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The Happy Dog Happy Human Podcast
A brave exploration of the intersection between human mental health and our relationships with dogs.
The Happy Dog Happy Human Podcast (HDHH) is brought to you through collaboration between Angela Tuckerman, founder of Cloud Doodles, and Sharon Vincuilla, founder of Human Canine Collaborative.
Listen for free on your favorite streaming app, or join our subscription for exclusive content, including: AfterThoughts, mini conversations in which we go deeper on our favorite topics, reflect on ourselves, and practice accountability; and our unique Care Tip Library, a collection of accessible tutorials for quick care at your fingertips. We hope you love it!
Episode 20: On Neurodiversity with Dogs| January 30, 2024
In this episode, we explore neurodiversity in dogs and share our experiences of living with dogs whose behavior, sensory sensitivities, and training needs diverge from the "norm" of expected dog behavior. We also dig deeper into the term "neurodivergent" and examine the pro's and con's of using this term with dogs. Angela helps us find curiosity by accepting our dogs for who they are and Sharon shares the "Consensual Petting" Care Tip to help us give more autonomy to dogs when they interact with us.
Episode 19: On Neurodiversity with Humans | January 16, 2024
In this episode, we explore neurodiversity, ableism, and the deficit-based medical model of mental health care by sharing our personal experiences with being labeled, discovering our neurodivergence, and reclaiming a strengths-based approach to caring for ourselves. Sharon helps us appreciate the challenges and opportunities with being a neurodivergent dog guardian, and Angela teaches us the Humming Bee’s Breath to help us connect with our bodies and the greater human collective.
Episode 18: On Success with Dogs | December 26, 2023
In this episode, we explore our perceptions of what it means to be a “successful” dog guardian and how this impacts our mental health and our perceptions of our dogs’ behavior. We also answer the questions: Do dogs set goals? Do they feel proud when they accomplish something? And, How do they feel about failure? Angela opens up about her journey as Duchess’s guardian, and Sharon shares the Sniff Box tip, a low cost resource to enrich your dog’s days and support them in managing frustration.
Episode 17: On Success with Humans | December 12, 2023
In this episode, we explore “success” by sharing personal stories that highlight the contrast between our individual motivations and society’s expectations with professionalism and entrepreneurship. Angela illuminates the dark side of striving for fame and fortune, while Sharon demonstrates a shifted perspective on success by zooming in on Tom’s special moments with Muggins. We wrap it up with the Loving Kindness Meditation Care Tip and a reframe on failure as a sign of success.
Episode 16: On Toxic Positivity with Dogs | November 28, 2023
In this episode, we explore how toxic positivity shows up in our relationships with dogs and contributes to actions like praising dogs for being “tolerant” of rough play and touch by children, and saying, “are you going to get another one?” after a friend’s dog dies. We also challenge the idea that “a tired dog is a good dog”, honor the nuance involved in rehoming a dog, and identify ways to support each other better through dog death and difficult dog behavior.
Episode 15: On Toxic Positivity with Humans | November 14, 2023
In this episode, we explore “toxic positivity” and share personal examples of how we experience or engage in toxic positivity in relationships with our children, partners, and our dogs. Sharon outlines how the skills of being aware of your capacity and asking for help can support you in avoiding toxic positivity, and Angela leads us through the “Sitting with Discomfort” Care Tip.
Episode 14: On Urgency with Dogs | October 10, 2023
In this episode, we explore how urgency shows up in our relationships with dogs. Angela helps us recognize how dogs seem to feel urgency when they are pulling toward something on the leash, and highlights how dogs also show us that resting is important. Sharon shares a story about how urgency comes up when providing hygiene care for Muggins, and then we learn from Muggins that pausing for a belly rub, a sniff, or to process our experiences can support our overall well being in really important ways.
Episode 13: On Urgency with Humans | September 26, 2023
In this episode, we explore how urgency culture contributes to milestone expectations around school, marriage, and having children, and Sharon tells a story about how urgency shows up in her practices of work and entrepreneurship. Angela facilitates the “Do Nothing” care tip, and we illuminate how turtles, dogs, and children provide opportunities for slowing down and prioritizing rest, play, and just being together.
Episode 12: On Perfectionism with Dogs | September 12, 2023
In this episode we explore how binary thinking and perfectionism contribute to perceptions of the “ideal dog” and our tendencies to judge ourselves and others when our dogs are not behaving in the “ideal” way. We also celebrate that dogs are “anti-perfectionist” and discover what we can learn from them about self-acceptance and authenticity.
Episode 11: On Perfectionism with Humans | August 29, 2023
In this episode, we discuss body image and the experience of eating disorders due to internalized perfectionism. We share how this phenomenon has impacted our mental health, and our relationships with our bodies and our work. Angela facilitates a guided meditation for connecting with our healthiest selves, and we practice being authentic with each other and our dogs.
SEASON 1
Episode 1: On Human Anxiety | November 15, 2022
In this episode, we explore the human experience of anxiety. We talk about what anxiety is, how our environments and societal structures contribute to anxiety, and how our dogs' behaviors can trigger anxiety responses in us.
Episode 2: On Dog Anxiety | November 29, 2022
In this episode we explore the dog experience of anxiety. We talk about what this looks like in our own dogs, Duchess and Muggins, how their anxiety impacts us, the environmental factors that contribute to dog anxiety, and strategies that we have found helpful.
Episode 3: On Human Trauma | December 13, 2022
In this episode we talk about the human experience of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), how dogs can trigger trauma responses and how they can provide support as therapeutic partners, and our own personal experiences.
Episode 4: On Dog Trauma | December 20, 2022
In this episode we talk about the experiences of trauma and post-traumatic stress in dogs, what causes post-traumatic stress, how this relates to reactivity and sensory sensitivity, how our dogs’ trauma-related reactions and behaviors impact us, and some strategies to support us both.
Episode 5: On Human Grief | January 24, 2023
In this episode we talk about the human experience of grief, what types of losses trigger grief, how to make sense of the complex emotional experience of grief, and how we grieve for our dogs both before and after they are gone.
Footnotes:
Article: It’s Time to Let the Five Stages of Grief Die (by Ada McVean)
Quality of Life Assessment by Dr. Roger Blankfein (an assessment to support you in deciding if it is time for humane euthanasia)
Grief Support Groups: Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement
Episode 6: On Dog Grief | February 7, 2023
In this episode we talk about the dog experience of grief, what this looks like in dogs, how we can help our dogs through grief, and we share stories about dogs we know who have grieved the death of their human or animal sibling, and stories from around the world of dogs who have demonstrated loyalty even after death.
Footnotes:
The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff
Capitan, German Shepherd Dog in Argentina visits owner’s grave for 12 years after death (2006 - 2018)
Japanese Akita Hachiko visits train station to wait for owner every day for 9 years following death of owner, Ueno (1923 - 1935)
Shep, sheepdog in Montana, waited at train station for 5.5 years after seeing his human’s casket loaded onto the train (1936 - 1942)
Greyfriars Bobby, terrier who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his human in Edinburgh, Scotland (1855 - 1872)
Fido, an Italian dog, waited at bus stop after human’s death for 14 years (1941 - 1958)
West Paw Toy (for holding bully sticks)
Film: Black Fish
Episode 7: On Human Depression | February 21, 2023
CW: In this episode, we discuss suicidal ideation and how to ask someone if they are thinking of killing themselves. We also talk about the emotional and physical experiences of depression, how depression is a component of everyone’s mood fluctuations and it is a normal response to stressful situations, and how living with a dog provides a variety of supportive opportunities for humans experiencing depression.
Episode 8: On Dog Depression | March 7, 2023
In this episode, we explore self-awareness and pessimism and the idea of whether dogs are aware of themselves and capable of having an overall outlook on life. We also discuss similarities between depression and other medical conditions and the importance of ruling out pain or underlying medical diagnoses. And we explore strategies that can help dogs who may be depressed, such as engaging in sniffing, having choices, and the importance of considering medication.
Footnotes:
NY Times Opinion piece by Gregory Berns, “Dogs are people too”
Alice Walker “Am I Blue?” (and other writings)
Sniff Game pdf (free when you sign up for Sharon’s newsletter)
Alexandra Horowitiz: Smelling Themselves: Dogs investigate their odors longer when modified in an “olfactory mirror” test
Episode 9: On Human Psychosis| March 21, 2023
In this episode we talk about the human experience of psychosis, which refers to disorders of thought as well as hallucinations and delusional beliefs. Angela busts some myths about psychosis and helps us understand why we need to move past the DSM when supporting humans labeled with mental illness. And both Angela and Sharon share about their experience working with individuals who experience psychosis, their perspectives on the brilliance of individuals labeled with schizophrenia, and ways that dogs can support connection and engagement in meaningful activity for folks experiencing psychosis.
Footnotes:
Episode 10: On Dog Psychosis| April 4, 2023
In this final episode of Season 1, we review what psychosis is and Angela helps us differentiate between this and schizophrenia. Then we explore the experience of psychosis in dogs, illuminating the phenomena of “fly catching syndrome” and “star gazing”, touch on the health-related side-effects of selective breeding, and Sharon shares about a behavior case that highlights the importance of ruling out underlying medical causes when assessing dog behavior.
Disclaimer: Even though we are licensed professionals in our own fields of work (Angela - LCSW, Sharon - OTD and CDBC), this podcast is not intended to replace individual therapy for humans or behavior support for dogs. We approach our conversations from an exploratory, observational, and strictly personal lens.
RESOURCES
If you are experiencing a crisis, have recently endured a significantly stressful or traumatic event, or otherwise need support for your mental health, here are some resources:
In the US:
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
Crisis text line: text HELLO to 741741
People of Color Crisis Text line: text STEVE to 741741
Muslim crisis text line: text SALAM to 741741
The Trevor Lifeline (for LGBTQIA2S) (866) 488-7386
Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
In Italy:
call 800 86 00 22 to connect with Samaritans OdV (www.samaritansonlus.org)
If you are struggling with your dog’s behavior, or your dog has recently experienced a significantly stressful or traumatic event, here are some resources:
If you and your dog are facing circumstances of homelessness, visit the links below for lists of resources for food, supplies, veterinary care, shelters, low-cost boarding, etc: