#175 - Get Your Dog to Relax

#175 - Get Your Dog to Relax

Author: Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training July 13, 2026 Duration: 54:58
If you’ve been struggling to help your dog rest or relax, despite following protocols and trying your dangest, it’s time to zoom out and look at the environment. This week, Emily and Veronica dig into the three common ways the environment gets in the way, and why the classroom we’re teaching in matters just as much as what we’re teaching. TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 1️⃣ Environment is the classroom – Predictability, safe space, and routine are what make ...

Ever since she was seven years old, Emily Strong was figuring out how to train praying mantids, while her co-host Allie Bender was advocating for hungry birds at her neighbor's feeder by age two. If that kind of deep-seated drive to connect with animals sounds familiar, then you're exactly who they're talking to. Enrichment for the Real World is a conversation between these two lifelong animal people, brought to you by Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training. They built this podcast for anyone who has ever felt that innate pull to improve the lives of the creatures in their care, whether they're family pets, classroom companions, or rescue animals. In each episode, Emily and Allie, the authors behind "Canine Enrichment for the Real World," move beyond theory to discuss practical, actionable strategies. You'll hear them break down the real-world applications of enrichment and behavior science, making it accessible for families, pet owners, and animal enthusiasts of all ages. The discussions are grounded in experience and empathy, focusing on creating deeper understanding and healthier relationships between humans and animals. Tune in for thoughtful, often humorous, and always compassionate guidance that helps you apply these concepts in your daily life, making the well-being of animals a natural and integrated part of your world.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Enrichment for the Real World
Podcast Episodes
#173 - 5 Ways You’re F*cking Up Your Leash Reactivity Plan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:35
Dealing with leash reactivity can really be a drag (only moderate pun intended 😂). Jokes aside, if you have a dog that does the whole barky, bitey, lungey thing on leash, to dogs, to people, or to the leaf that blew acro…
#172 - If Treats Fixed Reactivity, You'd Be Done By Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:49
You bought the “good” treats, you know, the all-natural, human-grade, $14-a-bag ones. You've got the *perfect* dedicated pouch after hours of research. You’ve studied your protocol. Shoot, at this point, you could probab…
#171 - No, Not All Dogs Need Walks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:59
You've been told your dog needs daily walks. We get it; everyone has. When you were a kid and wanted a dog, your guardians probably said something like, “Okay, but you have to make sure to feed, water, and walk them…” An…
#170 - Q&A: How to Multi-Pet Household [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:14
In this Q&A episode, Allie, Emily, and Ellen tackle the questions they hear most often from clients, mentees, and the internet: Should I get another pet? How do I treat my pets fairly when they all need different things?…
#169 - Kiki Yablon: Why Your Dog Won’t Settle When You’re Busy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:51
This week we’re joined by Kiki Yablon, behavior analyst, dog trainer, KPA faculty member, and general bad a**. Kiki’s incredible skills of observation, communication, and implementation are honestly inspiring. If you’ve…
#168 - Stop Waiting to Know the Right Thing. Here's How to Decide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:58
You know that feeling where you're staring at what feels like a total dumpster fire, and you’re just… frozen? It’s not because you don't care or because you don't know anything. It’s because you're waiting to feel certai…
#167 - Are You Designing Plans for Your Dog... or for Your Anxiety? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:21
Hey, hi, hello. Do you also fall into the pet parent spiral? Worrying that you aren’t a good pet parent, that your dog is suffering, and that you aren’t doing enough. After a two-hour planning session, you have a color-c…
#166 - Your Dog is Not Symptom Spreadsheet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:21
Do you ever feel like you and your dog are on the Hot Mess Express together? The challenges just keep coming: leash reactivity, resource guarding, body-handling sensitivities, gut issues, sleep disruption all at once, an…
#165 - Juliana DeWillems: Set Your Dog Up to Succeed (Without Guilt) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:10
Management is one of the most underused and misunderstood tools in dog training. KPA CTP and author Juliana DeWillems (she/her) joins Emily to reframe management (aka antecedent arrangement) not as a shortcut or bandaid,…
#164 - When Management Turns into Micromanagement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:14
Is your dog’s management plan starting to feel more like a full-time job than a support system? In this episode, Emily and Tiffany break down the critical differences between strategic management and exhausting micromana…