Does your heart sink every time a bird flushes, a squirrel darts across the path, or a dog bolts past on the beach? You're not alone. And you're definitely not ruining your dog.

This week Joanne is joined by LWDG group expert Claire Denyer to tackle one of the biggest myths that keeps working dog owners stuck: that being around wildlife makes a high-drive dog harder to handle. It's actually the opposite.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why "my dog would be amazing, he chases everything" is the wrong way around and what gundog training really asks for
• How seagulls, swans, and deer can become your most powerful free training tool, even if you never go near a shoot
• Why avoiding difficult environments doesn't build confidence. It shrinks your dog's world and makes the problem worse
• The real reason high-drive dogs chase bikes, cars, and cats, and what to do about it
• Why a solid leave is the foundation of a dog you can take anywhere
• Claire's honest account of working through her own dog Genie's fear and reactivity, because even professional trainers have those walks

If you've been holding back from taking your dog somewhere because you don't trust what might happen, this episode will give you the framework to get back out there.

The one thing to take away: Country walks, bird flushes, unexpected wildlife moments are not training setbacks. They are real life opportunities to show your dog that excitement and partnership can exist at the same time.

Know someone who's convinced they're ruining their dog just by going on normal walks? Send them this one.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of Found It, Fetched It. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve got muddy boots and a seasoned dog by your side, we’re here to walk the journey with you. We’re all about real talk, practical tips, and celebrating every little win—because in this world, progress isn’t always perfect, but it’s always worth it.

💬 We’d love to hear from you

Got a story to share, a question to ask, or just fancy saying hi? Come chat with us on socials or pop over to the website.

📚 Want to go further with your training?

Get our LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map Work Out Where You Are, And What To Train Next !

Want to know more about 🎓 The LWDG Society

Expert-led courses, community support, and the kind of training that actually makes sense.

📱 Stay connected with the pack:

Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com

Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group

Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ And remember… Every session, every stumble, every breakthrough, it all counts. You’re not just training a dog. You’re building trust, confidence, and a community that’s right behind you.

Keep going. We see you. 💛

Dog training advice is louder, more divided, and more confusing than ever.

In this episode of Found It, Fetched It, Jo and Claire tackle one of the biggest problems facing dog owners today, rigid training ideologies that stop people from seeing and supporting the dog in front of them. From “never say no” to “only train this way”, they explore how blanket rules and online dogma leave handlers overwhelmed, hesitant, and often stuck with behaviours that could be resolved far more simply.

Together they unpack:

• Why training isn’t one-size-fits-all

• How fear of “doing it wrong” is creating more stressed dogs and handlers

• The difference between guidance and ideology

• Why context, timing, and the individual dog always matter

• How boundaries, communication, and reward work together

• The real meaning behind training the dog in front of you

Through honest conversation, humour, and real-life examples, this episode is about helping you step away from training pressure and start making confident, balanced decisions for your own dog.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between conflicting advice, this one is for you.

By the end of this episode, listeners will understand:

• Training should always adapt to the individual dog and handler
• Labels and training camps often oversimplify complex behaviour
• Clear communication builds confidence in dogs
• Reward and interruption both have a place when used appropriately
• Dogs need guidance, not confusion or hesitation
• Progress often comes from understanding motivation, timing, and consistency
• Every dog’s journey will look different, and that’s normal

Thanks for joining us for this episode of Found It, Fetched It. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve got muddy boots and a seasoned dog by your side, we’re here to walk the journey with you. We’re all about real talk, practical tips, and celebrating every little win—because in this world, progress isn’t always perfect, but it’s always worth it.

💬 We’d love to hear from you

Got a story to share, a question to ask, or just fancy saying hi? Come chat with us on socials or pop over to the website.

📚 Want to go further with your training?

Get our LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map Work Out Where You Are, And What To Train Next !

Want to know more about 🎓 The LWDG Society

Expert-led courses, community support, and the kind of training that actually makes sense.

📱 Stay connected with the pack:

Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com

Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group

Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ And remember… Every session, every stumble, every breakthrough, it all counts. You’re not just training a dog. You’re building trust, confidence, and a community that’s right behind you.

Keep going. We see you. 💛

If training feels hard work rather than teamwork, this episode is for you.

In this final live of the week, Joanne pulls together everything we’ve explored and explains what actually shifts when you stop guessing… and start understanding what your dog is telling you.

This isn’t about better commands.

It’s about better conversations.

• Why training feels exhausting when you don’t share the same “language”
• Living with a high-drive dog without understanding their operating system is like being abroad permanently — lots of effort, lots of frustration, and very little ease.
• Why most handlers over-talk, over-handle, and second-guess
• Not because they’re doing it wrong — but because they’re trying to communicate in human logic with a dog brain.
• The moment things start to feel calmer (without calming your dog)
• When you understand state, arousal, and readiness, your timing improves — and suddenly everything needs less effort.
• Why this isn’t about obedience — or being stricter
• It’s about relationship, rhythm, and responding rather than reacting. More like a dance than a drill.
• How the five topics from this week are actually one problem
• Being outpaced, doing more exercise, feeling like a passenger, trying to calm drive, and feeling misunderstood all come back to one missing system.

When you finally “get” your dog’s dialect, the tension drops.

You stop guessing.

You stop battling.

And you start working with the dog in front of you.

That relief isn’t accidental — it’s teachable.

This episode leads directly into our free masterclass:

Holding a Supercar by a Shoestring

A live, supportive session on how to finally speak gundog — even if you never plan to see a shooting field.

You’ll learn how to:

• Slow things down mentally (for you)
• Read what your dog is actually telling you
• Respond with confidence instead of hesitation

📅 Thursday 29th January

⏰ 7.30pm (UK)

Come live if you can — the energy and clarity are different when we do this together.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of Found It, Fetched It. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve got muddy boots and a seasoned dog by your side, we’re here to walk the journey with you. We’re all about real talk, practical tips, and celebrating every little win—because in this world, progress isn’t always perfect, but it’s always worth it.

💬 We’d love to hear from you

Got a story to share, a question to ask, or just fancy saying hi? Come chat with us on socials or pop over to the website.

📚 Want to go further with your training?

Get our LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map Work Out Where You Are, And What To Train Next !

Want to know more about 🎓 The LWDG Society

Expert-led courses, community support, and the kind of training that actually makes sense.

📱 Stay connected with the pack:

Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com

Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group

Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ And remember… Every session, every stumble, every breakthrough, it all counts. You’re not just training a dog. You’re building trust, confidence, and a community that’s right behind you.

Keep going. We see you. 💛