If you’ve ever felt like your dog is making all the decisions while you’re just trying to keep up… this episode will land.

In this live, Joanne explains one of the biggest missing pieces in gundog training — where the handler actually sits — and why so many capable, caring owners end up feeling out of control despite doing all the right things.

This isn’t about being firmer.

It’s about timing, influence, and learning how to step into the driver’s seat.

• What “passenger mode” really looks like
• Not doing nothing — but hesitating, overthinking, and leaving gaps where the dog has to decide for themselves.
• Why timing matters more than speed
• You don’t need to react as fast as your dog — you need to teach them to give you time before acting.
• How influence is lost before the dog runs
• The moment your dog commits has already passed — the real work happens in the seconds before.
• The difference between self-control and steadiness
• And why teaching this gap is what allows teamwork to happen.
• Why this isn’t about dominance
• Leading your dog isn’t control — it’s partnership, clarity, and shared direction.
• How reward timing shapes decisions
• Reward doesn’t bribe the next behaviour — it confirms the right choice has been made.

High-drive dogs don’t slow themselves down.

They accelerate when direction is missing.

When you learn how to step in earlier, give one clear direction, and see it through, your dog doesn’t push against you — they start working with you.

That’s the difference between hanging on… and driving.

This episode feeds directly into our free masterclass:

Holding a Supercar by a Shoestring

A live session on how to guide high-drive dogs with confidence, timing, and teamwork — even if you never plan to work them.

📅 Thursday 29th January

⏰ 7.30pm (UK)

Come live if you can — it’s where all of this slows down and becomes usable.

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.

💬 Got something to say? A question, a story, a dog that's just done something unhinged? Come and find us on socials or over at the website. We genuinely want to hear from you.

📚 Not sure where to start with your training? Grab the LWDG Gundog Progress Gap Map. It'll tell you exactly where you are and what to work on next. No guessing.

🎓 Ready to go further? The LWDG Society is where the real work happens. Expert-led courses, a community of women who actually get it, and training that makes sense for the dog in front of you.

📱 Come and find us:Website: ladiesworkingdoggroup.com Facebook: Ladies Working Dog Group Instagram: @ladiesworkingdogs

✨ Every session. Every stumble. Every breakthrough. It all counts. You're not just training a dog. You're building something. Keep going. We see you. 💛