Listener favorite Karis Nafte is back! In this episode, she’s talking to Seth and Pete about the challenges of sorting out visitation when it comes to the family pet. Some dogs can handle it, others cant. There’s also the factor of how much excitement the ex brings every time they visit. Are they playing ‘Disney Dad’ but with the dog? That can lead to stress and anxiety in your dog. How about different breeds? Different ages? What about mixes? We dig into a lot of factors that could affect how well your canine handles visitation rights. The bottom line, however? You really have to think about what’s best for the dog which usually is letting it stay with just one person.

Born in Oregon, Karis started training dogs professionally in 1996. Where, in addition to teaching puppy and obedience classes she worked at the very first doggy daycare in Portland.  She has hugely varied background in professional animal work; obedience, agility, aggressive dogs, shelter work, flyball, and movie work with animals.

In 2005 Karis came to South Africa on a vacation, fell in love with the country, and decided to stay put. She lives there with her husband, daughter, 3 cats and 4 dogs. 

Known for her humane and effective training and behavior solutions, Karis is a nationally known and well-respected dog behavior expert, regularly appearing on TV and radio interviews.  Her training school, Happy Dogs, offers 60 plus classes per month.  She is a judge for the South African Dog Agility Association, and a licensed animal wrangler for the film industry.

After recognizing the need for ‘dog centered mediation’ during divorce, Karis became an internationally accredited family mediator. Now, she combines her wealth of experience of dogs and family pets with mediation to help her clients make the best decision for their dog’s long-term wellbeing. 

Her goal is to help her clients see the dogs not as weapons or leverage against their ex, nor as human children, but as the individuals they are with their own doggy needs. She collaborates with mediators and attorneys worldwide as well as offering regular webinars to educate divorce professionals about pets and divorce.