Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW has been a therapist and neurodivergent advocate for over 30 years, specializing in therapy for women with ADHD or anxiety. Prior to her current focus on women, she worked with kids & families. She is also the publisher of numerous ADHD-focused newsletters on Substack, including Flourish: A Newsletter for ADHD Women, ADHD Advocate, and ADHD Kids, Affirmed. I’ve been a fan of Kristen’s because she writes in a concise manner that makes it easy to learn strategies to be used every day.

In this episode, our conversation centers around stories from chapter four through seven of Mom Loves the Dogs More. These pages of my memoir are my awakening to the notion that something more was brewing with my girls than the typical teen experience. Their behavior, attitudes, and school performance were shifting. The extrovert became the introvert. The introvert became the class disruptor. Both kids, once excellent students, were struggling with dropping grades and missing assignments. Tension was rising in my marriage as we volleyed through disciplinary actions to control and correct them.

Kristen wove her knowledge as an ADHD therapist into the conversation about my experience as a parent, to illuminate

• Why ADHD girls get missed

• What ADHD can look like in girls

• What actually helps ADHD girls

She highlighted the roles of masking, anxiety, and perfectionism and how emotional intensity, shame, and low self-esteem feed the cycle, whereas an emotionally safe home environment, confidence building activities, parents who advocate for their teens, and friends who practice kindness are critical for helping ADHD teen girls.

HOW TO REACH KRISTEN

Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW writes many blogs about ADHD, including,

• Flourish: A Newsletter for ADHD Women

• ADHD Advocate

• ADHD Kids, Affirmed

There are several ways to read Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue.

1. Become a paid subscriber of Like People, Like Pets to receive a biweekly chapter release delivered to your inbox along with bonus material such as afterthoughts and behind the scenes photos. Subscribing would be greatly encouraging to this author, and it’s a simply awesome way to support my work.

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2. Like to hold a book in your hand? Order a printed copy of Mom Loves the Dogs More.

   Buy Mom Loves the Dogs More

Do you have a friend, family member, or co-worker struggling with their teen? Someone who would love a stronger bond but isn’t sure how to make that happen? Please share this conversation. A little bit of knowledge can forge long-lasting, healthy relationships.

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Parenting comes with moments—beautiful, messy, and everything in between. MOM!!! Moments is where they land. Explore expert insights in the MOM!!! Moments Monthly Interview Series, listen to memoir excerpts in MOM Shorts, and enjoy real-life audio stories in Rescue Shorts, shared by friends of MOM.

This is a real-life audio story shared by Henny and Ava and read by Cindy Ojczyk as part of Rescue Shorts.

There are many ways to buy your copy of Mom Loves the Dogs More.

1. Through your favorite retailer (Amazon, Barnes & Noble…)

2. Through my favorite online retailer supporting independent bookstores bookshop.org

3. Become a paid subscriber to Like People, Like Pets. You’ll get chapters delivered to your inbox in biweekly installments along with bonus material like afterthoughts and behind the scenes images.

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I bet you know of friends, family, or co-workers who would enjoy listening to this rescue story. Make a writer’s day. Please…

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Wendy Lyons Sunshine is an award-winning journalist and author of two parenting books, Raising the Challenging Child and the bestseller, The Connected Child. She published a third book, Tender Paws: How Science-Based Parenting Can Transform Our Relationships with Dogs, after using proven strategies from her parenting books to help bond with a challenging puppy.

Wendy’s books align with the key lesson learned in Mom Loves the Dogs More: strong, lasting bonds are formed when a parent focuses their effort on helping their child or pet become the best version of themselves, or to see them for who they are.

To do that one needs an approach. Tender Paws highlights six proven H.E.A.R.T.S. strategies that when applied to puppies and dogs can transform the people-pet bond.

H: Heal the body

E: Enrigh and optimize the brain

A: Appropriate environments with felt safety

R: Respectful and secure relationships

T: Teach sensitively and positively

S: Support the individual

Listen in. Buy the book.

HOW TO REACH WENDY

Wendy Lyons Sunshine on Substack

Wendy Lyons Sunshine author website

There are several ways to read Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue. Become a paid subscriber of Like People, Like Pets to receive a biweekly chapter release delivered to your inbox along with bonus material such as afterthoughts and behind the scenes photos.

Like to hold a book in your hand? Order Mom Loves the Dogs More from your favorite retailer or visit cindyowrites.com for options.

Subscribe now

Do you have a friend, family member, or co-worker struggling with their dog? Someone who would love a stronger bond but isn’t sure how to make that happen? Please share this conversation. A little bit of knowledge can forge long, lasting relationshiops.

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A little bit of knowledge can help keep yourself, your dog, and those around you safe. That knowledge may even help prevent the need for legal representation or the worst case scenario – an early end to your dog’s life.

In this MOM Moments* session, I met with Jeremy Cohen, founder of Boston Dog Lawyers. He and his team have been solely focused on legal issues related to pets. Their mission is “to advocate for the rights of pet owners and ensure that authorities reach the right decision in the right way.”

• Do you know your rights as a pet parent?

• Do you know what rights others might claim against you?

My family never had an issue with any of our 25 foster dogs or resident dogs that required legal counsel. As my book, Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue, grows legs and I meet more people, I realize how great the risks of living with dogs can be and how fortunate I’ve been. In this video, Jeremy helps us understand and manage the risk related to:

• Dog bites, dangerous dogs, and the important role of pet parents in noticing behavior changes from health issues or trauma that could signify trouble is brewing.

• Excessive barking and the trouble with expecting canines to adjust to human environments.

• Wrongful pet injury or death caused by a care provider. Did you know most states do not regulate boarding facilities, doggie daycares and groomers?

• Things humans do or use that put people and pets at risk. Dogs don’ choose stuff. It’s up to people to choose wisely on behalf of their dogs.

Listen now. Become your pet’s best advocate.

Boston Dog Lawyers specializes in the following areas:

• Dangerous Dog Defense

• Dog Bite Lawsuit Defense

• Wrongful Pet Injury and Death.

  • Scroll this page to learn what questions to ask before choosing a boarding facility, dog sitter, dog walker, or groomer. This page also highlights what questions a dog parent may be asked by Boston Dog Lawyers before or during representation.

• Emotional Support Animals

• Pet Custody

• Pet Business Advisory Services

To reach Jeremy Cohen

• Boston Dog Lawyers

• jcohen@bostondoglawyers.com

• Jeremy Cohen on Substack

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This recording is part of the MOM Moments monthly Substack Live series.

The goal of the MOM Moments sessions are to arm listeners with knowledge by diving deeper into stories from Mom Loves the Dogs More with an expert lens.

• What did I get right?

• What might have been a better approach?

• What else should be considered?

Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue chronicles my journey of raising complex teens and the healing power of rescue dogs. You can purchase a copy via a variety of retailers or become a paid subscriber to read chapters as they are published on Substack.

Subscribe now

I bet you know a dog owner who could benefit from watching this video. Please share.

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LET LOGIC LEAD

Be prepared BEFORE you meet any puppy, or those pleading eyes and wiggly butts may lull you into choosing one that’s not right for you. Start by making a list of the qualities in an adult dog that would align best with you and your family. Think about daily needs and long term changes. Do you like Huskies but not exercise? Are you interested in having a companion to join you at a pub? Maybe you like the look of a cattle dog but have little time to devote to training? Be prepared to create a list of what you want and what you like and to ask a LOT of questions.

DON’T BE DUPED BY PET STORES & UNETHICAL BREEDERS WITH SLICK MARKETING

Did you know that most pet stores and online breeders who deliver to your home or “meet you half way” get their “stock” of puppies from puppy mills? The way to understand puppy mills is to imagine momma dogs and breeding males living just like livestock in small wire cages like factory farmed chickens and pigs. They may spend their entire lives never knowing human touch, never being groomed to remove mats, and never knowing the joy of playing with a toy or taking a walk. The goal of a puppy mill breeder is not to create emotionally and physically healthy pups but to produce large quantities of stock that can be shipped quickly for profit. They won’t invite you to their breeding facilities because they have too much to hide. They’ll tell you their puppies come from breeders who are American Kennel Club registered. Since anyone can register a dog through AKC without oversight and proof of health, puppy mill dogs are easily marketed as “certified or registered.” Buyers are duped into equating this with emotional and physical health.

Responsible breeders will willingly invite you into their homes or facilities and let you view veterinary records, breeding records, and tests they’ve conducted to screen for breed-specific health issues. They will encourage you to meet the momma dog, perhaps the dad dog, and let you visit with your future puppy or other litters.

“It is very easy to get caught in scams, especially online and especially at pet stores…Never purchase a puppy without going to the place where the puppy was born and meeting the mama dog.” – Dr. Nancy Kay

PUPPIES, INCLUDING PURE BREEDS, CAN BE FOUND AT SHELTERS, RESCUES, AND ANIMAL IMPOUNDS

These local facilities make it easy to find your four-legged companion from a wide variety of available puppies. Staff and volunteers interacting with puppies on a daily basis begin to identify personalities that help them write profiles about the animals in their care. This is especially true for puppies that have been in foster homes. Reading these profiles will help you find the pup that piques your curiosity and aligns with your lifestyle. Petfinder.com is a powerful search engine that lists puppies from shelters and rescues across the U.S.

“If you love nurturing puppies and puppy energy, consider fostering pregnant mama dogs, bottle babies or older puppies. You’ll never run out of puppy breath and wiggles.” – Cindy

PUPPY HEALTH BEGINS WITH MATERNAL HEALTH

Every physician knows that a healthy baby begins with a healthy mom. It’s no different with dogs. That is why it’s important to learn what you can about the momma dog’s physical and emotional health. A responsible breeder will readily share that information with you. Unethical breeders, like those who sell to pet stores or ship to your doorstep, focus on slick marketing and meaningless certifications to divert your concerns about health. Rescues and shelters may not know the health history of a momma dog, but many provide veterinary exams, deworming, and vaccinations of the puppies in their care.

SO MUCH MORE IN THE VIDEO

Dr. Nancy offers a wealth of information about picking a puppy from her experience as a veterinanrian. I offer insight from the perspective of a longtime pet foster who has lived with many puppies and dogs in a home setting. The video will help you lead with your head and your heart—so your story with your new pup becomes one of health, happiness, and lasting connection… not heartbreak.

What is your puppy story? Share in the comments below.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO

Dr. Nancy Kay, veterinarian and author of Speaking for Spot and A Dog Named 647

Cindy Ojczyk, author of Like People, Like Pets newsletter and Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue

(Jo Anna Kloster, founder of Empty Cages Press and author of Lily Unleashed, was invited to join us. Technical difficulties kept her from speaking during the Live event. Her story as an animal welfare advocate is truly remarkable. Visit her at Empty Cages Press and read her young adult novel Lily Unleashed.)

Special thanks to , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with Dr. Nancy Kay of !

I bet you know someone who’s thinking about sharing their love with a puppy. Please pass along this video to help them choose with their head and their heart.

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