Pet Behavior And Training Episodes

Getting a dog to take a pill can turn into a ridiculous battle of wills, especially when they somehow eat everything except the medication. In this episode, Amy shares 10 tricks she’s learned from years of owning, fostering, rescuing, and medicating dogs of all shapes, sizes, and ages. The key isn’t finding one magical food that works for every dog. It’s figuring out how your dog approaches food and choosing a strategy that fits. You’ll learn why a tiny, soft pill package may work better than a...

I thought buying a house with pets meant finding enough space, a decent yard, and hopefully a fence. Then I started walking through houses with three dogs and three cats in mind. Now I’m looking at how close the road is, whether Gunny can manage the stairs as she gets older, whether my blind cat could fall through an open staircase, and how much it would cost to make a beautiful property truly safe and manageable for all of us. In this episode, I’m sharing what has surprised me during the house...

What Really Happened Moving 2,200 Miles With Six Pets Moving six pets from Texas to Massachusetts in an RV sounded manageable on paper. Then came the delayed departure, Houston rush-hour traffic, tire-pressure warnings, a check-engine light, a crying cat, an unexpected campground wedding and a bulldog who created two separate crime scenes. In this follow-up to the lessons-from-the-road episode, Amy sits down with her friend Bev Brooks and daughter Kelsey Castro to share what actually happened...

Is your pet suddenly acting clingy, anxious, restless, messy, or just “off”? Before you decide they’re being difficult, ask one better question: what changed? In this quick Pet Parent Power-Up, Amy walks through the first things to check when your pet’s behavior changes, especially during stressful seasons like moving, schedule changes, renovations, visitors, or household disruption. BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN: Why investigating behavior changes should start with a medical...

Thinking about adopting a pet, or already wondering if you made the right decision after bringing one home? A lot of people think the hard part of adoption is choosing the pet. But, that’s usually the easy part. The hard part often starts a few days or weeks later, when routines get disrupted, resident pets are stressed, the new dog suddenly has endless energy, or the cat that hid under the bed still hasn’t come out. In this episode, I’m breaking down six of the biggest reasons good pets get re...

Does your dog whine at the door, your cat climb on you, or all your pets suddenly demand attention the second you sit down at night? You are not imagining it, and your pets probably are not plotting against your peace. In this episode, Amy breaks down why pets, especially dogs and cats, often get needier at night, why evening pet behavior can feel so overwhelming, and how a simple routine can help calm the chaos before it starts. If your pets seem perfectly fine all day but suddenly need everyt...

Is your cat biting, swatting, or attacking another pet? If you are noticing sudden signs of aggression in cats, or wondering why won't my cat use the litter box, it may not be happening out of nowhere. In many cases, cats show subtle warning signs long before their behavior escalates. In this episode, certified cat behavior consultant Marilyn Krieger joins me to break down the real causes of cat aggressive behavior, what different types of aggression mean, and how to spot the subtle signals that...

Bringing home a new cat and hoping your pets will just figure it out? That’s one of the fastest ways to create tension, hissing, and fights. A lot of cat introductions fail before they even start, and a bad first impression can take weeks or months to undo. In this episode, we walk through what your cats are reacting to, how to set up your home before they ever meet, and the step-by-step process for introducing them the right way. If you’ve been guessing, rushing, or hoping for the best, this wi...

Does walking your dog feel like you’re on high alert every second, bracing for the next blow-up? If Spot's behavior looks like dog aggression on walks, but doesn’t feel that simple, you’re not alone. Many dogs labeled as aggressive are actually dealing with leash reactivity, and that’s a very different problem. If you’re dealing with leash reactivity, you’re not failing, and you’re not “doing it wrong.” What’s happening usually isn’t aggression, it’s a dog having a hard time. In this episode, ...

Are you dealing with “normal puppy behavior,” or early warning signs of a bigger problem? Some of the most common puppy behaviors, like fear reactions, growling over a toy or food, and mouthiness, can look harmless. But the way they’re handled early can be the difference between a phase and a serious problem, like reactivity or resource guarding that escalates into a bite. In this episode, I’m joined by multi-certified dog trainer Ruth Hegarty of Creature Good Dog Training to break down five pup...