Episode 16: Puppy Yoga and Pet-Friendly Travel

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00:00:00:04 - 00:00:14:09
Chris (Voice Over)
Pets Add Life. Your guide to the latest in pet trends, products and the joy of the human animal bond, with Kristen Levine and Chris Bonifati powered by the American Pet Products Association and Dog TV.

00:00:14:11 - 00:00:16:01
Kristen
It's summertime. Chris.

00:00:16:06 - 00:00:43:08
Chris
It is summertime. It is summertime for the Pets Add Life podcast and these two excellent pals. I'm Chris Bonifati joined as always by the beautiful Kristin Levine, and we are hosting the Pets at Life podcast yet again on a wonderful Tuesday. And you're right, it's it's summer. It's summer. But here's the thing, Kristin, I've been feeling mighty stiff lately, especially on and we're recording this on a Tuesday after a long weekend.

00:00:43:10 - 00:00:47:00
Chris
Yeah, I'm just feeling mighty stiff, so.

00:00:47:02 - 00:00:48:07
Kristen
Well, I'm just trying to work out.

00:00:48:07 - 00:00:49:06
Chris
The kinks, you know?

00:00:49:08 - 00:01:05:12
Kristen
Yeah, well, that's that's one of the things about summer. You know, it's a little bit more of a relaxed time. We spend more time in the sun. And as I understand from what you said earlier, before we started recording, if I spend a little too much time in the sun this weekend. So maybe that's kind of sapping your energy.

00:01:05:13 - 00:01:27:06
Chris
Yeah, and I need some. I need some revitalization. But luckily for us, we're going to be talking about, doga today. Yoga for dogs, which for dogs with dogs around. Dogs, which sounds like exactly the type of thing that I'm going to need to get back in the swing of things. so we're going to be talking to, that wonderful guest.

00:01:27:06 - 00:01:40:05
Chris
I'm not going to tease their name quite yet, but we have, two guests, two stories, two products, and then we're going to answer two of your questions today as well. So that sounds like a good show there, Kristen.

00:01:40:07 - 00:01:45:06
Kristen
That sounds great. I'm ready, I'm ready. I'll I'll try to bring enough energy for both of us.

00:01:45:07 - 00:01:51:03
Chris
That sounds that sounds like a plan. I can't even imagine what Kristen at 110% is like.

00:01:51:05 - 00:02:07:07
Kristen
Well, I tell you what, I you know, one of the things I love about Summer and we're going to get to our stories here in just a second, but I love the longer days. Like this morning I was walking tulip at 615 in the morning as the sun was already coming up. And then at night, you know, we can have dinner and then walk here before bed.

00:02:07:07 - 00:02:17:04
Kristen
So I think it's this year's June 20th is the longest day of the year. So, you know, that's another great thing about summer. We can really take advantage of those extra daylight hours.

00:02:17:06 - 00:02:35:08
Chris
Well, as an indoors kid, I disagree. I was waiting for the sun to go down so I could watch my movies without prior thinking about maybe, maybe a legit vampire. but I am appearing on camera, so I must be one of the the the special fans. But without further ado, let's get into story time.

00:02:35:10 - 00:02:40:12
Chris (Voice Over)
Kristen and Chris present story time.

00:02:40:14 - 00:03:00:22
Kristen
All right, well, my story actually has to do with walking your dog. I read this in Newsweek, and at first when I saw the headline, it freaked me out because it said woman takes senior shelter dog for a walk and never brings her back. And I was like, what? So I clicked read and actually has a very happy ending.

00:03:00:22 - 00:03:25:17
Kristen
So this woman, Kim, she had just lost her rescue dog. I didn't really say what the what his illness was, but he passed away at the age of nine. And so as part of her healing, she was going to her local shelter to walk other dogs. And when she walked in one day, the one of the volunteers said, look, I know you just lost your older dog and you're not, you know, looking for to adopt another dog yet.

00:03:25:17 - 00:03:45:16
Kristen
But there's this senior dog here named Dolly, who's been here for nine months, and we just really want to get her outside. So Kim takes Dolly for a nice long walk, and they fall in love, and she adopted her. And I just love that story. I just thought it was, you know, you know, everybody grieves differently when they lose a pet.

00:03:45:16 - 00:04:01:12
Kristen
Sometimes people need to wait for a longer period of time before they get another pet. And other times, you know, it's it's better for a particular person to replace that pet right away. But in this case, she really wasn't even planning to adopt yet. But she just fell in love with, I think the yeah, Dolly was a dog's name.

00:04:01:14 - 00:04:04:06
Kristen
And, they're living happily ever after together.

00:04:04:06 - 00:04:27:13
Chris
Now, that is the true danger of volunteering around. But it is. It is, it's a danger. I mean, it's a wonderful story, but, yes, we hear it all the time. Somebody spend some time around these lovely animals. You fall in love, and then you end up taking them home. One of the first cats that I got when I was growing up.

00:04:27:15 - 00:04:52:02
Chris
his name was gizmo. This big main coon. And my mother took me to Office Depot to get graph paper. It was back to school time and we left. We didn't have graph paper for me to to start school. And there's the PetSmart with the ASPCA right next door. And we stopped in to look, and we came home with a three year old Maine Coon who weighed 22 pounds.

00:04:52:08 - 00:05:00:10
Chris
Oh my God, my father. My father was was not happy at first, but eventually grew to love you left gizmo.

00:05:00:10 - 00:05:06:12
Kristen
So you left to get school supplies and you came home with a kitty. I love it, it happens.

00:05:06:17 - 00:05:34:09
Chris
All these things happen. my story is is fun and lighthearted as well. if you are a resident of New York City, you are well attuned to the city's wildlife. The pigeons, the rats, the occasional bodega cat. But what if I told you that some, folks enjoying their Memorial Day? this this past Memorial Day, walking around New York City, eating ice cream, drinking malts?

00:05:34:11 - 00:06:06:05
Chris
maybe, maybe the occasional cocktail. Were surprised by some peacocks roaming through the city. Well, five peacocks fled the Bronx Zoo and made their way to the island of Manhattan, where they enjoyed a wonderful Memorial Day. carousing with the populace of New York City. all of the peacocks were eventually returned safely. One man was bit by a peacock when he attempted to approach it.

00:06:06:10 - 00:06:31:01
Chris
He was fine and refused medical treatment. He was completely fine. but I cannot imagine the confusion. Not of a local, because a local. You see crazy stuff in New York all the time, but a tourist. And that questions that might start going through their head about these peacocks. but there's plenty of pictures I'm sure some of you may have seen it on Instagram of the peacocks take over Manhattan.

00:06:31:06 - 00:06:35:06
Chris
They're in the trees roosting there. They're loud too. they're not.

00:06:35:06 - 00:06:35:14
Kristen
Easy to.

00:06:35:14 - 00:06:38:18
Chris
Catch. I would have honk like geese. They're not.

00:06:38:18 - 00:06:39:10
Kristen
Easy. Noisy.

00:06:39:12 - 00:06:50:19
Chris
Imagine trying to catch geese. It's like that. so just a fun little story. A little a little zoo break over the long weekend. and they were all returned safely. So a nice, fun one for everybody.

00:06:50:21 - 00:06:55:22
Kristen
So, Chris, I'm sure this is on your calendar. but June 21st is International Yoga Day.

00:06:56:00 - 00:06:57:20
Chris
And highlighted in red.

00:06:57:22 - 00:07:04:04
Kristen
All right. And, you know, we've we've heard about goat yoga. Have you ever tried goat yoga, by the way?

00:07:04:09 - 00:07:10:10
Chris
I have I've not tried goat yoga, but it is on the bucket list most. Okay.

00:07:10:12 - 00:07:32:15
Kristen
Well, goat yoga was kind of the first kind of cool trend that started with yoga. Then Doga became a trend, which is yoga. Yes, dogs. And now there's this new trend taking over the nation where you actually do yoga while surrounded by puppies. And I can have a dream, I, I can, I know, I know, pinch me, pinch me.

00:07:32:15 - 00:07:49:06
Kristen
I want to know where I can book this yoga class. but our next guest today, she actually founded, the puppy Sphere, and she's one of the first locations to one of the first yoga, practices to start embracing this trend. And so let's hear how that's going with her right now.

00:07:49:09 - 00:07:54:02
Chris (Voice Over)
Beyond the leash exploring the Untold stories of pet passion and professionalism.

00:07:54:04 - 00:08:04:03
Kristen
Alrighty, welcome to our first guest on the podcast today, Leah. I'm going to let you pronounce your last name because it's such a beautiful name and I don't want to mess it up. How do you how do you say this?

00:08:04:05 - 00:08:06:14
Lea
Thanks for having me. It is. Burbage is here.

00:08:06:14 - 00:08:26:09
Kristen
The Burbage is here, though. Beautiful, beautiful. Well, we. Chris and I were before, you came on the show. We were talking about how awesome this new trend is, with essentially, I guess, like, puppy yoga. and we would love to hear more about the puppy sphere and, and how people can get involved.

00:08:26:11 - 00:08:54:09
Lea
Of course. I'd love to teach you about the puppy sphere. so, like you mentioned, it is definitely a new concept. even with, within the US, we are, first to introduce, this new modality to wellness. And so I think everyone has been really, involved in moving their body and getting in wellness and really focusing on mental health because of how important it is nowadays, in today's society.

00:08:54:09 - 00:09:24:00
Lea
And we just wanted to combine that mental health aspect of movement, with the mental health aspect of puppies. puppy love just brings in so much endorphin. And I think that being in New York, in such a big city with a lot of movement, and high costs, not everyone also gets the option of getting a dog, whether it's for time, financial or space purposes.

00:09:24:00 - 00:09:53:16
Lea
And so, the puppy sphere really offers, that combination of movement and puppies, for those who have dogs and for those who don't. And so, what we offer are, every weekend we run public classes. It's a 45 minute, flow vinyasa yoga. And then, there's also a 30 minute, post practice that is more for a social period with bottomless mimosas included.

00:09:53:16 - 00:09:54:13
Lea
And of course.

00:09:54:13 - 00:09:56:00
Kristen
It is open.

00:09:56:02 - 00:10:09:08
Lea
And so during the entirety of the hour and 15 minute event, the puppies are running around giving kisses and, really doing their little rounds with, the customers.

00:10:09:10 - 00:10:37:00
Chris
That that is, I mean, talk about a mental health triple threat. the, the yoga, the puppies, the cocktails afterwards. that sounds. I'm sold. I'm sold already. I'm going to get out of here because I'm taking a train down right now, to to come by, but, you know, for a lot of people, me included, I associate yoga more with physical health.

00:10:37:02 - 00:10:44:17
Chris
so can you talk a little bit about how going through the different poses and relaxing your body can be beneficial to your mental health?

00:10:44:19 - 00:11:06:23
Lea
Of course. I think it's just the importance of moving. I know we go on walks and we sometimes we just also get caught up with work and just moving, allowing that oxygen to go into your brain, stretching, making your body feel good. And then I think with the concept of puppies as well, it's kind of embracing your inner child.

00:11:07:01 - 00:11:30:14
Lea
During our classes, people laugh and people smile and just moving your body and coming in around the puppies, like I mentioned, embraces your inner child, which we forget to do a lot. Being in a world that is so busy, we're constantly working, we hardly disconnect. Our phone is at the end of our hand every, throughout our entire day.

00:11:30:16 - 00:11:56:12
Lea
And so, just that doing poses and stretching. We used to do it as children all the time, whether it was in gym class or when our parents would put us through classes. And so that is just good. Like I mentioned, like brings oxygen to your brain and makes you feel good when you walk out and you know that you've moved your body and you've stretched it just on its own, makes you feel good.

00:11:56:12 - 00:12:17:13
Lea
And also there is, a few people in our classes. So I think that, it's also a social event. And so people get to connect and speak with others who often have the same interests if they stumble into the same experience and just meeting like minded people is also great mental wise.

00:12:17:15 - 00:12:27:12
Kristen
Yeah, absolutely. Now I have to ask you, where did the puppies come from? How how is it that you can have puppies at every single event that you host?

00:12:27:14 - 00:12:51:22
Lea
Of course. So at the puppy Sphere we really like are devoted to the well-being of the puppies and the puppy yoga experience and any like, puppies social that we throw. even though we really want our attendees to, like, have that heart warming experience, our main focus is really like ensuring puppies safety and making sure that they come out of this class feeling more confident as well.

00:12:52:00 - 00:13:21:15
Lea
we do work with reputable breeders around the cities. we are currently in like Toronto, Miami, New York and Chicago next week. And so, we do have Emily. She is our breeder, account executive, and she manages all the relationships with the breeders, depending on the city where we, host our events, we have a pretty strict, screening process when it comes to choosing which part breeder partners we do work with.

00:13:21:17 - 00:13:55:21
Lea
we make sure that the puppies are have the right age appropriate, that also that they're raised within the proper environment. we audit the environment where the puppies grow up, the facilities, and Emily really takes care of vetting all of that. We also do owner screening. And, we also make sure that we work with breeds that are friendly, and through all of that audit, we require any document that is, vet documents from the parents, like the dog parents and then also from the puppies.

00:13:55:23 - 00:14:05:19
Kristen
I would imagine that this is a really great way, for the breeders to socialize these puppies as well before they go into their permanent homes.

00:14:05:21 - 00:14:26:13
Lea
Yes, exactly. It allows them also to one get, used to a car ride. sometimes breeders slip a little further and so it accustomed them to that car ride, which is awesome. I know that my own dog, the breeder, I got her from, would drive them around their facility just to make sure that they were good in the car.

00:14:26:14 - 00:14:51:05
Lea
Nala now is like a road trip expert, because she started so early. and then it also allows them to kind of showcase their personalities. Puppies have very have their own personality. And so being around people, a little more noise and movement, it allows them sometimes to come out of their shell, and come out more socialized.

00:14:51:05 - 00:14:57:12
Lea
Of course. so yes, it is also good for the puppies.

00:14:57:14 - 00:15:02:04
Kristen
so how how many puppies would be in a particular class?

00:15:02:06 - 00:15:25:22
Lea
So it's very dependent of the litters, of course. which not combine any litters, because the puppies are between the youngest. That will take the puppies are seven weeks. And so, around that age, we cannot combine them with any litters because of the risk of cross-contamination. And so, we do always look for, about six puppies or more.

00:15:26:00 - 00:15:50:11
Lea
It's really dependent. Like this weekend we're launching in Chicago, and one of the breeders that we are working with, had two litters. But since they grow up together and it's the same environment, there's going to be 12 corgis, in Chicago for the entire group. But other times it'll be a better ratio of like, six puppies to 30 people.

00:15:50:13 - 00:15:58:16
Kristen
Wow, that sounds like so much fun. so tell us what cities that you're in currently.

00:15:58:18 - 00:16:24:21
Lea
Yeah. So the Puppy Spirit is a Toronto based company we launched two years ago in Toronto. We actually just got a brand new studio on Queen West. it's, built in double studio. It looks phenomenal. So that is our, main city. we entered in New York about a year ago. we currently have two locations, one in Union Square and one in, Brooklyn.

00:16:24:23 - 00:16:46:21
Lea
I am currently in our brand new location, so this is going to be, beginning of July. We're going to be doing our launch. it's right beside Madison Square. So this is going to be a brand new New York studio. We have another studio in Wynwood, Miami, and then next week, Saturday and Sunday, we're launching in Chicago, in West Loop.

00:16:46:23 - 00:16:55:21
Lea
are very first Chicago launch. And from that weekend, it's going to be ongoing, just like all these other cities. It's been a busy year.

00:16:55:23 - 00:17:24:18
Chris
That's, that's a massive you you need your own classes for that stress. I mean, that is absolutely. That's absolutely amazing. I've got one last question before we let you go. Someone like myself. true sucker for for puppies. Do you find that people tend to get distracted, or are they able to actually focus on the exercises? Is it more of like a relaxed yoga class, more casual, or is it still, pretty well structured?

00:17:24:18 - 00:17:29:02
Chris
Because, I mean, my ADHD brain, I'm all over the place.

00:17:29:04 - 00:17:52:13
Lea
Now, of course. So we have like all types of people who join the classes, those who really want to follow the practice and then those who are 100% there for the puppies. we do make sure to mention, to the customers that, while it is super exciting and the puppies are adorable, just to keep like the volume to a minimum so that those who are here for the practice get to enjoy it as well.

00:17:52:17 - 00:18:19:21
Lea
We have highly, trained instructors, and so they are also good at keeping the flow going through the noise and through the movement. Because some do come and want to participate in the yoga. It is a little bit why, we did we do the yoga first and then the social because post yoga, you do have a 30 minute period where you do get to sit and socialize with the puppies, get Polaroids, get mimosas.

00:18:20:00 - 00:18:38:20
Lea
And so there's really that separation that allows people to do both. I had a customer come up to me the other day and she was saying, I didn't actually think this would be yoga, so I had booked a yoga class. After this, I thought I'd only be here for the puppies, and that the yoga would be like an ad.

00:18:38:22 - 00:19:03:23
Lea
And so she was like, I canceled my yoga class. After this, I really got to do my full practice and I got to play with for five years. so yeah, it's really those who don't want to do the practice play with the puppies. That's only fine as long as you stay on and respectful and everyone around. But yeah, it is still we continue with the class and make sure that those who are there for the practice get to enjoy.

00:19:04:01 - 00:19:22:23
Chris
Between that, you know, it sounds like you're open to people of all skill levels, whether you're, just starting your journey with yoga or you're an expert who's looking to change things up, you're opening all of these great locations across the country, and Canada included. so it sounds like you're becoming more and more accessible.

00:19:22:23 - 00:19:45:20
Chris
So if you're listening out there, that sounds like something that's good for you. Be sure to check out the Puppy Sphere. and Leah, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today. This was absolutely awesome. I know what I'll be doing next weekend. you're going to be seeing my face pretty soon. So, be on the, like, just, you know, when you see, hyperactive 30 something in the corner with all the puppies.

00:19:45:20 - 00:19:51:00
Chris
That was me. I'm sorry. and I, I will, I promise not to be distracted.

00:19:51:02 - 00:19:54:17
Kristen
so maybe he should have his mimosa first.

00:19:54:19 - 00:20:03:13
Chris
And come down. Put him in the corner. Yeah, it's like toddler rules. Give him his bottle. Let him go in the corner with the puppy and. Yes.

00:20:03:15 - 00:20:07:02
Kristen
Thank you so much, Leah.

00:20:07:04 - 00:20:32:04
Chris
That was a great interview. I know what I'm doing this weekend. locations in New York City, Miami, Chicago and Toronto, according to my little fact sheet here. So, luckily, I'm close enough to New York City, where, you know, listen, I've got my fair share of anxiety and mental stuff going around. Same as everybody else. in this country.

00:20:32:06 - 00:20:40:05
Chris
I can't imagine that my problems can't be solved with, with with some stretching activities and some puppies.

00:20:40:05 - 00:20:47:10
Kristen
So I'll be there. I hear. Yeah, well, unless they're coming to the mountains, North Carolina soon, I'll probably be on a plane up there to join you.

00:20:47:12 - 00:20:54:18
Chris
There you go. Yeah. Make sure you get the the, extra space so that you're nice and limber by the time you're alive.

00:20:54:20 - 00:20:55:06
Kristen
For sure.

00:20:55:06 - 00:21:17:21
Chris
I don't want you cramped back up back there in economy and coach. and speaking of of travel, that that's a perfect segue. It's almost like you plan that. Kristen, our our next guest is a travel and hospitality expert. Since Ryan and Brits with Travel Media Group. he handles a lot of the online reputation managing for major hotel brands.

00:21:17:23 - 00:21:26:18
Chris
And he's going to talk to us about some tips and tricks to get the best experience, when traveling with your pet this summer. So let's go ahead and listen to that interview now.

00:21:27:00 - 00:21:29:07
Chris (Voice Over)
Pets Add life.

00:21:29:09 - 00:21:40:01
Chris
And it is my pleasure to introduce Ryan Embry with Travel Media Group. He is the host of the Sweet Spot Podcast. So if you're listening, be sure to check out the Sweet Spot Podcast.

00:21:40:01 - 00:21:50:11
Chris
He is an expert in all things travel. We're going to talk a little bit about, some summer recommendations on, traveling with your with your companion animal. All right. How are you doing today?

00:21:50:14 - 00:21:54:11
Ryan
I'm doing fantastic. Happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me.

00:21:54:12 - 00:21:56:03
Kristen
I'm delighted to have you.

00:21:56:08 - 00:22:19:16
Chris
Yeah. Pleasure to have you on. It's such a, tough topic to broach. I know, for one, my parents, don't travel as much as they'd like to because of the dog. And it comes up as as an excuse, as an excuse, as an excuse. But, me being a little more plugged in, I'm aware that that excuse is becoming less and less, susceptible.

00:22:19:16 - 00:22:34:09
Chris
It's simply becoming easier to travel with your pets. So I guess we could start by talking about some of the trends in the travel industry that may make things a bit easier for pet parents to sort of get on the road, stay in hotels, and take a traditional path to travel.

00:22:34:11 - 00:22:56:06
Ryan
Yeah, I mean, like anything you're going to have a challenges with, with bringing your, your, your pet friends alongside you. But you're right, Chris, there's there's a ton of resources out there. Hotels, Airbnbs. They're making it a lot easier now for you to be able to travel with your pets. But just to give some background data, it's a very popular subject.

00:22:56:06 - 00:23:19:08
Ryan
You know, we, one of the things we do at Travel Media Group is we look at guest reviews throughout, you know, OTAs, TripAdvisor, Google, and we notate when people are bringing up specific subjects. just this past spring, pets were brought up 40,000 times on online reviews. so. And and there's two cases of that. Right?

00:23:19:08 - 00:23:45:08
Ryan
You've got your pet owners that that are interested in things like maybe the amenities that, a hotel provides for pets. And then you have people actually on the other side, that are a little bit more worried about people bringing their pets. They might have allergies. they might be concerned with the noise. so, the good news, though, with that is the 40,000 mentions, 20,000 of them were actually mentioned positively.

00:23:45:10 - 00:24:07:15
Ryan
so that is talking about like, you know, this was a pet friendly resort. They had all these amenities. I think, you know, they were they provided treats at the front desk where if you're if you're a hotel, that's a great tip, right, to have. sometimes there's, like a mascot, of a hotel. I still remember staying at a a beach resort when I was younger.

00:24:07:15 - 00:24:19:10
Ryan
And they had a parrot right there. Right when you walked into this beach resort and it was all over Instagram, everyone wanted to take a picture with it. It was great marketing for the hotel and it was fun for the guests as well.

00:24:19:12 - 00:24:22:19
Chris
That's awesome. Instead of a bodega cat. hotel parrot?

00:24:22:21 - 00:24:39:23
Kristen
Yeah, right. Right. Yeah, yeah. Well. Ryan. Supplies. Oh. Oh, sorry. Sorry. No, I was just going to say my mother and her husband just drove from Colorado to our house in North Carolina with their little dog, and that took them, like, three days. They took their time getting here. And so they stayed every night in a pet friendly hotel.

00:24:39:23 - 00:24:58:11
Kristen
And they had a really good experience. except for the time they tried to take the dog into the cafeteria or the area where there was pet food involved. But, but what kind of advice would you offer to pet parents? you know, like mine, who are not going to leave the dog behind on their road trip?

00:24:58:13 - 00:25:03:16
Kristen
in terms of looking for those looking for the best options for a place to stay.

00:25:03:18 - 00:25:33:15
Ryan
Absolutely. It's a great question, you know, and we want to make sure our pets are as comfortable as possible. We want we want them to enjoy their stay too, right? When they're traveling. We don't want to get them stressed out even though they're in a new environment. One of the things that I would suggest is if you're a pet owner, some of the simple things about, taking a look at the property itself, if this is a massive resort, resort, sometimes these hotels can have, you know, 20, 30 floors and have, and be very, very long.

00:25:33:19 - 00:25:57:11
Ryan
So if you have to take your pet out frequently, one of the best tips I would say is to either ask for a, a room near the elevator or even if you're comfortable with that being on the first floor. So you have easy access in and out, to take your pet. It's something that we overlook because, you know, when we're at an at our house, sometimes it's just opening the door, you know, a little cat door or something like that that they can go out into.

00:25:57:16 - 00:26:20:14
Ryan
But if you want them to, be able to get outside, you know, do their business that, that that's a great little tip to do. you know, also just kind of figuring out the surrounding areas. And this is a tip both for the pet parents as well as anyone working in the hotel industry. just knowing where, you know, basic necessities might, might be.

00:26:20:14 - 00:26:40:04
Ryan
Obviously, you've got your leisure activities, like maybe a dog park if you want to bring them and, you know, for them to have a little bit fun, but also any sort of, if there were, you know, hopefully there's not. But if there's any sort of medical emergency or anything like that, you want to make sure that, you know, or an animal hospital might be, in location to where you're staying just in case.

00:26:40:04 - 00:26:45:19
Ryan
All really good. Just habits, just to know and and use when you're traveling.

00:26:45:21 - 00:27:04:07
Kristen
Yeah, that's a great tip. I know I have stayed at some pet friendly, hotels where they have actually provided that information, but they not all of them do. So. So I'm glad you pointed that out. That is part of your research. should be finding those, you know, local vets or parks or, you know, find places to go.

00:27:04:09 - 00:27:23:21
Ryan
Yes. And I will say, you know, one of the great things about traveling, too, with your pet, you know, as we know a lot of, adorable dogs on Instagram, pets on Instagram. if you're ever, you know, trying to grow your audience and reach, that's one of the other realms we work with is social media for hotels.

00:27:23:23 - 00:27:48:12
Ryan
reach out to that property that you're staying with. we do thousands of hotel, social media posts. And the number one most engage, piece of social content is always a puppy. or a cat at a hotel. Right. you're always looking to, like, share. And the hotel wants to see that, too, on their feed so that they can share information like their pet policy.

00:27:48:17 - 00:28:00:19
Ryan
If there are any fees associated with you bring or maybe weight limit restrictions. this is all necessary information that the guest wants to see, but also that the hotel wants to provide for you.

00:28:00:21 - 00:28:10:06
Kristen
And what would you say are the amenities that you that a pet parent should expect or not expect when they're traveling with their pet on the road?

00:28:10:08 - 00:28:36:05
Ryan
Well, I've seen some. Really. Yeah. No, I've seen some really cool ones. but I wouldn't necessarily say that every one is going to include you know, I, used to to work in an apartment buildings, and one of the really cool amenities was having, like, a place where you could take your dog to bathe them. Right. Or, you know, kind of like a pet shower, and bathe them right there on property.

00:28:36:10 - 00:28:55:21
Ryan
Wouldn't necessarily say that that would be an amenity, but maybe an area that the pets are allowed to go out. kind of almost a pseudo dog park. and if there's not one built at the property, they might give you some examples of where to go, and where you can, you know, where you can let let, the dog off a little bit.

00:28:55:21 - 00:29:14:19
Kristen
I'm just curious. I was thinking, are there different says between the amenities that are offered from a hotel, say, on the road as opposed to, say, once you get to your destination and you choose a rental property. Vacation rental property. do those two the amenities differ that way?

00:29:14:21 - 00:29:36:19
Ryan
yeah, they do, you know, and I think that's a big benefit. I mean, if anyone's been seeing kind of the Airbnb, commercials, you know, they they show that as as something that's as a big benefit is when you're traveling with a pet, being able to give them space. you know, the the fees differ between both of them.

00:29:36:21 - 00:30:02:19
Ryan
and, you know, but I do think hotels overall are noticing the trend of more and more people are starting to bring their, their pets with them. it's not something that's kind of disappearing. In fact, I see a lot of the hotel industry leaning into this, and it's being mentioned, it's being seen on social media. it's being seen in the policies, the flexible policies now from hotels that have evolved over the years.

00:30:03:00 - 00:30:24:08
Ryan
So obviously, Airbnb and these vacation rental properties still have the benefit of maybe having a yard or something like that. But I do see the gap kind of lessening, as people kind of get to this new normal of, you know, not only are you going to be hosting me and my family, but you're also going to be hosting some of my pets as well.

00:30:24:10 - 00:30:48:10
Chris
I think that's absolutely awesome. And to sort of wrap this up, there's some people who got to travel because they have to be in a certain place at a certain time. but for those of us who may have a more open calendar and we can consider many different places, are there any particular destinations that you've noticed that are particularly animal friendly, that they tend to be cities or more country locations?

00:30:48:12 - 00:30:53:04
Chris
any tips for a dog lover on where to bring their pooch for their next vacation?

00:30:53:06 - 00:31:17:17
Ryan
Yeah, I mean, I think that's the the beauty of travel is, is you can really find something for everyone. And I know that's not a great answer to your question, but, you know, even some of these more metropolitan areas that you're like, you know, I don't know if this is a great place to bring my pet. I guarantee you, if you look in that market, do your research, read the reviews online, check out social media.

00:31:17:19 - 00:31:37:07
Ryan
There's going to be that place there that might have, you know, now you're seeing like breweries that that invite dogs, you know, to to be right there across the street from you. So there are those destinations that you can find, whether it's there or if you just want some open space to give them a little bit more, room to, to explore.

00:31:37:09 - 00:31:49:22
Ryan
you know, summer is obviously, as we know, the kids are out of school. It's a great time to travel and a great time to explore. not just with your family, but your your entire family.

00:31:50:00 - 00:32:08:10
Kristen
Absolutely. And, final word here to our. And I know all of our listeners, are not part of this group, but it's really important to be a good guest as well. Clean up after your pet, follow the rules of that particular, you know, establishment. and, yeah. Just don't don't ruin it for anybody.

00:32:08:12 - 00:32:26:04
Ryan
It's, you know, it's it's so great. And, you can also leave, the TV on with, you know, maybe one of your, your favorite TV shows, you know, to, to make them feel a little less stress. So, you're absolutely right there, Kristen. yeah. But, yeah.

00:32:26:04 - 00:32:29:12
Kristen
And leave a great review if you have a good experience, leave a great review for that problem.

00:32:29:18 - 00:32:36:16
Ryan
Yes, that's for the next. That's for the next dog parent. That's or pet parent that that is traveling.

00:32:36:18 - 00:32:50:20
Chris
Absolutely. Well Ryan, thank you so much for joining us. We're out of time for today. But, these tips are absolutely great. I'm sure there are some pet parents at home are already planning their next vacation, with with some of your advice. So thank you so much for joining us today.

00:32:50:21 - 00:32:53:06
Ryan
Thank you so much.

00:32:53:08 - 00:33:03:06
Kristen
You know, I love that tip Ryan gave about, getting a room that's close to the elevator because I just I would never think to ask for that. But, you know, it seems like I always end up far.

00:33:03:08 - 00:33:23:22
Chris
I'm also like. So, yeah, I'm so non-confrontational. I would never even request a room. like so. But yes, I feel as though he has given me the confidence to to, seek out seek out some better accommodations when traveling with a dog that there's some really great stuff in there. so really happy to have them on the product of the week.

00:33:24:00 - 00:33:26:00
Kristen
All right, Chris, it's your favorite segment.

00:33:26:04 - 00:33:29:06
Chris (Voice Over)
Product of the Week

00:33:29:08 - 00:33:51:15
Chris
Do you want to go first product of the week? Sure. Why not. I am continuing with my fun summer recommends. And as I was enjoying some water this weekend, and saw some people playing with their their dogs bring their dogs to the beach, I thought, you know what are some of what some of the stuff that goes that goes into that.

00:33:51:15 - 00:34:17:18
Chris
And I saw somebody, have this product, and it's a toy. It's called Katie's Bumpers. And they were it's really great. These are, play toys that are meant to float on water, and they're water resistant. They make them out of both, like the the plastic. But everybody likes that chewy rubber plastic. So really what caught my eye was the fabric ones.

00:34:17:18 - 00:34:44:00
Chris
They're made from the same material that they make fire hoses out of. Oh, cool. And very dark material. Is is like mold and mildew resistant. which, if you could imagine, like lake water, plus dog saliva and a wet toy. I mean, you think, like, how many uses am I actually going to get out of this thing? so they make all sorts of stuff in all sorts of shapes.

00:34:44:02 - 00:35:02:23
Chris
You could shop by size. You just shop by material. You can shop by collection. It's Katie's bumpers, dot com. and and they've got all sorts of stuff. Floats right on the water designed specifically with that in mind. So if you're taking the dog to the lake, you're going to do some dock diving. Maybe you're training your dog to be a dock diver.

00:35:03:01 - 00:35:08:06
Chris
this is a great place to start, so be sure to check them out before your next lake day.

00:35:08:08 - 00:35:11:22
Kristen
I love it. I'm going to check that out for a little Miss Tulip. We're going to be going to the lake.

00:35:12:04 - 00:35:13:21
Chris
They have some tiny ones too, for tulip.

00:35:14:01 - 00:35:36:21
Kristen
Oh, good. She needs one. She's a little bitty mouth. Okay, so in keeping with my theme. So you have a summer theme. I have a theme for the month of June because it is, national pet Anxiety awareness Month, and, we do it in June because it leads up to the 4th of July holiday, which causes a lot of anxiety for for dogs and cats that are afraid of the loud noises.

00:35:36:23 - 00:36:00:15
Kristen
So this week I wanted to talk about, some calming shoes that you can get for your dog or your cat. There are so many on the market it can be really confusing, I think, to pet parents. So I thought I'd share the ones that tulip and I use because first of all, she loves the taste. and second of all, I actually do see a result, when she has these shoes.

00:36:00:15 - 00:36:25:09
Kristen
These are from Zesty Paws. They're called Calming Bites. and we've been using them lately because my, my mom and my stepdad are visiting with with their little dog, Ben and Tulip. You know, she's not she's used to being the only dog in the house. So she's get she gets a little spun up sometimes. so I started giving these to her the day before they arrived, and she's been really on her best behavior, and I'm chalking it up to these calming bites.

00:36:25:09 - 00:36:51:18
Kristen
But, one of the things we love, hear about them is they are made in the USA. They're 100% satisfaction guaranteed. So if you were to try them and they didn't work for your pet, you can get your money back. And I think that's really important because when it comes to calming products, that the same product is not going to work with every pet, you really kind of have to experiment and try different solutions, and oftentimes you have to layer those calming solutions to get the best results.

00:36:51:18 - 00:37:15:00
Kristen
So I love that they have the satisfaction guarantee and the ingredients are things that you've actually heard of and they're natural. So things like l-theanine, sensorial ashwagandha and tryptophan, all those kind of good things that we hear, make for great natural calming effect. so, yeah, pick those up pretty much anywhere you buy your pet supplies.

00:37:15:02 - 00:37:19:05
Kristen
but check out Zesty Paws. They make them both for dogs and for cats and for puppies, too.

00:37:19:11 - 00:37:21:00
Chris
That's great. That's awesome.

00:37:21:03 - 00:37:23:14
Kristen
No comment. Just for you, Chris.

00:37:23:16 - 00:37:27:17
Chris
No, I get my own special calming shoes that come from a special store.

00:37:27:19 - 00:37:33:12
Kristen
Okay, I was going to say, but between spending time in the sun and having your special calming chews, you're going to be a yeah.

00:37:33:12 - 00:37:48:03
Chris
I don't need, I don't need. yeah. There's a reason why I had three cups of coffee this morning. I really had to get back into the swing of things. but we're going to move on now to questions from our wonderful audience,

00:37:48:05 - 00:37:49:07
Chris (Voice Over)
Q and A's.

00:37:49:09 - 00:37:56:15
Chris
Let's start right at the top here. Kristen, I have a question from Lisa, from Boston.

00:37:56:17 - 00:38:10:20
Chris
Lisa's question is my indoor cat has recently started scratching the furniture despite having a scratching post. What can I do to redirect to this behavior and protect my furniture? it's a great question.

00:38:10:22 - 00:38:11:14
Kristen
There's a few.

00:38:11:14 - 00:38:36:13
Chris
Reasons that cats scratch. the first is pure instinct, which you're never going to be. The second is the way their nails grow. They don't grow like ours where they grow out and they sort of grow a shell. and then the next nail sort of grows underneath it, and the clawing is to actually hold all the nail off of the finger.

00:38:36:13 - 00:38:59:21
Chris
So to expose the the new nail. And the third is marking, so you have a chance with two and three if your cat's instinct is see something? Scratch it. I'm sorry. Your cat's going to win that battle. If they're scratching because of of their nails, it might be worth just looking weekly to see if there's any loose nails and then helping them sort of maneuver.

00:38:59:21 - 00:39:21:15
Chris
If your cat is is cooperative in letting you touch their paws. Some are not. and you don't really need a clipper. You could just wiggle around and see. It's almost like when a kid has a loose tooth and it will eventually fall out naturally. But sometimes it's easier to just, you know, with, with minimal, pain or disturbance.

00:39:21:15 - 00:39:41:22
Chris
And the third is marking for marking. That means they are specifically seeking out your furniture, saying, oh, this is where my person sits and it doesn't smell like me enough, so I need to make sure it does. for that, I would recommend putting the post like a post may not be good. They make some drapes that you can put over furniture or pads or other things.

00:39:42:00 - 00:39:58:23
Chris
If your cat is thinking I need to mark this furniture as as mine, you're going to need to actually protect that specific piece with with a different type of product. But good on you for making sure your cat does have a scratching post available, because that's something that a lot of cat owners, skip.

00:39:59:01 - 00:40:20:08
Kristen
Which. Yeah. And if I could just add to that because, I actually had a cat that was doing this many years ago, and I had done some research. And I also learned that, if you're trying to redirect your cat for, I guess, for most of that, not all of those reasons, but, if if you're redirecting their behavior, you can make sure you're choosing a material that they like to scratch.

00:40:20:08 - 00:40:44:09
Kristen
So if they're scratching your sofa, make sure that you're scratching. Post is made of a similar type of fabric. And also, I learned from a vet that some cats prefer to scratch on a horizontal surface and some on a vertical surface, so that's another way you can entice them. If you know what they like to scratch on, they're going to be more inclined to scratch on something that is, you know, oriented at that either horizontal or vertical, angle as well.

00:40:44:09 - 00:41:10:09
Chris
So absolutely. And that helps. Yeah. I have one more quick tip, because I got that over here. a lot of the scratching posts are rope, right. You see those rope based ones. And if it gets worn, the frayed rope could actually be, a bit frustrating for the cat and their sensitive little paws. So if you've noticed that you're scratching post, if it's a rope based one, is taking a lot of wear and tear.

00:41:10:09 - 00:41:18:11
Chris
Might just be time to replace it. Good tip. That's a great question, Lisa. Hopefully we could help. who who's question do you want to read?

00:41:18:12 - 00:41:43:08
Kristen
let's see. I'm going to go with Alex from Dallas. Alex says I've been considering adopting a rescue dog. Yay! but I'm worried about potential behavior issues. What are some key things to consider and prepare for when bringing a rescue dog into my home? I think this is. I'm so glad that you submitted this question, Alex, because I think this is what a lot of people are concerned about when adopting a rescue dog or cat for that matter.

00:41:43:10 - 00:42:15:22
Kristen
because oftentimes you don't have a lot of background or the shelter or the rescue doesn't have a lot of background information on that pet. however, volunteers are a really great resource, to get information about that animal, especially if that animal has that dog has spent any time in the shelter. Usually volunteers can really get to know these dogs, and, they might be able to kind of give you some background information about whether or not they get along with other dogs or what their energy level is, and that sort of thing.

00:42:16:00 - 00:42:19:02
Kristen
yeah. Anything to add to that, Chris?

00:42:19:04 - 00:42:48:22
Chris
Absolutely. I think, it's great that you're by asking this question, you're already in the echelon of responsible potential. adopters of animals. but if your concern is behavioral issues, I would say don't fret because they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but that's kind of a lie. proper disciplining training can be applied to a dog regardless of their previous behavioral issues.

00:42:48:22 - 00:43:20:03
Chris
I mean, Cesar Millan made an entire show about being able to do that. And while those were some extreme cases, I would assume that the dog that you eventually pick wouldn't be displaying any of these obvious signs of aggression or abuse or some other things that would take a true expert in order to correct. But things like, not being housebroken, nipping, barking a lot, being anxious about certain sounds.

00:43:20:05 - 00:43:42:00
Chris
These are all things that proper discipline and attention can address. And by being the type of person who is concerned about them, before even getting the animal that already displays, you have the characteristics to be a responsible dog owner. So I would say just find the dog that, that resonates with you, that you feel like matches your personality.

00:43:42:02 - 00:43:49:16
Chris
Every dog is going to have behavioral issues and, good discipline and structure can address all of that.

00:43:49:18 - 00:44:11:11
Kristen
Yeah. And just a little bit more to add to that. I think you mentioned structure, Chris. you know, bringing a new dog into your home, it gives you that's just an opportunity to set up, set yourself and your dog up for success, you know? And that could be if you're introducing a dog into a home that already has pets, you'll definitely not want to, you know, force them together right away.

00:44:11:13 - 00:44:33:06
Kristen
Like keep, keep the new dog in a quiet, maybe, maybe a certain part of the home. I would use. I would consider using some pheromones products, some calming products that I've been talking about for the past couple of weeks, maybe some soothing music and introducing them slowly. But the other important thing is to maintain a routine. Same feeding time is the same time every day.

00:44:33:12 - 00:44:50:02
Kristen
Walking time is the same time every day playtime. You know that it certainly in the beginning at least to help that dog who's who knows how many what they've been through, you know, prior to being at the shelter or in a rescue. So you have to help them understand what the new routine looks like so that they are more comfortable.

00:44:50:02 - 00:45:07:21
Kristen
They kind of start to learn what to expect. And to Chris's point about the training, you know, find a trainer, find a good trainer. That is highly recommended by either friends and family or has great reviews to kind of help you with that transition. time. That's a really important time to set up good habits for your new dog.

00:45:07:23 - 00:45:28:09
Chris
Absolutely. And thank you, for these questions. If you are listening and have a question for myself and Kristen, your pals who are definitely not veterinarians, mind you, but our animal, experts in our own right and love to talk about it. If you have a question, head on over to our website. That's PetsAddLife.org/podcast

00:45:28:14 - 00:45:42:21
Chris
Scroll on down to the bottom of the page, past our beautiful faces, and you will see a place where you can either submit your question via text or if you're feeling brave enough, you can leave us a voice memo and you may hear your question played on the show.

00:45:42:23 - 00:45:51:13
Kristen
Well, that's a wrap for another summertime episode of the Pets Add Life podcast. What's a vampire like? You going to do this the rest of the summertime?

00:45:51:15 - 00:46:12:16
Chris
wear sunscreen. A lot of it tip a substantial amount of sunscreen. And for those of you out there who think that, oh, I could just go outside and not wear sunscreen, you're wrong. You're wrong. Wear your sunscreen. That's my that's my advice to everybody, not just pet owners. This is an animal advice. Wear your sunscreen. The sun's a monster.

00:46:12:16 - 00:46:35:04
Chris
And in a billion years, it's going to destroy our planet. So just think about that next time you're outside having a laugh, wear your sunscreen. Take regular breaks from the sun. Otherwise, you're going to end up filthy and sunburned like me. but hey, if you enjoyed this show, it'd be awesome for you to follow the show on your favorite podcasting app.

00:46:35:06 - 00:46:54:23
Chris
to like, subscribe, review, share it with your friends, do all that amazing stuff. We're going to be back here next Tuesday with another episode of the Power Podcast, and we're going to keep on doing it and doing it regardless. as to whether or not you like and subscribe. So you might as well. In fact, I want you all, if you're listening to leave us a five star review.

00:46:54:23 - 00:47:12:12
Chris
And, and also leave a wonderful compliment for myself and Chris, because I think we does. And I'm just going to say I think we deserve it. I'm just going to say it. And I think you have the power to make our day. It can't hurt to ask. Right? So I'm asking you, you shall receive and if you don't ask, you never shall receive.

00:47:12:12 - 00:47:25:07
Chris
So there we go. We'll see you in a week. enjoy your summer weeks. enjoy the outdoors. I don't take it for me. I know I'm a vampire, but seriously, enjoy the outdoors. Enjoy the wonderful weather we're having, and we'll see you back here on Tuesday.

00:47:25:11 - 00:47:26:00
Kristen
Bye bye.