This week we are talking about misbehaving dogs. Sometimes it’s easier to label a behavior or lack of behavior in a negative light rather than recognizing that dog behavior differs from human behaviors. Realistically, a lot of “bad behavior” has a lot more to do with our human expectations than any sort of unusual or unnatural dog behavior. It’s import that we remember that our dog’s behavior is not a vendetta against us, it’s not personal. Dogs are sentient beings with their own desires and motivators, which is why sometimes management is necessary.

This week we are excited to have Kate Rapkoch from Paws and Breathe back on the podcast to discuss all things puppy yoga. Can you ever go wrong with puppy yoga? Actually yes, we think there is both ethical and unethical puppy yoga. While puppy yoga started as a way for rescues to raise much needed funds there are now many commercialized puppy yoga businesses. Unfortunately there are many stories of unhealthy, lethargic and tick infested puppies coming for these all day commercialized classes unsupervised and without food or water. Because puppy/dog welfare is the utmost importance to us we think it’s imperative to talk about how to spot both ethical and unethical puppy yoga. We think you’ll learn a lot from Kate in this episode.

Katie Rapkoch | Animal-Assisted Wellness (@pawsandbreatheaz) • Instagram photos and videos

Paws + Breathe | Yoga, Wellness, and Animal Support in Arizona

Sometimes There's Side Eye Podcast (@sometimestheressideeye) • Instagram photos and videos

This week we are talking about the welfare of dogs and people in our modern society. We talk about people getting the dog they want, a dog who fits in their lifestyle, who is trustworthy and safe, etc. We talk about some of the reasons we see behavior issues with dogs & what we expect of dogs. The topic of doodles came up, and we talk about the idea that people have to wait for a tragedy to strike in order to get the breed or mixed breed that they want. We discuss why waiting for a dog hoarding bust is not the answer to finding a dog. We also discuss how ethics come into the welfare of both dogs and people and why it involves both rescue and responsible breeding. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

We just got back from Westminster and are recapping our experience. First and foremost, we observed relationships between handlers and dogs. Our first day we watched agility and were beyond impressed with both the handlers and the dogs. The following days we attended the confirmation shows. With Westminster being a bench show we were able to approach the dogs and handlers in the bench/prep area. This provided a unique opportunity to talk with owners, handlers and breeders as well as meet a variety of the dogs. Of course we can't resist talking about ethical breeding, health testing, and how it relates back to shelter dogs. We even address dogs just being dogs and seeing a few naughty dogs in the show ring, as well as the handlers who so beautifully dealt with the dogs who weren't behaving perfectly. We were also lucky enough to meet and observe some dogs in central park who we have to talk about as well.Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

This week we are talking about ways to destress with your pets. We first want to recognize that we are living through some troubling times. We also want to be clear that we are not experts in mental health & recommend professional help if your mental health is suffering. What we do have is experience with our dogs, and we want to share some things we do to help us destress with our dogs. Things like grounding, finding joy in the little things, finding beauty in unexpected places and moving your body. We hope our suggestions help you think of ways you can benefit from your pet’s presence in your life. Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠⁠

This week we are talking about frustration on the human side of the leash. We are taking a deeper look at what causes frustration including things like comparison, physical health/limitations, motivation, and learning styles. We are also talking about why we want to recognize our own frustrations in order to lessen or prevent them in the future. We are getting honest about our own experiences and how we chose to work through those experiences. Most importantly we talk about how our dogs benefit when we can control and acknowledge our own frustration during our interactions with our dogs.Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠

We are starting the new year out with a subject we are both passionate about, shelter versus purposely bred dogs. Are purebred dogs better than rescue dogs? Are there more behavior issues in one versus the other? We discuss how breed equates to predictability, even if that predictability is not a desired behavior or trait. It can be common to blame some undesired behaviors on dogs coming from the shelter, while in the purebred world that same behavior may be easily dismissed as a breed trait. We both agree education is the best option when adding a dog of any origin to your life and feel that educating yourself can only help both you and your dog. Additionally we both agree that people should get the dog they want, but they should also be prepared to meet the needs of the dog in front of them regardless of how the dog was acquired.Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/sometimestheressideeye/⁠⁠

This week we are talking about what we are thankful for in regard to all things dogs. Of course, you our listeners make the shortlist, as well as our dogs and all the comfort and joy they bring. Tune in to hear our complete list as well as a few dad jokes (which we are also thankful for).

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