DOG TALK® (and Kitties Too!) on 
DOG TALK® features Tracie's interviews with authors, pet experts and animal welfare advocates from around the world, discussing practical and philosophical issues regarding our relationships with dogs, cats, other pets, wildlife and the natural world.
The show broadcasts from WLIW FM 88.3 in Southampton, the only NPR station on Long Island, reaching from the East End across Long Island into Southern Connecticut and Westchester.
The show’s theme song is “Mmm My Best Friend” by Sophie B. Hawkins from her album TIMBRE.
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Dive Into a Pile of Delicious Puppies
#917B: Vanessa Woods, co-author with her husband Brian Hare of the delightful book “Puppy Kindergarten: The New Science of Raising a Great Dog,” immersed herself in the litters of service dog puppies from Canine Companions that they raised and studied — bringing them to life on the page as individuals you come to know and love — funny, annoying, delightful and sometimes baffling.
How Does A Judge Choose a “Best in Show” Dog?
#917A: Don Sturz, who is President of the Westminster Kennel Club [which has put on America’s most prestigious dog show every February for 149 years!] discusses what it takes to become a Best in Show judge at Westminster Dog Show — as he was in 2022, and how to make that decision. He talks about the three dogs who share his life currently, only one of whom has the “It Factor" to be a show dog — his champion Pekingese Fiona.
The Tortoise Taxi
#916B: A philosophical discussion about how much sacrifice we “should” make for our pets. Tracie asks whether Dr. Doug’s desire to stay in Florida to keep his Tortoise Taxi going, outweighs the safety benefits of moving away from extreme weather with his wife and animal entourage to Oregon where the tortoises would have to live in an indoor herpetarium.
How Can You Tell if Your Puppy is a Genius Dog?
#916A: In his book “Puppy Kindergarten: the New Science of Raising a Great Dog,” co-authored with his wife, Vanessa Woods, Brian Hare talks about how they helped to raise potential service dogs at their Canine Cognition lab at Duke University in order to discover how early a puppy will reveal his/her proclivity for becoming a successful service dog. They also ask the question of whether the way “regular people” raise their own puppies is good enough...or is there something more we should be doing?
How Can Veterinarians Keep Feeding Their Own Cats the Wrong Food?
#915B: Dr. Rick LeCouteur — a veterinary neurologist and surgeon — agrees with Tracie’s long-standing credo that dry foods for cats are “kitty crack” because the ingredients are biologically inappropriate for an obligate carnivore. So why do vets keep recommending them — and feeding them to their own kitty cats — when the facts and science show the harm of kibble for cats? (Rick is also the author of the beautiful children’s book “Nasty Names Are Hurtful” about the Australian white Ibis.)
Do Geriatric Kitties Have Clues to Healthier Aging for Humans?
#915A: Dr. Carlo Siracusa, Chief of the Animal Behavior Service at Penn Vet at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses their study of geriatric cats, the role of inflammation in aging, and how this information might translate to human aging.
The Glory of Cats Worldwide
#914B: Hannah Shaw talks about “Cats of the World,” the book she created with her husband, feline photographer Andrew Marttila, as they traveled the globe to celebrate the lives of cats everywhere. [The authors very kindly gifted a copy of the beautiful book to all the winning filmmakers who came to the NYC premiere of the 7th Annual NY Cat Film Festival in October.]
The Nine Very Long Lives of Tito the Cat
#914A: Ettore Farrattini Pojani talks about his centuries-spanning novel “The Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia,” imagining one cat reincarnated as a vital companion throughout history to influential individuals in the town of Amelia, Italy.
Puppy Class is Not Boot Camp — It Should Be FUN!
#913B: Dog trainer Annie Phenix [of ChooseToTrainHumane.com] sympathizes with Tracie’s concern that the puppy classes she has tried with her young Viszla, Sky, have had a joyless, even harsh, atmosphere. Annie explains why lessons should be about building trust, safety, confidence, resilience and JOY! which matter so much more to a young or new-to-you dog than “training.”
Is It Fair to Bring a Puppy Into an Older Dog’s Life?
#913A: Carol Borden [of Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs] gives Tracie advice on how to best prepare and “protect” her senior dog, Wanda, from the "household invasion” by an 8-week-old puppy.