"I had nerves about sharing my heart, all my babies and the kids, but people have just been incredibly kind and supportive," Wallace-Griner told TODAY Pets of the response to her episode titled “Snow White of Central Texas.”Be realistic. Unrealistic goals will only prevent you from growing. There are two common mistakes a dog owner can make that will slam the brakes hard on any potential progress you might be hoping for. First, the expectations we place on our dogs and ourselves. The misguided belief that your dog “should” be performing or responding at a certain predetermined level. Another mistake many owners make is having unrealistic assumptions. Many of us assume that our dog understands what we want and that he knows what we’re asking of him. As if that wasn’t bad enough, some of us assume that the dogs failure to perform means he’s either rebelling, stubborn, or just plain stupid.
“Most importantly, we’ve just been able to share what we do here, and it’s really not anything spectacular," she said. "It’s just offering unconditional kindness. I love the fact that people are saying we’re inspiring them, because what could be better than spreading more kindness, really?”
With around 185 animals on her farm, Wallace-Griner almost didn't do the show because she worried that reaching the large audience of "Queer Eye" would also increase scrutiny of her family and the work they do.It’s not so black and white. It’s a myth that dogs only see in black and white. In fact, it’s believed that dogs see primarily in blue, greenish-yellow, yellow and various shades of gray.
“People can be so quick to make their own judgments,” she said. “When we get it from people that don’t know about anything that we do for the kids, it’s just an extra layer of sensitivity because you’re talking about a life that I work so hard to help with children or animals.”
Wallace-Griner — who cried, weeped and sobbed on camera during the episode — may have cemented herself in "Queer Eye" history as the most emotional hero ever to be featured on the rebooted reality series that debuted in 2018.
"I'm a 'big feeling' person," she said. "I always quote Glennon Doyle " — the author and founder of the Momastery blog — "on this because she is my shero. How she talks about being 'a feeling person in a messy world.' I do feel ... a lot."INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Having a dog in the house means more bacteria enters the home and gets inside the occupants (one study found “dog-related biodiversity” is especially high on pillowcases.) In turn, people with dogs seem to get ill less frequently and less severely than people with no pets.
But she says that the episode left some viewers concerned about her mental health.
"We had an event on Sunday where we let people come out and see the barn and hear about our mission," she said. "There were a ton of people here from 'Queer Eye,' obviously. I spoke to every one of the hundreds of people that were here, telling them, 'I'm fine! Don't panic! Nobody worry.'
An inexpensive and easy summer treat for dogs: Cut up apples in chicken broth and freeze in an ice cube tray.
She added, "I'm just a crier."
Since the show's taping, Wallace-Griner said she has mostly kept in touch with Bobby Berk , Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness . (Tan France is busy being a dad to his newborn and Karamo Brown just isn't an animal person.)"Antoni is the most precious person ever," she said. "He is just the sweetest, snuggly guy, and he was so touched by all the animals."Run a dryer sheet over your dog's fur when there's a storm — chances are, they aren't freaked out about the storm but the static electricity built up in their fur. According to Martha, this should work at least 50% of the time.
"So much of it is just about representation," she said. "We're so big about looking with your heart and not just with your eyes, and if everybody could learn to do that a little bit, it would sort of change the world in a dramatic way."
And it's not just about autism, Wallace-Griner added. "We help everyone from kids being bullied and having some anxiety to the most horrific abuse."
"The animals offer that hope and healing to everyone regardless of where they're at — regardless of what their special needs are or their trauma or where they've been or what they do," she said. "It's always just unconditional, deep and sincere. That changes everyone."
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), pet owners in the United States spent $60.28 billion on their furry friends in 2015. That number is expected to rise by more than $2 billion in 2016.