Pet Harmony

#176 - My Dog's Barking Is Destroying Me

When Your Dog’s Triggers Become Yours

July 22, 2026

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TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

✅ Stop the bleeding first – Start with your right-now plan. What’s one thing you can do to make barking less painful for you?

✅ Barking doesn’t automatically mean “over threshold” – We have to look at the whole picture and learn to observe body language with all our senses.

✅ Find empathy for the reactivity – We can find tremendous empathy for reactive dogs. Let’s give ourselves the same grace.

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Episode Overview:

Does your dog barking make you jump out of your skin? Or send you down a shame spiral? Or have your dog’s triggers become your triggers? Don’t worry, you are very much not alone. In this episode, we flip the script, and instead of asking, “How do I help my reactive dog?” we ask, “How can I help me, the reactive human?” 

Join Emily and Ellen for a chat about when your dog’s (or bird’s, or donkey’s, or cat’s) noises don’t just annoy you, but send a startling jolt straight to your lizard brain. Because yes, vocalizations are normal, but finding harmony with your pet isn’t about suffering while they thrive.

Links & Resources from the Episode​

🧾 For full episode transcripts: Arial l OpenDyslexic

🎧 #124 – Try It: How to Use Sound Enrichment Without Regretting It Immediately  

📚 Is Your Dog Highly Sensitive?

🌐 Insight Animal Behavior Human Support Services

👀 Join our Behavior Observation Practice sessions to hone your observation skills

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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. 

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.

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Results are not guaranteed because behavior, human, canine, or otherwise, are not guaranteeable.

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