Baroo

In this episode, I sit down with Kim Brophey to talk about why understanding dogs as the animals they are can transform our relationship with them. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from our conversation. The biggest shift we can make as dog guardians is to stop treating our dogs like problems to solve and start treating them like individuals to understand. Award-winning dog behavior consultant Kim Brophey frames it simply: replace “How do I fix my dog?” with “Who is thi

Training isn't just about fixing behaviors—it's about building trust and improving the bond you have with your pup first.. The behaviors tend to follow. Trust-based training doesn't mean letting your dog do whatever they want. It simply means creating an environment where they feel safe, understood, and able to learn. When we try to control every moment of a puppy's life—with constant crating, exercise pens, or a steady stream of "no's"—we take away opportunities for them to

Living with dogs can look simple from the outside, but this conversation shows how deep “dog ownership” really goes when it becomes a lifelong relationship. Jen grew up with a rare front row view of working dog training because her father was a police officer and his partner was Shep, a German Shepherd police K9. Watching obedience, bite work, and real handler trust up close created an early blueprint: a dog is not a prop or a pastime, but a daily responsibility and a bond bu

In my conversation with Dr. Mark Bekoff, a leading voice in animal behavior and animal emotions science, I explore why dogs and humans form enduring relationships that look a lot like friendship. Bekoff describes emotions as “social glue” that helps individuals stay connected, whether it’s dogs at home, free-ranging dogs, or wild canids. That bond is also multisensory, shaped by sight, sound, scent, and subtle patterns we often miss, which is why learning dog body language ma

Season three of The Baroo is finally here, and this time I'm dedicating it to the human-dog bond — in honor of Chance, my scruffy almost-18-year-old rescue who basically ran my life (in the best way) for almost two decades. This is our story. And looking back, what stands out to me isn't the cuddles or the loyalty — though, obviously, those too. It's resilience. Just showing up, day after day, soft-hearted, even when everything hurts. Before Chance I'm 33, waiting tables, run

I've spent most of my adult life caring for other people's dogs. I know the particular love that lives in that work — and I know the particular grief that follows it. His name was Chance. He was seventeen and a half years old, and for most of those years, he was the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I checked on at night. This is the story of losing my own, and everything I learned along the way. I keep rehashing the last 72 hours of my sweet boy's life. It'

The death of a beloved pet brings with it a complicated set of emotions: sadness and grief, of course, but also, in the case of euthanasia, guilt and anxiety that you’ve done the right thing, and regret if you feel you haven’t acted quickly enough to spare your pet some suffering. Add to that the anger at those who, even if they mean well, minimize or marginalize your grief because your pet is “just” an animal, and the plain old anticipatory grief that comes with watching you

As humans In relationship with dogs we often think about our own needs rather than those of our canine companions. We want them to sit, we want them to be calm, we want them to not bark. We want them to snuggle when we want to snuggle, and to give us space when we need It. But dogs rely on us humans for everything from food, water, and shelter to where and when they can use the bathroom. One of the most important things we can do as pet parents is to learn to put our wants a

Do you have a new puppy? Have you heard that socialization is super-important? Do you keep reading articles that say you only have a short socialization window to work with? Sounds like you’d better act fast! But your veterinarian says you have to be super-careful where you take your puppy until they are fully vaccinated. Huh??!? What are you supposed to do?? The truth about socialization Puppy socialization is very important. Puppies are most open to new experiences when the

I’m heading to SuperZoo for the very first time this year—and to say I’m excited would be an understatement. As someone who's been...

My best boy Chance recently turned 17, and he seemed to enjoy every minute of the raging birthday party we threw for him and all his...

On January 7, 2025, the Palisades Fire tore through the community of dogs and humans that have been an integral part of my life ..

Pet food is a $60 billion industry in the United States, $120 billion globally -- and the market is saturated with many processed dry and...

In addition to supporting a healthy digestion, pumpkin is low in calories, high in fiber and full of essential nutrients like vitamin A,C,B

Have you read the statistics about how often children get bitten? It’s pretty scary! Worse yet, most children are bitten by owned dogs...

Dr. Christina Montalbano from the University of Florida’s veterinary teaching hospital guides us through the world of hyperbaric oxygen...

There's a certain magic that happens when someone takes a leap of faith from a secure path into the unpredictable yet thrilling world of...

I love your dog. I love all dogs: big dogs, little dogs, goofy dogs, barky dogs, snuggly dogs, working dogs, good dogs, "bad" dogs, and...

In this episode, Dr. Sarina Barbara and Dr. Lindsey Wendt join me to chat about ozone therapy. We dive behind it's science and success...

Training your new pup can feel overwhelming, especially if you're on a tight budget. But, proper training helps keep both dogs and humans...

When Anne, a survivor of parental abuse who sufferers from severe depression, unwittingly rescues a dog with serious aggression issues,...