The Doodle Kisses Podcast

Do I hate doodles? No, but I hate certain things in doodle culture that is hurting dogs and people. This is what I'm chatting about here in response to the claims I'm hating on doodles and I should be more positive on the DK Facebook page.

Special Guest: Carrie Silva Wooddell.

It's one thing to be single and train your dogs...free time kind of vanishes once you become a parent. Our guest, Rachel Richards, is a mom of two young kids plus dog mama to 3 American Pit Bull Terriers and an Irish Setter puppy. She is also a groomer and trainer and shares tips for how to manage your dogs when you're a parent. Special Guest: Rachel Richards.

In this episode we discuss: * Puppies and the importance of early learning * Why it's not nipping, it's biting * Why force and punishment are not what you think they are * The importance of teaching dogs to be okay with being handled for grooming and tips where you can learn how to teach your dog * How to research and choose a dog breed * Why basic obedience sometimes is enough * What a "trained" dog means * And more Special Guest: Linda Kaim.

Short update on Milo My thoughts on overall obedience rather than problem fixing

Kentucky is back on the podcast, this time to talk to us about he and Derby's experience on Amazon's new reality competition show, The Pack. Also a guest is Nicole Ellis, trainer that helped get the dogs ready for all the adventurous challenges they faced. She shares some of the behind-the-scenes prep they did to make the traveling and tasks possible for all the canine competitors. Special Guests: Kentucky and Nicole Ellis.

Meet Sarah Frey, a young woman with incredible zest for life who deals with several chronic illnesses... and Alice Eloise, her doodle service dog. Sarah shares her story and how her doodle helps her live life to the fullest. Special Guest: Sarah Frey.

F1, F1b, F2 goldendoodles and labradoodles ... what do all these wacky terms mean? In this short and simple bonus episode I explain the alphabet soup of doodle generations.

When a dog reacts out of fear or frustration--even aggression, things can escalate fast! Some reactions can really interfere with a dog's life and ability to leave the house. Today's guest, trainer Grisha Stewart, specializes in these issues and has created a system called BAT -- Behavior Adjustment Training, and now BAT 2.0. We talk with her about her philosophy and approach to helps dogs readjust to triggers and start to respond from a sense of safety rather than threat. (Puppy Update: I just realized I didn't give a puppy update in the audio intro! Oops. For those who follow DK on Instagram or FB, you can find the news there. For those who only listen to the podcast, my puppy was born in a litter of 8. 4 boys, only one of them brown. So most likely I will end up with a black male. I'm fine with that, but if I get lucky enough to get the brown one, I won't mind at all!) Special Guest: Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA, KPACTP.

Anna Morrison-Ricordati is an attorney who practices animal law in Chicago. She shares with us great info on: legal consequences of dog bites veterinary malpractice how pets are handled in divorce situations and more! Special Guest: Anna Morrison-Ricordati .

Doodles come from breeds that tend to be smart, athletic and love to have a job. Dog sports like obedience, rally, tracking, agility are great ways to harness their energy. In this episode I interview two doodle owners whose dogs have won titles and who regularly compete and train. Get inspired by cool things their labradoodles and aussiedoodles are involved in! Kona and Baci https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3cE6Y2VLdC-ZjWx99sWC-xpQQjvHgzXwae0HUnB0tV0ajhCidloBig8hY5TF7IpC4VhSMZeTPRxOoAxvtZFwA4YGKYzofZO6B6tMlQXfDi8lgu_JtvIr2iV6Xf2iZMq0wUZnfjFwLruxB2movE9iH9v-A=w987-h740-no?authuser=1 Jigi http://cdn.akc.org/Jiji_Bonnie_Bird_VCD.jpg

Are fearful dogs made or born that way? This is one of the questions we dive into in this episode with Veterinary Behaviorist, Dr. Lisa Radosta where we discuss fearful dogs. Special Guest: Lisa Radosta, DVM, DACVB.

Yes, it's true. Possibly. I think so. Maybe, for sure. Listen to learn more about what kind of --oodle I'm getting, assuming it happens.

The Coronavirus pandemic is hitting many of us very hard. I thought it might be helpful to touch base on this topic with four different experts: 1) Therapist and doodle owner, Haica Rosenfeld (http://www.haicarosenfeld.com/), and I chat about how she got her first dog (a goldendoodle) and how he helps her in her therapy practice. We both forget words together and talk about basic coping skills to help us manage during this quarantine. 2) Therapist, Cassidy DuHadway (https://www.purpleskycounseling.com/), talks to us about coping for parents. 3) Therapist duo, Lori and Rashawn (https://elevatingrelationships.com/), discuss tips for couples trying to cope together without losing their minds.

Because goldendoodles, labradoodles and many other -oodles are so popular, it's important to know what to look for when trying to choose a responsible doodle breeder. This is both for your sake--so you have a healthy doodle with a stable temperament--and for the sake of the dogs being bred. It's not enough to simply go with a breeder a friend said is "good." You need to have concrete facts to go on. In this episode, I discuss what those important facts are so you can ask the right questions to find the right breeder for you and make sure you're not shelling out thousands of dollars to a breeder who is not meeting high standards. Correction: In the episode I incorrectly stated the term "puppy lemon laws" when I was referring to state laws concerning minimum age for sale of puppies. Puppy lemon laws have to do with not selling a puppy that's "defective" for lack of a better term and each state has different rules. According to the AKC, "In New Jersey, for instance, the buyer has 14 days to return a puppy deemed “unfit for purchase” by a veterinarian, and six months to return a dog with a hereditary or genetic defect."

While there are many innate temperament traits (nature), we can't discount how a puppy is raised (nurture). 3/4 of the puppy raising job belongs to the breeder and 1/4 of this job belongs to us, the puppy owners. The first 12 weeks of a puppy's life make a lasting impact. It is the critical socialization period that can support a dog toward being a well adjusted and resilient doggy citizen or lead them to be fearful or a bully of a dog. Because it's a team effort, choosing a responsible breeder is crucial and at least as important as understanding what to do once puppy comes home. Our guest, Jane Killion, is a breeder of bull terriers and creator of Puppy Culture: an educational film and program on exactly how to raise puppies during their first 12 weeks. In today's episode you will learn: Why early socialization is so important. What kind of experiences a young puppy need to do well in the world. How many positive contacts with a new experience is necessary for a puppy to form a lifetime of positive association. What to do if a puppy accidentally has a bad experience so you can change their formed association. Why it's important to skip any kind of exposure that you're not confident will go well. Why play dates with one other safe dog are better than big play groups. Why you should be cautious about big puppy playdates. Jane's perspective on the best age for breeders to send puppies home. All about "manding" -- the concept of teaching puppies how to politely ask for what they want and why it's important. The importance of giving your dog a voice early on. And more! Special Guest: Jane Killion.

Puppy Mills only care about producing product. They will "produce" whatever breed or mix is popular and sells. This includes any type of doodle: labradoodles, goldendoodles, bernedoodles, and even Australian labradoodles. So it is absolutely critical that you learn how to spot a potential puppy mill or just a breeder that isn't doing things up to par. When journalist Rory Kress realized her own dog came from a puppy mill, she decided to investigate further. With the information she learned she wrote the book: The Doggie in the Window, to expose the truth about puppy mills and the structures and systems that support them. For example, did you know that it's totally legal to breed littermates or parent to offspring!? In this episode we discuss some of her findings like how the rise of factory farming has contributed and the role of the USDA. There's a lot to learn! Special Guest: Rory Kress.

Josh is a spunky mini goldendoodle who is just living his life. He also happens to have cerebellar hypoplasia and over 100K followers on Instagram. I got to spend time chatting with his owner, Kimberly, who, inspired by Josh, has created a nonprofit with a goal of both raising awareness about and rescuing special needs dogs as well as helping humans be more accepting of and kind to each another. We got to talk about her love of doodles, how she met Josh, what makes him special, his challenges, rescue work in general, and the Be Like Josh foundation. Special Guest: Kimberly .

One of the breeds at highest risk for developing cancer is the hugely popular Golden Retriever. About 60 percent of all Golden Retrievers will die from cancer – 57 percent of females and 66 percent of males. The two most common types of cancer in this breed are hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma. Why is this relevant to doodle owners? Whatever is common in a golden retriever can be an issue for a goldendoodle. Sadly, a number of our Doodle Kisses members have lost goldendoodles to cancer. Our guest is Dr Kelly Diehl, senior director of science & communication for the Morris Animal Foundation, which is the organization currently conducting The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is a $32 Million study, an amazing comprehensive study of GR's through their lifetime. This study is collecting a huge amount of data on GRs: spay/neuter ages, swimming and water temp, how dog was obtained, health conditions, pedigree, exposure to certain environments/chemicals and more! The information collected will hopefully provide a ton of clues into cancer and other health issues that are common to Golden retrievers. Special Guest: Kelly Diehl, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM.

Kids & dogs provide some of the cutest moments. But the combo can also be a major liability. For this episode we are discussing doodles & kids with DK member Karen. It's not really a "fun" episode because it's more of a warning on what to watch out for so that your doodle doesn't get displaced. Kids are actually a huge risk factor for dogs and, as Karen mentions on the show, families with kids are the most likely to end up rehoming their doodle. Not because kids or doodles are inherently bad, but because when these two wonderful beings are combined, if you are not prepared a lot can go wrong. If you are new to dogs, new to doodles, or are considering a doodle AND you have or might have kids in the future, this is an important episode to listen to find out how to keep both your kids and dogs safe! Special Guest: Karen from DK.