Kathy Callahan - Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog
Joining me for this episode is author, writer, and certified professional dog trainer Kathy Callahan. We have a chat about her latest book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog. We discuss what it takes to build a rewarding friendship between a puppy and their new human companion. We also discuss the differences in writing for a magazine and publishing a book. Have a listen and learn more about her latest, fun to read book. Enjoy!
Listen to Episode #209 Now:
BIO:
Certified Professional Dog Trainer –
Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA)
In what is an unregulated industry, these odd-looking letters are important. I had to study — a lot — for this, in addition to documenting hours of experience and asking for recommendations. If your trainer doesn't have this qualification, ask why.
Peaceable Paws Intern Academy
Positive training pioneer Pat Miller runs this intense, top-notch academy combining her lectures with hands-on work with shelter dogs. I've never learned so much so quickly.
Licensed Family Dog Mediator (LFDM-T)
Kim Brophy's phenomenal L.E.G.S. (Learning, Environment, Genetics, Self) concept has taken the dog industry by storm. I'm obsessed with Kim's courses, and her conferences bring together the smartest, most forward-thinking dog experts. I'm delighted to be licensed in the training division of this very hopeful ethology-based movement.
Therapy Dog Work, Delta & R.E.A.D. Qualifications
I've worked with several of our dogs to the point that we qualified as a therapy team. (Piper and I visited nursing homes, Eli and I brought R.E.A.D to an elementary school for four years, and Mojo and I visited a sweet 2nd grade classroom every week.)
Puppy Culture
Long ago I took a deep dive into Jane Lindquists's amazing courses: Puppy Culture & From Newborn To Home. Lindquist deciphers the research for the rest of us, and has developed an entire best practice protocol based on what studies show works best. Fascinating stuff.
Life With Dogs!
And finally . . . a lifetime of personal experience. Our girls grew up surrounded by big dogs. That's our firstborn below, and that shot sums up the decades that have followed. Different dogs, taller girls, but always dogs and people, connected. I've learned a thing or two over the years about how parents and kids (and cats and friends and in-laws) can live happily, peacefully, joyfully with dogs. I've worked with hundreds of adopters and their puppies, and hundreds more clients and their dogs. I feel so lucky to get to do something so interesting, so rewarding, every day.
Transcript:
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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
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Announcer: Let's talk pets.
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Tim Link: Welcome to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
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Tim Link: This is your host, Tim Link, and I'm so glad you're joining us today.
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Tim Link: We have a super duper exciting show.
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Tim Link: If you've ever had a puppy in your life, or you're thinking about getting a puppy in your life, this is the show you definitely wanna listen to.
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Tim Link: We have Kathy Callahan come on and talk to us about her latest book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend.
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Tim Link: So we love our dogs, we love our puppies, but they can be a handful.
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Tim Link: So we're definitely gonna learn more about what Kathy has to say because she's the pro behind it all.
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Tim Link: So everybody hang tight.
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Tim Link: Welcome back to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
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Tim Link: Welcoming to our show, she is an experienced professional dog trainer, she is one of the best out there, and she knows her stuff.
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Tim Link: She also writes for Whole Dog Journal.
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Tim Link: She has a podcast called Pick the Litter, and she is our dog and puppy expert, a certified professional dog trainer.
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Tim Link: Of course, we're talking about Kathy Callahan, an author of the book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog.
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Tim Link: Kathy, welcome to the show.
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Kathy Callahan: I am delighted to be here.
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Kathy Callahan: Thanks for having me on.
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Kathy Callahan: Love to talk about puppies.
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Tim Link: Yeah, let's talk about it.
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Tim Link: We'll get right into it.
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Tim Link: So tell us a little bit about the book and then maybe how it came to be.
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Kathy Callahan: Sure, sure.
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Kathy Callahan: So I have been guiding new puppy owners for a decade.
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Kathy Callahan: I have fostered, our family has fostered 235 puppies in our house, and so it's very fun, very rewarding.
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Kathy Callahan: And I started doing this by guiding those new adopters through those first weeks of transition.
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Kathy Callahan: Figured out I really loved doing that, ended up becoming a dog trainer, and I do focus now on, you know, helping clients through puppyhood, through the first year of puppyhood.
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Kathy Callahan: And here's what all of that has told me.
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Kathy Callahan: So a decade of working with people who have just gotten puppy has told me that a lot of them are miserable.
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Kathy Callahan: And so the reason the book came about is I really want to bring the joy back to puppyhood where it belongs.
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Kathy Callahan: So what happens is people will turn to me and reach out, typically, it's maybe two weeks, three weeks after they get a puppy, and they say, this is not what I expected.
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Kathy Callahan: You know, maybe this was a mistake.
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Kathy Callahan: They've just had it with the peeing and the destruction and the biting and the jumping, and their whole family is all stressed out, and they're like, this is not what it was supposed to be.
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Kathy Callahan: So, you know, we will schedule a consult and I'll head over there and they'll get out their little notebook, ready to record all of the tips and tricks that are gonna make puppyhood just like it was supposed to.
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Kathy Callahan: And I say, I do have those things.
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Kathy Callahan: I've got all those techniques, but guess what?
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Kathy Callahan: None of them are gonna work for you.
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Kathy Callahan: And that's because first, you have to get into the right mindset.
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Kathy Callahan: So I tell them there's just one thing on which you write down in that notebook, and it's this.
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Kathy Callahan: This is a baby that you kidnapped from another planet.
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Kathy Callahan: So that's where the title of the book comes from.
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Kathy Callahan: And that's a sad thought, right?
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Kathy Callahan: You don't wanna hear that.
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Kathy Callahan: But there's a method to the madness here, and I want people to sit in that sad thought just for a second, because the empathy that comes out of that understanding is what is going to be the secret trick to getting you through puppyhood.
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Kathy Callahan: Because if you can imagine what this dog is feeling, having been plunked down in a foreign land all of a sudden, being told no whenever he does anything that's absolutely natural for him on his home planet, having nobody to turn to that understands that, suddenly you're going to start responding to that puppy in a way that is really effective for you and for the puppy and makes the puppy, puppyhood a lot happier for everybody involved.
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Tim Link: Well, big kudos, first of all, for 200 plus fosters, you know, being definitely working with and being a former president of a humane society myself, you know, finding the right and perfect home is the ultimate goal, but you've got to have fantastic fosters or a patient and willing to take them in and help them out until we find that right and perfect forever home.
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Tim Link: So I think that's a key.
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Tim Link: You know, you're spot on also in the fact that, you know, it's when you have an adult dog, that's one thing, you know, you still have, they have to learn the, the lay of the land and the rules of the house, these types of things, and it always astonishes me that people expect them to know exactly what to do as soon as they walk into the house, and that doesn't happen.
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Tim Link: But then you throw the puppy in there, and that is a whole new ball game, because they don't know how to do anything.
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Kathy Callahan: Right, exactly, exactly.
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Kathy Callahan: And so that is really true, that this message carries on through adults as well, is that we have this strange expectation that dogs are going to fit in to our life no problem, and that they're going to know exactly what to do, and then we get mad at them, and we tell them no all the time, when in fact, they are just being dogs.
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Kathy Callahan: And I do think the background as a foster, I think, is what has given me such a strong sense of all this, because I take in pregnant moms and litters, and so I really watch what it's like for their first eight weeks, and I see that they are 24-7, they are doing everything that's very natural for a dog.
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Kathy Callahan: They are jumping and wrestling and biting and digging and chewing.
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Kathy Callahan: And then one day, somebody swoops in, picks one up from the pile and takes them home and puts them in a pretty new bed and starts telling them no whenever they are doing all those things that they've been doing for eight weeks.
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Kathy Callahan: And so I think just seeing so much of that development is what has given me the instruction I need for how to transition those puppies happily into our human world.
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Kathy Callahan: You've got to give them a little bit of Planet Dog while you're teaching them about Planet Human, and that's gonna make it work out much better.
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Tim Link: Yeah, I remember the two things that comes to mind with our latest puppy.
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Tim Link: She's not a puppy anymore, she's 12.
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Kathy Callahan: Yep.
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Tim Link: Yeah, so we've had dogs and cats and turtles and birds, and so the whole, my wife is the Ellie Mae Clampett of the world, so she's never seen a critter she didn't like.
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Kathy Callahan: Awesome.
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Tim Link: But we went 20 years without having a puppy.
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Tim Link: Yeah.
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Tim Link: And that was a whole new ball game, and I sort of forgot what that was all about, and I remember bringing her home, and as soon as she came in the door, first thing she did, like you'd mentioned, looked around.
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Tim Link: It was like, where are they?
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Tim Link: She was expecting the rest of her litter mates and her mama and whoever else, so they weren't here, so we had to go with some explanation on what that was all about.
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Tim Link: And then after 20 years, I sort of forgotten how, A, their attention span, they're always on the move for 15 minutes, then they nap for five, and then they're back up for 15.
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Tim Link: That was the first thing.
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Tim Link: And then the second is realization I needed some really thick cushions on my backside, because you spend a lot of time on the floor, on your hands and knees and butt and training.
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Kathy Callahan: Yeah, all these things.
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Kathy Callahan: Honestly, I feel like it's great for me.
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Kathy Callahan: I'm constantly having to get up off the floor, and that's what they tell you.
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Kathy Callahan: You're supposed to make sure that you are in good enough shape that you can get up off the floor all the time as you get older.
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Kathy Callahan: So the puppies keep me down there.
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Kathy Callahan: But yeah, that's absolutely true.
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Kathy Callahan: And you're also, you know, a lot of people, what is frustrating is that they just feel pretty homebound with a puppy, and they feel kind of trapped even in a room because the puppy cries when you want to leave the room.
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Kathy Callahan: And so, you know, part of the advice that you can give puppy people is that this too shall pass, you know?
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Kathy Callahan: And one of the things you really wanna do is the happiest puppy people are the ones who understand this is a precious time, and it's fleeting.
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Kathy Callahan: And so, the way to enjoy it is to dive in and understand you're gonna back burner a bunch of things for now.
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Kathy Callahan: You are going to have less time available for exercise and socializing and going out and all that kind of stuff.
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Kathy Callahan: It's gonna be a hunker down at home time, and your adventures are gonna be puppy focused when you do leave the house.
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Kathy Callahan: The people who are happiest and who emerge from puppyhood with a terrific relationship with their dog are the ones who just went ahead and backburnered a lot of things.
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Kathy Callahan: And then here's what happens.
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Kathy Callahan: And I think this happened to a lot of people in COVID too.
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Kathy Callahan: You rearrange the burners a little bit and you end up realizing you like it that way.
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Kathy Callahan: And that, you know, it's kind of that the things that you have begun to prioritize end up bringing you more joy anyway.
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Kathy Callahan: It slows you down, you're outside more, it's more small family time as opposed to, you know, being out and about with folks who maybe don't have as much meaning for you.
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Kathy Callahan: And sometimes you end up a whole lot happier thanks to the puppy rearranging what you put on your front burner.
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Kathy Callahan: So that's kind of my fondest hope for everyone is that they will go ahead and dive in, prioritize that puppy and find out that the changes they made to prioritize the puppy ended up making their life a whole lot better in ways they didn't anticipate.
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Tim Link: And you know, I always say, you know, tongue in cheek or total factual case here is the fact that, you know, surround yourself with people who love dogs.
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Tim Link: You know, you're going to be much happier.
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Tim Link: And those friends and family that understand and maybe have raised puppies themselves to dogs or just had dogs in their life, they understand that.
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Tim Link: They understand that those puppy years or months are critical and to be patient in those situations.
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Tim Link: And your comment about babies, you know, I've always said that if you're thinking about having a baby, then get yourself a puppy.
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Tim Link: And if you survive that, then maybe, just maybe you have a chance to survive having a baby, or at least until they become teenagers, then there's no hope whatsoever.
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Kathy Callahan: All bets are off.
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Kathy Callahan: Although, you know, teenage puppies are also challenging.
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Kathy Callahan: I really do, there's a lot that's quite the same.
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Kathy Callahan: There is a lot that's quite the same.
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Kathy Callahan: And you know, both babies and puppies need to feel safe.
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Kathy Callahan: They need to feel they can trust you.
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Kathy Callahan: They need consistency.
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Kathy Callahan: They need you to teach and not just be mad that you can't already do it.
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Kathy Callahan: There is a lot that's the same between puppies and babies.
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Tim Link: I'm gonna ask you the question then, obviously you said you foster pregnant dogs and they have their litter and then you're looking to place them into right and perfect forever homes.
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Tim Link: How do you go from the desire and the need of having to find a right and perfect forever home for that dog so that, you know, there is some rush, but you don't want to rush into it, compared to prepping them, the humans, ahead of time.
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Tim Link: Because, you know, I always feel that they need to know what they're getting into before they bring the puppy home and then all of a sudden they contact you, like you said, in a week or two, and say, I can't handle it, take the dog.
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Tim Link: And meanwhile, you foster five or six more.
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Kathy Callahan: So I'm lucky at this point.
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Kathy Callahan: I've been fostering for 10 years.
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Kathy Callahan: And so at this point, people kind of get excited when I have a litter, and they are interested.
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Kathy Callahan: And I can often have most of those puppies have people in line for them by the time we're at about five weeks.
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Kathy Callahan: So that means we've got about three weeks for me to be prepping those folks, for me to be really sharing information with them, helping them with setup, helping them to figure out how to set up their kitchen, and should they have a crate in two places?
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Kathy Callahan: And what are they gonna, you know, what about a fence?
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Kathy Callahan: And oh, you don't have a fence?
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Kathy Callahan: Can we do a temporary fence?
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Kathy Callahan: Let's talk about potty training.
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Kathy Callahan: What's your household schedule?
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Kathy Callahan: Who's home, when?
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Kathy Callahan: Can you possibly work more remote?
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Kathy Callahan: Blah, blah, blah.
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Kathy Callahan: We have weeks to talk about that, and that makes all the difference in the world because then by the time they get the puppy, they're not shocked.
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Kathy Callahan: And honestly, that's the thing that I think makes it so difficult for so many puppy owners is that they just did not expect it to be this difficult, and they didn't know what to think about ahead of time.
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Kathy Callahan: But the truth is, it's actually not that hard as long as you anticipate it.
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Kathy Callahan: If you have been able to wrap your mind around, okay, what's this little baby gonna need?
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Kathy Callahan: How are we gonna make it?
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Kathy Callahan: Of course he's gonna cry when we do this.
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Kathy Callahan: How can we, he doesn't wanna be alone.
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Kathy Callahan: How are we gonna make that easier?
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Kathy Callahan: Okay, let's prep that by having some stuffed topples in the freezer ready for him whenever we step away, and that will start to help him understand, hey, it's kind of cool to be alone because I always get this awesome treat.
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Kathy Callahan: That kind of simple technique, if you're prepared for it, is not hard.
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Kathy Callahan: It helps you to go back to living more of your normal life.
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Kathy Callahan: But if you did not anticipate any of that stuff, all you know is you try to leave the room to go upstairs to do the laundry, and the pup sobs, and so that you end up being really stressed out.
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Kathy Callahan: So really, it is with these foster families, I feel so lucky that I do these days often have a chance to prep them a lot.
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Kathy Callahan: I also just, I work with Homer Trails Animal Rescue, and they've been in business.
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Kathy Callahan: They're great.
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Kathy Callahan: I'm in Northern Virginia, and they've been doing this for 20 years or so.
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Kathy Callahan: And so the adoption coordinators we work with are very good at vetting the families ahead of time.
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Kathy Callahan: And we aren't trying to play God, and we're not trying to be all judgy about who's who.
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Kathy Callahan: We're just trying from both ends of the spectrum for the dog and the people, make sure everybody's gonna be as happy as can be.
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Kathy Callahan: And so that means sharing that information, asking those questions, feeling them out for are they ready for this?
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Kathy Callahan: And then at some point, you're just taking the plunge, you're just diving in.
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Kathy Callahan: And when I started doing this a decade ago, of course I cried.
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Kathy Callahan: And when we were sending them off to their families, and at some point my husband said, you know what, you gotta trust the puppy.
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Kathy Callahan: And that really helps me let go, because indeed trust this baby, this baby that we have nurtured and prepped and poured everything into and gotten him as ready as he can possibly be, we gotta trust that he's gonna do the rest.
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Kathy Callahan: He's gonna get into that household.
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Kathy Callahan: He's gonna be so darling, and that he is going to help those guys to feel the right way about him and respond with empathy.
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Tim Link: Love it.
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Tim Link: I love it.
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Tim Link: That's a very good way to look at it.
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Tim Link: So in your book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, how to go beyond training and raise your best friend.
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Tim Link: Well, first of all, I've always said, you know, I've heard this many, many times that puppies don't come with manuals.
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Tim Link: And that's absolutely true.
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Tim Link: But this book is the manual.
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Tim Link: Wouldn't you say?
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Tim Link: Is that how you designed it?
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Kathy Callahan: That's the goal.
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Kathy Callahan: That's the goal.
00:15:51.584 --> 00:15:52.904
Kathy Callahan: And I also designed it.
00:15:52.924 --> 00:15:53.744
Kathy Callahan: So here's the thing.
00:15:53.764 --> 00:15:56.864
Kathy Callahan: Of course, there are about a million puppy books on the market.
00:15:56.884 --> 00:15:59.684
Kathy Callahan: You might well ask, why in the world are you writing another one?
00:16:00.084 --> 00:16:09.784
Kathy Callahan: Well, the truth is, I could never find the one I wanted to give to people because the ones that were on the market felt like homework to my people.
00:16:09.844 --> 00:16:11.224
Kathy Callahan: They felt too hard.
00:16:11.544 --> 00:16:20.944
Kathy Callahan: They felt filled with must do kind of things and a 10-point training plan, and you're terrible if you do it this way and there's only this one way to approach it.
00:16:21.024 --> 00:16:32.024
Kathy Callahan: And it didn't free up the people to kind of feel their way and figure out what works for their own household and this own individual dog.
00:16:32.524 --> 00:16:40.384
Kathy Callahan: And so I wanted to write something that was a little looser than that, that was a little bit more, yes, it absolutely has a billion suggestions in there.
00:16:40.404 --> 00:16:42.684
Kathy Callahan: And if you want to follow all my ways, you totally can.
00:16:42.704 --> 00:16:51.104
Kathy Callahan: But I also have in there just a general encouragement to trust your gut and follow your instincts.
00:16:51.324 --> 00:17:00.064
Kathy Callahan: And as long as you are operating out of the idea that, look, this is a dog, this is not a baby human, this is a dog.
00:17:00.184 --> 00:17:04.764
Kathy Callahan: And of course, he doesn't know how to operate here on this planet.
00:17:04.824 --> 00:17:11.804
Kathy Callahan: So as long as you operate from there, start from there and think to yourself, hang on, has my puppy had a chance to be a dog today?
00:17:12.024 --> 00:17:15.244
Kathy Callahan: Think about ways to meet those doggy needs.
00:17:15.264 --> 00:17:16.904
Kathy Callahan: Has he got to sniff and chew and dig?
00:17:16.924 --> 00:17:18.484
Kathy Callahan: Because he's gonna have to do those things.
00:17:19.124 --> 00:17:30.844
Kathy Callahan: And you can't sit around getting mad at him about all that stuff if you haven't given him planned ahead, anticipated that he's gonna be a dog and he's gonna need to do some of those things, given him an opportunity to do that stuff.
00:17:30.864 --> 00:17:37.944
Kathy Callahan: But what I don't do in this book is tell you exactly how to do that stuff all the time and tell you that you're a failure if you don't do it this way.
00:17:38.204 --> 00:17:39.464
Kathy Callahan: There's a lot of that.
00:17:39.464 --> 00:17:41.584
Kathy Callahan: There's a lot of shaming, you know what I mean?
00:17:41.604 --> 00:17:50.604
Kathy Callahan: Like a lot of people feel part of what makes puppyhood difficult isn't just the relentless sort of 24-7-ness of potty training and all that.
00:17:51.064 --> 00:18:05.644
Kathy Callahan: It's also these external pressures that come from, you know, the internet, from TikTok trainers, from, you know, whatever, from, you know, the neighbor up the street who's saying, tsk, tsk, your dog seems to be very jumpy.
00:18:06.044 --> 00:18:08.704
Kathy Callahan: You know, there's a lot of judging happening.
00:18:08.784 --> 00:18:12.324
Kathy Callahan: And one of the things I'd really like to do is just kind of relax all that.
00:18:12.344 --> 00:18:28.124
Kathy Callahan: So the tone of the book, I hope, that's what comes across is to tune that stuff out and to a certain extent, give yourself the freedom to relax into this moment your own way without feeling that there's a big timetable for all these absolutes that you must teach.
00:18:28.144 --> 00:18:30.664
Kathy Callahan: And instead, I want this to be an easy to read book.
00:18:30.684 --> 00:18:33.344
Kathy Callahan: Hopefully it feels a little funny, it feels a little bit relaxing.
00:18:33.364 --> 00:18:34.644
Kathy Callahan: The chapters are short.
00:18:35.004 --> 00:18:44.784
Kathy Callahan: So for exhausted puppy parents, hopefully they can just read the tiny chapter that pertains to what was on their mind today and then go back to playing with your puppy.
00:18:44.984 --> 00:18:46.504
Tim Link: Yeah, and I thought that was great.
00:18:46.564 --> 00:18:59.044
Tim Link: Personally, I thought for my attention, let alone trying to train a puppy while I'm trying to learn, the short paragraphs and the short suggestions, these type of things, very important because A, I can read through it.
00:18:59.064 --> 00:19:05.324
Tim Link: And like you said, take my time and read a little bit at a time, maybe those five minute naps the puppy's taking, I can read through it.
00:19:05.584 --> 00:19:07.424
Tim Link: But also now I've got a reference guide.
00:19:07.544 --> 00:19:13.104
Tim Link: So if like, okay, what did Kathy say about, you know, the crates and what the heck, what was that?
00:19:13.184 --> 00:19:14.704
Tim Link: What was a Martindale collar?
00:19:14.724 --> 00:19:15.884
Tim Link: What the heck was that thing?
00:19:16.064 --> 00:19:17.704
Kathy Callahan: Exactly, this is the thing.
00:19:17.984 --> 00:19:21.844
Kathy Callahan: There is so much to learn and nobody can absorb it all.
00:19:21.864 --> 00:19:30.864
Kathy Callahan: I just read somebody was telling me some study that people retain 3% of what you tell them in 15 minutes, which, wow, that's just not very much.
00:19:30.984 --> 00:19:35.804
Kathy Callahan: And when it comes to this dog stuff, like there's just so much to it.
00:19:35.844 --> 00:19:38.224
Kathy Callahan: And of course, you're not gonna know all that stuff.
00:19:38.244 --> 00:19:44.244
Kathy Callahan: So it's very helpful to have something sitting on your nightstand that you can be like, oh, wait, I think I read something about it.
00:19:44.264 --> 00:19:44.984
Kathy Callahan: I can't remember.
00:19:45.004 --> 00:19:48.584
Kathy Callahan: And you can just go right back and see what the possible suggestions are.
00:19:48.744 --> 00:19:54.344
Kathy Callahan: Plus the other thing is that just like childhood, puppyhood has a bunch of stages.
00:19:54.404 --> 00:19:58.484
Kathy Callahan: So you might have skimmed over something because your puppy wasn't doing that thing yet.
00:19:59.064 --> 00:20:08.284
Kathy Callahan: And then suddenly your puppy is barking at strangers or not wanting to be alone or biting too hard on the kids.
00:20:08.284 --> 00:20:10.564
Kathy Callahan: And so suddenly you wanna go back to that paragraph.
00:20:10.584 --> 00:20:20.444
Kathy Callahan: So it's just nice to have one reference that you can keep, that you can trust and that you can keep going back to as the puppy moves through all those stages of puppyhood.
00:20:21.044 --> 00:20:21.704
Tim Link: Absolutely.
00:20:21.744 --> 00:20:29.044
Tim Link: So in this is the book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend by Kathy Callahan.
00:20:29.664 --> 00:20:31.244
Tim Link: So we're gonna take a quick commercial break.
00:20:31.264 --> 00:20:36.204
Tim Link: We'll come back right after this, continue our chat with Kathy Callahan about the book.
00:20:36.644 --> 00:20:39.004
Tim Link: And also I wanna talk to her about writing the book.
00:20:39.884 --> 00:20:41.424
Tim Link: Ah, and writing in general.
00:20:41.444 --> 00:20:42.544
Tim Link: So everybody hang tight.
00:20:42.564 --> 00:20:44.544
Tim Link: We'll come back right after this commercial break.
00:20:44.764 --> 00:20:47.864
Tim Link: You're listening to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:20:53.984 --> 00:20:58.084
Tim Link: Hey, everybody, this is Tim Link, the host of Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:20:58.184 --> 00:20:59.824
Tim Link: Got some exciting news for you here today.
00:20:59.964 --> 00:21:02.144
Tim Link: My audiobook is now available.
00:21:02.244 --> 00:21:09.904
Tim Link: Wagging Tails, Every Animal Has a Tail is now available in audiobook form through audible.com, amazon.com, and iTunes.
00:21:10.064 --> 00:21:13.564
Tim Link: It's a collection of 32 conversations I've had with the animals.
00:21:13.904 --> 00:21:18.104
Tim Link: It's a fun, interesting, heartfelt book that's suitable for all age groups.
00:21:18.364 --> 00:21:22.544
Tim Link: So everybody, pick up a copy of the audiobook, Wagging Tails, Every Animal Has a Tail.
00:21:22.724 --> 00:21:23.624
Tim Link: You'll be glad you did.
00:21:26.484 --> 00:21:27.464
Announcer: Let's Talk Pest.
00:21:30.904 --> 00:21:39.064
Announcer: PetLifeRadio.com Welcome back to Animal Writes on PetLife Radio.
00:21:39.724 --> 00:21:49.924
Tim Link: Continue our conversation with author Kathy Callahan about her latest book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend.
00:21:49.944 --> 00:21:50.744
Tim Link: And I love that.
00:21:51.044 --> 00:22:00.964
Tim Link: So Kathy, when people pick up the book and they read through it and they reference back through things, did you have an ultimate goal or takeaway?
00:22:00.984 --> 00:22:04.264
Tim Link: And how is it different based on the feedback you're getting?
00:22:04.704 --> 00:22:06.924
Tim Link: Is it the same and you say, ah, great, they got one.
00:22:06.944 --> 00:22:08.224
Tim Link: I was trying to get across here.
00:22:08.464 --> 00:22:09.744
Tim Link: Or is it like, oh, I didn't know.
00:22:09.764 --> 00:22:11.924
Tim Link: I was even trying to get that message across.
00:22:12.064 --> 00:22:16.124
Kathy Callahan: No, I have been absolutely thrilled with the response.
00:22:16.144 --> 00:22:23.464
Kathy Callahan: So of course you can't help but look on Amazon and see what the readers are saying.
00:22:24.084 --> 00:22:32.504
Kathy Callahan: So when they comment, and I, honest to God, it makes me teary to read through the comments because they are getting what I was trying to say.
00:22:32.584 --> 00:22:36.404
Kathy Callahan: A lot of them are just like, oh my gosh, this makes so much sense.
00:22:36.704 --> 00:22:37.384
Kathy Callahan: That's the thing.
00:22:37.404 --> 00:22:40.724
Kathy Callahan: Once you really think about it this way, it makes things easier.
00:22:40.744 --> 00:22:42.624
Kathy Callahan: This idea, oh, hang on.
00:22:43.064 --> 00:22:45.204
Kathy Callahan: Of course this little dude is confused.
00:22:45.444 --> 00:22:50.344
Kathy Callahan: As soon as you think about it that way, it all starts to feel much easier.
00:22:50.424 --> 00:22:53.184
Kathy Callahan: And I love reading those comments because that is what people say.
00:22:53.204 --> 00:23:01.484
Kathy Callahan: They're like, wow, I don't even know why I didn't think about this ahead of time because once she pointed this out, I realized, of course this makes sense.
00:23:01.504 --> 00:23:02.824
Kathy Callahan: Why didn't I think about it themselves?
00:23:02.864 --> 00:23:06.244
Kathy Callahan: And they say that it has made it so much easier for them.
00:23:06.284 --> 00:23:08.584
Kathy Callahan: And that just makes me so happy.
00:23:08.824 --> 00:23:09.664
Tim Link: Definitely so.
00:23:09.964 --> 00:23:11.384
Tim Link: I think that's the key.
00:23:11.484 --> 00:23:28.584
Tim Link: If you've had animals in your life, whatever type of animal it is, especially if it's a young animal, a puppy in this case, and you raised them and got them to adulthood, et cetera, I think some of this you know, but wouldn't you say that oftentimes people forget, or it's like, it's common sense.
00:23:28.604 --> 00:23:30.524
Tim Link: And then after they're like, I knew that.
00:23:30.864 --> 00:23:31.324
Kathy Callahan: Totally.
00:23:31.344 --> 00:23:34.104
Kathy Callahan: And the other thing is that it gets trained out of you.
00:23:34.244 --> 00:23:35.744
Kathy Callahan: And that's just very sad.
00:23:35.824 --> 00:23:43.544
Kathy Callahan: Is that a lot of people have the experience where they're trying to figure out what to do with their puppy.
00:23:43.544 --> 00:23:45.144
Kathy Callahan: They're not quite sure where to turn.
00:23:45.164 --> 00:23:46.584
Kathy Callahan: It's a little harder than they thought.
00:23:46.904 --> 00:23:50.184
Kathy Callahan: And so they go to a class or they work with a trainer.
00:23:50.204 --> 00:23:58.724
Kathy Callahan: And the trainer comes at it with what I view as a very old fashioned take on things where it's all about what the human wants.
00:23:58.924 --> 00:24:00.944
Kathy Callahan: How do we make the puppy do what we want?
00:24:01.104 --> 00:24:03.304
Tim Link: Right, pack leader dominance type things.
00:24:03.324 --> 00:24:10.964
Kathy Callahan: Pack leader dominance stuff, choke chains, big authoritative voice, lots of big no's, lots of corrections.
00:24:11.864 --> 00:24:16.784
Kathy Callahan: So, that often doesn't feel great to people because they love their little puppy.
00:24:16.864 --> 00:24:22.344
Kathy Callahan: And yet, they do know that they're struggling a little bit at home, and they don't really know how to do it another way.
00:24:22.744 --> 00:24:27.884
Kathy Callahan: And so they kind of feel like, well, I guess I should listen to this guy, but it didn't feel right to them.
00:24:27.964 --> 00:24:34.524
Kathy Callahan: And so that's a very common response I get to this book is, oh my gosh, so there is another way to do this.
00:24:35.004 --> 00:24:39.744
Kathy Callahan: I felt a lot of pressure to do what the experts were saying, but it never did feel right to me.
00:24:40.244 --> 00:24:52.304
Kathy Callahan: That is actually what happened to me with my first, when I was in seventh grade, I begged for my first puppy and got him, and then it was my job to go and take him to a training class.
00:24:52.324 --> 00:24:54.344
Kathy Callahan: And I was so excited to go.
00:24:54.684 --> 00:24:56.824
Kathy Callahan: And I thought it would be this really fun thing that we did together.
00:24:57.064 --> 00:25:01.264
Kathy Callahan: But I got there and it was all of that old fashioned stuff.
00:25:01.724 --> 00:25:09.444
Kathy Callahan: It was a big choke chain, and I was supposed to yank on his neck, and I was supposed to use the choke chain to pull him down to the ground into a down.
00:25:09.904 --> 00:25:13.064
Kathy Callahan: And the whole thing just felt wrong to me.
00:25:13.084 --> 00:25:14.784
Kathy Callahan: And it was also pressure filled.
00:25:14.804 --> 00:25:18.044
Kathy Callahan: At the end, there was a test, and we were supposed to perform well.
00:25:18.064 --> 00:25:26.664
Kathy Callahan: And there was just all this pressure that, oh no, this dog is going to turn out badly, and it's going to be my fault and blah, blah, blah, all that stuff.
00:25:26.724 --> 00:25:36.164
Kathy Callahan: And I hear echoes of that today from a lot of my clients that that is how they have felt when they have kind of tried to venture into training.
00:25:36.244 --> 00:25:48.024
Kathy Callahan: And I love that when people start reading this book and reading about a different way to just go hand in hand with your dog, that you can do all the same teaching.
00:25:48.144 --> 00:25:50.544
Kathy Callahan: You do not have to use aversive techniques.
00:25:50.564 --> 00:25:56.944
Kathy Callahan: You can teach all the same stuff beautifully in a way that builds your relationship instead of ruining it.
00:25:57.364 --> 00:26:06.564
Kathy Callahan: All of that stuff destroys the trust between you and your dog, whereas the kind of training I recommend will build that friendship and build that trust.
00:26:06.584 --> 00:26:08.464
Kathy Callahan: And isn't that why we want dogs?
00:26:08.504 --> 00:26:10.164
Kathy Callahan: I mean, what are we doing?
00:26:11.124 --> 00:26:18.904
Kathy Callahan: Anyway, so there is a fun and happy way to teach your dog all sorts of great stuff.
00:26:19.084 --> 00:26:29.024
Kathy Callahan: If you want your dog healing and while you do it, figure eight, you can do all that stuff just as well without ever using any kind of aversive techniques.
00:26:29.044 --> 00:26:30.324
Kathy Callahan: You just need to know what to do.
00:26:30.424 --> 00:26:30.864
Kathy Callahan: That's all.
00:26:31.164 --> 00:26:33.544
Tim Link: That's it, positive training, positive reinforcement.
00:26:33.564 --> 00:26:37.024
Tim Link: And I love the comment, you go hand in hand or hand in paw.
00:26:37.044 --> 00:26:38.224
Kathy Callahan: Hand in paw, yeah.
00:26:38.244 --> 00:26:40.024
Tim Link: Because you're building a relationship.
00:26:40.044 --> 00:26:45.164
Tim Link: You're building a connection, a friendship that's gonna last many, many years.
00:26:45.184 --> 00:26:50.464
Tim Link: So you might as well have your puppy know what you want and need from them.
00:26:50.484 --> 00:26:54.224
Tim Link: And in return, you gotta learn what they want and need from you.
00:26:54.224 --> 00:26:56.704
Tim Link: So it's a relationship for sure.
00:26:56.724 --> 00:26:57.964
Kathy Callahan: That's exactly it.
00:26:58.064 --> 00:27:02.044
Tim Link: So let's talk about writing in general and putting together the book.
00:27:02.064 --> 00:27:08.924
Tim Link: Obviously, you write on a regular basis for a whole dog journal and you've done newspaper writing before and still do that.
00:27:09.244 --> 00:27:11.484
Tim Link: And now you got a book out.
00:27:12.304 --> 00:27:21.984
Tim Link: So tell me a little bit about maybe how the writing for the magazine has helped or hindered and what's the ins and outs.
00:27:22.264 --> 00:27:28.024
Tim Link: And I won't ask you how the good folks at New World Library treated you because they are the best.
00:27:28.384 --> 00:27:31.104
Kathy Callahan: They were fantastic.
00:27:31.784 --> 00:27:34.604
Kathy Callahan: So this actually, I really do have a nice story about this.
00:27:34.624 --> 00:27:42.364
Kathy Callahan: So before I even was writing for Whole Dog Journal, so I have another book, it's called 101 Rescue Puppies, and that was published in 2020.
00:27:42.864 --> 00:27:47.964
Kathy Callahan: And the way that got started was because, this really is so funny.
00:27:49.784 --> 00:27:52.984
Kathy Callahan: I used to be on the PTA board of my kids' elementary school.
00:27:53.164 --> 00:27:59.444
Kathy Callahan: And one of the women there reached out to a few of us and said, don't you, I have a feeling that you write.
00:27:59.444 --> 00:28:00.544
Kathy Callahan: Don't you write a little bit?
00:28:00.844 --> 00:28:02.044
Kathy Callahan: I kind of want to have a writing group.
00:28:02.444 --> 00:28:06.444
Kathy Callahan: And so in 2016, I think, we started this writing group.
00:28:06.924 --> 00:28:11.984
Kathy Callahan: And that group of humans has such a special role in my life.
00:28:12.004 --> 00:28:14.184
Kathy Callahan: I can't even tell you, it has stuck.
00:28:14.264 --> 00:28:21.244
Kathy Callahan: We meet every month, we all submit something and it has become such a touchstone for us.
00:28:21.264 --> 00:28:32.384
Kathy Callahan: You know, anyway, so we've turned out to have, I'm a dog writer, there's a playwright in there, there's a poet in there, there's a journalist, and there's a novelist.
00:28:32.404 --> 00:28:37.224
Kathy Callahan: And so we all write different things, but that's what sharpened all of my writing.
00:28:37.284 --> 00:28:38.904
Kathy Callahan: And that's also what gave me deadlines.
00:28:38.924 --> 00:28:40.784
Kathy Callahan: You gotta have deadlines, or at least I do.
00:28:41.204 --> 00:28:51.544
Kathy Callahan: Sitting alone in your house and thinking you can write a book is just too much, because you're just gonna give up, because you're gonna think, oh, come on, who wants to read what I have to say?
00:28:51.564 --> 00:28:52.664
Kathy Callahan: And that is what happened.
00:28:52.684 --> 00:28:57.744
Kathy Callahan: You know, so with me, I got the deadline for the first writing group, and I'm like, shoot, what am I gonna write about?
00:28:58.084 --> 00:29:06.864
Kathy Callahan: So I wrote about a foster puppy, and I kept it short and small, and I was kind of envisioning maybe a little puppy book that's mostly photos.
00:29:07.164 --> 00:29:11.604
Kathy Callahan: But those friends who are not even all dog people were like, hey, I wanna know more.
00:29:11.744 --> 00:29:13.404
Kathy Callahan: I'm interested in this part of that story.
00:29:13.604 --> 00:29:25.544
Kathy Callahan: And when you have people giving you feedback that they're actually interested in what you have to say, and then they give further feedback about, hey, I was confused about this part, or I have questions over here.
00:29:26.044 --> 00:29:32.504
Kathy Callahan: It sharpens and sharpens and sharpens your writing to the point that you are ready, in fact, to submit a book proposal.
00:29:32.524 --> 00:29:34.064
Kathy Callahan: And that is totally what happened to me.
00:29:34.324 --> 00:29:43.924
Kathy Callahan: And I wish everyone in the world who has a little fantasy about writing could find a writing group like this one, because you'll surprise yourself what you can come up with.
00:29:44.084 --> 00:29:45.584
Kathy Callahan: And it's such a joy.
00:29:45.604 --> 00:29:46.604
Tim Link: I love that.
00:29:46.624 --> 00:29:47.324
Tim Link: I love that.
00:29:47.344 --> 00:29:49.744
Tim Link: Yes, around yourself with people.
00:29:49.804 --> 00:29:53.144
Tim Link: And that's what I, from this show, I've been doing this show for a long time now.
00:29:53.164 --> 00:29:58.364
Tim Link: And obviously I've interviewed a lot of different writers and authors and bloggers and you name it.
00:29:58.884 --> 00:30:07.084
Tim Link: And I try to pull a little bit from each one for my next writing project or my next book, because everybody takes the angle a little different.
00:30:07.104 --> 00:30:12.504
Tim Link: And I love the fact that a PTA group came up with the idea of putting together a writing group.
00:30:12.544 --> 00:30:16.024
Tim Link: That was, I guess one of the first ones I've heard of that.
00:30:16.164 --> 00:30:16.904
Tim Link: So I love that.
00:30:17.824 --> 00:30:18.984
Tim Link: But there are all kinds of them.
00:30:19.004 --> 00:30:27.444
Tim Link: If you reach out to your PTA, your local church, there's obviously writing associations and groups in your most local communities.
00:30:27.464 --> 00:30:32.164
Tim Link: I know I belong to several in the greater Georgia, Atlanta area.
00:30:32.704 --> 00:30:45.764
Tim Link: And finding those people to bounce the ideas off of, to critique your work, to just simply give you comments back, like you said, about they want to learn more, but they didn't quite understand this.
00:30:46.204 --> 00:30:51.324
Tim Link: That really, I can imagine, does sharpen your quill a little bit.
00:30:51.664 --> 00:30:54.064
Kathy Callahan: Honestly, it just wouldn't have happened without them.
00:30:54.084 --> 00:30:55.504
Kathy Callahan: You also need the attaboy.
00:30:55.524 --> 00:30:58.084
Kathy Callahan: You need somebody to be like, hey, that was great.
00:30:58.404 --> 00:31:02.344
Kathy Callahan: Because it's hard to sit there in front of that blank screen.
00:31:02.624 --> 00:31:09.584
Kathy Callahan: And if you have encouragement from people you respect, you're gonna plow through those moments where it feels too hard.
00:31:09.684 --> 00:31:12.824
Kathy Callahan: And now, honestly, it never feels too hard to me.
00:31:13.104 --> 00:31:14.744
Kathy Callahan: I should knock on wood while I say that.
00:31:14.844 --> 00:31:17.944
Kathy Callahan: I'll probably get slammed by total writer's block.
00:31:18.224 --> 00:31:22.904
Kathy Callahan: But now, I'm in such a groove with all of this that I'm never done.
00:31:23.484 --> 00:31:27.664
Kathy Callahan: I have a million ideas about what to write, and I know just how to write it and where to send it.
00:31:27.764 --> 00:31:31.984
Kathy Callahan: And that is all because this writing group helped me find my groove.
00:31:32.164 --> 00:31:33.424
Tim Link: Fantastic, love it.
00:31:33.544 --> 00:31:34.884
Tim Link: So last question for you here.
00:31:34.904 --> 00:31:44.184
Tim Link: When everybody picks up a copy of the book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend, what do you hope is the key takeaway?
00:31:44.204 --> 00:31:48.384
Tim Link: Is there something that, at the end of the day, we talked about the accolades and people saying they get it.
00:31:48.664 --> 00:31:51.684
Tim Link: Is there a key takeaway you're hoping that people get from the book?
00:31:52.064 --> 00:32:12.924
Kathy Callahan: So I think, you know, other than that fundamental concept about the Planet Dog thing, I wanna think a little bit further ahead and think about how this puppy is gonna affect their life and think about how, you know, you don't, you never, every dog is unique.
00:32:13.504 --> 00:32:19.184
Kathy Callahan: And you, I want folks to be open to what this puppy has to offer them.
00:32:20.204 --> 00:32:24.564
Kathy Callahan: You know, sometimes folks get a puppy after a very beloved dog has passed on.
00:32:25.164 --> 00:32:33.784
Kathy Callahan: And often that puppy can bring on a little bit of a fresh wave of grief because you get this new puppy and you realize, oh wait, this isn't the same.
00:32:34.584 --> 00:32:38.264
Kathy Callahan: And the puppy will act different, will play differently, will like different things.
00:32:38.824 --> 00:32:46.104
Kathy Callahan: And a little, there's sometimes some, just some disappointment, and that's a really natural response.
00:32:46.364 --> 00:32:55.364
Kathy Callahan: And what often follows that though, as they dive in with this puppy, the puppy will bring them to new adventures and teach them new things about themselves.
00:32:55.724 --> 00:33:05.784
Kathy Callahan: And later, you know, 13 years from now, they're gonna be thinking this way about this puppy, is that, oh my gosh, that dog was one in a million.
00:33:05.964 --> 00:33:13.044
Kathy Callahan: And that's, I just love thinking, being open to the individual dog that is developing right in front of you.
00:33:13.124 --> 00:33:14.684
Kathy Callahan: It's a two-way dance.
00:33:14.704 --> 00:33:20.084
Kathy Callahan: It's the two of you coming together to create something unique that you can cherish.
00:33:20.184 --> 00:33:33.624
Kathy Callahan: But if your head is filled with shoulds, and you know, it's gotta be this way, and I want the dog to do this, you're gonna fail to be open to what the dog really could magically bring into your life.
00:33:34.204 --> 00:33:36.724
Tim Link: Great message, great message, you never should on yourself.
00:33:36.744 --> 00:33:38.204
Tim Link: That's the key, that's the key.
00:33:41.704 --> 00:33:47.264
Tim Link: Well, Kathy, where can people find out more about you, the book, appearances, all the great stuff you got going on?
00:33:47.524 --> 00:33:59.704
Kathy Callahan: Sure, so my website is www.puppypix.com.
00:33:59.984 --> 00:34:06.724
Kathy Callahan: I'm also on Instagram at puppy.pix, and I'm also on Facebook, Kathy Gord Callahan.
00:34:06.864 --> 00:34:13.064
Kathy Callahan: And if you'd like to watch Foster Puppy Stories, I just finished up with a beautiful litter this spring.
00:34:13.064 --> 00:34:17.224
Kathy Callahan: So we took in a pregnant mama and then, you know, had those puppies all through the spring.
00:34:17.244 --> 00:34:23.724
Kathy Callahan: And it's pretty fun to go back to the beginning there and see those puppies born and see how they grow up.
00:34:23.824 --> 00:34:26.504
Kathy Callahan: And they still to this day now come to my house to play.
00:34:26.524 --> 00:34:30.444
Kathy Callahan: So that kind of stuff is, I post mostly on Facebook for that kind of stuff.
00:34:30.464 --> 00:34:31.864
Kathy Callahan: And it's awfully fun to look through.
00:34:32.264 --> 00:34:33.224
Tim Link: Love it, love it.
00:34:33.244 --> 00:34:35.644
Tim Link: All right, we'll make sure we get everything posted on that.
00:34:36.024 --> 00:34:37.524
Tim Link: So everybody go pick up a copy of the book.
00:34:37.524 --> 00:34:43.224
Tim Link: It's Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend.
00:34:43.504 --> 00:34:46.244
Tim Link: Kathy, congratulations on a fantastic job.
00:34:46.264 --> 00:34:50.344
Tim Link: A nice quick reference book that's fun, but definitely relevant.
00:34:50.824 --> 00:34:52.324
Tim Link: And big kudos to you.
00:34:52.644 --> 00:34:53.744
Kathy Callahan: Kim, thank you so much.
00:34:53.744 --> 00:34:55.684
Kathy Callahan: I really, really appreciate being on here.
00:34:55.784 --> 00:34:57.604
Kathy Callahan: It was lovely to chat with you.
00:34:57.624 --> 00:34:58.644
Tim Link: Oh, same here, same here.
00:34:58.804 --> 00:35:00.664
Tim Link: Well, we're coming to the end of the show today.
00:35:00.884 --> 00:35:04.504
Tim Link: I want to thank everyone for listening to Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:35:04.524 --> 00:35:07.564
Tim Link: I want to thank the producers and sponsors for making this show possible.
00:35:07.584 --> 00:35:18.424
Tim Link: If you have any questions, comments, ideas for the show, drop us a line at petliferadio.com and we will definitely answer your questions, entertain your comments, and bring on the people you want to hear from most.
00:35:18.724 --> 00:35:26.224
Tim Link: So until next time, write a great story about the animals in your life, and who knows, you may be the next guest on Animal Writes on Pet Life Radio.
00:35:26.504 --> 00:35:27.664
Tim Link: Have a great day.
00:35:27.964 --> 00:35:28.924
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00:35:29.364 --> 00:35:33.964
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