62. When Rehoming Is the Right Choice.

Does your dog really need more exercise, or are you accidentally creating a canine athlete who just keeps getting fitter? In this episode, Pat and Molly from Flying Paws Dog Training challenge some of the common myths surrounding dog exercise and explore why more physical activity isn't always the answer to a calmer, happier dog. We discuss the importance of mental enrichment, teaching dogs how to switch off, and finding the right balance between exercise, stimulation and rest. In this episode, we cover: Why trying to physically exhaust your dog can backfire.

No two dogs are the same, so why would we expect the same training approach to work for every dog? In this episode, Pat and Molly from Flying Paws Dog Training reflect on how their approach to dog training has evolved over the years, with plenty of lessons learned from their own dogs along the way. From different personalities and temperaments to setting boundaries, encouraging independence and understanding what each individual dog needs, they explore why training isn't about following a one-size-fits-all formula. They also share how living with their own dogs has shaped their perspectives as trainers, challenged their thinking and reinforced the importance of adapting our expectations to suit the dog in front of us. Whether you're navigating life with an independent thinker, a sensitive soul or a dog who likes to make their own rules, this episode is a reminder that understanding the individual dog is just as important as the training itself.

Sometimes dog training means changing the plan, having an awkward conversation, or accepting that management might actually be the best solution. In this episode, we talk about some of the common misconceptions we see around dog training and some of the things trainers occasionally have to stop themselves from saying out loud! We discuss: ​Why management isn’t a failure ​What to do when the original training plan simply isn’t working ​Why we need to train the dog in front of us rather than sticking rigidly to a method ​The assumptions we make about why dogs behave the way they do ​Why equipment fit and comfort matter ​How breed traits and lifestyle can contribute to training challenges ​Why a behaviour learned at home won’t automatically work everywhere else ​The importance of actually practising and reinforcing the behaviours you want ​Navigating some of the more awkward conversations between trainers and owners ​Why honesty about what is (and isn’t) working can lead to better outcomes Dog training doesn’t always go according to plan, and that doesn’t necessarily mean anyone has failed. Sometimes the most important skill is recognising when something isn’t working, figuring out why, and being willing to change what we’re doing for the dog in front of us.

Dog training progress doesn’t always look dramatic. Often, it’s the small changes that happen quietly over weeks or months that show just how far you and your dog have come. In this episode, we talk about why progress can be difficult to recognise when you’re living with your dog every day, and how an outside perspective can sometimes highlight improvements you’ve stopped noticing. We also dive into the adolescent stage, when training can feel inconsistent, patience can wear thin, and it’s easy to wonder whether all your hard work is actually paying off. We discuss: Why progress in dog training is rarely linear

This is a difficult episode, but an important one. Over the past five years, between us we’ve had to say goodbye to four of our own dogs, Murph, Rily, Tani and Dudley. With the recent loss of Murph, we wanted to have an open conversation about something almost every dog owner will eventually face: knowing when it might be time to say goodbye. This isn’t an episode about having all the answers. It’s about the decisions, emotions and uncertainty that can come with the end of a dog’s life, and our own experiences of navigating those moments. We talk about: The difficult question of “How do I know when it’s time?”