In this very special episode, THE Patricia McConnell talks with us about her fantastic debut novel, Away To Me. What happens when the world's favorite canine behaviorist decides to write a murder mystery? Think Agatha Christie meets All Creatures Great and Small. We were lucky enough to read an advance copy of this absolute page-turner, and even luckier to get to spend time chatting about dogs with one of the people we admire most. We know you'll enjoy this conversation. (You can pre-order Away To Me wherever you like to buy your books!)

Is your dog barking and lunging on leash? That "reactivity" can certainly ruin your walks, but even more important, it's a sign that your dog is having a hard time with the wider world. Big feelings are prompting those big behaviors. In this episode, we talk about the fear and frustration that cause reactivity, the common mistakes people make as they try to "fix" it, and the approaches that work together to help your dog feel more comfortable and calm out in the world.

Dogs have subtle signals that are designed to keep the peace, avoid conflict, and lower the temperature in any interaction. In this episode, we discuss Turid Rugaas's classic book "On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals." Once you learn to read these signals — like head turns, ground sniffs, lip licks, curved approaches — you'll develop a deeper understanding of your dog. That will make life calmer for you both, because responding to your dog's polite whispers can mean she doesn't have to escalate into the canine version of shouting.