211. When Your Dog Is “Too Difficult” for Training

Jo and Claire Denyer tackle one of the most common worries handlers carry quietly: the belief that a dog needs to behave better before it is ready to see a trainer. They cover why the opposite is true, what so-called difficult behaviour is often really communicating, and how the most challenging dogs frequently become the dogs of a lifetime.In this episodeWhy your trainer needs to see your dog at his cheekiest, not his best behavedThe warning moment most handlers miss in the seconds before their dog disappears after a scentWhy difficult young dogs so often mature into the hardest working, most rewarding dogsHow watching other dogs at group classes and charity tests fast tracks your own handlingWhat displacement behaviours like scent marking and cushion humping actually meanClaire's recent case of a golden retriever whose recall problem was nothing like it lookedAbout Claire DenyerClaire Denyer is an LWDG Group Expert and professional dog trainer who works with handlers and their dogs every week, from group classes and one-to-one sessions through to behaviour cases referred by local vets. She brings a rare mix of straight talking and genuine compassion, and her whole approach is built on helping the handler, not just the dog.Thanks for being here. If this episode gave you something, a laugh, a lightbulb, or just the feeling that someone gets it, that's exactly why we make it.📚 Not sure where to start with your gundog training? Grab the LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map. Work out where you exactly where you are and what to work on next, no more guessing needed.