The Kindness Connection

Episode 5: Raising Baby Chicks: Building Trust through Understanding Boundaries

In this episode, we talk about how respecting boundaries with baby chicks builds trust from the very beginning. Learn how to read chick behavior, avoid overwhelming handling, and use a gentle, positive reinforcement approach to raise calm, confident backyard chickens. Perfect for anyone raising chicks and wanting a more respectful, trust-based connection with their animals.

Episode 4: Why Feeling Safe Changes Everything

In this episode of The Kindness Connection, I explore the idea that behavior—whether in animals or people—often begins with a sense of safety. Through reflections on my experiences with animals and a more personal look at my own childhood, I share how what we often label as misbehavior can be rooted in something deeper. When safety is missing, behavior changes. When safety is present, everything can shift. This episode brings together lessons from working with animals and life beyond them, offering a different way to understand behavior—one that starts with awareness, trust, and kindness

Episode 3: Why My horse Bucked at Horse Shows (and what it taught me about Anxiety)

In this episode of The Kindness Connection, I reflect on my experience showing horses as a teenager and the challenges I faced with a horse who often became nervous and sometimes bucked in the show ring. At the time, I believed the behavior was misbehavior. Looking back, I see it differently. My own anxiety and tension were playing a much bigger role than I realized, and my horse was responding to that emotional state. This episode explores how sensitive horses can be to human emotions, how behavior is often misunderstood, and how awareness can change the way we interpret and respond to the animals we work with.

Episode 2: How Force Free training Reduced Stress for a Pair of Sloths

In this episode of The Kindness Connection, I share a story from my time working as a zookeeper and how a small change in approach made a big difference in a sloth’s experience. What was once a stressful process that required multiple people became calm and cooperative through the use of positive reinforcement. By introducing the crate in a thoughtful way, the sloth was able to participate willingly, reducing stress for both the animal and the people involved. This episode explores how training can improve animal welfare, why giving animals choice matters, and how kindness can transform the way we work with and care for animals.

Episode 1: How a Dog with a Traumatic Past Transformed the Way I Understand Behavior and Kindness

In this first episode of The Kindness Connection, I share the story of Raven, the dog who led me to become a trainer. Raven came into my life with a traumatic past, and working with her changed the way I understand behavior, training, and kindness. I began to see how much our emotional state affects the animals we work with, and how staying calm can make all the difference. This episode explores trauma in dogs, positive reinforcement, and what animals can teach us about awareness, patience, and connection.