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 c…

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…

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 S…

Sometimes, it really is okay to dial it in- at least, it is if you're talking about the Dial Method. What's the Dial Method, you ask? You're about to find out! Today, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Dial Method creator Justine Schuurmans to talk about her new program designed to improve how families relate to, live with, and train t…

No scheduled topic today! Instead pull up a chair and join Tina Spring and Julie Fudge Smith for some general, dog-related chitchat. Grab a cup of coffee and listen in as the conversation ranges from socialization to learning your dog's body language to what effect (if any) Covid lockdown had on canine behavior issues. For show notes and more: Your…

he subject of giving what we think of as "human" medications (such as anti-depressants) to our dogs has come up before on the podcast. But why is it, exactly that some medications- Prozac, for example- work incredibly well across species, while others, such as NSAIDS, don't? Does spaying or neutering your dog at an earlier age have the same effect …

The whole idea behind training your dog is to get rid of the behaviors you don't want, while encouraging the ones you do. Sounds simple enough, right? Until, despite your best efforts, you end up accidentally doing the opposite. Today, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about how we can unintentionally reinforce the wrong behaviors in our dogs,…

Julie and Tina are back! Not just back to recording but (at least in the case of Julie) back from a month abroad as well. And after spending a month in Ireland, Julie has an important question- are Europeans better at socializing their dogs than we are? And if so, what can we learn from them to help our star-spangled pooches over here? For more inf…

Spring is here, which for many of us means more walks outside and runs at the dog park. But the great outdoors brings other things as well, namely distractions galore. How are you supposed to get Fido to behave when everywhere he looks there are bicycles, school kids, strange looking bushes, and squirrels? Today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring ta…

We've all heard the old adage that practice makes perfect. It would seem to follow, then, that we should be careful what we practice, lest we become perfect at the wrong thing. The same goes for our dogs as well- it's much easier to practice good habits right off the bat than to have to unlearn and retrain behaviors later. Join Julie Fudge Smith an…

Your Family...Cicada? For the first time since Thomas Jefferson was president, two cycles of cicadas will emerge at the same time this summer. What- if anything- does this mean for you and your dogs? Join Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring on an exploration of cicadas, snakes, dogs, and the nature of consciousness. For show notes please go to: Your …

Door dashing- it's great when it's someone bringing you tacos, not so great when it's your dog making a run for it. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring address one of the most common, most bothersome- but thankfully very fixable- problems people experience with their dogs. For show notes and more: Your Family Dog…

We've covered a lot of topics on "Your Family Dog" over the years, but sometimes it's good to get back to basics and remember why we got started in the first place- not just with podcasting, but with dog training itself. Today Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring start at the beginning to discuss their early love affairs with dogs, their philosophy of…

Police dogs, military dogs, rescue dogs, security dogs...in addition to being man's best friend, dogs are often his best co-workers as well. But all too often, when their days of service are over, these faithful dogs get left behind. That's where Mission K9 Rescue comes in, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing retired working dogs and fi…

Discussions of domestic violence, abuse, homelessness, and other difficult living situations almost always focus on the human victims- as they should. But animals are often involved in these situations, too, which can cause added complications. Victims are sometimes reluctant to leave an abusive or unsafe living situation because they fear leaving …

It's no secret that dogs in shelters often come from bad situations, but some are particularly terrible, such as hoarding situations or puppy mills. It's tempting to think that with enough love and care, we can fix everything these dogs have been through, but unfortunately, that isn't always true. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring take a look at wh…

Most of us have at least heard of stem cell therapy and the potential it seems to have for treating any number of illnesses- everything from cancer to diabetes to regular old wrinkles. But what you may not know is that stem cell therapy isn't just for humans. It can be- and is!- used to great effect in veterinary medicine as well. Mark Kyle, of Pre…

A new year means new guests! Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Austin-based dog trainer Brady Foulk to talk about training service dogs, learning through play, allowing yourself to fail, and the importance of keeping it weird. For show notes please go to: Your Family Dogโดย Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring

Winter isn't just cold and flu season for humans- respiratory illnesses increases among dogs this time of year as well. These are normally minor illnesses that respond well to treatment, but this year vets are reporting seeing a new illness among dogs, one that seems to last longer and possibly be more serious than your run-of-the-mill colds. Julie…

We talk about "dog behaviorists" and "dog trainers," but really, aren't they pretty much the same thing? What is training, after all, other than getting your dog to behave in a desirable way? But dog *behavior* is different from dog *training* and knowing what makes them different can go a long way to improving your relationship with your dog. Repe…

The topic of enrichment for your dog is a frequent one on the podcast. We all know the importance of providing your canine friend with a variety of games and activities to keep their days interesting and their minds engaged. But what about dogs who have suffered the loss of one of their senses? Providing enrichment activities for dogs who can't see…

Just like other mental and emotional conditions, such as depression and anxiety, PTSD is not limited to humans- our dogs can suffer from it as well. As with humans, PTSD can make it difficult, if not impossible, for a dog to enjoy a normal life. But just as humans can find healing with time and therapy, dogs too can overcome traumatic experiences a…

There was just too much good stuff for one episode, and so Dr. Deborah Jones is back to continue the conversation about cooperative care. Tune in for more advice from the woman who literally wrote the book designed to help you and your pet work together to stay happy and healthy. For more information please go to: Your Family Dog…

"Cooperative care" is a subject that has come up frequently over the years on "Your Family Dog." now, for the 200th (yes, 200th!) episode, Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring sit down with Dr. Deborah Jones, the woman who literally wrote the book on cooperative care, to talk about how to make caring for your dog a partnership, rather than a battle of…

Is a golden retriever the right companion for your golden years? For many people, the thought of not having a dog is almost incomprehensible. But as individuals get older, they aren't always up to the task of caring for a dog, at least in the way they're used to. Julie Fudge Smith and Tina Spring talk about the issues that can arise for elderly ind…