border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Dec 2

Happy Anniversary from DOG TALK on its 500th show!

Happy Anniversary from DOG TALK (and Kitties, Too!) as it reaches its 500th show! Last weekend the 500th show of Dog Talk (and Kitties Too!) aired on Peconic Public Broadcasting --- over 9 years of consecutive weekly shows celebrating the human-animal bond in all its permutations. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to... Read more »

border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Nov 29

Embracing #GivingTuesday

Embracing #GivingTuesday Today on my show Humane Talk I heard from Kim Alboum, the director of the Emergency Placement Partners program for the Humane Society of the United States.  I wanted to know more about how she and HSUS were celebrating #GivingTuesday. This day is the ultimate antidote to the rampant consumerism of Black Friday,... Read more »

border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Nov 22

Stray Gardens

STRAY GARDENS Photographer Julie McGuire on Dog Talk When British-born photographer Julie McGuire moved to India 11 years ago, she was shocked to find some 250,000 stray dogs living on the streets of Bangalore. The melee of homeless hounds inspired her to focus on a long-term project documenting the roles of dogs in societies around... Read more »

border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Nov 18

Do You Bribe---or Reward---Your Dog?

Do You Have to Bribe Your Dog? Or Do You Reward Her? There’s a general misunderstanding floating around about what “positive reinforcement” means in training, and the use of food rewards that often accompanies it.  There are some “old fashioned” trainers who dismiss reward-based learning concepts as being “bribery” and think a dog should do... Read more »

border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Nov 9

Madonna Leaves the Dog Film Festival in New York City To Go...Home

Madonna leaves the Dog Film Festival in New York City to go… home! The 2nd Annual Dog Film Festival, held at Symphony Space in New York City on October 15, was a howling success in many ways. I returned home happy, but exhausted, and then I received the fantastic news that Madonna, a 22-month-old rescued... Read more »

border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Nov 8

Buy a Dog Treat, Help a Teen Save his Own Life

Buy a Dog Treat, Help a Teen Save his Own Life Tune in to this week’s DOG TALK and listen to my conversation with Kathy Hooks, the Employment Director of Daybreak --- a nonprofit organization that provides emergency shelter, outreach programs, and transitional housing to youth who are experiencing homelessness in Dayton, Ohio.  Daybreak’s own... Read more »

border collieand tabby cat sitting next to each other Tracie Hotchner the Radio Pet Lady
Oct 13

Dog Talk Univ. Debuts: Dog Vomiting Myths

Dog Talk University Debuts: Myths About Dog Vomiting After my last blog on the basics of how and why a dog vomits, I realized there was a need for some shorter informational radio podcasts in which I could impart some basic information about pet health and wellness. I figured it might be easier on the... Read more »