#186 - Your "Good Enough" Enrichment Plan

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good

September 30, 2026

TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

āœ…Ā Meeting basic needs is enrichment, full stop  – Basic needs aren’t just food, water, and shelter. Across all 14 welfare categories, if your animal’s needs are being met, that’s enrichment.

āœ…Ā You’re probably measuring yourself against an imaginary standard – Your baseline isn’t a failure just because it’s not utopia.

āœ…Ā Set up your environment so your pet can meet some of their own needs – A prepped enrichment menu and a thoughtfully arranged space (a backyard sensory garden, a bed by a sunny window…) mean you don’t have to be the sole source of enrichment on your hardest days.

Episode Overview:

If you’ve ever lay away at night running through the list of everything you didn’t do for your pet today… welcome to the club.Ā 

In this episode, Emily and Tiffany discuss why ā€œenoughā€ feels impossible, what ā€œbasicā€ care actually means, and how to build a plan that works on any day, even your hardest. If you’re ready to build a sustainable life with your pet, and even teach your pet to meet their own needs, rather than needing to do it for them, give this one a listen.

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Meet the Hosts

Allie pic with Oso

Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA

Allie Bender is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 2006 and professionally training since 2012. She is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

While in the animal sheltering industry, Allie realized that her passion lied in helping pets with maladaptive behaviors. Today she spends most of her time teaching other trainers and behavior professionals the skills they need to have their most fulfilling, sustainable careers.

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EMIly strong

Emily Strong has been in the animal welfare industry since 1990 and has been a behavior consultant since 2008. She is the co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.Ā 

Emily started working with animals at a young age and struggled with the notion that you have to hurt, scare, or intimidate animals to help them. Emily loves helping current and prospective behavior professionals and working with pet parents through our in-depth services. She enjoys working with all species.

Team Members in the Episode

A woman in a brightly colored knit hat in the woods with her dog. Tiffany Holmes, CPDT-KA.

Tiffany Holmes, CPDT-KA, FFCP

Tiffany Holmes is a trainer and behavior consultant with Pet Harmony. She is also a mentor in the PETPro mentorship program.

Tiffany is a “recovering technical writer” who gets to put her first career writing instructions to good use for her clients and mentees. She taught group classes for dogs (training) and people (yoga) before joining the original Pet Harmony Mentorship program and landing a job with us.

Check out more from Tiffany on the blog!

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