Longtime listeners know that the topic of kids and dogs is a perennial one on the show, and with good reason. Kids and dogs may both be part of the family, but trying to balance competing needs and make sure everybody gets along can be stressful, to say the least! Luckily, parents today have more resources than ever to help them, including the one founded by today's guest. Debbie Lucken is the founder of Kids Around Dogs, a global organization of pet and child care professionals dedicated to helping kids and dogs live together in harmony. Tune in as she shares about her work, her program, and dog crates in the US vs the UK!

For show notes and more, please go to Your Family Dog.

Post-holiday blues got you down? Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith can help you beat the winter doldrums with these suggestions for training your dog even when cold weather has you stuck inside.

For show notes and more information please see: Your Family Dog

Enrichment is a favorite topic here on Your Family Dog, and with good reason. Providing your dog with enrichment activities keeps them happier, healthier, and better-behaved. And while finding enrichment activities can feel complicated or overwhelming, it really doesn't have to be. Join Tina and fellow dog trainer Emily Breslin for a discussion about the importance of enrichment, and suggestions for fun, easy ways to make it happen.

For show notes and more, please go to Your Family Dog.

Happy Throwback Thursday! With Thanksgiving next week (at least for the American listeners!), and Christmas fast approaching, we're bringing back this episode on navigating the holidays with your dog. Tune in for a refresher on how to make the holidays merry and bright for everybody involved.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...but also sometimes the most stressful, both for people and their pets. Parties, visitors, traveling, and of course all the food can throw even the calmest and most well-trained dog for a loop. But chaos doesn't have to be the name of the game! Julie and Tina provide advice and tips on how to manage the hustle and bustle of the holidays so that you and your dogs can both find some comfort and joy.

For more information and show notes: Your Family Dog

Time out! We're used to time outs being something bad- a punishment given to a misbehaving child. But what if that's the wrong way to look at them? What if time outs can actually be good things? And what if we all need them- not just kids, but adults and dogs, too? Dog trainer Kelsey Weber and psychologist Shaun Davis are big believers in the power of a good time out to help everybody, regardless of age (or species!). The two of them joined the show today to talk about the right way to do a time out, and the importance of self-care and support not just for us, but also for our toddlers, teenagers, and four-legged friends.

Kelsey Weber, ABCDT, CPDT-KA, LFDM-T

Kelsey is a certified professional dog trainer and licensed family dog mediator. She owns Pawsitively Trained in Sherwood, OR where she focuses on supporting pets and their people by building stronger pet-person relationships through better understanding and communication. She and her husband live on their farm in Sherwood with her small horse herd, flock of poultry, goat, pig, and two dogs.

Website: https://pawsitively-trained.com/

Email: kelsey@pawsitively-trained.com

Shaun Davis, PsyD

Shaun Davis is a licensed psychologist working in Newberg, Oregon. She is a graduate of George Fox University. She works with children, families, and couples using Emotionally-Focused Therapy which focuses on the attachment bonds that keep relationships strong. She has been married for 43 years, has 3 adult daughters, 5 grandchildren, and a lovely Bernedoodle who works as a therapy dog in her private practice.

Website: www.shaundavispsyd.com

Email: drshaun@shaundavispsyd.com

Book Links

Everyone Needs a Timeout: https://a.co/d/bHVF7iL

Getting Started with Timeouts Planner: https://a.co/d/aEixzyg

Settling In With Timeouts Planner: https://a.co/d/1fm8DnK

For show notes and more, please go to Your Family Dog

Happy Throwback Thursday! Piggybacking on our two part interview with Bob Deeds, we're bringing you this sweet-smelling blast from the past on the wonders of scent work. Tune in for a refresher on the science of smell and how scent-based games can open up a whole new world for you and your dog.

Those of us with less sensitive noses seldom realize just how big of a role odors play in the lives of our dogs. But for dogs, smell is a vital and integral part of how they perceive the world and gather information about it. Playing scent-based games with our dogs can be a great way to bond with them and learn to understand and interact with them better. Dianna Santos, the owner of Scent Work University, came on the show today to talk about scent work and how it can improve your relationship with your dog and their quality of life.

For show notes and more, please go to Your Family Dog

All work and no play makes Fido a dull pup...or something like that. Either way, even the hardest-working dogs need to play sometimes. Enter Bob Deeds, a retired K9 search and rescue specialist who has developed a whole new sport- geo-sniffing- designed to allow dogs to enjoy the challenge of scentwork in the great outdoors without the stress of rescue work. Tune in to learn more about Bob's work, and the art and science of geo-sniffing.

For show notes and more, please go to Your Family Dog.