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. 💛

Why Direction Comes Before Calm in High-Drive Dogs

In this Monday Morning Mindset episode, Jo explores a truth that changes everything for owners of high-drive dogs:

👉 Calm doesn’t come from slowing your dog down.

👉 Calm comes from direction, boundaries, and leadership.

If you’ve ever found yourself saying “I just need them to calm down” — this one’s for you.

Why “waiting for calm” doesn’t work

Taking your foot off the accelerator without steering doesn’t stop the engine.

High-drive dogs don’t need us to step back — they need us to step in.

The difference between a gap and a void

A gap is a moment where the dog waits, steady and available.

A void is when the handler checks out — and the dog fills the space by self-appointing.

Suppression vs regulation

A quiet dog isn’t always a calm dog.

Suppression looks still, but it’s pressure waiting to explode.

True calm is regulation:

• movement with purpose

• stopping when asked

• thinking even when excited

Why boundaries create calm (not conflict)

Boundaries aren’t punishment.

They’re information.

They answer the dog’s constant question: “What do you want me to do next?”

Calm is not the destination — it’s the journey

Calm is what happens when a dog understands:

• what matters

• when to act

• when to stand down

The handler’s role under pressure

Dogs can’t regulate if we’re also overwhelmed.

You don’t need to be another beach ball under water.

You need to be the anchor.

Because calm travels down the lead.

High-drive dogs don’t need less of you.

They need orientation, direction, and follow-through — especially when things feel intense.

When the handler is steady, the dog can be too.

• The Calm Dog Blueprint (free resource)

• Why “settle” matters just as much as “sit”

• Live masterclass: Holding a Supercar by a Shoestring

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 you’ve ever felt like your dog is making all the decisions while you’re just trying to keep up… this episode will land.

In this live, Joanne explains one of the biggest missing pieces in gundog training — where the handler actually sits — and why so many capable, caring owners end up feeling out of control despite doing all the right things.

This isn’t about being firmer.

It’s about timing, influence, and learning how to step into the driver’s seat.

• What “passenger mode” really looks like
• Not doing nothing — but hesitating, overthinking, and leaving gaps where the dog has to decide for themselves.
• Why timing matters more than speed
• You don’t need to react as fast as your dog — you need to teach them to give you time before acting.
• How influence is lost before the dog runs
• The moment your dog commits has already passed — the real work happens in the seconds before.
• The difference between self-control and steadiness
• And why teaching this gap is what allows teamwork to happen.
• Why this isn’t about dominance
• Leading your dog isn’t control — it’s partnership, clarity, and shared direction.
• How reward timing shapes decisions
• Reward doesn’t bribe the next behaviour — it confirms the right choice has been made.

High-drive dogs don’t slow themselves down.

They accelerate when direction is missing.

When you learn how to step in earlier, give one clear direction, and see it through, your dog doesn’t push against you — they start working with you.

That’s the difference between hanging on… and driving.

This episode feeds directly into our free masterclass:

Holding a Supercar by a Shoestring

A live session on how to guide high-drive dogs with confidence, timing, and teamwork — even if you never plan to work them.

📅 Thursday 29th January

⏰ 7.30pm (UK)

Come live if you can — it’s where all of this slows down and becomes usable.

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. 💛

We’re often told that if a dog is full-on, intense, or hard to live with, the answer is simple: exercise them more.

In this episode, I unpack why that well-meaning advice can quietly make life harder, especially if you’re living with a high-drive gundog, and why more walks, more running, and more “doing” doesn’t automatically lead to a steadier dog.

I talk about the moment many handlers recognise: when your dog feels fast, sharp, and always one step ahead, and you start to feel like you’re reacting rather than leading. Not because you’re doing nothing, but because you’re doing everything, without the right handling system underneath it.

We explore the idea of the supercar on a shoestring, a powerful, capable dog with an engine that’s far bigger than the structure supporting it. I explain why exercise builds fitness, not self-control, and why high-drive dogs don’t come with internal brakes already fitted.

This episode also looks at what’s really draining handler confidence: guessing under pressure, repeating cues, changing your mind mid-moment, and trying to wrestle control instead of steering it. I share why effort alone can’t replace structure, and why following through matters more than piling more on.

If you’ve ever felt like your dog has suddenly changed overnight, or that what worked yesterday doesn’t work today, you’re not imagining it. Dogs don’t walk out with the same brain every day, and understanding that changes how you train and handle them.

Most of all, this episode is here to reassure you: you don’t have a problem dog.

You have a powerful one, and once the handling matches the engine, everything feels lighter.

Holding a Supercar by a Shoestring

A Free Masterclass for Owners of High-Drive Dogs on How to Finally ‘Speak Gundog’ even if You Never Plan to See a Shooting Field. When you sign up, I’ll send you a short reflection, Are You Driving or Just Hanging On, to help you notice whether you’re leading or reacting before the session. Jan 29th 2026 7.30pm

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. 💛

In this episode, Jo talks about something that quietly affects so many women training gundogs. Not failure. Not lack of effort. But that frustrating sense of being capable and committed, yet still feeling behind or unsure. Jo shares her own early experiences of training without a clear map, relying on instinct, observation, and scraps of information, while everyone else seemed to have a language she hadn’t learned yet. The dogs were doing “okay”, but the mental noise was exhausting. This episode gently unpacks why that feeling isn’t a confidence problem or an effort problem, but a structure problem.

You’ll hear about

• Why missing structure often gets mislabelled as missing ability
• Why confidence does not come before action, but from clarity and repetition
• How fear of doing it wrong once keeps handlers stuck and second guessing
• Why comparing your inside world to other people’s outside is such a trap
• How learning to read patterns, not personalise problems, changes everything
• Why asking for help is not failure, but one of the strongest forms of independence

Jo also explains why gundogs are more like high performance cars than everyday runarounds, and why trying to train them without the right framework creates unnecessary pressure for both dog and handler.This conversation is about relief, steadiness, and finally naming what’s actually missing so the self blame can ease and progress can feel possible again.

At the end of the episode, Jo invites you to a free live masterclass designed especially for owners of high drive dogs.

Holding a Supercar on a Shoestring

A free training session on how to understand, handle, and enjoy your high drive dog without feeling overwhelmed or behind.

👉 Register here

https://ladiesworkingdoggroup.com/supercar-registration

If this episode landed for you, you are not alone. You are not behind. And you are very welcome in this space with Ladies Working Dog Group

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. 💛