If you've never heard of Hersenwerk before - you're not alone! I only recently learned about it from Letty Cortes, when she posted her dog Jemmy working on a Hersenwerk puzzle and it piqued my interest. Letty is currently working on her Hersenwerk certification so I reached out and asked if she would mind coming on the podcast to talk more about it.

A transcript for this episode can be found at thewaterbowlpodcast.ca/episodes/episode5

Music credit: Suno.AI

Additional resources:

Sniff in Mind Hersenwerk Presentation by Letty Cortes

Cozy Hoodie Puzzle

Cozy Hoodie Puzzle - Different Versions

Hersenwerk for Dogs Facebook page

Jemmy and Letty’s Instagram page

Sniff in Mind on Instagram

In this episode we are talking about the importance of our dogs’ emotional wellbeing, especially when it comes to dealing with vet and grooming care.

I delve into a presentation by Dr. Franklin McMillan on what we know from research on emotional pain felt by animals and why is is important when interacting with the dogs we share our homes with.

In this episode we are entering into the arena of dog sports - and first up is dock jumping!

We hear from two dock jumping participants, the benefits they’ve experienced, and why they love dock jumping.

We also talk about the types of jumps, the risks, and how to get started.

My guest this week is Maria, my childhood best friend and co-adventurer. In this episode, we talk about a trip we took from Ontario to Nova Scotia, hauling two dogs one way and three dogs on the return leg. We talk about mishaps and stressors as well as how we prepared for travelling with our dogs together.

Welcome to Episode 1 of The Water Bowl - a podcast where we explore the world of dog sports, adventure dogs and the human-animal bond.

In this episode we are talking about enrichment - what it is, what it isn’t, and why it is so important to our animals’ lives.

Music credit: Podbean

Sources:

Dale, Steve. Canine Enrichment. World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007, www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11242&meta=generic&id=3860890.

Hunt, Rebecca L., et al. “Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Dog Behaviour: Pilot Study.” Animals, vol. 12, no. 2, Jan. 2022, p. 141. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12020141.

Dog Body language:

Fear Free Happy Homes. “Dog Body Language 101.” YouTube, 16 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=siy0eog4