Listen Dog Training: The Walk & Talk

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!