From puppy to legend - farewell to the soul dog | Episode 1

A dog enters your life and changes it forever. But some dogs are more than just companions - they are real soul dogs. They leave deep traces in our hearts and shape us in a way that can hardly be put into words. Our Vito was just such a soul dog. In this first episode of our podcast, we take you on an emotional journey in which we tell you openly, honestly and full of gratitude how our journey together with Vito began, the challenges and wonderful moments we experienced and how a little puppy became a true legend. Find out why his legacy lives on even after his death and what it means to have a true soul dog by your side.

As a soul dog, Vito was not only part of our family - he was the catalyst for our heart project Vitomalia, for our further training in dog science and for our path into the public eye. With this podcast series, we not only want to process our grief, but also give you a deep, personal insight into what it's like to live with - and lose - a soul dog. This first episode is dedicated to the question of how it all began. How did Vito come to us, what made him so special - and how did a little puppy become our soul dog?

Four years ago, we had the idea of starting a podcast that would delve deeper into topics that could often only be touched on in our videos and everyday life. At the time, we were excited about the possibility of being able to respond to your questions and the topics that move you and us in more detail, more personally and without time pressure. But life had other plans for us - numerous projects and commitments, both private and professional, caused our podcast idea to take a back seat for the time being.

Now, motivated by the overwhelming feedback from our community and your desire for more in-depth conversations, we have decided to get our podcast equipment out again and finally realise our original idea. Our aim is to create a platform where we can not only share our own experiences, but also actively include the stories, questions and concerns of our listeners. The podcast gives us the space to speak authentically and in detail without being restricted by the narrow format of a video.

We are incredibly happy that our video podcast has finally become a reality and is now available for you on the most important platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. Together with you, we are now starting this special journey - a journey full of emotions, memories and valuable lessons that our soul dog Vito has given us.

The last two and a half years of our lives were characterised by our soul dog Vito's illness, emotional highs and lows and the difficult and heartbreaking decision to finally let him go. It was a time that demanded everything from us - physically, emotionally and mentally. But in the midst of these challenges, it was also a time of deep connection, unconditional love and intense moments that have shaped us forever.

We are therefore dedicating this podcast series to our beloved soul dog Vito. It is his legacy, his memoirs and our way of keeping the countless memories of him alive. We want you to actively participate in his extraordinary story - from his first day with us as a lively puppy to his last moments, in which he showed us in a very special way what unconditional love really means.

Our aim is to celebrate Vito's life, highlighting his special qualities while offering encouragement and comfort to all those who have had or are currently going through similar experiences. We want to talk honestly and openly about the joys and challenges to create a community where no one has to feel alone when they lose a beloved soul dog. Because that's exactly what Vito would have wished for - love, understanding and solidarity.

Over ten years ago, a story began that would change our lives forever - our journey with Vito, our beloved soul dog. We had just moved in together, full of dreams and expectations, and were ready to add a four-legged companion to our little family. We were originally looking for a soul dog American Pitbull Terrier, a breed that had long fascinated us and whose reputation we were determined to change through loving education and awareness.

But fate led us down a slightly different path. When we saw Vito, our soul dog, for the first time, we knew immediately that he would become our dog - even though he was actually an American Staffordshire Terrier. From the very first moment, he won us over with his charming nature, inquisitive character and endless energy. Vito's arrival was more than just the arrival of a new pet - it was the start of a whole new phase in our lives. Through him, we not only learnt so much about dog training, responsibility and love, but also discovered our vocation, which ultimately led us to become dog behaviour therapists and founders of Vitomalia.

In the first few weeks and months together, Vito, our soul dog, turned our lives upside down. But it was precisely this time that bonded us so closely with him and laid the foundation for everything we achieved together. Vito wasn't just a dog, he became our soul dog, inspiring us anew every day, challenging us and filling us with love.

When Vito, our soul dog, came into our lives, we initially felt confident and well prepared thanks to our previous dog experiences. But we soon realised that this self-assurance was not always justified. Looking back, we now recognise many mistakes that we made out of ignorance. In particular, we now take a very critical view of the fact that Vito came from a hobby breeder. At the time, we simply lacked the necessary knowledge and experience to be able to fully assess the risks and possible consequences of such a decision.

Nevertheless, we have never regretted that Vito, our soul dog, moved in with us. From the very beginning, he was not just a pet, but immediately became our soul dog, enriching and changing our lives in many ways. It was through him that we quickly realised the responsibility we have towards list dogs. It became our mission to actively break down prejudices and show people how wonderful and loving these breeds can be with the right training. Vito, our soul dog, was not only part of this mission, but became its centrepiece - an ambassador who reached the hearts of many people through his nature and his story and changed prejudices for good.

The search for a suitable dog school for our soul dog Vito proved to be extremely difficult and was characterised by the numerous prejudices we were confronted with. Although Vito was an extremely social, friendly and sociable dog from the outset, many trainers and organisations categorically rejected him - solely because of his breed. It felt like any attempt to provide Vito with proper socialisation and training would be met with rejection, which put a huge emotional strain on us.

After intensive research and many frustrating rejections, we finally found the Doggy Haus in Offenbach, a kennel that fortunately worked without prejudice and warmly welcomed all dogs, regardless of their breed. At Doggy Haus, Vito was given the chance to be perfectly socialised, to get to know many different dogs and their behaviour in an open pack environment and to develop his social intelligence in a natural way. These experiences made a lasting impression on him and helped him to become the balanced and confident dog he later became. The Doggy House thus became a decisive milestone in Vito's development and remains for us a symbol of openness and tolerance towards all dogs.

A soul dog is more than just an animal companion - it is a mirror of your own soul. This special bond is not created through training or education, but through shared experiences, crises, closeness and trust. A soul dog recognises your mood before you can name it yourself. He accompanies you through difficult times, without words, just through his presence. Vito was exactly this dog for us.

Soul dogs leave traces that go deeper than paw prints - they shape our hearts, our everyday lives and often even our lives. Their impact is lasting, their memory remains forever. With this podcast series, we want to do justice to this connection and share it with you - for your own journey with your soul dog.