Soul Touched by Dogs

Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs
Podcast, the show for dog lovers who

see dogs not as toys or tools, but
wise souls worth our respect and care.

I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host.

I talk to poor some humans, people who
do great work for dogs and their people.

So come and join us for
today's conversation.

Anke: Hello and welcome, Charlie.

I'm very happy to have you here today.

Charlie: Thank you so much for having me.

I'm excited to be returning the favor.

You were on my show and now here
I am on yours, so I'm excited.

Anke: Me too, me too.

So before we dig into our very, I
was just about to say me too topic,

which it might be, um, let people know
where in this lovely world are you

and so what's your business with dogs?

Charlie: Yeah, so I am located
on the east coast of the U.

S.

Um, I live in south central Pennsylvania,
originally from Lancaster County,

which is known as Amish country.

But, um, yeah, my business with dogs
is I've always been an animal lover.

Um, knew that I probably
didn't want to have children.

And so animals and dogs specifically
were always going to be that,

you know, fill that space for me.

Okay, Anne.

As I got older, um, you know, I, I
started learning more about, um, their

care and I even have a degree in animal
nutrition and so it's always kind of

been a part of my life and now I am,
you know, teaching, um, real dog food

nutrition to others and also, um, doing
some ghost writing for the pet and

equine industries, so it's kind of.

A roundabout way of, you know,
doing what I love, but here I am.

Anke: I love it.

It's a dog's life, isn't it?

Charlie: Yeah.

Anke: You know, especially when you get
to combine, you know, when you do the

writing and also in that space, I just
love that when it's all coming together.

So I think let's just dig into
the food piece first because,

um, what, like what sparked your
interest in that topic specifically?

Charlie: Yeah, I originally thought I
was gonna go, um, be a vet, and so that's

kind of why I majored, um, you know, in
animal nutrition and animal science, and

then it actually ended up, I didn't go to
vet school, I, I do work in agriculture,

but, um, really where my kind of deep
dive into pet nutrition came is when I

got, um, my very first Bernese Mountain
Dog, uh, back in 2013, um, um, And as

a puppy, uh, he had constant diarrhea
just every single day right from the day

we brought him home from the breeder.

Um, it didn't matter.

I mean, we had him to I don't know
how many different vets, specialists.

Um, we, you know, had stomach
biopsies, allergy panels, tried this

prescription food, that prescription
food, you know, yogurt, pumpkin,

antibiotics, prebiotics, probiotics,
you know, the whole nine yards.

And Nothing was working.

Everything, you know, the only thing that
would work was is if he, um, was eating

like a bland diet, like just ground burger
and rice, you know, they tell you to do.

And so eventually, you know, I kind
of started, it took five months, but I

started putting two and two together,
like, hey, the only time that he is

Not, you know, pooping water is when
he's eating this type of food, and

so we were, um, we had him in puppy
kindergarten at the time, and I just

mentioned all the struggles we were
having to the dog trainer, and I said,

do you have any, like, advice, you
know, for this, and She said, well, you

can try, you know, feeding raw food.

She said, I've been doing that
with my dogs for years and

I've never had any gut issues.

Um, and at first I was very skeptical.

I was like, no, I'm not like, that's,
that's not something we should do.

You know, it's, um, it's not hygienic.

He's going to get sick.

You know, I just had no
idea about it at all.

And I was very skeptical.

And she said, that's fine.

Like, here's the.

You know, contact of who I get my food
from and anytime you want to give it a

try, you know, you're welcome to and so
a couple of weeks go by and I'm like,

you know what, I'm just at my wits end,
like, you know, we were up every hour

on the hour at night with him, you know,
we'd come home and have to clean him up,

we'd have to have people come over to
the house to let him out, you know, on a

regular schedule while we worked and I was
like, I can't, I can't do this anymore.

So I ended up, you know, contacting
the people that she had given me the

name of and bought some raw food from
them and we switched him cold turkey,

which I know they tell you not to do,
um, but at that point we didn't have

anything else to lose other than our
sleep sanity and our dog's health.

So we switched him cold turkey
that night and within 24 hours,

He never had a runny poop again.

Um, and I was I was like, well,
you know, this can't be a fluke.

I've literally tried everything else that
professional medicine has told me to do

for this dog, and nothing has worked.

Um, and so I just became a firm believer,
and I've kind of never looked back, so.

Anke: Like, I mean, obviously I love
that you found a solution that, that,

you know, basically brought peace
to your dog's gut and your life.

But I still find it's flabbergasted that,
like how, I mean, especially asking you

that you've been sort of in involved in
the topic for quite a quite ATI time now.

Like why is it that like
no vet ever thought of.

Charlie: So I, I have a unique
perspective on that, I think,

because I was going to go be a vet.

And so I have a very traditional,
um, education on that.

And I'm also friends with
a lot of small animal vets.

And I've asked them that, you know,
and I've said like, Why, why do you not

take people down this road if they've
been through what we were, went through?

And.

From their perspective, and I do
understand this to a point, you know, they

will say, well, it's very difficult for,
um, someone who has not had, you know,

education in nutrition to really be able
to feed their animal in such a way that

they know for certain that they're getting
all the vitamins, nutrients, you know,

minerals that they need, um, outside of
just and a, uh, um, a lot of them have all

been It's pouring some kibble in a bowl.

You know, they say, yes, we, we
agree that it's not the best quality.

It's not the best nutritional value,
but it does at least do the bare

minimum of keeping your dog breathing
and, you know, moving forward in life.

That's a very low bar.

Um, but on the other hand, it
does keep them safe, you know,

from a liability standpoint.

Now the one thing I will say though on
the other side is that It really would

only take a little bit of education, you
know, you don't have to have a degree

in animal nutrition to just start making
small changes to your dog's diet to

really see significant improvements.

And so, you know, I would say to vets
then, like, Make sure you're just doing

a little bit of education each time,
especially if people are having trouble

with their dogs like I was, and especially
if they're asking the questions.

You know, don't just, um, go with like
the gut response and think outside the

box a little bit to help not only the
owner, but also the animal as well.

Anke: Hmm.

I mean, in my case, I remember,
I mean, you know, that's like I

shared that on your podcast is
when, when I first had Leo, it was.

Almost like, not just that nobody
would point me in this direction, they

would like actively kind of almost
like put like the guilt trip on.

It's like, oh no, you've got to,
like don't ever feed anything other

than this kind of kibble, you know.

So it's almost like, well,
you know, I don't know.

Uh, so it does, and that's the thing
I felt that was kind of, It was harder

to deal with in a sense because you
do trust the man like, oh, they should

know, you know, at least enough to not
kind of harm the dog, you know, so you

think, well, but, um, it feels like
more and more people are now looking.

And also you could even like, at least
here where I am, you can even tell

by what's available because like,
yeah, 20 years ago, you wouldn't find

the kind of food that the options.

And if you look at the ingredients, I.

People have come sort of to
their senses a little bit.

Is that your experience too?

Charlie: Yeah, definitely.

I mean, I, and I think I even asked you
this on my podcast and your response

was, you know, well, I don't, I don't
go around telling people necessarily

that I feed my dogs this way.

I mean, I do more than you do, just.

with the business that I have, but, you
know, I do try to, um, at least make

it known, um, what worked for us when
people ask me, so that there is kind of

that little seed put into their brain of
like, oh, maybe there is another option

out here than what my vet is telling me.

And again, I would never tell anyone to
go against veterinary advice, but On the

other hand, you know, it is your life,
your dog, and you know, your gut feeling,

and so if something isn't working, don't
be afraid to question that, you know.

But I do think that people are becoming
more open and aware of the different

types of, you know, diets that, that
pets can have, just like we're becoming

more aware of the different diets
that, you know, work for, for people.

Um, and I definitely
am on board with that.

I definitely think that, you know,
more questioning and more saying,

well, that's You know, this worked for
so and so, maybe it'll work for me.

I think that curiosity is, is a great
thing and we have to just continue that.

My

Anke: curiosity and the willingness
to research, I mean, see what I've

really kind of struck me that I hadn't
even considered until I started.

looking in this direction, like reading
the labels to start with so you don't

get blinded by the pretty picture on
the front, um, was that like commercial

dog food hasn't actually been around
for all that long, you know, like

dogs before lived and probably weren't
as sick as they're now, you know.

Charlie: Yeah, that's actually been,
you know, um, talked about in a lot of

different books and publications, um, you
know, because it really is something that

was just kind of brought to the forefront
in, like, the 19th, late 19th, early 20th

century of feeding dogs that way, you
know, otherwise dogs and their ancestors

and wolves, you know, they just ate what
their humans ate or they just ate whatever

they could get from, you know, the wild
and, you know, They were living longer,

they were living healthier, you know, and
then all of a sudden with the advent of

commercial kibble and the convenience of
it for the humans, you know, we've started

to see this astronomical rise in, you
know, pet cancer and of allergies, um, you

know, pets dying younger and younger, and
I don't understand why it's taken us this

long to kind of put two and two together.

Now there is a lot of, like,
lobbying and obviously the pet

industry, pet food industry is a
massive, um, you know, conglomerate.

So there's a lot of people that
don't want you to know those

things, but Yeah, it is true.

I mean, our dogs did not eat
this way until just the last,

you know, even 70 years, really.

Anke: Yeah.

So if somebody goes,
well, that makes sense.

I'd be interested in You know, starting to
adopt a more healthier, like a healthier

diet for my dog, maybe for myself.

Like, but okay, let's keep,
let's stay with the dogs.

So where, where would you, how would
you recommend somebody get started?

So what's the first place to, what's
the first direction to look into?

Charlie: Yeah, I would always recommend
either, you know, asking someone

who, you know, is actively talking
about it and you know feeds this way.

Um, and then also there
are some great books.

I know you mentioned one on my podcast.

And then also, um, another great one
is, um, Give Your Dog the Bone by Dr.

Ian Billinghurst.

Uh, he is an Australian veterinarian
and he kind of, Spearheaded this, you

know, raw slash real food movement,
um, within the last couple decades.

So I would definitely check that one out.

It's on Amazon.

Um, and then, you know, talk to, uh, a
pet nutritionist, a dog nutritionist,

um, you know, and, and you can find them.

You can also go to, um, there's a website.

I'll have to get the exact link, but
it's for a list of holistic vets.

that are in your area, um, because
they are usually more open to

at least even discussing, if
not feeding, this type of way.

So, you know, between the literature and,
uh, you know, going to talk to a holistic

vet or a dog nutritionist, um, those would
be my recommendations on where to start.

Anke: And I mean, and the thing is,
you'll know quickly, like you were saying,

like in your case, it took like 24 hours
to see a massive difference, you know?

Well, it was when I first started with
Leo, I've made a massive difference too.

And I mean, it's, it's interesting because
when you think about like, I'm, I'm just

like looking, comparing to, um, a friend
of mine who, you know, feeds kibble,

we've talked about it, you know, she's not
going there, but it's interesting because

like all her dogs kind of put on weight.

Charlie: You know,

Anke: and mine are just
like, you know, effortlessly.

So there's no, you know, when
they eat and they eat well, but

they don't get fat basically.

And I think even that alone is already
like a big step, you know, that,

that, that keeps them healthier.

I think it's much easier.

Charlie: Yeah, it's much easier to
regulate their weight, you know, skin and

coat conditions usually improve, digestion
improves, like, I mean, there are certain

instances, um, you know, if your dog
already has cancer or is being treated for

some sort of immune um, response disease.

Like, you should definitely, you know,
talk to your vet first and, and see

if the adding this in is a good idea.

Um, but in most cases for most
dogs, it's going to, you're going

to see some sort of benefit.

Anke: Hmm.

I love that.

Let's, let's just quickly
like switch, switch topics.

Let's, I'm just curious about
the writing bit as well.

So, you know, what do people come, what
do you, what do people come to you for?

Like you said, you know, right?

Ghostwriter in the canine space.

So what would somebody come
to you for to get them?

Charlie: Yeah, absolutely.

So I, my specialty is, um, creating
and launching educated, what are called

educational email courses or EECs.

And they're essentially, um, Just a
different type of lead magnet, um, that

is kind of a drip sequence where what
our goal is, is to really educate, um,

and engage a potential customer to get
into your business's ecosystem through

offering them this valuable, um, you
know, five day mini course, essentially,

on whatever topic, uh, that you want.

Um, so that's, that's kind of what I, why
I specialize in, but social media content,

um, you know, newsletters, blog posts.

Thought leadership articles, you know,
any of that is able to be, you know,

created and written by a ghostwriter,
especially for You know, businesses

that, um, just don't have time or
don't have the, the resources, don't

like to write, uh, maybe aren't good
at it, you know, that sort of thing.

So I, and again, I, I gear it towards,
you know, the pet and equine industry,

um, because that's where, you know,
my niche is, that's where I have

the most, um, that I can offer.

And so, yeah, I mean, I can't
talk about any clients or anything

because it is ghostwriting and it's
It's, you know, your name is on it.

Um, I'm just the person behind the desk.

But I really, really enjoy it and I
love, um, you know, seeing the kind of

increase in engagement and return on
investment that the people get from it.

So

Anke: Because I mean, writing is
a good one like that because you

can usually Like, it's easier to
trace back, it's easier to quantify

quite often, you know, as well.

You can tell how many people took
the email calls and you can tell

how many people signed up for
something else afterwards, right?

And I love how, you know, it's
sort of narrowed into that.

And I think, well, in my experience,
You know, dog people are in the business

because they love dogs, usually not
because they love marketing or writing

or, you know, hustling on social media.

So I can totally see the
value, the value of that.

So if somebody wants to get in touch,
like either for the writing or for

the food, like you covered like the
two most important areas of life.

What else do you

Charlie: need?

Anke: So where can people go and, um,
Find out more about you, get in touch,

get your lead magnet, for example.

Charlie: Yeah, absolutely.

Um, probably my most, uh, I guess, uh,
active social media platform is LinkedIn.

Um, and I know, I think the
links will be in the show notes.

So you can find me
there, um, Charlie Dice.

And then I also, um, have a
website, beautyandtheburners.

com.

And then my email is, um,
beautyandtheburnersatgmail.

com.

You can just send me an email and I'm
also on X and, you know, Instagram,

but really LinkedIn is, um, where I
do most of the professional stuff.

So

Anke: awesome.

Well, go in, go in to connect and
I'll obviously pop all the links.

So yeah, thank you so much.

This was delightful as
always, and yeah, let's

Charlie: feed

Anke: dogs some better stuff.

Charlie: Yeah.

Thank you so much for having me.

This was fun.

Thanks so much for listening.

If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget
to subscribe, and leave a review so

other dog lovers can find the show.

If you haven't already, head
over to soul touched by dogs.

com and sign up for weekly doggy cuteness
tips, recommendations, and personal

stories to warm your dog loving heart.

And if you know a pawsome human
you think I should interview,

I'd love an introduction.

Email me at Anke.

That's A N k E at Soul
touched by dogs.com.