Show Notes
Glenn Cooke and his mate Mark wanted a dog for their share house. They each put in $100 and bought a puppy through the Trading Post. They called him Harley. What began as a decision to get a dog became the starting point for a very different life.
In episode 375 of The Canine Paradigm, Pat Stuart puts Glenn back in the interview chair as we revisit our original episode one. This is a new conversation, not a replay. For listeners who have joined us along the way, it is a chance to discover how Glenn got started. For those who have been here from the beginning, it is a return to the dogs, people and experiences behind the familiar voice.
From an electrician with a puppy to a life in dog training
Before the training career, Glenn was an electrician learning to live with a puppy who brought sleepless nights, bathroom repairs and a growing sense of responsibility. Harley opened up a world that went well beyond teaching a dog to sit. As their relationship developed, so did Glenn’s interest in what dogs could learn and what it meant to work alongside them.
That interest connected with another important relationship. Glenn knew Boyd Hooper through kickboxing, but a conversation about Harley led to an invitation to Australian Dog Training. We revisit that first training night, the early NDTF years and the opportunity that eventually turned Glenn from a client into an employee.
Boyd’s influence was not limited to working dogs. Glenn reflects on being expected to mature, take responsibility and lead by example. The lessons were about handling people as well as dogs, and understanding what others should be able to expect from someone in a position of leadership.
From there, the conversation follows Glenn through decoy work, behaviour rehabilitation, private lessons, board and train, and the responsibilities of caring for dogs in boarding facilities. He looks back on the mentors and friendships that broadened his experience, the move into managing businesses and teams, and the work at Pet Resorts Australia that eventually brought him and Pat together.
The dog, the people and the stories that stayed
Glenn also explains why the podcast has become the book he always wanted to write. The conversations have given him somewhere to record the stories, acknowledge the people who helped him and share how his thinking has developed. His appreciation of Pat and Boyd brings the episode back to Harley, the dog he credits with setting so much of it in motion.
We catch up on life with Narelle, Mando, Opie, Ladybug and Pixel, before talking about Glenn’s interest in returning to dog sports and making more room for training at home.
Whether you are a trainer, a dog owner or someone whose plans changed after bringing a puppy home, this episode asks a familiar question: which dog changed the direction of your life?
Content note: Contains strong language and graphic descriptions of violence and dog-bite injuries.
Related listening
Return to Episode 1: Pat interviews Glenn for the original conversation, and hear from Boyd in Episode 200: Boyd Hooper.
Further Details
Find Glenn’s work through Pet Resorts Australia and Pat’s coaching and education through Serious Dog Business.
Support the show and access additional content through our Patreon page, or visit our merchandise store.
Explore our podcast listening options and subscribe to The Canine Paradigm on YouTube. Share the episode with a friend, leave a review, or get in touch at [email protected].
Support Our Supporters
Visit Narelle Cooke’s Canine Ceuticals and listen to her podcast, Natural Health for People and Pets.
Our thanks also go to Jason Firmin at Einzweck Dog Quip, From the Heart Dog Training, and Birdy O’Sheedy at The Magic in Dogs.
Special Thanks
Thank you to our contributing artists, Jane Stuart, Avery Keller and Zoie Neidy, for their creative contributions to the show.
More from The Canine Paradigm
Haz Othman had already travelled to Europe for the WUSV World Championship when, he says, he learnt that a clip from his training footage had cost him his place in the event.
Pat Stuart had planned to spend his life in the Army. Becoming a professional dog trainer was never the plan.
When polished content replaces practical experience.
In Episode 373 of The Canine Paradigm, Glenn Cooke and Pat Stuart sit down with David McKelson, founder of Pro Dog Training.
Dog training motivation is not simply about how quickly a dog performs or how intensely they pursue a reward. Does your dog genuinely enjoy training, or have they simply learned to chase the food, ball or tug at the end of it? The difference matters. When the reward is the only valuable part, performance can become dependent on what the dog can see, while the training itself holds very little value.