Spirit Hounds

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

🪓 Lizzie Borden: Who Really Had the Axe? 🎃

On 4th August 1892, a brutal double murder shocked the quiet town of Fall River, Massachusetts.

Andrew Borden was discovered dead on the sitting-room sofa. Upstairs, his wife Abby had also been savagely attacked with a hatchet-like weapon.

Suspicion soon fell on Andrew's daughter, Lizzie Borden.

But despite becoming one of America's most infamous murder suspects, Lizzie was acquitted at trial.

So who really killed Andrew and Abby Borden?

In this extended Spirit Hounds Halloween special, Davina and Nicky from investigate one of the most enduring mysteries in American true-crime history.

🔎 In this episode, we explore:

• The events of 4th August 1892 & the discovery of the bodies.
• The broken hatchet, the missing murder weapon & the significance of the forensic evidence.
• Other possible suspects, alternative theories & potential motives.
• Lizzie Borden's sensational trial & eventual acquittal.
• What happened to Lizzie after the murders.
• The chilling reports of paranormal activity associated with the Borden house.

Was Lizzie an innocent woman wrongly accused of an unthinkable crime? Or did she escape justice?

And more than 130 years later, could the house itself still hold secrets?

Join us for a journey through Victorian family tensions, murder, mystery, courtroom drama & the supernatural.

One house. Two murders. A mystery that refuses to die.

🔔 Subscribe for more episodes exploring paranormal folklore, ghost dogs, and real-life encounters with the unexplained.

Links/ Credits/ References/ Recommended Reading:

- Lizzie Borden Virtual Museum & Library: ⁠https://lizzieandrewborden.com/primary-sources/⁠

- Library of Congress: ⁠https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-lizzie-borden⁠

- Smithsonian Magazine: ⁠https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-lizzie-borden-got-away-with-murder-180972707/⁠

- Official Historic Lizzie Borden House: ⁠https://lizzie-borden.com/⁠

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

We are back for Series 2!

It’s been a while & a lot has happened since Series 1. Rosie has kept us busy with further IVDD flare‑ups & crate rest, yet somehow became a little media star along the way. Store Paws picked up a few awards, & the podcast itself now has listeners in more than 65 countries. Before anything else: thank you — whether you’ve been with us from the start or found us recently, we’re genuinely delighted you’re here.

In this episode, Nicky and Davina share an update on Rosie’s health. She also became an Ambassador for IVDD Awareness, appearing in multiple articles, featuring on the Petgevity podcast, & having her story highlighted by the Innate Health Assessment. She hopes her experience raises awareness of this painful condition & the importance of proper insurance, as her treatment has already cost nearly £17,000 (Petgevity Insurance have been incredible throughout).

We also have a Listener Submission from Sarah in Essex, who describes a visit to a Medium that produced oddly specific details…

We discuss Psychics & Mediums: the hits that make you pause & the misses we forget — is something genuinely unexplained happening, or are our brains simply brilliant at finding patterns in coincidence?

In the dog training segment, we look back 100 years at how some well‑known breeds have changed dramatically. We explore how selective breeding & shifting has altered canine conformation, & why appearance can sometimes come at the cost of health and welfare.

Finally, we talk about the Innate Health Assessment (IHA) — an approach that encourages assessing the physical health & functionality of the individual dog in front of us, rather than accepting issues simply because they’re considered “normal for the breed”.

Please send in any submissions to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Links/ Credits/ References:

“My Dachshund’s Surgeries Nearly Cost Me£17,000” (Petgevity ): ⁠here

“Read Rosie the Dachshund’s story about living with IVDD” (Innate Health Assessment website): here

“IVDD in dogs: Be prepared before you need to be” (Petgevity Podcast Episode 5): ⁠here

Innate Health Assessment: ⁠here

The Showman And The Shade by Nicky P Gardiner: ⁠https://link.amazon/B04cTbKAX

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Merry Christmas! And welcome to Episode 8 of Spirit Hounds.

In this episode, hosts Nicky and Davina give an update on Rosie’s health where she had another IVDD flare-up and needed emergency spinal surgery. Davina also updates on a story mentioned in the previous episode about Kieran Patrick Kelly – how could someone be responsible for possibly killing up to 31 people and get away with it?!

We discuss Winter Ghosts from folklore from all around the world, such as the Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman) from Japan, The Schneegeister (Snow Ghost) from the Alpine Region, Morozko of Slavic mythology, Ded Moroz the Russian legendary figure similar to Santa Claus, and the Inuit people’s beliefs about the Northern Lights and the spirits of the dead..

In the dog training segment, Davina and Nicky discuss whether there is a right or wrong side for you to walk your dog on, the most painless (and fun!) way to get your dog to take their medication, and how to keep your pets (dogs and cats) safe at Christmas time – including what you can and cannot feed them on The Big Day.

Please send in any submissions to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Spirit Hounds Podcast⁠⁠⁠

Follow/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SpiritHounds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book Dog Training sessions here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Store Paws Dog Training⁠⁠

Links/ Credits/ References:

The IVDD Handbook by Dr Marianne Dorn: ⁠https://amzn.to/4p7mFZG⁠

The Showman And The Shade by Nicky P Gardiner: ⁠https://amzn.to/43GVMou⁠

Copyright Disclaimer:

Under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research.

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

🎃 Welcome To The First Halloween Special of Spirit Hounds 🎃

When the wind howls across the marshes of East Anglia, locals whisper about a black hound with eyes like fire — a warning from the other side.

In this Spirit Hounds Halloween Special, Davina and Nicky dig into the legend of Black Shuck, Britain’s most famous ghost dog... and a terrifying personal encounter that still haunts Nicky to this day.

👻 Late one night in a London hospital, Nicky saw her — a nurse who stopped at the end of his bed, stared… and disappeared.

🕯️ Two hauntings. One Halloween. Join Spirit Hounds for an episode filled with folklore, fear, and the unbreakable bond between dogs and the afterlife.

🎧 Listen if you dare… but keep your dog close.

🔔 Subscribe for more episodes exploring paranormal folklore, ghost dogs, and real-life encounters with the unexplained.

📚 Featuring accounts inspired by East Anglian legend, Blythburgh Church folklore, and eyewitness experiences.

Links/ Credits/ References/ Recommended Reading:

A Straunge and Terrible Wunder (Abraham Fleming, 1577)

County Folk-Lore: Suffolk (Ed. Vincent St. Clair, 1911)

The Lore of the Land (Westwood & Simpson, 2005)

Black Dog Folklore (Mark Norman, 2016) The Hound in Folklore and Mythology (Folklore Society papers, 1890–1930)

🎧 Acknowledgments

The Hound That Howls at Midnight Written and adapted for Spirit Hounds by Davina Evans.

Inspired by English folklore and oral tradition.

Produced with respect for the communities and storytellers who have kept the Black Shuck legend alive for over 500 years.

Copyright Disclaimer:

Under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research.

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Welcome to Episode 7 of Spirit Hounds.

In this episode, hosts Nicky and Davina discuss ghosts of the London Underground tube network and the tragic historic stories behind them, including:

• 'The Electrocuted Man' (Bruno Hauptmann – killer of Charles Lindbergh’s baby) on Bakerloo Line
• Cries & Screams at Bethnal Green Station (possibly linked to incident on 3/3/1943 where 173 people were crushed to death during an air raid)
• 'The Screaming Spectre' (Ann Nailor - an apprentice cruelly abused and murdered by mistress Sarah Metyard and her daughter 'Sally') at Farringdon Station
• 'The Grinning Man' at Channel C Depot, Stratford - could he be the spirit of Jack The Ripper, back to terrorise women in the area?

We read out a creepy Listener Submission from Dave in Shropshire, UK called ‘My Night With The Shadow Dog’ where Dave was house-sitting for his friends but found it hard to get any sleep as the family dog kept him awake each night… even though he had passed away several months before…

In the dog training segment, Davina shares a technique on how to assess your dog’s understanding of a new training command, called Push-Drop-Stick.

Warning: each episode may contain some strong language and sexual references, as well as discussion around sensitive themes such as; death, suicide, murder, abuse, animal cruelty and medical procedures.

Please send in any submissions to: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

Follow us on Facebook: ⁠⁠Spirit Hounds Podcast⁠⁠

Follow/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@SpiritHounds⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book Dog Training sessions here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Store Paws Dog Training⁠

⁠Links

The Showman And The Shade by Nicky P Gardiner: ⁠https://amzn.to/43GVMou⁠

Copyright Disclaimer:

Under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research.

Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statutes that might otherwise be infringing. (Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.)

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Welcome to Episode 6 of Spirit Hounds

Nicky & Davina discuss the terrifying story of Dear David that went viral on Twitter in 2017, then review the film based on the story that was released in 2023.

In the dog training segment, Davina shares how to train your dog to walk nicely on the lead - which starts before they even leave the house! Davina discusses how to ensure you have the proper lead set-up for your dog, getting them ready to leave the house calmly, plus practical training tips on what command words to use & how to use them effectively.

Send in any submissions to: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Halti Training Lead: ⁠https://amzn.to/42jhhtg⁠

Slip Lead: ⁠https://amzn.to/42uuznP⁠

Chain Lead: ⁠https://amzn.to/3FUTiJm⁠

Buckle Down Collar: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Ebbwpn⁠

Martingale Collar: ⁠https://amzn.to/4jnYfZH⁠

Halti Headcollar/ Face Harness: ⁠https://amzn.to/3FQSiWw⁠

Beaphar Gentle Leader/ Face Harness: ⁠https://amzn.to/42ciTot⁠

Julius K9 IDC Powerharness: ⁠https://amzn.to/42gNQI3⁠

Halti No-Pull Harness: ⁠https://amzn.to/3R0UbCz⁠

Eagloo Dog Harness: ⁠https://amzn.to/4cfVuam⁠Rabbitgoo

No-Pull Harness: ⁠https://amzn.to/4cfiZjI⁠

BullyBillows Anti-Pull Harness: ⁠https://amzn.to/3YlqDU3⁠

The Showman And The Shade by Nicky P Gardiner: ⁠https://amzn.to/43GVMou⁠

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Welcome to Episode 5 of Spirit Hounds.

In this episode, hosts Nicky Gardiner and Davina Evans discuss Stone Tape Theory (a possible explanation for the phenomenon of residual haunts, or seeing visions of ghosts replaying an event but who do not interact with the witnesses), several Haunted Hotels and the experiences that visitors have reported, as well as Dybbuk Boxes and the mythology and history around them…

A listener submitted a question about how to stop her puppy from biting and chewing everything in sight, so Davina offers some helpful tips to stop this destructive behaviour, and then Davina discusses how to effectively use a clicker (or the word “Yes!”) when teaching new commands to your dog.

Warning: each episode may contain some strong language and sexual references, as well as discussion around sensitive themes such as; death, suicide, murder, abuse, animal cruelty and medical procedures.

Please send in any submissions to: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Follow us on Facebook: Spirit Hounds Podcast ⁠

Follow/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠@SpiritHounds⁠⁠ ⁠

Book Dog Training sessions here: ⁠⁠www.storepaws.co.uk

The Showman And The Shade: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Dybs2Q

Links:

Painting Of A Dybbuk by Ephraim Moses Lilien (1874–1925) - Book of Job, appearing in Die Bucher Der Bibel, Public Domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19447366

TropiClean Stay Away Chew Deterrent Spray: https://amzn.to/3FgRB8C

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Welcome to Episode 4 of Spirit Hounds

In this episode, hosts Nicky P Gardiner and Davina Evans discuss a few more stories about battlefield ghosts from World War One, the infamous Ghost of Freddy Jackson photograph, paranormal phenomena at Colchester Castle (Essex, UK) plus another listener submission story.

Davina and Nicky then discuss Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) in dogs, their personal experience dealing with this when Rosie needed spinal surgery, plus helpful tips on how to cope when your dog is cooped up in a crate for months to recuperate!

Warning: each episode may contain some strong language and sexual references, as well as discussion around sensitive themes such as; death, suicide, murder, abuse, animal cruelty and medical procedures.

Please send in any submissions to:  ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Follow us on Facebook: Spirit Hounds Podcast ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569983004388⁠ ⁠

Follow/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠@SpiritHounds⁠⁠⁠

Book Dog Training sessions here: ⁠⁠⁠Store Paws Dog Training⁠

⁠The Showman And The Shade: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Dybs2Q

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Episode 3 - The Red Baron, Flirt Poles and UFO's

In this episode, hosts Nicky P Gardiner and Davina Evans discuss stories about battlefield ghosts from The Battle of Culloden, The English Civil War, The Battle of Gettysburg and World War One. A surprising UFO encounter that we stumbled upon, plus some ghost dog legends, and we read out a listener submission.

Davina then gives some training advice on Impulse Control and how using a piece of equipment called a Flirt Pole will help to reinforce the commands.

Warning: each episode may contain some strong language and sexual references, as well as discussion around sensitive themes such as; death, suicide, murder, abuse, animal cruelty and medical procedures.

Please send in any submissions to: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

Follow us on Facebook: Spirit Hounds Podcast ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569983004388⁠⁠

Follow/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠@SpiritHounds⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569983004388⁠⁠

Book Dog Training sessions here: ⁠⁠⁠Store Paws Dog Training⁠

The Showman And The Shade: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Dybs2Q

If you have a question/ story (spooky or dog-related!) you'd like to share, send a voicemail - you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Welcome to Episode 2 of Spirit Hounds.

Each episode will include: discussions about supernatural stories, folklore legends from around the world (such as the ghosts of famous dogs), personal paranormal experiences from the hosts, listeners and special guests. As well as a segment on Dog Training from Davina, a professional dog training instructor.

In this episode, hosts Nicky P Gardiner and Davina Evans discuss the disturbing Villisca Axe Murders (in Iowa, USA) and the alleged paranormal activity in the house, an ape called Martyn who haunts Athelhampton House (in Dorset, UK), and Nicky's first paranormal novel called The Showman And The Shade.

Davina then gives some training advice and helpful tips to stop your dog barking.

Warning: each episode may contain some strong language and sexual references, as well as discussion around sensitive themes such as; death, suicide, murder, abuse, animal cruelty and medical procedures.

Please send in any submissions to: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Follow us on Facebook: Spirit Hounds Podcast ⁠

Follow/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel: ⁠⁠@SpiritHounds⁠⁠ ⁠

Book Dog Training sessions here: ⁠⁠Store Paws Dog Training⁠

The Showman And The Shade: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Dybs2Q