Enrichment for the Real World
You've dedicated your life to helping animals- just like us.
Emily Strong was training praying mantids at 7.
Allie Bender was telling her neighbor to refill their bird feeder because the birds were hungry at 2.
You're an animal person; you get it.
We've always been animal people. We've been wanting to better animals' lives since forever, so we made a podcast for people like us.
Join Emily and Allie, the authors of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, for everything animal care- from meeting animals' needs to assessing goals to filling our own cups as caregivers and guardians.
Episodes
152 episodes
#151 - Labels: Helpful or Harmful?
Labels are everywhere: reactive dog, bad pet parent, confident trainer, resilient learner. They’re meant to simplify things, and while they can be helpful, sometimes they do the opposite.In this episode, Emily and Ellen unpack h...
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Season 13
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Episode 151
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44:02
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#150 - If You Aren’t Doing It, It's Not Doable
Hi, do you keep telling yourself, “I know what to do, I just need to actually do it?” Welcome. In this episode, Emily and Tiffany unpack a hard (and oddly relieving) truth: when something isn’t happening, it’s usually a design probl...
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Season 13
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Episode 150
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55:11
#149 - The Dangers of “Enrichment”
When we say The Dangers of “Enrichment”, the air quotes are doing a lot of work.In this episode, Emily and Ellen unpack how things labeled as enrichment can actually aggressively miss the mark. From the “more is better” mindset ...
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Season 13
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Episode 149
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47:58
#148 - You’re Getting Enrichment Wrong
You’re getting enrichment wrong.Yeah, we said it. (Lovingly.)In this episode, Emily and Allie unpack why enrichment so often feels overwhelming, guilt-inducing, or impossible to “do right.” Spoiler alert: it’s not because you’...
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Season 13
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Episode 148
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44:18
#147 - Old Skill, New Scenario: Using What You Already Know
If your first response to a new behavior challenge is “I need to learn something new,” this episode is for you. Ellen and Emily talk about why “new” isn’t always the answer, and how to make the most of the skills already in your toolbox. From s...
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Season 12
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Episode 147
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47:51
#146 - Try It: Create Your Enrichment Menu
Ever find yourself staring at your pet thinking, “What do we even do for enrichment again?” Same. Today we’re walking through how to build your pet’s Enrichment Menu: a simple, sanity-saving list of activities you already know...
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Season 12
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Episode 146
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12:37
#145 - Q&A: Dog Sociability
This week’s episode is built entirely from your questions! And honestly, we love that. Listener Q&As are some of our favorite conversations because they give us a window into what real pet parents and pros are navigating right ...
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Season 12
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Episode 145
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37:58
#144 - Learning Over Threshold?
Ever try to teach your dog something new only to realize both of you are way too stressed to even remember your own names? Same. In this episode, Emily and our newest Pet Harmony team member, Veronica Garcia, dive into the “thinking an...
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Season 12
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Episode 144
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1:10:12
#143 - Enriching Your Pet When You Feel Like You’re Drowning
Sometimes life hands you broken bones, cranky tendons, surprise vet trips, or a whole new set of limitations you definitely didn’t order. And meanwhile, your pet still needs… well, everything. In this episode, Emily and Allie talk abou...
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Season 12
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Episode 143
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53:52
#142 - Enrichment Guilt: When Enough Doesn't Feel Like It
Do you ever feel like you’re not doing enough for your pet? Yeah… us too. But you know what? You’re probably doing way more than you give yourself credit for. In this episode, Allie and Ellen get real about “enrichment guilt,” that nagging voic...
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Season 12
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Episode 142
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28:49
#141 - Gratitude, But Not The Toxic Kind
Let’s be real: sometimes, being told to “just be grateful” when things are hard feels… gross. We get it. Gratitude can be helpful, but not when it’s used to slap a smiley face sticker over real pain.In this episode, Allie and Ellen talk ...
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Season 12
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Episode 141
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24:25
#140 - Try it - Strategies for Frantic Feeders
Does your dog lose their mind the second food appears? In this episode, Emily walks through a simple, science-based strategy to help “frantic feeders” relax around food. Learn how to use food to make food less exciting (yes, really), w...
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Season 12
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Episode 140
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17:32
#139 - Plentiful Enrichment: Creating a Full Life
What does it really mean to give our pets an abundant life? Emily and Claire unpack common myths around enrichment and abundance, where well-intentioned positive reinforcement can slip into coercion, and where saying no can ac...
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Season 12
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Episode 139
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56:54
#138 - What Horror Films Teach Us About Behavior
What do horror movies and your pet’s sense of safety have in common? More than you’d think.This week, Ellen and Emily get delightfully spooky as they unpack how elements that make horror films terrifying, like the lighting, sound, moveme...
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Season 12
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Episode 138
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53:52
#137 - All Work And No Play Makes Everyone a Dull Critter
So many of us (pet parents and pros) get tangled up in “shoulds”. My dog should behave better. I should know how to fix this.People shouldn’t think my dog is “bad.”But ...
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Season 12
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Episode 137
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56:32
#136 - Try It: New Cue, Same Trick (and Why It Matters)
What if you could teach your pet not just one way to understand a cue, but multiple ways — or even help them notice their own body as a signal? That’s the magic of cue transfers, and in this episode, Emily breaks down h...
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Season 12
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Episode 136
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14:22
#135 - Trick or Treat? When Enrichment Isn't Enriching
Sometimes enrichment doesn’t go the way we planned. Maybe the activity is too easy, too hard, too arousing, or just plain unsustainable. In this episode, Allie and Emily pull back the curtain on the common pitfalls that turn “enrichment” into a...
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Season 12
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Episode 135
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1:12:21
#134 - Try It: Identify Your Home's Grumble & Growl Zones
Ever notice your pet getting tense in certain spots around your house? Spaces like the hallway, under the table, or right next to you on the couch? Those tricky spaces might actually be grumble or growl zones.In this ep...
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Season 11
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Episode 134
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21:37
#133 - How to Incorporate Kids Into Your Pet's Enrichment Plan
Parenting is already a full-time job, and when you add pets into the mix, things can feel overwhelming. But what if your kids could actually help make pet care easier and more fun? In this episode, Emily is joined by fellow Pet Harmony consulta...
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Season 11
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Episode 133
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45:46
#132 - Are You Self-Sabotaging?
Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “Either I have to do X, or Y terrible thing will happen”? Welcome to dichotomous thinking, one of the sneakiest forms of self-sabotage we fall into. In this episode, Allie and Emily unpack how binar...
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Season 11
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Episode 132
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52:25
#131 - Why Training Mechanics Aren't Enough
You can have the fanciest training plan in the world—but if you skip the “soft” skills, you’re building on shaky ground. This week, Allie and Emily dive into the four soft skills that make everything else work: observation, curiosity, flexibili...
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Season 11
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Episode 131
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47:35
#130 - Mike Agruss: A Nuanced Approach to Dog Bite Advocacy
Content Warning: This episode does include discussion of dog bites. When a dog bite happens, emotions run high—fear, guilt, anger, confusion. In today’s episode, host Emily Strong is joined by Mark Agruss, a personal injury attorney...
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Season 11
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Episode 130
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1:06:41
#129 - Q&A: All About Anxiety in Dogs
Wondering if your dog will “grow out of” anxiety? Or if a sit-stay will solve their fear of strangers? This Q&A episode clears up the most common misunderstandings about anxiety in dogs and gives you the tools to actually help.Allie,...
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Season 11
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Episode 129
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39:54
#128 - Try it: How to Find Indoor Activities for Dogs on Hot Days
When the temperatures soar, it can feel like your only option is to survive summer with the AC cranked up and a bored dog staring at you, but we’ve got your back. In this "Try It" episode of Enrichment for the Real World, Emily shares ...
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Season 11
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Episode 128
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14:27
#127 - Summer Enrichment Activities
Summer heat getting in the way of your enrichment goals? You’re not alone. In this episode of Enrichment for the Real World, Allie and Emily break down their favorite summer enrichment activities into three easy categories: indo...
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Season 11
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Episode 127
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43:58
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