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, welcome Nicole.

I'm super excited to have you here.

Nicole: Yes, thank you for having me.

I'm so glad you're doing this and
providing this platform for all of

us and giving us a voice and spread
the word and create more awareness

about so many topics with dogs.

Anke: And it's my most
Delightful, favorite project.

I'm more than, more than happy here.

It's actually one of those funny cases.

We could talk in German, right?

Yeah, yeah.

But today we won't.

So tell people where you're based and,
you know, what's your business with dogs?

Yes,

Nicole: sure, sure.

I mean, I'm sure you hear my accent.

I'm a native German, but I've
been living here in the U.

S.

for 20 years now, uh, specifically
in Atlanta, Georgia, in the South.

And today we have a rainy day and my, my
Doberman mannequin is in the background.

That's what I use when I teach
classes about pet first aid.

And my classes are equally for
dogs and cats, actually, for both.

But, uh, yeah, I, I don't personally
own cats, uh, so I'm a little bit

more focused on the dogs, but, uh,
yeah, I, I'm on my second Doberman,

by the way, and his name is Frodo.

He's extraordinary big, so I'm sure
a lot of, um, people that listening,

they're familiar with Lord of the Rings
and the Hobbits, and when he came to us

with Nine Weeks, he had these huge paws.

Hairy paws and the hobbits have hairy
feet and big feet so this is where

the name Frodo came and he's a, he's
a 50 kilo dog or 115 pounds but such

a gentle soul and I, I learned a lot
so needless to say he has definitely

touched my soul but there have been also
dogs before that touched my soul and

that lead me to what, what I do really.

I love

Anke: it.

I mean, to be honest, and we've
touched on it before we hit record,

it's like before I came across you,
I don't think I'd ever even heard

about First Aid for Dogs before.

So how did you stumble across
it and what made you kind of

turn this into your, into your

Nicole: race?

Yes.

I mean, initially my background
is from the trade show business.

I was 20 years in business, always
traveling and Basically living my life

on a fast speed lane, uh, and, uh, so
presenting, um, and, uh, organizing

events was, was in my nature, you know,
that's where, where my talent was, but

I got so tired of the corporate world.

I wanted to do something more meaningful.

And, um, the first time I researched
Pet First Aid was actually because

my husband is a rock climber.

So we go camping in very remote
areas in North Carolina, for example.

And I'm not a climber, so I, I was like
the camp mom staying behind, you know, and

doing hikes with my Doberman back then.

And I always ask myself, you know,
I'm, I'm really hours away from any

emergency clinic or veterinarian, what
do I do if my dog gets bitten by a snake?

So this is where I started
researching, and I discovered Pet Tech.

And Pet Tech, um, is a little bit like
the American Red Cross for the pets.

They're based in California.

And they, they are international,
but their focus is here in the U.

S., uh, for now.

And, uh, this is how I started
out, you know, that, uh, they

certified me as instructor.

Uh, and so we all keep
with the same curriculum.

So if you're not based in
Atlanta, you can, uh, go on their

website, uh, at least for the U.

S., uh, pettech.

net, and you can find an
instructor in your area.

But, uh, I also have the goal of, uh,
creating my own YouTube channel very soon.

So there will be, uh, lots of
videos there as well, eventually.

Anke: That's fascinating.

So, I mean, first it's, it's funny
where I'm thinking, well, oh my God,

like I think most people probably
can't even remember the little bit

of first aid we did for people.

Yes.

Like I'm going for dogs, so what
are typical Emergencies that, you

know, in your class that you'd
cover, that somebody would learn.

Nicole: Oh my gosh,
it's a four hour class.

And it's, uh, really very,
uh, a lot of content.

I mean, most people after the class,
they say, oh my gosh, I didn't

know what I didn't know, right?

Uh, because we, we talk
about prevention a lot.

And over the years, I've been
teaching now for eight years.

Over the years, I included more and
more scary pictures because I know

that it's, Anke Herrmann, Taming the
Tech Monster, Anke Herrmann, Taming

the Tech Monster, Anke Herrmann, Taming
the Tech Monster, Anke Herrmann, Taming

the Tech Monster, Anke Herrmann, Taming
the You know, you can't help the pet.

So that's very important.

And, um, so we talk about how to do
a pressure, uh, bandage, for example.

So it's really hands on.

We do different, uh, bandaging
techniques for the paw, for the ear,

um, uh, and also how to do CPR, of
course, you know, and rescue breathing.

I have a doggy mannequin here, uh, more
than one actually, where we practice, you

know, and, um, how to induce vomiting.

Um, how to handle choking, for example,
you know, when they, they really,

um, uh, have a toy in the throat or
food or bone, um, allergic reactions,

snake bites, insect bites, you know,
it's so much, uh, content really.

Anke: And well, uh, yeah, I mean, it's
like, Oh my God, like it seems to be low.

Boy, we all need that, right?

Because I think it's like the worst
thing that could, I mean, I don't know,

like as a dog lover, it's almost like
the worst thing you can imagine that

something happens to your, to your dog.

Cause it's like, it's always
like a person, a person can sort

of, unless they're unconscious,
like, but like a person usually

can kind of say where it hurts.

They can kind of say, well,
look, this is what happened.

And like, I fell and now my leg hurts.

It's like, it's like, you
know, there's, there's.

There's a little level of ownership or
autonomy that you can kind of expect

from a person, whereas a dog can't tell
you, you know, so it's like, and you see

them suffering and you're like, and then

Nicole: you kind of feel like
you're letting your dog down.

Yeah, for your pets, yes, uh, because
most of us are, are not familiar

with, with the vitals, you know, and
that's another topic we talk about.

If you know what's normal for your
pet, because the, the vitals, they

vary a lot because we have all kinds of
breeds and sizes, then the difference

between large dogs and a small cat,
for example, you know, so what, if

you know what's normal for your pet.

then you, you recognize, uh, the
symptoms much easier and faster.

And sometimes really, uh, time is of
the essence where every second counts

if you have an emergency like that.

And I've had, uh, multiple
students or friends, you know,

that literally saved their own pet
or, um, uh, their clients pets.

You know, usually my classes are
half and half, the average pet owner.

But the other half are people that
work in the industry that work with

dogs and cats like the dog walkers
and, uh, the, the, uh, pet hotels and,

and boarding facilities, you know,
everybody who is really in contact

with dogs and cats, uh, should, should
learn something about pet first aid.

And I think, um, Doing it live.

I mean, sure, everybody can watch a
YouTube video, but it's really not

the same when you do the exercises
yourself because You create muscle

memory, and if you have done it before
and then the emergency happens, you

react faster, you know exactly what to
do, and you're less likely to panic.

And that's what it's all about.

Yeah.

to, to really teach people you, you can
do that, you know, and, and strangely

enough, over the years, it's really 90
percent women that attend my classes.

Isn't that interesting?

Anke: What do you make of that?

Nicole: We're more the caretakers,
you know, um, but also I wanted,

and I say this in my classes, you
know, we, we, uh, prepare for the

worst, but we hope for the best.

And I, for me, every dog is a
service dog or emotional support

dog, whether they have the official
certification or not, because we know

that they, they go through all the
ups and downs in our lives with us.

You know, they give us unconditional
love, they're always there, uh, for us,

and they transform our, uh, bad mood,
they remind us to be in the moment, and

I think we owe it to them to, to learn,
uh, a little bit about their needs and

their bodily functions, you know, and,
and that, that is my goal to prevent

and, and save lives, and coming back
to some of my friends and students.

There was one person in particular
where we talked about how to do body

checks, you know, and look for those
fatty lumps that so many dogs have.

And she did that and she found a
lump on the abdomen and she went to

the veterinarian and the vet said,
Oh my gosh, it's Great, you came in.

It was a tumor at the spleen
that was about to rupture and

unfortunately it happens quite often.

So she literally saved her dog's
life with just by doing these body

checks and there's so much that
we can do in terms of prevention.

Anke: That makes so much sense.

I think like, you know, first, like
knowing what is even normal, so you can

detect when something's off, you know,
and then also where to look for something

that isn't quite right, you know, yeah,
that makes, that makes so much sense.

So if somebody wants to learn more
or find the class or like what's

the best place for them to go.

Nicole: My website, which is dobiemom.

com, very, very easy to remember,
and DOBIE spelled D O B I E.

Some of them spell it differently,
and my next class here in Atlanta,

if you should be here in the
Atlanta area, is on April the 21st.

on a Sunday in Dunwoody.

Uh, but like I said, um, I will soon
have a YouTube channel with, uh,

some snippets that you can, um, uh,
watch and, and read about first aid.

Anke: I love it.

I love it.

Thank you.

I mean, would you, are you considering
like, you know, offering online classes?

You know, where it's like in
Zoom, in Zoom, where I can

get the best of both worlds.

I can get the direct, you know,
where I can practice here with my dog

and I get, I can ask you questions.

So I don't have to come to Atlanta
and I don't, it's the between coming

to Atlanta and watching YouTube

Nicole: videos.

Yeah.

I thought about it, you know, but I
think YouTube is really the platform to

reach more people and spread the word
more, and like we, we talked before our

interview, a lot of people, they, they
just have a little bit time, you know,

so I would break it up because it's
really quite comprehensive, the content.

So break it up in little videos, because
then you really get the content across.

There's really a lot to learn.

Anke: Well, thank you, but it's so worth
it because I think, you know, as you

said, like you can save your dog's life,
you know, like that's definitely worth

investing a little bit of time and energy.

And so thank you so much for coming
and pointing, you know, like making

us aware of it, because I think
there's still a long way to go before

everybody kind of knows about it.

And

Nicole: I know, you know, it's human
nature that we normally think, oh, This

always happens to other people, but
even though that I teach this stuff,

you know, and I hear all the, uh,
stories from people, from my students,

uh, that have lost, uh, pets already,
I have to be careful that I'm not

getting paranoid, but things like that
happen to me too, you know, like my

dog, uh, he wanted to jump out of the
car and I have one of these mini vans

where the door comes out automatically.

And his paw got caught in that mechanism,
you know, and things like that.

Or he munched down on
my thyroid medications.

I had to induce vomiting, you know,
and I'm like, okay, here you go.

At least I know what to do, right?

You know what

Anke: to do, right?

Nicole: But I imagine you saw
some other people that don't know

how, what to do, you know, it,

Anke: It might lose their

Nicole: dog over it.

Very stressful.

Yes.

And then you deal with the, if you
really lost a pet, you know, sometimes

we do have these moments in the
class where a person starts crying

because they realize they could have
done something to save their pet.

And that's the most heart wrenching and
difficult stuff, you know, it's, uh, but.

They're there now, you know, so I'm always
happy for everyone that is open and, and,

uh, trying to learn about Pet First Aid.

And over the years, um, more and
more people had more questions

about nutrition as well.

And this is how, uh, you know, sometimes
your, uh, passion just develops,

you know, and people are asking.

And so I became certified in
nutrition, uh, as well, uh, and I'm

not a medical nutritionist in the
sense I'm a holistic nutritionist.

And, uh, this class is actually online
because there's not the same amount

of, uh, hands on exercises that you
have to do comparable to the first aid.

So that one you can
actually, uh, watch online.

It's a three hour, very condensed video.

I talk about all, uh, diets, whether
it's the dry food, the canned.

Uh, the Dehydrated, the Gently
Cooked, the Home Cooked, uh, the Raw

Anke: Foods, you know.

I think I want to have
you back for that one.

Like that's, I think that's a whole
other topic that I think I'd love

to unpack in a, in a different,
in a separate, you know, like.

Yes, would love to.

You can come back, like, you know, it's my
show, I can do whatever the heck I want.

So I can have you back.

Yes.

Because that's a whole other
topic that I'd love to unpack.

So,

Nicole: yeah, definitely.

Because that is part
of prevention as well.

You know, and where I'm coming
from, uh, maybe because I didn't

grow up, uh, in, in the U.

S., I grew up in Germany where
we have a very different health

system or medical system for the
humans as well as for the pets.

It's much more about prevention
and, uh, more open to, uh, holistic

and alternative treatments.

This is really, uh, what my, uh, first
aid is also focused on the holistic, uh,

role, you know, what, what can we do?

What kind of alternatives do we have?

Like laser treatment, uh, for example,
or acupuncture for pain management and,

uh, the, the nutrition part as well
is, uh, we holistic nutritionists, we

look at it from the cellular level.

How does, um, how does that work?

food in your body or in the dog's
body and how can we create balance

again and heal and prevent.

Anke: Love it.

Love it.

That's, that's definitely going
to be the topic for the next one.

So DobieMum.

com.

Go get in touch with me, Paul.

Thank you so much for coming.

And I can't wait to have you back.

Uh

Nicole: huh.

Love to.

Yes.

Looking forward to it.

And thank you again for having me.

Anke: My pleasure.

Thanks so much for listening.

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And if you know a pawsome human
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That's A N k E at Soul
touched by dogs.com.