I sat down with award-winning author, podcast host, animal activist, and dogologist, Billie Groom, to answer these questions and many more. Our mission is to help all our family members, including our dogs adapt to living with the pandemic.
After all, we rely on our furry friends to ease the stress, anxiety, and sometimes depression that comes with feeling isolated. This is especially true now that we're mostly quarantined due to COVID19.
We hope the answers will give you the information and tools you need to ensure that your dog's and family's needs are being met during this challenging time.
We owe it to our furry friends for their unconditional love!
Subscribe to HerCanvas today to get your answers to the questions that matter most to you, and ultimately, find the inspiration to live your best life.
I sat down with award-winning author, podcast host, animal activist, and dogologist, Billie Groom, to answer these questions and many more. Our mission is to help all our family members, including our dogs adapt to living with the pandemic.
After all, we rely on our furry friends to ease the stress, anxiety, and sometimes depression that comes with feeling isolated. This is especially true now that we're mostly quarantined due to COVID19.
We hope the answers will give you the information and tools you need to ensure that your dog's and family's needs are being met during this challenging time.
We owe it to our furry friends for their unconditional love!
Subscribe to HerCanvas today to get your answers to the questions that matter most to you, and ultimately, find the inspiration to live your best life.
We lean on our dogs for comfort, stress, relief, joy, and companionship. This is true, especially for women and girls. We can count on our furry friends to boost our overall wellbeing and quality of life. During COVID-19 dogs have been shown to ease the stress, anxiety, and sometimes depression that comes with feeling isolated from coworkers and loved ones. We're happy to have a companion that makes us feel more connected. Reduces our anxiety, keeps us more active and improves our mental health. But what about our dogs? Are they happy to have us home all the time? The answer may surprise you.
Speaker 2:[inaudible]
Speaker 1:Welcome to her canvas, our podcast, where we discuss the topics that matter most to women and help us find the inspiration to live our best lives. I'm your host[inaudible] today. I am joined by Billy groom, an award-winning author podcast, host Doug biologist, animal activist, and the creator of upward dog ecology. But Leah has worked with families for three decades, providing effective advice, allowing them to integrate their dog into their family and their Auburn busy lives. When COVID-19 hit lives changed, having a huge impact on families, including the dogs we live with. We'll be talking about the impact COVID-19 has had on families and their dogs and the things they can do to help them adjust to living with a pandemic. Welcome to the show, Billy. It's so good to have you
Speaker 3:Adida. It's so nice to be here. Thank you so much. I love your podcast. It's such a great information resource for people.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you. I'm so excited to have you on there. You know, it's been a challenging time for all of us, you know, adjusting to living with, um, you know, COVID and you know, I'm really excited about our conversation today because not only have we as human beings being impacted, but dogs as well, the dogs that live with us and yeah. The pets that live with us. So yeah,
Speaker 3:The dogs and the people around their dogs as well, just families as a whole and, uh, dogs are a part of the family and it's interesting how everybody gets impacted.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. So I thought maybe you could start by telling us a little bit more about yourself, giving us your background and what led you on this journey to become a dog ecologist.
Speaker 3:Sure. Well, it's funny that you use the term dog ologists that you picked up on that. Technically I am a behaviorist. I just find the word behaviorist. So linear and so uptight it's really focuses on, um, correcting unwanted behavior in a dog, which essentially is why people contact me and why they hire me. I've been doing it three decades, but I've always worked one-on-one with my clients and I've always worked with urban families. So they are their own people. They are their own family, they have their own goals. And as well, the dog is the dog has his or her own personality and his, her own background. And I've only worked with dogs over the age of six months. So, um, you know, it's a matter sometimes they've had the dog from puppy and sometimes they've adopted the dog, but it's really more, the way I approach it is not telling people what they have to do or instilling rules. It's, it's more my client telling me where their challenges are and where they need to, um, have some advice and guidance on how to integrate their dog into whatever there is that they're, they're trying to do, whether that's anything from going camping to, um, they just had a baby to divorce, to, um, couples getting together. And then of course the challenges, uh, that COVID bring.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that you have a personalized approach. That's, that's what it sounds like, that you model, uh, whatever you do with their family, with what they're going through at the time.
Speaker 3:Right. And that's what you get with the two way communications. So, I mean, I work one on one and that's often life, but it's also often zoom as we're doing. And it's also often, uh, you know, videos and, and telephone. You know, it's not just about me standing up in front of a group of people and telling them what they have to do. It's it's when you're working with a dog over the age of six months, and you're working with families that are busy and they have their own lifestyles. It just, it just can't be that regimented. Got it,
Speaker 1:Got it. Now, how long do you usually work with the families? Is it an ongoing thing or is, you know, is there a start and a finish?
Speaker 3:Hmm, that's an interesting question too, because my business model for three decades has been a one-time fee. And so once they're a client, they're always a client and that's partly because they go through changes and their dog goes through changes. So with COVID some of my clients, uh, that they might've called me to address a particular issue. I do specialize in aggression and anxiety rehabilitation, but it can be anything. It really is all over the map on why people hire me. And it's because I use cognitive behavioral therapy as opposed to standard positive reinforcement training and trait training. So I have a different approach. So when people hire me, it is a one-time fee. So they might, I might not have heard of them from them for a year or two years, and everything's fine and they're just tripping along and everything's great. And then all of a sudden COVID hits and maybe they're having some problems, then they're always in the program. Got it, got it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It just doesn't all happen at the same time.
Speaker 3:Cause that's just not the way life works.
Speaker 1:That is so true. I guess that that's actually a good segue into, uh, talking,
Speaker 3:You know, how we've been impacted by COVID.
Speaker 1:Um, so maybe you can tell us the first
Speaker 3:Question actually I have is how have dogs been impacted by COVID? Well, it's interesting, not that much differently than humans, I think, I think. And, and, you know, I just loved your episode with your two children and they brought up some really good points. And I think it was your older one who was just saying about she, all of a sudden had this so much time that she had a hard time completing tasks because it felt like she had all this time. And then, so she had to learn how to, you know, I guess time management skills, um, and just how to use your time differently. And dogs do have a sense of time and they, they have routine and people get very caught up in, well, you know, I can't change my routine. Yes you can. So, you know, for, for, for three decades, I've helped people change their routine and change their life and have their dog adapt to that and have that go smoothly. And that's the same with COVID. So people would think, well, you know, I'm home with my dog, my dog should be happier cause I'm home all the time sometimes. And sometimes not because they're just like people, if they're used to sleeping all day, you know, and then all of a sudden there's people home all the time or they're used to, uh, having maybe the radio on all day, cause people might do that when they leave more, having quiet all day it's, it's a change for them as well. It's definitely disruptive
Speaker 1:For sure. I was, I was just thinking about that whole notion
Speaker 3:If you're, you know, if your dog
Speaker 1:Is used to sleeping all day and then all of a sudden this people and they want to play and they want to go for a walk
Speaker 3:And the dog is thinking, Oh my gosh, what is happening? Right. We don't need to go for 15 walks a day.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:And it can also be the flip side as well. You know, maybe your children would have friends over after school and now due to COVID, that's not happening. And the dogs used to, you know, at, at three 30 it's it's play time and it's fun time and it's, and maybe that's just not happening anymore or maybe is to, to joining the family on, uh, you know, baseball games or whatever, or maybe they're not used to going camping. And that seems to be a more popular activity now because it can be family oriented and not, not combine different families, you know, you can keep your space. And so people have been, you know, trying to adjust her dog to, to going camping. I mean, it's, it's, it's the same everybody has to. Right. Just right.
Speaker 1:And so, and how have you seen the families, uh, you know, impacted by COVID?
Speaker 3:Well, there's, there's obviously the economy. I mean, that's, that's how, um, you know, and then that's for all of us. Yeah. That's, that's a tough one for sure. Um, but as well, I think again, it just goes back to time and personal space, uh, you know, it could be just even smell things that people don't don't think about a lot, but if, let's say as an example, one of your listeners is a stay at home mom who also works from home. So she's busy when she's home. Um, and, and the dog's kind of laying around being a good dog and, and, uh, you know, all of a sudden, you know, she's used to letting the dog in and out while she's still thinking about things and out goes the dog and then she forgot. Oh, right, right. Because my husband's in the backyard because I'm not used to him being home and he's, you know, puttering around the backyard and he left the gate open. Right. Cause he was in the backyard puttering around and now all of a sudden the dogs go through the cage, you know, and then that just changes your whole day. And it's not so much the dog's fault. It's just adapting to other people being in your space and adapting to change in schedule.
Speaker 1:Yes. That, that, that makes sense. You know, as you were talking and, you know, you mentioned that, uh, people have been impacted, impacted economically. I just thought about, you know, dogs need a lot of care. Right. They know they need to go to the vet. They need to, you know, they need to be groomed. Um, they need to be fed a certain diet. Have you noticed any changes in terms of the way people are treating their dogs or looking after their dogs or even, you know, maybe giving up their, their, their dogs because they can't take it.
Speaker 3:Yes. Unfortunately that is, that is happening. And it's, you know, it's, it's going to happen and not, Oh, people feel, you know, it's, it's, they don't really know what to do. Um, and so,
Speaker 1:And I would imagine that it's traumatizing too. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes. And it's cyclical because, you know, I I've been impacted because it's, it's, you know, people will spend less money on their, their dog. And, and that also goes over, like you said, to veterinarians and different rumors. Um, and there's a lot of talk right now about the shelters and the rescue organizations being really low on dogs because people are home. So they're fostering and adopting, which is great. That's great. But, uh, you know, if, if you are a listener out there and you're having financial problems, or you're not sure if you can keep your dog, maybe your local, uh, rescue will be able to do, um, you know, maybe they were taking another dogs before and maybe they will shift to taking in ones that, uh, are from families that are just having a tough time due to COVID, you know, I don't know, because all rescue organizations are run differently and they all work differently. But, but, um, yeah, a lot of them are especially puppies they're now I think they're, they're adopting out a lot of puppies, but some of the older dogs they're still, uh, you know, maybe a bit challenged to foster or adopt those. Right, right. Um, now I'm wondering though, and I know you said, you know, different rescue places have different rules or, you know, uh, different ways of functioning. Um, I'm wondering when this families get back on their feet, is it possible to get your, your dog back commonly not, but again, that would totally depend on the situation that they, that they come up with without individual rescue organization, but commonly not unless it's best for the dog. I mean, ultimately we all want to do what's best for the dog. Yes, yes, absolutely. It really depends. And it depends on the situation and, and different factors. A lot of it would be, I guess, the health of the dog or whether they had a foster that would be willing to do that. Right, right. Might be unsettling for them, the dog and the foster person as well. So, which leads me to my next question is what can you do? Or what can, you know, our listeners do in their daily lives to make it easier for their dogs and their family to adopt, to adapt to this new normal? I think it's try to think about what it is that your individual dog really likes and people, you know, the first thing that pops into everybody's mind is treats and yes and no, they, um, you know, there's different ways of providing attention and there's different ways of, um, letting your dog know that you're aware that they're there. I'm, uh, my, the way I work with dogs is, is figuring out what's important to them and then using those opportunities to create a bond and, and, um, communication and transferable skills. And so if everybody thinks about, you know, what is it that's most important and then take the time to provide that. And not only think about, um, working in the difficult, so if the dog is being more needy, which can happen because they're home, um, you know, you can definitely provide that without having it have a negative impact on your family. And it's just, it's just a matter of sitting back and thinking, you know, what's important to my dog and what is my dog used to and how am I changing and how can the dog hold dogs different? They're just like people. Right. Very true. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, and I think kids are a great resource for dogs. You know, they're, they're very, filtering are very logical and they see things differently. And they, I really enjoy, uh, when the families that I work with have children that, uh, you know, participate because they, they just bring such a different level to it. They're very logical.
Speaker 1:I believe that dogs sense that too, I do too, because they're different. They behave differently when they're around children as well. They do. So I, I'm a true believer in that now, what are some of the resources and tools that families can tap into to help them out during this time?
Speaker 3:Hmm. That's a good question. I think it would depend on what they're looking for, but there's definitely a lot of dog groups and dog organizations. If they have a particular breed, then there's, there's all, you know, there's organization for every individual, uh, breed. But I think there's just, you know, dog lovers in general or there's, you know, off-leash parks are great and there's almost always grouped for off-leash parks. And if you do take your, your dog, um, you know, they're, they're very friendly and social. I think we're all right now trying to balance the ability to have some social time and get out and also include our family and also stay safe and follow the health rules and, and, um, you know, keep the sanity while keeping the distance. Right. You know, and it was something, something that people are out there and, and, uh, it's just, it's just a matter of like finding them, I think. Yeah, no,
Speaker 1:Uh, these groups, like mainly, w would you say that you can find these groups like on Facebook, like Facebook groups or, you know, um, you know, online communities?
Speaker 3:Yeah. I'm, I'm not a huge techie person. Well, I'm, I'm a zero techie person, but I do really like some of those Facebook community groups really great and, um, listening to different podcasts, uh, you know, um, I really enjoy the different interviews such as yourself where I'm a guest, but then I also have guests on my podcast as well, and just learning about different people and what they're doing and what they're going through. And I think there's more than ever. There's more of those out there. And as we're going through this interview, I'm thinking, you know, but that could be what I could incorporate into my podcast as well, because people do need to know that what they're experiencing with their dog is common. It's not their fault. It's if they're struggling, not their fault, if they're scrambling on the internet to find ways to, to, to work with their dog and what they're doing, just isn't working it, it's not your fault. Just, and a lot of my clients are very dog experienced. I have veterinarians for clients, and it's just a different way of working with them in a different way of reading the dog. And it's not difficult, but, um, but I do find people are, you know, especially in these challenging times, they can blame themselves very quickly. Yes. Yes. It's, it's, it's easy to do that and finding a community. It's, it's amazing. I think in life, in general, whenever you're going through any kind of adversity, when you find a community and you find that there are other people who are going through the same thing, um, it's very comforting. And sometimes even if you don't participate in the conversations, just being part of the conversation, but by listening, um, is actually like official. Absolutely. And that's a really good point. You don't, you don't have to be, um, part of it. You can just absorb it and learn.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And sometimes it takes a while to get to the place where you're comfortable enough to ask a question, um, like if you're going through something and you found out that, you know, it hasn't been addressed by anyone in the group, it might take some time for you to get to that point where you can actually ask a question, but it's still beneficial to be part of the community. And it's so funny because once you do ask that question, everyone hops on board. Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 4:True.
Speaker 3:And that's, what's so great about working one-on-one with people because I do form a relationship where they feel comfortable telling me things and talking to me, and they're often, you know, by the time they contact me, they're at, wit's end with their dog, but also with their family, you know, it's, it's caused quite a bit of, um, problems within the family. And, uh, one person wants to give up the dog. One person wants to keep the dog. Like you said, whether that's the economy or whether that's the dog's behavior or whether that's different goals within the family. And those can come to those can get heightened during stressful times. Like, COVID those, you know, everything gets heightened. I agree. That's that's, I think we're all what we can all relate to that at this point.
Speaker 4:Mm Mmm.
Speaker 3:We're coming up to our last question, which is for those thinking about getting a dog, you know, because there are those who, you know, um, even doing this time would like maybe to have a companion since they're home so much. Um, how do you go about fostering or adopting one? That's a good question. I, again, all the rescue organizations and shelters are run differently and they'll have their policies, I'm sure. Online, but as far as thinking about a dog for your family, it's a lot of people, the first thing that they think about is breed or size size of a dog. And so breed and size are, uh, they're important. But I, for me, because I only work with dogs over the age of six months, I, my big thing is, do you want a puppy? Or do you want a dog? And that's, they're just so different. They're just really, really different the way you work with them. And, and, um, you know, how you work with them and how you provide for them. Um, I think that's a really important thing to think about. And people are a bit nervous sometimes of dogs and they think, well, you know, they're already set in their ways. Well, sometimes that can be beneficial if I always recommend, um, you know, if the dog being in a foster home as fosters are great, they've been in a home that family might not have the same setup as you have, or might not have exactly the same family style, but that dog has been living in a home with a person that can be super informative. It could just be a simple question. How's the dog in the car. You know, if, if you're, if you travel with your dog, that's important or, you know, the common one is how is the dog with children? And you know, that, that depends on a lot of factors and depends on the children. And, but I just, I just think it's really important to think about, uh, your lifestyle and what you, what your expectations are with the dog and then be flexible and be adaptable
Speaker 1:Because,
Speaker 3:You know, even if you get a dog from puppy, which is great as well, um, you can't necessarily mold. It's just like children. You could have two children with the same parents grow up in the same neighborhood in the same house and, uh, you know, same family values. And, uh, they're just really different, different children. And, and what's important to one child is different than what's important to the other child and their personalities. That is the truth.
Speaker 1:Sometimes you're like, Oh, these two family, really?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So
Speaker 1:I'm not surprised it applies to dogs as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. And in all the cases you, you parented as well as you could do in your Parenthood. Well, and they're both great children, they're just really different.
Speaker 1:Mm. They just approach things differently. Um, so, uh, thank you so much. Thank you. This has been really great, some really amazing insights. Um, and I think our listeners will come away with a lot of things that can help them and their dogs,
Speaker 3:Um, you know, navigate this pandemic. Um, well, I'm glad, thank you so much. And if anyone wants to contact me for help or, or, um, you know, hopefully, you know, it can be general, but it can be specific too. And it's, it's, uh, I always enjoy working with people and helping people. So, and, and
Speaker 1:How can they get in touch with you? Um,
Speaker 3:There's a, well, I'm on Instagram that is upward dog ecology. So by the way, upward is an acronym for urban people with adopted and rescued dogs. Yeah. But the age could also be adolescent or adult, and that could be, you know, rambunctious or rebellious. It, you know, it's, it's flexible, but upward is really about urban people, families with their, their dog. So that's Instagram, it's also Facebook. And my LinkedIn is Billy groom.[inaudible] dot com is my email. And the podcast is upward dog ology, which people have been finding really, um, fun and informative. And yeah. So I hope I,
Speaker 1:Where can they find that podcast? Is it on Apple podcast and yeah.
Speaker 3:Nine different distribution sites so that, and, uh, it, the links are on the Instagram as well and okay. Website. Yeah. So whatever or whatever distribution site that they listened to. It's probably on. Hopefully. That's great. Thank you so much, Billy. This has been huge Adida. Thank you so much here. Great. Well, we appreciate your podcasts. Thanks so much. Have a great day. Take care. Bye bye.
Speaker 1:By everywhere you look, there are resources available to help your family navigate the challenges of living with COVID-19 rarely do these resources include how to help your dog adjust to their new dog life. Understanding that your dog has a routine and unique needs. Just like you do respecting personal space for everyone in the family, including your dog and finding online and offline communities going through similar challenges are powerful ways to help your dog and family adapt to living with COVID. Most importantly know that the challenges that you're facing with your dog or your family are not your fault. Let's reciprocate the unconditional love and care. We receive from our furry friends to ensure that they get through the pandemic unharmed. That's all for our show today. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, and Pandora. Also, don't forget to connect with our Facebook community at gap moose women, to continue this conversation and many more along the way until next time, stay safe and find the inspiration to live your best life.
Speaker 2:[inaudible].