Preparing for winter is important for everyone, but especially for those of us living in regions that see snow, extremely cold temperatures and brutal winter storms. While you’re making preparations to keep your family safe and healthy this winter, don’t forget the furry members! There are many winter dangers that pet owners need to be aware of, and there are a number of things that you can easily do to keep your pooch safe and healthy in the cold winter months.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Cheryl Nelson, Weather and Disaster Prep Advisor for Cummins. Cheryl specializes in helping people prepare for inclement weather, and she shared some tips for winter pet care with me in this podcast.

Does your pet spend a lot of time outside year round? Cheryl has some tips for you too! When is it too cold for your pet to be left outside? While it all depends on the pet, Cheryl will let you know some basic guidelines to follow that will keep your dog safe and give you peace of mind.

Dealing with dogs that have aggression issues can be nerve wracking and even dangerous for owners. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up making the problems worse. To begin, you must figure out what is triggering the aggression and work toward solving the problem, but there's a lot more to it, so hence this podcast episode.

Jereme Paddock is a dog training working in Arizona who specializes in helping dogs that have been deemed aggressive. He works with all types of canines at his facility – Paddock’s Paws Pet Care & Training. Today he is answering my questions about aggressive dogs and what owners can do to help pets struggling with these issues.

From the signs to watch out for to choosing the right dog trainer to help you, Jereme has all the information that you’ll need to decide whether or not you can care for a dog with aggressive tendencies. He’ll also discuss some of the most common types of aggression in canines and what you can do to help reduce the chances of an aggressive outburst.

What are functional ingredients in pet food? I’ve heard this term used quite often lately, and I was curious to learn more about these ingredients and the benefits that they could have for our pets. Nutrition is my top concern when it comes to caring for our pets. Proper nutrition has a direct link on our pets’ overall health and wellness, so in my opinion it should be the first thing on every owners’ mind.

Dr. Jennifer Adolphe is the Senior Nutritionist at Petcurean, a company devoted to creating premium pet food. I knew Dr. Adolphe would have some advice for pet owners about functional ingredients and what we should be looking for when shopping for pet food.

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is becoming a growing treatment in the human and veterinary medical fields. CBD is a substance extracted from the hemp plant, which makes it a controversial topic in either industry. As more research is being done on the effectiveness of CBD on health conditions such as cancer, arthritis, stress and anxiety, more and more people are seeking this treatment for themselves and their pets.

This week I was fortunate enough to speak with Odessa Gunn. Odessa began her career as a professional bike racer, which took her to many different countries around the world. While traveling, she saw that animal welfare was a huge problem everywhere she went. Odessa has been rescuing animals around the world for over a decade, and her work has recently earned her a ‘Local Hero Award’ for her rescue efforts in China during the Yulin Meat Festival.

Odessa has also fostered more than 200 animals over the years, and currently has 21 rescue animals on her small farm. Many of these foster animals have had health conditions, which is what pushed Odessa to seek natural treatments that wouldn’t have the harmful side effects of many pharmaceuticals. She found CBD oil and has seen its many health benefits for humans and animals first hand. Now, she’s started her own company, Odessa’s Essential Health, that focuses on CBD products.

Is your dog a picky eater? Does your cat turn her nose up at meal time? If you’re struggling with a picky pet your first instinct may be to feed them table scraps or other human food. This can be dangerous, because it will provide inadequate nutrition and too many calories for your furry companion.

I spoke with Dr. Jennifer Adolphe, PhD senior nutritionist at Petcurean, to find out what we can do to help our companion animals eat the food that we provide. Of course, the first thing you need to consider is the quality of the food that you’re providing. If you’re not providing a high quality food, your pet will be less likely to gobble it up.

Dr. Adolphe also explains why our pets may be picky eaters and the easiest ways to get them to eat regular meals. For example, did you consider increasing your pet’s daily exercise? Perhaps he just isn’t hungry at meal time. For more information and some very helpful tips, check out this week’s podcast episode.

You wouldn’t want to eat the same thing day in and day out for every meal, right? Why do you think that your pet would? Many owners continue to buy the same brand and the same flavor of dog or cat food for months or even years!

We do this for two reasons: (1) our pet continues to eat it, so we don’t realize that it’s boring for him and (2) changing the food you feed every 2-3 days would wreak havoc on your pet’s digestive system. pawTree has created a line of superfood toppers that can be sprinkled on any canine or feline meal to add nutrition, variety and flavor to the diet without having to switch your pet’s food.

Today I was able to speak with Brooke Sloate, director of product development at pawTree, to find out about the importance of adding variety to your pet’s diet. She explains why this is so important and how superfoods can help with your pet’s overall health and well-being.

When it comes to training a dog, there are so many methods, tips and tricks out there that it can be impossible to decide which is right for you. Tom Shelby is the author of Dog Training Diaries: Proven Expert Tips and Tricks to Live in Harmony with Your Dog, and I had the pleasure of speaking with him about his chosen method of canine training.

I really enjoy and relate to Tom’s “depends” dog training method. He calls himself a “depends trainer,” because he says that the training style used depends on the dog, the situation, the environment and other variables. I have trained many dogs over the years, and I completely agree with this method.

Today, Tom explains more about his experience as a trainer and gives some great pointers for owners who are struggling with leash training. Leash training can be quite difficult with larger breeds, dogs that pull and/or dogs that have leash aggression. When is it time to throw in the towel and consult a professional for help? Tom discusses all of that and more in this week’s episode.

According to Best Friends Animal Society, more than 4,100 animals are euthanized in America’s shelters every day! There are many organizations fighting to stop the euthanization of shelter animals, but there are still hundreds of establishments around the world that follow this practice. If an animal is at the shelter for a certain length of time (usually 30-90 days) and they haven’t been adopted, they are euthanized.

This is a tragic practice that Best Friends is focused on stopping. Their ‘No-Kill Initiative’ has already saved the lives of countless pets, and they’re hoping that it will be a country-wide reality within the next few years. Today I was fortunate enough to speak with Terran Tull, a Dogtown Behavior Consultant for Best Friends Animal Society.

In this podcast interview Terran gives tips for potential owners who are thinking of purchasing a pet instead of adopting. She also explains what the No Kill Initiative is and its plans for the future. If you’re not currently able to adopt an animal in need of a home, Terran also explains many things that you can do to help your local shelter without having to open your home to a dog or cat.

Planning for a pet’s passing is an overwhelming and very emotional process. The better prepared you are, the easier everything will be when that time comes. I know it’s not something that any pet owner wants to think about, but you also won’t want to do research and make arrangements while trying to cope with the loss of your furry companion.

Don’t you wish every day could be take your dog to work day? Some employers are realizing that dogs are a big part of many families. While being considerate that working parents may need time off to tend to sick children or attend sports and school functions, most companies don’t take consideration for their employees’ pets. Paul LeBlanc, founder of Zogics and Zogics Pets, is hoping that this fact will change in the future.

DNA tests for canines are very similar to those for humans. Whether you’ve used one yourself or you’ve seen one performed on your favorite television show, you’re probably familiar with these simple cheek swab tests. DNA testing can tell you if you’re related to someone else and how strong that relation is. They can also give you very beneficial information about your health.

When I heard about Coley’s Toxins I knew I couldn’t keep this information to myself. They were invented in 1893 by Dr. William Coley who used them to treat about 1,000 cancer patients with better results than would be expected with a comparable group of patients today. Clinical results from this treatment have included complete cures of inoperable and/or metastatic lymphoma, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer and melanoma.

Picking the right type of nutrition approach for your dog or cat can be quite overwhelming for pet owners. There are so many options to choose from. How do you know which product is the best choice for your furry companion?  Reading labels can be confusing, and online research is time consuming.

Have you ever watched a dog show on television? It looks like so much fun, but we all know that it’s a lot more work than it seems. How do you get started with dog shows? How do you find a dog that will be suitable for showing? If it’s something you’ve thought about, this week’s podcast episode has the answers you’re looking for.

Fresh food is exactly what it sounds like – fresh, whole food ingredients. No processed junk. No preservatives or fillers. It’s just real food that you can see and smell. Now, think about the food you feed your dog or cat? Does it fall into this category?

Puppy mills – we’ve all heard the term, but do you know what these breeding facilities really are, and how they're classified? Are you aware of how to avoid purchasing dogs from puppy mill? Finally, what should you do if you discover a puppy mill in your local area? PETA representative is here to answer these and other questions.

Medicinal marijuana has become quite a hot topic in the human health field in recent years. We’ve seen some states legalize medicinal marijuana, while others are extremely opposed to the practice. With all of this talk about the benefits of medicinal marijuana for humans, many people overlook the benefits that this plant may have for our canine companions.

This time of year shelters are overrun with spring litters. Spring is also a great time to adopt a new furry friend. The weather is getting warmer, the snow is gone and you can finally get outside to enjoy time with a pet or do some outdoor training without worrying about the cold winter winds. Especially if you’re a first time pet parent, there are a few things you need to do before bringing your new pet home.

Aimee Gilbreath is the Executive Director of the Michelson Found Animals Foundation. I spoke with her this week about the things that we need to know about adopting a new companion animal. In this podcast she shares her advice on what to think about before you decide to adopt, tips on pet proofing your home, and how to make the transition as easy for you, your family and your new pet as possible.

Aimee also discussed a recent survey performed by the Michelson Found Animals Foundation. They questioned 1,000 people about their belief in love at first sight. You may be wondering what this has to do with shelter animals. Well, you might be surprised to find out that the results showed most people believed in love at first sight with shelter pets, but did not agree that this phenomenon was possible with romantic partners!

Now that spring is here, pet owners everywhere are looking forward to getting out and getting active with their dogs. There are many things that you can do with your canine companion from daily walks to agility training. Whether you have a senior pooch or a playful puppy, it would benefit you both to get out and get active together.

This week I had the chance to chat with Liz Claflin, the Director of Operations at Zoom Room. Zoom Room is a franchised indoor dog training gym that offers traditional training classes, advanced training classes and doggy playgroups. Liz knows all about the importance of keeping a dog active and stimulating a canine mentally to prevent boredom.

In this interview, Liz discusses the many different ways to can get out and about with your dog and how to keep Fido safe while doing so. She discusses the supplies you’ll need while adventuring with your dog and the best ways to find dog-friendly establishments in your area.  Liz also tells us all about Zoom Room and how you can find a location near you.

Are you thinking about marketing a pet product? Do you already have a prototype? Maybe you just have an idea, but don’t know how to get started. Barton O’Brien was in the same boat a few years ago, and now his company The Chesapeake Bay Dog Company has rebranded and is growing rapidly.

I was able to interview Barton earlier this week to discuss how he got involved in the pet industry and the struggles that he has faced throughout the process. He also explained all about the rebranding procedures and the exciting things that we can expect from BAYDOG in the near future.

The Chesapeake Bay Dog Company is a veteran-owned business, so I’d like to take the time to thank Barton for his service to our country. He feels that it is important for companies to give back, and he’s chosen to work with charities that benefit veterans and dogs (and in some cases, even veteran dogs!). A portion of the proceeds from BAYDOG products goes to help SaveAVet.org and The Warrior Dog Foundation.

DNA tests for dogs are very similar to those for humans. Whether you’ve used one yourself or you’ve seen one performed on television, you’re probably familiar with these cheek swab tests. Human DNA tests can tell us whether we’re related to one another and how strong that relation is. They can also give us some insight onto our genetic makeup.

Did you know that you can get the same type of information about your dog? That’s right! Dog DNA tests can tell you a lot more than just the breeds that your Fido is made up of. Of course, it depends on the brand of test that you choose. Every company runs a different set of tests, which means that you’ll get different results depending on the test you purchase.

Embark is one of the leading doggy DNA test companies, and I wanted to see what set this brand apart from others. Ashley Troutman, a representative from Embark, spoke with me about the different types of dog DNA tests on the market, what we can learn from these tests, and what types of innovations may be coming to the canine genetics field in the future.

Clean eating is a very simple term, literally. It just means the act of eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Clean foods are those that are minimally processed or not processed at all. Clean foods have no artificial fillers, colors or preservatives. They are just simple, whole foods that are close to natural as they can possibly be.

As with many other health food trends, we’re beginning to see the clean eating trend take over the pet food industry. Owners want more than natural, organic ingredients in their pet’s food. They want simple, unprocessed ingredients that are full of nutritional benefits. They don’t want unnecessary ingredients either. Pet owners want their dogs and cats to eat nutritious food made with ingredients that serve a nutritional purpose.

NUTRO has come out with new FEED CLEAN recipes that offer this type of nutrition to pet owners. I spoke with Arren Beach, NUTRO brand manager to find out more about the clean eating trend and how it may affect the pet food industry in the coming years. We also discuss how to choose a quality food for your canine companion without breaking your budget.

I love hiking with my dogs, but it’s not as easy as most people think it is. I’ve heard many stories from pet owners who weren’t prepared for a hike with their dog, and it ended in disaster. It’s important that you plan ahead for the hike. You need to know what to bring, where to go and what you should be looking out for.

This week I decided to share my tips for hiking with dogs. I start by explaining what you need to do before you even think about setting off on your adventure. Does your dog have a microchip? Identification tags? Has he been checked out by your veterinarian? These are all things that you should be considering if you’re planning to go hiking with your canine companion.

I’m sharing my packing tips for all the must-have items to bring along, and I’ll also let you know what you should be looking out for during your trip. Do you know how often you should be stopping to give your dog a drink or a snack? That’s alright. I’m going to fill you in on all the do’s and don’ts of hiking with dogs in this week’s episode!

It’s finally starting to feel like spring, and I can’t wait to get back outside with my dogs. The winters in Maine (where I live) are long. Very long! With 5-8 feet of snow blanketing the ground in the winter months, it can be challenging to get outdoor exercise. It mostly consists of regular walks and playing around in our yard.

But, with spring comes the revival of all of my favorite human/dog activities. Since we do have such long winters, I really try to make the most of the spring, summer and fall. We love hiking with our dogs, but I know that’s not for everyone. This week I decided to share some of my favorite activities to do with your dog when the weather is nice.

From paddle boarding to agility work, I’ve covered a ton of fun dog-friendly activities in this episode! I also talk briefly about the things you need to consider when selecting an activity to do with your dog. All dogs are different, and you definitely need to find something that will be fun for you and your Fido.

Dog training is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of dog ownership. Whether you’re a first time owner or a seasoned pet parent, there are challenges that pop up during training that none of us expect. Many of us have sought help from the dog training isle of a pet store, only to find that there are countless products to choose from. How do you know which products actually work?

Jessica O’Neill had this same problem. She knows exactly what it’s like to be in this situation. And, unfortunately she couldn’t find anything that worked for her and her pooch. So, she did the next best thing – she created a harness that would help her train her canine companion. Jessica isn’t just an inventor; she’s also a highly qualified dog trainer.

In this podcast episode she’s giving us some tips on how to work with our dogs to make training as easy as possible. She’s got some great tips about understanding your dog and helping him understand what your expectations are. In the words of Jessica, “It’s not how your dog behaves that determines if you are a good dog owner, but how you respond to your dog’s behavior that counts.”