Gundogs and Guard dogs

Whacky hippy shit… ✌️Anything slightly cheery? How was it five minutes ago that it was the millennium?! Lez with a baby in a buggy 👶. Ross dancing in Soho (he still does that!🙈) Twenty-six years later, this duo look awful and feel even worse as they enter the New Year.An overview of Christmas…Lez got to play charades 🎭 ...Ross managed to swerve it. Turkey is done to the extreme, obviously.A weather conversation follows, (obvs!) a Billy Connolly quote and a completely pointless story, leads on to a few tips on waterproof clothing from the Scottish expert 🧥.A chat about the upcoming Guild of Dog Trainers and Cambridge Institute of Dog Behaviour & Training networking event.A quick review of the Kennel Club Canine Athletes event and the Crufts Career Zone lectures where this duo got sold out and had to do duplicates! The same jokes 😂, the confusion of the repeats 🤔, and not knowing which audience had already heard what. It doesn’t take much to throw these two a bit of a curveball! 😂This past reflection leads to a moment of sadness with the recent death of Sarah Fisher, and a tribute to her work with animals. The upshot is this: if you want to collaborate with someone, do it before life runs out of time.Getting ready for Crufts and the onward 2026 events…full steam ahead. All very exciting... just need to get through today first.Not the most inspirational welcome to 2026...hopefully they can only go up from here and I’m sure that they hope most of you are listening and not watching! Happy New Year to anyone that listens to this drivel 🥂.
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Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.

Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).

Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and

Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).

They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.

They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.

Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.

Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

Another Reloaded episode to help keep our listeners sane over Christmas, and one you need to make time for.

Originally released as “Joint Rot,” we’re bringing it back because its message is too important to miss.

Canine arthritis wasn’t on Ross’s radar in London, while Lez in Scotland had a bit more familiarity, but their conversation with Hannah changed everything.

Her veterinary career led her to specialise in chronic pain and to create Canine Arthritis Management (CAM), a project that grew from a personal mission into a thriving team and support network.

One crucial reminder from this episode: arthritis is not just “a touch of arthritis” — it is chronic pain.

It deserves serious attention and proper management.

Hannah’s work highlights how complementary therapies can enhance traditional veterinary care and why the profession must do better for dogs living with long-term pain.

This isn’t just vital for dog owners. It’s essential listening for trainers and behaviourists who want to improve the care we provide to our canine clients.

Another Reloaded episode to help keep our listeners sane over Christmas… or, let’s be honest, possibly the opposite.

WTF is a Gonk?

A question nobody asked, yet here we are.

This episode was originally released on a Bank Holiday just after Boxing Day 2020, continuing our journey through that wonderfully weird moment in history.

The team at GaGD hope you’re having a fantastic Christmas break, and we sincerely wish every one of you a happy and successful 2026.

Thanks for sticking with us—please keep doing so, we need the company 😅

Another Reloaded episode to help keep our listeners sane (or not) over Christmas.

First released during Christmas 2020, this one is a real snapshot in time—one of the strangest Christmases in living memory.

And although it genuinely sounds like Ross is recording from the bathroom, we knew it deserved a reload, not just for the sheer weirdness of those days but because it was our very first episode.

Take it as a reminder to be grateful for our freedom, and to love the people you’re with—even if they occasionally test your festive spirit.

In this deeply affecting Reloaded Episode, Lez and Ross revisit their conversation with Julie Shelton from Appledown Dog Rescue.

Originally recorded in August 2024 and titled “Take a Breath,” it’s an episode that truly asks you to pause before listening.

The reality of dog rescue in the UK, both then and now, is nothing short of devastating, and the emotional toll is clear throughout the conversation.

Julie speaks with a honesty and compassion that stays with you long after the episode ends.

She, and the many people like her working quietly and tirelessly in rescue centres across the country, are the reason so many dogs are still here today.

Their courage, their resilience, and their refusal to give up on the animals in front of them is nothing less than extraordinary.

This episode is a reminder of the heartbreak, the hope, and the humanity behind every dog that finds safety.

Ho Ho Ho! The Gundogs & Guard Dogs team wishes you all a very Merry Christmas!

In this festive episode, our chaotic duo takes a nostalgic wander back to the first Covid lockdown, all in preparation for the Reloaded episodes dropping over the Christmas break.

From the initial terror to “Eat Out to Help Out” to “Get back inside immediately!”, they relive the madness… including the era of masked smiles, with Lez accidentally terrifying local children while trying to smile and Ross not bothering to try at all.

They chat about the joys, and the not-so-joyous bits, of a big family Christmas. It’s always lovely to get home, unless “home” is anywhere near Lez, whose extreme festive cooking with Bailey’s cake, cherries, and marzipan is enough to frighten even the hardiest soul.

Ross remains eternally grateful for the safe distance provided by living in London rather than Scotland.

This is our final episode of 2025, but fear not, the ridiculous pair will be back in early January, and we’ve already lined up some incredible guests for 2026, with a few interviews recorded and ready to go.

We also take a quick look back at 2025 and some of the wonderful people we’ve been privileged to speak with.

Over the next couple of weeks, you can catch our Reloaded episodes, or dive back into the full catalogue whenever you fancy.

Thank you to every one of our listeners, we truly appreciate you. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and we can’t wait to head into 2026 with this brilliant tribe.

We’ll be back on 9th January, in our usual delightfully dreary style!

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Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.

Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).

Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and

Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).

They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.

They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.

Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.

Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

Thank goodness, Gundogs are off the menu, Guard Dogs are in.

Charles Wall from A1K9 joins the team today. From a dog-mad little kid, the “dog boy” many of us once were, to carving out a career with personal protection dogs, his story echoes the journeys of so many dog lovers.From a hobby to a business, from Exchange and Mart to Koehler dog training books to wrapping newspaper around your arm, this is how we grow. Are some of the old books still the best, or are we forever trying to reinvent the wheel?What is a personal protection dog? The martial artist of the dog world?What separates sport dogs, security dogs, and dogs trained specifically for family and home protection?We explore what truly makes a personal protection dog, the importance of breed lines, and whether a Malinois can work as a protection dog in a family home. Surprisingly, yes… but where they originate is critical. Maybe Dutch really is better than Belgian.There is a bit of a rant about how, in the UK, we continue to get things wrong in almost every aspect of dog breeding and training.Who gets a personal protection dog?How is the changing face of crime influencing this? The team delicately swerves the topic of illegal immigration, but it is still a wake-up call.Scary times.Government statistics might suggest crime is declining, but we all know that may not be the case. Prescribed use of force and the wider security industry come into the conversation too.And once again, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 appears, opening a frightening hornets’ nest of what future legislation might bring.It seems easy to sort out this mess, yet incredibly difficult and exhausting at the same time.
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Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.

Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).

Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and

Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).

They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.

They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.

Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.

Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

Today’s special guest is…oh...not here!

Just the two of them then…probably one of the most boring conversations you can ever overhear!

Splinters in your bum…or just telling the truth?!

Diwali, Halloween, Guy Fawkes…the Fireworks never stop!

It’s not just dogs…it's horses and all animals who suffer! Cobwebs and severed heads!

The cheer continues with swerving trick and treat and now the Scottish element has an abundance of Malteasers to get rid of!

The drivel continues and for anyone still awake, a flash of some new boots, a possible piercing new car and dog crates.

An award or two thrown in plus…

A bit of rudeness, a bit of awkwardness, a look at prices and the cost of living.

Caterpillar cakes and £2 for an egg! Banana on a pizza?

Trout on a BBQ

Bagels & peanut butter - trout –

Getting older or die – these two will never be on the same page!

A brief dog chat…cockers and Gundog training… rehoming vs discarding…

Onwards and upwards, and thank gawd these two have some fabulous guests coming up!

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Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.

Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).

Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and

Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).

They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.

They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.

Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.

Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

Whether you’re using Librella, considering it, or just want to do what’s best for your dogs, this episode is essential listening. 👀💥The fabulous Andrew Armitage from Greenside Regenerative Therapies joins us for an eye-opening deep dive into the truth about Librella 💉🐾Strap yourself in folks... ---- oOo ----Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years. Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE). Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter). They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011. They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists. Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.

Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

In this gloriously moany episode, we dive headfirst into the murky waters of what it really means to be qualified in the dog world. Are you genuinely trained and educated—or just good at looking the part online?

We kick off with a wildly unscientific theory from the Scottish side about why time speeds up as you age (spoiler: the Londoner calls BS). From there, it’s a nostalgic detour into school days: teachers lighting up, sneaky cigarette passes, and Ross getting a ruler wrapped round his head. Classic.

Then we’re onto the good stuff: skiving, consequence-free parenting, consequence-free dog training, and one bizarre but surprisingly helpful PSA about what happens if your car breaks down with dogs inside.

From the Dandie Dinmont (the only dog breed named after a fictional character!) to cockers, Malamutes, Ridgebacks, and the eternal Norfolk vs Norwich terrier debate—we’re digging deep into breed-specific behaviour. We even throw in a dermoid sinus just to keep things weird.

Eventually, inevitably, we land on qualifications. Ofqual’s gutting the dog training and behaviour framework, the industry remains unregulated, and everyone’s got an opinion. So we’ve got one question: are you qualified—or do you just have a qualification?

Rants, facts, laughs, and a few bonkers tangents.

Welcome to another episode where we say what dog pros are thinking—but rarely say out loud.

Share the love. Share the rant. Swerve the nonsense. And always do the best you can—for the dogs.

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Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.

Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE).

Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter).

They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011.

They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists.

Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think.

Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...

www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

And if you'd rather watch than listen, you can catch Gundogs and Guard Dogs on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/@gundogguarddog