Dog trainer education Archives

Pat Stuart had planned to spend his life in the Army. Becoming a professional dog trainer was never the plan.

In Episode 376 of The Canine Paradigm, Glenn Cooke puts Pat back in the interview chair as we revisit our original episode two. Following our conversation about Glenn and Harley, it is Pat’s turn to explain how he got here. This is a new conversation, not a replay, about the experiences, mentors and unexpected turns behind the voice listeners know. episode 376 episode 376

Content note: Contains strong language and detailed descriptions of military combat, deaths and serious injury, including injury to a child. Discussion of coping and memories reflects personal experience, not mental health advice. episode 376 episode 376

Pat Stuart before dog training

Pat’s story starts with an apprenticeship in stonemasonry and a lift to an Army recruiting centre that took his life in an unexpected direction. He looks back on joining Special Forces, committing himself to a military career and the experiences that made that role such a significant part of his identity. episode 376 episode 376 episode 376

He also recalls the military working dog that first captured his interest, the back injury that changed his options and the difficult decision to leave the Army. The challenge was not simply finding another job. It was working out what life could look like beyond the future he had imagined. episode 376 episode 376

The mentors who taught him to teach

Some of Pat’s most lasting lessons came from people who expected more of him than he initially expected of himself. We revisit the clerk’s course he did not want to take, the mentor who made him understand the work of the people around him, and a carefully prepared PowerPoint presentation that fell apart when the power disappeared. episode 376 episode 376

Those stories lead into a discussion about preparation, responsibility and knowing your subject well enough to teach when the equipment is no longer doing the work. Glenn explains why the PowerPoint story also changed how he approached staff training and the responsibilities that come with teaching people to handle dogs. episode 376

Finding a different purpose through dogs

Pat reflects on becoming a father, building a life outside the Army and turning an intense interest in dogs into professional work. He acknowledges the trainers who invested in him, the early puppy-training project with Sam Montgomery and the opportunities that came from starting The Canine Paradigm. episode 376 episode 376

We also talk about the experience of travelling to teach while continuing to learn from the people who invited him. Alongside those opportunities came decisions about independence, family and the relationships he was not prepared to sacrifice for work. episode 376 episode 376

There is a catch-up on Valerie, Remco and Sundance, and Pat explains why teaching online and spending less time away from his family are now important priorities. episode 376

For long-time listeners, this adds context to stories and opinions heard across the show. For anyone who has only recently joined us, it is a chance to understand how Pat found his way into dogs and the people who helped him find his feet.

Who helped you find your way into dogs, and which lesson from them has stayed with you? Join the conversation in The Canine Paradigm discussion group.

Further Details

Find Glenn’s work through Pet Resorts Australia and Pat’s coaching and education through Serious Dog Business.

Support the show and access additional content through our Patreon page, or visit our merchandise store.

Explore our podcast listening options and subscribe to The Canine Paradigm on YouTube. Share the episode with a friend, leave a review, or get in touch at info@thecanineparadigm.com.

Support Our Supporters

Visit Narelle Cooke’s Canine Ceuticals and listen to her podcast, Natural Health for People and Pets.

Our thanks also go to Jason Firmin at Einzweck Dog Quip, From the Heart Dog Training, and Birdy O’Sheedy at The Magic in Dogs.

Special Thanks

Thank you to our contributing artists, Jane Stuart, Avery Keller and Zoie Neidy, for their creative contributions to the show.

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From an electrician with a puppy to a life in dog training

Before the training career, Glenn was an electrician learning to live with a puppy who brought sleepless nights, bathroom repairs and a growing sense of responsibility. Harley opened up a world that went well beyond teaching a dog to sit. As their relationship developed, so did Glenn’s interest in what dogs could learn and what it meant to work alongside them.

That interest connected with another important relationship. Glenn knew Boyd Hooper through kickboxing, but a conversation about Harley led to an invitation to Australian Dog Training. We revisit that first training night, the early NDTF years and the opportunity that eventually turned Glenn from a client into an employee.

Boyd’s influence was not limited to working dogs. Glenn reflects on being expected to mature, take responsibility and lead by example. The lessons were about handling people as well as dogs, and understanding what others should be able to expect from someone in a position of leadership.

From there, the conversation follows Glenn through decoy work, behaviour rehabilitation, private lessons, board and train, and the responsibilities of caring for dogs in boarding facilities. He looks back on the mentors and friendships that broadened his experience, the move into managing businesses and teams, and the work at Pet Resorts Australia that eventually brought him and Pat together.

The dog, the people and the stories that stayed

Glenn also explains why the podcast has become the book he always wanted to write. The conversations have given him somewhere to record the stories, acknowledge the people who helped him and share how his thinking has developed. His appreciation of Pat and Boyd brings the episode back to Harley, the dog he credits with setting so much of it in motion.

We catch up on life with Narelle, Mando, Opie, Ladybug and Pixel, before talking about Glenn’s interest in returning to dog sports and making more room for training at home.

Whether you are a trainer, a dog owner or someone whose plans changed after bringing a puppy home, this episode asks a familiar question: which dog changed the direction of your life?

Content note: Contains strong language and graphic descriptions of violence and dog-bite injuries.

Related listening

Further Details

Find Glenn’s work through Pet Resorts Australia and Pat’s coaching and education through Serious Dog Business.

Support the show and access additional content through our Patreon page, or visit our merchandise store.

Tag: Dog trainer education

Episode 376: Pat Stuart, From Special Forces to Dog Training

Pat Stuart before dog training

The mentors who taught him to teach

Finding a different purpose through dogs

Further Details

Support Our Supporters

Special Thanks

Episode 375: Glenn Cooke and the Dog That Started It All

From an electrician with a puppy to a life in dog training

The dog, the people and the stories that stayed

Related listening

Further Details

Support Our Supporters

Special Thanks

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