Welcome back folks :)

In this episode, Steve sits down with the incredible Charlie Houghton, founder of Houghton’s Hounds. We navigate through Charlie's fascinating 10-year career as a Logistics Officer in the Royal Navy and discover how teaching leadership to sailors perfectly prepared her for teaching puppies (and their humans!).

We covered:

• The Navy-to-K9 Pivot: How a passion for adult education and leadership coaching transformed into a career in dog training.
• Public Speaking for Introverts: Why you might need to "fake it 'til you make it" when stepping into the center of a training ring.
• The "Safe Space" Philosophy: Drawing inspiration from trainers like Ollie Juste and the importance of kindness.
• The Money Talk: Why the industry needs to be more transparent about finances and "knowing your worth."
• Lessons from Jet: A candid look at crate training, choice, and why doing better starts with knowing better.

Guest Bio:

Relevant Links:

• Find Charlie: houghtonshounds.co.uk
• Charlie’s Book Recommendation: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
• Link to "A Dogs Best Friend" Podcast with Oli Juste: https://open.spotify.com/show/07nvgqwv572548BdNxublI
• DogX Conference Tickets: dogxconference.com
• Start Your Journey with PACT: pact-dogs.com

In this episode, Steve sits down with the wonderful Haych Brassil. We take a "Scooby-Doo" trip back to the Northeast coast of Ireland to discover the journeys that sparked a lifelong mission to help the helpless.

What We Covered:

• The "Otter Trauma": How 80s wildlife documentaries created an emotional blueprint for empathy.
• Manga & The European Road: the fascinating story of five years traveling Europe with a dog that had more agency than most humans.
• Animal Rescue Kerala: Mopeds, dirt tracks, and learning from "punk" dogs in India.
• The Human Connection: How a career supporting young migrants and marginalized people translates into "listening" to dogs.
• Theo the "Adorable": The reality of living with a complex rescue and why professionals shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.

About Our Guest:

Haych Brassil is a PACT Animal Training Instructor and Animal Behaviour Technician registered with ABTC. Haych spent five years roaming Europe with the 'fateful encounter' dog, and then traveling to various places in the world where they could help dogs, they are now deep in the weeds of a Level 6 in Applied Animal Behavior. Based on the outskirts of Brighton, Haych is currently putting all that knowledge into practice with the adorable yet complex rescue dog, Theo.

Relevant Links:

• Check out Haych’s business Dog Complex here
• Mark Bekoff: The Emotional Lives of Animals (Haych’s top recommendation). Buy it here.
• DogX 2026: Grab your tickets for the ultimate conference. dogxconference.com
• Start Your Journey: Join the PACT family and start your training career. pact-dogs.com

In this weeks episode I got to sit down with Jason Cortis—a man who has lived several lives already, all of which have given him insights into the world of training and behaviour that are well worth listening to.

We'll hear about his early careers as part of the parachute regiment, a military dog handler and paramedics technician . Jason shares the exact moment of realisation, standing in the back of a military van with a German Shepherd, where his path turned him towards a deeper understanding of dogs.

We explore his journey from the high-stakes adrenaline of the parachute regiment and the ambulance service to the quiet, vital science of animal behaviour. Jason discusses his work with the Blue Cross, the importance of scent as a canine superpower, and why the recognising a journey of life long learning is one of our superpowers.

I loved chatting with Jason and I think you'll love him too

Links:

• Nosey Dogs: www.noseydogs.co.uk – Dive into scent detection, tracking, and mantrailing.
• JCDT (Jason Cortis Dog Training): www.jcdogtrainer.com – 1:1 sessions, classes, and Jason’s excellent blog.
• Blue Cross RDOC: Responsible Dog Ownership Course – Learn more about the education work Jason does for animal welfare.
• PACT (Professional Association of Canine Trainers): pact-dogs.com
• ABTC (Animal Behaviour & Training Council): abtc.org.uk