The Doggy Diva Show

Kim Gaebelein, Pawbassador at Bil-Jac Foods, shares valuable advice on healthy and enjoyable ways to deepen your relationship with your pups in the New Year. 

Listen to Episode #173 Now:

Transcript:

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Announcer: Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets.

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Announcer: The views conveyed by the guests on this program do not necessarily represent the views of the host or owners of The Doggy Diva Show, and do not necessarily constitute endorsement of products.

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Announcer: Medical information shared by the guests on this program are those of the guests and are for informational purposes only.

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Announcer: They should not replace the medical advice of your veterinarian.

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Susan Marie: Hi, this is Susan Marie from The Doggy Diva Show.

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Susan Marie: In this episode, Kim Gaebelein, Paw Ambassador of Bil-Jac Foods, shares helpful advice on ways to enhance canine connections with your pups in the New Year.

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Susan Marie: That's what's on our show, so let's get started.

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Susan Marie: Come here, babies.

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Announcer: It's time for a treat, The Doggy Diva Show.

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Announcer: Here's national award-winning author and animal advocate, Susan Marie.

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Susan Marie: Hi, welcome to The Doggy Diva Show, the show for animal lovers.

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Susan Marie: I'm your host, Susan Marie, and as always, I'm joined by my canine co-host, the Doggy Divas themselves.

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Susan Marie: Thank you for joining us today as we bring you the experts in the pet and animal world right to you.

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Susan Marie: Contact us at the doggydiva.com.

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Susan Marie: That's the doggydiva.com.

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Susan Marie: We love hearing from you, so go grab a cup of coffee and your pet's favorite treat, and we'll be back in just a moment.

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Announcer: You know the expression, cats have nine lives.

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Announcer: Well, what if you can give them one more?

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Announcer: The Give Them Ten Movement is on a mission to help give cats an extra life.

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Announcer: How?

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Announcer: With spay and neuter.

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Announcer: Spaying or neutering your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life.

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Announcer: And it helps control free roaming cat populations too.

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Announcer: Learn more about the benefits of spay and neuter and meet Scooter, the neutered cat, at givethemten.org.

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Announcer: That's givethemten.org.

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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.

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Susan Marie: Welcome back, everyone, to the Doggy Diva Show.

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Susan Marie: As a pet parent, I enjoy celebrating the New Year safely with my fur kids.

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Susan Marie: And while looking forward to using this time to reflect and really deepen the connection with my family, with my friends, as I look back over the year, that just went by, and of course, my pups, as to what we're going to be doing together in the New Year, what we can look forward to.

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Susan Marie: And we are so happy to have with us Kim Gaebelein, former Chief Marketing Officer, and now the official Paw Ambassador at Bil-Jac Foods, who will share valuable advice on ways to enhance the ever-important canine connections in the New Year.

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Susan Marie: Welcome back to the show, Kim, happy New Year.

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Kim Gaebelein: Happy New Year, Sue.

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Kim Gaebelein: Thank you so much for having me on.

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Susan Marie: With 2024 behind us, I'm sure pet parents everywhere are looking forward to the new year and the benefits and some helpful advice on how to reconnect with our pets.

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Kim Gaebelein: Yeah, you know, well, you know, it's just been such a busy time getting through all these holidays, getting ready for 2025 to start.

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Kim Gaebelein: And so with all that activity, you know, we may not have maybe spent as much time or bonded as much with our fur babies.

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Kim Gaebelein: Or maybe we're looking for a way to kind of deepen our connection, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So it's always a good time to think about connecting with your pack.

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Kim Gaebelein: Now's a good time to kind of think about how can you do that?

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Kim Gaebelein: And what are some ideas to be able to do that?

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Susan Marie: Well, Kim, why is the new year such a good time to be reconnecting with our dogs?

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Kim Gaebelein: I think, you know, once we kind of get into January and we're reflecting on what that is, I mean, it's really kind of an opportunity because again, it's been so busy.

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Kim Gaebelein: And then I think that maybe we haven't spent as much time with our dogs or maybe it's cold and we're not out walking with them or we're not outside kind of running around and doing things with them as much as we can.

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Kim Gaebelein: So it's a great time to kind of think about what do those connections mean to us?

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Kim Gaebelein: And what are some of the little ways that we can do to kind of enhance that relationship that we have with our dogs, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: And kind of reestablish it now that we're kind of winding down from all that kind of crazy busy holiday stuff.

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Susan Marie: Absolutely.

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Susan Marie: And, you know, I always think that at the beginning of the year, we're always looking for things to do, whether we're doing things with our dogs or doing things together, like as a family, including our dogs.

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Susan Marie: Do we really even know who benefits more from these connections?

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Susan Marie: Is it really us or is it the dogs?

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Kim Gaebelein: Yeah, we know that's a great question.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, have you ever wondered what's in it for our dogs?

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, there's been a lot of studies that kind of show that it's maybe more of a two-way street than you might think.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, if we think about what are some of the things that dogs get from their relationship with us, you know, first of all, of course, love and affection and companionship, that certainly is the top, kind of the top of the list, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: And dogs are very social animals.

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Kim Gaebelein: Maybe you haven't realized that, but I mean, that's why they like to be in a pack.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, they kind of thrive on that love and attention from their human companions.

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Kim Gaebelein: So, you know, even getting gifts, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: They appreciate when they get a toy or maybe they get a, you know, a Bil-Jac treat, you know, that kind of thing.

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Kim Gaebelein: They really kind of appreciate that love and affection and companionship.

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Kim Gaebelein: Certainly physical touch is another thing, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: That we talk about petting your dog and kind of how that makes us feel, but petting your dog can actually help them calm down a little bit and be a little more relaxed and reduce kind of any kind of behavioral issues they might have from that anxiety or stress that might be going on.

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Kim Gaebelein: So physical touch is also very important to them like it is to us.

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Kim Gaebelein: And then, you know, exercise and mental stimulation.

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Kim Gaebelein: You and I talk about this all the time, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: Playing, walking, that training is really important to help your fur baby kind of get out there and get that exercise and challenge, challenge their brain, challenge them mentally to kind of think about things.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, training isn't just about about that, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So you want to get out there and do physical exercise for health and well-being, but also training, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So what dogs need to learn, what's expected of them.

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Kim Gaebelein: That helps them feel more comfortable, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: If they're not getting corrected or, you know, maybe there's, you know, if you're telling them, hey, that's wrong or don't do that or no dog, bad dog.

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Kim Gaebelein: Right.

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Kim Gaebelein: So those are not things that are helpful.

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Kim Gaebelein: So if you're able to give them training to help them solve problems, to kind of know how to interact with us safely and effectively, kind of how they're supposed to behave, that's a really, really important part of what we kind of give them from that connection as well.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, you can even take a look at like guide dogs, for example.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, we work with America's vet dogs and, you know, you can see how a guide dog can seamlessly fit into a family and the life of the person that they're assisting, right, with the proper training and guidance and obviously disposition.

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Kim Gaebelein: Safety and care is another thing that we, you know, give them like a place to live.

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Kim Gaebelein: They're protected from harm.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, we take them to the vet.

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Kim Gaebelein: They may not always appreciate that, but we take them to the vet and, you know, give them a stable environment where they can live.

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Kim Gaebelein: And of course, that helps again to increase their lifespan and enrich their quality of life.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, nutrition.

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Kim Gaebelein: If you guys haven't heard me talk about nutrition, how important that is.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, certainly wild dogs, right, dogs out in the wild can hunt and scavenge for food, but, you know, being able to have a nutritionally balanced diet every day on a regular basis, right, helps them to meet their nutritional needs.

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Kim Gaebelein: And then that means that they're active and healthy.

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Kim Gaebelein: And so we're able to give them dry food, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: If they're a puppy, we give them Bil-Jac puppy food, or we're able to give them adult food.

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Kim Gaebelein: We're able to give them special food if they have sensitive stomachs or, you know, if they're an older dog and have needs or a picky dog, right, Bil-Jac picky dog food.

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Kim Gaebelein: So there's so many different options that we're able to give them and to be able to also give them wet food and kind of give them a little variety in their diet.

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Kim Gaebelein: So there's that to be able to give them that proper nutrition that really can go a long way to help them live a long, healthy life.

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Kim Gaebelein: And then, you know, last but not least, socialization, purpose and fulfillment, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So they're able to kind of meet new people, go places and be social, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: If they are social animals, being able to give them the experiences to be able to do that and adapt to those changing conditions, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So that they are more relaxed, they're less anxious and, you know, and that helps them manage their aggression, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: When they're used to meeting people and meeting other dogs and going other places, and that also helps them kind of to have some purpose and fulfillment, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: Someone kind of to watch over them, to play with, to learn new tricks with, like to snuggle up with, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: They have a purpose, they have a person that they care about, that they're trying to help.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, I just saw in the news the other day, there was someone whose dog was able to help them when they had fallen outside, and the dog went out to the street and actually was able to kind of get the attention of a police officer who was driving by, and the police officer actually followed the dog as the dog wouldn't get in the car and found the dog's person who had fallen and couldn't get up.

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Kim Gaebelein: Right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So, I mean, like little things like that.

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Susan Marie: I love those stories.

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Susan Marie: Yeah.

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Kim Gaebelein: I know it just gives you chills, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, it's just that's their person, you know, they wanted to make sure that they took care of them.

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Kim Gaebelein: So certainly that purpose and fulfillment is a huge piece of what they do for us as well.

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Susan Marie: You know, and this may seem kind of an odd question, but what are the many benefits that people get from their fur kids?

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Kim Gaebelein: Yeah, well, you know, back to that two-way street, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: It's very well documented.

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Kim Gaebelein: There are a lot of studies that have been done over the years that talk about all the benefits that we get from having dogs in our lives, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So, and just like dogs, it's that unconditional love and companionship.

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Kim Gaebelein: We get that too from them, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: That they're providing that company, that friendship.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, most of all, what's so special about animals, I think, is that they give us that love without judgment.

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Kim Gaebelein: And so, that really kind of helps you make your house a home.

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Kim Gaebelein: And it's, you know, it's just a place to be at that's warm and comfortable.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, mental and physical health, it's been shown that dogs reduce stress and anxiety and depression.

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Kim Gaebelein: And, you know, obviously, having a dog around helps to ease loneliness, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: And then kind of improve your overall health.

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Kim Gaebelein: So, we talked about petting a dog was important to a dog, but petting a dog actually helps to increase oxytocin for us.

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Kim Gaebelein: And that makes us feel more relaxed and happier.

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Kim Gaebelein: And it can actually help to lower your blood pressure as well when you're petting a dog.

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Kim Gaebelein: So, there's, you know, you think about, oh, the dog's enjoying the petting.

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Kim Gaebelein: No, it's actually a two-way straight when it comes to petting and physical health and mental health.

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Kim Gaebelein: Dogs make us get up and get moving.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, I know I was always going outside with Blizzard, you know, taking them for a little walk, you know, making some time to be able to be outside and doing things with them.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, so you have to get up and get moving to play with them and go outside and walk.

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Kim Gaebelein: So, that's really kind of that physical activity.

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Kim Gaebelein: And they make us laugh.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, you have to admit.

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Susan Marie: They do.

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Kim Gaebelein: Yes, there's so much happiness and laughter.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, just one cock of the head or, you know, just that, those puppy dog eyes.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, all of those things, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: They're so playful and they just do silly things.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, it could be those zoomies around the broom.

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Kim Gaebelein: So, they just make us smile and laugh without effort.

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Kim Gaebelein: And that just brings joy to our lives that we really, you know, we really love.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, security and protection, you know, they can alert us to danger, help us feel safe by barking, maybe deter somebody who's in the area, alert us to maybe something that's a little weird or something that's happening.

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Kim Gaebelein: And certainly another one could be emotional support.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, that's really, I mean, when you think about that, they're just, they're known to provide that comfort whenever we're going through something rough.

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Kim Gaebelein: You know, they can sense when we're upset, and you know, even when we're stressed out, and you know, a lot of times they can provide affection and support to us, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: So, it's fun to talk to our pets, right?

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Kim Gaebelein: And be able to tell them what's on our mind.

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Kim Gaebelein: They can listen, they don't judge us.

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Kim Gaebelein: They don't make any snide comments back to us.

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Kim Gaebelein: They don't tell us how to fix our problems, but they kind of help us take our minds off of what's happening around us.

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Kim Gaebelein: So, that's so important.

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Kim Gaebelein: I mean, I can't tell you the number of times where I feel like my last dog, Blizzard, and also my dog before that, Desiree, have really just made a difference in my life during tough times.

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Susan Marie: Well, and you know, Kim, we've talked about this before with Olive, with Ms.

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Susan Marie: Olive.

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Susan Marie: I had been in a, we talked about emotional support and mental and physical health.

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Susan Marie: I was in a very bad car accident, and I broke both legs and my arm and my shoulder, actually, plus a number of other injuries.

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Susan Marie: And so I was in a wheelchair and I was not doing really well.

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Susan Marie: And out of the blue, my sister actually found Olive, another one of my dog's past, and my sister found Olive online.

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Susan Marie: And they needed someone with experience for someone who could handle an amputee and a dog with cancer.

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Susan Marie: So I had had Greyhounds, that one of them was an amputee and had cancer.

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Susan Marie: So we got Olive, I adopted Olive.

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Susan Marie: And I have to tell you, the amount of love that she gave me made me feel responsible.

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Susan Marie: I zipped through my husband had to, my poor husband, he had to drive me everywhere.

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Susan Marie: And he took me to physical, I had to go to physical therapy five days away.

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Susan Marie: I was in physical therapy.

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Susan Marie: And then all of a sudden I was zipping through and they're like going, wow, I mean, are you okay?

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Susan Marie: And they let me bring her with me because my doctor actually wrote out a whole medical thing for her being an emotional support dog.

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Susan Marie: And then I had to take her to the vet.

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Susan Marie: So between John taking me, I couldn't even drive because my hand was so, I had my hand all wired, there were zips.

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Susan Marie: And the doctor said, I don't know what's going on, but I can take this off.

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Susan Marie: I started driving, I started driving her to the vet.

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Susan Marie: She helped me recover in a way that no one, it's like a miracle.

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Susan Marie: No one can explain it.

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Susan Marie: And that's why I'm saying the benefits that we get, and you touched on so many positive things that they do for us.

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Susan Marie: Sometimes you don't even know what can happen because you never know what's around the corner for you or for us and how a dog can come and impact your life in such a major way that they literally almost save your life.

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Susan Marie: And another thing, you know, as we're talking about this, Kim, you talked about the increased physical activity and every year you and I talk about New Year's and we talk about how it's everyone has that New Year's resolution.

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Susan Marie: We're going to get up, go out, and who helps us all the time to do that?

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Susan Marie: Our dogs.

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Kim Gaebelein: Absolutely.

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Susan Marie: They're like, come on, let's go a little further, two more blocks.

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Susan Marie: I'm in.

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Susan Marie: So that those are the things that are so positive, emotionally, physically, and also mentally to get us up and about to improve our health, to improve our health if we're doing it for a resolution.

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Susan Marie: They're just there and they have that unconditional love.

00:14:12.234 --> 00:14:17.394
Susan Marie: So what you talked about, what you touched on on all this is so, so, so important.

00:14:17.394 --> 00:14:19.934
Susan Marie: So I think it's time, why don't we take a quick break?

00:14:19.934 --> 00:14:25.454
Susan Marie: And when we return, let's discuss more tips on canine connections for the new year.

00:14:25.454 --> 00:14:27.514
Susan Marie: So we'll be back in just a moment.

00:14:27.514 --> 00:14:29.074
Susan Marie: Hello, everyone.

00:14:29.074 --> 00:14:35.094
Susan Marie: Susan Marie here to tell you about the award-winning three-book series, The Doggy Diva Diaries.

00:14:35.694 --> 00:14:39.854
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Susan Marie: In this series, Ms.

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Susan Marie: Olive learns that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, it's the kindness and love you have on the inside that counts.

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Susan Marie: And please visit us at the doggydiva.com for more information.

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Susan Marie: Thank you everyone.

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00:15:52.654 --> 00:15:55.674
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00:16:11.826 --> 00:16:14.066
Susan Marie: Welcome back, everyone, to the Doggy Diva Show.

00:16:14.066 --> 00:16:17.866
Susan Marie: I am here with Kim Gaebelein, Paw Ambassador at Bil-Jac Foods.

00:16:17.866 --> 00:16:22.686
Susan Marie: And Kim, we were talking about the canine connection as going into the new year.

00:16:22.686 --> 00:16:28.986
Susan Marie: Can you just share some steps that we can take to enrich our relationships that we have with our dogs?

00:16:28.986 --> 00:16:29.786
Kim Gaebelein: Yeah, absolutely.

00:16:29.786 --> 00:16:35.066
Kim Gaebelein: There's some really kind of nice things you can think about, maybe to better understand and connect with your dog.

00:16:35.066 --> 00:16:39.386
Kim Gaebelein: And so, for example, learning your dog's body language and vocal sounds.

00:16:39.386 --> 00:16:46.926
Kim Gaebelein: I know this sounds strange, because I know you get that head cock look or whatever, like, well, can I have a treat or let's go for a walk, that look.

00:16:46.926 --> 00:16:48.406
Kim Gaebelein: We're just talking about being active.

00:16:48.406 --> 00:16:54.966
Kim Gaebelein: I mean, certainly understanding your dog's signals and their emotions can help you kind of respond to them, right, and kind of meet them.

00:16:54.966 --> 00:16:57.886
Kim Gaebelein: And that helps them to feel understood and secure.

00:16:57.886 --> 00:17:02.086
Kim Gaebelein: That, in turn, kind of helps, again, to strengthen that connection, strengthen that relationship.

00:17:02.546 --> 00:17:15.686
Kim Gaebelein: And I know we always talk about dogs don't literally talk to us, but they have so many ways of using their mouth and their eyes and their head and their tail, even their body posture, right, to communicate how they're feeling, what they're thinking.

00:17:15.686 --> 00:17:27.986
Kim Gaebelein: And so being able to kind of understand more about that is a really great way to be able to make a connection and show your dog that you really understand, oh, I see, you want a treat or, oh, I see, you want to go for a walk, or, oh, I see, you just want to calm down.

00:17:27.986 --> 00:17:29.326
Kim Gaebelein: It's a little too stressful right now.

00:17:29.546 --> 00:17:32.726
Kim Gaebelein: Let's go take a seat and let's take a few minutes and relax.

00:17:32.726 --> 00:17:36.566
Kim Gaebelein: So those things can really kind of help to enrich your relationship.

00:17:36.566 --> 00:17:48.026
Kim Gaebelein: Even just spending a little bit of time, right, dedicating, saying, let's say, okay, let's just spend 15 minutes together a day, or a half an hour a day, or we're going to definitely go out and do maybe a walk, those kinds of things.

00:17:48.026 --> 00:17:50.586
Kim Gaebelein: Finding that time together can be very rewarding.

00:17:50.646 --> 00:18:04.866
Kim Gaebelein: I know it's always so crazy, but again, as we get into 2025 and we're kind of calming down from all the things from the holidays, it's great to be able to say, hey, let's spend some time cuddling or playing, maybe visiting a new park, taking a walk.

00:18:04.866 --> 00:18:09.926
Kim Gaebelein: Even binge watching the latest show, I mean, you don't have to be doing anything crazy.

00:18:09.926 --> 00:18:18.186
Kim Gaebelein: If you're anything like our house, you might want to just sit and relax and cuddle together, spend a little bit of time together, and you can do that and enjoy your latest show as well.

00:18:18.186 --> 00:18:23.206
Kim Gaebelein: So your dog really values, they truly adore your affection and your attention.

00:18:23.206 --> 00:18:35.066
Kim Gaebelein: So making some time to do that and not think about, oh, I've got to pay the bills or I've got to do this other thing, or I've got to wash the dishes, just spending a few minutes just dedicated to them, I think is really something that helps you connect with them as well.

00:18:35.506 --> 00:18:41.506
Kim Gaebelein: And if you're anything like me, staying calm and patient can be great advice.

00:18:41.506 --> 00:18:47.906
Kim Gaebelein: It can be sometimes frustrating with things that are going on, but your dog can sense your mood, your energy.

00:18:47.906 --> 00:18:57.126
Kim Gaebelein: And so when you're also calming down, when you're patient, when you're calm and gentle with them, even when there are frustrating moments, that will help them feel safe and understood.

00:18:57.126 --> 00:18:59.826
Kim Gaebelein: So maybe don't yell, no, bad dog or whatever.

00:19:00.146 --> 00:19:01.746
Kim Gaebelein: Maybe say, no, no, you know, that's it.

00:19:01.746 --> 00:19:07.166
Kim Gaebelein: So just being able to say it in a just a softer voice, a nicer way that will also get their attention, right?

00:19:07.166 --> 00:19:11.706
Kim Gaebelein: It's like, no, no, you got to get that solid no in there, but then, you know, it's not like you're yelling that no.

00:19:11.706 --> 00:19:16.866
Kim Gaebelein: So being able to kind of get that across without, you know, being too upset or too frustrated.

00:19:16.866 --> 00:19:22.646
Kim Gaebelein: And then I think certainly last but not least, finding that right place to scratch, you know, that physical touch, right?

00:19:22.646 --> 00:19:23.786
Kim Gaebelein: What does your dog love?

00:19:23.786 --> 00:19:30.026
Kim Gaebelein: Like make it a challenge for yourself, you know, as you go into this year, thinking about where do they like to be scratched or pet?

00:19:30.026 --> 00:19:35.626
Kim Gaebelein: Like do they love it when you rub her ears or when you rub her belly or yes?

00:19:35.626 --> 00:19:43.126
Kim Gaebelein: You know, maybe they enjoy all of those things, but you know, maybe take some time out, maybe a few times a week, and see if you can't like give your dog just a gentle massage, right?

00:19:43.186 --> 00:19:49.146
Kim Gaebelein: And kind of look for those favorite places that just make her head tilt in or that she leans into that she really enjoys.

00:19:49.146 --> 00:19:53.846
Kim Gaebelein: To help kind of pet her or scratch her and help her to relax and kind of build that closeness and trust, right?

00:19:53.946 --> 00:19:55.206
Kim Gaebelein: It kind of is another way, right?

00:19:55.206 --> 00:20:02.486
Kim Gaebelein: To show them, hey, I understand that there are certain things you like, and I want to do more of the things you like, and I want to do less of the things you don't like, right?

00:20:02.486 --> 00:20:05.186
Kim Gaebelein: When I'm petting and scratching you and kind of giving you some love.

00:20:05.666 --> 00:20:10.826
Kim Gaebelein: So, that's a great thing to be able to think about as you're kind of cuddling and taking that time to spend with them.

00:20:10.826 --> 00:20:11.546
Susan Marie: I totally agree.

00:20:11.666 --> 00:20:15.466
Susan Marie: I also think that when we're doing that with them, it calms us down.

00:20:15.466 --> 00:20:20.066
Susan Marie: It's like that interaction that we're sharing.

00:20:20.066 --> 00:20:21.626
Susan Marie: I'm calling it unconditional love.

00:20:21.626 --> 00:20:31.766
Susan Marie: It's just like you're sharing something and you can see it in their eyes, you're scratching them behind their ear, scratching them under their neck, you're giving them a hug or something and it just, yes, they feel good.

00:20:31.766 --> 00:20:39.386
Susan Marie: They feel great and they love the attention, but I find that with myself, it also makes me feel good, it calms me down, it makes me happy.

00:20:39.386 --> 00:20:46.566
Susan Marie: Because like you said, Kim, they're tilting their head, they're looking at you with those eyes and it makes you laugh out loud.

00:20:46.566 --> 00:20:54.346
Susan Marie: I mean, you're sharing this little joyful moment with this little fur kid and it's just like those special little moments.

00:20:54.446 --> 00:20:57.906
Susan Marie: And we can do them every day, 20 times a day.

00:20:58.626 --> 00:21:05.466
Susan Marie: It's good for them and I know from personal experience, it's good for me too.

00:21:05.466 --> 00:21:06.126
Kim Gaebelein: Well, absolutely.

00:21:06.126 --> 00:21:08.226
Kim Gaebelein: It's just like any other relationship in our lives, right?

00:21:08.226 --> 00:21:10.106
Kim Gaebelein: What we put in, we can get out.

00:21:10.106 --> 00:21:20.846
Kim Gaebelein: And so being able to put that in and spend that extra time with them right now, as we get into the new year and reconnect with them and advance that, it's a great time to be able to do that.

00:21:20.966 --> 00:21:23.146
Kim Gaebelein: And like you said, it'll make both of you feel really great.

00:21:23.586 --> 00:21:26.506
Susan Marie: Yes, yeah, that's such a positive thing.

00:21:26.506 --> 00:21:36.046
Susan Marie: And you know, Kim, where can the listeners go to find out more about this and also to find out more about Bil-Jac Foods and those yummy treats?

00:21:36.046 --> 00:21:38.226
Kim Gaebelein: Yeah, you know, a great place to start is our website.

00:21:38.226 --> 00:21:39.806
Kim Gaebelein: It's biljac.com.

00:21:39.806 --> 00:21:41.086
Kim Gaebelein: It's biljac.com.

00:21:42.886 --> 00:21:56.126
Kim Gaebelein: And we've got a lot of information out there about, you know, those connections with your pet, being able to, you know, things for training, all kinds of different pieces of information out there, including where to find our food, where to find our food and treats.

00:21:56.126 --> 00:21:58.926
Kim Gaebelein: And you can find that on our store locator that's on there.

00:21:58.926 --> 00:22:03.826
Kim Gaebelein: Certainly, we're at retailers like PetSmart and Tractor Supply and chewy.com.

00:22:04.206 --> 00:22:07.346
Kim Gaebelein: And then you can also kind of find us online on social, right?

00:22:07.346 --> 00:22:09.746
Kim Gaebelein: So Facebook and Instagram and TikTok.

00:22:09.746 --> 00:22:10.826
Kim Gaebelein: We'd love to connect with you.

00:22:10.826 --> 00:22:13.986
Kim Gaebelein: We'd love to hear your thoughts about how do you connect with your dog?

00:22:13.986 --> 00:22:21.126
Kim Gaebelein: Like, what are some ways that you've kind of really found that way to be able to, you know, make them feel special and have that special connection grow even deeper?

00:22:21.646 --> 00:22:22.466
Susan Marie: Absolutely.

00:22:22.806 --> 00:22:30.886
Susan Marie: And as always, I want to thank you so much for being our guest and helping pet parents to really benefit from reconnecting in such special ways with our pets.

00:22:30.886 --> 00:22:37.966
Susan Marie: And Kim, I always say this, I totally enjoy doing our New Year show is something that we do like almost every year.

00:22:37.966 --> 00:22:39.126
Susan Marie: We have such fun.

00:22:39.126 --> 00:22:40.986
Susan Marie: You have such helpful advice.

00:22:40.986 --> 00:22:47.246
Susan Marie: And it's a great time for all of us to kind of reboot our system and get out there with our pups.

00:22:47.286 --> 00:22:48.786
Susan Marie: We could walk them.

00:22:48.786 --> 00:22:50.206
Susan Marie: We could start a new diet.

00:22:50.206 --> 00:22:51.466
Susan Marie: We could do all of these things.

00:22:51.466 --> 00:22:55.926
Susan Marie: But as long as we're doing it with our fur kids, I think it makes it all that much better.

00:22:55.926 --> 00:22:59.106
Susan Marie: So I thank you as always for such great advice.

00:22:59.106 --> 00:23:04.426
Susan Marie: And all of us here at the Doggy Diva Show, by wishing you and the Bil-Jac family a very happy New Year.

00:23:04.426 --> 00:23:13.186
Susan Marie: And we're wishing all of you pet parents out there and your pets a very happy New Year and totally enjoy connecting and reconnecting.

00:23:13.186 --> 00:23:14.526
Susan Marie: It's what it's all about.

00:23:14.526 --> 00:23:15.546
Susan Marie: So happy New Year.

00:23:15.546 --> 00:23:15.966
Susan Marie: Thank you.

00:23:16.746 --> 00:23:17.166
Kim Gaebelein: Thank you.

00:23:17.166 --> 00:23:18.886
Kim Gaebelein: Happy 2025, everyone.

00:23:18.886 --> 00:23:20.466
Susan Marie: Yeah, we'll be back in just a moment.

00:23:51.766 --> 00:23:58.486
Susan Marie: And also, as our doggy divas always say, please love your pets because they love you unconditionally.

00:23:58.486 --> 00:24:05.506
Susan Marie: And please remember to adopt, foster, spay, neuter, and microchip.

00:24:05.506 --> 00:24:08.986
Susan Marie: And as always, please have a great Diva Week, everyone.

00:24:10.686 --> 00:24:14.446
Announcer: Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Doggy Diva Show.

00:24:14.446 --> 00:24:23.366
Announcer: To find out more about Susan Marie and the Doggy Divas, visit them at their website, thedoggydiva.com, and on Facebook at the Doggy Diva Show.

00:24:23.366 --> 00:24:25.226
Announcer: Tell your fellow pet parents about it.

00:24:25.226 --> 00:24:28.686
Announcer: We look forward to having you join us again for the next episode.

00:24:28.686 --> 00:24:29.506
Announcer: See you soon.

00:24:29.506 --> 00:24:34.586
Announcer: Let's talk pets, every week on demand, only on petliferadio.com.