{"podcast":{"title":"Soul Touched by Dogs","slug":"soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614","podcast_index_feed_id":6619614,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/soul-touched-by-dogs","website_url":"https://soultouchedbydogs.com","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/FdhzIRkj_rft2MCANJ-0ZQW88lT1ipgXJxAbKs5GCwk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wOGZh/MzRiNTI3NWRlYzQ0/MDliYmYzNGY2NDA3/YmZjZC5qcGc.jpg","author":"Anke Herrmann","episode_count":129,"summary":"Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs Podcast, the show for dog lovers who see dogs not as toys or tools, but as wise souls worth our respect and care. The 30-minute interviews with \"Pawsome Humans\", people who do great work for dogs and their people, you're listening to here on the podcast are one of the ways we celebrate the human-canine connection and advocate for holistic approaches to canine health and well-being.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-26T12:17:42.240939+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614"},"episode":{"title":"Lauren McKnight - The Truth About Calm, Peaceful Walks (It’s Not What You Think)","slug":"lauren-mcknight-the-truth-about-calm-peaceful-walks-it-s-not-what-you-think","published_at":"2025-08-15T15:47:18+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/lauren-mcknight-the-truth-about-calm-peaceful-walks-it-s-not-what-you-think","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614","url":"https://soultouchedbydogs.transistor.fm/episodes/lauren-mcknight-the-truth-about-calm-peaceful-walks-it-s-not-what-you-think","audio_url":"https://p.podderapp.com/1495290720/media.transistor.fm/e555716b/c829c706.mp3","summary":"Ever felt like every walk with your dog is a tug-of-war—complete with the judgemental stares, unsolicited advice, and the odd “Who’s walking who?” quip from passersby? You’re not alone. In this episode, I chat with Lauren McKnight, founder of Lead with Luna in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Lauren started as a dog walker and quickly became the go-to person for reactive, strong, or “quirky” dogs that others might avoid. Today, she’s a qualified trainer using only humane, reward-based, science-backed methods—supporting not just the dogs, but the humans holding the other end of the lead. We talk about why peaceful walks start long before you step outside, how to handle (or ignore) the comments from strangers, and why sometimes the best walk is… no walk at all. Key Takeaways Why “perfect dogs” don’t exist—and why that’s a good thing Every dog has quirks. Even trainers’ dogs aren’t flawless, and that’s what makes them relatable and loveable. The power of preparation in building trust Lauren shares the simple but effective steps she took to get clients to trust her with their dogs—long before she had years of experience under her belt. How to ditch the guilt about skipping walks Sometimes a short training session indoors, a sniffy game in the garden, or a puzzle toy can be more beneficial than forcing a stressful walk. Why training should care for the human as much as the dog Overwhelm, embarrassment, and judgement can hit dog owners hard—Lauren’s approach is as much about supporting the person as it is about training the dog. From dog walking to dream lifestyle How Lauren is building her Substack into a way to help more owners, cut through the online noise, and eventually take her work on the road. Favorite Quote from Lauren “As long as she’s happy and safe, I have no expectati…","meta_description":"Ever felt like every walk with your dog is a tug-of-war—complete with the judgemental stares, unsolicited advice, and the odd “Who’s walking who?” quip fr…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1605,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/episodes/lauren-mcknight-the-truth-about-calm-peaceful-walks-it-s-not-what-you-think/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/lauren-mcknight-the-truth-about-calm-peaceful-walks-it-s-not-what-you-think.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}