Explore every episode of the podcast Hold the Line

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Tips and approaches for managing over-arousal in gundogs, whether it results in noise, unsteadiness, or lack of focus.

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Introducing the new Puppy Gundog course, plus answering lots of listener questions!

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In this episode, I talk about what I've learnt as a result of the recent extremely stressful situation I've experienced recently. A 9 month old puppy we bred was dumped at a rescue organisation. We were not told. The rescue refused to rehome him to us. PLUS listener Q&As.

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Sometimes life is complicated. If dogs are losing out on opportunities for exercise and enrichment because people can't manage them, then their quota of 'good stuff' in life gets a lot lower. A dog which never leaves the house is going to experience the fewest unpleasant things in life - and also would be incredibly deprived, under-exercised and under-stimulated. R+ training needs to accommodate these complexities, and stop over-simplifying things. Because we live complicated lives which go beyond the 4 quadrants. 

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Loads of tips towards helping you to get pups swimming!

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In this episode, I talk about a certain subgroup of gundogs which are very motivated by environmental exploration/reinforcers. They require a different training approach. These dogs might find it much easier to work at a distance (with behaviours like the remote stop and the recall) and much harder to offer sustained focus up-close (as with heelwork). 

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The best marking is most likely if we send the dog immediately the retrieve falls. However, this also erodes steadiness. What to do? 

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I just wanted to drill down (pun intended) on this particular issue, because it's such a great one for improving focus and attention when you're battling environmental distractions. 

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I talk here about a few ways to help dogs which are struggling to offer us focus and attention. Do check out my Focus and Attention course, for more info. 

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This is a random collection of thoughts directed towards helping people become better trainers by addressing things other than the usual 'how to train stuff'. From personality traits of effective trainers to gaps in knowledge and misassumptions. 

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This sequence can be really confusing for people at first, leading to people often trying to train this in the actual order it actually happens. 

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This episode is a little bit of everything. It is a buffet of an episode. Not sure if it's all you can eat, but it is a heck of a lot. 

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Here I waffle randomly about what I'm doing with puppies in this age range. It doesn't really involve much gundog-specific stuff, because it's about helping pups to feel safe in the world.

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I talk here about the advantages of picking up, especially for HPR breeds (spaniels would also benefit for similar reasons) - and also offer some thoughts about docking after our experiences with our recent litter of Weim pups.

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Yes, finally, it's here. The long-awaited sequel to *The Fundamentals*, the new book is called *Force-Free Gundog Training: Precision and Progression" and it's available in Amazons everywhere. Whoop whoop!

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Amazingly, my new book (Force-Free Gundog Training: Precision and Progression) is nearly ready. WHOOP!! It should be out in a few weeks.... 

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This is a ramble of an episode (both subject-wise and literally) covering ticks, the come-in whistle on retrieves and early canine pregnancy.

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In this episode, I recount our incredibly stressful race against the clock to get the right stuff, in the right place, at the right time. Phew.

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What are the pros and cons of working tests?

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This episode is an outdoor ramble (verbally and physically!).... 

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Here are some useful tips for moving onto marks and then blinds across water.

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This is a slight bonanza of a wandering episode, where I waffle about prepping for our upcoming litter, woes around tick products, why it's a useful training opportunity to have a dog which is highly aroused... in your yard and how to train many dogs at once. It's a bit all over the place and it's got something for everyone. Sort of.

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I talk about prioritising your enjoyment of the actual activity of working your dog in the field, separate to any achievements, goals or objectives. It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. 

I also talk about the importance of splitting your training and structuring your work with blinds. Be a lumper and not a splitter. 

Finally, we've moved our breeding from Roche (Weim) forwards and everything is a leetle beet manic, chez nous.... 

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In this episode I waffle in response to a listener's question about using bird launchers and control at the flush of game.

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This episode is an assortment of amazingly interesting things. It's like a box of Quality Street, only with a lot of The Purple Ones. 

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A quah episode (question and answer)  about a dog who is under good control in training scenarios - but out of control, in trials. 

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In this episode, I talk about the skill and concept which is 'lining'. I introduce my new course (creatively called 'Lining') - which you can get a discount on using code Lining30 

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Why we need to ensure a split doesn't develop (hopefully this intrigues you enough to listen to more!)

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This episode is not necessarily going to provide the structure some of you really want - because I don't think that's helpful, for puppies. But it will give you some broad pointers... 

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

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

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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'.)

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

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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 make sense of any of this... 

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

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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. 

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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://doi.org/10.3390/ani14182632

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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.

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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').

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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'.

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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 ongoing control of your dog. They are simply more reinforcers you can use to train your dog, with the caveat that they are in the environment instead of on your person.

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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 there.... 

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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 midwalesholidays.com and completelygundogs.co.uk - and, if you're looking for a pup, her affix is Windlemoor.

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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 blinds AND 'hunt it up' blinds.

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Check out as well episodes:

• Episode 86 - getting focus from your dog outdoors
• Episode 78 - behavioural trilogy (part 3), the super-drive, hunting crazy dog
• Episode 72 - behavioural trilogy (part 2), food motivation, allergies, body sensitivity and focus
• Episode 58 - developing reinforcers before contact with game
• Episode 38 - puppy exercise and developing food motivation
• Episode 37 - questions about transitioning the clicker retrieve to outdoors

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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.

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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 stuff... 

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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.... 

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

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Check out episodes 16, 17

And take a look at my online course, Heel.