Podcast popularity is soaring — and naturally, the medium brims with shows that cover the many aspects of a dog-focused lifestyle. Taking in chats with celebrity canine owners, positive-reinforcement training tips and puppy-focused episodes, here are 10 starting points to navigating the dog-pod vault.
Walking The Dog
Walking The Dog features radio presenter Emily Dean enjoying a stroll with her friends and their beloved pooches. The guest roster includes singer Jamie Cullum, former The Great British Bake Off presenter Mel Giedroyc and comedian Ricky Gervais, who’s accompanied by German Shepherd Dog, Anti, from his Netflix show After Life.
✧ podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walking-the-dog-with-emily-dean/id1220510307
Your New Puppy
When avid podcast listener and trainer Debbie Cilento noticed “there wasn’t one central place to go for someone raising a brand-new puppy,” she created a podcast based around key questions her clients ask. Standout episode What They Don’t Tell You About Getting A Puppy also features “some silly yet true things, like how puppies get the hiccups a lot!”
✧ playtimepaws.com/yournewpuppy
The Pet Show
Actor Dennis Quaid and co-host Jimmy Jellinek preside over The Pet Show, delivering a zippy take on the current pet culture scene. Celebrity guests and canine-centric news is complemented by pet style tips, with Dennis’ own Miniature English Bulldog, Peaches, offering on-air cameos.
✧ audioup.com/shows/thepetshow
Drinking From The Toilet
While attending training conferences, Hannah Branigan realized “so much of the really good stuff is what happens in the conversations at the hotel bar after the program.” Wanting to relay insights from those candid chats to dog owners inspired Drinking From The Toilet, which presents behind-the-scenes advice that channels “the way science and practical application come together.”
✧ hannahbranigan.dog/dogtraining-podcast/
Dog Edition
The Dog Podcast Network’s signature show is hosted by the platform’s founder, James Jacobson. Launching at the start of 2021, early highlights include a spotlight on Presidential pups, grooming tips while sheltering in place and a profile of Instagram sensation Loki The Wolfdog. Smartly, episodes clock in at 20 to 30 minutes to soundtrack the average daily walk time.
✧ shows.dogpodcastnetwork.com/show/dog-edition
We Don’t Deserve Dogs
We Don’t Deserve Dogs started when stand-up comedian Richie Redding’s pals kept calling his veterinarian friend Dr. Lisa Lippman with questions about their dogs. The show blends irreverent comedic commentary with trusted canine advice. Richie points out an episode with social media influencer Katie Sturino: “We hear about how her dog got married on Bravo and all the great work she does to help save dogs abused by mills.”
✧ thepodglomerate.com/shows/dogs
The Hunting Dog Podcast
Drawing on 45 years experience hunting with dogs and over 25 years judging hunt tests, host Ron Boehme began his podcast as “an audio hunting journal.” As the show evolved, Ron broadened the ambit to take in talk with conservation leaders, trainers, authors and, as he puts it, “just some tailgate conversations after a day of hunting.”
After Bark
Hosts Lucy Riles, Mitra Yosri and Josh White met as contestants on reality show The Pack — and now they’ve transferred their canine chemistry to the After Bark podcast. Episodes are themed around common dog traits — such as being loyal, intuitive or dependable — and each weekly installment incorporates a breedspecific segment.
Victoria Stilwell’s Positively Podcast
Victoria Stilwell is all about promoting the benefits of positive reinforcement training — and her podcast builds on the success of the TV show It’s Me Or The Dog. With over 800 episodes, Victoria dives into topics including how music can help canine anxiety, fostering during a pandemic and misconceptions about the “Sit” command.
✧ positively.com/community/podcasts
Oh Behave! with Arden Moore
Launched in 2007, Oh Behave! is over 400 episodes deep. Host and journalist Arden Moore strives to mix up “pet-loving celebrities, top leaders in the pet industry, as well as ordinary people doing extraordinary things to benefit companion animals all over the globe.” Pet-based puns and much banter between guests also ensues.
✧ petliferadio.com/behave.html
Insider Tips for Running Your Own Podcast
Check out pro advice from James Jacobson of the Dog Podcast Network…
Stay Snappy: “Edit your podcast. It’s personal choice, but my taste is keep it shorter.”
Original Concepts: “I think there’s a little too much on the training side of things and there could be an improvement on the story-telling side, so things that make people feel closer to their pet.”
Judging Success: “The first five to 10 episodes are probably going to have very small listenership — but quantify success by hearing feedback from people who have heard it.”
Invite Guests You Know: “Instead of asking people with big names or celebrities, look at people you know who tell good stories and approach them.”
Encourage Subscribing: “It’s what makes podcasts grow — once they’ve subscribed, every episode will be in their feed, and that will boost your numbers.”