UNLEASHED (at work & home) with Colleen Pelar

Unleashed (at work & home). Honest conversations with pet professionals about real life and how to show up for yourself with grace and compassion.If you worry that you aren’t doing enough for the animals and clients you serve—yet what you’re already doing feels exhausting and unsustainable—you’re not alone. In each episode, I talk with fellow pet professionals about what drew them to this work, what keeps them going, and what drains them. We explore the meaningful words, quotes, or mantras that guide them, and discover what they wish they could magically change for all of us in this field.These aren’t quick-fix solutions or surface-level pep talks. Whether you’re a dog trainer, veterinary professional, pet sitter, or shelter worker, these conversations offer practical insights into navigating this demanding but deeply meaningful work—and remembering that taking care of yourself isn’t just allowed, it’s essential.

UNLEASHED (at work & home) with Colleen Pelar is a education podcast hosted by Colleen Pelar, with 164 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Colleen Pelar hosts UNLEASHED (at work & home) with Colleen Pelar, a education show with 164 episodes published.

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  Episode #172

  172. Jamie Thompson, LCSW

  Sep 21, 202647 min

  Jamie Thompson, a social worker and owner of Grow and Connect Therapy, has spent her career supporting people, including that special group of people who love animals with complex behavioral or medical needs. Drawing on her own experience caring for a reactive dog through his final years, Jamie explores anticipatory grief, the guilt and shame that follow a pet's death, and Thich Nhat Hanh's five remembrances as a way of staying present with a beloved animal. She and Colleen also talk about why animal welfare workers deserve recognition as first responders, and how human welfare and animal welfare are impossible to separate. https://colleenpelar.com/172-jamie-thompson-lcsw

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  Episode #171

  171. Sami Griffin, KPA-CTP, CBCC-KA

  Sep 8, 202640 min

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  Episode #170

  170. Allie Bender, CDBC

  Aug 24, 202644 min

  Allie Bender, co-owner of Pet Harmony Training and co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, has spent twenty years untangling complex animal behavior cases — and along the way, discovered that the human on the other end of the leash matters just as much as the dog. In this conversation, Allie traces her path from an animal-obsessed thirteen-year-old to a business owner mentoring other professionals, and shares what shifted when she stopped assuming there's one right answer. She and Colleen dig into critical thinking, mentorship, and why community, not more credentials, might be what the industry actually needs. https://colleenpelar.com/170-allie-bender-cdbc

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  Episode #169

  169. Eileen Anderson, MM, MS

  Aug 10, 202643 min

  Eileen Anderson resists easy labels—she’s a dog writer, a passionate amateur, and the person most likely to tell you that the product promising your dog silence during a thunderstorm is working against physics. In this conversation, Eileen shares how a difficult dog pulled her out of a doctoral program and into behavior science, why most sound-dampening products can’t deliver what they promise, and how the simple reframe—your dog is not giving you a hard time, your dog is having a hard time—changed everything about how she understood the animals in her care. A generous, curious, and occasionally myth-busting conversation about dogs, sound, and the people who love them. https://colleenpelar.com/169-eileen-anderson-mm-ms

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  Episode #168

  168. Debbie Sheridan, UW-AAB

  Jul 27, 202639 min

  Debbie Sheridan has spent her career helping people understand fearful dogs—and unlearning the idea that "obedience" is the goal. As the owner of Debbie's for Dogs, a certified end-of-life doula for companion animals, and a dog bite prevention educator, Debbie brings warmth, directness, and a deep respect for what dogs are actually communicating. In this conversation, she talks about the message on her favorite sweatshirt ("celebrate the growl"), why she asks clients to replace "sit" with "wait," and how kindness isn't just a philosophy, but a practice she traces back to sixth grade. https://colleenpelar.com/168-debbie-sheridan-uw-aab

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