Howls From The Founder
Listen to the interview with Tara Brach
Learn from the leading experts and influencers in the canine world! Listen to all Love, Dog podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app.
Guest
Tara Brach
Hosts
Mark Drucker and Drew Webster
Producer and Editor
John LaSala
Takeaways
- Slowing down, softening, and opening ourselves can help us truly listen to and respond to our dogs’ needs.
- Practicing mindfulness and compassion can help us throw water on the fire of conflict and foster healthier relationships.
- Approaching our pets with presence, kindness, and curiosity will deepen our connection with them.
- Let go of expectations and judgments, and instead, focus on understanding and meeting our pets’ needs.
- Fully grieve the loss of a pet to honor the love that was shared and to open our hearts to a timeless sense of connection.
- Recognize the interconnectedness of all beings—interbeing—and the impact we have on each other.
Description
Discover the transformative power of mindfulness with dogs in this profound episode of The Love, Dog Podcast featuring renowned meditation teacher Tara Brach. Learn how presence and curiosity strengthen the human-animal bond while exploring mindful dog walking techniques, present-moment awareness during play, and receptive energy practices that create security and trust with your canine companion. Tara Brach shares practical mindfulness exercises for dog owners, including how to slow down and truly listen to your dog’s behavioral cues, communication signals, and emotional needs. This conversation reveals how releasing expectations and judgments while approaching your pet with compassionate curiosity can deepen your connection and transform everyday interactions into meaningful experiences of reverence for all animals.
The discussion addresses the profound grief and pet loss that dog owners experience, offering mindfulness-based coping strategies and compassionate approaches to navigating the mourning process when we lose our beloved companions. Tara explores how mindfulness meditation practices, body awareness, and self-compassion techniques help us process the emotional pain of saying goodbye while honoring the deep bond we share with our dogs. Whether you’re seeking to enhance your daily relationship with your dog through present-moment awareness, improve your understanding of canine behavior and communication, or find support during the grief journey, this episode provides holistic approaches to creating more meaningful, conscious relationships with dogs and all animals throughout their lives and beyond.
Timestamps
00:00 Show opens
10:30 Being Your Dog’s Best Friend: Friendship and Companionship
27:19 Learning from Dogs: What They Teach Us About Ourselves and Relationships
30:40 Paying Attention with Intention: The Power of Mindfulness
43:59 Receptive Energy: Slowing Down and Softening
48:45 The Value of Mindfulness and Compassion
55:27 Letting Go of Expectations and Embracing Play
01:11:06 Honoring Grief and the Love We Shared
01:19:45 Recognizing Interbeing and Cultivating Connection
01:24:28 Begin Guided Meditation
Links
The SpiritHouse Project – Ruby Sales
Mary Oliver, Poet
Mark Doty, Poet
Pawsitive Change, Zach Skow
You’re invited to howl with us
On Instagram: @lovedognews
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovedognews
VIA Email: podcast@lovedog.com
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Disclaimer
Our podcasts are for your enjoyment and for general education and information purposes only. We interview veterinarians, scientists, behavior consultants, dog trainers, influencers, etc. You must always consult with your own [credentialed] canine and pet practitioners before implementing any training program or course of medical diagnosis and/or treatment.
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