Fresh Air: More Than Pets

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A little-known secret about Fresh Air's staff: they're fervent pet parents. This is a collection celebrating cats & dogs, and how (and why) they behave like they do.

10/29/2025

Fresh Air: More Than Pets Trailer

You adore your cats and dogs, but how do they feel about you? Celebrate everyone who loves cats and dogs with this collection of episodes that helps us understand how (and why) they behave the way they do. Subscribe to Fresh Air+ to get exclusive access to this and other collections. Plus, you'll get exclusive Fresh Air+ archive episodes every Sunday, and sponsor-free listening for all available episodes. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

26 sec
03/13/2023 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

How Pets Can Teach Us Love and Grief

Karen Fine talks about practicing Chinese medicine and acupuncture on sick pets, what "ADR" stands for, and the mental health issues many veterinarians face. Her book is The Other Family Doctor.

36 min
06/22/2022 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

Journey Into the World that Animals Know

In his 2022 book, “An Immense World,” Yong explores the diversity of perception in the animal world and the limitations of our own perception. He notes that each animal has access to its own sensory environment — called an "umwelt" — which creates its own "bespoke sliver of reality."

42 min
10/04/2016 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

Dogs Perceive The World Through Smell

In her book, “Being a Dog,” Alexandra Horowitz discusses the mechanics of canine smell and explains how dogs can use their noses to understand what time of day it is or whether a storm is coming and more.

37 min
05/10/2016 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

The History Of America's Most Feared Dog

Author Bronwen Dickey says the idea of pit bulls as predators is based on myth and misinformation. In the early Hollywood era, Dickey says, the dogs were often chosen to appear in comedies.

30 min
09/05/2013 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

Make 'Sense' Of Your Cat's Behavior

Kittens don't play -- they hunt. And their aloof appearance has evolutionary roots. John Bradshaw’s book “Cat Sense” explains cats' mysterious nature and how their relationship with humans has changed over the years.

36 min
09/11/2012 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

New Center Trains Detection Dogs To Save Lives

A center for scientists to study what helps dogs succeed in search-and-rescue operations opened in 2012 at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cynthia Otto, who created the center, and Annemarie DeAngelo, the center's training director, tells Fresh Air why they depend on their canine companions.

36 min
05/26/2011 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

Understanding Dog Behavior

Animal behaviorist John Bradshaw has spent much of his career debunking bad advice given to dog owners. His book “Dog Sense” details what pet owners should expect from their dogs -- and what their dogs should expect in return from their owners.

38 min
02/05/2010 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

Temple Grandin: The Woman Who Talks to Animals

Temple Grandin is one of the world's greatest animal behaviorists. She is also autistic — and has put that to work for her. Grandin has written several books on animals, including Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior.

34 min
03/19/2009 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

A Veterinarian Advises How To 'Speak For Spot'

Navigating the world of veterinary medicine can be daunting, but one veterinarian believes she can help. Nancy Kay, a veterinarian with 20 years of experience, is the author of “Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Longer Life.”

38 min
08/18/1997 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

"The Psychology of Dogs"

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist, is the author of "The Dog Who Loved Too Much: Tales, Treatments, and the Psychology of Dogs" (Bantam) In the book, he describes his own methods for correcting dog behaviors, such as attacking the telephone when it rings or scaring company, and he includes many stories from his own practice.

16 min
08/18/1997 • FRESH AIR+ ONLY

"Understanding Cats"

Naturalist and biologist Roger Tabor has studied house cats for twenty years. He has prepared television series on felines for the BBC and has written several books on the subject. His book "Understanding Cats: Their History, Nature, and Behavior" was published in 1997.

29 min

TRAILER

Fresh Air: More Than Pets Trailer

You adore your cats and dogs, but how do they feel about you? Celebrate everyone who loves cats and dogs with this collection of episodes that helps us understand how (and why) they behave the way they do. Subscribe to Fresh Air+ to get exclusive access to this and other collections. Plus, you'll get exclusive Fresh Air+ archive episodes every Sunday, and sponsor-free listening for all available episodes. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

10/29/2025

•

26 sec

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. Subscribe to Fresh Air Plus! You'll enjoy bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening - all while you support NPR's mission. Learn more at plus.npr.org/freshair And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Fresh Air Weekly, to get interview highlights, staff recommendations, gems from the archive, and the week's interviews and reviews all in one place. Sign up at www.whyy.org/freshair

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A little-known secret about Fresh Air's staff: they're fervent pet parents. This is a collection celebrating cats & dogs, and how (and why) they behave like they do.