Gundogs and Guard dogs

When you dream of chimpanzees, you go through a vodka bar, even if you’re alcohol intolerant, and somehow end up working in conservation. What a journey!Maybe you can read your dog like a book… but not without 24 years of experience.Ross and Lez both joined the conversation thinking that perhaps a new career, or at least a new hobby, might be on the cards. By the end of it? Not a chance.Louise’s immaculate appearance, although sadly we can’t see her, rather defies the reality of a working life spent being dragged through wetlands by dogs, flying in helicopters and keeping a freezer full of scat.The conversation gets fascinating when Louise explains scent, discrimination and the indication of different scent types. You can’t learn this “scat” from a book. You have to experience it, learn it, live it and breathe it. Louise knows her dogs and can spot the subtle indications given by multi scent trained detection dogs.She talks about her courses and dispels some of the romance surrounding the idea of working with conservation dogs. This is serious work, requiring an extraordinary level of commitment, knowledge and understanding.Louise is a truly international worker, making waves across conservation projects around the world.And then there’s newt detection… Jeez. The commitment involved in dealing with changing owners, changing environments and changing scent pictures for the dogs is something else.Who knew newts could be two metres underground… or in a tree?!Water voles. Otters. Cadaver dogs. Buried pigs. Bat carcasses…It’s all glamour!How do you train through emotional responses to scent? What are the best breeds? And could a rescue dog that simply needs a job become a conservation detection dog?We finish, appropriately, with pine marten poo.Louise is nothing short of amazing. An incredibly knowledgeable, passionate and entertaining guest with a career that proves just how extraordinary dogs, scent and the people who work with them can be.A must listen episode.

The London contingent is looking a little weary, while the Scottish contingent is feeling the cold. After the customary weather chat, Lez and Ross move on to the evolution of the domestic dog, ethology, behaviourism and genetics.Their conversation raises more questions than can possibly be answered in a single episode, so watch this space for a dedicated genetics episode in Season 8 or 9. They also discuss the emergence of the “mini Cane Corso” and consider the relationship between selective breeding, physical appearance, health and temperament.Breeding and selection are important, complex and sometimes confusing subjects. What can a Rottweiler’s tail tell us? How valuable is genetic health testing, and what can it realistically tell breeders and owners? We have all the questions but not the answers...From there, the conversation turns to qualifications within the dog industry and what it really means to be qualified. If you are considering studying dog training or behaviour, this part is well worth a listen.Who is teaching you? That should always be one of the first questions you ask.The discussion then moves from industry regulation to artificial intelligence and the possible development of superintelligence, before looking ahead to the penultimate episode of Season 7 and the arrival of the wonderful Louise Wilson from Conservation K9 in two weeks’ time.Finally, Lez and Ross consider two serious and highly topical issues: the movement of dogs into the UK and the continuing concerns surrounding canine brucellosis.Worth a listen... oh yes 😅

What if we have been underestimating dogs all along?.In this episode, we sit down with our wonderful friend and colleague Dave McIver, a retired Police Dog Trainer and Senior Inspector who spent an incredible career working with police dogs across the UK..Dave’s journey started in a rather different direction. After a brief spell in the Army and seeing an advert for the Police Cadets, his ambition was motorcycles. Somehow, that journey ended up taking him into the world of dogs, horses and some truly remarkable experiences..From Sam, his first police dog who famously “failed” for three weeks, to Rocky, a tiny German Shepherd who became part of an extraordinary career, Dave has seen the world of working dogs change almost beyond recognition..And this is where things get really interesting..How do you train a police dog? How has that changed since the 1970s? And what happens when we stop trying to make dogs behave like we want them to and instead start understanding what they are naturally capable of?.Dave takes us from forced retrieves and traditional obedience to modern training methods based on motivation, instinct and the individual dog..Because perhaps the biggest lesson is this: dogs are capable of far more than we give them credit for..We get into the differences between German Shepherds and Malinois, the experimental use of breeds such as Akitas, Ridgebacks and Beaucerons, and the ongoing debate about breeding the right operational dog. Is the Malinois × German Shepherd the ultimate combination, or is the answer simply finding the right individual dog?.We talk about gifted dogs, police breeding programmes and whether success really comes down to genetics, training, experience, knowledge or something much harder to measure..Dave also gives his thoughts on why police dog numbers are falling, why training times have changed and why a better understanding of dogs has completely altered what trainers can achieve..Then we go down the scent trail..Why don't explosive detection dogs get trained to find other scents? What makes a great detection dog? And what can we learn from cadaver dogs and other specialist disciplines?.Along the way, Dave shares some remarkable stories from an extraordinary career, giving us a rare insight into the world of police dogs from someone who has lived it, trained it and watched it evolve..This is a conversation about dogs, training, instinct, policing and the extraordinary things that happen when humans learn to work with what a dog can do rather than simply telling it what to do..An amazing man. An amazing career. An amazing insight into the dogs we think we understand.. ---- oOo ----Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years. .Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE). .Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter). .They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011. .They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists. Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think..Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

It starts with ticks crawling up the walls… apparently they grow very tall in Scotland!
Luckily, they haven’t quite managed to reach London, which means Ross is, unsurprisingly, completely disinterested.
Oh deer… and apparently Scotland doesn’t really have foxes either! One random wildlife discussion somehow leads to the recent eclipse and disappointment all around. Then there’s the bizarre advice given to dog owners surrounding the eclipse, along with some equally bizarre general advice!
We check in with Roixzan, the 15 week old Rottweiler puppy, who has had her first vaccines with a new vet. And, amazingly, adult conversations were had with the vet! Could things finally be changing? Maybe, thanks to some of the forward thinking vets we’ve spoken to on the podcast before…
The veterinary chat continues with Andrew Armitage’s updated Librela research, before taking a sharp turn into Lez’s glasses and the pair becoming increasingly concerned about the future of AI!
Then it’s on to watermelons, water bowls and the all important question: what exactly are the duo doing to keep their dogs cool? Heat rises… especially in a three storey London townhouse, although apparently it rises even more dramatically in a one storey Scottish house!
Finally, the unexpected star of the episode: an enzyme eating cleaner!
https://www.topdogturf.co.uk/product/wee-free-ultimutt-2-in-1/
Wildlife, eclipses, puppies, vets, AI, heat, watermelon and cleaning products… basically, everything you never knew you needed in one episode! 😆
---- oOo ----
Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.
Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).
Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).
They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.
They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.
Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.
Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...
www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

It all started with a horse…
Like many forward-thinking clinicians, Edward Bach reached a point where simply managing illness wasn’t enough; he wanted to create true wellness. His pioneering work, developed before 1936, led to what we now know as Bach Flower Remedies.
So, what are they?
What are Bach Flower Remedies, how are they used, and what can they help with?
This session offers an intriguing insight, even for the sceptical Londoner.
Meanwhile, our Scottish contingent was already a convert, sharing a personal journey involving Faelen the Golden Retriever.
Impotence, Impatiens… or just impatience?
It’s all about working with the dog in front of you. By combining careful observation with a detailed clinical history, the aim is to find the most appropriate remedy, much like we already do in behaviour work.Keep an open mind…
Maybe, just maybe, it’s worth a shot.
(Though perhaps don’t begin your bespoke firework desensitisation plan on 4th November…)Separation Anxiety
We asked the questions; the rest comes down to listening, trying, and seeing what fits within your current approach.
If it works, great.
If not, bin it off.
You might even find yourself wanting to train as a practitioner.
Or you could just suck on a pastille and see how you feel.
https://remediesbyros.com/
---- oOo ----
Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.
Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).
Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter). They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.
They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.
Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.Intrigued?
want to know more? then check out our websites...
www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com