Hound Opinions

Big Wags Chicago
Hound Opinions Podcast

Dogs are great. They're also weird, quirky, gross, challenging, loving and fun. Hosted by Eris Mayeroff (owner and Chief Canine Officer of Big Wags Chicago Dog Training and Dog Walking), Hound Opinions is a podcast about all things dog - from behavior to training to the trials and tribulations of dog guardianship ... and everything in between! New episodes come out every other Thursday. Check them out here or wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question or topic you'd like Eris to talk about on the pod? Email podcast@bigwagschicago.com!

  1. Eris' Foster Adventures Part Deux

    12 SEPT

    Eris' Foster Adventures Part Deux

    Well, y'all, it happened again! My family and I became foster parents! We're fostering a husky named Damien for Anti-Cruelty here in Chicago. The cool thing about fostering is that you always learn something new and unexpected. And that's what I'm going to be talking about this time around. In just a short time, Damien's shown me so much about myself, himself and Bodhi. And it's been quite lovely to see. DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your voices asking those questions. You've got two options: Use your audio recording app of choice to record yourself asking a training or behavior question and email it to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I will then play it on the pod and answer it. You can actually jump on a recording session with me and we'll go over your question together. That'll let me ask you follow-up questions and really dig deep into the issue. If that's the route you want to go, shoot me a quick email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Threads, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    13 min
  2. 22 AUG

    The right to pet guardianship: A vaguely anti-capitalist screed

    Strap in, folx. We're getting political this time around. One of my biggest pet peeves is the fact that pet guardianship is getting more and more expensive. Money shouldn't be an impediment to it. Unfortunately, I'm also part of the problem. So what can we do about it? Well, I put forward at least one idea in this episode, but mostly I talk about how our capitalist way of life is making it so that having a pet is increasingly difficult except for the well-moneyed among us. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    9 min
  3. Season 5 premier - all about anticipatory grief

    11 JUL

    Season 5 premier - all about anticipatory grief

    Welcome to Season 5 of the pod! Brace yourselves. It's gonna get emotional. Trigger warning: This episode talks about pet death. I brought back one of my favorite guests - Alex Fliess - to talk about anticipatory grief. Alex is a licensed clinical social worker in Chicago. After starting work in a group therapy practice in 2016, Alex went on to open their own practice – Three Tales Therapy – in 2018 and also co-owns Chicago Center for Sex and Wellbeing. Anticipatory grief tends to hit pet guardians because unless your pet is one of those turtles or birds that live 100 years, the odds are you’re going to outlive your pet. And that’s weird because it means that you spend this time you have with them knowing that the time is limited. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    52 min
  4. 23 MAY

    Season 4 finale!

    It's the finale of Season 4! After this episode, the pod’s going to go on a break for a bit. But I’ve already got some fun stuff lined up for season 5. And you never know. I might pop in with an unofficial episode from time to time, but the new season will officially drop sometime after the 4th of July. We’re going to start by talking about leashes and why it’s so important to have your dog on a leash while you’re out and about in the world. Why? Because spring and summer are upon us and I’m already starting to see LOTS of off-leash dogs out in the wild and honestly, I’m pretty annoyed by it. After my leash rant, I’m going to answer a listener question. My very dear friend Rachelle asked if I could talk about best practices for bringing a dog into your home when you already have a dog. And it's one of my favorite things to talk about. DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your voices asking those questions. You've got two options: Use your audio recording app of choice to record yourself asking a training or behavior question and email it to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I will then play it on the pod and answer it. You can actually jump on a recording session with me and we'll go over your question together. That'll let me ask you follow-up questions and really dig deep into the issue. If that's the route you want to go, shoot me a quick email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    35 min
  5. 25 APR

    Unsung heroes: Veterinary social workers

    Nobody takes their pet to the emergency vet when things are great. No matter why you’ve taken your pet there, it’s always stressful. It’s always scary. And all those factors make it hard to focus on anything, much less digest complicated medical information and make potential life or death decisions for your pet. My guests this time are Laurie Maxwell and Claire Johnson. Laurie is the director of social work for MedVet, a chain of emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals with over 40 locations around the country. Claire is the veterinary social worker at MedVet’s Chicago location.   Laurie and Claire will give us an inside look at just what veterinary social workers do and how that work can help make a really scary time for you and your pet a bit easier. A quick trigger warning, by the way: This episode does discuss pets in various states of medical distress, emotional trauma and euthanasia. DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your voices asking those questions. You've got two options: Use your audio recording app of choice to record yourself asking a training or behavior question and email it to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I will then play it on the pod and answer it. You can actually jump on a recording session with me and we'll go over your question together. That'll let me ask you follow-up questions and really dig deep into the issue. If that's the route you want to go, shoot me a quick email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    53 min
  6. All about resource guarding

    4 APR

    All about resource guarding

    Resource guarding is exactly what it sounds like – it’s when a dog guards something that it considers a resource. And it can be scary because dogs will go to great lengths to protect their resources, including snapping, nipping or biting at people or other dogs who they feel are trying to take their resource. But what people often forget is that resource guarding is actually a pretty common and normal-ish behavior. And it gets even more tricky because so many different things can be considered “resources”. So how, then, do you deal with it? That's what this episode is all about! DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your voices asking those questions. You've got two options: Use your audio recording app of choice to record yourself asking a training or behavior question and email it to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. I will then play it on the pod and answer it. You can actually jump on a recording session with me and we'll go over your question together. That'll let me ask you follow-up questions and really dig deep into the issue. If that's the route you want to go, shoot me a quick email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Big Wags Chicago is online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find Big Wags on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the handle @bigwagschicago. Have a question you want answered in a future episode or just want to say hi? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@bigwagschicago.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

    26 min

About

Dogs are great. They're also weird, quirky, gross, challenging, loving and fun. Hosted by Eris Mayeroff (owner and Chief Canine Officer of Big Wags Chicago Dog Training and Dog Walking), Hound Opinions is a podcast about all things dog - from behavior to training to the trials and tribulations of dog guardianship ... and everything in between! New episodes come out every other Thursday. Check them out here or wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question or topic you'd like Eris to talk about on the pod? Email podcast@bigwagschicago.com!

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