Dog Talk ® (and Kitties Too!)

#889B: Mike Gould runs K9 Behavior Experts and often gives testimony in court about dog aggression cases. He discusses what is meant by a “red dog” — an aggressive one — although he believes no dog is dangerous, it is how s/he is managed.

#888A: Linda Kohanov’s groundbreaking book is out in a revised edition — “The Tao of Equus: A Woman's Journey of Healing and Transformation through the Way of the Horse,” which describes how thoughts and emotions are contagious between species.

#888B: Luiza Cervenka is a PhD behaviorist in San Paulo, Brazil, who is teaching veterinarians and owners what dogs really need — and how to see and empathize with pain in dogs that affects their behavior.

#887A: Dr. Treyton Diggs is famous in the world of competition Beagles, where he’s an AKC judge of field trials and also competes with his own pack of 32 Beagles — which he has bred and raised himself and knows everybody’s name! Now he has won Veterinarian of the Year from the Westminster Kennel Club, which gave a $10,000 donation to Not One More Vet (NOMV) in his name.

#887B: Karen Menczer is the Founder/Director of Animal-Kind International, dispensing grants to non-profits globally, often covering the salaries of shelter workers without whom animal rescue would not be possible. 

#886A: What if in fact dogs are “running the show” and have gotten us to do what they want? Philosopher Michele Merritt has written “Minding Dogs: Humans, Canine Companions, and a New Philosophy of Cognitive Science” to explore her theory about how dogs read our minds all the time, if only we were open to seeing it.

#886B: Kristina Bergsten, who runs The Animal Law Practice in Colorado [she can also practice in New York], talks about the kinds of situations where a lawyer specializing in animal law might be valuable when facing canine-related legal issues.

#885A: Dr. Amy Pike of the Animal Behavior Wellness Clinic in Washington D.C. explains that 75% of all behavior issues are the result of the dog being in pain, so “behavior modification” (“fix it through training”) is not the solution! The challenge: find out where the pain is and effectively treat it.

#885B: Jeff Pohn’s very funny novel “Hounded: A Love Story,” features a neurotic, addictive protagonist whose loquacious witty dog is tasked with helping him make better choices.

#884A: The extraordinary journey of Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald to becoming a veterinarian in Denver, where he also does stand up comedy to open for famous comedians, having spent his younger years as head of security for the Rolling Stones. 

#884B: Christopher Dale’s book “We Saved Each Other: How Rescue Dogs Help Us Through Hardship” chronicles the simplicity, directness and healing value of the canine relationship, especially for people like himself, struggling with addiction and clinical depression.

#883A: Marc Bekoff discusses his newly revised book “The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy — and Why They Matter,” with a foreword by Jane Goodall, alongside whom Bekoff has spent his career advancing the idea that animals have inner lives — and outer relationships — of significance.

#883B: Tracie talks to Susan, a listener in Connecticut, who cannot figure out why her dog, Shelby, has had episodes of sudden onset shaking and whining. Is it emotional? Physical? What is triggering it? How best to manage it?

#882A: Simon Van Booy discusses his newest novel “Sipsworth,” which enchanted Tracie with its depiction of a rare and beautiful relationship between an elderly lonely lady and the mouse who transforms her life.

#882B: Tracie talks to dog trainer Annie Phenix — who specializes in aggressive dogs — about the immorality of asking her to help rehome a dangerous “Czech shepherd” dog that has shown aggression to other dogs and to people. 

#881A: Helen Brown speaks from Australia about the healing power of a feline companion in her memoir “Mickey: the Cat Who Raised Me.” 

#881B: Kerry Nichols writes with exuberance in her book “PUPPY BRAIN: How Our Dogs Learn, Think, and Love,” about how puppies’ minds and feelings develop and our impact on them.

#880A: Bill Wasik [New York Times Magazine executive editor) and his wife Monica Murphy (Park Slope veterinarian and writer) collaborated on a sweeping history of how animals and people coexisted in the 19th century in their impressive book OUR KINDRED CREATURES: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals.

#880B: Amy Creel is a hilarious curmudgeonly TikTok presence [amymaurercreel] where she recounts her amusingly frustrating experiences helping dogs find homes through her Knine Rescue in Maryland.

#879A: Tommy Tomlinson talks about his book “DOGLAND: Passion, Glory and lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show,” filled with wonderful canine anecdotes.