Listen Dog Training: The Walk & Talk

Why does your dog listen perfectly at home… but suddenly forget everything the moment you step outside? Why does reactivity dissolve in one environment and explode in another? And why does training sometimes feel like you’re starting from scratch every time you change location?

In this eye-opening episode, we dive deep into the real reason behind inconsistent behaviour: your dog’s incredible ability to contextualise. You’ll learn how dogs form multi-sensory ‘pictures' when learning, why their brains don’t automatically generalise skills, and how emotional state and environment shape every behaviour they can (or can’t) access.

Have you ever wondered why some training methods seem to work wonders for one dog but fall completely flat for another? Or why your terrier’s unstoppable energy feels nothing like your friend’s calm, biddable lab?

In this episode of The Walk & Talk, we’ll unpack the fascinating world of adaptive training: a science-led, deeply intuitive approach that tailors training to each dog’s breed tendencies, natural drives, and unique personality. You’ll learn how genetics, instinct, and emotional regulation all shape your dog’s learning process, and how understanding these layers can transform the way you train, co...

Does your dog seem to get a sudden burst of energy just as you’re winding down for the evening? Maybe you’re craving a quiet, cosy night in… but your dog’s zooming, barking, or pacing around like it’s party time?!

In this episode, we’re unpacking the science and strategy behind creating calm, helping you understand what your dog truly needs throughout the day so that they can genuinely switch off when you do. You’ll discover how small changes in your routine, training, and environment can completely transform your evenings into peaceful, connected downtime toget...

Does your dog drag you down the street like you’re in a sled race you didn’t sign up for? You’re not alone… lead pulling is one of the most common struggles dog owners face, and it’s not about dominance, stubbornness, or your dog trying to be the boss. It’s simply that dogs move faster than we do - and walking nicely beside a human just doesn’t come naturally.

In this episode, I’m breaking down how to truly transform your on-lead walks, with science, strategy, and empathy. You’ll discover how to build calm, con...

In this episode, we dive into one of the most empowering truths in dog training: your dog’s personality isn’t set in stone - it’s plastic. Every moment, every experience, every choice you make together is literally shaping who your dog becomes.

You’ll discover how genetics, environment, and training all interact to form your dog’s unique temperament, and how neuroplasticity - the brain’s incredible ability to adapt and rewire - means change is always possible.

If you’ve ever felt stuck with your dog’s behaviour, this episode will reignite your hope and sh...

This week, I want to take a look at one of the most iconic animal behaviourists of all time - Jane Goodall - and how her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees can transform the way we understand and train our dogs.

I’ve lovingly labelled it ‘The Goodall Effect’… how seeing your dog through the ethologist’s eye can help you connect more deeply, observe more effectively, and transform behaviours with empathy, curiosity, and science-backed strategies. 

From understanding your dog’s body language to fostering engagement and emotional regulation, this episode is packed with practical insights to elevate yo...

In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating connection between a dog’s emotions and their behaviour... and why it’s a two-way street!

You’ll learn why sometimes a dog’s behaviour isn’t just a result of their emotional state, but actually drives the emotion itself, creating self-reinforcing loops of stress or reactivity.

I’ll break down the science behind this, share practical examples from real-life training, and give you actionable strategies to help your dog regulate their emotions while building calm, confident behaviours.

Whether you’re dealing with reactivity, anxiety, or ju...

Your garden can be a haven for your dog... or a hotspot for problem behaviours. In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m diving deep into the topic of garden behaviour: why dogs act the way they do in their outdoor space, how to set them up for success, and how to use your garden to boost enrichment, fitness, and good habits instead of stress and reactivity.

Whether your dog barks at every passerby, digs up your flowerbeds, or just treats the garden like their personal racetrack, this episode will give you the insight and tools yo...

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the fascinating science of emotional contagion between humans and dogs, and sharing practical ways to keep your energy balanced so you can keep showing up for your dog… even when motivation is low!

This episode is equal parts science, mindset, and real-world strategy, designed to help you feel inspired, grounded, and ready to make this season count for your dog’s training success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Is your dog really misbehaving - or are their needs for fulfillment and stimulation simply not being met? In this episode of The Walk & Talk, we dive deep into one of the most common but overlooked challenges of modern dog ownership: understimulation.

Our dogs may live in our human world, but their brains and bodies are wired for so much more than we usually allow. By understanding your dog’s intrinsic needs, their breed-specific drives, and the role of enrichment, you can unlock calmer behaviour, a happier dog, and a stronger bond between you.

This ep...

Settle training might not sound glamorous, but it’s one of the most transformative skills you can teach your dog. In this episode, we dive deep into why the ability to switch off is crucial for your dog’s emotional wellbeing, how it makes daily life smoother and more enjoyable, and the science of what’s happening in your dog’s brain when they learn to relax.

Whether you’ve got a high-drive working breed who never stops moving, a reactive dog who struggles to come down from stress, or a family dog who just can’t switch off i...

Is your dog bouncing off the walls, brimming with energy you just don’t know how to channel? In this episode, I’ll show you how to transform that chaos into calm focus with a simple, science-backed 7-day scentwork kickstart. Scentwork taps into your dog’s natural superpower - their nose - giving them an outlet that drains excess energy, boosts confidence, and builds an incredible bond between you.

Whether you’re brand new to scentwork or just looking for a fun new way to enrich your dog’s life, this step-by-step plan will get you started.

In t...

Your dog’s ‘bad behaviour’ isn’t about stubbornness, defiance, or dominance - it’s about reinforcement. Every behaviour your dog chooses has a payoff, and once you understand what that payoff is, you hold the key to transforming their behaviour for good.

In this week’s episode of The Walk & Talk, we’ll unpack the science of reinforcement and dive into exactly how to shift your dog’s habits using modern, professional, positive training methods.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by your dog’s behaviour, this episode will reframe everything - and give you the practical to...

September isn’t just about back-to-school for the kids… it’s the perfect time for you and your dog to hit reset, refocus, and embrace the fresh-start energy of autumn. In this episode, I’ll show you how to turn gloomy walks and shorter days into an opportunity to transform your dog’s training.

We’ll dive into the science of learning, why structure is so powerful for dogs, and how to set achievable training goals that actually stick. You’ll leave this episode with practical, science-backed strategies and simple homework ideas you can start today to bring more foc...

In this week’s episode of The Walk & Talk, we take a deep dive into one of the most game-changing approaches in modern dog training: concept training.

This method goes far beyond obedience and surface-level behaviour fixes… Instead, it teaches us how to shape the way our dog’s brain works - building the core concepts that drive lifelong emotional stability, focus, and resilience.

Whether you’ve got a bouncy adolescent, a nervous rescue, or a reactive firecracker, this episode will give you a totally new lens on behaviour - and the science-backed tools to make las...

Think your teenage dog is just a chaotic, cue-ignoring menace you have to survive? Think again.

Today I’m flipping the narrative on canine adolescence—and showing you why this misunderstood phase is actually a once-in-a-lifetime training window.

If your dog is between 6 months and 2 years old (ish) this is not the time to throw in the towel or cross your fingers and hope they grow out of it. It’s time to get strategic. Because biologically, behaviourally, and emotionally, your dog is primed for growth. You just need to know how to work with it.

If you’ve been working on your dog’s reactivity and it feels like nothing’s changing, this episode is for you.

Because the truth is, most reactivity training skips the most important bit - the foundation work that actually sets your dog up for success before they’re anywhere near a trigger.

In this episode, I’m sharing the essential, often-overlooked steps that make or break reactivity rehab. These are the pieces I teach every client, and they’re the difference between progress… and plateau.

Whether your dog reacts to people, dogs, sounds, or eve...

Is your dog the kind that turns their nose up at treats during training? Do you feel stuck because everyone says to ‘just use food’… but your dog couldn’t care less?

In this deep-dive episode, I unpack one of the most misunderstood training challenges: food refusal.

Because here’s the truth: your dog probably is food motivated. What’s actually getting in the way is often a mix of emotional state, stress chemistry, and misunderstood arousal.

This episode will change the way you look at your dog’s behaviour, help you understand the real reaso...

Does your dog seem to forget everything you’ve taught them the moment you step outside? Are squirrels, smells, joggers, or birds stealing their focus — no matter how hard you try to get their attention?

You’re not alone — and more importantly, you’re not doing anything wrong. In this eye-opening episode, I dive deep into the neuroscience of attention, arousal, and distraction, helping you understand what’s really going on inside your dog’s brain when they seem to ignore you outdoors.

It’s not disobedience. It’s biology. And once you understand it, you can train arou...

Do your beliefs shape your dog’s behaviour?

In this powerful episode, we explore one of the most overlooked yet transformational aspects of dog training: your mindset. Whether you’re working through complex challenges like reactivity or just want to deepen your connection with your dog, how you think — and what you believe is possible — will directly shape your success.

Want to know how your internal world is the foundation of your dog training journey? From growth mindset theory and nervous system regulation, to mental rehearsal and visualisation backed by neuroscience, this episode will leave you insp...

If your dog is constantly barking at every noise, every passerby, every movement outside the window—or even just at nothing at all—it’s not just annoying… it’s a message.

In this episode, we dig deep beneath the barking to uncover what’s really going on inside your dog’s brain. Spoiler alert: the barking isn’t the real problem. It’s a symptom of something much deeper—nervous system dysregulation.

Whether your dog is hyper-alert, always on edge, or struggling to settle at home, this episode will give you the science, the insight, and the pra...

Before you even say a word, your dog has already read your body like a book… and made a decision.

In this juicy deep dive, we’re exploring the hidden power of movement, body language, spatial pressure, and proximity in dog training - and how understanding these subtle signals can completely transform your dog’s focus, behaviour, and emotional state.

But that’s not all.

We’re also pulling back the curtain on dopamine - the motivation molecule - and how it shapes your dog’s ability to learn, anticipate rewards, and stay engaged with...

If you’ve ever wondered why your dog sometimes seems to ‘forget’ things they definitely know… or why your training works great at home but falls apart in the real world — this episode is going to change the game.

We’re diving deep into the actual mechanics of how dogs learn — not the myths, not the guesswork, but the real, science-backed strategies that help behaviours stick.

Whether you’re brand new to dog training or you've been at it for years, this episode will help you sharpen your timing, truly understand feedback loops, and train in a way that ac...

Is your dog bored, hyper, reactive or destructive — even though you thought you were giving them enough exercise and attention? It might not be a behaviour problem... it might be an enrichment mismatch.

In this jam-packed episode, I’m diving into one of the most transformative topics in dog training: breed-specific enrichment. We’ll explore how understanding your dog’s original working purpose can unlock a totally different level of calmness, connection, and trainability.

This isn’t about generic food puzzles or 'wearing them out.' This is about using science, history, and smart training to give yo...

Is your dog tuned out when it matters most? Do they ignore your cues outside, even though they know it at home? You’re not alone — and the issue isn’t obedience... it’s engagement.

In this value-packed episode, we’re digging into what engagement really means, why it’s the key to joyful, reliable training, and how to become the most reinforcing thing in your dog’s world — without nagging, bribing, or losing your cool.

Whether you’re training a distracted adolescent, building confidence with a reactive dog, or just wanting to feel more connected, this ep...

In this powerful, science-backed episode, we dive deep into one of the most misunderstood challenges in dog training: stress.

If your dog ‘knows it at home’ but forgets everything outside, or seems to shut down, bark, lunge, or completely ignore you in the real world — there’s likely something big happening under the surface. That ‘bad’ behaviour? It’s often the result of cortisol, the stress hormone that literally hijacks your dog’s brain.

This episode is a game-changer if you want to stop feeling stuck, and start understanding your dog on a deeper level.

In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m diving deep into transforming your wild, chaotic dog into a calm, focused companion - using just three daily routine tweaks. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by endless pulling on the lead or overwhelming distractions on your walks, this episode is your blueprint for change. I reveal simple, science-backed methods that not only reshape how your dog behaves, but also strengthen your bond and make every walk a joyous adventure together. Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or just starting out, these actionable insights will empower you to reclaim control and...

In this episode, we’ll dive deep into one of the most popular - and misunderstood - concepts in modern dog training: relationship-based training.

Is it just another fluffy social media trend, or is it a powerful, science-backed training philosophy that can change your dog’s behaviour and your bond forever?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Thinking about whether or not to spay your female dog? Or when the right time might be? This episode of The Walk & Talk is here to guide you through the real facts... not the outdated one-size-fits-all advice, not the guilt trips, and definitely not the fear-mongering.

We’ll explore the risks, the benefits, the behavioural impacts, and the hormonal picture, so you can make a decision that’s truly right for your individual dog.

Whether you’re navigating your first ever season with your pup, wondering about long-term health effects, or feeling pressure from outdated advice...

Ever wondered why your dog seems more interested in a leaf blowing down the street than your recall cue? Or why their ears perk up at the sound of the fridge but not your voice?

It all comes down to one powerful brain chemical: dopamine.

In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m diving deep into the science of dopamine and how you can use it to massively boost your training results, strengthen your bond, and finally become more reinforcing than literally everything else in your dog’s world.

Whether you’re workin...

What if everything you were told about being your dog’s ‘alpha’ was built on a misinterpretation of stressed-out wolves in captivity? In this eye-opening episode of The Walk & Talk, I take you on a deep-dive through the shaky science behind dominance theory, the myth of the ‘alpha dog,’ and the long-lasting impact this outdated ideology still has on modern dog training.

You'll learn:

 🐾 The real story behind those infamous wolf studies
🐾 Why dominance-based training harms trust, learning, and safety
🐾 What leadership should look like in a healthy dog-human relationship
🐾 How to recognise stress-based...

In this episode of The Walk and Talk, we’re digging into why hyper-fixating on your dog’s surface-level behaviour problems — like pulling on lead or ignoring a recall — keeps you stuck in frustration. Real, lasting change doesn’t come from slapping a quick fix on the struggle you can see. It comes from identifying and addressing the bigger-picture concepts underneath — like focus, disengagement, impulse control, and proximity value.

I’ll show you how thinking bigger and targeting these core skills transforms your dog's behaviour faster, more effectively, and for the long term — and why trying to "fix" the problem...

You’re not just your dog’s food dispenser or walk provider—you’re their emotional anchor, communication partner, and literal brain-shaper. This episode dives into the science of that relationship, uncovering how dogs have evolved to thrive with humans—not other dogs—and why that changes everything about how we train, raise, and relate to them.

We’re talking oxytocin spikes, brain scans, evolutionary theory, and why your dog’s wagging tail and floppy ears are hardwired evidence of thousands of years of co-evolution.

💡 Inside this episode you’ll learn:

– Why dogs know we’re not dogs—and...

You’re doing everything right—training consistently, building your dog’s confidence, setting them up for success… and then BAM. An off-lead dog barrels into your walk and turns everything upside down. In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m sharing exactly what to do after a negative experience like an aggressive dog encounter, so it doesn’t undo all your hard work.

Whether your dog is a reactive teenager, a nervous puppy, or just sensitive to bad vibes (honestly, same) this episode walks you through my exact “regulation recipe” to help your dog bounce back—emotionally and be...

Thinking about neutering your dog? With so much conflicting advice out there - some say do it early, some say wait, some say don’t do it at all - it’s hard to know what’s actually right for your dog.

In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m cutting through the confusion and breaking down the real science behind neutering. We’ll dive into:

 🐾 What testosterone actually does to your dog and for your dog
 🐾 The real impact of neutering on behaviour and health
 🐾 The risks, benefits, and best timing if you do decide to ne...

Crate training—essential tool or unnecessary confinement? In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I dive deep into the hotly debated topic of crate training. I’ll be busting myths, tackling common misconceptions, and breaking down exactly how I approach crate training in a way that makes perfect sense. 

From the controversial “Would you put your baby in one?” argument to the real secret behind successful crate conditioning, I’m here to show you how to use the crate as a powerful, positive training tool. Whether you’re pro-crate, anti-crate, or somewhere in between, this episode will give you plen...

Ever found yourself saying, “I just wish my dog would stop doing that”? Whether it’s counter-surfing, barking at the door, jumping up, or any other behavior that’s low-key driving you up the wall, this episode has you covered. 🎯

Today, I’m giving you my 3-step training formula that works on any problem behavior—without frustration, overwhelm, or unrealistic expectations. 

You’ll learn:

✅ How to choose and teach a mutually exclusive behavior
✅ Why management & prevention are just as important as training
✅ How to change your dog’s emotions & associations for lasting results

Plu...

Are you stuck in an endless cycle of training frustration? Rushing progress, pushing too hard, and still not seeing results? In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m breaking down why patience isn’t passive—it’s actually the secret to training success. Whether you’re working on obedience, sports training, or behaviour modification, the fastest way to real progress is often slowing things down.

I’ll share:

 🐾 The 4 biggest reasons we rush our training (and how to stop)
 🐾 What actually happens when we push too fast (spoiler: it’s not good)
 🐾 Why slowing down speeds up...

Reactivity in dogs is on the rise—but why? And more importantly, what can you do about it?

In this episode of The Walk & Talk, I’m breaking down what reactivity actually is, why more and more dogs are struggling with it, and how you can take real, effective steps to help your dog feel calmer and more in control. Whether your dog reacts out of fear, frustration, or over-arousal, I’ll guide you through mindset shifts, management strategies, and powerful training techniques you can start using today.

🔹 Why modern life makes reactivity more common
🔹 The...

Feeling stuck, frustrated, or like training has become a chore? You’re not alone—but what if I told you that shifting your mindset could transform not only your dog’s progress but also how much you enjoy training? In this episode, I’ll share simple yet powerful mindset shifts, practical training hacks, and life-changing perspectives to help you fall back in love with training. Whether you’re struggling with setbacks, feeling uninspired, or just need a fresh spark, this episode will reignite your enthusiasm and remind you why you started. Let’s make training fun again!

🔥 Need a structur...