The Kindness Connection

Tracy
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  • Pets & Animals
  • Updated Weekly

The Kindness Connection explores what animals can teach us about behavior, trust, and relationships. Hosted by dog trainer, teacher, and animal lover Tracy, this podcast looks at positive reinforcement, life with dogs and horses, parenting, teaching, family relationships, and the deeper lessons that come from living closely with animals. Through stories, reflection, and curiosity, The Kindness Connection explores how kindness can transform the way we train, teach, and relate to all beings. Topics often include positive reinforcement dog training, animal behavior, horses, and the lessons animals teach us about connection and trust. If you love animals and are curious about what they can teach us about the incredible power of kindness, or if you are looking to take a kinder, gentler, more intuitive approach to your daily interactions, this podcast is for you.

Episodes

  1. Apr 27

    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.

    15 min

  2. Apr 13

    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

    26 min

  3. Mar 23

    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.

    14 min

  4. Mar 23

    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.

    16 min

  5. Mar 23

    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.

    15 min

  6. Mar 13

    Introducing The Kindness Connection: How we can transform the way we train, teach, and relate.

    Trailer

    1 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

The Kindness Connection explores what animals can teach us about behavior, trust, and relationships. Hosted by dog trainer, teacher, and animal lover Tracy, this podcast looks at positive reinforcement, life with dogs and horses, parenting, teaching, family relationships, and the deeper lessons that come from living closely with animals. Through stories, reflection, and curiosity, The Kindness Connection explores how kindness can transform the way we train, teach, and relate to all beings. Topics often include positive reinforcement dog training, animal behavior, horses, and the lessons animals teach us about connection and trust. If you love animals and are curious about what they can teach us about the incredible power of kindness, or if you are looking to take a kinder, gentler, more intuitive approach to your daily interactions, this podcast is for you.

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