Hound Opinions

Feb 20 2025 71 ep. 33 mins 5

Hound Opinions Podcast artwork

Dogs are great. They're also weird, quirky, gross, challenging, loving and fun. I'm Eris Mayeroff, the owner and Chief Canine Officer of Big Wags Chicago Dog Training and Dog Walking. Hound Opinions is a podcast about all things dog - from behavior to training to the trials and tribulations of dog guardianship ... and everything in between! New episodes come out every other Thursday. Check them out here or wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question or topic you'd like me to talk about on the pod? Email [email protected]!

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The Underdog Community Project

Feb 20 2025 44 mins

There’s no denying that pet care is expensive.Pet guardianship should not be only for those with means. The benefits of having pets – both physical and psychological – are well-documented. The problem, though, is that having a pet is expensive and one of the biggest expenses is veterinary care. It’s that particular expense that causes so many people who for whatever reason

The Importance of Language

Feb 06 2025 18 mins

Language matters when it comes to our dogs and their behavior. Why? Because language - and specifically the language around dog training/behavior - can affect how our relationships with our dogs develop. In this episode, I get into some language that has been used around dogs for a long time and suggest better ways of communicating the ideas. So join me for a semantic journey, won

In Defense of the Foster Fail

Jan 23 2025 16 mins

So a while back, I did an episode talking about how fostering is super important and that the rescue world would probably grind to a halt if everyone who fostered simply adopted their foster pets ... which is colloquially known as a "foster fail". Well, on this episode, I defend the foster fail. Why? Because it happened to me. If you recall, in the last episode, I talked

The Importance of Being a Dog

Dec 26 2024 16 mins

Merry everything! Sometimes dogs need help learning how to dog. What does that mean? Well, basically, it is that sometimes, dogs need to figure out how to simply function in the world. And that’s what I’m talking about in this episode. People don’t realize that it can be hard for dogs to just be dogs in this world and that they have to learn how to exist and if they don’t,

Pets as gifts? Probably not.

Dec 12 2024 12 mins

Happy holidays, everyone! We're gettin' festive on Hound Opinions this time around. This is a gift-giving time of year and for families that are looking to add a pup to their home, it seems like the perfect time to do it. Spoiler alert – It’s not. Spoiler alert part 2 – It’s actually a lot more nuanced than that and I’ll get into it in the episode. Spoiler alert part 3 �

Lap of Love/Veterinary Hospice

Nov 14 2024 55 mins

Trigger warning: Lots of talk of pet death. Ok, y'all. It's gonna be heavy today. We’re talking about veterinary hospice and euthanasia. Specifically, we’re talking about a branch of veterinary medicine that helps people make the ends of their beloved pets’ lives as smooth and painless as possible. My guest is Dr. Amy Myers. She’s a hospice veterinarian with Lap of Love,

All About Decompression

Oct 31 2024 14 mins

Decompression is incredibly important for your dog's mental and physical health. But what is it exactly? And when does a dog need to decompress? And how do you help a dog decompress? I get into all of that in this episode, so sit back and enjoy! Quick note – this episode drops on Thursday, October 31. Happy Halloween, by the way. But more importantly, there’s a very important

The Importance of Pet Dental Health

Oct 17 2024 39 mins

Sorry for the delay. But I think the wait will be worth it. On the pod with me this time is Dr. Matt Lemmons, DVM and we dive into the world of pet dental health. We talk about why it's so important and why you can't neglect it. Matt's a veterinary dentist at MedVet in Indianapolis and a Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College. He’s been a practicing veterinary denti

Even more of Eris' foster tales

Sep 26 2024 13 mins

This time around, I’m talking about one of the hard parts of fostering – letting go when it's time for your foster to leave you. It's gonna be a bit emotional ... again. DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your voices asking those questions. You've got two options: Use your audio recording app of

Eris' Foster Adventures Part Deux

Sep 12 2024 13 mins

Well, y'all, it happened again! My family and I became foster parents! We're fostering a husky named Damien for Anti-Cruelty here in Chicago. The cool thing about fostering is that you always learn something new and unexpected. And that's what I'm going to be talking about this time around. In just a short time, Damien's shown me so much about myself, himself