Found It, Fetched It - Your Fortnightly Dose of Gundog Wisdom from the LWDG

Jo and Claire Denyer tackle one of the most common worries handlers carry quietly: the belief that a dog needs to behave better before it is ready to see a trainer. They cover why the opposite is true, what so-called difficult behaviour is often really communicating, and how the most challenging dogs frequently become the dogs of a lifetime. In this episode Why your trainer needs to see your dog a...

Ten years ago, the LWDG was bringing in about two hundred pounds a month and felt more like a nice idea than a business. This week marks ten years of the LWDG and ten years of Claire Denyer's Family Dog Services, so to celebrate, Claire turns the tables and interviews Jo in a business blind date. They talk about the exact moments it stopped feeling like a hobby (a national award for one of them, a...

You trained it and you were proud of it. Then one day, in front of people, your dog looked straight at you and carried on sniffing. Recall going wrong feels personal, like the dog is calling you a liar. In this conversation, LWDG Group Expert Claire Denyer explains why recall almost never breaks where you think it does. Claire walks through how to rebuild it from the ground up, why the cheese-word...

If you've ever thought that giving your dog a flirt pole or a tug toy would stop them chasing squirrels, this one's going to shift something. Predation substitution training sounds like the answer, give them an outlet for all that chase drive. But as Claire Deyer walks Jo through in this episode, it's not that simple. Here's what actually works, why outlets alone fail high-drive dogs, and when PST...

Fear periods are a normal part of puppy and adolescent development, but most handlers go into them underprepared. They know the phrase but not the timing, the signs, or the right response. In this episode, Jo Perrott and LWDG Group Expert Claire Denyer break down both fear periods in practical terms: what they look like, when they happen, and how to work through them without making the dog's exper...

10 years. Thousands of conversations. One truth: you're not alone in all of this. Jo walks through the 10 lessons from a decade of watching what actually works with working dogs. Why your dog isn't difficult, just a gundog. Why more walks make them fitter, not calmer. Why consistency isn't about being strict. Why the dog you have right now is already the one you wanted. This episode is for anyone...

Knowing when to stop isn't giving up. It's one of the most important skills you can build as a handler, and this week Claire and I are getting into exactly that. There's a real difference between pushing a dog and protecting a dog, and the line between them isn't always obvious. Claire talks about stretching a dog's ability, that productive discomfort where a dog is learning something new, might w...

What if your dog didn’t have to stay home? What if the van, the open road, and your best mate could all go together — across the UK, across Europe, all the way to Croatia? This week I had the loveliest chat with Karen Shepherd, one of our brilliant Society members, who has been taking her Springer Spaniel McCoy all over Europe in her motor home. And I mean all over... Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Czec...

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 op...

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 over...

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. In this episode, we explore: Why training feels exhausting when yo...

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. What This Episode Covers Why “waitin...

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, inf...

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:...

Have you ever had that moment where everything feels calm… Then suddenly your dog is gone? One second you’re walking together. The next, your gundog has clocked something, made a decision, and acted on it before you’ve even processed what changed. In this episode, Jo explains why this happens, especially with high-drive gundogs, and why it isn’t a training failure or a reflection of your ability a...

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 s...

Ever scroll through social media, see a perfectly trained 10-month-old dog, and feel a knot of pressure in your stomach? If you've ever felt behind, second-guessed your progress, or worried that you're "failing" your young dog, this episode is for you. The pressure to rush our dogs from puppyhood to polished working partner is immense. But the truth is, your dog's development is a biological proce...

STOP WORRYING:  Your gundog doesn’t need to hunt live game to be happy! Are you the devoted dog woman who constantly frets that you're not meeting your working breed’s full needs? You are absolutely not alone. This week on Found It, Fetched It, Jo and LWDG expert Claire Denyer demystify the pressure surrounding breed instincts and fieldwork. We dive into why it’s  crucial  to provid...

Ever found yourself totally confused by the conflicting training advice buzzing around online? It feels like you’re constantly being told to aim for this impossible ideal, a kind of training perfection, that just doesn't seem to work with your chaotic, high-drive gundog. You’re trying to be kind, but your dog is eating the doormat and ignoring your existence. I get it. We’ve been there. This week...

Feeling the winter wobble with your gundog training? You are not alone. This episode is a warm hug for anyone feeling guilty that their dog (and their own motivation) has taken a seasonal dip. Join Jo as she explains why both dogs and handlers change in the winter, and how you can adapt your training to be shorter, calmer, and more connected. It’s time to stop fighting the season and start working...

Have you ever watched a friend train their gundog and thought, “Why am I reacting like this, and they’re so calm about the exact same thing?” It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap, feeling like you’re doing it all wrong simply because your approach is different. But what if that difference wasn’t a weakness, but a key to unlocking your most effective training style? We recently sat down with...

Ever found yourself peering at your dog's pedigree, trying to piece together a blueprint of who they are? Maybe you’ve felt that mysterious pull of their innate behaviours—that tiny puppy pointing at a feather, or the Springer Spaniel suddenly diving headfirst into a hedge. It can feel like pure voodoo, like trying to bake a perfect cake without truly knowing all the ingredients. This episonde on...

Ever wondered, "Is my gundog  really  allowed to be a gundog?" 🐾 This week, Jo and Vicki are diving into that very question, busting myths and sharing real talk! Hear Vicki's amazing journey with her golden retriever, Tully – from a wild teenager who ignored her, to a calm, confident companion who even rocked a working test! Discover how our LWDG community is a safe, supportive space fo...

In this live session, Jo explores the hidden comparison trap — and the emotional toll it can take when we measure our progress against snapshots on social media or polished training clips. You’ll discover: Why calm isn’t a fixed personality trait but a skill you can train The unseen realities behind “perfect” dogs online and in classes How environments and routines shape behaviour more than you th...

Understanding Your Gundog's Behavior: Arousal Stacking and Settling Challenges Join Jo, the founder of the Ladies Working Dog Group, as she discusses common behavior struggles faced by gundog owners. In this live session, Jo explains the concepts of arousal stacking, post-walk rituals, and the difference between a tired body and a tired brain.  Learn why your dog might be struggling to settle...