First of all I want to take a moment to thank all of my dog nerd friends who let me interview them for the first few seasons of this show. It has been a BLAST! And so I'll be taking a break from releasing episodes this year to record brand new interviews for you!

If you are a dog trainer or pet professional and have a story to share, you can apply at https://freedbytraining.wixsite.com/dogtrainingbytes

Dog Training Bytes will be back in 2026. Looking for more in the meantime? Listen to my other show, unPACKed – a clinical dog training podcast co-hosted by Sailor Jerri the dog trainer.

Episode 37: Daphne Mendoza-Tervanis (A Dog Trainer Life)

Welcome to ”Dog Training Bytes” – the show where canine professionals share their key takeaways, big a-ha moments, and hardest lessons learned from working with dogs.

Today’s guest is Daphne Mendoza-Tervanis, a dog behavior expert and founder of A Dog Trainer Life. Daphne’s journey into dog training is as inspiring as it is powerful—she immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico at age 10 and launched her own dog walking business in high school to pay her way through college. Since then, she’s worked at various dog training facilities, graduated from FetchFind Academy, and built a thriving training business of her own.

She now blends her behavior expertise with her passion for dog sports to help both pets and their people thrive.

You can connect with Daphne on Instagram and through her website.

Dog Training Bytes was created, produced, and edited by Mattison Skoog-Simpson. You can connect with Mattison on Instagram at @DogTrainingBytes and @FreedbyTraining. For information on guests and resources for help with your dog or your dog training education, visit www.dogtrainingbytes.stream. Visual design by Mattison Skoog-Simpson and music by Alexi Action.

Looking for more? Listen to my other show, unPACKed – a clinical dog training podcast co-hosted by Sailor Jerri the dog trainer.

Episode 36: Maddie Messina (Paws For Thought)

This episode is brought to you by Trust Your Dog Custom Dog Muzzles. Use code "FREED10" for 10% off custom muzzles and dog gear at TrustYourDog.com

Welcome to ”Dog Training Bytes” – the show where canine professionals share their key takeaways, big a-ha moments, and hardest lessons learned from working with dogs.

Today’s guest is Maddie Messina, a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founder of Paws for Thought Dog Training. With over eight years of experience and a Master’s in Animal Behavior, Maddie helps dogs and their people navigate complex behavior challenges—like fear, leash reactivity, and separation anxiety—with thoughtful, science-based support.

She specializes in working with puppies, adolescent dogs, and urban families, always with a focus on strengthening the human-animal bond. Maddie’s work has been featured in outlets like FamilyPupz, The Farmer’s Dog Blog, Reader’s Digest, and Spruce Pets—and I’m so excited to have her here today.

You can connect with Maddie on Instagram and through her website.

Dog Training Bytes was created, produced, and edited by Mattison Skoog-Simpson. You can connect with Mattison on Instagram at @DogTrainingBytes and @FreedbyTraining. For information on guests and resources for help with your dog or your dog training education, visit www.dogtrainingbytes.stream. Visual design by Mattison Simpson and music by Alexi Action.

Looking for more? Listen to my other show, unPACKed – a clinical dog training podcast co-hosted by Sailor Jerri the dog trainer.