Episode 78: François Massart

In this episode, I sit down with François Massart, an accomplished French Ring and Mondioring trainer and decoy with experience at the highest levels of international competition.We discuss what a great decoy can see—and feel—in a dog that spectators and even handlers may miss, the differences between European and American working-dog culture, genetics, courage, pressure, and training philosophy.We also explore François’ journey from growing up in French Ring in France to building a life and dog-training business in the United States, and how decades of working dogs at the highest levels of sport have shaped the way he understands and trains dogs today.

In this episode, I sit down with Danish trainer Lars Lentz. Lars and I go back to the early 90’s of international IGP competition. We both competed at the same World Championships in the early 1990s. We knew of each other, but despite crossing paths for decades, this was the first time we actually sat down and had a conversation.Over the years, Lars has focused almost exclusively on tracking. Today, he is one of the most sought-after tracking seminar instructors in the world and has recently published a book on the subject. I was just as curious as everyone else to hear his philosophy, methods, and how his approach has evolved over the years.We discuss tracking philosophy, training methods, rule changes, common mistakes, and the evolution of IGP tracking.

In this episode, Chad Hunter, Karly, and I discuss one of the most remarkable achievements in French Ring history.Just weeks ago, Karly and Chad travelled to France and competed against the best teams in the sport. When the competition was over, she and her dog Maestro had achieved the highest score of the event, something no foreign competitor had ever done before.Although the official French Championship title and trophy were awarded to the highest ranking French competitor, Karly finished the competition with the top score overall, making history as the first non-French competitor to outscore every French team on their home turf.We discuss the journey, the preparation, the pressure of competing at the highest level, and what it takes to build a team capable of achieving something many thought impossible.A conversation about chasing an unlikely goal, overcoming obstacles, and leaving a mark on the sport’s history.

If you're serious about tracking, this podcast is for you.Today I'm joined by Aivo Oblikas, a long-time student of tracking, respected judge, and someone who has spent decades analyzing what makes dogs successful on the track. Aivo has judged at the highest levels of the sport, including the FH World Championship and the FMBB IGP World Championship, giving him a unique perspective on both training and evaluation.Over the next two and a half hours, we dive deep into the world of tracking. We discuss everything from getting started with young dogs to advanced FH and IGP concepts. We talk about motivation, corners, article indications, contamination, aging tracks, weather conditions, surface changes, reading the dog, common training mistakes, and many of the details that often determine success or failure in competition.One of the things I appreciate about Aivo is that he doesn't simply repeat what everyone else is doing. Over the years, he has developed his own approach to tracking and in this conversation he shares many of the principles that guide his training and the way he thinks about the work.Whether you're brand new to tracking, actively competing in IGP, preparing for FH-level tracks, or simply looking to improve your understanding of one of the most fascinating disciplines in dog training, there's something here for you.This is a conversation for the tracking nerds, the people who enjoy the details, the people who want to understand not just what happens on the track, but why it happens.I hope you enjoy my conversation with Aivo Oblikas.

Behind every World Champion title there is a story people never see.The sleepless nights. The pressure. The doubts. The sacrifices. The moments where you wonder if all of it is worth it.Today Natalia joins me after becoming FMBB IGP World Champion to talk about the journey behind the title.We discuss what it really took to get there, the highs and lows of competing at the highest level, the mental battles, the "what ifs" every competitor has, and the reality behind chasing a dream for years.We also talk about Glinda, the road that led us here, and why winning is rarely about one perfect moment, it is about thousands of moments nobody sees.Everyone starts with 100 points. Everyone has their "what ifs."This is the story behind becoming World Champion.

This video breaks down what an e-collar actually is and more importantly, how learning works when it matters most.You’ll see a live self-demo so you understand exactly what the stimulation feels like, and why control, timing, and contingency matter more than the tool itself.Some dogs do very well with positive reinforcement alone.But if you’ve been training for months or years and your dog is still not reliable when it counts… especially with behaviors like poor recall, chasing, or high drive in real environments, then this video is for you.This is not about replacing reinforcement!It’s about understanding what happens when reinforcement no longer competes with reality.What you’ll see:What the e-collar really does (and what it doesn’t). Why “aversive” does not mean harm. How clear, immediate, avoidable consequences create understanding. Why avoidance is not the same as living in fear. Where redirection works and where it doesn’t. At some point, every training system is tested the same way:What happens when the dog is already committed?That’s what this talk is about.

Some dogs lock onto squirrels with full predatory intent, the kind that ignores treats, toys, and every force-free trick in the book.Desensitization, Counterconditioning or Predationsubstitutes? Yes, they work for play chasing... but fail hard when the drive isto kill. Once the dog is locked in, adrenaline wins, yourhigh-value rewards get out-bid.A simple "NO" paired with consequencebecomes a powerful verbal interrupt. No more endless management, just reliableoff-leash control in high stakes moments (traffic, wildlife, livestock).See the real demo: setup, chase, and instantstop with nothing but my voice. True freedom for high drive dogs starts here.If pure positive methods aren't cutting it withyour dog, this changes everything.

In this episode, I sit down with Pierre Wahlstrom, 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.