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

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Spooky Season Survival: Helping Your Dog Cope with Halloween Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

https://absolutedogs.me/halloweensign

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!

Trick-or-treaters knocking at the door. Strange noises outside. Pumpkins, skeletons and floating ghosts appearing on your usual walking route. Halloween can be a lot for our dogs to take in, especially if they're already sensitive to noises, novelty or unexpected visitors.

This week, Lauren is joined by Karen to talk about preparing your dog for spooky season, with plenty of real-life examples from Karen's own Naughty But Nice cockapoo, Rupert.

Rupert can go from calm to barking, bouncing and completely overwhelmed in seconds when someone comes to the door. So what do you do when your dog is already reacting and asking them to calm down simply isn't going to work?

Lauren and Karen explore practical ways to manage those tricky situations, from using a simple food scatter to help redirect your dog's attention, to creating space and giving them somewhere safe to settle. They also share why prevention can be your best friend, particularly when Halloween means repeated knocks at the door.

And it's not just the doorbell! With darker evenings, unfamiliar decorations and unexpected sights and sounds appearing everywhere, there are plenty of opportunities for our dogs to find the world a little more worrying than usual.

You'll hear how simple games like Noise Box, DMT and Magic Cave can help build confidence around novelty and noise, how to introduce unusual objects at home without overwhelming your dog, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is adjust your plans and routines to suit the dog in front of you.

There's also a little preparation advice for Bonfire Night, which is just around the corner, including ways to make your home more comfortable for dogs who struggle with fireworks.

The good news? There's plenty you can do to help your dog feel more prepared for whatever spooky season brings!

🎃 Want to keep trick-or-treaters from knocking on your door? Grab our free, dog-friendly Halloween door sign here:

👻 Looking for games to help your dog grow in confidence? Our October Games Club challenge is packed with spooky-themed training games designed to build optimism, confidence and resilience.

Check out the £1 Games Club trial here:

Reactive Dog? How to Get Your Confidence Back Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

https://absolute-dogs.com/products/pdt-connect

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!

Living with a reactive or Naughty But Nice dog can be challenging. And sometimes, the hardest part isn't the barking, lunging or difficult walks. It's how those experiences leave you feeling.

Vulnerable. Isolated. Embarrassed. Judged.

This week, we're bringing you something a little different: a conversation from our two-day Live and Unleashed event, where Michelle, Sam and Karen get together to talk about building confidence as the owner of a Naughty But Nice dog.

They know first-hand how difficult it can be when the dog you love finds the world challenging, when other people don't understand, or when you're constantly worrying about what might be waiting around the next corner.

But how do you start rebuilding your confidence when it's taken a knock?

Together, they explore why reconnecting with the things you love about your dog is such an important starting point, and how you can begin to replace worry and uncertainty with preparation, practical skills and a plan.

From taking a break from stressful walks and finding safer places to train, to scoring environments according to difficulty, rehearsing your responses and building a toolkit of games you can rely on, there are plenty of practical ideas you can put into action with your own dog.

You'll also hear why it's important to give yourself an easy win on difficult days, how learning alongside experienced trainers and carefully selected dogs can grow your handling skills, and why having the right support can make such a difference.

Because your confidence matters too. And the more prepared and capable you feel, the better equipped you'll be to help your dog navigate the world.

If you'd love some personalised help with your own Naughty But Nice dog, there are ways we can support you:

🐾 1-2-1 Coaching Calls – Get tailored advice, practical strategies and a plan for the challenges you're facing with your dog.

🐾 Devon Dogs Training Holidays – Join us in Devon for hands-on training, expert coaching and the opportunity to build your skills and confidence in a supportive environment.

https://www.devondogs.co.uk/

And if you'd like to hear Ingrid's story, along with more inspiring experiences shared by our Naughty But Nice owners during Live and Unleashed, you'll find them on our AbsoluteDogs YouTube channel.

Naughty But Nice stories

Ditch the Walk: Does Every Dog Need a Daily Walk? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

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!

Does being a good dog owner mean taking your dog for a walk every single day? What if that walk leaves your dog stressed, overwhelmed or rehearsing behaviours you really don’t want? And what if you could meet their needs brilliantly without heading out for a traditional walk at all?

This week, Lauren is joined by Michelle to talk about Ditch the Walk – and why sometimes choosing not to walk your dog can be every bit as thoughtful as choosing to walk them.

Together, they look at what we’re actually hoping to achieve when we take our dogs for a walk. Is it an opportunity to toilet? Physical exercise? Mental stimulation? Once we understand what we want the walk to provide, we can start thinking much more creatively about how we provide it. From scent work and training games at home to fitness, enrichment and secure dog fields, the traditional walk is just one option in a much bigger toolkit.

They also explore why this can be such an important conversation for reactive, worried and Naughty But Nice dogs. We can prepare carefully, choose quieter places and train brilliantly, but we can’t control the off-lead dog that suddenly appears around the corner. Lauren and Michelle share experiences with their own dogs and explain why safeguarding confidence sometimes means being very selective about who, when, where and why you walk.

And when you do choose to head out? Preparation matters. You’ll hear how secure spaces, long lines, recall training and having a strategy for difficult moments can help you build the skills your dog needs before asking them to cope with more challenging environments.

This isn’t about never walking your dog. It’s about letting go of the idea that a daily walk is compulsory, looking at the dog in front of you and choosing experiences that genuinely work for both of you.

Want more ideas for training, enrichment and building the skills your dog needs? You can join Games Club for just £1 and discover plenty of ways to give your dog a brilliant day – walk or no walk.

Check out the £1 Games Club trial here:

Concept Training: Flexibility aka I Can Roll With It Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

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 series of episodes exploring what concept training actually is and how it shows up in real life with your dog. We’re taking the concepts you hear us talk about all the time, breaking them down, and making them practical, relatable, and easy to spot in your everyday training. This time, Lauren is joined by the brilliant Alice to explore flexibility – your dog’s ability to roll with whatever life throws their way.

Does your dog know exactly when dinner should arrive? Start pestering the moment walk time approaches? Pull like a train along the familiar route to the park? Or struggle when something doesn’t happen quite the way they expected? Those everyday patterns can tell us a lot about flexibility – and what happens when expectations and reality don’t quite match.

In this episode, Lauren and Alice explore how building mental flexibility can reduce frustration, lower arousal and help dogs cope more easily when plans change. Because life does change. Walks get cancelled, holidays happen, dogs stay with other people, routines shift and sometimes the thing your dog expected simply isn’t going to happen today. The more adaptable they can be, the easier those changes become.

You’ll also hear loads of practical ways to grow flexibility through everyday life and training. From ditching the bowl and varying your walking routes to Noise Box, changing the outcome your dog expects and taking familiar behaviours into completely different situations, Lauren and Alice share simple ways to help your dog discover that different can be absolutely fine. They even explore how flexibility can help with calm comings and goings, separation and those Christmas-morning greetings every time you walk through the door.

And there’s a lesson for the human end of the lead too. Sometimes helping our dogs become more flexible means looking at our own expectations, changing the picture we had in our heads and learning to work with the dog standing in front of us.

Ready to help your dog become an “I can roll with it” kind of dog? Grab the £1 Games Club trial, explore the games that grow flexibility and discover just how much easier life can feel when change is no big deal.

Eat Well, Feel Better: Healthy Habits for Life Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

https://www.devondogs.co.uk/product/health-retreat-27th-november-2026/

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 Michelle for a slightly different conversation – all about food, healthy habits and some of the choices they’ve made to help themselves feel better day to day.

Because when life is busy, eating well can very easily become another thing on the to-do list. You’re hungry, you’re short on time, and suddenly whatever is quickest and easiest wins.

So Lauren and Michelle are getting practical about how they make the healthier option the convenient option too.

From keeping boiled eggs and fresh fruit ready to grab, to frozen fruit, smoothies, cauliflower rice, quick soups and a LOT of enthusiastic guacamole chat, they share the foods and little bits of preparation that help them eat well without spending their lives in the kitchen.

They also talk about flexibility. Eating well day to day doesn’t mean never having the pizza you really fancy when you’re out with friends. It’s about finding choices and habits that work for your life – and noticing how you feel along the way.

And, of course, there’s a dog-training connection too. Lauren and Michelle both notice the difference when they feel well fuelled, energised and ready to take on the day – whether they’re training dogs, competing, travelling or simply keeping up with everything life throws at them.

If this conversation leaves you feeling inspired to give your own food habits a little attention, Lauren and Michelle also share more about the upcoming Health Retreat, where you can join them in person or online for a week of food, learning, cooking and plenty of ideas to take home with you.

Have a listen – and perhaps make your shopping list as you go. Lauren certainly did!

Devon Dogs Health Retreat (November 2026)

Devon Dogs Bake-Off: The Human End of the Lead (17th October 2026)

https://www.devondogs.co.uk/product/devon-dogs-bake-off-17th-october-the-human-end-of-the-lead/

Learning, Growing & Giving Back ft. Justin Prust Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

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 Justin Prust for a conversation about something that can make a huge difference to your confidence, your skills and even the opportunities that come your way: continuing to learn.

And learning doesn’t have to mean signing up for another qualification or finding hours you simply don’t have. It could be 15 minutes with a book, 20 minutes training your own dog, listening to a podcast, watching someone else train or simply having a great conversation with someone who knows something you don’t.

Lauren and Justin explore how those small opportunities to learn can build confidence and create momentum – and why learning becomes even more powerful when you share what you’ve discovered with somebody else. One person learns something, passes it on, inspires someone else to have a go… and suddenly learning becomes giving too.

There’s also plenty of chat about the less tidy side of learning: trying something you’re terrible at, being willing to get things wrong and accepting that progress doesn’t always happen in a straight line. Whether it’s dog training, reading, surfing, whistling or mastering a completely ridiculous new skill, staying curious keeps us growing.

Most importantly, learning should be fun. When we enjoy the process, we’re far more likely to remember it, keep doing it and share that enthusiasm with the people around us.

So what could you learn today?

Dogs And Horses: The Skills That Keep Everyone Safe Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

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!

What happens when dogs and horses meet out on a walk – and how do we make sure everyone stays safe? This week, Lauren is joined by Michele, who brings decades of experience with horses alongside her work with Naughty But Nice dogs, to talk about the responsibility we have when dogs, horses and livestock share the same spaces.

A horse with a rider can be a very strange picture for a dog. It’s big, it moves differently, it can appear suddenly around a corner – and for dogs who already struggle with novelty, movement, chasing or high arousal, that can be a LOT to process.

From the rider’s side, a loose dog approaching or chasing a horse can be genuinely dangerous. Horses are powerful flight animals, things can go wrong incredibly quickly, and “my dog is friendly” doesn’t mean very much when that dog can’t be called back.

Lauren and Michele talk about what having your dog under control really means, why a brilliant recall matters, and the practical choices you can make when you spot a horse ahead. They also explore how communicating with the rider, understanding your individual dog and preparing for these situations before they happen can make everyone’s experience safer.

And that preparation is a huge part of this episode. From mentally rehearsing what you’ll do when a distraction appears to practising recall when there isn’t a horse in sight, Lauren and Michele share how training ahead can help both you and your dog respond differently when it really matters.

You’ll also hear why Scatter Recall is such a powerful game, alongside long lines, whistle recalls, emergency recalls and the everyday skills that can give you far more confidence around horses, livestock, cyclists, dogs and other distractions.

If recall is something you’d love to strengthen with your dog, Games Club is packed with games to help you build those skills – and right now, you can come and try it for just £1.

Let’s build dogs who are ready for the situations they might meet – and walks that are safer and more enjoyable for everyone.

Check out the £1 Games Club trial here:

Why Dogs Keep Pulling: And How to Transform Your Walks Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

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 and Alice are tackling one of the most common – and frustrating – struggles in dog ownership: lead pulling. If you've ever found yourself wondering why your dog still pulls despite everything you've tried, this episode might just change the way you think about your walks.

Together, they explore why pulling works so well for our dogs – and how every successful repetition can make the behaviour stronger. Whether pulling gets your dog to the park faster, closer to an irresistible smell or simply towards whatever exciting thing comes next, they're learning all the time. Add in the opposition reflex that encourages dogs to push against pressure, and it's easy to see how walks can quickly turn into a tug of war.

Lauren and Alice also unpack the role that arousal and emotion play in pulling, and why changing the behaviour means looking beyond what's happening at the end of the lead. You'll hear stories from their own dogs, including Skittle and Bonnie, and discover why spotting the early signs – from a head dropping into hunting mode to an intense visual stare – gives you the opportunity to change what happens next.

Most importantly, they explore how to interrupt the rehearsal loop and start building something different. From disengagement and re-engagement to check-ins, reinforcement and simple games you can practise before you ever tackle a challenging walk, you'll discover how small, intentional repetitions can build the skills you actually want your dog to rehearse.

This isn't about finding a quick trick to stop your dog pulling. It's about understanding the dog in front of you, changing what the walk predicts, and building the confidence, connection and skills that make walking together feel completely different.

Ready to transform your walks? The Stress Free Walks Blueprint is here.

We'll guide you step by step through the games, strategies and foundations that help you move from pulling, frustration and stressful walks towards calmer, more connected adventures together.

Discover the Stress Free Walks Blueprint:
absolutedogs.me/blueprint

From Living Room to Real Life: How to Build Skills That Stick Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

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 and Alice tackle one of the biggest frustrations in dog training: why does your dog seem to listen perfectly at home, then forget everything the moment you step outside? If you've ever wondered why a brilliant behaviour in your living room completely disappears on a walk - and how to bridge that gap - this episode is for you.

Together, they explore why dogs don't automatically transfer skills from one environment to another, and why expecting them to do so can leave both ends of the lead feeling frustrated. You'll discover why training for the situation is so much more effective than trying to train in the situation, and how building the right foundations before heading into busy environments can completely change the outcome.

Lauren and Alice also share the practical progression they use to help dogs succeed in the real world. From your living room and garden to quiet public spaces, secure fields, industrial estates and even car parks, they explain how carefully choosing your training environments gives your dog the chance to practise the right behaviours before distractions become overwhelming. You'll hear why these often-overlooked locations can be some of the very best places to build loose lead walking, engagement and confidence.

Along the way, they discuss why taking a short break from traditional walks can sometimes be the kindest thing you can do, how to prevent unwanted rehearsal before it becomes a habit, and why setting your dog up to succeed is one of the fastest ways to build skills that genuinely stick. Whether you're raising a puppy, living with a reactive dog or simply dreaming of calmer, more connected walks, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can start using straight away.

Ready to take those brilliant skills from your living room out into the real world? Inside our Stress Free Walks Blueprint we'll show you exactly how to bridge that gap, build confidence in real-life environments, and set your dog up for success on walks.

https://absolutedogs.me/blueprint