Hound Opinions Big Wags Chicago

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.

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.

We're talking crates this time, y'all!

I make no secret of the fact that I love crate training. But crating is also controversial. It’s not a magic bullet and if a dog isn’t taught how to be comfortable in a crate, it can have serious negative effects on their mental health and in fact can have negative effects on their physical health if they decide to try to get out of the crate and hurt themselves. So what’s the right answer?

That’s a good question! And it's why I'm doing this episode!

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.

We're learning all about the Lancashire Heeler today!

The Lancashire Heeler is the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club and I could think of nobody better to talk to than Sheryl Bradbury. Sheryl's the president of the United States Lancashire Heeler Club and the Nebraska Kennel Club. She gives us the inside scoop on the Lancashire Heeler and I even get her to talk a little trash and tell us why she thinks Lancashire Heelers should win the coveted Best in Show title.

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.

Hound Opinions is back, baby!

That's right! The holiday hiatus is over and we're diving back into it by talking once again about fostering.

Since Thanksgiving, my spouse and I have fostered a couple dogs. That's part of why we got a house, after all. The first experience was not so great and I'll get into why in the episode. The second was pretty great. I wanted to talk about both of those experiences
because they’re so different and they represent the real gamut of what fostering is like. It’s a tough experience and the fact that I’m a
professional dog trainer who works with tough dogs every day doesn’t make me immune from having a tough time with a foster dog.

So sit back, relax and strap it down, because it's going to be a little emotional.

DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your lovely 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.

Look! It's a bonus episode!

The pod is technically on hiatus, but I wanted to chat a bit about how to keep your dogs feeling calm and comfortable during holiday gatherings. It's too late to help with that turkey-based holiday, but we still have Hanukkah and Christmas and other winter seasonal gatherings coming up.

And just so you're not worried, the pod *WILL* be back in earnest next month!

DON'T FORGET: I want to answer YOUR training and behavior questions on the pod. And I want to play your lovely 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.