Gundogs and Guard dogs

Lez Graham and Ross McCarthy

An enlightening, fortnightly podcast from two full-time dog behaviourists and award-winning trainers discussing dogs, behavioural and training difficulties, current news relating to what should be our best friends, and a little bit of life in general…including their most recent meals! A Geordie based in Scotland and a Londoner, staying firmly put in the Capital, they overcome the language barrier (mostly!) and celebrate not only their many differences, but their united togetherness. Whether that be Gundogs, Guard Dogs…or any of the beautiful dogs inbetween - it’s all about the love for dogs.

  1. S6E10 Integrative Medicine: Because Every Animal Is Unique

    JAN 23

    S6E10 Integrative Medicine: Because Every Animal Is Unique

    Join Sue as she reflects on over 40 years in the veterinary world—a career shaped by curiosity, conscience, and a determination to look beyond convention. A wake-up call during her dermatology studies sent her exploring alternative modalities in canine health and wellbeing, opening the door to a journey through homeopathy, acupuncture, laser therapy, and more. From “the nibs, the nabs, the mibs, the mabs” to the rise of biologics, Sue breaks down what these treatments are, why they matter, and how they fit into today’s evolving vet landscape. She also takes a candid look at how corporate structures are influencing the profession—asking whether financial pressures are overshadowing what’s best for animal health—and why fewer young vets seem willing (or able) to explore integrative therapies. Other topics include: • How highly processed “junk food” contributes to chronic disease • Why monthly wellness schemes might not deliver true wellness • The concerns around lifetime pharmaceuticals • mRNA and genetic-code vaccines—innovation or uncertainty? • Environmental toxins, flea and worm treatments, household products, and their cumulative effects • What really makes a dog “senior”? • And ultimately, why supporting the gut and the microbiome might be the key to lifelong vitality At the heart of it all lies a simple message: helping our dogs thrive may be more common sense than rocket science. SUE ARMSTRONG MA VetMB VetFFHom CertIAVH MRCVS RsHom (Director Sue Armstrong Consultancy Ltd) Sue Armstrong qualified from Cambridge Veterinary School, England in 1984 and worked first in Oxford and then in a partnership in Leeds for twelve years. She set up Balanced Being based in Wetherby in 2003, which was one of the first practices in the UK to offer truly integrative healthcare for animals with homeopathy as its core philosophy underpinning the individualised therapeutic approach when using all modalities including conventional mainstream veterinary medicine and surgery, homeopathy, acupuncture, laser therapy, nutraceuticals and nutritional therapy. Sue sold Balanced Being in February 2018 and now runs a referral only veterinary clinic in Thirsk, UK; Sue Armstrong Consultancy Ltd. Sue lectures extensively internationally and has presented in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Switzerland and the USA. Sue has published the Little Book of Thinking Dog and The Veterinary Homeopathy Oncology Series: Cancer in Animals. She is a contributor to the books Foundations of Health and Social Care (Adams, 2007) and Canine Nutrigenomics: The New Science of Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health (Dodds, 2015). Sue is passionate about sharing the experience she has of working in a truly integrative way for most of her veterinary career. ---- oOo ---- Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years. Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE). Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter). They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011. They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists. Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think. Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

    1h 5m
  2. JAN 9

    S6E9 2026 Happy New Year 🎉

    Whacky hippy shit… ✌️Anything slightly cheery? How was it five minutes ago that it was the millennium?! Lez with a baby in a buggy 👶. Ross dancing in Soho (he still does that!🙈) Twenty-six years later, this duo look awful and feel even worse as they enter the New Year.An overview of Christmas…Lez got to play charades 🎭 ...Ross managed to swerve it. Turkey is done to the extreme, obviously.A weather conversation follows, (obvs!) a Billy Connolly quote and a completely pointless story, leads on to a few tips on waterproof clothing from the Scottish expert 🧥.A chat about the upcoming Guild of Dog Trainers and Cambridge Institute of Dog Behaviour & Training networking event.A quick review of the Kennel Club Canine Athletes event and the Crufts Career Zone lectures where this duo got sold out and had to do duplicates! The same jokes 😂, the confusion of the repeats 🤔, and not knowing which audience had already heard what. It doesn’t take much to throw these two a bit of a curveball! 😂This past reflection leads to a moment of sadness with the recent death of Sarah Fisher, and a tribute to her work with animals. The upshot is this: if you want to collaborate with someone, do it before life runs out of time.Getting ready for Crufts and the onward 2026 events…full steam ahead. All very exciting... just need to get through today first.Not the most inspirational welcome to 2026...hopefully they can only go up from here and I’m sure that they hope most of you are listening and not watching! Happy New Year to anyone that listens to this drivel 🥂. ---- oOo ---- Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years. Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE). Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter). They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011. They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists. Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think. Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

    38 min
  3. 12/12/2025

    S6E8 Tiers & Fears – Christmas Special

    Ho Ho Ho! The Gundogs & Guard Dogs team wishes you all a very Merry Christmas! In this festive episode, our chaotic duo takes a nostalgic wander back to the first Covid lockdown, all in preparation for the Reloaded episodes dropping over the Christmas break. From the initial terror to “Eat Out to Help Out” to “Get back inside immediately!”, they relive the madness… including the era of masked smiles, with Lez accidentally terrifying local children while trying to smile and Ross not bothering to try at all. They chat about the joys, and the not-so-joyous bits, of a big family Christmas. It’s always lovely to get home, unless “home” is anywhere near Lez, whose extreme festive cooking with Bailey’s cake, cherries, and marzipan is enough to frighten even the hardiest soul. Ross remains eternally grateful for the safe distance provided by living in London rather than Scotland. This is our final episode of 2025, but fear not, the ridiculous pair will be back in early January, and we’ve already lined up some incredible guests for 2026, with a few interviews recorded and ready to go. We also take a quick look back at 2025 and some of the wonderful people we’ve been privileged to speak with. Over the next couple of weeks, you can catch our Reloaded episodes, or dive back into the full catalogue whenever you fancy. Thank you to every one of our listeners, we truly appreciate you. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, and we can’t wait to head into 2026 with this brilliant tribe. We’ll be back on 9th January, in our usual delightfully dreary style! ---- oOo ---- Lez and Ross have both been in the industry professionally for well over 20 years and each has been involved with dogs for over 40 years. Whilst sensibly they have stayed away from the ‘limelight’ regarding TV offers, they have regularly been on national and local radio, spoken at national events at NDWA, CFBA, and Kennel Club / Crufts events as well as bespoke speaking engagements for the Dog Safety Education Executive (DogSEE). Ross wrote for Dogs Monthly Magazine for over 12 years and Lez was the first lady feature writer for a national Shooting Magazine (both Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter). They were also 'study buddies' and were the first in the UK to achieve a Masters Degree (Professional Practice) in Canine Behaviour and Psychology in 2011. They work well together and apart, support and work with dog rescue organisations and train professional dog trainers and behaviourists. Different as chalk and cheese, but maybe not as different as they like to think. Intrigued? want to know more? then check out our websites...www.rossmccarthy.com ~ www.lezgraham.com

    42 min

About

An enlightening, fortnightly podcast from two full-time dog behaviourists and award-winning trainers discussing dogs, behavioural and training difficulties, current news relating to what should be our best friends, and a little bit of life in general…including their most recent meals! A Geordie based in Scotland and a Londoner, staying firmly put in the Capital, they overcome the language barrier (mostly!) and celebrate not only their many differences, but their united togetherness. Whether that be Gundogs, Guard Dogs…or any of the beautiful dogs inbetween - it’s all about the love for dogs.