Woof Meow Pet Tip for April 20 2026 at Star 977 with Don Hanson – Beyond Bell Rubs No2
< Updated 2026-04-20 >
< The link to this page – https://www.forcefreepets.com/wfmwtip-2026-04-20/ >
MIKE DOW: – Welcome to Woof Meow with Don Hanson here on Star 977. When it comes to pets, how to best care for them, how to train them, and how to make that bond with your pet even stronger, do what so many people in Maine do: they go to Don Hanson at Green Acres Kennel Shop, 1653 Union Street in Bangor, and online at greenacreskennel.com, and at the ForceFreePets website at forcefreepets.com
DON: – In my last tip, I introduced you to the book Beyond Belly Rubs: The Compassionate Pet Guardian. One of the skills you MUST have to be a trusted and compassionate pet guardian is the ability to tell when your dog is stressed and uncomfortable. While we often think of our dogs as predators, they are keenly aware that they are also prey to the most dangerous predator of all: humans. That means dogs are very good at hiding when they are stressed and vulnerable. Both humans and dogs experience the same fight-or-flight response when threatened; humans tend to be very active and noisy, while dogs are usually motionless and quiet. After the break, I’ll review some signs that your dog may be distressed.
MIKE DOW: – Since 1995, Don has owned Green Acres Kennel Shop at 1653 Union Street in Bangor, offering pet food and supplies, boarding, daycare, and grooming. Learn more at greenacreskennel.com. Don also offers education for pets and their people at forcefreepets.com.
DON: – Dogs do most of their communication silently with various parts of their body. By the time your dog is barking, growling, and lunging, you have probably missed several visual signals they have used to tell you, “I’m uncomfortable, please stop or go away. Help Me!” These signals include yawning, turning their head away, tucking their tail, holding their mouth tightly closed, and more. One of the signals people most often miss is the FREEZE. A dog that is frozen in fear and avoiding all eye contact feels threatened just as much as the dog who is fighting or running away in fear. Just because a dog is not barking and growling does NOT mean they feel safe. Please, take the time to read Beyond Belly Rubs so you can understand all these signals and can ensure your dog feels safe.
MIKE DOW: – Animal lovers listen for Woof Meow with Don Hanson each Monday at 4:20, and at various times during the week, only on Star 977
There are links to three short videos and an article where you can learn more about why I want you to read Beyond Belly Rubs at https://www.forcefreepets.com/readbeyondbellyrubs/
I maintain two blogs, where I write about a variety of topics related
to dogs and cats, or with a “Woof and Meow” theme. See what I did there? You can explore either by clicking on the links below. I also often share links to articles by others that I believe my subscribers will find interesting. If you like what you see, please subscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you think friends and family members would like what I’m writing about, please share the link. – Don
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ForceFreePets Blog – https://www.forcefreepets.com/blog/
Green Acres Kennel Shop Blog – https://www.greenacreskennel.com/blog/
