The Border Collie Geek Podcast

This episode follows one adult dog’s long rehabilitation from fear based reactivity toward people and dogs to a much more confident, trainable life. Martina explains why progress took time, why owner education mattered just as much as dog training, and how careful behaviour work, management, and veterinary support all played a role.

https://thatlldoacademy.com/focus-free-training/


In this episode I explain why dog training is less like a quick fix and more like a lifestyle change. Drawing from my own transformation journey with fitness, I breakdown why lasting behaviour change in dogs depends on commitment, habit-building, and ongoing management rather than a one-off training package.

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Reach out if you have any questions or you need help with your dog and don't know where to start!

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In this episode I tackle one of the most common myths in dog training, the idea that calm equals focused. If you have been teaching your Border Collie to lie down, rewarding stillness, and building a foundation of doing nothing, hoping it would fix their focus outside, this episode explains why it might not be working.

I talk about what focus actually looks like in a Border Collie, why it is rooted in energy and movement rather than calm, and why the arousal your dog carries is not the problem, it is the fuel. The job is not to offer calm. The job is to redirect it onto you.

I also talk about what to do instead, why you need to become more exciting than the environment, and why a dog that seems unmotivated by food or toys is not a lost cause.

This is part two of a two-part series on focus and engagement. If you haven't listened to part one yet, go back and start there first.

🎙 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3n3nV51SQ2NdGfn2o0UI4B?si=6ad010c8642e4e3e

Want my help building this with your Border Collie? I am running a free live training event 15–19 July where I will show you exactly how to start.

👉 Join here for free: https://thatlldoacademy.com/focus-free-training/

In this episode I talk about why your Border Collie chases everything: bikes, joggers, other dogs, cars. And why the usual fixes so many owners try just don't get to the root of it. We cover why prey drive can actually develop and get stronger over time, why your dog isn't being stubborn when they ignore you outside, and why tiring them out or using high value treats misses the point entirely. Most importantly, I talk about where the training actually has to start and what needs to be in place before you ask your dog for anything else.

🎙 This is part one of two. Part two is coming next week and covers the training myth that most people swear by, and why it's working against you.

Want my help building this with your Border Collie? I'm running a free live training event 15–19 July where I'll show you hands-on exactly how to start building focus and engagement from scratch.

👉 Join here for free: https://thatlldoacademy.com/focus-free-training/

In this episode we are going to talk about everything you need to know to keep your border collie safe and active in summer. We will cover acclimatisation, heat stroke, hot pavements, water safety, and what to watch out for if you are travelling to a hotter country with your dog.

Book a Discovery Call with me, let's have a free chat about your dog and your training goals:

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Get in touch:

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⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠

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One of the most common questions I get asked is: "Who is the pack leader after you?" — and my answer is that there is no pack leader, because we are not a pack. In this episode I break down what a pack actually is, why it doesn't apply to dogs living in a human household, and what the relationship between us and our dogs really looks like.

We cover:

• The scientific definition of a pack and why humans and dogs don't qualify
• The alpha wolf myth: where it came from, and how it was debunked
• What feral and street dogs in Italy, Eastern Europe, and South America actually do (and don't do) socially
• Why dogs evolved to live with us, not to dominate us
• What our household really is — and why that matters for how we train and relate to our dogs

• Pack (canine) — Wikipedia
• Pack Structure — Wolf Haven International
• Packs (Zoology) — EBSCO Research Starters

• Mech (1999) full paper PDF — wolf.org/USGS — L. David Mech, "Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs," Canadian Journal of Zoology, 77(8): 1196–1203
• Mech (1999) — Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Scientific Self-Correction: How Mech undid the alpha wolf concept — Science Arena
• Debunking the Alpha Dog Theory — Whole Dog Journal
• Alpha Dog Theory Is Dead. Science Killed It in 1999. — Dogly

• Boitani & Ciucci (1995) — Tandfonline — "Comparative Social Ecology of Feral Dogs and Wolves," Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 7: 49–72
• The Ecology and Behavior of Feral Dogs: A Case Study from Central Italy — ResearchGate
• Feral Dog overview — ScienceDirect

• Dog Dominance, Alpha and Pack Leadership — VCA Animal Hospitals
• The Truth About Dominance — Positively.com

Book a Discovery Call with me, let's have a free chat about your dog and your training goals:

https://calendly.com/martina-thatlldoacademy/discovery-calls

Get in touch:

⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠

https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

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In this episode I will be chatting to you about how I'm managing resting Kes, my 6 months old Border Collie while on a 3 long week rest!

I'm also running a workshop to show you exactly how to teach these exercises I'm talking about!

https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/live-class/productive-rest-mental-activity-static-training-for-the-active-dog-on-a-break/register

Get in touch:

⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠

https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

To follow me on social media:

Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ThatllDoAcademy/⁠⁠

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Border Collies are often described as “high-energy dogs”, but in reality their behaviour is usually shaped by something much deeper: whether their core needs are being met.

In this episode, I talk about the five needs that I believe are essential for Border Collies to feel balanced and fulfilled. These include their need to use their brain, their need to run and move freely, their need to properly switch off and rest, their need for social connection, and their need for routine and predictability.

When one of these needs is missing, behaviour often starts to wobble. What many people interpret as “too much energy” is often simply an unmet need.

In this episode, I break down each of these five areas and explain why understanding them can completely change the way you look at your dog’s behaviour and daily life.

If you live with a Border Collie, this episode will help you better understand what your dog may actually be missing.

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Learn More About The Collie Club:

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n this episode, Martina speaks with Anna Herzog about FCI obedience and why it’s growing in the UK.

They discuss:

• What FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) is

• How FCI obedience differs from KC obedience

• Why the sport suits more than just Border Collies

• The balance between motivation, precision and handling

• Why you compete against the round, not just other handlers

• How beginner-friendly UK intro classes are being developed

They also talk about training practicality, minimal equipment, and the long-term goal of building a UK team for the FCI World Championships.

If you’ve ever loved obedience but wanted more variety and movement, this episode is for you.

To learn more about what Anna is doing and all the FCI obedience events, check her Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/annaherzogdogsports

Book a Discovery Call with me, let's have a free chat about your dog and your training goals:

https://calendly.com/martina-thatlldoacademy/discovery-calls

Get in touch:

⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠

https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

To follow me on social media:

Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ThatllDoAcademy/⁠⁠

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In this first episode of 2026, Martina shares a short update on welcoming an unexpected litter and keeping one of the puppies, Kestrel (Kes). From there, the episode focuses on a key training concept: the difference between life skills and training skills.

Martina explains why behaviours like recall, loose lead walking and settling often look easy in puppies but fall apart as dogs grow, and why this usually happens when the underlying training skills haven’t been developed. The episode breaks down how reliable everyday behaviour is built through smaller foundational skills rather than training life skills in isolation.

Book a Discovery Call with me, let's have a free chat about your dog and your training goals:

https://calendly.com/martina-thatlldoacademy/discovery-calls

Get in touch:

⁠⁠https://thatlldoacademy.com/

⁠⁠Join the Collie Club, my Online Academy for Border Collie Owners!⁠⁠

https://thatlldoacademy.newzenler.com/courses/the-collie-club

To follow me on social media:

Facebook : ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ThatllDoAcademy/⁠⁠

Instagram : ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/martina_bordercollie_geek/