This episode has been a little late arriving — thanks to a horse-riding accident — but here at last and looking at rescue dogs through Covid-19. It's been quite a year for all of us, and there are some big figures being cited by the Dogs Trust, RSPCA and the PDSA reflecting the state of our Covid canines. But we all want some good news, and I've included a story of fostering that, yes of course, becomes a story of adoption. And taking some licence with the Dogs Trust mantra, don't forget, a dog is for life, not just for Covid.

Therapy Dogs Nationwide has a network of about 900 volunteers who go into schools, nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, and even airports and building sites. Or they did until Covid-19 struck. Although the services their dogs provide remain curtailed — pawsed, even (sorry) — the work they do will be needed, and maybe to a greater degree than ever before. Good Dog Talk met founders Eileen Hodge and Eileen Slattery before any lockdowns, to chat about the work they did, and will be back doing in the future.

It's difficult to get unbiased advice about what to feed your dog. David Jackson recognised this and set up All About Dog Food in 2012, an independent nutritionist voice in a sea of vested interests. Here he talks to Good Dog Talk about diet, protein, guts and, yes, poo. Definitely food for thought — it's time to understand what exactly is going into the dog bowl.

Professor Erika Cudworth joins Good Dog Talk's Fiona Matthias to discuss the study, Muddied Living, which looks at how we live with our canine companions. What kind of dog owner are you? When can a dog just be a dog? Do people really like dogs that much? And critically, are you a person who has a dog, or are you a dog person? Great questions every dog owner should ask themselves. (Dr. Erika Cudworth is part of the Health and Life Sciences faculty at Leicester’s De Montfort University.)

A short preview of Good Dog Talk: The Podcast. With each episode I will be interviewing canine experts covering all different aspects of dog ownership, but for now, this is a short introduction to me and my dog pod.