidating. Even just housebreaking a dog can be an intimidating process for people. So what's your process and how are you making dog training more accessible to everybody?

Speaker 4 (15:03):

Yeah, I mean it's the capability of having a dog trainer literally in your pocket.

Speaker 1 (15:07):

So

Speaker 4 (15:07):

You can pull out your phone, you've got access to a clicker, and you have access to not only videos that have audio, but just quick little tutorials that are just gifs. The app itself has online chats, so if you are struggling with something, you can easily pop on and ask one of our trainers for help. I have everything on there from puppy training, basic obedience, tricks, circus doc diving, agility, and those work, there's literally everything you can imagine on there. And I hate to toot my own horn, but I have discovered some of the ways to teach tricks that are very, very simple. I don't use props and I can do most of the difficult tricks myself. So I put all of that on the app so everybody has the capability of doing it. She shared all our secrets. Yes,

Speaker 1 (15:45):

Exactly. That's amazing. Yeah, I'll never share mine.

Speaker 2 (15:50):

So do the dogs ever get tired of performing? Like you mentioned that your other dog doesn't like dancing, do they?

Speaker 4 (15:55):

No, free. They live for the limelight. They live for working. I mean, even if I used food right now, he would still do it. They definitely have different motivators. So he likes toys more than food. So if I pulled out a Frisbee he'd be on and he'd be on until he didn't want to do it, which is I'm too tired to even keep my eyes open. I see. He'll just work and work and work and work, but that's also the breed. So true. Yeah. I mean even my feel golden, he's just bred to work. So that definitely helps.

Speaker 1 (16:25):

And obviously it's a lot of fun training dogs to dance and do little tricks. But you've also worked with service dogs and veterans. How is that different? Is it a different style of training? Obviously you're training them for different tasks, but does that hold a different place in your heart?

Speaker 4 (16:42):

I would say that it's more rewarding because you're helping somebody. I've actually just recently placed a service dog with a young woman who was incredibly ill out of nowhere and now has a totally different life because of that. And it's just a really, really rewarding experience. It takes a lot longer, it's a lot more patient and it's more calm. I'm not jumping around and doing things with my dog, but I mean it's just as much fun to me. Yeah, show

Speaker 2 (17:07):

Chris your arms.

Speaker 4 (17:07):

You were showing

Speaker 2 (17:07):

Me earlier. Oh my gosh, yes. You guys were doing, this is all God

Speaker 4 (17:11):

Rehearsal. Yes. This is literally, yeah, it's everywhere. You

Speaker 1 (17:15):

Are so much braver than I am. I'm not cut out for that kind of work. I'm complaining about having to walk around a lot.

Speaker 4 (17:23):

No dog training. It's an active sport

Speaker 1 (17:28):

Obviously. Yes.

Speaker 2 (17:29):

So what are you working on next?

Speaker 4 (17:31):

Oh my, I'm trying to slow down. I've been doing this for 19 years. I mean, I enjoy doing, just talking about it, podcasts, doing events like this global. This is my first time doing global. It's really nice to connect to brands that I've known for so many years and people too that I've never even met in person. This

Speaker 3 (17:47):

Is nice.

Speaker 4 (17:48):

So I'm trying to calm down. I am trying to do more service dog work. I do a lot of board and train. If people want a dog like this but don't have the time to train this, I sell that. So it's a different path instead of all the traveling I've been to every state. I don't need to do it again. You don't need to go back. We're

Speaker 1 (18:05):

Not doing every state twice.

Speaker 4 (18:07):

No, I mean I have done a lot of them more than twice, so I'm tired. It's nice to settle down again and just kind of relax.

Speaker 3 (18:14):

Alright.

Speaker 2 (18:15):

I think you're so inspirational because I mean, starting at 15 with your own job training facility and you kept evolving and doing these really cool things with dogs and I think you're a good inspiration for people who are looking to get into a career with pets who have a passion for something and somebody's telling them, no, they can't do that. Or you can't have a dog and you just made it happen.

Speaker 4 (18:33):

Yeah, anything's possible. Everything's achievable and available, honestly. You just have to kind of work a little harder for it. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (18:40):

And lastly, before we let you go, where can all of our viewers and listeners find you and learn more?

Speaker 4 (18:46):

Well, thank you. You can find me on the super colies or the Super Collie's mom. I would say the Super Colies is probably the most active account. Okay. Yeah. Fantastic.

Speaker 1 (18:55):

All right. We'll be sure to check it out. Perfect.

Speaker 4 (18:57):

Thank you

Speaker 2 (18:57):

Sarah, and thank you choker.

Speaker 4 (18:58):

Thank you. Still sleeping.

Speaker 1 (19:05):

It was fun going through the time capsule there. That set looks a little familiar if you're watching on video that we did that interview back at Global Pet Expo and I look attire. You did. I looked quite tired.

Speaker 2 (19:18):

You were on day. I don't know how many days you were on by then. Oh no. But yeah, you were a trooper showing up to do that.

Speaker 1 (19:25):

Yes, and so was Sarah. I mean it's long days for everybody and it was great going back over that interview. I think it kind of plugs in really well to a lot of the stuff we're talking about with animal behavior and training this month really ties in well, I think we still have more stuff from Global Pet Expo. I mean it's June now and we still got more content. So you may see that set popping up again.

(19:50):

And it's always fun to go back in time and see how miserable I was. So if you love Shade and Freud the way I do, you could take some comfort in my own misery and watch those videos on the new Unleashed Fast channel. It is my pleasure to welcome Gary George, the co-founder of Barella, and I know what you've got to know what Barella is. It's a vibrant dog friendly festival that brings together pet lovers for a day of music activities and community engagement. It's held annually in Newark, New Jersey. Barella features live bands, DJs, dog centric games, expert speakers and unique vendors creating an unforgettable experience for both dogs and they're humans. Gary's passion for creating inclusive events has positioned Barella as a must attend gathering for pet enthusiasts. Gary, thank you so much for taking some time today to hop on the podcast.

Speaker 5 (20:49):

Thank you so much, Chris. I really appreciate you all having me on. I'm very excited.

Speaker 1 (20:54):

So I got to ask, where did this idea come from? What inspired you? How did you decide to commit to running s such an amazing event?

Speaker 5 (21:04):

Yes, yes, yes. Well, I'm a dog lover, had a dog ever since birth and I had multiple poodles ever since. I'm a poodle man. All my dogs have been poodles. My little poodle, Milo and I do a lot with 'em. We go kayaking. We did a lot of stuff together, but there wasn't a lot of places that we could go inside and really chill and hang out and do some stuff that I wanted to do with my human friends. And that's when I said, you know what? There's not enough accessibility. We need to create more of this. And that's why we created Barella, not just to create the accessibility, but the ability to have fun with your pet and do something outside of the norm. So it's really, that's what Barella is all about. That's what we represent.

Speaker 2 (21:42):

Awesome. So Gary, tell us where it is, when it is and what can we expect there?

Speaker 5 (21:48):

Oh yes. Coming up June 28th, everybody go to barella.com. June 28th is going to be happening at Newark Local Beer. It's one of the only breweries in tap rooms in Newark, New Jersey. It's going to be off the hook, it's right across from the museum in the library and it is north to Shore Music Festival weekend. It's the largest music festival in New Jersey, ladies and gentlemen. And everybody's going to be in Newark for the Rock The Bells concert that night at seven. There's three other events going on. Everyone's going to be outside. This is going to be a huge event. You don't want to miss it. We're almost out of ticket, so please get 'em now. So you do not miss.

Speaker 1 (22:23):

Yeah, I definitely don't want to miss that. Definitely don't want to miss that. And I feel like when you have a smaller event, you tend to engage a bit more with the local community. So is Bark Shell engaging with the community at all? Do you support any pet related causes? Have any of those organizations come in and you guys can kind help each other out?

Speaker 5 (22:44):

Oh yeah, definitely. We did this because we're largely ingrained in Newark. I do a ton of my events in Newark. I have residents in Newark as well. So there's going to be ton of community engagement that we're working with. A lot of the rescues, we got some really great people with some really great missions that I want to showcase. One of them, I'm just going to say I love this guy's mission. He has the dogs for the domestic abuse survivors. They're trained attack dogs that they give to domestic abuse survivors. And I was like, that is so ingenious, man. Because when people go through these issues with domestic violence and the police get involved and it never, it's he say, she say type of situation, it gets dangerous. But I was like, that's such a great application of using a trained dog. So stuff like that, man, we're definitely going to have a lot of unique things that are really giving back.

Speaker 2 (23:36):

So Gary, how many years have you been doing Barella?

Speaker 5 (23:39):

This is our first flagship event, ladies and gentlemen. Barella coming out of the gate. That's right. This is going to be the biggest party, but I'm a big event promoter in New Jersey. I run several large conferences here as well as all over the United States as well. So yeah, we do have a little bit of an advantage, ladies and gentlemen. That's the reason why our tickets are almost sold out because I do own a 27-year-old digital market agency. I feel events for a living. I make them fun for a living so everybody will be there and we're going to have a good time. And I make experiential events. They're not just normal events because my event, I did that to serve myself because it was selfish really. I'm a person that goes through events and I'm bored. I'm sitting on the wall bored and I'm like, this can't be this. So I create events. I started creating events that would keep my attention and I realized that what the problem was is that we were too idle. If I'm sitting around with nothing to do, I get bored If someone tells me and say, okay guys, we're going to play bingo now. Okay guys, we're going to do this now. Then I'm engaged. And so all my events are like that. They go by really fast because it's nonstop action.

Speaker 1 (24:50):

Yeah. So what about some of that nonstop action? What are we getting into this year at Marcella first flagship event? I know you're going to blow the roof off the place.

Speaker 5 (24:58):

Oh yeah, man, we were planning, planning, planning, but we got some of the greatest folk coming in. We got one of the designers, a fashion designer, we're doing a fashion runway show with all of the doggies guys. We got one of the biggest fashion designers. He does Rihanna, he does Missy Elliott, he does all of the big superstars. I twisted his arm and I got 'em to do some doggy outfits for us guys. It's going to be on display. We're also, I got doggy psychics, I got doggy behavioral therapists, I got celebrity influencers are going to be there. The celebrity influencer dogs, I got several of them coming. The ones with the blue checks, ladies and gentlemen, the big dogs, the ones that get all the attention, they're going to be in the building as well. So it's going to be a great two for one.

(25:42):

I'm a marketer. My thing is about making sure that everybody gets a return. And all my exhibitors, all my sponsors, I did that kind of for them because I knew that just landing one celebrity dog influencer for your product or service takes you from zero to 60 overnight. So yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun things like that. We got craft beer, of course we got food, we got food trucks, we got dog races, we got doggy disco, we got barkas, we got bartenders, we got everything. Guys bark. I'm telling you, bark tell you don't want to miss it.

Speaker 1 (26:14):

You got all the puns too, which it's so important. You can't do one of these without some good puns.

Speaker 5 (26:19):

You can't, you, the dogs have so many to play with and we got paparazzi and puppy Razzi is going to be in the place, man. They're going to be going crazy.

Speaker 2 (26:29):

You've got license to pun, that's for sure. So obviously dogs are welcome. So are there any rules for the pups that are going to be in attendance?

Speaker 5 (26:40):

Yeah, that's a great question and a lot of people have been asking me that and I say, as long as your dog is well trained and they're able to get along with other dogs, they're good. We know that there's going to be barking. Everybody's dog is not the best. My dog is not the best behaved dog. He always drives me crazy when I get 'em around other dogs and everyone's looking at you like you're a bad dog parent if your dog is bugging out. So you got to get 'em straight. But really the rules, you just make sure that your dog is social, is able to be with other dogs, stuff like that. And it's fine. We'll take care of all the rest. We're going to have an organization there of trainers, a whole organization that are all trainers, obedience trainers. So they're going to be there policing it, making sure that all the dogs, everybody is safe, right? I said I need my dog whisper in the place so he could detect before a fight break. I don't want the fight to break out. I want him to detect before the fight. So we got a lot of that store as well.

Speaker 1 (27:30):

I want to ask one question, Gary, about, and we are coming up on time here, I want to be conscious of that, but I want to get this out there. Let's say everything goes perfect. Barella is an amazing event. What would your next step be? Is this something you would want to take on tour? Would you just want to do it again in Newark, bigger, better than ever before, move it to an outdoor venue? What's sort of like your ideal wildest dream with Barella?

Speaker 5 (27:56):

Yeah, that's a good one, Chris. That's a great one. I'm an event marketer and a promoter and a marketer. So I always think about expansion first. So immediately when I saw the response for this event and I do a lot of different styled events, boy the response for this and the passion of the consumer who deal. That's what I love as a marketer, as a businessman. I love to see people who are passionate and they love it. So I saw how much people were so passionate and they saw the same gap that I saw, the non ability to have places to go and party and chill and network with other business professionals. And that's largely what I do too. People follow me because I have a large following of business professionals. So I'm turning this into a dual situation where you could go out, hang out with your dog network at the same time. I got a lot of high level C level executives coming from huge Fortune 500 companies bringing their dogs. I mean it's going to be a two three for one activity for everybody there. So yes, we're going on the road to answer your question, Chris, next one's going to be right on the road. We're going to Jersey City next. There we go, Princeton. Then we're going to ox Gary,

Speaker 2 (28:58):

I got another pun for you. So you're going to be pet working

Speaker 5 (29:01):

At the event as well, right? I'm adding that. I'm adding that, Chris. That's right. We going to be pun that's right. We are going to be bark working and networking and everything else. You got to be there. This one's going to be incredible. The first one and everyone is just the excitement level. Like I said, it is unlike any other industry that I've been in. We all love our dogs, man.

Speaker 2 (29:22):

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 5 (29:23):

Well

Speaker 2 (29:23):

It's Saturday the 28th and bark shella.com. Is that where we go for all the details?

Speaker 5 (29:29):

Yep. Yep.

Speaker 2 (29:30):

Okay. Well Gary, I so appreciate you bringing the enthusiasm and this awesome event to Jersey and can't wait to hear how it goes and about how you're going to expand from there.

Speaker 5 (29:42):

Absolutely. Thank you all so much for having me. Guys. Make sure you go to barella.com, barella.com, barella.com.

Speaker 1 (29:48):

You got to say it three times on the radio to make it true. That's what they say. Got to say it three times. Otherwise it's not true. Thank you so much, Gary.

Speaker 5 (29:55):

Alright, thank you guys. Have a good one.

Speaker 1 (30:01):

Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend.

Speaker 2 (30:03):

That's what I was going to say. I wish I was closer. I'd love to go.

Speaker 1 (30:06):

Yeah, yeah. What a 10 hour drive? A little less? Yeah, something like that.

Speaker 2 (30:12):

I guess I could make it happen. It sounds like it's definitely going to be worth the drive.

Speaker 1 (30:15):

Yeah, be sure to check it out folks. It's happening this weekend. You got to get out of the house eventually. You got to get out of the house eventually. And if Gary's running the event, you know it's going to be a good time. That guy was

Speaker 3 (30:28):

Cool.

Speaker 1 (30:28):

I know. Cool guys, I've got a cool guy radar and it was going off. Next segment. Next segment, the product of the week. Okay, Kristen, it's time for the product of the week. Why don't you go ahead and kick us off. You got another special something going on, right?

Speaker 2 (30:54):

I do, I do. Well this is our last show that we're recording in June. So I have our final and we're very grateful to sponsor Papa Petmate. Papa Pet Mate. Wait, wait, wait. Yeah, specifically Petmate Crates. And I know you've heard us talk about crates a lot, but since this is dog anxiety awareness month crates are very important when it comes to creating a zen zone for a dog who has thunderstorm phobia or a noise phobia of any kind or fear of strangers in the home. You can use a crate to give them some comfort. And dogs are dening animals by nature. So the crate is kind of like their little special place where they go to relax and you don't even have to shut the door on them, you can just leave it open, make it a very inviting space for them place that they can go to get away from whatever it is that's triggering their stress.

(31:54):

But specifically, I did want to mention that Petmate designs kennels from a pet first perspective. They have both the wire CRE kind and then the plastic ones, which by the way are all made in the USA and they're certified sustainable recycled plastics. They can be used not only for crate training but also for traveling for housebreaking training, that sort of thing. You can find more about them petmate.com and I think they have a special offer for dog anxiety awareness month for 10% off. So we will put the link to that where you need to go for the 10% off in the show notes.

Speaker 1 (32:34):

I love getting 10% off who does it? We use a Petmate carrier for Tiger.

Speaker 3 (32:40):

Do you

Speaker 1 (32:41):

The hard carrier because she will try and claw her way out of anything and she'll figure out a zipper. No, it's a good piece of equipment. They're a great company. So thank you Petmate for and

Speaker 2 (32:56):

Thanks Petmate for sponsoring the Expert Show and for helping us out with dog Anxiety Awareness month.

Speaker 1 (33:03):

There we go.

Speaker 2 (33:04):

What is your Papa Papapa product?

Speaker 1 (33:06):

I've got a Papapa product and it's also a cat product here, and I'm kind of continuing my theme of talking about how old my cat's getting and be trying to navigate that space. So Tiger older, obviously we're thinking like 22 at this point. Crazy. I know.

Speaker 2 (33:24):

Wow.

Speaker 1 (33:25):

I guess isn't eating the same and she's not eating as much wet food and she really likes her dry food, but I think her teeth are starting to hurt with trying to chew it. So I'm like, oh my God, I guess got to get some calories in this old lady. So my product of the week are, and we might've talked about it before, I'm not sure, but the in churros, just these tubes that are like Go-Gurt tubes, there's all sorts of brands it doesn't have to be in of. There's a lot of these cat treats that are little tubes and you could find some that even have a higher caloric content that are more of a meal supplement rather than a treat. So we have the treat ones because Tiger, if I'm in the kitchen eating lunch, she wants lunch and you got to give her something. And I'm starting to, I know I've always shared a little bit of my human food. I'm getting more concerned as she gets older. I want to keep her diet more regular and everything on pace. So a little less cheese for the cat and a little more cat treats. But the meal supplement ones are sometimes they call 'em like toppers where you could put 'em on the dry food if they don't eat it or on the wet food and we've put it on our wet food and gotten her to eat more.

Speaker 2 (34:41):

Oh good.

Speaker 1 (34:42):

Which is really, I mean that's the battle and it doesn't hurt her teeth and it's a nice little bonding experience. Hold the tube up and squeeze it out real slow and she'll take some time to sort of sit there and lick and it gets all over her face because she has no coordination. But it's really been great because we've seen her starting to struggle with some of the things that we're routine for her. So any accommodations that we could make, that's what you do as a pet parent.

Speaker 2 (35:09):

That's right. You're a great pet daddy.

Speaker 1 (35:11):

And she loves the tube. She screams for her tube. She screams for her tube. She'll sit in the kitchen and just yell. In fact, yeah, that's her. It's right around lunchtime here and the bonafide household. So she's very active. Luckily the microphone isn't picking it up, but she's out there asking for tubes Q and As. Alright, Kristen. It is time for our favorite part of the show. That's right. We are going to answer two questions from our fantastic well traveled audience. And I know what you're thinking. How do you know? I know my audience. All right, they're talking we're I'm getting dms left and right. It's not true. I'm chatting with the audience. I'm out and the people, they're stopping me in the grocery store. It's also just not true. I don't know what's gotten to me, me today. I'm just telling lies

Speaker 2 (36:08):

Simply you're punchy.

Speaker 1 (36:10):

I am punchy today. I think I am punky today. But hey, if you're punchy too and you want to know how to get your question answered by Kristen, or maybe at times we've done a couple where our guests have come in and answered some questions so you never really know. You might as well submit. I go to pets head life.org/podcast, scroll on down to the bottom of the page. Or if you are feeling as brave as a DJ at barella, you can submit a voice memo where you can record your voice and hear your question played live on these very airwaves. But without further ado, Kristen, I do have a question for you if you're ready.

Speaker 2 (36:51):

All right, I'm ready. Let's do it.

Speaker 1 (36:53):

All right. She is ready. And this question comes from Angela in Portland. Thanks Angela. Angela asks, my 9-year-old daughter is asking for a bunny as a birthday gift. I've heard that rabbits can be more complex pets than people realize. What should we consider before bringing one home? And is it advisable to give a rabbit as a surprise gift loaded question.

Speaker 2 (37:18):

That is a loaded question. That's a two-parter. So Angela, that is a great question. And you are right that rabbits are more complex pets than you might think they are. However, they're also really awesome pets. So I think just to answer the first part of your question first, keep in mind that a rabbit can be an eight to 12 year commitment, and they need daily care. They are not a low maintenance pet. They really need daily socialization. They need consistent routines, they need exercise. A lot of times they kind of get lumped into this starter pet category, which is really not accurate. I would go so far as a saying, they require as much commitment as a dog or a cat.

(38:08):

And as far as the space goes, I don't know how much space you have in your home, but rabbits need a pretty large living space. So they need at least if it's a smaller breed rabbit, like a four by two foot kennel or cage. But then they also need several hours of supervised exercise around the house every single day. So keep that in mind too. And also, rabbits need veterinary care, and they typically don't go to a regular vet that sees dogs and cats. They typically go see what we call an exotic specialist veterinarian, which can be a little harder to find, can be a little more expensive. So I would just say do a ton of research before you make the decision. And as far as, oh, and one of the thing rabbits are better in pears. So if you are thinking about getting your daughter the bunny, you probably should get her two bunnies, which would be a really big surprise, and you would want to make sure that both bunnies are spayed or neutered.

(39:06):

Now getting back to the gift factor, it is never a good idea to surprise somebody with an animal as a gift. The only difference here is that your daughter wants one, so that's a positive. And two, she's nine. So she's probably responsible enough for that first pet. However, keep in mind that you as the parent are the primary caregiver of any pet, regardless of what your child tells you before you obtain this pet. So I would just say, Angela, do a little bit more research and make sure that you are prepared to care for this rabbit entirely yourself, in case your daughter doesn't rise to the level of expectation. But she might surprise you.

Speaker 1 (39:52):

Good luck, Angela.

Speaker 2 (39:58):

Alrighty. So Chris, I have a question that I think you'll like to answer.

Speaker 1 (40:02):

All right. I don't know why.

Speaker 2 (40:05):

Yeah, well, it's just the question that guys find the topic that guys find funny and I'm killing time. I'm trying to find it. All right, here we go. Okay. This one comes from Danielle in Chicago. Danielle says, my German shepherd has been excessively gassy lately, which is quite embarrassing when you have guests over what could be causing this and how can we manage or reduce flatulence?

Speaker 1 (40:31):

Great question. I mean, that must be why they call it the windy city. Oh man. Had to get one in there. That was good. I'll try to take this seriously, but you asked a fart question on my podcast, so things might get a little silly. My first recommendation, if you're feeding the dog people food, stop step one. Honestly, that will probably do it. If you are feeding your dog people food, that'll probably do it. Step two, if you're not, look at the, it's like the nutrition facts, I forget what they call it. Maybe it's called like a guaranteed analysis is what they call it for pet food. And see how much fiber is in that bad boy, especially if you're doing a dry dog food. The dog digestive tract, very similar to persons. High fiber is going to lead to the bean toots. So see what kind of fiber that dog is getting in them.

(41:27):

Make sure they get plenty of exercise. Gas can build up in the digestive tract and moving around a little bit, make sure those walks are nice and long, and when they are walking, make sure they're not eating any of that grass. I get a lot of questions about the grass eating and German shepherds are known to sort of guess pull and eat on whatever big dogs, so they think everything's food. Don't let 'em eat that grass. Grass is definitely, it's all fiber. Any type of grass or plant is going to be all fiber. It's going to give them very, very unpleasant farts, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (42:01):

As opposed to pleasant farts.

Speaker 1 (42:04):

Sometimes it's not that bad sometimes, you know what I mean? There's definitely levels to this. There's somewhere it's like, oh, that's bad. And then there's somewhere it's like, oh my God, what died inside of you? And my last piece of advice is maybe a probiotic supplement. Maybe your dog doesn't have a good gut balance. There's all sorts of bacteria in both dog and human stomachs that help us digest our food. And when there is an imbalance, your body lets you know about it. So this could be your dog's body's way of saying, Hey, something's not right in the mix here. So try a probiotic. And again, if it's still bad, if it's particularly awful, there's dog farts and then there's dog farts. And if you're on that ladder where you're like, this, I can't even live, I can't have anybody over where you got the windows open all the time. Might be time to go to the vet. If it is just like a minor thing where you've got yourself as Sean Paul would say, a nti, fat shati. Maybe try some of my advice before heading on over to the vet, but it could always be indicative of a larger GI issue. So just keep that in the back of your mind as you're going through these steps.

Speaker 2 (43:26):

Yeah, Chris, you passed along a great answer there.

Speaker 1 (43:29):

Thank you. I appreciate the pun. And it does not go unnoticed,

Speaker 2 (43:33):

But I just have to say something. What if Danielle has a male partner who's blaming it on the dog, who's actually doing, who actually has the gases blaming the dog?

Speaker 1 (43:43):

Then I would say to Danielle, you just got to pay more attention, man. It's pretty obvious. It's pretty obvious. No, if you're out there men, don't blame the dog for your hard work. Your body worked hard to produce, to produce what you're putting out there. Take credit for it, own up to it. And listen, if any man out there struggling with the same thing, take the same advice that I gave for the dog. Same exact advice. Eat a little less fiber. Watch what you may be a little less dairy. Go on a probiotic and it's really bad. Listen guys, if it's really bad, go to a doctor. You could have a real issue. So yeah, I guess it's same advice. But anyway, Kristen, Hey, listen. Listen. That's the end of the show. We got to end it there.

Speaker 2 (44:31):

Thank

Speaker 1 (44:32):

Goodness we got to end it there. But don't worry, folks, we will be back next week. We're here every single Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts. We're on YouTube, we're on the dog tv. Unleash Fast channel. Check that out on Amazon. Be sure to check out the experts. Be sure to check out all the other wonderful content that dog TV has to offer. You can't miss it. You can't.

Speaker 2 (44:54):

Yeah. And until next time, remember, some bunny loves you.

Speaker 1 (44:59):

Get

Speaker 2 (45:00):

It. Bunny. Get it. Some bunny.

Speaker 1 (45:02):

I do. The millennial heart. There's like the Gen Z heart.

Speaker 2 (45:05):

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (45:06):

Which is cute, but you got to do the millennial heart.

Speaker 2 (45:09):

That's the millennial

Speaker 1 (45:10):

And the show. Bye pets. Add life with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonti, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv. Guess what, suckers, we got a special episode for you. Big round of applause for all the winter can

Speaker 2 (45:26):

Congratulations, Scott. We are going to show you some of our best, funniest, smartest, greatest guests. Oh, sorry Chris.

Speaker 1 (45:34):

You go ahead. You're getting right to what I was. I'm so excited. I know. I know. I know. Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionals. Yeah. Go to the vet. Don't ask us. Oh, this is our dog shaped cat bird. Wow. Is Chris as handsome as he sounds? Oh my gosh. The product of the week. Because we're having so much fun

Speaker 2 (46:14):

Together. Hopefully some bloopers, I don't know, big

Speaker 1 (46:24):

Bloopers might be in there. Bloopers. We don't make mistakes we don't make. There's going to be no bloopers. And if you encounter a snake, don't be a crisp. Just walk the other way. Don't be a crisp. Why risk people with big feelings and dogs with big feelings? I think you get applied words to so many situations that I've seen

Speaker 2 (46:42):

To allow your dog to just kind of think that you're a bit more fun than you are. Boring. Get it. Tail end. Yes. He says sometimes he wants to be a puppy again. Don't we all? He was always.

Speaker 1 (47:04):

Next time she comes on the show, she's going to be like, yeah. So I was training dragons in inner China. You never know what you never know. You really don't. You never tell you. My life is surprises. And I wouldn't be surprised. Kristen and Chris, present story time. Your step count must have been ridiculous. Insane. I'm over here. There's some days where I rack up work from home days, and I'm racking up 45 steps, so I don't think I'm any further away. So we already have the giggles. I'm sure that the energy's unhinged. Yeah. Energy's unh. Yeah. Off the chart, I'm going to be an old man doing pets at life. So bare self, but no chef's kiss. Listen to pets ad life with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonti every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.