Revisiting Foundational Conversations: Exploring Our Bonds with Dogs

It's Me!

As the summer rolls in, I'm excited to announce a fresh take on some foundational conversations on the human relationship with dogs.

This season, we’re exploring questions surrounding our relationship with dogs. How do we live with them, and more intriguingly, how do they live with us? These conversations, from earlier episodes, newly edited, will challenge and inspire as we explore the intricate threads of emotion and individuality that bind us to our canine companions.

Ruptures and Repairs In our first set of episodes, we’ll explore what happens when our bonds with dogs are tested. How do we navigate emotion and complexity, and what steps can we take when these relationships strain or even break?

In Episode One of this series (14): The Dog's Days of Summer, Suzanne Clothier invites us into a slower, more perceptive way of being with dogs. Viewing each dog as a complete being, she enriches our understanding and guides us in working with our dogs individually.

 Meanwhile, Dr. Sara Oswark Garstecka confronts the realities of aggression and examining the profound emotional ripple effects dog bites can have on communities.

Next, Dr. Clive Wynne, our insightful psychologist, questions traditional views on intelligence by focusing on the emotional connections that truly define our relationships.

And then there's Simone Müller, who provides a fresh perspective on predation, explaining how it's not about disobedience but rather a natural instinct that we can nurture and work with respectfully.

Update: Due to recent events in New Dehli, India, we will be brining forward the episode with Sindhoor Pangal and saving the Predation Substitute Training episode to start out the next half of the series.

A Companion’s Perspective Throughout these discussions, I’m thrilled to be joined by the brilliant

It's Kate!

Kate Lasala, a dedicated dog behavior expert and passionate advocate for both pets and their people. Together, we’ll reflect on the insights shared by our guests, drawing from our experiences to deepen the conversation. You might even hear surprise visits from some of our original guests, adding their voices to this endevour.

A Brief Pause I want to share a personal update: I'll be moving to the UK this summer, which means a temporary 'radio' silence on my part. However, I hope you'll find these reimagined episodes both surprising and delightful in my absence. Until I’m back, the show notes and blog will have links to the original, full-length conversations for you to explore.

The Journey Continues As we progress into the second set of episodes, we’ll delve even further into how we work with dogs, unpacking our expectations and considering what our dogs might need from us in return.

I'm Marika Bell, and with my companion in exploration, Kate Lasala, we invite you to ask along with us: What's the deal with animals (dogs)?