Your Family Dog Podcast

Bird flu is in the news again. By now, most of us have seen the reports of the H5N1 strain infecting chickens, dairy cows, and even some humans. With the Covid pandemic still fresh in our collective memory, it's reasonable to wonder just how worried we should be about this particular flu strain. What risk does it pose to us? To our pets? What (if anything) can we do to help keep ou

Teaching your dog a new behavior can sometimes seem overwhelming. Sure, it would be great if Fido could go beyond the basics and do things like roll over, shake hands, or play dead, but who has time to teach all that? Well, actually- you do! Training new behaviors and tricks doesn't have to be labor intensive or take hours of your time. In fact, sometimes five minutes is all you ne

Christmas may have come and gone, but many of us are still on break. In the post-Christmas, pre-New Year's haze, when the weather often keeps us inside, both kids and dogs can start to get antsy- and that can be a recipe for disaster. How do you keep dogs and the grandkids from driving each other- and you- crazy? Today, Julie and Tina provide a range of ideas for fun activities tha

Most of us recognize that euthanasia can sometimes be necessary or even kindest course of action when a beloved pet is terminally ill or suffering. The question of putting a dog to sleep because of behavioral concerns, however, is often much trickier. Is euthanasia ever justified in these cases and if so, how do you know when you've reached that point? And are the costs of not euth

Julie is still on hiatus, but Tina is here this week, accompanied by a special guest. Although he's still only in high school, Will Ryan is the founder of Service Dawg Nation, a non-profit dedicated to helping train and match service dogs for veterans. He and his mother came on the show today to talk about his project, what it means to him, and where he plans to take it from here.

One of YFD's favorite guests is back! Dr. Zazie Todd joins the show again to talk about her newest book "Bark!: The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog." Tune in for a conversation about fear versus anxiety, common mistakes owners make with fearful dogs, and how to know when it's time to seek professional help. For show notes please go to: Your Family Dog

Nobody gets a dog planning to rehome it. But sometimes circumstances change and what we thought would be forever just isn't a good match. What happens then? Today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about the painful but sometimes necessary process of rehoming- when it's necessary, what it means, and the importance of approaching the situation with understanding and compassion.

A good guard dog can be a great thing- many of us even get dogs in part because of the feeling of protection they can provide. But when those guarding instincts go astray or get directed towards the wrong thing, the results can be stressful and even dangerous. Fortunately, if caught early and handled appropriately, this kind of misguided guarding can usually be managed successfully

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring take the opportunity to talk about emergency preparedness for your dog. Tune in to this week's episode for advice on packing a go bag for your pets, making sure your dog is properly microchipped, and other steps you can take to make sure that you and your animals are prepared in the event of a disaster. For show not

Wouldn't it be great if dogs automatically knew what we wanted them to do in certain situations? Well, with a little training and a few nibbles of cheese, they can! That's the magic of "default behaviors-" those behaviors dogs learn to offer automatically whenever a signal is given or a particular situation arises. Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring to learn what default behavi