Just a Dog Podcast

Nadine Burzler
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Society & Culture
  • Weekly

Just a Dog Podcast is a dog welfare podcast for dog guardians, dog professionals and anyone who wants to understand dogs better. Host Nadine Burzler talks to scientists, vets, behaviourists, breeders, trainers and rescuers about the beliefs we inherit about dogs, from breeding and training to rescue and everyday life, and asks what science knows and what anecdotal experience tells us about how dogs think and feel. Each episode looks at the gap between what we know about dogs and what we actually do, and what it would take to close that gap. New episodes every other Monday.

  1. 2d ago

    Vet appointments | How to talk to your vet about your dog | Josie Cocks MRCVS

    How do you talk to your vet about your dog, when you've only got a short appointment? This episode of Just a Dog Podcast looks at what your vet is looking for, why they ask the questions they ask, and when it's okay to push back or ask for a second opinion. Most of us walk into the vets with something we've noticed at home for weeks, about 15 minutes to explain it, and no idea what the bill will be. Our dogs can't tell the vet where it hurts, so a lot of their care depends on what we notice, and whether we feel able to speak up. To talk it through, I'm joined by Josie Cocks MRCVS (Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons), a vet for over 13 years and the founder of Surrey Veterinary Care, a mobile vet service. Josie trained at the University of Liverpool, started out in a busy veterinary hospital in North Wales, and spent 7 years as a vet at Dogs Trust before setting up on her own. In this warm and honest conversation, Josie explains what a vet can and can't see in a short appointment, how to speak up for your dog, and how pain can show up in a dog's behaviour. In this episode: How Josie fell in love with dogs, and Jem, the lurcher who came into her practice in her first month as a vetWhat happens in a 15-minute vet appointment, and why your dog can seem fine the moment you walk inWhy your vet asks about food when your dog is itchyHow to speak up for your dog, and when to ask for a second opinionVet costs, payment plans, and why care should fit you and your dogWhat changes when a vet sees your dog at home, from check-ups to saying goodbyeSigns your dog may be in pain, including sudden changes in behaviourWhat Josie would change for dogs, guardians and vets if she had a magic wandKey takeaways: Tell your vet about the small changes you notice at home, like slowing down or not jumping on the sofaA short video of your dog at home can help your vet see what you seeYou can ask for a second opinion, and you can be registered with more than one vet, as long as you're open about itIf your dog suddenly becomes snappy or grumpy, get them checked for pain firstAnyone can call themselves a behaviourist, so look for a qualified one who uses kind, positive methodsBefore choosing a dog, find out what they were bred for and what health problems their breed can carry Resources and links: Josie Cocks MRCVS, Surrey Veterinary Care surreyvetcare.comFind Josie on Instagram & Facebook 💙 Don't forget to follow the podcast and leave a review. It really helps these conversations reach more people. Find JUST A DOG PODCAST on Instagram

  2. Oct 27

    Off Lead | Gentle Leader

    A puppy with hair growing on his eyeball, a stranger with 21 dogs at home, and a loop of nylon called a gentle leader all turn up in this Off Lead episode. You’ll hear what the vet told the puppy’s guardian about the only way to fix his eye, the news story I came across the same day that made me think twice about 21 dogs in one home, and why an Oxford professor’s research on friendship has me wondering how many dogs one person can properly know. I also answer your messages after my 2-part conversation with Stan Airey, including the practice in the dog world that sends chills down my spine. Then I read my story, Gentle Leader, about a puppy on my street who keeps trying to paw a loop of nylon off his nose, I share the story of who made money from the first head collars, and the one word guardians give me every time I ask why their dog wears one. What I talk about in this episode: The French bulldog puppy with hair growing on his eyeThe man with 21 dogs, and the news story it led me toHow many dogs one person can really get to knowYour messages after Stan's episodeMy story, Gentle LeaderKey takeaways: A ⁠2020 study of 123 cases⁠ found a significant link between French bulldogs and ocular dermoids, a patch of skin on the eye that can grow hair.The RSPCA ⁠responded to 4,200 incidents⁠ in 2025 involving 10 or more animals at one address in England and Wales, up 70% since 2021.In a ⁠Myerscough College study⁠, 62% of dogs tried to get their head collar off.Sources: ⁠Congenital ocular malformations in dogs and cats: 123 cases, Veterinary Ophthalmology, 2020⁠⁠RSPCA: Twenty one dogs and a cat found living in filthy crates in Cumbria, 8 October 2026⁠⁠RSPCA: A multi-animal welfare image is so shocking that it was thought to be generated by AI, 12 May 2026⁠⁠Live Science: Are humans limited to 150 friends?, 16 October 2022⁠⁠The Company of Animals: Product family guide, 2023⁠⁠dvm360: R.K. Anderson, inventor of Gentle Leader, dies at 90, 2012⁠⁠Justia Patents: US patent 4941313, Regents of the University of Minnesota, 1990⁠⁠University of Minnesota Archives: CENSHARE records, 2007⁠⁠Dogs Today Magazine: Headcollar vs harness, which is better for our dogs’ welfare?, 2020⁠ The thoughts and observations in Off Lead are my own. I use AI to help me write faster, but the ideas are mine.

    Off Lead | Gentle Leader

  3. Oct 19

    Dog mating, artificial insemination and whelping in the UK, with Stan Airey | Part 2

    When we buy a puppy, few of us think to ask how their mum got pregnant, who helped her give birth, or how many of her puppies survived. Stan Airey has been helping breeders and owners whelp their dogs for over 50 years, and in part 2 of Call the Midwoof he shows me the side of breeding that puppy buyers rarely get to see. He explains how he helps dogs through difficult births in breeders’ and owners’ homes, why some people call him instead of their vet, and what he checks for the moment a puppy is born. He also shows me the equipment he once used to artificially inseminate dogs. Artificial insemination is an act of veterinary surgery, which under UK law only a vet, or a registered vet nurse under a vet’s direction, can carry out. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, who regulate vets, confirmed this in June 2023, and Stan says he no longer does it. In England, people offering whelping, stud dog or canine fertility services don’t need a licence unless they sell puppies, and Stan welcomes licensing for the work he does. In December 2025, Defra, the government department responsible for animal welfare in England, said they would hold a public consultation on bringing whelping services, stud dog services and canine fertility clinics into the licensing system. No date has been announced yet, and when it opens, guardians will be able to have their say. Content note: this episode includes frank discussion of mating and artificial insemination, puppies born with conditions they can’t survive, and strong language. Some of Stan’s views differ from veterinary advice, and they’re included so you can hear them in his own words, but nothing in this episode is advice, so please talk to your vet about your own dog. In This Episode How a female dog shows she isn’t ready to mateThe artificial insemination equipment Stan used, and why it’s now vet-onlyHow Stan helps dogs through difficult birthsWhy some people call Stan instead of their vetPuppies born with conditions they can’t surviveWhether you can tell a healthy puppy at 8 weeksWhy Stan wants licensing for people who help dogs give birthKey Takeaways Under UK law, only a vet, or a registered vet nurse under a vet’s direction, can carry out intravaginal artificial insemination on a dogIn England, whelping services, stud dog services and canine fertility clinics don’t need a licence unless they sell puppiesDefra have said they’ll hold a public consultation on licensing whelping services, stud dog services and canine fertility clinics, but no date has been announcedStan says a female dog who isn’t ready will sit down and turn away from the maleStan says a vet check at 8 weeks is no guarantee of a healthy puppy, and he’d like puppies to stay with their mum until 12 weeks Follow Just a Dog Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. New episodes every other Monday. Sources: RCVS: Standards and advice, June 2023, canine intravaginal AIDefra: Post-implementation review of the 2018 licensing regulations, 2024Defra: Animal welfare strategy for England, December 2025

    Dog mating, artificial insemination and whelping in the UK, with Stan Airey | Part 2

  4. Oct 12

    Off Lead | Hello, Maggie.

    Introducing Off Lead, a new series on Just a Dog Podcast. Every second Monday, its just me, thinking out loud about what I’ve been noticing about dogs, and humans. In this episode, I explain why I’m doing it, then read my essay, Hello, Maggie, about the bulldog who lives downstairs. She meets me on the stairs with a whole-body wag, and I love seeing her. But my heart aches every time I pass by her door. In this episode: ​What Off Lead is, and why I'm making it​Meet Maggie, the bulldog downstairs​Shiny floors and a dog's grip on the world​Stairs, short legs and a heavy body​How the fragrances we love might feel to a dog's nose​The wrinkles, eyes and breathing that come with a flat face​What love can reach, and what it can't Key takeaways: ​A dog's sense of smell is far stronger than ours, so a scent we find faint can be overwhelming to them.​Smooth floors like laminate give dogs very little grip, which can strain their joints.​Flat-faced dogs like bulldogs can struggle to breathe, and extra weight makes it harder.​Skin folds need regular cleaning to stay healthy.​Loving a dog and seeing what life is like for them are two different things.

    Off Lead | Hello, Maggie.

  5. Oct 5

    Dog Whelping UK | Inside the unregulated world of dog whelping and canine fertility clinics | Part 1

    Nothing in this episode is advice. If your dog is pregnant, speak to your vet. Stan Airey says he has been helping dogs give birth for over 50 years. He is not a vet and has no formal qualification, and even if he wanted one, it doesn't exist because professional whelping is not a recognised profession in the UK. And yet there are over 400 known canine fertility clinics in the UK, some of which also offer whelping services. Most of these clinics are not registered as veterinary practices. Anyone can do this job. Some clinics and independent contractors even offer caesareans and artificial insemination, both of which are classed as acts of veterinary surgery and are illegal for any layman to perform. Yet they do. Part 1 of my conversation with Stan, who runs the whelping and fertility service, Call the Midwoof, is out now. This episode is important because this is a new industry that needs regulation. Anyone can decide from one day to the next to start a business like this with no veterinary oversight, no qualifications, no standards to uphold and no one to answer to. And Stan agrees. In this episode, Stan shares some of the puppy births he has attended, he tells stories about the people who hire him, and he describes in detail the side of breeding he calls "horrendous". Want to add to the conversation? Leave a voice note here and your comments could be included in a future episode: https://lnkd.in/eUt53tEn

    Dog Whelping UK | Inside the unregulated world of dog whelping and canine fertility clinics | Part 1

  6. Aug 29

    Dogs at work | What content creators can learn from Hollywood dog trainers | Julie Strang | Cue the Dogs

    Julie Strang is a Hollywood animal trainer and founder of Cue the Dogs. She has trained animals for film and television since 2000, including Dog, John Wick 3 and 4, Fallout, and Lioness, as well as more than 200 national ad campaigns. She now teaches guardians how to train their dogs for the camera and get paid for brand work. In this episode, we talk about how dogs get cast, who owns them, where they come from, what a day on set is like for them, how much rest they get, how they are trained, and what happens when a dog doesn't want to work. We also talk about what changes now that the same work is happening on phones at home. If you have ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes with dog actors in films and adverts, or whether it's fair on the dogs, this episode is for you. -- Julie Strang is based in Charleston, South Carolina, and lives with Lana Five, a Belgian Malinois she met on the set of Dog in 2020. Find Julie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuethedogs/ New episodes of Just a Dog Podcast every second Monday. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justadogpodcast/ Substack: https://goofles.substack.com/subscribe If you would like to sponsor the podcast, please get in touch at hello@goofles.com

  7. Aug 13

    Animal rescue burnout | The signs of compassion fatigue rescue workers miss | Jessica Dolce

    Most people arrive in animal welfare believing that if they work hard enough they can save everybody. Jessica Dolce spent 20 years working with dogs, from dog walking in Philadelphia to animal sheltering in Maine, before her own burnout sent her looking for the language to describe what was happening to her. She now teaches that language for a living, as a Certified Compassion Fatigue and Grief Educator, an instructor in the Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, and the person behind The Compassion in Balance Program. Her training sits on a Master of Science in Adult and Higher Education alongside certificates in pet loss support, QPR suicide gatekeeper training and mental health first aid, and the organisations she works with range from private rescues to the ASPCA, Animals Asia, Humane World, the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and hundreds of animal shelters worldwide. Our conversation covers why the choice between looking after yourself and looking after the animals is a false one, what compassion fatigue actually is and why almost everyone uses the term slightly wrong, how moral injury builds quietly in shelter work, and what people who spend their days examining evidence of cruelty do to stay well enough to keep going. At home in the U.S. there are two dogs, Billy and Turtle, two cats, Hazel and Bear, and four naughty ducks. Links https://jessicadolce.comThe Compassion in Balance Program Building Compassionate Badassery Boundaries, self-studyCompassion Fatigue Strategies, starts 26 October 2026 Also mentioned: Jessica's Dogs in Need of Space project, Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash, and Dr Jamie McNally's paper on moral injury in animal shelter workers.

  8. Jul 30

    Myths and best practice | What a rescue dog from abroad needs | Toby Craze | Craze Dog Training

    Toby Craze works with street dogs and with rescue dogs brought here from abroad. He traces what the trip from Romania or Thailand does to a dog, long before anyone talks about settling in. The conversation covers who checks a dog before they go on transport, what the first week looks like from the dog's side, and why the urge to walk them and show them the house can backfire. Toby runs Craze Dog Training in Cornwall and spent years as an adoptions coordinator at a rescue bringing dogs over from Romania. Connect with Toby Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Just a Dog Podcast is a dog welfare podcast for dog guardians, dog professionals and anyone who wants to understand dogs better. Host Nadine Burzler talks to scientists, vets, behaviourists, breeders, trainers and rescuers about the beliefs we inherit about dogs, from breeding and training to rescue and everyday life, and asks what science knows and what anecdotal experience tells us about how dogs think and feel. Each episode looks at the gap between what we know about dogs and what we actually do, and what it would take to close that gap. New episodes every other Monday.

Information

  • Creator
    Nadine Burzler
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Nadine Burzler
  • Show Website
    Just a Dog Podcast

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