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 becomes part of a real strategy instead of a band-aid. Claire's spent a decade rehabilitating dogs that chase on command and won't stop, and what she's learned will reshape how you think about drive, boundaries, and what your dog actually needs from you.

In This Episode

• What predatory drive actually is and why it's normal (not a flaw) in working dogs
• Why chasing a toy will never replicate catching a real rabbit, the limitations of outlet training
• How dogs behave completely differently when you're not watching (and why this matters for prey drive issues)
• The skills you need alongside PST: reliable recall, stop whistle, steadiness, and self-control
• How gun dog training fits into predation substitution training
• Why diagnosing the root cause matters more than picking a training method

Thanks for being here. If this episode gave you something, a laugh, a lightbulb, or just the feeling that someone gets it, that's exactly why we make it.

💬 Got something to say? A question, a story, a dog that's just done something unhinged? Come and find us on socials or over at the website. We genuinely want to hear from you.

📚 Not sure where to start with your training? Grab the LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map. It'll tell you exactly where you are and what to work on next. No guessing.

🎓 Ready to go further? The LWDG Society is where the real work happens. Expert-led courses, a community of women who actually get it, and training that makes sense for the dog in front of you.

📱 Come and find us:Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ Every session. Every stumble. Every breakthrough. It all counts. You're not just training a dog. You're building something. Keep going. We see you. 💛

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 experience worse. Claire covers the difference between healthy exposure and flooding, the role of eustress in building resilience, and how the training a dog already has becomes an asset in the second fear period in a way it simply wasn't in the first.

In this episode

• Why fear periods happen and what makes them vary so much from dog to dog
• The first fear period: why it lands exactly when you bring your puppy home and what to do about it
• The difference between exposure and socialisation, and why pushing puppies into group play during a fear period creates problems rather than solving them
• The second fear period: when to expect it, why it blindsides confident dogs, and how hormonal shifts layer on top of it
• What "go back to basics" actually means in practice, not just as a phrase
• How to use eustress to build resilience without flooding your dog

Thanks for being here. If this episode gave you something, a laugh, a lightbulb, or just the feeling that someone gets it, that's exactly why we make it.

💬 Got something to say? A question, a story, a dog that's just done something unhinged? Come and find us on socials or over at the website. We genuinely want to hear from you.

📚 Not sure where to start with your training? Grab the LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map. It'll tell you exactly where you are and what to work on next. No guessing.

🎓 Ready to go further? The LWDG Society is where the real work happens. Expert-led courses, a community of women who actually get it, and training that makes sense for the dog in front of you.

📱 Come and find us:Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ Every session. Every stumble. Every breakthrough. It all counts. You're not just training a dog. You're building something. Keep going. We see you. 💛

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 who's felt stuck, ashamed, or like they're the only one getting it wrong.

Thanks for being here. If this episode gave you something, a laugh, a lightbulb, or just the feeling that someone gets it, that's exactly why we make it.

💬 Got something to say? A question, a story, a dog that's just done something unhinged? Come and find us on socials or over at the website. We genuinely want to hear from you.

📚 Not sure where to start with your training? Grab the LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map. It'll tell you exactly where you are and what to work on next. No guessing.

🎓 Ready to go further? The LWDG Society is where the real work happens. Expert-led courses, a community of women who actually get it, and training that makes sense for the dog in front of you.

📱 Come and find us:Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ Every session. Every stumble. Every breakthrough. It all counts. You're not just training a dog. You're building something. Keep going. We see you. 💛