UNLEASHED (at work & home) with Colleen Pelar

Debbie Sheridan has spent her career helping people understand fearful dogs—and unlearning the idea that "obedience" is the goal. As the owner of Debbie's for Dogs, a certified end-of-life doula for companion animals, and a dog bite prevention educator, Debbie brings warmth, directness, and a deep respect for what dogs are actually communicating. In this conversation, she talks about the message on her favorite sweatshirt ("celebrate the growl"), why she asks clients to replace "sit" with "wait," and how kindness isn't just a philosophy, but a practice she traces back to sixth grade.

https://colleenpelar.com/168-debbie-sheridan-uw-aab

Liz Clarke spent decades zigzagging through careers — nursing, witness care, celebrity coaching, travel — before a week in Bulgaria stretched into three months and a street dog named Kathleen changed the direction of her life. Now the founder of Kathleen's Paws, Liz supports animal rescuers and expats in Bulgaria through advocacy, education, and the kind of behind-the-scenes work that frontline rescuers rarely have time to do themselves. In this conversation, she talks about following the signals her body knew before her brain caught up, learning to hold regret loosely, and why she believes animal welfare workers deserve to be recognized — and supported — the way other frontline services are.

https://colleenpelar.com/167-liz-clarke

Jenny Roberts has spent years doing the invisible work that holds a veterinary practice together. As a customer service representative (CSR) at Partners Animal Hospital of Asheville, she's the person who answers the call when someone's pet might be in crisis, who notices the doctor hasn't called back, who makes sure the schedule doesn't quietly implode. In this conversation, Jenny talks about what the CSR role actually involves, why she fell into it by accident and fell in love with it by surprise, and what she's learned about meeting people — and herself — where they are. She also shares the phrase that guides her work with clients: everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.

https://colleenpelar.com/166-jenny-roberts

Valerie Bogie spent sixteen years training animals in zoos and aquariums before a convergence of burnout, a cross-country move, and a chance connection led her to veterinary social work. Now she splits her week between animal behavior consulting at a board-certified behaviorist practice and her own business supporting veterinary and pet professionals navigating caregiver burden. In this conversation, Valerie and Colleen explore what happens when the same attunement that makes someone an exceptional animal trainer gets applied to the humans in the room — and why pet professionals may already know more about human behavior than they think.

https://colleenpelar.com/165-valerie-bogie-mssw-vsw-ffcp

Holden Svirsky came to animal behavior sideways — through a layoff, a shelter volunteer shift, and the slow realization that what she'd studied about human learning applied just as well to dogs. Now a behavior consultant and longtime shelter professional, she chairs the Pet Professional Guild's Shelter and Rescue Committee and thinks carefully about what sustains people in this work over the long haul. In this conversation, she talks about connection as a genuine antidote to feeling out of control, why "the vibes were off" is a perfectly valid observation, and what a fortune cookie about sailing taught her about troubleshooting — and about not mistaking a rough patch for a failure.

https://colleenpelar.com/164-k-holden-svirsky-ctc-csat

Melissa McCue-McGrath has spent over 20 years as a dog trainer, and she's writing a book called The Misadventures of the World's Okayest Dog Trainer — which tells you something about how she holds this work.

In this conversation, she talks about carrying old cases in your heart, the particular loneliness of a field where there's often no one to debrief with, and why "forgive yourself" might be the most important advice she has for any pet professional.

If you've ever second-guessed a past decision or felt like you were the only one struggling, this one is for you.

https://colleenpelar.com/163

When things are going badly, it sometimes helps to remind ourselves that “this, too, shall pass.” The flip side of that, of course, is that the good times pass as well. That can seem depressing at first, but what if instead it was simply a reminder to really soak up those good times while they’re there?

That’s the philosophy of dog trainer Morgan Jenkins, who finds encouragement from remembering that everything—good or bad—passes. She came on the show today to talk, not just about the temporary nature of things, but also the importance of recognizing what we don’t know, the nature of grace, and learning to love people.

https://colleenpelar.com/162

“Be kind” is the kind of advice we hear so often that it seems almost trite. But what does it really mean to be kind and why does kindness suddenly seem so much more important than ever? How does kindness look- to others, to animals, to ourselves?

Dog trainer Kim Brophey believes in the power of kindness and giving people grace. Not only does she believe in it, she’s developed a whole system designed to help people look at themselves and their pets holistically, to figure out where the problem is and where kindness is needed. Taking into account everything from genetics to environment to learnings, the LEGS framework can help us relate better to each other and our pets in difficult moments. Come join us for a conversation about kindness, “evolutionary mismatch,” and the healing power of nature.

https://colleenpelar.com/161

Lili Chin didn’t set out to be an animal artist—she set out to be an animator. But a crisis with her own dog drew her into the world of dog training and animal behavior. From there, one thing led to another and suddenly she found that she was the “go to” person for illustrations of animal body language.

Now, her adorable drawings can be found in books, posters, and brochures, helping people understand what their pets are telling them. 

One thing she always strives for in her illustrations is simplicity- creating images that are clear, accessible, and easy to understand. Tune in today to hear about Lili’s journey from animator to animal artist, and what she’s learned along the way about animals, herself, and the importance of keeping things simple.

https://colleenpelar.com/160

“Have fun!” These are words we say fairly often, especially to kids. But do we ever say it to ourselves? Do we ever give ourselves permission to “have fun?” And as we get older and assume more responsibilities, what does it even mean to “have fun?” Do we even remember how? Not to mention, who will take care of all the Stuff That Needs Doing if we leave to “have fun?”

My guest today is well aware of all the problems that need to be solved and things that need to be dealt with. And for her, that makes it all the more important to give ourselves time to have fun and enjoy life. Animal behaviorist Dr. Karen London joined me today to chat about the importance of having fun, combatting compassion fatigue, and the strange ways of social insects. Don’t miss it!

Full show notes at https://colleenpelar.com/159