In today's fascinating episode, Louise and Michelle chat to writer Paul Besley all about his experiences of finding and training his Mountain Rescue Search Dog, Scout. It's a fascinating episode full of insights into training a working dog, and the human-dog bond.

Paul's book, The Search: The life of a mountain rescue search dog team is out now

Those regular listeners amongst you will know the running joke that Michelle has never participated in a canicross race with her dog Poppy. She has finally found a brand new event close to her, and on this episode quizzes Trail Blazing Events Director Richard McQuilton-Morgan all about the race. It will be the first canicross event Richard has hosted too, so it makes for an interesting episode. We learn more about the challenges of putting on a canicross race, and how he’s planning to make the event a great experience for all.

We also catch up with Martin Grimshaw of Team Hounds, who was last on the podcast in episode 70. Michelle picks Martin's brains for expert advice on helping her and Poppy to prepare for their first race. Martin also tells us about his newest canine companion Kaos, and what he's been up to since we last chatted back in the summer of 2023.

You can find out more about the canicross race and Richard's other Lancashire based events on his website https://www.trailblazingevents.co.uk/

Louise and Michelle chat to Clara Hewson, founder of The Muzzle Movement, about establishing a change in people's perceptions of muzzles, and creating a muzzle which allows dogs to drink, eat and pant fully. Find out the best way to accustom a dog to being comfortable with a muzzle, and inappropriate use of muzzles.

We also ask Clara to bust a myth about muzzles in our newest feature.

In this episode, we chat to Dr Juliet McGrattan, author, speaker and former GP, about running and alcohol.

We answer all the common questions, such as:

- is a daily glass of red wine really good for our health?

- is that post-race beer helpful?

- can you sweat out a hangover?

- how does alcohol affect sleep quality and recovery?

- is there a safe amount of alcohol consumption for athletes that won’t hinder training or performance?

- how does alcohol impact our hormones?

NEW - Stay tuned for our newest feature, Myth Buster, where we tackle common misconceptions.

You can follow Dr Juliet McGrattan on Instagram

If you need support with your alcohol consumption, the NHS website is a good place to start

In this episode, Louise and Michelle welcome back journalist and business coach Rachel Spencer for a chat about how to build good habits. We chat about what a habit is (and isn't!), how to make habits stick, and how to overcome the obstacles that keep us from making long-lasting changes. We also talk about strategies to stop habits that might not be so helpful to us as well. Whether you're working to improve your fitness, build consistency with your training, or set yourself up for success in any other part of life, this episode is packed with insights that are bound to help.

About Rachel

Rachel Spencer is a freelance writer specialising in the pet industry for national newspapers and magazines focusing on human interest stories, health, trends and technology. She works with pet business owners helping them raise their profile in the media and clients have appeared in the Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, BBC Breakfast, Mail Online, Daily and Sunday Express, and a host of pet titles like Edition Dog, Your Dog, Your Cat and industry titles including Pet Gazette and Pet Business World. Each week she shares tips on how small businesses can secure coverage on the Publicity for Pet Businesses podcast. Rachel provides consultancy services and runs a publicity coaching programme helping pet businesses stand out from the competition.

Find out more at www.publicityforpetbusinesses.co.uk

You can also find Rachel here:

https://www.instagram.com/rachelspenceruk

https://www.facebook.com/rachelspenceruk

https://twitter.com/rachelspenceruk

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelspenceruk/

Recommended Reading

Atomic Habits by James Clear This is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to make small changes that lead to significant results. Clear breaks down the process of habit formation into actionable steps and shares practical tips for building habits that last. It’s all about focusing on small, 1% improvements that compound over time.

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg The book explains the ‘habit loop’ - a cue, routine, and reward - which drives human behaviour. Duhigg discusses how we form habits and how they can be reshaped to achieve goals. It’s a great read for anyone looking to create lasting change for personal growth and business success.

Louise and Michelle quiz broadcaster and fellow podcaster Anna Harding about her experience of canicrossing and running throughout pregnancy, and how she has felt getting back into it as a new parent. We also chat about introducing a new baby to the family dog.

• strength training
• mobility
• recovery
• adapting training as we age
• the dangers of overtraining
• optimising training around hormonal changes, including menopause
• how to avoid common running injuries

We know parkrun no longer allows canicross, BUT we also know a lot of you have many happy memories of parkrun as it turns 20 years old, and we also know many of you still run with your dog there (allowing for the new rules around dogs). Canicross Conversations wants to celebrate the world of parkrun on its 20th birthday, so Louise and Michelle chat to Lucy Waterlow, author of new book The Ultimate Guide to parkrun. A great episode whether you are a brand new or regular parkrunner.