A Life Full of Dogs - Jen's Story

Building A Better Bond With Your Dog Through Choice And Clear Boundaries with Irith Bloom

Irith Bloom is back to chat how shifting dog training away from control and toward trust, choice, and real communication can help our dogs feel safer and behave better. We dig into why over managing puppies can create anxiety, how to read canine body language, and which simple skills make everyday life easier .  Letting puppies explore safely instead of bubble wrapping their world and why choice and control lower stress and build resilience. We also chat how to notice stress signals like looking away and lip licking and what relaxed body language looks like when trust is real.  Irith is co-founder of the Freak’n Awesome Dog Project, which helps people live the life of their dreams with their dogs. She is an education junkie with a long list of letters and credentials after her name, most notably certified professional dog trainer and certified dog behavior consultant. https://thesophisticateddog.com/ [https://thesophisticateddog.com/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1960148/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheBaroo] Shop the podcast: https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod [https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod] Follow The Baroo: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/ [https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/] Blog- https://www.thebaroo.com/ [https://www.thebaroo.com/] Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/ [https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/]   Pet parent question or story of canine companionship  to share ? Email charlotte@thebaroo.com or call 424-273-5131.  *This podcast is for informational purposes only, even if, and regardless of whether it features the advice of veterinarians or professional dog trainers. It is not, nor is it intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary care  or personalized canine behavior advice and should not be used as so.  The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or the individual views of those participating in the podcast.

A Life Full of Dogs - Jen's Story

Jen shares how a childhood with a police K9 shaped her sense of responsibility, and why living with five dogs now feels like the most meaningful work of her life. We talk pack dynamics, Border Collie needs, the “soul dog” idea, and how grief can deepen gratitude for ordinary days.  • Growing up with Shep the police canine and learning what real training and partnership look like  • Feeling judged for having five dogs and why curiosity lands better than commentary  • Border Collies and the overlooked need for mental stimulation alongside exercise  • What a normal day looks like with a five-dog routine and a well-adjusted pack  • The big shift from two dogs to three and how pack roles and communication emerge  • The gift of being present at the end and why pet grief can feel compounded over time  • Why we avoid playing favorites and what “soul dog” means to different people  • Choosing gratitude for fur, chores, and toy destruction as signs of a healthy household  If you enjoyed this conversation, I'd love it if you'd follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves dogs. You can find links to everything we talked about today in the show notes. And I'd love to connect with you on Instagram at Baroo. If you have a story you'd like to share, you can email me at Charlotte at the baroo.com. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1960148/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheBaroo] Shop the podcast: https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod [https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod] Follow The Baroo: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/ [https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/] Blog- https://www.thebaroo.com/ [https://www.thebaroo.com/] Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/ [https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/]   Pet parent question or story of canine companionship  to share ? Email charlotte@thebaroo.com or call 424-273-5131.  *This podcast is for informational purposes only, even if, and regardless of whether it features the advice of veterinarians or professional dog trainers. It is not, nor is it intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary care  or personalized canine behavior advice and should not be used as so.  The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or the individual views of those participating in the podcast.

The Science Of The Bond with Dr. Marc Bekoff

I  chat with biologist, ethologist, behavioral ecologist and writer, Dr. Marc Bekoff about what science says about the emotional lives of animals and why our deepest bonds with dogs are built on trust, safety, and two-way communication. We break down dog literacy, consent, and the alpha myth so you can create a stronger bond with your pup.  • reciprocal bonds between dogs and humans shaped by personality and environment  • emotions as social glue that holds relationships together  • multisensory communication including scent, sound, posture, and facial cues  • becoming dog literate through careful observation of composite signals  • agency, consent, and context as practical rules for happier dogs  • how mixed human signals confuse dogs and increase stress  • why dominance and aversive training create fear rather than trust  • dog park “helicopter parenting” and the power of spontaneous praise  • the scientific shift toward recognizing animal sentience and emotion  • His good friend and colleague Jane Goodall’s influence and why naming animals matters  • what alpha really means as influence, not aggression  • One Health and One Welfare as a framework for compassionate action  • intrinsic value of each animal as the basis for compassion and conservation  You can find Dr. Bekoff's books here- https://amzn.to/3R57jKh If you enjoyed this conversation, I’d love it if you’d follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves dogs. You can find links to everything we talked about today in the show notes, and I’d love to connect with you on Instagram at Baroo Pup. If you have a story you’d like to share, you can email me Charlotte@thebaroo.com.  Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1960148/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheBaroo] Shop the podcast: https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod [https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod] Follow The Baroo: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/ [https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/] Blog- https://www.thebaroo.com/ [https://www.thebaroo.com/] Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/ [https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/]   Pet parent question or story of canine companionship  to share ? Email charlotte@thebaroo.com or call 424-273-5131.  *This podcast is for informational purposes only, even if, and regardless of whether it features the advice of veterinarians or professional dog trainers. It is not, nor is it intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary care  or personalized canine behavior advice and should not be used as so.  The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or the individual views of those participating in the podcast.

Resilience From A Rescue Dog

A scruffy white rescue dog, $50 to my name, and a split-second yes that rerouted my entire life. Season three begins with the story of Chance, my soul  dog, and the reason this season centers on the human dog bond. If you have ever loved a dog, lost a dog, or felt like you were barely holding it together, this one is for you. At 33, I am waiting tables, stuck in panic attacks, chronic pain, and the fallout of an unhealthy situationship. I know I need a change, but I didn't know what that was.  Then I meet Chance at a Santa Monica outdoor adoption through Perfect Pet Rescue, a nine-month-old pup  with a goofy walk and a calm kind of magic.  From there, life keeps shifting: I get fired during the 2009 financial crisis and somehow feel relief, then dog walking turns into a dog care business that we build together for 16 years. Chance teaches me mindfulness and presence by refusing to be rushed, and he pushes me to do the slow work of trust through his stranger danger and anxiety. His resilience through skin issues, tummy trouble, cancer, and mobility changes shows me that strength is not just endurance, it is choosing joy and love while you keep moving. If this story resonates, subscribe, share it with a fellow dog person, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. What is the most enduring thing a dog has taught you? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1960148/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheBaroo] Shop the podcast: https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod [https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod] Follow The Baroo: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/ [https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/] Blog- https://www.thebaroo.com/ [https://www.thebaroo.com/] Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/ [https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/]   Pet parent question or story of canine companionship  to share ? Email charlotte@thebaroo.com or call 424-273-5131.  *This podcast is for informational purposes only, even if, and regardless of whether it features the advice of veterinarians or professional dog trainers. It is not, nor is it intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary care  or personalized canine behavior advice and should not be used as so.  The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or the individual views of those participating in the podcast.

The Baroo Returns with Season 3

> After two years away, The Baroo is back. Season 3 explores the human-animal bond through conversations with scientists, trainers, veterinarians, and dog lovers — and is dedicated to Chance, the dog who started it all. New episodes begin July 7th, 2026. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1960148/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheBaroo] Shop the podcast: https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod [https://www.thebaroo.com/shop-pod] Follow The Baroo: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/ [https://www.instagram.com/baroopup/] Blog- https://www.thebaroo.com/ [https://www.thebaroo.com/] Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/ [https://www.facebook.com/baroopet/]   Pet parent question or story of canine companionship  to share ? Email charlotte@thebaroo.com or call 424-273-5131.  *This podcast is for informational purposes only, even if, and regardless of whether it features the advice of veterinarians or professional dog trainers. It is not, nor is it intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary care  or personalized canine behavior advice and should not be used as so.  The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or the individual views of those participating in the podcast.