It’s Dog Party Day and National Dachshund Day, so naturally someone out there is planning a bouncy house, cake, and 12 dog “friends” their pup barely tolerates.

Let me stop you right there.

In Episode 9 of Your Dog Isn’t Broken, we’re unpacking the difference between joyful celebration and canine overstimulation — because your dog doesn’t want to be the guest of honor at your Pinterest disaster. They want to sniff something interesting and go home.

Just because it’s cute doesn’t mean it’s kind.
Let’s throw out the hats and build peace, not pressure.

Listen if:

• You’ve ever planned a party your dog actively hated

• You’re not sure if your dog enjoys group play or just survives it

• You’ve felt guilty for not throwing your rescue dog a “gotcha day bash”

• You need permission to do less — and do it better

In this episode:

• Why not all dogs want social gatherings (and that’s okay)

• What dog joy actually looks like — hint: it’s not party favors

• How to celebrate without creating anxiety

• A little shade at the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest (because yeah, we went there)

🎧 Listen now on Spotify
📚 Bruce’s Book is the only party favor you need
📲 Follow @brucebannersmash for judgmental party commentary and behavioral brilliance

Ah yes, Take Your Pet to Work Week — that magical time when humans drag their dogs into fluorescent-lit offices filled with loud voices, weird smells, and absolutely zero escape routes.

In this episode of Your Dog Isn’t Broken, we’re unpacking the chaos that happens when people mistake novelty for socialization and call it enrichment. Spoiler: your dog doesn’t want to sit through your Zoom call, Karen. They want to nap in a quiet room where the floor isn’t slippery and Brenda from accounting isn’t squealing “who’s a good boy” every 6 minutes.

We also nod to Garfield the Cat Day, because honestly? Garfield had it right: stay home, avoid Mondays, and bite when provoked.

Listen if:

• You’ve brought your dog somewhere they weren’t ready for

• You think “he’s fine at home, so he’ll be fine at work”

• You need permission to just not take your dog everywhere

• You want to prepare your dog for public spaces without frying their brain

What you’ll learn:

• How to prep your dog for chaotic spaces (and when to just say no)

• Why “friendly” doesn’t mean “appropriate for every environment”

• What office overstimulation looks like (and how to spot it before the meltdown)

• Why forced “fun” leads to long-term stress behavior

• And how to recognize when your dog wants to stay home like a furry little Garfield

🎧 Listen to the episode
📚 Bruce’s Book is still judging you — available now
📲 Follow @brucebannersmash for zero productivity, 100% snark

You want your dog to be confident, social, chill, adaptable — basically a furry therapist who also looks great in group photos?

Cool.
Then stop throwing them into overwhelming chaos and calling it “socialization.”

In this episode of Your Dog Isn’t Broken, we talk about what confidence actually is (spoiler: it’s not tolerance), why overexposure is not training, and how to build up your dog’s bravery without accidentally frying their nervous system.

We also shout out Pet Remembrance Day and National Dog Dad Day — because let’s be real, grief and growth usually show up holding paws.

Listen if:

• You’re trying to “socialize” a shy dog and it’s backfiring

• You’ve ever said “he’ll get used to it” and regretted it

• You want to stop confusing exposure with progress

• You’re grieving one dog while training another

Mentioned in this episode:

• How we build real confidence in Foster the Chaos

• What decompression actually looks like

• How grief affects your training more than you think

• Bruce’s approach to bravery: lean in, sniff everything, ignore the humans

🎧 Listen on Spotify
📚 Grab Bruce’s Book — part gospel, part snark manual
📲 Follow @brucebannersmash for judgmental wisdom and toe beans