Training Without Conflict® | Dog Training Podcast

In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Walshtrom, a lifelong officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, elite working-dog specialist, world-level judge, and World Champion.

Pierre has spent over three decades developing, testing, breeding, judging, and training working dogs at the highest level. He currently serves as CEO for testing and procurement of dogs for the Swedish Armed Forces and as technical adviser for military dog breeding.

He is a long time IPO/IGP and SV judge, has judged multiple World Championships (FCI, WUSV, ISPU, FMBB), and was World Champion with a German Shepherd in 2007, while also coaching numerous national and world-level teams.

We talk selection, nerves, genetics, judging, and what actually separates great dogs from average ones from someone who has seen it all, on the field and behind the scenes.

If you care about real working dogs and real performance, this episode is a must listen.

This time I sat down with Jay Jack. Jay is the mind behind GRC (Gameness, Relationship, Control) Dog Sport. If you mix bull breeds with martial arts culture, Jay is the guy who shows up. This episode is really a catch up, no script, no agenda. Just me and Jay talking dogs, and you’re the fly on the wall.

This episode is with Daisy Peel. Daisy is an agility trainer and competitor and has been part of the U.S. World Team nine times.

In this podcast, we go deeper into the sport of agility and compare it with other dog sports. We talk about what it really means to select and train dogs for the world stage versus training a pet dog simply to provide an outlet and maintain a healthy, balanced mind.

We also touch on the cultural differences between sports. Unlike protection sports, agility is a community that is predominantly force-free and yes, we talk openly about that too.

Enjoy.

Should the dog training industry in the USA be regulated?I’ve been asked this over and over again, and the answer is not as simple as people think.In this episode, I break down what regulation could improve, what it could destroy, and the one line that matters most if this industry ever gets “controlled” by outside forces.Curious to hear everyone's thoughts.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ana Catarina Vieira de Castro, a researcher at the University of Porto (Portugal) specializing in canine behavior, welfare, and human–animal interactions, for a thoughtful discussion about one of the most contentious issues in modern dog training.

Catarina is well known for her research comparing reward-based (positive reinforcement) and aversive or mixed training methods. Her work is frequently cited within the force-free community, often as scientific support for calls to restrict or ban certain training tools through legislation.

Rather than dissecting individual papers line by line, our conversation focuses on the bigger and more difficult questions:

Do aversives have a place in dog training?
Are they effective, and under what conditions?
What are the welfare risks of using them improperly?
And just as importantly, what are the risks of removing them entirely through policy and legislation?

We explore how science, ethics, and real world practice intersect, especially in cases where idealized training models often break down.

Catarina’s published work including Carrots vs. Sticks (Applied Animal Behaviour Science), her PLOS ONE studies comparing training methods and welfare, and her contributions to the literature on stress, obedience, and the dog–owner bond forms the background context for why these questions matter beyond academic debate. These studies are widely referenced in discussions around regulation, bans, and professional standards, making it essential to talk not only about findings, but also about interpretation, limits, and unintended consequences.

Importantly, Catarina is also a dog trainer herself, which allowed this conversation to go beyond research settings and into the practical realities of working with real dogs.

This was also the first time a scientist whose work is so frequently cited in these debates was willing to sit down with me for an open, long form conversation, something that hasn’t been done in this space.

This episode is for trainers, behavior professionals, policymakers, and dog owners who want a deeper, more honest conversation about effectiveness, welfare, and the real risks on both sides of the training method debate.