<![CDATA[Sit, Stay, Fika]]>A podcast about the relationships we build with our dogs.

In Sweden, fika is a pause in the day to sit down with someone you care about. Sit, Stay, Fika is that pause, for us and our dogs. Each episode, dog trainer Charmaine Swan of Fika Dogs sits down with a guest to hear about one dog who changed them: the funny moments, the hard seasons, and what that relationship taught them.

This isn’t a show about quick fixes or perfect obedience. It’s about trust, connection, and the everyday life we share with our dogs. Every episode includes Quick Sips, a fast and fun flash round, and ends with a simple fika practice you can try with your own dog that week.

So pour yourself something warm, find your dog, and let’s fika together.

]]>www.fikadogs.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 31 Oct 2026 21:00:17 GMTMon, 12 Oct 2026 16:12:30 GMT60Charmaine Swan<p>A podcast about the relationships we build with our dogs.</p><p>In Sweden, fika is a pause in the day to sit down with someone you care about. Sit, Stay, Fika is that pause, for us and our dogs. Each episode, dog trainer Charmaine Swan of Fika Dogs sits down with a guest to hear about one dog who changed them: the funny moments, the hard seasons, and what that relationship taught them.</p><p>This isn’t a show about quick fixes or perfect obedience. It’s about trust, connection, and the everyday life we share with our dogs. Every episode includes Quick Sips, a fast and fun flash round, and ends with a simple fika practice you can try with your own dog that week.</p><p>So pour yourself something warm, find your dog, and let’s fika together.</p>episodicCharmaine Swaninfo@fikadogs.comyes<![CDATA[From Corrections to Connection with Tower Anderson - Episode 02]]>In our first guest episode of Sit, Stay, Fika, I share a cup with Tower Anderson of Dog Pause in Truckee, CA. Tower has been a dog trainer since the ’90s and in additiona to his own private training business, is the canine training coordinator at his local humane society. Tower started out using prong collars, shock collars and corrections. But then he met Roo, a terrified shelter dog who couldn’t be corrected into confidence, and she changed how he trained for good.

We talk about why treats “stop working” when your dog’s brain is overwhelmed, using a hand touch as a quick check-in, and bringing a high-drive teenage Dutch Shepherd mix into a home with a calm senior dog. We also cover how to help shelter and foster dogs without getting stuck on their past, and why your job is to be your dog’s tour guide through a confusing human world.

Tower also shares this week’s Fika Pause, Three Second Scratches. It’s a simple way to ask a dog’s consent before and during petting, and it works with new dogs and your own.

Stay for the Quick Sips round: Halloween costumes, morning walks, and Bagheera’s most useless trick.

🐾 Find Tower: Dog Pause: https://www.dogpause.training/ | @DogPause on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook
☕ Find Charmaine: https://fikadogs.com | Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Sit Stay Fika
00:44 What’s in your cup with Tower Anderson
03:00 How Roo changed the way Tower trains
08:00 Aversives, arousal and why treats “don’t work”
11:35 The hand touch check-in
13:30 Adding Bagheera, and then Panda
21:30 Letting your dog have an opinion
25:40 Helping shelter and foster dogs
30:30 Be your dog’s tour guide
39:00 Three Second Scratches
45:00 Quick Sips
52:00 Where to find Tower

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: U7U3KRVALHXEQ7MW

]]>c21df775-6a6b-4591-9574-e4e9d712ae63Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:00:00 GMT<p>In our first guest episode of Sit, Stay, Fika, I share a cup with Tower Anderson of Dog Pause in Truckee, CA. Tower has been a dog trainer since the ’90s and in additiona to his own private training business, is the canine training coordinator at his local humane society. Tower started out using prong collars, shock collars and corrections. But then he met Roo, a terrified shelter dog who couldn’t be corrected into confidence, and she changed how he trained for good.</p><p>We talk about why treats “stop working” when your dog’s brain is overwhelmed, using a hand touch as a quick check-in, and bringing a high-drive teenage Dutch Shepherd mix into a home with a calm senior dog. We also cover how to help shelter and foster dogs without getting stuck on their past, and why your job is to be your dog’s tour guide through a confusing human world.</p><p>Tower also shares this week’s Fika Pause, <b><strong>Three Second Scratches</strong></b>. It’s a simple way to ask a dog’s consent before and during petting, and it works with new dogs and your own.</p><p>Stay for the Quick Sips round: Halloween costumes, morning walks, and Bagheera’s most useless trick.</p><p>🐾 Find Tower: Dog Pause: <a href="https://www.dogpause.training/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.dogpause.training/</a> | @DogPause on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook<br />☕ Find Charmaine: <a href="https://fikadogs.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://fikadogs.com</a> | Instagram, Facebook and YouTube</p><p><b><strong>Chapters:</strong></b><br />00:00 Welcome to Sit Stay Fika<br />00:44 What’s in your cup with Tower Anderson<br />03:00 How Roo changed the way Tower trains<br />08:00 Aversives, arousal and why treats “don’t work”<br />11:35 The hand touch check-in<br />13:30 Adding Bagheera, and then Panda<br />21:30 Letting your dog have an opinion<br />25:40 Helping shelter and foster dogs<br />30:30 Be your dog’s tour guide<br />39:00 Three Second Scratches<br />45:00 Quick Sips<br />52:00 Where to find Tower</p><p>Music licensed through Soundstripe.</p><p>Code: U7U3KRVALHXEQ7MW</p>no00:55:032From Corrections to Connection with Tower Anderson - Episode 02full<![CDATA[Hi, I'm Charmaine - Episode 01]]>For our very first episode, I’m turning the questions on myself. Meet my four dogs, hear how I found my way into dog training, and learn why I started Fika Dogs with a focus on relationship over quick fixes. I also answer a round of Quick Sips (yes, we’ll settle the couch question) and share the first fika practice to try with your own dog this week.

]]>98a3780c-df2b-4b43-8550-e2d2123e88abMon, 12 Oct 2026 16:14:55 GMT<p>For our very first episode, I’m turning the questions on myself. Meet my four dogs, hear how I found my way into dog training, and learn why I started Fika Dogs with a focus on relationship over quick fixes. I also answer a round of Quick Sips (yes, we’ll settle the couch question) and share the first fika practice to try with your own dog this week.</p>no00:17:2211Hi, I'm Charmaine - Episode 01full