84. Happy Healthy Cats Finale, Dog Longevity & Surfing Stars

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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 Bonti, powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog tv.

Speaker 2 (00:14):

Hey pet lovers. This is the Pets Ad Life podcast. We are back here on the last day of Happy healthy Cat Month, and we're just headed into official fall season. It's fall, y'all, <laugh>. I love to say that I am from the south, so y'all is part of my vernacular. Uh, we've got another great show for you today. I'm your host, Kristin Levine, and I'm joined by another fabulous guest host, and you may remember her from a previous episode. Her name is Carol Bryant. Welcome Carol.

Speaker 3 (00:43):

Hey, thanks for having me back. So excited to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:46):

Oh my gosh, you were one, one of our favorites. So we wanted to, you know, take advantage of the opportunity before Chris comes back to get you on the show to co-host with me.

Speaker 3 (00:54):

Such an honor. Such an honor to be here,

Speaker 2 (00:57):

<laugh>. Hey, let me tell our audience a little bit about you, Carol. You are an award-winning pet blogger writer and lifelong cocker spaniel enthusiast. As a matter of fact, your cocker spaniel, sir Alvin is sitting under your chair on your foot right now, which I think is adorable. Um, you're also the founder of fidos of reality.com, uh, a trust resource for dog health and wellness and lifestyle, especially if you are a cocker spaniel parent. Um, and you also founded Smart Dog Copy, and you are probably the best pet industry professional with pet puns in my opinion, because you have, you've got 30 years in the pet industry and, um, you're known for blending heart humor and serious know-how in everything you do. Oh my gosh, I don't even know what to say after that. Thank you so much, <laugh>. I try. Well, you know, 'cause you've got the, I love the name of your blog, Fidos of Reality, and then you have, um, your trademark is that Your Heart Beats Dog, which is brilliant. And then you had the wiggle butt warriors, which oh my gosh.

Speaker 3 (02:01):

Yep.

Speaker 2 (02:01):

Tell us, tell us about the, what, what, tell us about wiggle butt warriors.

Speaker 3 (02:04):

Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, everybody wants to do things to help dogs in need, pets in need. And I, there are so many rescues out there that need it. We didn't need one more rescue or, you know, we just wanna get dogs into loving homes. So, um, my spouse and I thought, let's do like, fun, crazy out of the box fundraisers for these dogs, Uhhuh <affirmative> gain, you know, interest and have people donate. We've done everything from dog weddings to dog winery to, we found a pet friendly amusement park in the, in the States. Oh gosh. Yes. And we had a whole event there, and I'll tell you what, you make way more money when people could bring their dogs out. They have father dress them in a tux, or they could put them in a little speedo for dog swimming <laugh>. I would the story, um,

Speaker 2 (02:51):

I'd rather see a dog in a Speedo than a guy in a Speedo. Right.

Speaker 3 (02:53):

And you know what, the hair, the hairy back doesn't bother me. Then the hairy back is totally fine.

Speaker 2 (02:58):

Right, <laugh>. Yeah. That's great. Well, we're, we're, that's, that's awesome. You, you know, you as much of a cocker enthusiast as you are, you're also a huge rescue proponent and you guys have raised thousands of dollars to help a rescue organization. So kudos to you for that. Um, we're happy to have you on the show today. And you've been a guest, so you probably know the drill. We do two stories. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. We interview two amazing guests. We share two product recommendations, and then we wrap it up with answering two questions from the audience. So yes, are you ready to dive it?

Speaker 3 (03:31):

Super psyched. Super ready gut, my caffeine,

Speaker 1 (03:35):

Kristen and Chris, present story time.

Speaker 2 (03:40):

Well, you are the guest co-host, so I'm gonna let you go first. Uh, would you go like, to go ahead and share your story this week?

Speaker 3 (03:46):

Yeah, so my story is something that happened recently when we took a pet friendly vacation as one does. And we were in the vehicle, Alvin was in his backseat, in his sleepy pod and, you know, all buckled in and it was potty time. So we pulled over and I was getting out of the vehicle, went and got Alvin and my foot got caught in his travel bag, uhoh, which was on the floor while holding Alvin. I went splat <laugh>. I literally, yeah. And, um, ended up at an urgent care because I didn't know if I broke. Both my knees did. I didn't know what, I just felt pain. Good news is no breaks. The dog was fine. I took the brunt of it. The story I wanna tell is that you always wonder what will your dog do in an emergency? And that's like, okay, a baptism by fire.

(04:33):

He just did like a little howling sound and then laid by my head. And I say that with such, you know, it sounds like trepidation, but it's such emotion in my voice because then I was crying even more. And like, I'm hurt and my dog loves me so much, <laugh>, you know, it's like I didn't know if I should focus on the blood and the pain or my dog's kissing me. My spouse is like, can you get up? I'm like, buddy loves me. And you know, I think that's the thing. Like, you never know. I, I think my last dog would've done the same thing. I know a friend of mine said her dog would've gone through her pockets to look for food, <laugh>. It just like, I think you never know with our dogs how they're going to give and love and, and give you that message that they care about you.

Speaker 2 (05:15):

Yeah. And they, they certainly, uh, they certainly can read our emotions and, you know, read the situation and, and understand what we need at the time. And clearly Alvin understood that you needed comfort and, uh, you know, that might have been part of your, your healing process or your, the fact that you didn't freak out was probably better than you know.

Speaker 3 (05:36):

Yeah. And I wanted to tell someone that story. And so thank you for giving me a big forum to do something. Of

Speaker 2 (05:41):

Course, of course. Uh, you know, speaking of how we never know how dogs are gonna react, it, it never fails The minute I start recording this podcast, tulip decides that she wants out of this room. So she's, I dunno if you can hear her, but she's whimpering she would like to leave now, but you're gonna have to stay until we take a break. Okay. <laugh>. Great. So my, my story this week is kind of in honor of Happy Cat Month, which is September. So, um, this particular episode is dropping on September 30th. So I know I kind of waited till the very end of the month to do this, but I've had this story, you know, on my desk and I wanted to share it with you 'cause I thought it was really cool. Um, this is a, uh, uh, about a survey that PetSmart recently released and where they named the top 25 cat loving cities in the US And the way they, um, the way they measured or just determined the top five cities was, um, they based it on the number of cat adoptions at their PetSmart charities, um, pets in their PetSmart stores, cat adoptions, and also they measured the amount of cat pampering products.

Speaker 4 (06:48):

So

Speaker 2 (06:49):

Not food and litter, but rather toys and, you know, maybe grooming brushes and things like that.

Speaker 5 (06:54):

Mm-hmm

Speaker 2 (06:55):

<affirmative>. So they took all of that into account and, um, are, are you ready for the top five cities? Oh, I can't wait. I cannot always think of this.

Speaker 3 (07:02):

Yeah, it's pretty exciting.

Speaker 2 (07:04):

Okay. Well, none of them are huge cities. Well, the number one was l Lexington Kentucky. Hmm. Who knew? Number two is Green Bay, Wisconsin, followed by Mount Juliet, Tennessee. I think that's near Nashville. Okay. Uh, may I, I might be totally wrong, but for some reason I think that, uh, Spokane Washington was number four and Falls Church Virginia was number five. And, um, so yeah, I kind of thought some of the bigger cities would have, oh, excuse me. Let me just help her. Oh, there you go. Okay. <laugh>, uh, <laugh>, uh, I thought it was worth sharing because probably a couple months ago in the show, Chris and I had talked a lot about how cat adoption, cat ownership is really growing in this country outpacing even dogs. So, um, and as a matter of fact, 38% of Gen Z and 46% of millennial cat owners are men, um, which is double digit gains since last year. So it's pretty cool. Guys are into cats and more and more cats are getting adopted as a result. So

Speaker 3 (08:05):

That's so interesting. I love those cities and I never would've, I'm thinking like, you know, LA or that kind of thing and Wow,

Speaker 2 (08:11):

That's

Speaker 3 (08:12):

Interesting. And go cats.

Speaker 2 (08:13):

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (08:14):

Beyond the leash, exploring the untold stories of pet passion and professionalism,

Speaker 2 (08:19):

I'm so excited to introduce our guest, Dr. Ellen Ratcliffe. She's a veterinarian and the head of clinical development at Loyal, a biotech company on a mission to extend the healthy lifespan of dogs. That's fabulous. Uh, with a background in both veterinary medicine and clinical research, Dr. Ellen is helping to bring science backed longevity treatments to dogs making longer, healthier lives a real possibility.

Speaker 6 (08:43):

Thank you. Welcome Dr. Ellen. I'm so happy to be here. It's nice to see y'all.

Speaker 2 (08:49):

Well, this is a topic that I just, everybody's gonna be all ears, no pun intended. <laugh>, all dog ears. Uh, but why don't we just start off by having you tell us, for those who aren't familiar, what is loyal and how is it working to extend, uh,

Speaker 6 (09:04):

<crosstalk>? Okay. Loyal is, uh, we're a little company of veterinarian scientists, kind of a startup still. We don't have any products on the market yet, but the thing that we're driving towards is FDA approved drugs to extend healthy lifespan in dogs. So we've been working on this for about, um, five years now and, um, just checking things off the list to get closer and closer with every year.

Speaker 3 (09:27):

Wow, that sounds awesome. Um, and I know this is, like Kristen said, this is something that pet parents are just gonna swoon for. I know you've got my attention. What can you tell us about the science behind Loyals treatment? Um, what makes them different than like regular vet care or supple?

Speaker 6 (09:41):

I think one of supple on the market think one of the, one of the chief, um, distinguishing factors between supplements and what we're doing is the FDA approval piece. So, um, supplements of course, are an kind of an unregulated in industry. You never know if what you're buying is what you're getting. And, um, the claims often are a little on the unsubstantiated side depending on what supplements you're getting into. The, the thing that we're after is, is going through the full FDA drug approval process to get a prescription drug that will be prescribed by veterinarians, um, for a specific population of dogs to extend their healthy lifespan. So the sciences, I think off the bat, veterinarians and dog owners are kind of like, sounds too good to be true. This can't be real. Um, but the truth of it is, we know that, um, aging is something you can intervene upon.

(10:29):

Um, we do it every day by taking good care of our dogs, exercising them, watching, sorry about the train, um, <laugh> watching what they eat, exercising them, you know, giving them the best of everything. We know we extend dog lifespan by taking good care of them in that way. And so it isn't such a leap to think that you could modify some of the processes in a dog's body to, to help them live longer. We also know just, oh, I'm so sorry you guys about the train <laugh> the way, the way dog lifespan works. We know that the majority of our pet dogs, um, don't die on their own. We end up euthanizing them when their quality of life is bad. And so we also know there's no way to extend a dog's life where you're just adding on that crummy time at the end of their life. We're really looking to add years and time to that period of their life where they're robust and healthy and vibrant and happy and all of those things. So, um, we know that you can do that, um, with simple interventions in there. And we also believe it could be done with an FDA approved

Speaker 2 (11:31):

Pharmaceuticals. So, Dr. Ellen, you, you alluded to this a minute ago. What, who is the specific, uh, subset of dogs that

Speaker 6 (11:38):

Yeah, in my brain, I think, um, eventually the goal is all dogs. Um, because all dogs are aging, just like all of us are aging. So there's literally no dog that's not aging, um, in my brain that couldn't benefit from, from this eventually. The thing is, with FDA approval process, you define your population of dogs based on how you're running your clinical trials. So each drug will have a target audience. Like, for instance, one of our drugs at, um, two of our drugs actually in our pipeline are targeted at the very large dogs. So, you know, that chihuahua might get to be 16 years old, but the Great Dane might only live to be seven or eight, and that's a really big difference in life expectancy. And so, um, we do have some, um, drugs in our pipeline that are really targeted at what it is that makes the Great Dane and other large dogs lifespan so much shorter than the small dogs. So different dog, different target audiences for different drugs, but all dogs are aging. So I'd like to think that everybody could benefit from it.

Speaker 3 (12:34):

Wow, I love that. I love that so much because I know you mentioned Chihuahua and great Dana, and those are people in my circle who have those dogs. This is just something for everyone. So you, you're such a power woman. Um, what inspired you to go from clinical practice into veterinary biotech and shifted the focus for you to research and longevity? Oh, Carol, from your clinical,

Speaker 6 (12:56):

Oh, Carol. I'm like, oh, wow. <laugh> <laugh>. Um, honestly, this is kind of the, you know, veterinarians, every veterinarian I know has like totally cashed themselves in, dedicated their life to, for animals. And that's like been me since I was a little kid. The only thing I ever wanted to do in life was be a veterinarian. And, um, and, and so I share that with a lot of other veterinarians. And, um, I did private practice for close to 20 years. I mixed animal practitioner, so I was your, your farm vet, your clinic vet. Um, I'm obsessed with animals, always have been obsessed with animals. You, if you've paid much attention to the veterinarian industry in recent years, you know, it's kind of a hard place to be for veterinarians, um, sometimes. And so the very thing that makes you like compassionate and empathetic and, and makes you a great veterinarian also can kind of eat your guts when the world is mean and hard <laugh>.

(13:47):

So I did, I made a pivot from veterinary practice, um, and, and gathering up all the things I know about dog, dog owners and dogs and, and, um, pets and how we think about them in our lives and have used that skillset and, um, pharmaceutical development for the last several years. And honestly, it's, it's a really great transition because I've got the background and the history to understand what's important to you all as dog owners, what's important to me as a veterinarian and what do I think would help, um, dogs the most. So it's, it's been a really awesome transition. Um, a neat thing also, the, the veterinary veterinary degree is very versatile. You can do a lot of different things with it. So I'm just really fortunate to be able to tap into something so exciting.

Speaker 2 (14:30):

Um, you know, speaking of veterinarians, I was curious to know what has been the response of veterinarians, um, to the drug team? Listen,

Speaker 6 (14:38):

Veterinarians are a skeptical bunch. Um, pretty much when I started talking about loyal, um, close to five years ago, the majority of veterinarians were like, not interested. This sounds like, sounds like snake oil or something really sketchy. But as time has gone on, we've achieved a lot of milestones with the FDA in our process and our, um, development of these drugs. The research and development has gotten more and more validated by the FDA. We've got this giant clinical trial going right now across 70 plus veterinary clinics across the country with 1300 dogs enrolled, um, right now. So I think we've become more valid and also just kind of, um, really educating and communicating the piece that that was missing, which is the education that, um, if you line up all the bad diseases that dogs die of when they're old heart disease, um, you know, arthritis, kidney disease, liver disease, if you line up all these diseases and you think about the number one predisposing factor for all of them, it's aging.

(15:35):

And so it becomes really compelling to find that intervention point on aging where you could potentially prevent or delay those diseases and make dogs live longer. Veterinarians want that. They're the ones who are looking old dogs and dogs that are failing, looking them in the eye and looking their owners in the eye and, um, and seeing the pain and hardship that that causes people and the suffering that dogs endure. So if there's any impact veterinarians can make on that, they wanna get in on it. But I just think it, the challenge has been getting them to understand that it's not strange science, it's just, it's just helping, um, kind of modify some of the metabolic processes that drive aging.

Speaker 3 (16:12):

Yeah, I think that that's such a good, um, lead into something that I was just thinking about, misconceptions about the aging process in dogs. I mean, I hear them just as you know, in the pet space as a writer. What are some of the biggest misconceptions about aging in dogs that, you know, you're right here. The

Speaker 6 (16:30):

Spotlight <crosstalk>. Yeah. I, when I was in med school, they told us old age is not a disease, and this is the, which is basically just a really fancy way of saying, dogs get old, there's nothing you can do about it. Um, and so that I think is the number one thing that I'm like walking around squawking about the most. And, and honestly, veterinarians are the first audience that has to accept that that's just not true. I don't think aging is a disease necessarily, but it is the number one predisposing factor for nearly every bad disease that kills dogs. So, um, I don't, I think we have to change the mindset that, um, aging is inevitable in its current state and, and that it's just something we have to accept and there's nothing we can do about it. And there are tons of people working this problem from different angles. Um, so I, I do think the tides are turning and, and a lot because of, um, folks like you guys who, who tell dog owners you can, you can do things to make your aging dogs life more comfortable and there's so many things to do. So I I think the time is right to debunk a lot of that kind of stuff.

Speaker 2 (17:25):

I have a question, uh, about the, the products that you're developing. Um, uh, Carol and I both lost our dogs to Hemangiosarcoma. So is this something that could also prevent cancer?

Speaker 6 (17:38):

I think that's a tbd to be honest with you. And I know that's like a wholly unsatisfying answer. But the, the, the long and the short of it is that the study that we're running right now, which is the pivotal effectiveness study for our first, um, drug, which is LOY oh oh two, this drug is, um, designed to modify the metabolic dysfunction that happens as dog's age. So basically, we know that when dogs age, they do a lot of the same things that people do with like insulin resistance and the, and your fat tissue becomes a little different and moves to your belly instead of your subcutaneous or you know, your arms and, and thighs and moves more to your belly. This is a normal thing with aging normal, oh no, I'm frozen, but also becomes pathologic and drives accelerated aging. And we accept that in humans.

(18:23):

Um, we haven't widely studied that or accepted that in dogs, but I do think that, that at the end of this study we'll have a lot of really good data about, um, what is actually, what diseases are actually delayed or prevented that help extend lifespan. And I think that's, that's, um, A TBD logically, I think if you, um, change the way, um, dogs' bodies handle and process calories and nutrition with age, I think that logically could be, um, tied into cancer prevention. But, um, I, I don't have the claim to tell you that just now. And yes, angiosarcoma

Speaker 3 (19:00):

Yeah, totally. Yeah, you hear that from such a, I mean, we both were blindsided by it. I don't know that I've ever still recovered, and I know a lot of your listeners right now are saying the same thing, um, every day, more emails in my inbox that that happened to their dogs. So, um, you know. Yeah. So what I totally get, yeah. <laugh> <laugh>.

Speaker 2 (19:22):

Um, so, uh, we're running short on time, but this, I mean, we could talk to you for <laugh> know an hour about this. This is so exciting. Let, so let's maybe end it, end it off with, uh, this question. And that is when, uh, will you ha when do you expect to have FDA

Speaker 6 (19:38):

Approval? So the, the development pathway for aging drugs is long. You have to start giving the drug, of course, and then watch the dogs age and age and age. So these studies are very long. The good news is that we are, um, pursuing the expanded conditional approval pathway, which, um, could give us the opportunity to have our first drug on the market as soon as, um, next year. So, um, and that would be with a conditional approval, which has the same safety package, the same, you know, manufacturing and chemistry package as any other fully approved drug. But we're waiting on the final data from our big clinical trial. So we have achieved reasonable expectation of effectiveness, which means that the FDA is bought in on the idea that this drug should work, um, according to the way that we believe it will, um, scientifically. So, um, we're, that's what we're driving towards. And fingers crossed we can, we can check that box next year.

Speaker 2 (20:26):

Yeah. And we would love to have you back

Speaker 6 (20:29):

When

Speaker 2 (20:29):

That happens.

Speaker 6 (20:30):

And yeah. And talk again,

Speaker 2 (20:32):

<laugh>. Well, in the meantime, tell our listeners and our viewers where

Speaker 6 (20:37):

Yeah, your dog, um, loving listeners can go to loyal.com. If you go to our website, we have a section called for Dog Owners. Um, you can really learn about all the things we're up to there. You can sign up for our newsletter and learn how to keep up with what we're doing. And, uh, we, we want all the hype men out there that we can get hype people out there that we can get. So, um, definitely check it out.

Speaker 2 (20:59):

Well, you got two hypesters right here to, to help support. You guys are our people for sure. You're in <laugh>. Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you today, Dr. Ellen. We appreciate it. Yeah. Can you imagine truly being able to do something proactively to extend Doc, um, start Alvin's life and little to Lape? I mean, how exciting is that?

Speaker 3 (21:25):

I can't even imagine. I'm like, where do I sign up? Because, you know, they're checking all their boxes and FDA and making sure that what they say it's going to do, it will. And I'm so glad you brought up the heman part because mm-hmm. Um, so many people are affected by so many cancers in our, our pet population that wouldn't that be a win-win.

Speaker 2 (21:45):

Yeah, I, I mentioned that because when she first kind of rattled off the diseases, she did not mention cancer. Yeah. So I didn't know if that was intentional or not, but, um, but yeah, TTBD as she said, we've gotta wait to, to see what the studies show and time, time will tell, but we're moving in the right direction.

Speaker 3 (22:01):

A hundred percent. Hey, everybody. Um, this is our next guest I'd like to introduce. James Wall is the devoted doggy dad of faith, the surfing pit bull, one of the most iconic canine athletes in the world. And over the past 13 years, James and Faith have made waves quite literally by winning championships, inspiring thousands, and landing everywhere from the world Dog surfing championships to a Sports Illustrated feature, calling Faith the coolest doggo of all time. Yeah. And as faith heads into her final season of competitive surfing, James is here joining us to reflect on the incredible journey with kisses the bond they share. And what's next after that final wave, James. All right. With all the kisses getting in there, faith, love it. Um, let's start at the beginning. How did Faith first get into surfing and how did you know, like what was the first sign you knew she had a real talent for it?

Speaker 4 (23:03):

Um, well, I actually had two other dogs that were attempting to surf, and I say attempting because one loved the water too much. So it was a big diving board. The other one, he just loved to lay on the board. So one summer I actually volunteered as a surf instructor to try and help myself learn a little bit more. And I thought, okay, after learning with all these other people and dogs, let's try faith out. So at home, we did some work on the board, just dry work, let her get used to the board, make it her friend. And one day it was like, Hey, let's go to the beach. Let's see what happens. Showed Faith, the board, she already knew it was a friendly pa place, so she jumped up on the board, was like, all right, give it a little push. We're in maybe knee deep water.

(23:49):

She rode it to shore. All right, we're onto something. So we went a little deeper to waist deep. She was riding it in, we continued this for about 20, 30 minutes at most, and she was riding in. I was like, all right, cool, let's finish strong. And she, she did great. Um, then I knew there was a competition coming three weeks later, so I was like, okay, what, what's the worst that can happen as we go out there? She doesn't like it and I lose my entrance fee. She ended up placing third place in the division she was put in. And ever since then, it's just been kinda like, all right, let's keep doing this. And here we are, 13 years later.

Speaker 2 (24:31):

That is such a, an incredible story. And James, I have a story for you. When I heard that you and Faith were gonna be on the show today, I was thinking, you know, I know I know that name. I remembered Faith's name, and I looked back in my archives and sure enough, I interviewed you and Faith on her one year surfing anniversary at a competition in San Diego. Uh, do you remember what that one was?

Speaker 4 (24:57):

That was the,

Speaker 2 (24:58):

Uh,

Speaker 4 (24:58):

Helen Woodward Animal Center. That was actually the first time she ever won first place.

Speaker 2 (25:04):

Oh my gosh, that is so cool. And I don't remember if I interviewed before she, before she won or after she won, but anyway, I knew, I knew it was her anniversary and I I'm just, I was so excited to see you guys again today. So that was 12 years ago. I almost wanna

Speaker 4 (25:16):

Say about, I wanna say that interview was actually taking place and I got told that we placed first right after right after the interview. Okay. Or right before, like, that was the exact moment Uhhuh that I found it because I, I still remember we were sitting on the rocks and I, it's funny is I was looking through photos. I have a photo somewhere of us together doing that interview or just finishing or,

Speaker 2 (25:41):

Oh,

Speaker 4 (25:41):

My, so I that I,

Speaker 2 (25:43):

That's crazy.

Speaker 4 (25:44):

I remember that a lot because it, that was the first time she ever actually won.

Speaker 2 (25:50):

That is so cool. And that was the first time I'd ever been to a surf dog championship. So it's, yeah, so it's a, it's a great memory for me and I'm so glad you remember that too. That's so cool. Now, you were ta you were talking about earlier, you were talking about how, um, faith took to surfing so naturally, but for the average dog, or you know, if they're, you know, for our listeners who have dogs that might wanna try this, like how would you recommend training a dog to surf?

Speaker 4 (26:19):

Uh, first thing I tell people is make the board their friend. So before you ever introduce it to water, have the board around the house, lay it in the backyard, lay it in your living room, lay it somewhere you can feed them on it, put their food on it, make 'em know that that's a safe, comfortable spot. Once they feel comfortable with the board, then maybe put some pillows under it. So it's a little like off balance as they step onto it and continue to treat 'em. Maybe, maybe make 'em gain a couple pounds with treats, but, you know, make them love the board. And then slowly take it out to the water. When I take dogs out to the water, we'll go to the bay where there's nice calm water, leave the edge of the board on the sand, and I'll hold the back end so the dogs can walk in and feel the water, the board start to move in the water and then just practice. Practice, have fun. That's the key. As long as they know you're having fun and they're having fun, there's no stress in it, then anything's possible.

Speaker 3 (27:16):

That's amazing. Um, yeah, I want, I'm trying to through your messaging osmosis, tell my dog he needs to try this, but I don't know, I have a spaniel afraid of water, so we got a problem right out of the gate. Well, so you and Faith have competed in some really legendary events. Do you have a favorite, like memory or a wave that stands out, um, her storied career with you?

Speaker 4 (27:41):

Uh, there, there's a lot of different, and not to put,

Speaker 3 (27:46):

Yeah. Is there anything that kind of like maybe that first time when you found out you had, you got first place and Kristen was there?

Speaker 4 (27:53):

As much as the competitions and stuff are great, there's one thing that always stands out to me is we were doing, we were doing some other event and one of the guys that I kind of knew it was being filmed, one of the guys I kind of knew with the dog, he came out and because of that show being filmed, uh, his dad, who he hadn't seen in 20 years, actually saw the show and they were able to reconnect. So that, that's one of those huge things that really stands out to me is we were just out there doing something with our dogs and it connected a father and son that hadn't talked in so many years. I, granted that's not one of our accomplishments, but if I didn't call 'em up and be like, Hey, you wanna do this with me? So little things like that.

(28:39):

Um, and the biggest, and the biggest thing is, like I said, besides the wind, is just bringing smiles to everyone else's face. Me going out, having fun with my dog, is able to bring joy to other people. We get messages on social media that was, Hey, I was having a bad day. I saw a video of faith running around with sunglasses, surfing this and that, that brought a smile that brightened my day. So things like that are huge. It's leaving my little mine and her little mark on the world. I, of course, of course the wins, the trophies, all the other stuff is great too. But to know we can make a difference in someone's life just by us having fun and not even trying to

Speaker 2 (29:25):

Yeah, absolutely. You know, this, uh, so you just wrapped up her farewell season and, uh, that's gotta be incredibly emotional. What made you decide that that now is the, the right time to, um, to retire faith from surfing?

Speaker 4 (29:41):

Oh, so initially I, um, I was like, okay, she could go on. She's, she's healthy, she's great, she's doing everything good. I was like, we could go another year or two years easily, unfortunately. Last, um, the week before the last competition in Pacifica, she was kinda wobbly. It was like, okay, what's going on? We went to the vet if, okay, maybe it's an ear infection, something simple, some medication, good to go. They believe that she has a vest vestibular, uh, disorder, which affects balance. Luckily she's not that bad. She can still walk, run, do her normal thing, but she has a little bit of a head tilt, which then throws her balance a little bit off. So in doing that, I was like, you know what, this sounds like the best time. Let her go out while she can still do it and she can still perform. And I don't want her to look like that boxer that gets in the ring that should have stopped 10 years ago. <laugh>.

Speaker 3 (30:47):

Right, right.

Speaker 4 (30:48):

And

Speaker 3 (30:48):

Aw, look at her girl.

Speaker 4 (30:50):

She still loves the board. I mean, she, she cries whenever we grab her stuff and her gear, she's still crying, wanting to go. So the drive's there, it's just the body's slowing her down. So we wanted to go out on top. We'll still continue to go out and have fun and just not in a competition level.

Speaker 3 (31:10):

Yeah. Um, well she's had such an impact on the people you've met along the way, as you said, but, and so she still lights up when she sees that surfboard. Does she still get that vibe?

Speaker 4 (31:21):

Oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (31:21):

Like, I still want at it, dad, like, let's do this.

Speaker 4 (31:25):

If I grab anything that looks like beach related gear out of our shed, she starts running around and whining and whimpering. If the door's open and she sees me go out to the car, she runs to the car, jumps in her spot, like I'm ready to go. Her life jacket, it, she tries, if I'm holding it and I'm down low enough, she'll walk up and nudge it, like, let's put it on. So she, the drive is there. And again, we're gonna still do some fun surfing, paddle boarding stuff, but there's a learning curve. We gotta go to a lot bigger board. 'cause she's leans a little to the side. We're not gonna go in the, the hard waves. We're not gonna push on as hard. We're still gonna go out, have fun, live our lives. But the competition phase is come to an end.

Speaker 2 (32:14):

Yeah. Well, I mean, even Tom Brady retired, so like, she's, she's, she's just a retired athlete. There's still lots of, you know, fun. She can have, she's still very ins inspirational. I, I am sure that I know you take her place and, you know, everybody recognizes Faith.

Speaker 5 (32:29):

Oh

Speaker 2 (32:30):

Yeah. Um, so <laugh>, so, uh, what, what's, uh, like what are some of the retirement activities you think you'll, you'll you'll do, do with Faith or, or do you have any plans to, um, have, uh, teach do you have any other dogs currently?

Speaker 4 (32:46):

Um, I do actually have one other dog, and he was found in the parking garage with Faith. So he's just as old. Oh wow. <laugh> and he's a

Speaker 2 (32:54):

Okay, okay, okay. <laugh>,

Speaker 4 (32:56):

He's not quite the people person. Faith is, so we call him our Director of Security.

Speaker 2 (33:02):

<laugh>. <laugh>. Uh, well we are so glad that you were able to join us today. Where can folks follow Faith, uh, and in her retirement?

Speaker 4 (33:13):

Uh, she has an Instagram page that she's active on at Faith Surfs. Uh, also a TikTok with the same name and Facebook Faith, the Surfing Pit Bull. Um, we'll be around, we'll get on stuff. We still will help out with other dogs learning to surf. Uh, she works with a couple charity organizations just to go and have fun with, uh, different people. So we'll be around. It's like I tell people this is not the end. This is just a new chapter.

Speaker 2 (33:43):

Exactly. Exactly. Well, enjoy that chapter. That's a very special chapter you're embarking on. And, um, thank you so much for sharing your time and your story with us today. I'm sure you've inspired a lot of folks to, uh, to check out surfing with their dog. It's, it's, it's just so awesome. So thank thanks to both of you for joining us and it's good to see you again after 12 years. <laugh>,

Speaker 4 (34:03):

Likewise. Let's not make it another 12 <laugh>,

Speaker 2 (34:06):

Right? <laugh>. Wow. He's like a great dog dab role model, isn't he?

Speaker 3 (34:13):

<laugh>? I know. I just wanna, I, I want Faith. I think I actually want Faith <laugh>. I would like to have Faith. So amazing. What a good guy. What a good guy.

Speaker 2 (34:23):

The product of the week. Okay, Carol, this is time where we share our pet product recommendations. Our pet product with week. There's two of them. You are gonna recommend one and I'm gonna recommend another. So what you got for us this week?

Speaker 3 (34:38):

Yeah, so my go-to, I've been using this all year. We took it on vacation and it's kind of like, I thought, well, it's been around, but for me it's been, this is the year of the Blue nine climb. Perhaps, uh, you or any of your listeners have seen it. K-L-I-M-B. It's a training platform. And you may think, well, my dog doesn't need training or My dog is 10, or My dog is a puppy. I'll tell you what, we've been using the platform for nail trims, for grooming. Um, if guests come over and he gets jumpy, I'll say to him like, go to your spot. And he knows that little table is his <laugh>. And I'm so excited. I was talking to my friend Robin Bennett, who you probably also know who's a dog trainer.

Speaker 5 (35:16):

Yeah.

Speaker 3 (35:16):

And I was telling her about this and she said, you know, you couldn't use that in so many other ways. And so we're now practicing for canine good citizen with him. Oh. Um, I'm using that for like, it's, it's such a nice point for your dog to go to Train to Focus. They know their spot and they now have a bed that goes on top of it. So I just had to buy the bed. So he sits on that more than he does like his doggy bed. Um, I put it right by my bed sometimes. Yeah. He'll lay on it because you could just put the, put it right on top and when it's not being used as a training table, your dog's chilling. And dogs like to sit up high. I think speaking of cats, I think my dog thinks he's bad half the time. I'm like, why are you on the back of the couch? Um mm-hmm <affirmative>. That kind of thing. And it holds like several hundred pounds. So whether you have a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, um, you know, we took it on vacation, took it to the park, it was fun.

Speaker 2 (36:05):

I didn't know they made a bed for it. I have one. Um, so I'm gonna have to order the bed now.

Speaker 3 (36:09):

The bed is awesome and washable

Speaker 2 (36:12):

And I'm really glad that you brought that up as product of the week because it's something that I kind of forgot that I had. And we used it a lot when we first got Tulip for training and then we, we moved and I think that's probably what happened. Like I <laugh> got packed away. I know exactly where it is right now, but we haven't pulled it out since we moved. So, um, that's a great reminder. So, and

Speaker 3 (36:31):

We were at the Global Credits bill where I saw you this year, and we went by the Blue nine booth and he just jumped on the climb and I'm like, dude, because he's so used to it.

Speaker 5 (36:42):

Yeah. And

Speaker 3 (36:42):

They're like, Hey, can we talk to your dog? I'm like, I guess so, because he just sat on the climb. So dogs see it. I love it because I know cats even use it too. I have friends who have cats who, like, the cats are like, get off. It's mine now. Dog face, like, get away, it's mine. And um, it, it's just been a, a dog send in our house.

Speaker 2 (37:01):

A dog send. See, I get I told you about, I told you she had you. I I piled them up for you. I have a whole, okay, well we gotta use them all during the show, so keep sprinkling them in there, <laugh>. Alright. What's your product? <laugh>. So, okay. I found this product literally yesterday. Uh, it landed in my inbox and I thought it was kind of cool. It's <laugh>. I I think of it as like an Instapot for dog food.

Speaker 3 (37:26):

Okay. Uh,

Speaker 2 (37:26):

Do you know what an Instapot is?

Speaker 3 (37:28):

Oh yeah. Yeah. We have rice and that kind of thing in it.

Speaker 2 (37:31):

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So this is called the chef Paw Dog food maker. Now I am not recommending that you should go out and get one of these and make your own dog food. 'cause I mean, I know a lot of people like to do that. And if you have done your research and you really know what you're doing, that's fine. But I'm thinking of this product as just something that might be fun to do for your dog once in a while. Or if you have kids, this might be kind of fun to cook for your dog mm-hmm <affirmative>. You know, on the weekends or something. Um, so here's what it is. It's a countertop appliance that chops mixes and cooks fresh homemade dog food in just 40 minutes. I swear. It's just like an Instapot. So it comes with an app, of course, everything comes with an app these days. Um, and it, it has 50 veterinary approved recipes with, uh, a nutritional ana analysis and the ability to customize the meals per your own dog's profile.

Speaker 5 (38:23):

Mm-hmm <affirmative>.

Speaker 2 (38:24):

So that's kind of cool. And then, um, you could, this is what I think people will really like to hear. You can make homemade dog food for as little as a dollar 81 per pound <laugh> compared to the four to $15 a pound that most of us are spending on our, on our fresh, either bought fresh or refrigerated dog food. Um, ah, so

Speaker 3 (38:44):

I love the sounds of this I love,

Speaker 2 (38:46):

Yeah. So it might be kind of a cool way to just, um, you know, supplement your dog's feeding mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, again, you know, I, I don't wanna encourage anybody to feed their homemade food for the dog unless they really know what they're doing. But I do think this is an interesting tool, and I think the reason this type of product is on the scene now is because, you know, pet parents are just increasingly looking for fresh human grade food options that are affordable. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, they're choosing it over process kibble, uh, so, you know mm-hmm <affirmative>. They're, the innovations are coming out for things like that. So, um, and I can't remember what the price was. I thought I had the price here. It's like 150 bucks, I think. Mm-hmm

Speaker 5 (39:26):

<affirmative>. And

Speaker 2 (39:26):

It's called Chef Paw. So chef paw.com, they've got videos on the site. You can learn more about it. See demos. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. Oh wait, I, I messed up. I found the price. Okay. <laugh>. All right. You're not, you're not gonna believe this 4 99.

Speaker 3 (39:41):

Well, I think if it's like you're gonna use it a lot, um, have it on the counter and in the long run it probably pays for itself maybe.

Speaker 5 (39:50):

Yeah. I think

Speaker 3 (39:50):

I need a trial run and

Speaker 2 (39:52):

I think,

Speaker 3 (39:53):

I wonder if they sell like vitamin packs or something to go with it.

Speaker 2 (39:57):

Ooh, that's a good idea. Um, I just, they, you can get a certified pre-owned unit for three for the low low price of 3 99. That's $399 people Yeah.

Speaker 3 (40:08):

I guess taste for itself, but that is an initial high price point.

Speaker 2 (40:12):

Yeah. Okay. So anyway, I didn't even notice that price or I probably wouldn't have mentioned it, but hey, you never know, you know, lots of bougie pet peas. I

Speaker 3 (40:19):

Love that. I, I know people that make their own food. And so yeah. That might be a welcome edition

Speaker 2 (40:25):

Q

Speaker 3 (40:25):

And a.

Speaker 2 (40:27):

So Carol, this is our favorite. Well at least it's Chris and my favorite, I don't know about if it's your favorite, but I think you <laugh> I think you're gonna like it, uh, because you are such an expert. This is the part of the show where we get to answer two of our viewer or listener questions. Okay. And we get, we get some great questions here. Sometimes we have our experts answer them. Um, but I think, uh, these couple of questions we've got today are right up our alley.

Speaker 5 (40:52):

Oh, good.

Speaker 2 (40:53):

Uh, so I've got one for you here. And this is from Renee in Boise.

Speaker 5 (40:57):

Mm-hmm <affirmative>.

Speaker 2 (40:58):

Uh, Renee says, I keep hearing about enrichment for pets. What are some easy, affordable ways to keep my dog mentally stimulated at home? Especially when I'm busy working?

Speaker 3 (41:09):

Yeah, 100%. I love this question so much. It's one of the, um, things I get behind and talk to people about often. Uh, my favorite thing literally is while I'm working, my dog watches dog TV on an iPad, I kid you not. Um, this is my first dog that has been so obsessed with watching things where we have to limit his screen time <laugh>. So LOL everything. But

Speaker 2 (41:30):

Do you have like, parental controls on the dog tv? I

Speaker 3 (41:33):

Swear it's like, we should stop and he'll hit the screen. It's like, it, it's very, um, interesting to watch him second brain games if you're really busy, even like one of the balls, like the Kong balls that you could put some things in, put it in the freezer, let them try to work it out while you're on a Zoom meeting. That kind of thing. I think though, outside of you being busy, that hands on time with your dog is so important. Like giving them at least two half hour sessions of your day, whether that's taking them for a walk, sometimes hate walk. My last cocker spaniel hated walks, <laugh>. She would be like, all right, we'll just do extra things inside. You know? Yeah.

Speaker 5 (42:08):

Figure

Speaker 3 (42:08):

Out what your dog likes and do those things. You could trick train, you could just, um, you know, try new exercises. You could take them for a walk, try a new route. I mean, if you drive the same path every day to work and it gets boring, your dog's bored on the same walk all the time. <laugh> gives them a new, you know, and, and worst case scenario, if it's raining out, if it, you know, if they're not watching into TV at the moment, Uhhuh, give them a brain game to play with. I know folks like Nina Sison have the brain games. You could do Kong with a toy or give them a busy toy, something that's gonna make them think of Snuffle mat, where you could bury treats in it. Just watch the calories, try to go for low calorie treats or, or green beans. Or if I give my dog a green bean, he would whack me with it. But you can try <laugh> and just give them a high value treat to keep the body.

Speaker 2 (42:54):

Yeah. That is some great advice. I love that.

Speaker 3 (42:58):

Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (42:59):

And you know, you don't even have to, you can make brain games at home too. Yes. You know, I, I've taken a towel and sprinkled treats in it and then just like rolled it up and kind of nod it up into a ball and throw it on the floor for Tulip to unwind and find the treats. So, um, but there are some incredible, um, brain games on the market too.

Speaker 3 (43:16):

Yeah, I love that. I love that.

Speaker 2 (43:19):

So do you have a question for me?

Speaker 3 (43:22):

Yes, I do. I'm happy you asked. So Jason from Tampa, Florida, and this is right up your alley <laugh>, he says, my Labrador has tons of energy and love to chase balls. Are there any organized dog sports for beginners that we could try together, even if he wants to just do it for fun?

Speaker 2 (43:39):

Jason, it sounds like you have a young lab <laugh>. Uh, and so I would recommend a couple of different things. There's like act, actually I have three ideas for you. So Flyball is really perfect for a ball obsessed dog. Um, it's a realize relay style race where dogs leap over hurdles. They trigger like this springboard loaded box that releases a ball and then they race back to their handler. So it's a super fast high energy activity, um, which a lot of labs, younger labs would like. Um, it's so, it's good if your dog loves balls and has that high drive. And, and also, um, typically you're doing this with teammates. So if your dog is also friendly with other dogs, that would be helpful too. So that's, that's a kind of a high energy one. Um, the next one is something I did with Chili. When chili was probably about five or six years old.

(44:31):

Um, I started canine agility and not because I wanted to compete with him in agility, but just 'cause I was looking for something fun for us to do together. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. And, you know, this is, everybody's seen canine agility, whether you realize it or not, but it's where dogs navigate through obstacles, like tunnels and jumps and weave poles. Um, it's really good for energetic dogs that like a challenge and want, you know, want to learn. And they're good working with you because obviously in the beginning you're gonna be kind of leading them and coaching them through the, um, through the agility course. And then the, the third idea I have for you Jason, is nose work or Scent games. And when we mo, when we first moved here to North Carolina, um, I took Tulip to a, a scent class and oh my gosh, she loved it. And any dog can do this. We were, we were in a class with just two dogs, <laugh>. Um, basically you kind of create this little obstacle course of scents, like you hide treats or toys under things inside of things, and you kind of lead your dog, um, at their pace. There's no racing involved. It's not like a speed competition.

Speaker 5 (45:35):

Mm-hmm <affirmative>.

Speaker 2 (45:36):

Um, and your dog has to kind of figure out where, you know, where the treat is, how to get to it. Um, this is good for all energy levels. So if, even if you have a low energy dog or an older dog, um, this would be a really fun activity to do maybe when your lab gets older. <laugh> mm-hmm <affirmative>. Um, and it's, it's pretty easy to get started in any of these things. Just look for your local dog training clubs. Um, there's also a KC canine sport groups that are all over the country, and some of them offer, like, try it classes, introductory classes so you can kind of figure out what activity your dog is really gonna be into and which ones are, you know, um, fun for you too. So I hope that's helpful and um, thanks for the question, Jason.

Speaker 3 (46:14):

Something for everyone.

Speaker 2 (46:16):

Well, Carol, believe it or not, we're at the end of the show already.

Speaker 3 (46:20):

I cannot believe how time flies in dog and cat years.

Speaker 2 (46:23):

You know, I love that we're wearing green and pink today, <laugh>. I

Speaker 3 (46:27):

Think it's a wicked theme. You, you have your green, I have my pink and I'm like, are we alpha and galinda?

Speaker 2 (46:33):

I think

Speaker 3 (46:33):

So. I think we should break into song on our next episode.

Speaker 2 (46:36):

Okay. Yeah. We, no, you can break into song. I

Speaker 3 (46:39):

Oh, I'll get my dog to sing

Speaker 2 (46:41):

<laugh>. There you go. That's even better. That's even better.

Speaker 3 (46:43):

Yeah. We didn't even get the memo, but we are the team wicked today.

Speaker 2 (46:46):

We've had so much fun having you on the show today. Can can you tell our listeners and our viewers where we can follow what you're doing?

Speaker 3 (46:53):

Yeah. If you Google Carol Bryant dogs, I'm promised you'll find me. But type in fi dose of reality.com. That's kind of my gateway to everything that, or smart.copy.com. Okay. Either way you'll find me.

Speaker 2 (47:05):

Awesome. And, um, for our fabulous audience, uh, if you're listening on your podcast app, you know, you could be watching this on YouTube right now, <laugh>, uh, sometimes we show the products of the week, sometimes pets make an appearance. And of course, you get to see our amazing guests in person. Uh, you can catch us on Dog TV's Unleashed channel, on Amazon Fast Channels, or on the Dog tv, YouTube channel. Um, and of course, we hope you're following us on, following us on at least one of the pets ad life social channels. Um, we get lots of fun comments over there. So jump onto one of those. And all that said, that is your Fidos of the PAL Podcast for the week. Be sure to wiggle your butt back here next week. Pets,

Speaker 1 (47:44):

Add 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.