{"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":"Marilyn Mele - Stop Desensitizing Your Sensitive Dog: A Fresh Perspective","slug":"marilyn-mele-stop-desensitizing-your-sensitive-dog-a-fresh-perspective","published_at":"2025-07-21T16:12:39+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/marilyn-mele-stop-desensitizing-your-sensitive-dog-a-fresh-perspective","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614","url":"https://soultouchedbydogs.transistor.fm/episodes/marilyn-mele-stop-desensitizing-your-sensitive-dog-a-fresh-perspective","audio_url":"https://p.podderapp.com/1495290720/media.transistor.fm/b3a364bf/4d01315b.mp3","summary":"If you’ve ever shared life with a sensitive, traumatized, or reactive dog, you know how heart-wrenching it is to see them struggle. You want to help, but so much of the advice out there feels like a quick fix and often makes things worse. In this episode, I sit down with Marilyn Mele, founder of Dog Wisdom Workshop and creator of the Emotionally Intelligent Dog Academy, to talk about what truly helps these dogs thrive. With over 40 years of experience teaching people and dogs, Marilyn has a gift for blending science, compassion, and practical tools that work. We dive into what’s really going on beneath the behavior, and why the usual “desensitization” approach can backfire. This is an eye-opening conversation that will change the way you look at your sensitive dog. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why “fixing” the behavior misses the point - and what to focus on instead. The role of predictability and safety in helping your dog feel secure. Why freedom of movement matters (and why the leash can make things worse). The truth about desensitization - why it often fails and what to do instead. One surprising skill you already have that can transform life with your dog. My Favorite Quote from Marilyn: \"Feeling safe is something that happens inside the dog—you can’t train it, you can’t talk them out of fear. You have to create an environment where they believe they are safe.\" 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:11 Marilyn's Background and Journey 01:18 Evolution in Dog Training 02:56 Impact of COVID-19 on Dog Training 04:52 Understanding Dog Sensitivity 11:16 Importance of Predictability for Dogs 15:38 Creating a Safe Environment for Dogs 22:42 Challenges with Traditional Dog Training Methods 23:23 Creating a Safe Environment for Sensitive Dogs 24:20 Common Mistakes in Hand…","meta_description":"If you’ve ever shared life with a sensitive, traumatized, or reactive dog, you know how heart-wrenching it is to see them struggle. You want to help, but…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2600,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/soul-touched-by-dogs-6619614/episodes/marilyn-mele-stop-desensitizing-your-sensitive-dog-a-fresh-perspective/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/marilyn-mele-stop-desensitizing-your-sensitive-dog-a-fresh-perspective.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}