78. Vet-Tech Comedy, Animal Trainers & DEI in Vet Med

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Speaker 1 (00:00):

Pets ad Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products and the joy of the Human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonafide, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.

Speaker 2 (00:14):

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Pets Ad Life podcast. We have another possum show for you today, and I am super excited because, not that I don't miss Chris, but Chris is out again today, but we have the awesome co-host that you can even think of. So well actually, you might not know him, but he is famous in the veterinary world and on social media. His name is Walter Brown and he is also known as Skinny Go Live on Social. He's a licensed veterinary technologist and he is a content creator who's hilarious, but very educational content not only really resonates with people in Vet Med, but also for us pet parents. I think it helps us to give some insight into what it's like to work in the veterinary field. Welcome, Walter.

Speaker 3 (01:04):

Thank you, Kristen. You absolutely nailed it and it is an honor when I got the call like, Hey, can you help us out here? I was like, of course I would. I've had such a good time with dog tv. You guys have been awesome supporters and I would've not passed this up, opportunity up to save my life and whatever you're doing, Chris, have fun. But I got you today. That's right. That right. I'm Chris, so

Speaker 2 (01:26):

That's, thank you for having me. Got it. Yeah, sure, sure. I really encourage people to follow you on social because the first thing I think of is funny, hilarious. That's how you capture people's attention. And I was watching your Rescue Rangers PSA yesterday, and I started my career working for an animal shelter, so I totally, you get it. I was like, amen, brother, preach. But it's just your content is really educational.

Speaker 3 (01:56):

That's my biggest thing. I just try to, A lot of times with us being a veterinary profession, sometimes it's a little weary. Owners are like, oh, the veterinarians trying to do this to me. And sometimes we as veterinary professionals get so jaded or get caught up in our veterinary professional that it's kind of hard for us to come down as human sometimes, like, oh, and put ourselves in the shoes of the pet owner that may have the question. So I try to use my platform with the comedy, the vet me professional stuff, just try to bring it full circle so everyone gets the information that they needs regarding whether it be a pet parent or vet tech or a veterinarian. So just to bring things all the way around with a little bit of laughter, A little bit of laughter helps everything. Right.

Speaker 2 (02:33):

Exactly. I think that's the big part. We all need more laughter in our lives.

Speaker 3 (02:37):

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (02:38):

So Walter, here's our format. We do two stories. We're each going to share a story. Then we're going to have two awesome guests. We're going to share two pet product recommendations, and then we're going to answer two questions from the audience. And we have an extra twofer this week. We have two Nicoles on the show. We

Speaker 3 (02:56):

Nicole in twice.

Speaker 2 (02:57):

We're Nicole in twice. Let's do it. Two guests named Nicole and I've got 'em confused earlier, so I think I got it straightened out, but I need your help.

Speaker 3 (03:05):

Got

Speaker 2 (03:05):

You. But why don't we jump into story time for starters. Let's do

Speaker 1 (03:09):

It. Let's do it. Kristen and Chris, present story time.

Speaker 2 (03:14):

Alright, well you are the guest host, so why don't you tell us your story first?

Speaker 3 (03:20):

My story as far as me and how I got here or?

Speaker 2 (03:24):

Well, yeah, okay.

Speaker 3 (03:26):

Well, for me, my story, I guess I start with, I like to tell the story of failure type deal because sometimes you have to bring yourself all the way in with people to kind of let 'em know that, hey, maybe I'm that guy. But I was that kid in the back of the classroom not paying attention to things. And I just had an instructor that really poured into me. And I'll never forget, I'm a fraternity guy, right, Kristen? So it was funny, my veterinary technician program would be down the street and my fraternity house is literally a block from the veterinary technology building, and you would basically have to pass this fraternity house to get to the program. And I would never forget, I was up early one morning, should have been in class, but it was what, we had a huge football game coming on and a lot of fraternity brothers from different schools were coming in and I was like, alright, we got to get the chicken prepared, we got to get the drinks prepared, we got to get all these things prepared for a good time. And so eight o'clock in the morning, I'm out there, I'm grilling and I see people passing by who are going to class, and I'm like, I ain't going. And my instructor was like, I saw him pot come by. And he slowly put it in reverse. He was like, Hey Walter, are you coming to class today? And I'm like, Nope. He was like, all right, cool. He literally reversed his car, drove it into our fraternity yard and was like, well, I'm hanging out with you all day then.

Speaker 2 (04:57):

No way.

Speaker 3 (04:58):

Exactly. And it was just that moment I'm like, but you got a class to teach. He was like, well, you ain't going, I'm not going either. I'm like, but what about everybody else? He was just like, now you are concerned about everybody else's education. So it was one of those moments where he literally spent the entire time out there helping grill. And it was just funny because the next week I was in class, he was like, now I need you to do me a favor. I hung out with you. Can you hang out with me in class? And I'm like, sure, he

Speaker 2 (05:27):

Got you there.

Speaker 3 (05:28):

He got me there. So it was definitely a eyeopening experience, but it was fun. And I think that moment, knowing that I had someone who saw a lot in me that I didn't see in myself, he allowed me to get to the place that I am today. So shout out to Dr. Moie and Dr. McComb and

Speaker 2 (05:47):

He cared enough enough about you as a student to teach you a lesson that impacted all the other students that didn't get class that day

Speaker 3 (05:55):

That did not. So that was fun. I think that was one of my most memorable moments where I'm like, all right, let me get myself back to class and do the things that I'm supposed to do in order to get out of here. And again, now I'm in the position to help other folks or whatnot. It's a cool experience. Cool experience.

Speaker 2 (06:12):

That's awesome. That's awesome. I was going to share a news story, but I think since you kind of shared your background of getting into your career, I'll share mine. When I was much younger, I got married, I moved from Chicago to Florida to where my husband lived, and I was looking for a job. And my husband at the time was a prosecutor for the county that we lived in, the Tampa Bay area. And he is a lifelong animal lover, so much so that he volunteered to prosecute all the animal cruelty cases in our county.

Speaker 3 (06:49):

And

Speaker 2 (06:49):

So as a result, he got to know our SPCA executive director really well because there the SPCA was charged with investigating cruelty cases. So he's like, why don't you volunteer at the SPCA until you figure out what you want to do? And I was taking communications courses in college, and so I volunteered there and within two weeks their PR person left and they were looking for a PR person. So I applied no PR experience whatsoever, and I got the job and it started out as just a part-time gig and I got to spend 15 years there promoting pet adoption,

Speaker 1 (07:29):

Helping

Speaker 2 (07:29):

People solve pet problems. That's where I got to work with veterinarians and pet product manufacturers and really kind of just gave me all the tools that I needed to launch my own PR agency 15 years later where I served a lot of pet brands. But the funny thing is, Walter, the whole time I worked there, and I loved it. It was just such an amazing place to work and it gave me the opportunity to help so many people and pets. But the whole time I worked there, I kept thinking, well, what am I going to do when I really grow up? This is just fun for now. It's a great job. And little did I know that I think I'm on 37 years now working in the pet industry. So I am super grateful that I'm in a position now to introduce pet parents to experts like you and others. That's awesome. To help 'em learn. So

Speaker 3 (08:18):

That is

Speaker 2 (08:18):

Awesome. Well, we're going to talk to two super guests right now, both named Nicole.

Speaker 1 (08:24):

Let's do it beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

Speaker 2 (08:29):

Alright, join me in welcoming Nicole Ellis. She's a Los Angeles based celebrity dog trainer, author, and positive reinforcement expert. She's a CPD dash, wait, wait, I knew I was going to mess this up. CPDT dash ka, which is the Karen Pryor Academy certified training partner. Am I getting this right? Okay. Fear free certified trainer, A-K-C-C-G-C evaluator. All the things. All the things, yeah. Okay. Not for the acronyms. Oh, but you're also a Kong ambassador. That's pretty cool. Nicole has over, yeah. Yeah, she's got over 15 years experience. Nicole has trained exotic animals like bears, tigers, and leopards before focusing on household pets. And her rescue dog, Maggie, she's in the other room. Oh, she's in the other room. Okay. Well, she's a Biamp poodle mix, has starred in commercials TV shows and inspired Nicole's book working like a dog. So welcome, Nicole. Thank you. So excited and Ross to be here.

Speaker 3 (09:31):

This is Rossi. Yes. And Rossi sound like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oscar to used you back in the days there buddy. You trained the lions, tigers and bears. Yeah. What's that about used?

Speaker 2 (09:44):

How did you go from exotics to household pets?

Speaker 4 (09:47):

Great question. I grew up in Los Angeles modeling acting TV world, and everyone's like, what do you want to do when you grow up? And I had no idea. I just wanted to work with animals, just animal obsessed kid. I was the kid that wanted to hold the tarantula in the classroom. I

Speaker 3 (10:04):

Got a wall full of tarantulas over here. You wouldn't even know. Oh, you're

Speaker 4 (10:07):

My people.

Speaker 3 (10:08):

I got 'em over here.

Speaker 4 (10:10):

So I had a friend that trained animals for TV production work and was really interested in that. She did the dog on Frazier and all that, and I was just amazing these animals. So I ended up taking a program where we learned about exotics and working with them and then ended up working with the Bears specifically and tigers for a little bit. And I loved it, but I had my own dog, Maggie, that I just adopted at the shelter. And I was like, I bet I could train her these exact same things for movie work. And it was such a different bond. The Bears Tigers loved it, but they wanted to work for that marshmallow, that piece of meat. And I just felt my bond grow so much with my own dog teaching her silly tricks and fun things to do. And that kind of sparked me to be like, oh my gosh, this is this dog that came from a shelter.

(10:59):

Imagine if we could help other shelter dogs through fun training. And that changed my perspective and I could see how much she wanted to do stuff. And it was such a different type of bond than I had with those exotics. So that changed my lifespan and thousands of dogs later. My old dog is very excited for a treat right now. Here we are. So this is Rossi who now does production work. Maggie is now 17 and a half years old. She still hikes, she still plays. So she's living her life in her senior golden years.

Speaker 3 (11:34):

That's amazing. That is amazing. Nicole. So from what I understand, Nicole, so Maggie was a shelter dog, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:41):

He

Speaker 3 (11:42):

Was like shelter dog that had this whole transition from Shelter dog to the big screen, right?

Speaker 1 (11:47):

Yeah.

Speaker 3 (11:48):

So I'm sure you learned a lot during that time from that transitioning point of all those things that you've learned and Maggie has taught you, what do you cherish the most that you would share with pit parents?

Speaker 4 (12:00):

Just to take your time and see what your dog enjoys. And I've always said that if my dogs didn't like studio work, we won't do studio work. This dog of mine loves Fast Cat. We do Fast Cat a lot. He also, he just loves to work though, so he does movie work. My other dog, Maggie, she loved therapy work. So I actually traveled across the US volunteering at hospitals with her and I say, find what your dog enjoys and do that together because one, if your dog's not enjoying it, it's not going to be enjoyable to you either. So trying different things together and then just going slow. People think I spend hours a day training my dogs that know over a hundred behaviors, we spend like five minutes. So those five minutes can make such a big difference, and I think anybody can make time. That's as much time as we spend making our coffee in the morning. So yeah, this is true.

Speaker 3 (12:47):

That is awesome.

Speaker 4 (12:48):

And that actually to our pets, what a difference in having a dog that maybe your goal isn't for your dog to be on tv, but just to come to the cafe with you. Those little goals are really important I think, and really can change our relationship with our pets.

Speaker 2 (13:05):

Yeah. Well, you've done so much great TV work commercials, you're in the pack on Amazon Prime, so these are obviously incredible platforms that help you reach millions of people. What do you think is the most important thing that these people take away from watching and learning from

Speaker 4 (13:22):

You? I think there's different things on different platforms, but I think the biggest takeaway is no matter what kind of dog you have, whether it's a chihuahua or a pit bull, I have a chihuahua here right now for training. You can train them to do amazing things with you, even if it's been your Labrador that hangs out on the couch for the past five years. So it doesn't matter what breed you have or what your past experience together is, you can still make great strides doing new things together.

Speaker 3 (13:52):

That is awesome. So me working in the vet profession, I often see a lot of animals come in dogs and I'm like, man, that dog needs to learn some manners and need some type of training or whatnot. And even on the end of just walking to a clinic versus even one that wants to follow Maggie and Rossi's footsteps and become show dogs, what are some of those small little, if they just had five minutes in a day, right? Oh,

Speaker 1 (14:17):

I love

Speaker 3 (14:18):

That they have five minutes in a day, what would you recommend them to do in order to get their dogs to those levels?

Speaker 4 (14:23):

So five minutes a day for a home or for a vet practice. I think those are two very different things we can

Speaker 3 (14:30):

That is true. If you got time and give us five minutes on each one, that would be awesome.

Speaker 4 (14:35):

So for home stuff, I say teaching our dogs to relax and settle. It doesn't matter if you have the two pound Chihuahua or the Great Dane, but just teaching them to be able to, when we tell them to just relax, we're not going to be doing stuff right now, we're just going to chill. And I think that's so huge. And I do that by putting down a blanket, a little flat bed and just tossing some treats. And when he goes on that rewarding him. I know you did very good laying down, thank you. And then building up that duration because by doing that, I can focus on a Zoom call. I can read a book and have a dog that's relaxed and I'm going to help calm that stress and anxiety in our pets. But also that allows me to take him to a cafe with me and have him relax and settle on a mat. And I always bring that mat with me. It is his magnet. He knows, he goes on that he's getting some magical treats. So

Speaker 3 (15:26):

Nicole, I need you at my house because I got a Corgi that is terribly unruly and I really need you. So again, just practicing,

Speaker 4 (15:33):

Let knock that out and just sit together and then treat, treat, make it Disneyland, minutes there, five minutes,

(15:38):

Just sit. And then sometimes I'll just sit there and wait. If he sits down, then I'm going to give him something. If he lays down, he's like, I'm going to give you a kiss instead, give him something to just having a little bit of patience and waiting for those moments where he decides, okay, this is boring, let's try this. There he goes, good boy. And immediately my timing is on it. My treats in my pocket, my hand ready, he did it. And I use what's called a marker word. So as soon as he does that behavior, I say, good. It's instant. We don't want him to lay down and then he looks at the ceiling and then I say, good. So as soon as we say, good, there's a treat, good job. Oh wow.

Speaker 2 (16:15):

And

Speaker 4 (16:15):

Now he'll just stay here as long as I want him to because we've worked on reinforcing this, just chill. We're going to relax here. And I think it's such a big crucial thing that everyone's like, let's jump in into trick training. I want my dog to high five me and circle, just

Speaker 2 (16:29):

Relax.

Speaker 4 (16:30):

Just learning to relax can be so important day to day. So that

Speaker 2 (16:34):

For both of you, the dog out for you, for of you. Yeah. And

Speaker 4 (16:37):

I mean this transitions to me eating my dinner and I could put that mat down next to me. Now he's going to relax there instead of a dog that's pawing at me. So I think it something that can work in all walks of life, and I think that's so important.

Speaker 2 (16:49):

Yeah, that's a great tip. Now I know that you're also Fear Free certified and you've got the Care and Prior Academy certification. What have been your biggest takeaways from those trainings that you can share with other pet parents?

Speaker 4 (17:05):

Absolutely. I love Fear Free. Marty Becker's, a very dear friend of mine, Rossi here, has done a lot of demonstrations with Marty and I actually do go to Fear Free Vets. So if anyone at home doesn't know what a Fear Free vet is, they take the pet at a petrified of the vet practices. So we're going and creating vet practices, not me because I'm not a vet but them and creating ones that are less stressful. So we have no buzzing fluorescent lights that can cause stress and anxiety. They have pheromone sprays that relax animals in the vet practice, no white scrubs, and I'm sure you can speak on this more than me, but they have

Speaker 3 (17:39):

You mail it

Speaker 4 (17:40):

Specific budget for treats, toys because play releases endorphins and gets them relaxed. So I just think there's such a different experience at a Fear-free vet and you can find them online. Mine doesn't have exam tables even he lays on a bed and just so different. So I think finding things like that is so important because we then create this negative association to the vet and it becomes hard on our pets. And when it's hard on them, their stress levels go up, that actually affects their blood work and other things that we're trying to diagnose. So by having a pet that's more relaxed, we can all around help them. And that's starting simple as just taking a look at your vet practice. Are they rushing you in and out of the door? Mine's like, do you want a coffee? Here's a Health Point,

Speaker 3 (18:30):

Working like a dog. I love the title of that book. Now Nicole, I have to say this. So we kind of talked about some things for that pet owner who is like that five minute deal. What about those pet owners who go and adopt a dog that may be five years old or six years old? We got this concept of you can't teach an old dog new tricks type of deal. What are some of your principles or recommendations for positive reinforcement when bringing that dog from the shelter into your home or to getting 'em acclimated to life or these new changes?

Speaker 4 (19:02):

I think they always need a few days to decompress. And that's not just our shelter dogs. I take very spoiled dogs out of homes and they come to my house and I still give them a day to decompress at my house. So that's a day just to sniff, walk around, play with toys, don't expect things day one and the dog you bring home from a shelter day one is not the same dog on day 14. And those days can vary dog to dog based on their own experience, just like our stress levels vary based on what we're doing day to day.

Speaker 2 (19:31):

Awesome. Well Nicole, we are running up on time, but we could talk to you for hours. I wish we had more time, but where can folks find out more about what you're doing or find your book working like a dog?

Speaker 4 (19:43):

Absolutely. You can find more information on Instagram, my website called Tails with Nicole. And that's tails like a dog tail, not like a story. And on there I have tons of free dog training, I have a dog insurance, counter insurance breakdown. You have all sorts of fun stuff to get you started even just breaking down those first days at home with your new pet to doing fun things like handstands and teaching your dog skateboard. Wow,

Speaker 3 (20:09):

Awesome. Which I hear bulldogs are really good at home.

Speaker 4 (20:11):

Yeah, can do it. We can teach 'em all.

Speaker 2 (20:16):

That's awesome. Thank you so much, Rossi. Thank you, Nicole. Keep up your great work. Thank you so much guys. Man, she was awesome,

Speaker 3 (20:27):

Amazing, amazing.

Speaker 2 (20:30):

One thing she said that really stuck with me is how you give a dog a day to decompress.

Speaker 3 (20:36):

Well,

Speaker 2 (20:36):

Have you ever gone on vacation that first day? You're still, you're not relaxed yet. It's that second day when you,

Speaker 3 (20:43):

It's that second

Speaker 2 (20:44):

Start to calm down. So it's kind of the same thing.

Speaker 3 (20:46):

I just love the fact that she was just like she nailed it. We got to start lowering our expectation as pet parents when we want our dog to do like I want 'em to learn it now. And it's like, bro, you got to lower your expectation so we can work our way through that. So she nailed it and I love every, yeah, Nicole was amazing. I got to definitely follow up with her for more information. What is Peeps? We are back. Oh man. First of all, Kristen, thank you for having me. And we have an amazing guest here today. One of my close counterparts and friends, Dr. Nicole Bruno, who is the founder and CEO of Blend Vet a landmark certification in education program that I'm sure was launched in 2020 to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in veterinary medicine. She's also an amazing graduate of Cornell University and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Dr.

(21:41):

Bruno also practices in has practiced in New York and Houston where she personally encountered barriers faced by people of color in these areas after her first nationwide virtual DEIB talk reaching 700 plus VET students. She launched Blend Vet, which I am proud to say I have been a part of some of these amazing events and amazing signature program. The country's only vet Curated DEIB curriculum and Youth Pathway initiative that exposes underserved middle school students to hands-on veterinary skills now expanding partnerships with others. Her work is reshaping the profession by championing minorities representation in veterinary teams and improving the care for diverse pet communities. Welcome to the show, Dr. Bruno. How are you?

Speaker 5 (22:34):

I'm good. I'm good. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 3 (22:37):

Oh my goodness. I mean, I feel like we just saw each other, what, a couple weeks ago?

Speaker 5 (22:41):

We just saw each other 10 days ago, so a long time toing.

Speaker 3 (22:46):

Oh man. So for the folks who were just watching the show, I know how Blend started, but do you want to give us a quick inside of what Inspired Blend? How did you start it and where are we now?

Speaker 5 (22:57):

Yeah, so Blended started, it really was during around the pandemic, I was still in clinical practice, I was a medical director and obviously the COVID was happening, but we also started to see the social unrest of our country. And I started to think about the fact that these weren't conversations that were being had in veterinary medicine and just started to reflect more on my career thus far. I had been in practice for about 15 years at that point, and just how much our numbers really hadn't shifted and how much of this conversation hadn't really escalated I think into real actionable change. And so I just wanted to do more. I've always been an action-based person and I thought about not only did we need to change the narrative of what MED looked like, we needed to change the narrative of how Vet Met behaved in hospital spaces in workplaces.

(23:50):

And I thought that educational is key. It's not something that I was taught in a veterinary school. A lot of what I adapted was just based on my personal life experience, and I knew how important it was to prioritize diversity inclusion and working in New York City, working in Houston where diversity is all around us, but it's not necessarily in hospital spaces. I thought that that was a place to start educating us. And I created Blend Vet as a program to really emphasize what DEIB looks like in Vet Med and how do we not only learn about what these terms mean, but how does it apply in everyday practice. And then from there, it just started to also touch upon the things that were also important to me, which was changing the face of Vet Med. And in my day-to-day practice life, I always made sure that I provided mentorship and shadowing experiences to children interested in Vet Med, but I realized that that wasn't across the board and during the pandemic as students were really struggling to find experience hours, and also it seemed that they got a lot of nos. And it also seemed to be where a lot of underrepresented students were getting those nos. I just thought, Hey, we need to now think about pathway programming. And so I pitched to NAVC and to potentially host a Pathway program at VMX and they said yes without hesitation. And that was the beginning to where we are today where we just finished our 15th pathway program. And it's been great to work not only with NABC, but also to partner with other organizations to make these pathway events a reality.

Speaker 2 (25:36):

And Dr. Bruno, speaking of that first event at VMX, that's when I got to meet you because our agency did some of the PR for that event, and it was really exciting to see it kickoff. But I'm just so impressed and just I honor you for the progress that you've made with Vet in just a few short years. It's really incredible. Now I know that Blend Vet offers a national DEIB certification for vet teams, right? So what would you say are the outcomes that these veterinarians are seeing after they complete the program? What are they experiencing?

Speaker 5 (26:14):

Yeah, so we've pivoted a few times and we have had the opportunity to work with teams collectively, but we've also, in our pivot and always what I try to explain to everybody, DEIB is a learning experience. And so we've pivoted to where we now offer the program to individuals who are seeking more training in this subject matter. And it's actually been very, very rewarding because now these individuals are coming from different organizations and different teams and different roles, and sometimes what works for one team doesn't work for another, and they're able to now have a community where they can share that. And so I think the takeaways are now is that we create a safe space where people feel comfortable sharing their own experiences, but then can also lean on others in working for other organizations than to implement new strategies for their teams. And so some of the feedback has been anywhere from, I have a whole nother perspective of what DEIB means.

(27:13):

A lot of times we navigate this space based on our own personal journey. And so from a person who is underrepresented black and brown person, we have our own lens compared to someone who has a disability. And so basically opening people's mindsets to the fact that people have different identities and as a result, that's a different journey in this space and how do we honor and create an inclusive space for everybody to thrive in? And that's, I think a big takeaway for a lot of people because they don't recognize the vast diversity that veterinary medicine has, not only in our colleagues, but also in our clients.

Speaker 3 (27:51):

What was that standout moment showcasing that these programs sparked that confidence for either you or the kids? What was that moment? You're like, you know what? This is working, this is it. And when can you reflect on either that parent, that kid or yourself being like, I appreciate this DEI, because I know I've had some with you. We had one a couple of weeks ago with Henry, right? So I know you've had those moments.

Speaker 5 (28:18):

Yeah, I mean, there's so many moments and I don't ever want to be emotional on TV then It's like the Kim Kardashian cry. But I think that it's been a lot of, it's been so much every event triggers an emotion that makes me know that we're on the right track. Definitely. Just because it was 10 days ago, I'll say what you said, talking about Harold and the fact that you both were in the same room able to finally give back to students knowing that there was a 30 age difference,

Speaker 3 (28:52):

31 years,

Speaker 5 (28:53):

31 years age difference between when Harold started the veterinary technology specialty program in emergency critical care to when Walter became certified and there only two of three. And that is emotional. Just seeing that now students in that room could aspire to be the next Walter and Harold. I also think that there's always, I think the parents is what always makes me recognize the value of this program because they don't understand how to support their child.

Speaker 3 (29:27):

And

Speaker 5 (29:28):

We offer that parent program. It's like light bulbs. It's like this is information that is accessible and there are people here that are here to help me. And a couple weeks ago when we did our event in Long Beach, there was a parent that approached me and she was an immigrant or she's an immigrant, and she was in tears. She said, my daughter wants to be a vet and I don't know how to help her get into college, let alone what does veterinary medicine look like? And I just sat here and I absorbed everything and now I feel like I can do this. And she even wrote me an email that night again thanking me and saying she felt more confident. And to me, that's what makes all of the stressors that are involved with event planning worth it. And I think the other thing that really got me, because I knew that students children are sponges, they love to be poured into.

(30:20):

And now being a mother, I know that the students are going to walk away with something. But I think the thing that I didn't think about when I started planning this program was the impact on US veterinary community. Because I've had some people come up to me equally as emotional saying how much they felt poured into that. They remembered their why and why they joined vet me in this event. And I just think that that's the biggest blessing that I could also give back to vet me, is that we all need to remember our why, because sometimes this profession is extremely stressful and you forget your why. And I think that these events remind people of that why again,

Speaker 2 (31:05):

Yeah. Dr. Bruno, what is a more diverse team in a veterinary practice? What is the impact it has on clients?

Speaker 5 (31:16):

I mean, it makes a world of a difference. I mean, the ability to walk in and be able to connect with somebody because they see something in you that is a reflection of them changes the conversation. Sometimes I've gotten those cases and I miss practicing. So I'll just start off by saying I don't practice anymore, which is a good thing because I am able to pour more of my efforts into Blend Vet, but I miss it. But I'll say that when I was in practice, sometimes I would get an appointment and they would say, oh, they're just here for the rabies. We've all had that, right? And so then you go in and you see a family that could be your family, and you walk in and the conversation is different immediately

(32:02):

Because their connection is already there, whether introduce myself in Spanish to this family, or I start to look at their children and I engage their children and I remind them that, Hey, this isn't just about rabies. This is about the fact that your children could be exposed to parasites that your pet can pick up from in the park or what that could do for your child if they get sick. And let's change the narrative. Let's not just be here for the rabies. Let's talk about what other diseases your pet could be exposed to that are detrimental to your pet and your children. And then we have that conversation and it leads to a different outcome. And I think that when we take the time to connect with people, and we know that people, persons of colors, our clients of colors, there's been studies now they want to see themselves in our veterinary hospitals.

(32:50):

And again, if I can't connect with them, maybe someone on my team can. There's been times where as the doctor, we say something, but if our vet assistant started the conversation and then our veterinary technician came in there and reemphasized the conversation and then we come in and now we're the third person that they've heard the same narrative on, but from a different perspective, that changes the outcome of everybody. And so I think that we have to start having those conversations more. I think we need to pay attention to what the demographics of our community are and recognizing that there's language barriers, there's also abilities and disabilities and things that we have to focus in on and make sure that our trained and can meet people where they are in those examination rooms because that ultimately improves patient care.

Speaker 3 (33:37):

Oh, I mean, I wholeheartedly agree. And again, it is so many things like being at the blend and the belonging part of it. And I think I don't want people to get misconstrued. Some people feel like they just don't belong in any environment. And I can remember talking to hearing, that was the first thing that caught me. He was like, my friends think I'm weird because I like exotic animals. I'm like, bro, you are fine over here. Let's chat more. And he really appreciated that. Again, he reached out with emails. It's a lot there. I mean, Glen VE is heading into his, what? Sixth year? Seventh year. Seventh year now? No,

Speaker 5 (34:14):

No, we're new. We're babies. We have, I mean, you started 2020. Well, I mean the idea came in 2020. I launched in 2021. And then really our first pathway event was until 2023. Wow. We're two years old. We're talk.

Speaker 2 (34:33):

Dr. Bruno, we are running up on time. I want to thank you for this incredible work you're doing and Walter for your role in it as well. And where can our listeners and viewers go to learn more information about how they can get involved or the calendar events of events for upcoming events?

Speaker 5 (34:49):

Sure. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here. And our website, www.blend.vet is where we have posted everything related to our DEIB programming as well as our youth pathway programming.

Speaker 3 (35:04):

Oh,

Speaker 2 (35:05):

Thank you so much, Dr. Bruno. Thank you.

Speaker 3 (35:08):

Thank you, Nicole for everything and we appreciate it. And again, keep blend, blending and again, ready to see the success over many more years.

Speaker 2 (35:16):

Thank you. Wow. She's awesome. And you are awesome for being part of the Blend Vet program. Just so impressive and so important.

Speaker 3 (35:28):

It was one of those things where I'm like, I know it's needed, but again, until you see the impact in it and the kids that are smiling and the parents asking amazing questions, it really does move the community as a whole in the right direction. So yeah, Nicole is awesome and she did a great job and hopefully we get to see her do more things in the future.

Speaker 2 (35:50):

Well, if Chris was here, but he's not, he would say it's time for the product of the week, which see, I can't do it as good as he did.

Speaker 3 (35:58):

Let's see, just for try the product of the week. Let's do it. There you

Speaker 2 (36:02):

Go. Okay, awesome. So my product of the week is, this is kind of cool. It's a company called Layer, which is spelled LAYR because you know it's cool now to drop all the vowels, but anyway, layer dog bedsheets. Oh wow. So these are the first fitted sheets that are designed specifically for dog beds. So just like your fitted sheet for your matches, it's the same concept. They come in all different colors. They have a graphic collection. I don't mean graphic, like graphic content, I mean graphics content. That's awesome. And then they have sustainable sheets all made from recycled materials. And it's because historically dog beds are tough to clean, even if they are washable dog beds. Because when we had chili, we had a big orvis bed and it was great. He loved it. But to wash it, I had to unzip the cover and pull out the foam and put

Speaker 3 (36:57):

That's good to know.

Speaker 2 (36:58):

Putting it back together was a paint. So I love this concept. And it also extends the life of your dog bed. They've got Likert in them, so they stretch extra so you can make sure it's fits and time, micro anti odor and water resistant. So yeah, so they come in all different sizes. So check those out at, I think the website is L-A-Y-E-R. Oh, it's LAY r.dog.

Speaker 3 (37:26):

Wow. Layer

Speaker 2 (37:27):

Dog. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:28):

Gotcha. I got one for you that I'm sure everyone is going to love. Are you ready for it?

Speaker 2 (37:34):

Yes, I'm ready.

Speaker 3 (37:34):

Oh, let me just grab this right here on the corner. I was saving it just for you. Alright, are you ready?

Speaker 2 (37:43):

I'm ready.

Speaker 3 (37:45):

This, it's called the aroma bowl. Aroma bowl. This bowl? Yes. This bowl was designed by my fraternity brothers who's also a veterinarian, but this is called the aroma bowl. And what it actually does, if I can make it work for those picky dogs that don't want to eat their hypoallergenic food or whatnot, you can basically put their kibble top on top here, something that smells gross and yummy, bacon burger leftover, whatever, and you basically snap it back on and they think that they are getting that bacon, egg and everything else. And I was like, this is ingenious.

Speaker 2 (38:23):

That's pretty smart.

Speaker 3 (38:24):

So for those who have the picky eaters that, Hey, I want my dog to eat a little bit better, or your veterinarian say, Hey, they need to go on a diet. And they're

Speaker 2 (38:30):

Like,

Speaker 3 (38:31):

They don't want to eat that, but they want to the aroma bowl.

Speaker 2 (38:34):

What's aroma bowl? And where do you get that? Can you get it? Just

Speaker 3 (38:38):

They have a website. It's the enjoyable, I'm sorry, aroma bowl enjoyable. They have the website, so definitely go to enjoyable website. And I actually want to say they actually have an aroma bowl as well from website, which I think is a little bit of a different concept, but these are great. So definitely make sure you get you one of these. If you are a pet parent that struggles with your dog eating the food you want them to eat. Love

Speaker 2 (39:06):

It. I love that ingenuity q and a. Okay, Walter, so we are at the part of the show that this is our favorite part where we get to answer questions from our actual listeners. And yeah, I got a question for you, but first I have a question that's about training. So I thought since we had Nicole on as a guest earlier, that we'd bring her back in for this one. What do you think?

Speaker 3 (39:28):

Sounds like a plan. Let's bring her in.

Speaker 2 (39:30):

Okay, Nicole, thank you for coming back. Thank you. Let's do this. This question comes from one of our listeners. This is Alex from Los Angeles. That's where you are. My neighbor. Alex says, I'm working on basic obedience with my dog, but he still jumps on guests and pulls on the leash. What should I focus on first? Obedience training or behavior modification?

Speaker 4 (39:55):

I think we can focus on these in two different ways. Behavior modification is probably the correct terminology to use. And how I look at these aspects is what do I want my dog to do instead of, oh my gosh, he keeps jumping on people. Instead, let's reverse our psychology and thinking and say, when someone walks through the door, I want my dog to do what behavior. For me personally, I like my dogs just to sit still. So I actually set up a platform. My dog's on one right now. He's a lot smaller than he looks. He's on a climb if we go down. And so I have this at my front door and I play a fun game of, we run to it, he gets a treat, we run to it, he gets a treat, and I might bring out his favorite treats. I might bring out the chicken.

(40:36):

This is going to be Disneyland for him, and this is called the Climb. This could hold me. My horse has stepped on this, so I'm not worried about how big of a dog you have. It's not going to outweigh my horse. And then when I have people come over, he's going to run to this and he's higher up. And when they're higher up, they're less likely to jump. And you could use an ottoman, you can use something in your home, but we want to use something that's not going to move under them. So just make sure it's stable and it can hold your pet and that they can safely jump up and down onto it. So super fun way people come over, just ignore your dog. And then as soon as they get onto this, let's reward them. And often they get out that excitement on here as they're sitting, and we can get rid of that jumping.

(41:17):

And then let's all calmly walk away. And then obviously I always reward four on the floor. So when they're standing on the floor, let's pet them. Let's love on them. Let's ignore them when they're jumping. And as for your walking practice in the house, there's less distractions. There's no dogs, there's no barking, there's no other dog smells of pee everywhere. It's a distracting world out there. So instead, I love practicing walking around my house. I usually practice next to my walls that keeps my dog close to me so he's not five feet away. We can create that nice close barrier. And I make this fun habit of just put my leash on. We're actually going for a walk, and then we walk around the house and we make it such a habit. Then we go outside. It's going to be easier. And maybe my goal is just to go three feet outside our door, break it down, lower our expectations, and reward those little moments that were winning. And it might not be the goal you had when you first set out, that's totally fine. But if you made some progress, that's fantastic. Let's take that win.

Speaker 3 (42:15):

That is awesome. That is awesome.

Speaker 2 (42:17):

Yeah, you break it down into such simple ways. I love that idea of being on the climb, elevates the dog. So they're less now. They don't need

Speaker 4 (42:24):

Completely to jump. I love that. And they know what's expected on the floor. Everyone's up there and it's hard. Exactly. So we give him this spot that's so reinforced. My dog chooses to sit on this all the time on his own, even when I'm not home, which I love. And it's his nice safe spot. But he knows also he's not going to bolt out the door. He now sits on this when I open the door. So it helps me with some safety issues as well. And I love that. So some easy way to incorporate it and less stress on us, which I think we all want a little less stress in our lives. I

Speaker 2 (42:59):

That.

Speaker 3 (42:59):

Oh, that's for sure. Love that. That is awesome.

Speaker 2 (43:00):

That's for sure. Great job answering that question from Alex and La. Alex, I hope you take that to heart and practice those super actionable steps that Nicole shared with you.

Speaker 3 (43:11):

That is all.

Speaker 2 (43:11):

Thanks Nicole.

Speaker 3 (43:12):

Thank

Speaker 4 (43:12):

You everyone.

Speaker 2 (43:14):

Okay, so that was nice of Nicole to jump in to answer that first question. And now I have a question for you, Walter,

Speaker 3 (43:19):

For me, little old Walter for you?

Speaker 2 (43:21):

Yes, yes. Let's see what got, I love that you're here today because this question's perfect for you. It's from Marcus in Atlanta, and he says he knows you because he calls you by name. He says, Walter, I here you also care for exotic critters. What is one of the most surprising animals you've helped and how does your work with small species influence pet tech education?

Speaker 3 (43:44):

That is a very good question. Oh man. First of all, this house of mine has a ton of exotic animals in it. We won't even get down there, but I think one of my most exciting moments was when a veterinarian called me, he was like, Walter, I need a consult. And I'm like, A veterinarian is calling me about a consult. He's like, yeah, I got an animal here that I know nothing about, but I watch your Facebook page and I know you. I'm like, what you got? He's like a tarantula. He's like, first of all, I'm freaking out about this thing. And I'm like, what's happening right now? He's like, I don't know. It feel like I feel like it has 16 legs. I'm like, excuse me. So he sends me a picture and what people don't know is actually tarantulas molt. So what they'll actually do is they'll turn over on their back and then they'll push their old exoskeleton off while they're actually replenishing their legs and stretching things out.

Speaker 2 (44:38):

This is why I don't have a tarantula.

Speaker 3 (44:40):

So I guess the kid who had the tarantula, it was molting, and he was like, what's happening? Why is my tarantula upside down? But it's moving. So he kept turning it back right side

Speaker 2 (44:50):

Up,

Speaker 3 (44:52):

And it was impacting how this animal actually, it needs to get that exoskeleton off. So he kept right, sing it up, and it became a problem where the tarantula couldn't get this exoskeleton off. So he was like, Walter, what do I do? So we actually had to go in, we literally put this thing under general anesthesia, and then we used some cotton tip applicators and mineral oil to help push the exoskeleton off. And it actually lived. We were really worried about whether it was going to live or not. But

Speaker 2 (45:19):

That's really cool.

Speaker 3 (45:20):

It came to, and this kid was extremely happy about it. And to the second part of that, how does that help the educational component? I think we got to remember y'all, we are the generation of dogs and cats, right? This new generation, they want nothing but everything that can be exotic, that is exotic,

(45:41):

Which is great. So you got a lot of iguanas and reptile lizards, geckos, tarantula, Axel Lottos, which I have a few of those, which is a new crave tortoises. So a lot of the younger kids, that's how we inspire the younger generation. They love the exotic animals and they want to learn so much about husbandry. And once they learn how to take care of them, that actually moves us forward as far as getting them into veterinary medicine. So I like the exotic species. They're a lot easier to take care of once the husbandry and kids are easier to learn husbandry on these animals versus dogs and cats, like when Nicole was telling us about training. So yeah, very, very, very good question. But yeah, it definitely leads to these kids learning more on the technical side of things,

Speaker 2 (46:25):

Believe it or not. That is a wrap. We are finished with the show, Walter, what? We were

Speaker 3 (46:30):

Just getting into the fun there.

Speaker 2 (46:32):

I know, I know. I had so much fun doing the show with you and I'd love to have you back next time. Chris is out. So hope you had as much fun as I did.

Speaker 3 (46:40):

I had a blast. Chris, I appreciate you letting me fill in for you today buddy. And again, if you ever have a day off, you call me. I got you buddy. So awesome. Thank you Kristen. And thank

Speaker 2 (46:49):

You Kristen. And before we go remind folks where they can follow you on social,

Speaker 3 (46:54):

You can find me on social at skin go live. That's S-K-I-N-N-I-G-O-L-I-V-E. I did have someone like, Hey, you're that skinny G Olive guy, aren't you? I'm like, no, skinny, go live, but I got you. So yeah, you can follow in that skinny, go live on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, wherever it may be. And again, the whole mission is to begin bring you some laughter and some education all in one fun wop. So again, thank you all for having me for sure.

Speaker 2 (47:19):

And that you do. And for you folks that are listening on your favorite podcast app, you could also watch the Pets Ad Live podcast on YouTube. It's on the Dog TV Unleashed channel, which is an Amazon Fast channel. And of course, you can follow us on the pets ad life social channels. And thanks again to Walter Brown for co-hosting with me today. It was a lot of fun. Love

Speaker 1 (47:41):

It.

Speaker 2 (47:41):

That's The Skinny On Pets With Skinny Go Live. See you next week,

Speaker 1 (47:45):

Pets Ad Life, your guide to the latest in Pet Trends products, and the joy of the Human Animal Bond with Kristen Levine and Chris Bon, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.