The Dog Expert Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

 The Dog Expert podcast. The podcast dogs would want you to listen to. Powered by canine principles.com. Helping passionate dog people go from feeling unsure and overwhelmed to confident, compassionate, and science savvy through a rich library of online courses and formal qualifications. Each week on the podcast, we dive deep into the real, raw and rewarding world of dogs.

This isn't about obedience. This is about understanding because dogs aren't problems to solve. They're free thinking, sentient beings to connect with.

What Your Dog Is Really Feeling?   What if your dog’s "bad behaviour" isn’t disobedience - but communication?   In this episode of The Dog Expert Podcast, Jo Middleton, Emily Dustan and guests Linda Michaels M.A. and Dr. Jessica Pierce, dive into the emotional lives of dogs. From joy and fear to frustration and grief, we explore the emotions behind common behaviours - and why recognising them is the key to building trust, resilience, and lasting change.   You’ll learn what the science says about canine emotions, how to spot the emotional signals your dog is giving you every day, and why emotional safety matters more than obedience.   If you've ever wondered what your dog is really feeling, this episode is for you. The Dog Expert Podcast is powered by CaninePrinciples.com

For many dogs, grooming is more than uncomfortable — it’s downright terrifying. In this episode of The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by author and ethical groomer Sue Williamson to explore why so many dogs dread the groomer… and what we can do about it.

Sue shares powerful insights into the emotional triggers dogs face during grooming, the harm of outdated industry practices, and how her welfare-led approach helps dogs not just cope, but feel safe.

Whether your dog panics at the sight of a brush or you’re looking for a groomer who puts emotional wellbeing first, this episode is packed with practical guidance, compassion, and hope.

What we cover:

• Why grooming is emotionally challenging for so many dogs

• The silent stressors of traditional grooming environments

• How cooperative, consent-based care can change everything

• Tips to reduce grooming anxiety at home and in the salon

• What to look for in a trauma-informed groomer

Living with a reactive dog can be overwhelming, isolating and misunderstood.

 

But you’re not alone - and your dog isn’t broken.

 

In this powerful episode, Jo Middleton and Emily Dustan are joined by reactive dog expert and author, Jay Gurden. Together they unpack what reactivity really is, why it happens and how to support your dog with empathy, science, and calm leadership.

From trigger stacking and thresholds to practical, force-free tools you can use today, this episode is packed with both heart and help.

You’ll learn:

• What’s really going on when your dog overreacts
• The emotional root of reactivity
• What to stop doing and what to start instead
• Tools for building safety, confidence, and trust

Because reactivity isn’t disobedience, it’s communication.

And your dog needs you to hear it.

NEW EPISODE 🎧: “Mine! The Truth About Resource Guarding” 🐾

Food. Toys. The sofa. If your dog growls or guards their stuff - it’s not about being “dominant.” It’s about feeling unsafe.

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, Jo and Emily are joined by special guest Holly Leake to unpack resource guarding. What causes it? How to help? And why safety beats control every time.

 

🎧 Listen in - because your dog isn’t being difficult. They’re asking for security.

#ResourceGuarding #DogPodcast #TrustOverTraining #CanineBehaviour #TheDogExpertPodcast #CaninePrinciples #DogEducaiton

NEW EPISODE: “Bouncing Back” with Daniel Shaw MSc

 

Why do some dogs recover from fear or stress, while others crumble?

 

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by behaviourist and neuroscientist Daniel Shaw to explore the fascinating science of resilience in dogs:

 

🔬 What resilience really means

🧬 The genetic + environmental factors behind emotional recovery

💥 Why coping dogs aren't always comfortable dogs

🛟 How to build resilience with enrichment, safety, and support

 

🎧 Listen now because resilience isn’t just about surviving. It’s about helping dogs thrive.

🚨 NEW EPISODE: Bomb Proof, Bullet Proof 🐶🧠🛡️

 

What if you could raise a dog that’s emotionally unshakeable and physically resilient just by focusing on the first 12 weeks?

 

Today on The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Zoolittle to talk:

💥 Bomb-proof = no separation anxiety, calm confidence

🧬 Bullet-proof = cellular, biological resilience built from day one

⏳ 8–20 weeks = the most powerful window you’ll ever get

 

🎧 Whether you have a puppy, or plan to, don’t miss this one.

 

#PuppyTraining #CanineHealth #DogDevelopment #BombProofBulletProof #TheDogExpertPodcast #ForceFree #CanineWellness #PuppyResilience

Join us for a special Pride Month episode of The Dog Expert Podcast as we celebrate love, acceptance, and inclusivity across the dog industry.

Featuring guest speakers Tasha Attwood and Debby Lucken, who are leading a powerful wave of support for the LGBTQ+ community - one message, one voice, one paw at a time.

#PrideAndPaws #DogIndustryPride #LGBTQplus #PrideMonth2025 #TheDogExpertPodcast

As our dogs live longer, the real question becomes: how well do they age?

 

In this episode, we speak with Prof Carri Westgarth, lead researcher behind the Ageing Canine Toolkit - a resource designed to help guardians and veterinary teams differentiate normal aging from potential disease and support better quality of life in senior dogs.

 

You’ll learn:

How the toolkit was developed from owner and vet research

Key health and behavioural signs to monitor using the traffic‑light checklist

What changes are “red flags” and when to seek veterinary care

Practical strategies to support mobility, cognition, comfort, and wellbeing in aging dogs

How to use the toolkit as a conversation bridge with vets

 

Whether your dog is entering their golden years or you’re preparing ahead, this episode gives you the tools to see aging not as decline but as a stage to support with clarity, empathy, and intention.

 

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✨ NEW EPISODE: “Ethics in Action” with Vicky Skinner 🐶

 

Thinking about starting, or already running, an animal‑business (boarding, grooming, dog visits, interventions)? Doing well means doing good.

 

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, we chat with Vicky Skinner, founder of Animal Focused Alliance, about what it really takes to run an ethical animal business:

 

What animal welfare really looks like in everyday practice

How to meet licensing & regulatory standards while keeping animal wellbeing front and centre

The power of clarity, transparency & staff training

How ethics can be part of your business strength, not a burden

 

🎧 Tune in and discover how compassion and compliance builds a business people trust and animals benefit from.

 

#EthicalPetBusiness #AnimalFocused #DogPodcast #AnimalWelfare #PetBusinessTips #TheDogExpertPodcast

 

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