In this episode of The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by Dan O'Neill, Marisa Heath, and Vanessa Barnes from APGAW to discuss the recently launched Innate Health Assessment (IHA).

Since its release in December 2025, the IHA has generated strong reactions across parts of the dog world. Some have welcomed it as a much-needed welfare tool. Others have raised concerns about scope, science, impact and implementation.

Rather than amplifying noise, this episode creates space for something more useful ... an evidence-led and constructive discussion about what the IHA is and what it isn’t.

We explore:

The purpose and vision behind the Innate Health Assessment

How it was developed and who contributed to its framework

Whether a checklist model can meaningfully influence breeding standards

The scientific thinking underpinning the approach How voluntary welfare tools interact with regulation and public perception

What the creators hope will happen next

Importantly, this conversation is not about hostility, point-scoring or social media rhetoric. It is about animal welfare and how we, as professionals and guardians, navigate reform in a sector that is both emotionally charged and deeply complex.

Strong feelings often reflect how much people care. But meaningful progress requires thoughtful dialogue, not polarisation.

If you work in behaviour, training, veterinary science, breeding, policy, or simply care deeply about the future of dogs, this episode offers insight into the intentions behind the IHA and an opportunity to engage with the debate in a measured and informed way.

As always, we invite listeners to reflect critically, think scientifically, and keep welfare at the centre of every conversation.

Scent & Strategy: How Nosework Changes Behaviour with Jamie (UK Sniffer Dogs)

Think nosework is just a fun trick? Think again.

Jamie from UK Sniffer Dogs joins us to explore how scent work rewires behaviour, reduces stress, and helps dogs thrive, while also offering trainers a valuable tool to diversify their services.

🎧 Listen now and try your first scent game today ❤️

Behaviour is rarely just about what you see. It’s the visible edge of deeper systems — environments, thresholds, human psychology, stress accumulation, and more.

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, Jo and Emily speak with Sparky Smith, a canine psychologist and systems expert who brings a powerful lens to complex behaviour change. Drawing from her work at DogParentology, Sparky shows how understanding the system behind behaviour — rather than chasing symptoms — allows caretakers and professionals to create lasting, meaningful change.

You’ll learn how to:

Recognize the hidden systems influencing your dog’s behaviour

Use guiding principles to predict “stuck points” before relapse

Change the language you use: from “fixing” to stabilizing systems

Take practical steps today to begin seeing behaviour as a system you can shape

If you’ve ever felt stuck with a dog whose behaviour keeps resurfacing, this episode will give you a new vantage point — one that sees beyond just the behaviour.

#dogbehavioursystems #dogtraining #caninepsychology #dogprofessionals #dogpodcast

As our dogs live longer, the real question becomes: how well do they age?

In this episode, we speak with Prof Carri Westgarth, lead researcher behind the Ageing Canine Toolkit - a resource designed to help guardians and veterinary teams differentiate normal aging from potential disease and support better quality of life in senior dogs.

You’ll learn:

How the toolkit was developed from owner and vet research

Key health and behavioural signs to monitor using the traffic‑light checklist

What changes are “red flags” and when to seek veterinary care

Practical strategies to support mobility, cognition, comfort, and wellbeing in aging dogs

How to use the toolkit as a conversation bridge with vets

Whether your dog is entering their golden years or you’re preparing ahead, this episode gives you the tools to see aging not as decline but as a stage to support with clarity, empathy, and intention.

🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/66429817...

✨ NEW EPISODE: “Ethics in Action” with Vicky Skinner 🐶

Thinking about starting, or already running, an animal‑business (boarding, grooming, dog visits, interventions)? Doing well means doing good.

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, we chat with Vicky Skinner, founder of Animal Focused Alliance, about what it really takes to run an ethical animal business:

What animal welfare really looks like in everyday practice

How to meet licensing & regulatory standards while keeping animal wellbeing front and centre

The power of clarity, transparency & staff training

How ethics can be part of your business strength, not a burden

🎧 Tune in and discover how compassion and compliance builds a business people trust and animals benefit from.

#EthicalPetBusiness #AnimalFocused #DogPodcast #AnimalWelfare #PetBusinessTips #TheDogExpertPodcast

🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/66429817...

If you know a dog that struggles when left ... barking, chewing, pacing, panicking you’re not alone… and neither are they.

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by Ness Jones, a leading expert in separation anxiety and creator of the A.L.O.N.E. Method.

💬 We unpack:

🔍 What separation anxiety really is

🧠 Why it’s emotional, not behavioural

🛟 How to help dogs feel safe, secure, and truly okay with being alone

Whether you're dealing with full-blown panic or subtle signs of stress, this episode is packed with guidance, calm, and hope.

🎧 Listen in, because no dog should feel afraid when the door closes.

#SeparationAnxiety #DogPodcast #CanineBehaviour #TheDogExpertPodcast #AloneNotAfraid #ForceFree #NessJones #ReactiveDogs #DogTrainingTips #EmotionalSafety

🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/66429817...

NEW EPISODE: “Bouncing Back” with Daniel Shaw MSc

Why do some dogs recover from fear or stress, while others crumble?

This week on The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by behaviourist and neuroscientist Daniel Shaw to explore the fascinating science of resilience in dogs:

🔬 What resilience really means

🧬 The genetic + environmental factors behind emotional recovery

💥 Why coping dogs aren't always comfortable dogs

🛟 How to build resilience with enrichment, safety, and support

🎧 Listen now because resilience isn’t just about surviving. It’s about helping dogs thrive.

🚨 NEW EPISODE: Bomb Proof, Bullet Proof 🐶🧠🛡️

What if you could raise a dog that’s emotionally unshakeable and physically resilient just by focusing on the first 12 weeks?

Today on The Dog Expert Podcast, we’re joined by Dr Zoolittle to talk:

💥 Bomb-proof = no separation anxiety, calm confidence

🧬 Bullet-proof = cellular, biological resilience built from day one

⏳ 8–20 weeks = the most powerful window you’ll ever get

🎧 Whether you have a puppy, or plan to, don’t miss this one.

#PuppyTraining #CanineHealth #DogDevelopment #BombProofBulletProof #TheDogExpertPodcast #ForceFree #CanineWellness #PuppyResilience

Join us for a special Pride Month episode of The Dog Expert Podcast as we celebrate love, acceptance, and inclusivity across the dog industry.

Featuring guest speakers Tasha Attwood and Debby Lucken, who are leading a powerful wave of support for the LGBTQ+ community - one message, one voice, one paw at a time.

#PrideAndPaws #DogIndustryPride #LGBTQplus #PrideMonth2025 #TheDogExpertPodcast