Enrichment for the Real World

“I did not sign up for this.” 
It’s the one little sentence that flashes in your brain as you clean up another accident, watch your dog blow up over the sounds of a car door three blocks away, or spend yet another Friday night at home alone. 
It’s one little sentence that sends you, and pet parents all over the world, into the pit of guilt, despair, and shame. 
This week, Emily is joined by Valerie Bogie, Veterinary Social Worker, Pet Harmony team member, and overall empathetic badass. Valerie walks through what caregiver burden, burnout, and compassion fatigue actually are (versus normal stress), why "just push through it" makes things worse, and what to do instead.
If you’ve ever found yourself crying in the bathroom over your pet’s behavior, you’re not alone, and there is help out there. 

TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 
1️⃣ You’re not alone – New research found that among dog owners managing behavior challenges, 78% met criteria for elevated caregiver burden, 53% reported feeling alone, and 40% reported social isolation. 
2️⃣ Pushing through doesn’t build resilience, for you, or your pet – Life is a rollercoaster, and you need the release at the top, not just to keep climbing… forever.
3️⃣ "Name it to tame it" is a real thing – One small thing at a time will lead to large lasting changes.
For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

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More from Pet Harmony
Pet Parents: enrichment ideas and practical behavior tips
📸 Instagram & Facebook: @petharmonytraining
Pet Pros: relatable moments and support for your work with pets and their people
📸 Instagram & TikTok: @petharmonypro

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If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to subscribe and review. It helps more pet parents and pros find us. Thanks for being here! 💛
Does your dog guard socks, space, people, or leaves on the ground? Emily doesn't usually take clients... except for this. For 6 weeks starting August 26th, she's opening a very limited number of working spots in a live group course on resource guarding, specifically the kind that goes way beyond the food bowl. Personalized plans included. Auditor spots also available. Grab yours at PetHarmonyTraining.com/RG before they

You’re tired. You’re deep in your soul, day in and day out, exhausted. In a world where everything is hard, the stress keeps on coming, and pushing is applauded while resting is punished, may we introduce you to Dr. Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A., co-author, with her sister Emily, of the New York Times bestselling Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle and the Burnout workbook.
In this episode, we talk about: why “just relax” is useless advice, why burnout hits caregiving professions so hard, and what it really means to “do self-care” on a deep, functional level. 
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Drs. Amelia and Emily Nagoski changed our lives, the way we work with people, the way we view behavior consulting, and how we care for our pets. Wrapping up their impact on us in a short podcast description feels disingenuous, so instead, we’ll just say we hope this helps you too.

TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 
1️⃣ The stressor and the stress are separate things – You need to deal with the stress in your body, not just get away from the stressor. 
2️⃣ Change comes from groups, not heroes – Taking turns, sharing the labor, is how we effect lasting change. 
3️⃣ You matter – That’s it. That’s the takeaway.
For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

Amazon Affiliate Storefront
Find products we recommend at the Pet Harmony Amazon Storefront.
As an Amazon Associate, Pet Harmony earns from qualifying purchases.

More from Pet Harmony

Pet Parents: enrichment ideas and practical behavior tips
📸 Instagram & Facebook: @petharmonytraining
Pet Pros: relatable moments and support for your work with pets and their people
📸 Instagram & TikTok: @petharmonypro

📬 Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://petharmonytraining.com/join/

Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to subscribe and review. It helps more pet parents and pros find us. Thanks for being here! 💛
Does your dog guard socks, space, people, or leaves on the ground? Emily doesn't usually take clients... except for this. For 6 weeks starting August 26th, she's opening a very limited number of working spots in a live group course on resource guarding, specifically the kind that goes way beyond the food bowl. Personalized plans included. Auditor spots also available. Grab yours at PetHarmonyTraining.com/RG before they

We’ve all been there. The standoff where your dog is dancing and staring, waiting for you to do the thing, and you’re trying to negotiate a different plan. Maybe it’s 105 outside, and the heat has reached dangerous levels. Maybe wildfires have made the air unbreathable. Maybe it’s hurricane season, and you’re watching rocks fly through the sky. Or maybe it’s Monday, and you’re doing your Sunday routine. 
While you know why it’s different, your dog is just staring, waiting for you to follow the rules, and has no interest in a different plan. This week, Emily and Allie talk about how to use enrichment, not reason, to help your dog meet their needs, even when their entire routine is knocked off kilter. 

TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 
1️⃣ Match the need, not the activity – A walk could meet many needs at once: physical and mental exercise, social time, sniffing, agency. Once you know what your dog gets out of it, you can introduce alternatives much more successfully. 
2️⃣ Frustration is valid – For both you and your dog. Instead of building it, redirect to something that works for both of you. It isn’t a bribe. It’s saying, “How about this instead?”
3️⃣ Make an enrichment menu – It makes it easier to remember what acceptable activity swaps are, like maybe walks can be interchanged with tug + snuffle mat.
For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

Amazon Affiliate Storefront
Find products we recommend at the Pet Harmony Amazon Storefront.
As an Amazon Associate, Pet Harmony earns from qualifying purchases.

More from Pet Harmony
Pet Parents: enrichment ideas and practical behavior tips
📸 Instagram & Facebook: @petharmonytraining
Pet Pros: relatable moments and support for your work with pets and their people
📸 Instagram & TikTok: @petharmonypro
📬 Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://petharmonytraining.com/join/

Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to subscribe and review. It helps more pet parents and pros find us. Thanks for being here! 💛
Does your dog guard socks, space, people, or leaves on the ground? Emily doesn't usually take clients... except for this. For 6 weeks starting August 26th, she's opening a very limited number of working spots in a live group course on resource guarding, specifically the kind that goes way beyond the food bowl. Personalized plans included. Auditor spots also available. Grab yours at PetHarmonyTraining.com/RG before they

Does your dog barking make you jump out of your skin? Or send you down a shame spiral? Or have your dog’s triggers become your triggers? You are very much not alone. In this episode, we flip the script, and instead of asking, “How do I help my reactive dog?” we ask, “How can I help me, the reactive human?” 
Join Emily and Ellen for a chat about when your dog’s (or bird’s, or donkey’s, or cat’s) noises don’t just annoy you, but send a startling jolt straight to your lizard brain. Because yes, vocalizations are normal, but finding harmony with your pet isn’t about suffering while they thrive.

 TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 
1️⃣ Stop the bleeding first – Start with your right-now plan. What’s one thing you can do to make barking less painful for you?
2️⃣ Barking doesn’t automatically mean “over threshold” – We have to look at the whole picture and learn to observe body language with all our senses. 
3️⃣ Find empathy for the reactivity – We can find tremendous empathy for reactive dogs. Let’s give ourselves the same grace.
For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

Amazon Affiliate Storefront
Find products we recommend at the Pet Harmony Amazon Storefront.
As an Amazon Associate, Pet Harmony earns from qualifying purchases.

More from Pet Harmony

Pet Parents: enrichment ideas and practical behavior tips
📸 Instagram & Facebook: @petharmonytraining
Pet Pros: relatable moments and support for your work with pets and their people
📸 Instagram & TikTok: @petharmonypro

📬 Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://petharmonytraining.com/join/

Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to subscribe and review. It helps more pet parents and pros find us. Thanks for being here! 💛
Does your dog guard socks, space, people, or leaves on the ground? Emily doesn't usually take clients... except for this. For 6 weeks starting August 26th, she's opening a very limited number of working spots in a live group course on resource guarding, specifically the kind that goes way beyond the food bowl. Personalized plans included. Auditor spots also available. Grab yours at PetHarmonyTraining.com/RG before they

If you’ve been struggling to help your dog rest or relax, despite following protocols and trying your dangest, it’s time to zoom out and look at the environment. 
This week, Emily and Veronica dig into the three common ways the environment gets in the way, and why the classroom we’re teaching in matters just as much as what we’re teaching. 

TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 
1️⃣ Environment is the classroom – Predictability, safe space, and routine are what make relaxation possible in the first place. 
2️⃣ Your dog's body is part of their environment – Pain, allergies, and temperature sensitivity all affect their capacity to relax. 
3️⃣ One thing at a time – Don’t overhaul everything at once.
For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

Amazon Affiliate Storefront
Find products we recommend at the Pet Harmony Amazon Storefront.
As an Amazon Associate, Pet Harmony earns from qualifying purchases.

More from Pet Harmony
Pet Parents: enrichment ideas and practical behavior tips
📸 Instagram & Facebook: @petharmonytraining
Pet Pros: relatable moments and support for your work with pets and their people
📸 Instagram & TikTok: @petharmonypro

📬 Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://petharmonytraining.com/join/

Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to subscribe and review. It helps more pet parents and pros find us. Thanks for being here! 💛
Does your dog guard socks, space, people, or leaves on the ground? Emily doesn't usually take clients... except for this. For 6 weeks starting August 26th, she's opening a very limited number of working spots in a live group course on resource guarding, specifically the kind that goes way beyond the food bowl. Personalized plans included. Auditor spots also available. Grab yours at PetHarmonyTraining.com/RG before they