Episode 021 - Why Every Dog Should Have a Bucket List

Season #1 October 21, 2025

Show Notes

Your Dog’s Bucket List

In this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast, Lorrie Reynolds shares a deeply personal story and an important reminder about the limited time we have with our dogs.

After a sudden medical diagnosis changed the expected future for one of her dogs, Lorrie was reminded of something many dog owners don’t think about until it’s too late: the importance of creating a “bucket list” for your dog.

A dog’s bucket list doesn’t have to be dramatic or expensive. It simply means making time for the experiences that bring joy to both you and your dog while they are healthy enough to enjoy them.

This episode is both a heartfelt story and a powerful reminder to make the most of every moment you share with your dog.

Topics Covered

dog bucket list ideas, making memories with your dog, enriching your dog’s life, spending meaningful time with your dog, celebrating your dog’s life

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why creating a bucket list for your dog can change how you spend time together
• How unexpected health events can shift your perspective on time with your dog
• Why everyday experiences matter just as much as big adventures
• How to build meaningful memories with your dog while they are healthy
• Simple ways to start your dog’s bucket list today

Episode Overview

Most dog owners assume they will have many years with their dogs. When life takes an unexpected turn, it can quickly remind us how precious that time really is.

In this episode, Lorrie shares the emotional story of her dog Xephyr’s sudden health crisis and the difficult diagnosis that followed. Facing the possibility of losing a dog far too early forced her to reflect on the experiences they had already shared together.

Fortunately, Xephyr had already lived a life full of adventure, training, and companionship. From traveling to events and assisting with seminars to learning tricks and spending everyday moments together, his life was rich with experiences.

That perspective led to an important lesson: every dog deserves a bucket list.

A dog’s bucket list doesn’t need to be a dramatic “last adventure.” Instead, it should be a collection of experiences woven into everyday life while your dog is healthy and able to enjoy them.

Whether it’s finishing a training goal, exploring a new place, capturing photos together, or simply making time for activities your dog loves, these moments become the memories that matter most.

Key Takeaway

Don’t wait for a crisis to start thinking about the experiences you want to share with your dog. Create a bucket list and start checking items off now, while your dog is healthy enough to enjoy them.

Resources Mentioned

Maximum Fun Dog Sports
https://www.maximumfundogs.com

Stay Connected

If you enjoy the Maximum Fun Agility podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the podcast with friends who train and compete with their dogs.

Your support helps more agility teams discover training ideas that build confidence, communication, and fun on course.

Additional Resources:

Website: https://www.maximumfundogs.com
Shop: https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/shop
Email: [email protected]
Articles: https://www.maximumfundogs.com/articles
The Agility Playground: https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/2025-bb-tap1-7D

Episode Transcript

Lorrie [00:00:08]:
Welcome to the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. I'm Lorrie Reynolds, owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. We help your agility team build your relationship, communication, confidence, and fun in training so that you can joyfully succeed on any course. I want to warn you ahead of time that this episode deals with losing a pet and may trigger people who have recently gone through it. You may need a tissue or 2. One beautiful spring morning, out of the blue on a Monday, my little 6 year old dog had a grand mal seizure. For those of you who are fortunate to never have dealt with this before, seizures are terrifying when they occur unexpectedly. Even though I knew what was happening intellectually, I was an emotional mess as I waited an eternity for it to end.

Lorrie [00:01:00]:
I had already planned an emergency trip to the vet. Xephyr woke up and fell off the bed. He was circling oddly, and he couldn't find his crate for breakfast. I was on my way to get dressed for a trip to the emergency vet when the seizure happened. I won't drag you emotionally through all of the horrible details from that day and the follow-up visits to get more tests and an ultrasound. The seizure was caused by low glucose, which was triggered by a large mass on his liver that was interfering with the insulin balance. The vet told me that if I was lucky, I'd have a month, maybe 2, before I had to say goodbye to my dog who should have been less than halfway through his life. In many ways, I've been extremely fortunate.

Lorrie [00:01:45]:
I've had 11 rescues and 2 purchased dogs so far in my adult life, and I've only lost one other dog at a young age to an autoimmune disease that caused a sudden bleed. All of the others have lived very long lives, and my heart and soul dog lived until just shy of 17. I've never had to deal with cancer in any of my dogs, so I've beaten the odds. I'm also blessed to have had, other than the COVID years, a very active life with my dogs. Especially compared to most household pets, my dogs have lived full and enriched lives. Xephyr had traveled out of state to a national trick dog convention, had made trips to the mountains to be my teaching assistant, had gotten to play in the wide open spaces with a pack of friendly dogs on multiple occasions, had been a demo dog for foreign students learning about canine conditioning, and was my full time companion for the last 2 years of his life as I worked from home. And that brings me to the bucket list. Here's my advice.

Lorrie [00:02:55]:
All dogs should have a bucket list. It should include things you assume that they want to do and the things you want to do with them. Integrate your dog's bucket list into your daily life. Wanna make him the star of a video? Go do it now. It doesn't have to be perfect. Want to take a trip to the beach, the mountains, or the lake with your dog? Don't put it off. Take the selfies with your dog. Movie plots aside, our bucket lists for our dogs or ourselves shouldn't be one last grand adventure we take as they are dying.

Lorrie [00:03:32]:
We should do things on that list every day while they are well and can enjoy them. One of my bucket list items for Xephyr was to finish his trick dog champion title. We completed it 2 days after his formal diagnosis. You can watch it on my YouTube channel. The only things I changed after his diagnosis were to let him get away with a little more naughtiness, take some extra pictures and video since the hundreds of photos and hours of video I already had would never be enough, and feed him things I normally wouldn't have let him have. I have no regrets about Xephyr's experiences in life. I only wish that we could have continued to have those experiences together for much, much longer. Go give your dog or dogs a hug.

Lorrie [00:04:22]:
They are never with us long enough. And then go put a check mark next to another one of their bucket list items. You won't regret it. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. Learn how we can help your team and join our community at www.maximumfundogs.com. See you next time.