In episode 86, Marissa Martino interviews Annika McDade to discuss how establishing clear boundaries with friends, family, and strangers can help protect your dog’s progress, support their behavior, and preserve your relationship with them. From politely managing unsolicited advice to ensuring others respect your dog’s needs, we’ll discuss why advocating for your dog is essential for their comfort and security. Learn how to confidently communicate what your dog requires, whether it’s space, rout...
Oct 25, 2024•53 min
In episode 85, Marissa Martino interviews Emily Wolf of Summit Dog Rescue and Brilliant Pup Behavior to discuss how we can set up our dogs for success when bringing them home for the first time. They discuss what to consider before choosing a new dog or puppy, how to help them transition to your lifestyle with ease, and ways to introduce new elements into their experience slowly. Whether you’re adopting a puppy or welcoming an older dog, this episode talks about the much-needed perspective and...
Oct 16, 2024•58 min
In episode 84, Marissa Martino interviews Dr. Ariel Fagen about how collaboration between professionals can create a more effective behavior modification journey for dogs and their people. They explore the roles that trainers, veterinarians, veterinary behaviorists, and pet parents play in shaping a dog’s success, and how working together can provide a more holistic approach. Whether you’re a pet owner or a professional, this episode offers valuable insights on creating a unified support system ...
Sep 30, 2024•59 min
In episode 83, Marissa Martino interviews Karishma Warr of Calm Canine Academy about separation-related behaviors and their impact on the caregiver. They begin by defining what separation-related behaviors are, exploring the subtleties of each category, and discussing the common overlaps that many dog guardians encounter. The conversation then shifts to the key concepts of the behavior modification process, providing listeners with an understanding of what this journey entails. Finally, drawing ...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In episode 82, Marissa Martino interviews Tricia Case to talk about her love of designing amazing leashes to navigate the world with our dogs. They talk about the reasons for using long lines, what to consider when using them, and the skills needed for everyone to enjoy their walks. She also offers a discount for our podcast listeners! Tricia Case is the founder of Trailblazing Tails . She is driven to make the world a better and safer place for children and dogs, and build products that conside...
Sep 07, 2024•40 min
In episode 81, Marissa Martino interviews Annika McDade in this three-part series about the emotional experience of caring for, living with, and loving our dogs. In part 3 of the series, they explore the many ways we try to control ourselves, our dogs, others, and the situation as we navigate life with our dogs. Annika McDade is the Founder of Canine Connection Training & Coaching. She is a triple-certified Behaviour Consultant & Life Coach with a passion for helping people connect to th...
Aug 21, 2024•44 min
In episode 80, Marissa Martino interviews Annika McDade in this three-part series about the emotional experience of caring for, living with, and loving our dogs. In part 2 of the series, they explore the many ways grief shows up while caring for our beloved dogs. They also explore the intersection of grief and hope, why it's critical for us to feel our experience, and where we focus our mind. Annika McDade is the Founder of Canine Connection Training & Coaching. She is a triple-certified Beh...
Aug 13, 2024•43 min
In episode 79, Marissa Martino interviews Annika McDade in this three-part series about the emotional experience of caring for, living with, and loving our dogs. In the first episode, they explore the prevalent emotion of guilt. Marissa and Annika share their personal experiences with guilt in their relationships with their dogs. They also provide common pet parent examples and ways to support yourself through this emotion. Annika McDade is the Founder of Canine Connection Training & Coachin...
Aug 05, 2024•48 min
Join Marissa Martino interview Juliana DeWillams of JW Dog Training talk about the critical skill of behavior management. Juliana and Marissa define management, share some examples of what active and passive management strategies look like with your dog, and how these strategies can help support your dog's behavior and your relationship. Juliana is the Owner and Head Trainer at JW Dog Training. She has been training dogs since 2014 after she graduated with distinction from the Karen Pryor Academ...
Jul 29, 2024•37 min
In episode 77, Marissa Martino interviews Jessica Dolce about a very important topic in our profession, compassion fatigue, or what we're now calling it - empathetic distress. We explore what empathetic distress is, why it is common to experience as a caregiver, and what to do to avoid burnout. This episode is for anyone who cares and feels a lot and takes care of animals (and their people), whether you're a dog trainer, animal welfare professional, or a devoted pet parent. Jessica Dolce, MS CCF...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min
In episode 76, Marissa Martino interviews Dr. Kathy Murphy on the art and neuroscience of puppy socialization. Dr. Murphy explores some common myths about puppy socialization, explains what is happening from a neuroscience perspective, why that matters to us (and the puppies), and how to support our puppies during this critical time. It's a MUST listen! Get ready for some mindset shifts. Dr Kathy Murphy (BVetMed, DPhil, CVA, CLAS, MRCVS) is a veterinary surgeon and neuroscientist. Dr Murphy foun...
Apr 01, 2024•54 min
In episode 75, Marissa Martino interviews Annika McDade to discuss the healing power of our canine relationships. Both Annika and Marissa have a passion for encouraging pet parents to see their relationship with their dogs as an opportunity for personal development. They get vulnerable during this episode and share how their dogs have presented growth opportunities in not-so-ideal ways. They present innovative thoughts about incorporating this work into the training process and encourage listene...
Mar 17, 2024•46 min
In episode 74, Marissa Martino interviews Tom Candy about shelter dogs that experience frustration. They discuss the 3 R's - Risk assessment, Reduce (management strategies), and Resolve (behavior modification and teaching skills). Tom provides examples of interventions that he and his team implement to reduce a dog's stress level in the shelter environment. A passion for animal welfare and training led Tom to undertake a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in bio-veterinary science and a Master of...
Feb 26, 2024•58 min
In episode 73, Marissa Martino interviews Lisa Mullinax to discuss stranger-directed aggression. Lisa defines the difference between reactivity and aggression. She talks about the reasons why these cases are high stakes and how to support both the dog and the client. Lisa also shares how she builds custom behavior plans for ultimate success. Lisa Mullinax is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She utilizes positive reinforceme...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In episode 72, Marissa Martino interviews Allie Bender of Pet Harmony to discuss the nuanced skill of building successful training plans for our clients and their beloved dogs. During this episode, they discuss why sustainable training plans are so important, the common mistakes most trainers make, and how to collaborate with the client for additional success. Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony Animal Behavior & Training, co-author of Canine Enrichmen...
Jan 29, 2024•50 min•Ep. 72
In episode 71, Marissa Martino interviews Dr. Sophie Liu about cooperative care, a process offering choice and agency to our animals when it comes to training for husbandry procedures. Marissa and Dr. Liu met through a mutual client who needed support for her dog in a veterinary setting. During this episode, they break down the training process as best they can so the listeners can imagine how to try this at home. They discuss how and why they make certain training decisions along the way in the...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 7 min
In episode 70, Marissa Martino connects with Brooke Nielson, a licensed therapist, writer, speaker, and teacher on the topic of Highly Sensitive People, and in this case, Highly Sensitive Pet Parents. Brooke explains what the Highly Sensitive Person is, the research behind the term, and the characteristics that people may embody if they identify this way. They also discuss how this may impact your relationship with your dogs (and others) in both positive and challenging ways. Brooke's goal is to...
Jan 04, 2024•50 min
In episode 69, Marissa Martino interviews her dear friend, Sarah Stremming of the Cognitive Canine on the topic of balancing welfare and training for our dogs. Spoiler alert, Sarah feels strongly that both meeting your dog's needs and teaching them high-level training skills are equally as important. Sarah discusses how teaching these skills can increase both the dog's and the pet parent's welfare - making that a win-win for everyone!
Dec 18, 2023•46 min
In episode 68, Marissa Martino interviews Jenni Pfafman, a certified behavior consultant, on how she teaches her clients to have a joyful, rock-solid recall. Jenni lives in Crested Butte, Colorado, where almost every pet parent is active on trails and wants off-leash reliability and a whiplash recall. This episode covers the many concepts Jenni teaches her clients so they view the world through their dog's perspective to set everyone up for training success. They also dive into the many exercise...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 18 min
In episode 67, Marissa Martino interviews Karin Pienaar, of the The Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE). During the episode, Marissa asks Karin about her new book, Mood Matters: MHERA: An Innovative Assessment Approach to Animal Emotionality in the Treatment of Behaviour Problems. Karin defines emotions and the 7 emotional systems. Karin shares her framework, MHERA, which is an acronym that stands for: Mood State, Hedonic Budget, Emotional, and Reinforcement Assessments. Karin has been workin...
Jul 13, 2023•54 min
In episode 65, Marissa Martino and Kathy Sdao talk about a necessary topic for pet parents and pet professionals: listening. Some questions that are addressed during the episode include: What are the three levels of listening? Why is silence so important? How could our own best intentions be getting in the way of truly listening? When should we educate -vs- empathize? Can we do both? Kathy Sdao, she/her, is the owner of Bright Spot Dog Training in Tacoma, WA. She is one of the original faculty m...
May 29, 2023•59 min
In episode 64, Marissa Martino speaks with Naomi Rotenberg about resolving conflicts between your dog and cat. Some questions that are addressed during the episode include What expectations do we have for our pets that may or may not be realistic? How can we adjust our expectations? Does the environment factor into behavior issues? Can we find solutions for a more harmonious household How can we address all of our pet’s needs without drastically changing our homes and lives? Naomi Rotenberg, she...
May 15, 2023•51 min
In episode 63, Marissa and Lisa Mullinax discuss their risk assessment methods both for animal shelters and their private practices. Determining whether a dog will be at risk of doing harm to another can be a difficult process and one that needs a compassionate, nuanced, and multi-tiered approach. Their risk assessment perspective gives them a comprehensive look at the dog’s environment and the many factors that can affect their behavior. Join them as they discuss the many factors they consider ...
May 08, 2023•59 min
On episode 62, Belinda Breen, a dog behavior professional currently earning her doctorate in clinical psychology, and Marissa Martino talk about an important topic: grief. It shows up in so many different ways in our relationships with our dogs and therefore it’s important that we shine a gentle light on it. Whether we are saying goodbye to a beloved pet, making a hard rehoming decision, or letting go of how we thought life would be with our dog, we discover there’s an abundance of grief when op...
Apr 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min
In episode 61 of the Paws & Reward Podcast, Marissa is joined by her clients and colleagues, Kelly Ferber, Tiffany Chen, and Jenni Pfafman, all of whom recently took my Reflective Relationship Program . A 3-month program where we explore ourselves through the relationship with our dogs. This program cultivates the necessary human end of the leash skills for successful training sessions, sustainable behavior change, and connected relationships. to help you build a better relationship with you...
Apr 03, 2023•45 min
Listen to Marissa Martino chat with Tara Stillwell, a licensed family dog mediator about the challenging topic of rehoming a beloved pet. Tara was brave enough to come onto the podcast to discuss her recent rehoming experience with her dog, Eva. Marissa and Tara decided to discuss this topic on the podcast to shine some light and grace on the controversial topic of rehoming. The goal is to avoid the shame that we experience, or unfortunately, receive from others regarding the very painful and la...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 10 min
In Ep 59, Lisa Mullinax and Marissa discuss compassionate communication and how to have hard conversations in the most empathetic and effective ways. What leads to these difficult topics? How can we be better listeners? And what can we do when we come up against our own ethical boundaries? They share stories from the shelter world as well as personal experiences while recognizing they, too, are still learning and growing.
Mar 27, 2023•56 min
In episode 58, Marissa chats with Tabitha Kucera, a registered veterinary technician and certified positive reinforcement behavior consultant about the Fear Free Movement. They discuss why keeping data about your pet's emotional experience is so important for their well-being and how you can do it accurately using the FAS (Fear, Anxiety, Stress) scale.
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr
In episode 57 of the Paws & Reward Podcast , I speak with Liza Radar about their canine exercise framework and their unique approach toward exercise and physical enrichment. During the episode, Liza introduces their exercise framework. The framework includes four elements: 1) Physical Exercise, 2) Mental Exercise, 3) Low Intensity, and 4) High Intensity. We discuss the details of each element and how you can create an individualized canine exercise program for your dog....
Dec 05, 2022•40 min
In episode 56 of the Paws & Reward Podcast, join Marissa Martino and Sarah Stremming as they dive into the nuances behind the different scenarios for setting up training sessions for leash reactivity. Trainers and behavior consultants routinely use setups as part of their approach when treating reactivity, but the details and considerations are rarely discussed.
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 18 min
