Enrichment for the Real World

Enrichment for the Real World

Pet Harmony Animal Behavior and Training

Episodes 171
Avg. Duration 46m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (48)
Since Feb 2022
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
97%
Hosting
rss.buzzsprout.com

About This Podcast

You've dedicated your life to helping animals- just like us. 


Emily Strong was training praying mantids at 7. 

Allie Bender was telling her neighbor to refill their bird feeder because the birds were hungry at 2. 


You're an animal person; you get it. 


We've always been animal people. We've been wanting to better animals' lives since forever, so we made a podcast for people like us. 


Join Emily and Allie, the authors of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, for everything animal care- from meeting animals' needs to assessing goals to filling our own cups as caregivers and guardians. 

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Recent Episodes

S14E170 #170 - Q&A: How to Multi-Pet Household

Jun 08, 2026 57m Transcript

In this Q&A episode, Allie, Emily, and Ellen tackle the questions they hear most often from clients, mentees, and the internet: Should I get another pet? How do I treat my pets fairly when they…

S14E169 #169 - Kiki Yablon: Why Your Dog Won’t Settle When You’re Busy

Jun 01, 2026 1h 50m Transcript

This week we’re joined by Kiki Yablon, behavior analyst, dog trainer, KPA faculty member, and general bad a**. Kiki’s incredible skills of observation, communication, and implementation are honestly…

S14E168 #168 - Stop Waiting to Know the Right Thing. Here's How to Decide

May 25, 2026 1h 10m Transcript

You know that feeling where you're staring at what feels like a total dumpster fire, and you’re just… frozen? It’s not because you don't care or because you don't know anything. It’s because you're…

S14E167 #167 - Are You Designing Plans for Your Dog... or for Your Anxiety?

May 18, 2026 51m Transcript

Hey, hi, hello. Do you also fall into the pet parent spiral? Worrying that you aren’t a good pet parent, that your dog is suffering, and that you aren’t doing enough. After a two-hour planning…

S14E166 #166 - Your Dog is Not Symptom Spreadsheet

May 11, 2026 51m Transcript

Do you ever feel like you and your dog are on the Hot Mess Express together? The challenges just keep coming: leash reactivity, resource guarding, body-handling sensitivities, gut issues, sleep…

S14E165 #165 - Juliana DeWillems: Set Your Dog Up to Succeed (Without Guilt)

May 04, 2026 1h 20m Transcript

Management is one of the most underused and misunderstood tools in dog training. KPA CTP and author Juliana DeWillems (she/her) joins Emily to reframe management (aka antecedent arrangement) not as a…

S14E164 #164 - When Management Turns into Micromanagement

Apr 27, 2026 54m Transcript

Is your dog’s management plan starting to feel more like a full-time job than a support system? In this episode, Emily and Tiffany break down the critical differences between strategic management and…

S14E163 #163 - Fears from Pets Past

Apr 20, 2026 54m Transcript

Have you ever found yourself bracing for a repeat of everything that went wrong with a previous pet? In this episode, Emily and Veronica get real about how our experiences with past pets shape how we…

S14E162 #162 - Choice, Control, Agency, and Predictability

Apr 13, 2026 1h 13m Transcript

You've heard the buzzwords: agency, choice, control, predictability. But if you've ever tried to implement all of them at once and you know it can feel like trying to juggle 100 balls. Emily and…

S14E161 #161 - The Difference Between Safety and Security

Apr 07, 2026 50m Transcript

Have you ever watched your dog happily bolt toward a car, completely unbothered, while another dog trembles in a loving, calm home? Both dogs are caught in the gap between being safe and feeling…

S13E160 #160 - The Skill No Protocol Can Replace

Mar 30, 2026 1h 6m Transcript

Look. If memorizing protocols was the secret to being a great trainer, we'd all just hand out flashcards and call it a day. But that's not how this works, and deep down, you already know that.Emily…

S13E159 #159 - When Your Training Isn’t Showing Results in Real Life

Mar 23, 2026 41m Transcript

You nail a training session. Your dog is locked in, responding beautifully, and you feel that rare rush of “we’ve got this.” Then real life shows up and your dog looks at you like you’ve never met.…

S13E158 #158 - Why Dogs Need Skills, Not Just Feelings

Mar 17, 2026 46m Transcript

There’s a quiet assumption that runs through a lot of behavior work: if we can just change how an animal feels about something, the problem will resolve. Counterconditioning is a powerful tool, and…

S13E157 #157 - Haylee Heisel: Why Giving More Doesn’t Fix Resource Guarding

Mar 09, 2026 1h 1m Transcript

Resource guarding is one of those behaviors that gets treated like it’s one simple problem with one simple fix.Just add abundance.Just countercondition it.Just follow this protocol.Except… it’s not…

S13E156 #156 - Q&A: All About Resource Guarding

Mar 02, 2026 46m Transcript

In this Q&A episode, we’re answering your questions about resource guarding. If you’ve ever lied awake at 2am thinking: “Is this normal?” “Am I overreacting?”“Did I cause this?” “Should I try…

S13E155 #155 - Try It: Engaging Indoor Games for Pets

Feb 23, 2026 16m Transcript

Do you ever feel like enrichment has turned into a second full-time job?Hours of prep. Fancy toys. Amazon carts. Storage bins. Guilt.In this episode, Emily walks you through three simple, adaptable…

S13E154 #154 - Dog Training Advice: Find What Works

Feb 16, 2026 57m Transcript

You scroll.One trainer says never let your dog look at the trigger.Another says your dog has to look at the trigger.Both sound confident. Both sound science-y. Now you’re more confused than when you…

S13E153 #153 - Why Dogs React Suddenly: Trigger Stacking

Feb 09, 2026 59m Transcript

Ever have one of those days where your dog absolutely loses their mind over something they handled fine yesterday, and you're left standing there like, “Cool, cool, cool, love this for us, what just…

S13E152 #152 - Advocating for Your Anxious Dog as an Anxious Human

Feb 02, 2026 50m Transcript

Advocating for your dog sounds simple, but it sure isn’t always easy. Your heart races, your brain goes blank, and a stranger (or family member 🙃) is giving you unsolicited advice while your dog is…

S13E151 #151 - Labels: Helpful or Harmful?

Jan 26, 2026 46m Transcript

Labels are everywhere: reactive dog, bad pet parent, confident trainer, resilient learner. They’re meant to simplify things, and while they can be helpful, sometimes they do the opposite.In this…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Enrichment for the Real World have?

Enrichment for the Real World has published 171 episodes since February 2022, covering topics in Education, Hobbies.

Is Enrichment for the Real World still active?

Enrichment for the Real World is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 46m.

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