Listen Dog Training: The Walk & Talk

Does your dog seem to find the world a little bit harder than others?
Maybe they’re nervous around new people, overwhelmed in busy environments, reactive to dogs, worried by sounds, sensitive to changes at home, or you’ve noticed they seem to just be constantly on alert.
If so, this episode is for you. We’re diving deep into the fascinating behavioural science behind sensitive, anxious, and fearful dogs, exploring why some dogs experience the world differently, what’s happening inside their brain and nervous system, and how we can genuinely help them build confidence.
This episode will help you understand your dog on a whole new level, giving you the knowledge and practical tools to create a calmer, more confident partnership.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why some dogs are naturally more sensitive and how genetics, breed traits, temperament, and early experiences influence behaviour
What fear actually is from a neuroscience perspective, and why your dog’s brain prioritises safety over obedience when they feel worried
The difference between confidence and resilience - and why we’re not aiming to create ‘fearless’ dogs
How your dog’s nervous system responds to stress, uncertainty, and perceived threats
Why exposure alone doesn’t create confidence (and how overwhelming experiences can accidentally make fear worse)
How puppy development and fear periods influence behaviour
The role adolescence plays in sensitivity, emotional regulation, and behaviour changes
How to recognise whether your dog is experiencing a temporary challenge or a longer-term pattern
How to build confidence through choice, communication, predictable experiences, and relationship-building
Why engagement, connection, and giving your dog skills can completely transform how they navigate the world
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action.
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: https://listendogtraining.com/online-dog-training-club/
👉 Or check out my self-paced train-at-home Engagement Training Course here!
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

Have you ever thought about trying a dog sport… but immediately assumed it wasn’t for you because you don’t want to compete, your dog isn’t ‘that type’ of dog, or you’re not sure where to start?
In this episode, we’re completely reframing what dog sports are really about! Because they aren’t just about trophies, competitions, or elite-level training; they’re about creating a shared hobby, building an incredible partnership, strengthening your communication, and giving both you and your dog something exciting to work towards together.
We’ll explore why choosing a dog sport can transform your relationship, boost your training skills, improve your dog’s fulfilment, and help you move from simply managing your dog… to truly enjoying life as a team.
You will learn:
Why having a shared goal with your dog can strengthen your bond and change your whole mindset around training
How dog sports help you become a better trainer by developing observation skills, precision, and problem-solving
Why progress, challenge, and desirable difficulties are essential for learning (for both humans and dogs!)
How dog sports can create confidence, enrichment, and deeper fulfilment for your dog
The science behind flow states, mastery, and why training can become such a rewarding hobby
A breakdown of popular dog sports including canine freestyle, agility, scentwork, rally obedience, and hoopers - and how to choose the right one for you and your dog
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action!
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: The Listen Dog Training Online Club
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

When we think about keeping our dogs healthy, we often focus on physical exercise, nutrition, and veterinary care. But what about their brain?
In this episode of Walk & Talk, we're diving into the fascinating world of canine cognition and exploring what we can do throughout our dogs' lives to support their brain health, build resilience, and help them stay curious, adaptable, and engaged for years to come.
You'll learn what cognitive function actually means, how the canine brain changes with age, what cognitive decline can look like, and why training is about so much more than teaching behaviours. From neuroplasticity and confidence-building to body awareness, sniffing, enrichment, sleep, and emotional wellbeing, we'll explore the everyday choices that may help future-proof your dog's brain.
In this episode, you'll learn:
What cognition actually means and how dogs learn
What cognitive decline is and some common signs to be aware of
The fascinating science of neuroplasticity and why dogs never stop learning
Why training is really brain-building
How confidence impacts learning, resilience, and cognitive health
The surprising cognitive benefits of body awareness exercises
Why sniffing and exploration are so important for the canine brain
The connection between movement, exercise, and mental function
How sleep supports learning, memory, and brain health
Simple, practical ways to support your dog's brain every day
How to create a lifestyle that keeps your dog curious, adaptable, and mentally engaged
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action!
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: The Listen Dog Training Online Club - Listen Dog Training
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!
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Have you accidentally stopped enjoying life with your dog?
In this episode, we’re diving into the idea of a Summer of Side Quests - a completely different way of approaching dog training that brings back the joy, adventure, connection, and excitement so many dog owners lose when behaviour struggles take over.
Because sometimes the biggest breakthrough doesn’t come from obsessing harder over the problem… it comes from creating a richer, more playful, more connected life with your dog.
We’ll explore how stress and hypervigilance impact both human and canine behaviour, why positive emotional experiences are so important for learning, and how tiny ‘side quests’ can quietly transform confidence, engagement, resilience, and your relationship as a whole.
This episode is your invitation to stop making dog training feel like survival mode… and start making it feel like an adventure again!
✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why so many dog owners lose the joy in training
How stress and hypervigilance affect both you and your dog
The neuroscience behind play, optimism, and emotional learning
Why focusing less on the problem can sometimes accelerate progress
How side quests create confidence, engagement, and behavioural wins
Why your mindset and emotional state matter more than you think
Practical examples of fun training adventures to try this summer
How to rebuild connection, motivation, and excitement with your dog
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action. Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: The Listen Dog Training Online Club
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

In this episode, we’re diving into the hidden psychological side of dog training - the part no one really talks about. From imposter syndrome and second-guessing yourself, to emotional overwhelm and decision fatigue, we’re unpacking why training can feel so hard even when you know what to do.
More importantly, I’m showing you how to shift out of that stuck, reactive state and into one where you feel clear, calm, and in control, so you can actually show up as the trainer your dog needs.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why imposter syndrome in dog training is actually a sign of progress - not failure
What’s really happening in your brain when you forget what to do
How emotional overwhelm directly impacts your timing, consistency, and results
The science behind decision fatigue and why it makes training feel exhausting
How to reduce in-the-moment pressure with simple pre-planning strategies
The power of ‘if-then’ training rules to eliminate hesitation and second-guessing
How to regulate your own nervous system to create better outcomes for your dog
Practical mindset reframes that actually improve your training performance
How to move from reactive, uncertain training… to calm, confident leadership
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level? The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN! 
This is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action. Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: The Listen Dog Training Online Club - Listen Dog Training
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

If you’ve ever felt like your dog’s behaviour is getting worse just as you start training properly… this episode will completely change how you see that moment.
Because what most people interpret as regression or stubbornness is often something very different... It’s an extinction burst.
And understanding this phenomenon properly is one of the most important shifts you can make if you want to create real, lasting behaviour change in your dog.
In this episode, we go far beyond the basic definition and unpack what’s actually happening inside your dog’s learning system when behaviour escalates, why this moment is so critical, and how so many well-meaning owners accidentally reinforce the very behaviours they’re trying to reduce… without even realising it.
We explore the science of reinforcement history, prediction error, and behavioural persistence, and (most importantly!) translate all of that into clear, practical strategies you can apply in your everyday training.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What an extinction burst actually is
Why behaviour often intensifies before it improves - and what that really means
How reinforcement history and intermittent reinforcement make behaviours so persistent
The critical mistake that can accidentally make problem behaviours stronger during training
What’s happening in your dog’s brain when expectations are disrupted
How the nervous system plays a role in behavioural escalation and dysregulation
Why 'just ignoring' the bad behaviour is not a complete or effective strategy
How to prevent reinforcing unwanted behaviour without increasing stress or pressure
What true consistency looks like from your dog’s perspective
How to navigate this phase with clarity, confidence, and emotional steadiness
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action.
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: The Listen Dog Training Online Club
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

Does your dog completely lose their mind on the way to the park, the field, daycare, agility, or anywhere exciting?
Think whining... barking... pulling... frantic energy... A dog who seems SO overstimulated by the anticipation of where they’re going that they just can’t cope?!
This is about arousal, anticipation, nervous system regulation, dopamine-driven behaviour, and the emotional patterns that cause dogs to spiral long before they even arrive at the exciting thing.
I’ll break down exactly what’s happening inside your dog’s brain and body, why this behaviour often spreads over time, and how to begin creating real emotional regulation instead of just trying to suppress barking in the moment.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How anticipation and dopamine fuel over-arousal
Why barking is often the overflow behaviour of an overwhelmed nervous system
How excitement can become rehearsed and strengthened over time
The role of emotional regulation in behaviour change
How to lower your dog’s baseline arousal levels
How to build frustration tolerance and impulse control safely
The importance of breaking apart predictive behaviour chains
How to systematically rebuild calm around exciting routines
🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action!
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: The Listen Dog Training Online Club - Listen Dog Training
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

🚀 Ready to take this work to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action.
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: https://listendogtraining.com/online-dog-training-club
👉 Get 10% off Tug-e-Nuff Dog Toys here 
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!
In this episode, we take a deep dive into what prey drive actually is - from a behavioural and neurological perspective - so you can stop fighting against your dog’s instincts and start working with them.
We explore why chasing is so powerful, why it can override everything else, and why traditional training approaches often fall short. But most importantly, we break down how to approach this in a modern, effective, and genuinely empowering way, so you can start to build real progress that actually holds up in the real world.
This isn’t about just distracting your dog with treats or trying to shut the behaviour down, it’s about understanding the system… and learning how to work within it.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What prey drive actually is (and why it’s not a ‘bad behaviour’ your dog is choosing)
The science behind the predatory motor pattern and how different breeds express it
Why chasing is so neurologically rewarding, and why that matters for your training
The three key pillars to making real progress with prey drive: fulfilment, patterning, and arousal regulation
How to stop trying to fix things in the moment - and where the real work actually happens
Practical ways to channel your dog’s chase instinct into structured, productive outlets
How to build engagement and orientation that can stand up to real-world distractions
The role of your dog’s nervous system - and why regulation is a non-negotiable piece of the puzzle
The mindset shift that will completely change how you approach this challenge
If prey drive has been the thing that makes you feel stuck, frustrated, or like you’re failing in your training… this episode will give you a completely different lens, and a clear path forward.

Struggling with recall? Feeling like your dog knows it… but just doesn’t do it when it actually matters?
This episode is going to change the way you think about recall training completely.
Because reliable recall isn’t about shouting louder, repeating yourself, or hoping your dog chooses you over the environment. It’s about understanding why your dog makes the decisions they do… and learning how to shift those decisions in your favour.
In this episode, I’m breaking down five of the fastest, most effective ways to start improving your dog’s recall immediately, using modern, science-led training principles that actually work in real life.
These are practical, actionable strategies you can start using today, on your very next walk, to build a dog who truly wants to come back to you.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why recall is a choice, not a command, and how to stack the odds in your favour
How you might be accidentally poisoning your recall cue (and what to do instead)
The concept of reinforcement history - and why it matters more than the treats you use
How to use the environment as a reward (so recall stops competing with distractions)
The powerful role of behavioural patterns - and how to make recall feel exciting and unpredictable
Why your dog’s nervous system state impacts recall more than you think
Simple, immediate changes you can make today to start seeing progress fast
If you’re ready to take this even further and build a fast, reliable, racing recall, step by step, I’ve created a dedicated training pack that walks you through the entire process in a clear, structured, and achievable way.
Inside, you’ll learn exactly how to build speed, enthusiasm, and reliability into your recall - even around distractions - using the same science-led methods I teach my clients.
👉 You can check out my Racing Recall Training Pack here.
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!

At what point should you stop using treats in dog training?
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re relying too much on food, or worried that your dog will only listen if you’ve got snacks in your pocket… this episode is going to completely shift how you think about reinforcement.
In this episode, we’re diving deep into the science - unpacking when it’s essential to keep using food (especially with nervous or sensitive dogs), when it’s appropriate to start reducing it, and how to do that in a way that actually makes behaviour stronger, not weaker.
We’ll explore the powerful role of counter conditioning, why food is so much more than just a reward in those moments, and how removing it too early can quietly undo your progress.
And then… we’ll zoom out and look at one of the most fascinating principles in behavioural science: variable reinforcement.
The same mechanism that drives habits, addictions, and even social media scrolling… is something you can use intentionally to build incredibly resilient, reliable behaviour in your dog.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why it’s not time to phase out treats if your dog is still feeling unsure, nervous, or reactive
The difference between using food for behaviour vs. using it to change emotional responses
What counter conditioning really is, and why consistency matters more than reducing treats
When and how to introduce a variable schedule of reinforcement
Why reducing rewards (at the right time) can actually make behaviour stronger
What an extinction burst is, and why it’s a good sign - not a problem
How to start moving from food rewards to real-life: functional reinforcement
The biggest mistake dog owners make when trying to ‘wean off’ treats
🚀 Ready to take your training to the next level?
The Listen Dog Training Membership is now OPEN - and this is where we put everything you’ve learned in this episode into action.
Inside, you’ll get structured training, ongoing guidance, and a supportive community where you can grow your skills, get feedback, and truly master your dog’s behaviour.
👉 Join here: https://listendogtraining.com/online-dog-training-club
📱 Let’s connect! Follow me on Instagram and TikTok → @‌listendogtraining
👉 Get 20% off Wilson's fresh and cold pressed dog food range here
🎧 If you found this episode helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review 🌟 or shared it with a fellow dog lover - it helps the podcast grow and helps more people train with confidence, clarity, and joy!