Speaker 1: 0:09

Welcome to the Absolute Dog Sex in a Squirrel podcast. I'm Lauren Langman. I'm one of the world's leading dog trainers and it's my mission to help owners become their dog's top priority. In each episode, you'll discover how to gain trust and communicate with your dog like never before, creating unbreakable bonds that make you the most exciting part of their world hello and welcome.

Speaker 2: 0:29

It's the 300th episode. I'm sam and I am taking over this podcast. I'm not really. I'm not really. That's mad, isn't? It? Isn't that mad like where did that happen?

Speaker 1: 0:42

that's crazy it's big, it's big. And four point I think we're at 4.2 million. That's, that's insane downloads.

Speaker 2: 0:50

Yeah, that's cool 4.2 million I love that we've reached so many people like that. That's I mean that for me, that's the, that's the crux of that, like we've got, we've reached so many people with this incredible way of training and it's incredible, ah, so good games based dog training reaching 4.2 million download listeners.

Speaker 1: 1:07

Like that, you know what we've got to do this about that. It's not what I'm expecting like literally just an immense feeling. Now let's think about our journeys, because I know that actually, sam part of the reason that you came in here as a 300th episode celebratory moment. What a journey. It's been a journey for you, right? How did it start?

Speaker 2: 1:29

So back in the days of DVDs DVDs it could have been VHS or it could be worse so back in the day of DVDs, when Facebook was just a baby, I remember seeing an advert come up and it was literally like get this DVD. And you were showing loads of games and stuff like that on on the video and I was just like that looks really fun. And at a time when me and my first dog, luna, were at a place where she was sort of growling at us because we were trying to take stuff off us when she steals and like her walking was awful, she would just pull like a train, like constantly there was. No, we didn't really exist. We were just the givers of food, the givers of of walks, and it was getting frustrating and our relationship was like deteriorating. It was sad and it was sad to see her sad as well and I just didn't know what to do. And we try and taken her to like a few like puppy classes and stuff like that and they just weren't very nice, they didn't sit well with me.

Speaker 2: 2:15

And then I saw that ad and I was like, oh, I mean, it's just, it's a free dvd, like what can it hurt? Right, I'll just get it paid the postage and packaging got the dvd and absolutely loved it, absolutely loved every second of it, and then realized that there was a games club and I was like I want to, I want to do that, I want to be in games club. And I remember sending a really tearful email being like please, let me in. Please, I don't know what to do, I need more games, I need to know how to do this. And then it opened anyway and I was able to get in and now I'm a trainer and I do filming here and I've had students, you know, and yeah, it's completely like overturned my life and I've got another dog.

Speaker 1: 2:56

Which is crazy. What a different world, considering you think back when DVDs were everything DVDs and you picked up that DVD. You thought games-based dog training is for me.

Speaker 2: 3:06

I mean, I didn't even know what that was, you know, I didn't even know that it was games-based training. I was just like that looks really cool and apparently it's going to help me sort out my walks. Brilliant, and it did. You know, and that's the crazy thing is like all of the stuff that we had but all of the struggles. Now we've got like a tool belt of stuff to do so it's fun I think the biggest thing with games-based dog training is it's fun.

Speaker 1: 3:29

So let's do quick tips tennis, all right, why we love games-based dog training. And I'm gonna say let's go right off with the fun one. For me it's fun and when you're playing games it's easy to lose the seriousness at the moment and I think I definitely know, for I can be really serious with my dog training, especially because I've got a competitive edge. So I want to compete with my dogs and that sometimes takes away the fun element, because you've got pressure, because you want it to work, you want it to be good right, and when you've got pressure you can lose the fun.

Speaker 2: 4:05

So I love the Mary Poppins saying in every sort of bit of work that needs to be done, there must be, yeah, an element of fun. And then she goes off with spoonful of sugar. Helps the medicine? We don't. They want to hear you sing along. Come on, sam, come on, uh, green eggs and ham in her camper van so, but I like you, you like singing that song, don't? You. Yeah, I do like that one, so I'm gonna say it's fun, so games-based dog training is fun.

Speaker 1: 4:21

How about you? What's your? What's your next?

Speaker 2: 4:23

my my, my best thing for me is that there is there's no one fix all and so there are so many different games and strategies and and things that you can use for your tool belt that if one thing doesn't work for your dog, then you can use something else and it works skills. So it doesn't necessarily work like a specific behavior, like a sit or a down. It works skills within your dog, it reshapes their brain. And there are so many different games that you can have a lot of variety and for me that is like huge because I think it gets boring. Otherwise, you know I love it and it keeps you going. It keeps you doing it because you're having, because of the fun, and it's the variety that makes it fun for me, so it keeps you interested. You're constantly learning.

Speaker 1: 5:00

No, I love it.

Speaker 2: 5:01

He's a dog interested.

Speaker 1: 5:02

For me. The next one is why I play games and why games-based dog training works, and why it's our 300th episode and why it's still here and why it lasts. It goes the test of time. You can do it anywhere.

Speaker 2: 5:12

So you can actually play it anywhere.

Speaker 1: 5:14

So, whether I'm in an airport, or whether I'm in a competition, or whether I'm in my back garden or my living room or we're watching movies with friends and I don't want my dog jumping all over the sofa, there's always a game for that. Yeah, and I can play it anywhere. Yeah, I love that.

Speaker 2: 5:27

I love that yeah, I think for me as well it's. It's long lasting. So when you get those results and you've reshaped your dog's brain, it is a long lasting change, like my dogs are not the same dogs that I had when I started and they've taken us, like on journeys that's what they do, isn't it? But they are the change that we've seen through the skills that we have given them through the games-based training. It's long-lasting, it's there. You know that they're like oh, that's what I do now, that's what I am now, that's the dog I am now.

Speaker 1: 5:53

So that for me is, I think, something that you don't get in a lot of the training I agree, and then I suppose I'd add to that and raise it again why games-based training? I think it's really kind yeah. I think that I'm very compassionate towards my dogs. Through games, I think that I realize often that maybe it's not that they are giving us a hard time. They're actually having a really hard time, yeah.

Speaker 1: 6:14

And so through games you start to be, I would just say, a better owner yeah, you become a more vigilant owner, you become a more observant owner, you become a more aware of your dog and their needs owner, and that for me is a really special place to be, actually, that you are your dog's best advocate and you're really safeguarding your dog through games. And I think games do that because they allow you the window and the moment to actually really watch what's happening, because you're just having fun right. So it takes off other layers of pressure so that when you are looking you can kind of balance it a bit more and you can notch it down or you can notch it up accordingly, but all within advocating for your dog. I love it. I love it, yeah, I think, oh, but all within advocating for your dog.

Speaker 2: 6:53

I love it. I love it. Yeah, I think, fitting it how it fits into your life, right? So a lot of the kind of things that we talk about are things like ditch the routine and ditch the bowl and don't do the same thing in the same way all the time for your dog, because it helps your dog, but what that actually means is it really makes it easier for you as well. So you end up finding ways to work your life. Finding ways to work your life, finding ways to work your dog's life around you, rather than the other way around you know that's huge, isn't it?

Speaker 2: 7:17

because I think sometimes you know that I need to get home because I need to do this with a dog. Well, actually, no, my dog's used to me just coming home whenever and doing games with them whenever and playing and getting their food whenever, and there's no set structure into what they do. But that works and it and it works in terms of their training and it works in terms of them changing their behaviour as well. So it kind of it works for you inadvertently. It's like a nice little tick, a little bonus, which I just love. I think that's really cool. You can just do it while you like boil in a kettle, you can play it quick, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 7:46

I'm going to add to that. I'm going to say it increases games based learning, increases our flexibility as well as our dogs.

Speaker 1: 7:53

Yes, and so for me, I am not always most flexible person, but I would say that gaze-based learning really helps me to be more flexible. Yeah, because it says well actually, for example, I was driving home today and in my head I was like I need to get this, this, this and this and this done with the dogs that I've just brought home. I've just been to a chiropractor with my dogs and myself and they were adjusted, and on the way home I was like that's not all fitting and I was like it doesn't matter actually, because she can have a light day and she can do that tomorrow. Yeah, and then actually I did that yesterday, so it does all fit. I just have to be a bit flexible with it, and it's really good for us to remind ourselves flexibility yeah, but I would say it really maximizes flexibility for our dogs games-based learning but it also really maximizes flexibility in our people.

Speaker 1: 8:33

Yeah, and I would say for me, I'm always a better person where I can be more flexible, and I think that for all of us, flexibility is often, especially as you get older. Look at us, two oldies, we're not old. But, especially as we age. I'm 20. Didn't have any big birthdays this year.

Speaker 2: 8:46

Absolutely not.

Speaker 1: 8:58

And especially as we get older. I think it's really important that we actually recognise that flexibility doesn't increase as a muscle. No, flexibility is one of those things that we get less and less and less flexible.

Speaker 2: 9:02

Do it less rather than more, so I think that games-based learning increases flexibility over to you green, yes, and I think for me, going back on to kind of on the back of it, being flexible, I actually think as well. What I really like is it's not this huge amount of time that you have to dedicate to it. And I know that sounds like you sort of go, like that sounds a little bit lazy, but actually, yeah, you know, I don't have loads of time in my day to do like hours and hours of training for my dog and what you do is you chunk it down into loads of tiny little segments throughout the day. And that because going to a training class like once a week for an hour, you know and then having to go home and do all the training as well, that is that's taxing and that takes up a lot. It's a lot of commitment.

Speaker 2: 9:37

But actually being able to just like boil a kettle and play a few games or sit down and do like a boundary game you know, a bed game or you can just play them if you're going on a walk and you just fit it in where you need to fit it in, but they're really short segments and that for me is really important because I don't think, especially knowing my personality and knowing like a lack of consistency and forget, just like a terrible, forgetful memory, being able to just be like I'm boiling the kettle oh, I should. I'll grab a handful of food and play a quick game while I'm doing this. You know it really helps. It's a, it's a, it's a big way of me, one of the reasons I love this way it enables it's yeah, it's just yeah, it's just so easy to work your life around it.

Speaker 2: 10:16

You know it doesn't become all encompassing, which also takes the pressure off. It completely takes the pressure off and you're not feeling like, oh, I've got to go and train the dog, you love it, because you're like, oh yeah, I've just played a really cool quick game, I've done a bit of training for the day. Well, it's very much, yeah, done smashing it, crushing it, I think.

Speaker 1: 10:34

Adding to that, I think it's a really big one for me on a day-to-day basis with games-based learning, most people lack in their lives fun, achievement, feeling like they're winning and successful, good mental space, good mental capacity, feeling like they're a winner. I think games-based learning does all of that, yeah, and I think it's very contagious and what I'm going to say to everybody who's listening please share it with a friend oh yes, whether it's sharing the podcast with a friend, or whether it's sharing the some of the free resources with a friend.

Speaker 1: 11:04

There'll be um links to them around this podcast somewhere. Whatever it is, give the opportunity of sharing. Yeah right, sharing is sharing is caring. Sharing is caring. Have you shared it with anyone?

Speaker 2: 11:14

let's say oh I'm, I'm not gonna lie. I'm always like have you heard of games? You've got a dog. Have you heard of games? Hey, how about this hustling? Let me, let me teach you something, and it's not because I'm like I want to bring them to the, to business, do you know?

Speaker 2: 11:27

I mean like to answer to what we do, it's because I'm so freaking passionate, passionate about it that I I just want to like share it for the joy and for the, for the, the wins that you get with your dog, of everything we've just talked about.

Speaker 2: 11:38

Really, because for me it's huge yeah, and I think my next one would be as well actually seeing the change in students that I've worked with as well, because that has been like magical, and there's something really special about seeing someone come to you in in in a state of of sadness and worry about what they might have to do with their dog. You know anxiety, yeah, and being able to help them find ways to transform that and look to the future of what they've got with their dog and being able to see their dog's transformation and the joy that that brings to them has been something so, so, so special that you know, being with with absolute dogs has has like given me, which is really cool, so that's part of my journey, that is, you know, that's been very, very special to me and if I think about my journey with poppy, for example, poppy was really the reason that we have naughty but nice.

Speaker 1: 12:26

So poppy was was original naughty but nice dog and those of you that don't know, poppy poppy was very, very, very chase driven.

Speaker 1: 12:32

Border collie, really high chase driven yeah but actually when I think about poppy, she was no different to my next border collie, easy, who actually was very, very similar but differently brought up. Yeah, and then earlier I was just talking to my trainer here one of the trainers that works full-time and with the team here and she said I just took out that young collie and she legged it from the garden to chase the chicken and I'm like that's exactly the same dog, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 12:55

what lesson we're being able to be learning again exactly the same type and stamp. It's what you do with it now, and so what we do with that is we actually put her in a garden that she cannot see and escape out of.

Speaker 1: 13:05

Yeah, and we train her in that space first and then we gradually grow it and make that world bigger, but what we don't do is give her the opportunity to go wrong. Yeah, at the moment she can get through the gap in the fence and she is going to take the opportunity to go wrong.

Speaker 1: 13:16

Go find the sheep or go find a chicken or go find a cat or go find a piece of fox pooter rolling, whatever it is that dog's taking the opportunity. And I suppose for me, the journey is that often the dogs that we we have, they're just not equipped for the spaces that we're putting them in. And we're putting them in spaces or worlds or towns or cities or sort of countryside or sheep or cattle or whatever else that they're just not equipped for. And whilst they're not equipped for that, then we need to consider whether actually that's the right space for them right now, or could we like make their world a little bit smaller? Build the games. Build and grow the games. Build and grow the concepts that we're teaching and then gradually bring them back into those spaces. And that's what what I think games do. Yeah, they allow you to teach the concept away from the problem and then they allow you to put it back together again and voila, it's there.

Speaker 2: 14:03

Yeah, it's really lovely it's a really lovely experience it just takes the stress off you as well, doesn't it? Because, like, nobody wants to be in that problem situation. It's not fun for the dog, it's not fun for you, it's just, it's just all out stressful and you're getting frustrated and it's not fun for the dog and it's not fun for you, it's just all out stressful and you're getting frustrated and it damages your relationship with your dog. So, just the ability to actually be like okay with going I don't need to put them in that situation right now and knowing that the solutions that you've got are going to change that, yeah, that is like a huge one really, isn't it?

Speaker 1: 14:28

Big win.

Speaker 2: 14:29

Absolutely huge one. I think, looking at like my journey with my dogs, you have like an idea of what your dog dream looks like and you've got a picturesque version of you know like wonderful walks on the beach and your dog's just lovingly looking up at you.

Speaker 1: 14:48

It's like at the pub and the dog's just chilling and you're having your lunch and your dog's eating ploughmans and your dog's just sat there.

Speaker 2: 14:54

Occasionally sneaking a bit of cheese.

Speaker 2: 14:56

Yeah, they look at you lovingly, they wag at a human that comes nearby, but they're not interested because they love you and they're still going to be accepting of a stroke, but ultimately they're very loyal to you yeah, and a dog comes past and they have a perfect like interaction with them, they have a bit of a play, but then they trot off with you, so you have all these into the sunset holding hand and paw, you know. So you've got this vision right and it's perfection. And then you get a dog and and I've, you know in case, I've got a puppy. And this puppy is like a little devil, you know, and she's really lovely, she's really sweet, but she's got dog tendencies and it's just normal dog behavior. But you're like, what do I do with this?

Speaker 1: 15:31

I remember a puppy owner brought two Jet Russell Terriers to me for a puppy class a long time ago and she sat them on the lap and everyone was going around and I said to everyone yeah, they're bred for chasing and working sheep. And another one said, yeah, mine's bred as a guide dog. And another one we went round to and, yeah, it was like a lap dog, a handbag dog, like a.

Speaker 1: 15:48

Pomeranian, very, very sweet little dog, and I came to the Jack Russell Terrier lady and she said that they were always bred to be companions and I was like how do I say to her these actually are murderers.

Speaker 2: 16:00

You actually have two murderers on your lap, because they're bred to rat, they're bred to kill, they're bred to snap a neck and off they go. They're not bred to be lap dogs. They do not give up. When she said they were lap dogs, I was like these are not lap dogs.

Speaker 1: 16:12

How do you tell her she's moved?

Speaker 2: 16:13

in a murderer. She's moved in, in fact, not one, but two. They've moved into her house, in the house.

Speaker 1: 16:19

I've, and it is that thing, isn't it that actually, like you just said, you moved in this puppy?

Speaker 2: 16:22

yeah, I didn't have a clue, but actually you weren't necessarily skilled up enough to help educate her and what she needed, no, and so we made lots of mistakes, which is, you know, which is normal and that's how you learn right. And then going through games club and learning all of these new techniques and learning her, and also like starting to look at other dogs when we're out and about and seeing how their behavior is and thinking, oh, I would do this for that. And that's kind of how I became a trainer, I think, because I was always like what would I do for that? And then eventually we got our second dog and then that came with a whole new host of problems and it was learning again all over and completely different problems to my first dog, you know.

Speaker 2: 16:55

And again you think you've got the skills. Then you're like, yeah, well, I've done it with this dog, sorted it, smashed it, and then she comes in and she's like, no, no, no, I'm going to teach you something entirely new. But now I feel like I'm very, very skilled up and I I'm sure that if I got another dog, they would bring new things to the table and they'd have a different personality. But it's all about that learning that you're taking away from it, and that journey of like it skills you up for the next dog, right, you know it's huge now, 300 episodes mad there's got to be an episode out there that each person hasn't listened to or should re-listen to, right?

Speaker 1: 17:26

Yes, because I'm going to say some of my favourite episodes. I've had loads of different episodes with lots of different guests and lots of different speakers, but there are some really, really fun ones. Yeah, there are some that make you want to cry. Yes, definitely. There are some that really can like I can resonate with, and there are some that actually they're super fun. Yeah, they're super fun. So I'm going to challenge everyone who's listening to go and listen to another.

Speaker 1: 17:52

Okay, and I'm also going to set a second challenge, sam, and that's for everybody to share it with one more person, for a podcast like this, to keep going, to keep growing and to keep being able to share all over the world brilliant, brilliant, brilliant energy for dogs, their owners. That is my request. What?

Speaker 2: 18:11

do you think?

Speaker 1: 18:11

can we get everyone to do that?

Speaker 2: 18:12

I think so. I think so. I think everybody listening will will hear, like, the enthusiasm for the games and and if they're in a part of games club already, if they've listened to the podcast before, like I think they're going to want to share it, you know, because it does bring something special and there's so many different things in the podcast, like what's your favourite episode?

Speaker 1: 18:30

What do you think? I've got lots of different episodes that I've really enjoyed. Go on. I'll just say I'll tell you mine.

Speaker 2: 18:36

Go on tell us you did a talk recently, like a chat, with your friend that does sheepdog training, yeah, and that was like a whole new world for me and I just love listening because it was something so different you know, and it was something so removed from what I've ever done or seen, I was like, oh my god, it's so interesting.

Speaker 1: 18:51

I think, from a personal perspective, I love talking to one of my great um friends and another co-trainer on on Tokyo actually, and that was because it was quite healing. Yeah, I'm talking about how so much of that probably went wrong and hopefully that other people learn from that. And then I suppose, from an engagement point of view, I I always love to chatting to all of our guests because yes, people like you and dave and linda I was just about to say that, yeah, I love listening to linda because she's hilarious.

Speaker 2: 19:16

I love listening. She's so sassy and then I love.

Speaker 1: 19:19

I love chatting to you because our energy is always great. I love working with Bill.

Speaker 2: 19:22

Bill is mindset coaching Justin he's going to be here soon. Yeah, both of them.

Speaker 1: 19:26

Actually, guys, everyone here should know about the 8th and 9th of November. Why? Because it's my birthday? No, not because it's my birthday, send presents. It is my birthday, send presents, so we definitely have to have a great evening on fun, but prosecco yes let's do that, but the eighth and ninth we've got a really cool event.

Speaker 2: 19:45

We have got very focused, very, very cool and it's live. It's going to be exciting, it's going to be energetic. There's going to be a ridiculous amount of learning happening. You all need to lock it into your diary.

Speaker 1: 19:57

You do need to look, it's in my diary and there'll be a limited amount of tickets, but they are free. Yes, right, and that's the exciting thing. I have actually not said that anywhere before, you know. So there are going to be a limited amount of tickets, but they are free. Yes, right, and that's the exciting thing, I've actually not said that anywhere before yet. No, so there are going to be a limited amount of tickets, but they are going to be free. So it's get you in, get your friends in, get your mother your sister, your brother, get everyone in that door.

Speaker 1: 20:14

So we've limited tickets so that we can keep it into our Zoom rooms. Yeah, and at the they're going to be free, so they're going to be free.

Speaker 2: 20:21

So why wouldn't you?

Speaker 1: 20:22

Yeah, basically they can watch it live for free and I think there's an opportunity to buy the recording, but you can watch it live for free, it's going to be fun.

Speaker 2: 20:29

It's going to be fun, I'm excited, I'm really excited, I am really excited. I love coming down here anyways.

Speaker 1: 20:40

Yeah, it's going to be event. It's not out yet for you to book into, but it will be as soon as it does get your space. Watch this space 4.2 million downloads, 300 episodes. Guys, we're celebrating you. We're celebrating games-based learning. We're celebrating each other. We're celebrating all of the energy that goes into the podcast. That was this episode of the Sex and the Squirrel podcast. I really, really, really want to see you for the next one. So get sharing, get caring, get giving it to each Challenge is on, and every one of you.

Speaker 1: 21:08

yes, challenge is on.