This is a slightly jam-packed episode which leaps around various different subjects!

In this episode, I respond to an email from a listener about a dog which became worried about specific (unknown) elements of competition.

In this episode, I talk about feeding raw on a budget. And about the ethics and implications of selecting for dogs which experience verbal aversives as strong aversives. (Thereby circumventing the banning of certain 'tools'.)

In this episode, I waffle about trials as a form of assessment.

Roche just cut her foreleg on (we think) barbed wire. The quote for sedation and stitching was astronomical. I ramble about what is going on, systemically, and about various societal factors from poverty to capitalism in a failed attempt to mak...

In this episode, I talk about how to help dogs make the transition to picking up game.

How do you find a shoot? Is your dog ready to work on a shoot? What is required from them? What different kinds of shoots are there? What are the roles on a shoot? This is all things shoots 101. 

In this episode, I look at a recent research paper called 'Comparison of the Efficacy and Welfare of Different Training Methods in Stopping Chasing Behavior in Dogs' by Johnson & Wynne https://d...

In this episode, I talk about why the best way forwards is for us all to advance together - instead of fostering division and us/them splitting.

I talk about how to stop mouthing or rolling of the dummy (it's the clicker retrieve again, this time the part of it called 'proofing the hold against food').

In this episode I answer a few listener questions and then waffle about why we need to keep shot unattached to a retrieve for as long as possible. Shot means 'sit'. Like the sit whistle means 'sit'.

In this episode, I focus on how to weave yourself and the environment together - rather than thinking about yourself as being in 'opposition' to the environment. All those juicy reinforcers out there are not a threat to your ongoin...

I talk here about my experience with immunotherapy for Ren's extreme allergies. Whilst there seem to be so many people around with itchy dogs, it seems that not many have explored immunotherapy and there isn't much information about it out ther...

I last spoke with Collette back in 2019, pre-Covid. Her life has changed in so many ways over the last 5 years, I wanted to catch up with her again and hear about her new ventures. If you want to connect with Collette, check out her websites

I describe the way that one part of the Clicker Retrieve process ("Proofing the Hold Against Food") is a powerful tool for teaching a dog not to drop on exiting water. And I help a listener who wants to train both straight line bli...

Check out as well episodes:Episode 86 - getting focus from your dog outdoorsEpisode 78 - behavi...

This episode was inspired by the debate between Zak George and Denise Fenzi on Instagram recently. Check out their Stories there if you want to hear what they had to say in their own words.

In this episode, I answer a listener question about dogs trying to bring back multiple dummies. I also talk about the importance of having a rigorous training system which begins with the basics and doesn't just want to jump in with the sexy st...

Did you know that HPRs in the UK are expected to handle? That means: To hold straight lines. To be cast left, right and back. Essentially, to 'be' Retrievers. Some of you might thing that sounds insane.... 

In this episode, I answer listener questions about in-a-row blinds, dealing with frustration in blinds and the use of aversives.

Check out episodes 16, 17 And take a look at my online course, Heel.

Episodes to check out are:30, 33, 34, 36, 41, 47, 48, 62, 64, 66, 85, 88Online courses covering blind retrieves are:Blind Retrieves

For more help on this one, check out episodes:82, 87See the Reliable Recall course, on my website forcefreegundog.comOr check out the chapter on ...

Check out podcast episodes:57, 58, 78

For more help on this subject, see podcast episodes:8, 33, 78And online courses:Marking