Welcome to a dog’s guide to fatherhood in suburbia. On Child of Dog, Stephen and Ben talk about how they build meaningful relationships, raise open minded children, and navigate their careers in the rapidly-changing world around them. Ben Garson, a respected dog trainer, and Stephen Roth, a holistic therapist who lives on a farm, decided to record the kinds of conversations they have about life — and that other young people raising families might find entertaining and educational.
We finally did it! After sixteen episodes, we've cracked the code and are bringing video to you (on YouTube). Today's pod covers some exchanges Stephen recently had with strangers, one of which about the word "healer" and someone's aversion to the use of it.
In the course of the conversation, Ben wonders whether "dockers" (the pants he had to wear as a child) were named that because they were designed for dock workers (doubtful), and more broadly, the hosts discuss the merits and risks of having strong opinions, as well as the need to develop trust in therapeutic/professional relationships so that there can be pushback, challenge, and mutual boundary-finding.
Other topics include: word policing, choosing your audience, friends & family vs. fans, what it means to "make it," Banana-League Baseball, and how humans react to free things.
Be sure to hop over to our YouTube page to like and subscribe! Hopefully seeing our faces won't turn you off from watching in the future...
16 Jul 2026
American Cheese
On today's episode, the boys talk tea, health, eating, family vacations, boredom on the beach, burger toppings, head tilts, forest fire smoke, the romance of a post-apocalyptic landscape, and other related tangents! Could the hosts instill fear into the common Black Bear if need be? And would they rather take on said bear, or a big cat? Some food for thought...
As always, we hope you enjoy!
2 Jul 2026
Fun Guys
We're straight to business in today's episode! Stephen has almost fully implemented some of the schedule changes he discussed on the last pod, and Ben has just returned home from a work trip that he's eager to share about. Listen along as we hear about Ben's adventures in Tennessee working at Tight End University; the conversation centers around how groups of people come together for a defined period of time with a shared goal, and how relationships form quickly in such an environment. We also touch upon the way people pedestalize celebrities, what it's like to work along side fame without getting star struck or acting like a fanboy, and what it means to be a good employee and work to execute someone else's vision at the highest level.
1 Jun 2026
Higher Frequency
We're back! The boys each have new family members: one is furry and the other is not. Fatherhood, fasting, and fostering connection with our kids are all topics of conversation. Enjoy!
28 Mar 2026
Bread & Butter
We're back for episode thirteen! Today the boys welcome you into their new studio (even though you can't see it yet)! Discussion includes: how Matzoh is a terrible desert food, being a "kept" man, opinion overload, being vulnerable on social media, a moment or meal we would like to relive for the first time (fan question), phone zombification and the inability to be bored, the expectation of being in touch, forgetting what our children looked like at earlier stages of life, and the qualities of ourselves from the past that we cringe at. Also, Stephen organically does a lot of impressions.
28 Feb 2026
Small Plates
4 Feb 2026
Dramatic Pause
Welcome back to Child of Dog! On today's episode, the boys take questions and commentary from a few listeners. One wonders why Stephen is so unwilling to discuss conspiracy theories on the pod, and another wonders what the hosts think about Valentine's day. In their usual back-and-forth manner, Stephen and Ben reflect on the best and worst holidays, age-old questions like: can you see the "man in the moon" and do people have a good side and a bad side? Other topics include: childhood levitation, Stephen's aversion to cherubim, the best Reese's holiday shape, fruit and nuts in dessert, the end of summer, "Sunday scaries," and exposing children to extreme temperatures in the pursuit of mental and physical fortitude.
9 Jan 2026
Losing Gravity
Welcome in 2026 with Ben and Stephen! The boys are back to recap holiday chaos, and decide to try out a small format change, with one of the hosts' presenting a question or topic for discussion each episode. Now responsible for creating their own family's holiday cheer, Ben and Stephen reflect on their childhood experiences of Christmas Day and how that compares to today. Other topics include: Ben's recent concert, the peach and the pit of the most recent holiday season, aversion to chanting in unison and anytime groups of people say the same thing at the same time, the movement to keep Christ in Christmas, the dreaded toddler hitting phase and strategies to manage, what keeps us up at night, and the sudden loss of gravity.
2 Dec 2025
Chongqing Chicken
The band is back together for another episode of Child of Dog! The boys discuss the perfect Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, Vas recounts how his pup Gus has eaten a container of dried Szechuan chili peppers, and Ben proclaims himself as the "King of Analogies," to which Stephen objects. Topics include Turkey day responsibilities, the origin of Vas's rescue dog and his emotional sensitivities, the challenges of fostering animals, appropriate client/practitioner boundaries (kind of), and the far-too-common faux pas of people shouting "don't worry, my dog is friendly." Thanks for joining us on another episode of the CODPOD!
11 Nov 2025
Strategic Avoidance
Welcome back to another episode of Child of Dog! Join Stephen and Ben for a conversation focused on child rearing, including topics such as: the hosts' middle-of-the-road curiosity about "parenting from the past," balancing analog and digital, protection versus exposure, homeschooling, progress, resilience, and how all of these topics inevitably relate to dog training and therapy.
28 Oct 2025
Beef Tongue
After a brief and unplanned hiatus - and without their trusty producer Vas - Stephen and Ben return to the studio for another great episode! The boys recount Ben's birthday celebration in NYC, Stephen's recent and powerful experience with a cadaver dissection training, the hosts' relative experience with death and the question of what lies after, shutting off from grief, covenants with the universe, Jewish mysticism, channeling, and Izakaya beef tongue. An eclectic mix as always! Please like and subscribe, leave a review, and reach out with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism; we love hearing from our small-yet-growing fanbase!
17 Sept 2025
Charlie Kirk
Today’s episode is a shorter, more somber one, focused on the life and death of Charlie Kirk. As young thinkers, fathers, and fellow humans, Stephen and Ben address an incident the incident that has shaken the country, and share honest reflections about hope, optimism, free speech, community, globalism versus localism, mortality, and the future of humanity.
1 Sept 2025
Practice Rounds
Stephen and Ben are back for episode five! The gap was longer than usual, but the conversation doesn't miss a beat. Ben is on the other side of his vasectomy, and Stephen has recently cut his finger and eaten a bad egg. Episode topics include: the ebb and flow of friendships, navigating medical situations with humor, drinking vessels, recreational pharmacology, debate team, "naming the thing," and the importance of value sets.
23 Jul 2025
Late Bloomers
Welcome back for episode four of the COD POD (yes, we're making that nickname happen)! It's our first recording since the official launch of the show, and we're already talking abbreviations, merch, and the manifestation of a large listening audience! On today's episode, Ben and Stephen discuss heavy metal music, Ben's upcoming vasectomy, celebrity deaths and other items in the zeitgeist (as well as the word "zeitgeist"), being late bloomers and turning down offers of HGH as adolescents, gravity, torture, and constructive confrontation. Listen long enough, and you'll even hear Stephen do a southern accent (think Savannah, Georgia)!
9 Jul 2025
Parisian Haircut
Ben and Stephen are back for episode three! Having just returned from Paris, Ben is sporting a haircut that is trés chic, even though he got it in the States...The show takes off in its usual, organic yet relatively unpredictable manner, covering topics such as: Hebrew school, the hosts' relationship with religion, the future and AI cults, attitudes towards schooling, homework, and college, as well as controlling outcomes, managing reactivity, and the overwhelm caused by Globalism. Listen along as the hosts get real about their experiences with clients, family, and going to therapy!
9 Jul 2025
Hot Coffee
From black coffee and Christian Slater, to Dave Matthews, the Zodiac Killer, and a discussion on capacity versus will, Ben and Stephen are back for episode two of the newly renamed Child of Dog podcast. Topics include nuance in media, failures of the expert class, groupthink, anti-heroes, boring conversations, the American West, and the difference between traveling with family and traveling with friends.
9 Jul 2025
House Shoes
Welcome to Child of Dog! Or at this point, the Outrider Dogs Podcast. Ben and Stephen start by discussing the show's name (which changes after this episode) and the meaning behind the term "Outrider." The conversation organically flows from there, covering topics from dog training, generational attunements to emotion, parenting and interpersonal lessons from the hosts’ careers, navigating conflict in marriage, and even protective instincts around sharing food!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
15
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Child of Dog
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Child of Dog?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
