Sean and Haley talk about our fostering experiences. I'm thrilled we've been able to welcome new dogs into our home even with Scout's fear / social awkwardness / general discomfort! We get into some of our personal logistics to make sure every creature in our home feels safe and advocated for (you can read more about our initial integration process with our first foster here) as well as the many emotions fostering has brought about and how we manage our own human wellbeing, too.* Note: “Reactive” is a really broad term. I chose to use it in this episode title since I think it’s the word most fellow owners will resonate with, but it’s important to remember it can mean different things to different people. You can read more of my thoughts on labels in this blog article and more about not comparing our reactivity journey to others in this one! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pawsandreflect.blog/subscribe
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2025 update: I moved the Paws and Reflect blog to Substack. Some of my voiceover posts, where I read essays aloud, will now be available as podcast episodes. All our old conversations will stay live!
Original description, 2022: Haley and Sean reflect on life with our delightful (and delightfully weird) blue heeler Scout. Since adopting her in 2019, we’ve trained through fear-based dog reactivity, fostered multiple shelter dogs, dealt with idiopathic epilepsy, and navigated so many ups and downs in between. In January 2023 we hit the road for full-time van life! We hope our blunders and realizations can encourage fellow dog lovers. Fi...