Stress Free Dog Walks podcast | Listen online for free

48 episodes

Stop Training Loose Lead Walking & Recall Until You Hear This
16/1/2026 | 11 mins.
Crazy idea, but what if you *didn’t* need to drill loose lead walking or recall?
Sounds mad, but it’s exactly what happened for Em and her high-energy spaniel Sweep.
She didn’t train loose lead walking.
She didn’t drill recall over and over.
She didn’t follow 8-week programmes for either.

And yet:
Loose lead walking improved ‘naturally’.
Sweep recalled from deer
He started checking in and staying close without being asked.

The training industry will have you believe you need an 8 week loose lead walking programme, THEN a 6 week recall class - when all you actually need is a calm brain and strong relationship.
When the brain calms, the behaviour follows. Without tedious heelwork or endless recall reps.
Press play to hear the full breakdown of how Em and Sweep did it.
When Dog Walks Cause Shame & Embarrassment
10/1/2026 | 12 mins.
Here’s a scene you might recognise: Your dog fixates, weight shifts forward. You try your training cue, do what you’ve practiced. He explodes anyway. A bark that turns heads, a lunge that yanks your arm. The jogger makes a face. Someone mutters “train your dog” 🙄
That’s when the shame rush hits. Heat in your cheeks, lead in your stomach. Your body wants to fold in on itself, to disappear.
Your brain starts the story:
“They think I’m incompetent.”
“Everyone is judging us.”
“My dog is beyond fixing.”
Slowly, without intending to, you build a life around minimising shame instead of building confidence. Walks get shorter, less enjoyable for both of you, and you start to feel guilty that your dog is unfulfilled.
Shame does not STAY on the dog walk. It’s what makes you hesitate to try new things. It’s why you replay conversations, worrying you said too much or not enough. It’s why you apologise when you haven’t done anything wrong 😢
Hit play to understand what shame is doing to your confidence, and how to stop it running your walks, your freedom, and your relationship with your dog.
One Toolkit That Solves Multiple Dog Training Problems
03/1/2026 | 8 mins.
If you’re searching “how to stop jumping up,” “why my dog barks at everything,” or “how to stop pulling”… you’re playing behaviour whack-a-mole.
Fix one thing this week…
A new problem pops up next week…
Tackle that one… another appears…
Whack whack whack you go 🔨🔨🔨
Jumping, barking, pulling, reacting, ignoring you, etc etc etc. These aren’t 10 different problems. They’re 10 symptoms of the same thing 📣
Therefore you don’t need 10 training plans. You just need ONE toolkit that works everywhere.
🧰 One toolkit that helps your dog stay calm when the world gets exciting.
🧰 One toolkit that supports recovery so they can think again faster.
🧰 One toolkit you can use for jumping, barking, pulling, chasing, ignoring… all of it.
You’ll learn the smarter way to train - using one versatile toolkit that solves many behaviour problems at once.
Reactivity Is Not a Behaviour Problem (Why Training Isn’t Working)
27/12/2025 | 9 mins.
If you’re trying to fix the barking, pulling and lunging whilst the barking, pulling and lunging is happening - you’re already too late.
By the time your dog *does* the behaviour, their body has already fired off an entire chain reaction that you did not see.
📈 Heart rate up.
🫁 Breathing quickened.
💪 Muscles primed.
⚡ Stress chemicals dumped into the system.
🧠 Thinking brain already offline.
So if you’re trying to stop the behaviour, you’re only reacting to your dog’s reaction (which means you are just as reactive as they are).
Reactivity isn’t a behaviour problem. It’s a brain and body problem 📣📣📣
One more time: Reactivity isn’t a behaviour problem. It’s a brain and body problem.
What you see on the OUTSIDE (the barking, the spinning, the pulling) is just the END result of everything that happened seconds earlier on the INSIDE.
This is why cueing, commending or correcting will only ever be a sticking plaster, and you’ll plateau at your current level, no matter what you try.
Stop addressing the end of the chain, and start at the beginning. Press play before you waste another walk trying to fix the symptom instead of the cause.
How to Pass Other Dogs on Walks if Yours is Anxious, Excitable or Reactive
20/12/2025 | 7 mins.
You know ‘The Showdown’ 🤠 The quiet walk, the long straight path, no exit route. Cue: dramatic music as a dog appears on the horizon.
What do you actually do when another dog is heading straight for you on a walk? Shorten the lead? Turn around? Hold your breath and hope for the best?
I explain why so many pass-bys go badly - and what to do instead.
🤠The common mistakes made in those few seconds and the red flag that you’re dangerously close to a meltdown (and injury)
🤠Why ‘hoping for the best’ is the fastest way to set your dog up to fail
🤠And the simple adjustments (even before you’ve done any training) that stop the whole thing escalating.
If passing other dogs makes your stomach knot up and the townsfolk run for cover, you need this episode in your ears. Press play and learn how to walk past other dogs without the drama.

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About Stress Free Dog Walks

Join me, Katie G, for the Stress Free Dog Walks show every week on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts from! You’ll get real-world practical advice that you can apply immediately to your own dog, out there on your very next walk, so they ignore distractions and listen to you, walk nicely, and come back when called - even when there’s something more exciting going on! Even more importantly, I’m showing you why dog training alone will NOT solve your problems. We’re diving deep into everything they DON’T tell you in face-to-face training: the psychology of turning your pulling, barking, lunging dog into a stress free walking companion! There are SO MANY training classes, 1-1 programmes, books, reels, blogs... but so few dog owners ACTUALLY enjoying relaxing walks. I untangle the common misconception that dog training is all it takes to fix the pulling, barking and lunging... and what you need instead! It’s free to listen and subscribe, and some episodes I’ll be joined by a stress free dog owner spilling their secrets to success - so you can steal their strategy for your own dog! Plus look out for longer behind-the-scenes juicy bonus episodes with my team of dog trainers and behaviourists! Find Stress Free Walks on all your major podcast players. Prefer to watch the show instead? YouTube. Or grab a cuppa and read the full written article. Did I mention? It’s free! Tune in while you’re commuting in the car, jogging at the gym, and of course, walking your dog! 🎙️ Connect with me and join the conversation: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StressFreeDogWalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogwoodadventureplay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogwoodAdventurePlay Learning Centre: https://www.stressfreedogwalks.com

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