#42 - Dr. Katie Homan - What Makes a Good Life for Dogs? Play, Meaning, and Relationship

What does it mean for a dog to live a “good life”? Can animals experience something like meaning or purpose? And what role do play, relationship, agency, and training have in helping animals flourish? In this episode, Dr. Kristina Spaulding talks with philosopher, dog trainer, and behavior consultant Dr. Katie Homan about philosophy, play, ethics, flourishing, and the deeply relational nature of life with dogs. Katie shares how her background in philosophy shaped the way she thinks about play, welfare, attachment, and human–animal relationships. Together, they explore questions that don’t have simple answers — including:  What philosophy actually is (and why it matters)   The difference between pleasure and flourishing   Whether dogs can experience meaning and purpose   Why play may be fundamentally relational   The role of agency, vulnerability, and reciprocity in our interactions with dogs   Whether training can become more playful   How ethical assumptions shape animal behavior practice   Why learning to tolerate uncertainty may be essential for both science and philosophy  The conversation also explores how concepts like flow, attachment, resilience, and social connection may contribute to positive welfare — and why asking better questions may matter as much as finding definitive answers. Katie also discusses her current thesis research examining attachment styles and human–dog interaction patterns in olfactory detection work. This episode is less about arriving at fixed conclusions and more about learning to “live the questions” together. You can learn more about Katie’s work through her training business, See Spot Play at https://www.seespotplay.dog/ or email her at [email protected]. For more information, please check out my website and social media links below! Website: https://sciencemattersllc.com/  Unlocking Resilience: https://sciencemattersllc.com/unlocking-resilience Research Bites: https://sciencemattersllc.com/research-bites Join the Science Matters newsletter Facebook ...