This episode looks at what happens when a dog’s inner world does not match the life we imagine for them.

Sam Walker-Arends is a force free trainer who works with dogs carrying fear, uncertainty or history in their bodies, and our conversation keeps returning to one truth.

Every dog is an individual. Their needs, thresholds and ways of feeling safe are never the same.

We talk about Ivy the ex racer and Reyna the timid Galgo, and how raising two children alongside two very different dogs forced Sam to confront stress, expectation and the limits of tolerance.

She shares openly about recognising when a dog is no longer coping and why safety matters more than any ideal of the perfect family dog.

At its core, this episode asks a quiet but important question.

What does safety look like for an individual dog, and what does our response to that individuality reveal about us.

Follow Sam here: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Every February, as Spain’s hunting season ends, thousands of Galgos and Podencos are discarded. Some are abandoned, some are killed, and most are simply forgotten. They are fast, intelligent and deeply sensitive, yet still treated as disposable tools rather than sentient companions.

In this week’s episode, I speak with Gemma and Adva, the organisers behind Free Spanish Hounds, a UK-based movement that marches each year to raise awareness of Spain’s hunting dogs and the cultural systems that allow their suffering to continue.

We talk about how empathy becomes action, what it means to show up for animals we may never meet, and the quiet power of people who refuse to look away.

This conversation asks:
→ What does it say about us when one species can be both pet and tool?
→ Can empathy travel across borders when laws and traditions divide it?
→ What happens when love for one dog changes the course of a life?

It is an episode about compassion as resistance and the quiet hope that collective action still matters.

Follow Free Spanish Hounds

Website⁠ | Facebook Group | Instagram

Follow Hope for Podencos

Website⁠ | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

In this episode, I speak with Jenna Miller, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Spirit of the Dog Rescue, an independent charity run entirely by volunteers.

With more than fifteen years of experience in animal care and rescue, Jenna offers an honest look at what really happens behind the scenes — far beyond the social media snapshots and success stories we usually see.

We talk about what it takes to run a rescue responsibly, the emotional weight of decision-making, and the systems that often fail both people and dogs.

Jenna shares what surrendering a dog actually involves, how rescues decide who they can help, and the ongoing battle to balance compassion with sustainability.

This is a conversation about reality, not rescue romanticism.

It is about fatigue, bureaucracy, and the moments that make it all worth it. It is about humans trying to do right by dogs in a system that is stretched to breaking point.

If you are moved by this conversation and would like to support the work being done by Spirit of the Dog Rescue, you can learn more or make a donation here:

Website: www.spiritofthedog.org.uk

Donate: www.spiritofthedog.org.uk/donate

Instagram: @spiritofthedogrescue

Facebook: Spirit of the Dog Rescue

Follow Jenna’s work and stories: @dogrescuediaries

In this episode, I speak with Rose Bao, a canine behaviourist and counsellor whose work explores the emotional lives of dogs and the systems that have taught us to value obedience over understanding. 

Rose brings a rare mix of science, empathy and cultural reflection to the conversation, drawing on her background in biomedical engineering and her current research in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Edinburgh. 

We talk about how identity, power and emotion intersect in dog training cultures, the lingering influence of colonial and patriarchal structures on our relationships with animals, and what it really means to unlearn control. 

Rose shares how her first dog, Bruno, became both her greatest teacher and her deepest heartbreak, leading her to examine pain, agency and the human need for certainty through a new lens. 

Together we explore what happens when we stop trying to fix dogs and start listening to them, and how that shift can ripple through our understanding of empathy, attachment and care itself. 

This conversation is not about finding answers. It is about sitting with discomfort, questioning what we have been taught to believe, and allowing curiosity to reshape how we live alongside other beings. 

Rose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosek9behaviourist/

In this episode I speak with Hannah Greeno, founder of Canine Needs and the practice of Canine Facilitated Coaching.

With over 15 years’ experience in behaviour and training, as well as volunteering with Blue Cross Pet Loss Support, Hannah brings a rare perspective on how our dogs mirror back the parts of ourselves we often ignore.

We explore how guilt, grief, projection and loneliness show up in our relationships with dogs, and how these emotions can surface in ways no training plan can fix.

Hannah shares how canine facilitated coaching helps people confront boundaries, face loss, and sit with the uncomfortable truths that dogs so often reveal about us.

This is not a conversation about obedience. It is about reflection. About what rises to the surface when we stop looking at our dogs as problems to be solved, and start noticing the stories they tell us about our own inner lives.

This week I am joined by Hasan Yiğit Aktaş, an animal behaviourist and breeder of primitive and spitz breeds such as Akitas, Shibas and Shikokus.

Hasan’s path into breeding began by accident, yet over time he has combined academic study in animal behaviour with the lived experience of generations of family breeding and hands-on work with horses and dogs.

We explore what it might mean to breed for preservation rather than profit, the hidden influence of genetics on a dog’s health and temperament, and the ethics of practices that many people see as normal, from dog shows to fertility clinics.

Hasan explains why for him temperament matters more than trophies, how cultural attitudes shape our treatment of dogs, and what it takes to put welfare before convenience.

This is not a simple conversation about breeding. It is an invitation to think more carefully about the categories we create, such as pet dog versus product dog, and preservation versus profit. These categories shape our choices, and those choices reveal something about us as humans.

The episode runs for three hours because Hasan had much to say and we cover a wide range of issues in the dog world.

Some of these conversations may be triggering for listeners and viewers.

While the views expressed are Hasan’s own, the purpose of Just a Dog Podcast is not to endorse or dismiss any single perspective. Instead, it is to create space for open dialogue across the dog industry, because hearing different voices helps us reflect more deeply on our own assumptions and choices.

When Hasan Yiğit Aktaş’s Akita started gaining weight, his vet assured him it was a phantom pregnancy. Seven puppies later, he was a breeder—accidentally.

That moment shaped a path Hasan never planned, but which now defines his life with dogs.

Speaking from rural Lithuania, Hasan shares his journey with primitive breeds: Akitas, Shibas and the rare Shikoku.

These are dogs with deep history, bred for specific purposes, and not always suited to the lives we ask of them today.

Together we explore what it means to care for breeds that hold on to strong prey drives, same-sex aggression, and instincts that urban pet life often clashes with.

This episode goes beneath the surface of romanticised ideas—whether from films like Hachiko or glossy kennel club pedigrees—to ask harder questions.

What do pedigree papers really tell us?

How much protection do health tests actually provide?

And what happens when our expectations of “ancient” dogs collide with the realities of their behaviour?

In Part 1, Hasan reflects on:

• ​The seven “phantom” puppies that began his professional breeding journey
• ​The original working purposes of Akitas, Shibas and Shikokus
• ​Why some instincts have endured while others have faded
• ​The difference between pedigree registration and true health guarantees
• ​How moving from Brighton to rural Lithuania reshaped his dogs’ behaviour

This is not a how-to episode about breeding. It’s a conversation about the space between human desire and canine reality.

About the choices we make when we preserve certain breeds, and what those choices reveal about our assumptions, our responsibilities, and our willingness—or reluctance—to truly see dogs for who they are.

In this episode I sit down with Lisa, a long term foster carer for Galgos, Podencos, and mixed breeds to explore what fostering really means in the middle of today’s rescue crisis.

Lisa shares the quiet routines that help traumatised dogs begin to trust again and the reality of letting them go so that another dog can take their place.

But this is about more than one person’s foster story. It is about a wider culture that treats dogs as disposable, fuelling gridlocked kennels and a constant demand for foster homes.

Together we unpick what fostering reveals about us as a society, how it challenges the mindset of dogs as lifestyle accessories, and why opening your home is an act of resistance as much as it is an act of care.

If you have ever wondered whether fostering is for you, or if you want to think more deeply about what our treatment of dogs says about us, this conversation is for you.

❗️ This episode discusses various training approaches. We believe examining different perspectives contributes to thoughtful decision-making for dog owners.

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Jack Tutty from J&P Canine Academy⁠ returns to defend the most controversial tools in dog training, arguing they're kinder than alternatives we accept without question.

This conversation challenges how we think about training tools and animal welfare. Jack breaks down what "aversive" actually means and questions why we accept certain methods whilst condemning others that may be less harmful.

He argues our emotional reactions to specific words prevent objective evaluation of what actually helps dogs.

The discussion reveals the gap between expensive "positive" solutions and the reality of working with difficult cases. Jack examines the billion-pound industry built around these distinctions and questions whether our standards are based on evidence or emotion.

We explore what separates good trainers from exceptional ones, the culture around competitive dog sports, and why Jack believes some dogs need clear boundaries backed by consequences.

The conversation touches on regulation, expertise, and who gets to decide what's ethical in animal training.

Jack's perspective forces uncomfortable questions about the difference between what makes us feel good and what actually serves dogs.

Whether you agree with his methods or not, his arguments challenge assumptions about kindness, control, and effectiveness in training.

The question isn't whether you'll use these tools. It's whether you're willing to examine why certain approaches make you uncomfortable whilst others don't.

❗️ This episode discusses various training approaches. We believe examining different perspectives contributes to thoughtful decision-making for dog owners.

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Jack Tutty from J&P Canine Academy works with severe behavioural cases and trains competition dogs using methods many find controversial.

In this two-part conversation, we explore the divide in dog training - and what it reveals about how we approach difficult conversations.

Jack works with a wide range of training cases, though reactivity and resource guarding are among his more common pet clients. He trains his Rottweiler in IGP sport and uses tools like prong collars alongside positive reinforcement.

His approach raises questions about genetics, urban environments, and what different dogs actually need to thrive.

This conversation isn't about adopting any particular method. It's about examining our assumptions - like why we bring working dogs into cities then expect them to behave like pets, or whether our emotional reactions to certain tools prevent us from seeing the full picture.

Jack argues that every dog decides what's reinforcing to them, and that suppressing genetic drives doesn't eliminate them - it redirects them. He believes some dogs need clear boundaries backed by consequences, whilst others thrive with gentler approaches.

The discussion challenges us to think beyond categories like "positive" or "balanced" training toward understanding individual dogs. Whether you agree with Jack's methods or not, his perspective forces us to examine what we actually know versus what we assume about canine behaviour and learning.

We explore why this industry has become so polarised, and what happens when ideology meets the reality of powerful, driven animals in our human-designed world.

Sometimes understanding different viewpoints helps us make better decisions for the dogs in our care.

Part two will be published on Thursday, 11 September 2025.