Sexier Than A Squirrel: Dog Training That Gets Real Life Results

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Welcome to this episode of the Sexier than a Squirrel podcast, the podcast that brings you real-life dog training results, and sometimes human training ones too!
This week, we’re continuing our new series of episodes exploring what concept training actually is and how it shows up in real life with your dog. We’ll be taking concepts you may have heard us talk about before, breaking them down, and making them practical, relatable, and easy to spot in your own training sessions and day-to-day interactions with your dog. This time, Lauren is joined by the amazing Sam to explore one of the most important - and often overlooked - skills in dog training: disengagement.
Ever felt your dog vanish into a distraction - locked on a squirrel, snout glued to fox scent, or bee-lining toward a picnic? Listen in as we chat about the missing skill that is at the root of all those struggles: disengagement - the ability to turn away from temptation and choose you instead. Using simple, relatable analogies - like the cake you keep nibbling or the spider you can’t stop thinking about - we show how fixation works in both humans and dogs, then translate that into practical training you can start today.
Lauren and Sam consider why some dogs struggle more, whether it’s lack of education or innate wiring, and how to meet each dog where they’re at. Sam also shares one of her all time favourite games - Disengagement Pattern - a clear, repeatable game that pays your dog generously for orienting back to you. Toss one treat toward mild interest, then deliver a small jackpot for the turn-away to anchor a new value system: outside temptations are single coins; you are the bank. We explain how to adapt reinforcement - by amount or quality - to keep the contrast clear without overfeeding, and how to manage distance like a volume dial so your dog can think rather than tip into frenzy.
From pheasants bursting from hedges to food scraps in city parks, we chat real-life scenarios and show how to reset, create space, and reinforce better choices. You’ll hear how to chain quick wins, when to pivot to other games, and how practice at home makes walks smoother and calmer. This is a blueprint for building recall-like reliability without constant cueing, because the best behaviour is the one your dog chooses.
Ready to try it yourself? Grab the £1 Games Club trial, explore guided tracks, and borrow the confidence of a community that’s solved the same struggles.

Support the show
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!

Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub

Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub

And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!

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Welcome to this episode of the Sexier than a Squirrel podcast, the podcast that brings you real-life dog training results, and sometimes human training ones too!
This week, Lauren is joined once again by the amazing Alice, to kick off a new series of episodes where we’re exploring what concept training actually is and how it applies to real life with your dog. We’ll be taking concepts you may have heard us talk about before, breaking them down, and making them practical, relatable, and easy to spot in your own training sessions and day-to-day interactions with your dog. And we’re starting with optimism.
What if your dog’s “reactivity” is really a pessimistic prediction about the world - one you could rewrite it with play? We share how teaching optimism through simple, structured games turned Bonnie, a large mastiff mix with explosive dog-to-dog reactions, into a calm, confident dog who can enjoy off‑lead time with friends and settle peacefully at home.
Listen in as Lauren and Alice break down optimism as a practical training concept: when a dog learns to expect good outcomes from ambiguous situations, barking, lunging and hiding give way to curiosity and choice. You’ll hear how short, rewarding games reshape neural pathways, why ditching the bowl fuels learning, and how to build habits of calm disengagement around big triggers like cyclists, fireworks and vet handling. 
Alice shares one of her favourite and most accessible games for boosting optimism with any dog - Noise Box - using everyday items to make novelty safe and fun.
This is a story of real change grounded in games-based training, management and community support. We talk measurable wins - faster recovery, softer body language, easier check-ins - and the difference optimism makes beyond reactivity: smoother grooming, kinder vet visits and a shared sense of confidence at both ends of the lead. 
If you’re tired of bracing for the next meltdown, this approach gives you a roadmap that feels kind, achievable and effective.
Ready to try it yourself? Grab the £1 Games Club trial, explore guided tracks, and borrow the confidence of a community that’s solved the same struggles.
https://absolutedogs.me/7daytrial 
Support the show
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!

Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub

Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub

And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!

Send a text
Welcome to this episode of the Sexier than a Squirrel podcast, the podcast that brings you real-life dog training results, and sometimes human training ones too!
This week, Lauren is joined by the brilliant Rosanne Calabrese for a conversation that switches the spotlight from our dogs back onto us. Together, they explore what happens when dog people put everyone else first – and why our own health and wellbeing is just as important.
From food, energy, gut health, stress, and genetics, to the simple daily habits that shape how we feel, move, think, and show up for our dogs, this episode is a powerful reminder that you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you’ve ever been meticulous about what your dog eats, how they’re exercised, and how their environment is set up – while barely giving yourself a second thought – this one’s for you.
Rosanne shares practical, no-nonsense insights into nutrition without counting, weighing, or obsessing (no monkey measures here!) including why hydration matters, how environment can switch genes on or off, and why eating more simply can lead to more energy, clarity, and resilience. Lauren also opens up about her own recent health wake-up call, making this a refreshingly honest and relatable conversation.
This episode isn’t about perfection, restriction, or giving everything up. It’s about easy wins, sustainable changes, and doing something for yourself – so you can keep showing up as the human your dog needs at the end of the lead.
If you’ve ever thought, “I’ll look after myself later”, consider this your nudge to start now.
Keen to learn more? Join “the Blondie and the Brunette” for the ultimate Health & Wellness Retreat from 13th to 20th March 2026 at Bowerland - the home of absoluteDogs. Online and in person options available. 
https://www.devondogs.co.uk/product/health-retreat-13-mar-26/ 
Support the show
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!

Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub

Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub

And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!

Send a text
Watch a mindset shift in real time as we explore how purpose-bred sports mixes are changing flyball and agility. We dive into the why and how behind crosses like the border whippet and kelpie–whippet, pairing racing-line sprint genetics with collie-style responsiveness to create dogs that explode down the lane, turn cleanly, and still curl up on the sofa by eight. If you’ve ever wondered whether speed and an off switch can live in the same dog, this is your tour through the evidence.

Nicole joins us to unpack the profile of a great sport mix: explosive acceleration, confident turn mechanics, quick recovery, and a temperament that’s easier to live with than many high-octane purebreds. We share real-world insights from Party the border whippet and Tonic the kelpie–whippet, including training feel, coat practicality, height and size considerations, and what “fast-twitch” actually looks like in daily routines. We also trace the scene’s roots in North America, where racing whippets have long influenced performance breeding, and examine why the UK flyball world has embraced these crosses over the last decade.

Breeding ethics and health come front and centre. We walk through responsible screening for both sides of the pedigree, from genetic panels to spinal imaging and orthopaedic checks, and explain how F1 versus F2 choices affect coat and build. With the rise in demand, we also flag the risks of untested litters marketed as sport-ready and share how to find trusted breeders who are active in the ring and transparent with results. Along the way, we compare other mixes—from border paps to staffy-infused lines—and talk honestly about living with collies versus mixes, training bandwidth, and the reality of “ease of life.”

If high performance with low drama is your goal, you’ll come away with a clear picture of what these dogs can offer and how to choose wisely. Enjoy the episode, share it with a friend who loves dog sport, and if it sparked new ideas, follow the show, leave a quick review, and tell us which mix you’d pick for your next run.
Support the show
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!

Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub

Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub

And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!

Send a text
What if changing what’s on your plate could change how you feel, think, and even how you train your dog? We dive into a candid journey from a daunting fibroid diagnosis and surgery-first advice to a practical, food-first plan built around whole ingredients, simple prep, and flavour that sticks. Along the way, we talk about the 25% reduction that showed up on a scan, the meals that kept us going, and the mindset shifts that made healthy choices sustainable through packed training days.

We get specific about what worked: ditching ultra‑processed foods in favour of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and natural fats; building quick wins like a 20‑minute lentil curry finished with lime; blending a blueberry‑coconut chia breakfast that sets up the morning; and keeping freezer-ready energy balls for the afternoon slump. Batch habits make the difference: slow‑cooker chilli loaded with greens, a soup maker that turns prepped veg bags into grab‑and‑go lunches, and simple hydration cues to separate thirst from hunger. For treats, we keep the joy without the crash—cauliflower nachos with guacamole, citrus‑coconut dessert bites, sweet potato fries, and a cashew‑based Caesar that tastes like the classic.

Beyond recipes, we share why health upgrades translate to better dog training—more patience, cleaner timing, steadier energy, and clearer communication. Travel tips, sourcing strategies, and UK‑friendly healthy finds round out a plan that’s realistic, affordable, and family‑proof, even for picky teens. If you’ve been on the fence about shifting your diet or wondered how to fuel long training days without relying on packets and powders, this is your blueprint.

Ready to feel better and train better? Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a nudge, and message us your first swap—what whole‑food habit are you starting this week?
Support the show
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!

Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub

Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub

And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!