The Border Collie Geek Podcast

In this episode I tackle one of the most common myths in dog training, the idea that calm equals focused. If you have been teaching your Border Collie to lie down, rewarding stillness, and building a foundation of doing nothing, hoping it would fix their focus outside, this episode explains why it might not be working.
I talk about what focus actually looks like in a Border Collie, why it is rooted in energy and movement rather than calm, and why the arousal your dog carries is not the problem, it is the fuel. The job is not to offer calm. The job is to redirect it onto you.
I also talk about what to do instead, why you need to become more exciting than the environment, and why a dog that seems unmotivated by food or toys is not a lost cause.
This is part two of a two-part series on focus and engagement. If you haven't listened to part one yet, go back and start there first.
🎙 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n3nV51SQ2NdGfn2o0UI4B?si=6ad010c8642e4e3e
Want my help building this with your Border Collie? I am running a free live training event 15–19 July where I will show you exactly how to start.
👉 Join here for free: https://thatlldoacademy.com/focus-free-training/

In this episode I talk about why your Border Collie chases everything: bikes, joggers, other dogs, cars. And why the usual fixes so many owners try just don't get to the root of it. We cover why prey drive can actually develop and get stronger over time, why your dog isn't being stubborn when they ignore you outside, and why tiring them out or using high value treats misses the point entirely. Most importantly, I talk about where the training actually has to start and what needs to be in place before you ask your dog for anything else.

🎙 This is part one of two. Part two is coming next week and covers the training myth that most people swear by, and why it's working against you.

Want my help building this with your Border Collie? I'm running a free live training event 15–19 July where I'll show you hands-on exactly how to start building focus and engagement from scratch.

👉 Join here for free: https://thatlldoacademy.com/focus-free-training/

In this episode we are going to talk about everything you need to know to keep your border collie safe and active in summer. We will cover acclimatisation, heat stroke, hot pavements, water safety, and what to watch out for if you are travelling to a hotter country with your dog.

Book a Discovery Call with me, let's have a free chat about your dog and your training goals:
https://calendly.com/martina-thatlldoacademy/discovery-calls

Get in touch:
⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠
https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

To follow me on social media:
Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ThatllDoAcademy/⁠⁠
Instagram : ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/martina_bordercollie_geek/

One of the most common questions I get asked is: "Who is the pack leader after you?" — and my answer is that there is no pack leader, because we are not a pack. In this episode I break down what a pack actually is, why it doesn't apply to dogs living in a human household, and what the relationship between us and our dogs really looks like.
We cover:
The scientific definition of a pack and why humans and dogs don't qualify
The alpha wolf myth: where it came from, and how it was debunked
What feral and street dogs in Italy, Eastern Europe, and South America actually do (and don't do) socially
Why dogs evolved to live with us, not to dominate us
What our household really is — and why that matters for how we train and relate to our dogs
Pack (canine) — Wikipedia
Pack Structure — Wolf Haven International
Packs (Zoology) — EBSCO Research Starters
Mech (1999) full paper PDF — wolf.org/USGS — L. David Mech, "Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs," Canadian Journal of Zoology, 77(8): 1196–1203
Mech (1999) — Canadian Journal of Zoology
Scientific Self-Correction: How Mech undid the alpha wolf concept — Science Arena
Debunking the Alpha Dog Theory — Whole Dog Journal
Alpha Dog Theory Is Dead. Science Killed It in 1999. — Dogly
Boitani & Ciucci (1995) — Tandfonline — "Comparative Social Ecology of Feral Dogs and Wolves," Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 7: 49–72
The Ecology and Behavior of Feral Dogs: A Case Study from Central Italy — ResearchGate
Feral Dog overview — ScienceDirect
Dog Dominance, Alpha and Pack Leadership — VCA Animal Hospitals
The Truth About Dominance — Positively.com

Book a Discovery Call with me, let's have a free chat about your dog and your training goals:
https://calendly.com/martina-thatlldoacademy/discovery-calls

Get in touch:
⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠
https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

To follow me on social media:
Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ThatllDoAcademy/⁠⁠
Instagram : ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/martina_bordercollie_geek/

In this episode I will be chatting to you about how I'm managing resting Kes, my 6 months old Border Collie while on a 3 long week rest!
I'm also running a workshop to show you exactly how to teach these exercises I'm talking about!

https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/live-class/productive-rest-mental-activity-static-training-for-the-active-dog-on-a-break/register

Get in touch:
⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠
https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

To follow me on social media:
Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ThatllDoAcademy/⁠⁠
Instagram : ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/martina_bordercollie_geek/