Hold the Line
Self-Improvement
About
THE podcast for force-free gundog training! Hold the Line is committed to helping you to train your dog to an advanced level, using motivational methods and without the use of fear. Or pain. Or anything else nasty.
Episodes
- Episode 147 - ethics and head collars
This episode explores the ethical considerations of using head collars in dog training. It addresses how trainers must navigate the complexities of dogs missing out on exercise and enrichment due to management difficulties, advocating for…
- Episode 146 - get those puppies swimming!
This episode of Hold the Line features Jo offering advice on how to get puppies swimming. The discussion includes various tips to help dogs get accustomed to being in the water.
- Episode 145 - pointers, setters and HPRs are different (sometimes distance work is easier than up-close control)
This episode discusses a subgroup of gundogs motivated by exploring their environment. The host explains that these dogs may benefit from training methods that focus on distance work, like remote stops and recalls, rather than sustained cl…
- Episode 144 - marking vs steadiness, revisited
This episode of Hold the Line revisits the topic of marking versus steadiness in dog training. It explores the idea that the best marking often occurs when a dog is sent immediately after a retrieve, but acknowledges that this can compromi…
- Episode 143 - how releasing the dog at the right time, improves focus
This episode of Hold the Line discusses how strategically releasing the dog can be a useful technique for improving focus and attention, particularly when facing environmental distractions.
- Episode 142 - fix your (dog's) focus!
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I talk here about a few ways to help dogs which are struggling to offer us focus and attention. Do check out my Focus and Attention course, for more info.
- Episode - 141 - things that I wish people knew
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This is a random collection of thoughts directed towards helping people become better trainers by addressing things other than the usual 'how to train stuff'. From personality traits of effective trainer…
- Episode 140 - how to train the point, flush and (steadiness to) fall
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This sequence can be really confusing for people at first, leading to people often trying to train this in the actual order it actually happens.
- Episode 139 - Q&A bits and pieces
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This episode is a little bit of everything. It is a buffet of an episode. Not sure if it's all you can eat, but it is a heck of a lot.
- Episode 138 - PUPPIES 8-12 weeks
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Here I waffle randomly about what I'm doing with puppies in this age range. It doesn't really involve much gundog-specific stuff, because it's about helping pups to feel safe in the world.
- Episode 137 - the value of picking up and some thoughts about docking
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I talk here about the advantages of picking up, especially for HPR breeds (spaniels would also benefit for similar reasons) - and also offer some thoughts about docking after our experiences with our rec…
- Episode 136 - THE NEW BOOK IS OUT!
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Yes, finally, it's here. The long-awaited sequel to *The Fundamentals*, the new book is called * Force-Free Gundog Training: Precision and Progression " and it's available in Amazons everywhere. Whoop wh…
- Episode 135 - The New Book is Nearly Ready!
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Amazingly, my new book (Force-Free Gundog Training: Precision and Progression) is nearly ready. WHOOP!! It should be out in a few weeks....
- Episode 134 - the come-in whistle, ticks and canine pregnancy
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This is a ramble of an episode (both subject-wise and literally) covering ticks, the come-in whistle on retrieves and early canine pregnancy.
- Episode 133 - Trying to time a breeding (aka the right stuff, in the right place, at the right time)
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I recount our incredibly stressful race against the clock to get the right stuff, in the right place, at the right time. Phew.
- Episode 132 - working tests (the good, the bad, the ugly)
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 What are the pros and cons of working tests?
- Episode 131 - marking vs steadiness and moving recalls off the long-line
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This episode is an outdoor ramble (verbally and physically!)....
- Episode 130 - tips for advancing water work
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Here are some useful tips for moving onto marks and then blinds across water.
- Episode 129 - uncontrolled behaviour in the yard & training multiple dogs
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This is a slight bonanza of a wandering episode, where I waffle about prepping for our upcoming litter, woes around tick products, why it's a useful training opportunity to have a dog which is highly aro…
- Episode 128 - enjoying the journey and structuring your training on blinds
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I talk about prioritising your enjoyment of the actual activity of working your dog in the field, separate to any achievements, goals or objectives. It's not about the destination, it's about the journey…
- Episode 127 - using launchers and control at the flush
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode I waffle in response to a listener's question about using bird launchers and control at the flush of game.
- Episode 126 - ticks, unfixable things and plans for the future
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This episode is an assortment of amazingly interesting things. It's like a box of Quality Street, only with a lot of The Purple Ones.
- Episode 125 - a dog which is under control in training, but not in trials?
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 A quah episode (question and answer) about a dog who is under good control in training scenarios - but out of control, in trials.
- Episode 124 - Lining
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I talk about the skill and concept which is 'lining'. I introduce my new course (creatively called 'Lining') - which you can get a discount on using code Lining30
- Episode 123 - force-free gundog training isn't about training 'gundog skills'
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Why we need to ensure a split doesn't develop (hopefully this intrigues you enough to listen to more!)
- Episode 122 - What to train puppies to do - and when
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This episode is not necessarily going to provide the structure some of you really want - because I don't think that's helpful, for puppies. But it will give you some broad pointers...
- Episode 121 - canine brucellosis, recalls, steadiness to flush and more
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This is a slightly jam-packed episode which leaps around various different subjects!
- Episode 120 - my dog has developed a phobia around competing and around birds
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I respond to an email from a listener about a dog which became worried about specific (unknown) elements of competition.
- Episode 119 - the implications of selecting for dogs which experience verbal aversives as strong aversives
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I talk about feeding raw on a budget. And about the ethics and implications of selecting for dogs which experience verbal aversives as strong aversives. (Thereby circumventing the bannin…
- Episode 118 - (field) trials - and tribulations
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I waffle about trials as a form of assessment.
- Episode 117 - what is going on with the cost of vet care and insurance?
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Roche just cut her foreleg on (we think) barbed wire. The quote for sedation and stitching was astronomical. I ramble about what is going on, systemically, and about various societal factors from poverty…
- Episode 116 - help, my dog won't pick game!
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I talk about how to help dogs make the transition to picking up game.
- Episode 115 - is your dog ready for a shoot?
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 How do you find a shoot? Is your dog ready to work on a shoot? What is required from them? What different kinds of shoots are there? What are the roles on a shoot? This is all things shoots 101.
- Episode 114 - the recent 'chasing' research paper (e-collar vs food reinforcers)
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I look at a recent research paper called 'Comparison of the Efficacy and Welfare of Different Training Methods in Stopping Chasing Behavior in Dogs' by Johnson & Wynne https://doi.org/10…
- Episode 113 - the current dog training controversies and listener questions
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I talk about why the best way forwards is for us all to advance together - instead of fostering division and us/them splitting.
- Episode 112 - mouthing or chomping the dummy
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I talk about how to stop mouthing or rolling of the dummy (it's the clicker retrieve again, this time the part of it called 'proofing the hold against food').
- Episode 111 - don't let shot get attached to retrieves!! (and listener questions...)
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode I answer a few listener questions and then waffle about why we need to keep shot unattached to a retrieve for as long as possible. Shot means 'sit'. Like the sit whistle means 'sit'.
- Episode 110 - working with the AWOL dog
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I focus on how to weave yourself and the environment together - rather than thinking about yourself as being in 'opposition' to the environment. All those juicy reinforcers out there are…
- Episode 109 - our experience with immunotherapy and canine allergies
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I talk here about my experience with immunotherapy for Ren's extreme allergies. Whilst there seem to be so many people around with itchy dogs, it seems that not many have explored immunotherapy and there…
- Episode 108 - interview with Collette May (another one!)
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I last spoke with Collette back in 2019, pre-Covid. Her life has changed in so many ways over the last 5 years, I wanted to catch up with her again and hear about her new ventures. If you want to connect…
- Episode 107 - dropping water deliveries & straight line vs hunt it up blinds
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 I describe the way that one part of the Clicker Retrieve process ("Proofing the Hold Against Food") is a powerful tool for teaching a dog not to drop on exiting water. And I help a listener who wants to…
- Episode 106 - working with 'distractions' and reinforcers
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Check out as well episodes: Episode 86 - getting focus from your dog outdoors Episode 78 - behavioural trilogy (part 3), the super-drive, hunting crazy dog Episode 72 - behavioural trilogy (part 2), food…
- Episode 105 - should we outright condemn aversives?
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 This episode was inspired by the debate between Zak George and Denise Fenzi on Instagram recently. Check out their Stories there if you want to hear what they had to say in their own words.
- Episode 104 - retrieving problems and the importance of basics
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I answer a listener question about dogs trying to bring back multiple dummies. I also talk about the importance of having a rigorous training system which begins with the basics and does…
- Episode 103 - the UK's approach to blind retrieves for HPRs
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Did you know that HPRs in the UK are expected to handle? That means: To hold straight lines. To be cast left, right and back. Essentially, to 'be' Retrievers. Some of you might thing that sounds insane..…
- Episode 102 - aversives and listener questions
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 In this episode, I answer listener questions about in-a-row blinds, dealing with frustration in blinds and the use of aversives.
- Episode 101 - in 15mins "my dog pulls on the leash"
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Check out episodes 16, 17 And take a look at my online course, Heel .
- Episode 100 - in 15mins "my dog has problems with blind retrieves"
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Episodes to check out are: 30, 33, 34, 36, 41, 47, 48, 62, 64, 66, 85, 88 Online courses covering blind retrieves are: Blind Retrieves Remote Stop First Steps in 3HC Training the T Drill
- Episode 99 - in 15mins "my dog doesn't recall in certain situations"
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 For more help on this one, check out episodes: 82, 87 See the Reliable Recall course, on my website forcefreegundog.com Or check out the chapter on the Reliable Recall in my book, Force-Free Gundog Train…
- Episode 98 - in 15mins 'my dog hunts too far' or 'my dog doesn't hunt far enough'
🙃 Text me (Jo) at Hold the Line 🙃 Check out podcast episodes: 57, 58, 78