As we’ve done eight times prior—spanning the better part of three years–today’s program involved setting aside the usual “Talking Animals” format in order to present the show-length feature, “Ask The Trainer.” 
Listeners are invited to call or email questions about their dogs or cats, particularly
involving behavioral issues or training concerns. The Trainer these listeners have an opportunity to consult is Glen Hatchell, the Behavior and Enrichment Manager at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, who’s also an accomplished dog trainer and behavior expert. He is also a former WMNF programmer. In today’s edition, before taking the first listener question, Glen spoke about the pitfalls of multi-tasking on your phone (or otherwise) while you’re walking the dog, offering suggestions to avoid that scenario, like temporarily halting the walk to take an urgent call or respond to an important text. From there, Glen fielded an array of calls and emails from listeners, starting with Sara(h), noting her that she’s lost interest in sniffing while on walks, and not coincidentally, is a bit overweight. Glen floated multiple possible remedies, including having the vet examine the dog, maybe use a basket muzzle on walks, consult with animal nutritionists…Liz emailed about her newly-adopted 
nine-year-old dog (didn’t specify breed), who becomes anxious–and barks–when mail is delivered each day. Mentioning that the cause of this reaction is obviously unknown, he suggests counter-conditioning, using
treats to reprogram the dog to feel increasingly positive about mail coming through the slot—including opening the door, to show the pooch mail before and after the envelopes are inserted in the slot…David emailed about his cat, who meows loudly at 4am, seeking wet food. Glen’s suggested solutions included making the cat wait for the food, delaying later and later before he feeds her. Another idea—echoed by a caller—was a timed feeder, in which you can place food and set a time that it opens, making that food available to the cat…Karen wrote in, wondering what steps she might take so as to make her Golden Retriever, Jake, more comfortable on car rides: he pants, even on long drives, with frequent stops where he’s offered water, mostly resisting. He rarely lies down; just sits and pants. Glen allowed that he “wouldn’t overboard worrying about the panting,” going on to say possible treatments might include Benadryl or melatonin, or a Thundershirt. And so on. (https://humanesocietytampa.org/, https://www.instagram.com/humanesocietytampa/, https://www.facebook.com/humanesocietytampa/?fref=ts
COMEDY CORNER: There was no Comedy Corner today.
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
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