What is separation anxiety and why do so many dogs suffer with this condition? How can you tell the difference between separation anxiety and boredom? Why is it so difficult to treat and what therapies are out there that can help?

Victoria chats with VSPDT trainer Nicola Cook from the Poochie People about her work with dogs that have separation anxiety and what experts like Nicola can do to help families navigate the tricky waters of this common, but complex, issue.

Victoria also introduces VSA’s brand new course for professional dog trainers: Reactivity for Dog Training and Behavior Professionals. This is a new and comprehensive approach to working with reactive behavior inside and outside the home, that will be available worldwide to all dog trainers and behavior professionals in the Autumn.

The Reactivity for Dog Training and Behavior Professionals course incorporates The Reactivity Zones Approach, an innovative and effective method of helping dogs and guardians tackle reactive behavior without having to adopt tricky, long-winded DS/CC protocols. This course is a game changer for trainers, guardians and dogs that work and live with reactive behaviors.

Victoria chats with Dr. Callie Harris about her experiences in veterinary medicine, including what it’s like to work in emergency vet med as well as being cast as a judge on the creative grooming TV show, Pooch Perfect with Rebel Wilson and as a veterinary expert for DogTV’s brand new show, The Experts.

A graduate of the prestigious College of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University, Dr. Harris shares her tips on keeping pets safe during the summer months as well as her expertise regarding our senior pets and how to recognize and help elderly dogs with cognitive decline and ‘old dog’ vestibular disease.

What do pet dogs, invasive insects, and a ragtag group of behavior cases have in common?

In this wildly inspiring and often hilarious episode, Victoria talks with longtime VSA faculty advisor Melissa McCue-McGrath about her groundbreaking work in a national study training pet dogs to detect spotted lanternfly eggs—an invasive species threatening agriculture across the U.S. From snowy deliveries of fly eggs in a Pokémon lunchbox to solving odor puzzles during heatwaves and blizzards,

Melissa shares the extraordinary journey her students and their reactive, anxious, or aging dogs took to prove that even the “underdogs” can contribute to science. You'll hear how scent theory, behavior consulting, and teamwork came together in a study that saw pugs outperform German shepherds, pet dogs locate hidden satchels in fields, and one handler dodge a school resource officer while explaining, “It’s for science!”

Melissa also reflects on her role as a VSA faculty advisor, her passion for teaching, and the power of accessibility in modern dog training education. This episode is a heartfelt reminder that training is for everyone—and every dog.

To learn more about Melissa visit https://melissamccuemcgrath.com/, or follow on Instagram.