Dog Driven Podcast

Whitney Kaiser

Dog Driven is a podcast for hunters, trainers, and handlers who live for early mornings, muddy boots, cold retrieves, and the bond built in the field. Hosted by Whitney Kaiser, the show features real conversations on sporting dog training, breeding, mindset, health, and the people shaping elite working dogs. From first retrieves to finished dogs, Dog Driven honors the journey, the work, and the dogs that give us everything.

  1. MAY 14

    Fueling the Athlete: Understanding Calories, Metabolism, and Nutritional Needs in Sporting Dogs

    This week on Dog Driven, we’re diving deep into one of the most misunderstood — and most important — topics in the sporting dog world: nutrition, metabolism, caloric demand, and how to properly fuel canine athletes at every stage of life and level of work. From growing puppies to seasoned hunting dogs, explosive competition dogs to endurance athletes, this episode breaks down what handlers need to understand about: - Canine metabolism- Glycogen and energy systems- Fat vs protein utilization- Recovery nutrition- Hydration- Body condition scoring - Seasonal calorie adjustments- Environmental impacts on performance- Muscle maintenance- Why some dogs struggle to keep weight on- And how to calculate caloric needs for individual dogs We also tackle some of the biggest misconceptions in the working dog world — including the difference between a lean athlete and an underfed dog, why conditioning changes metabolic efficiency, and why recovery matters just as much as training itself. Whether you run retrievers, pointers, spaniels, SAR dogs, agility dogs, protection dogs, or hard-driving hunting companions, this episode is packed with practical, science-backed education to help you better understand what’s happening inside your dog’s body before, during, and after work. Because these dogs give us everything they have — and fueling them properly matters. Honor the dog. Fuel the athlete. Protect the drive.

    51 min

About

Dog Driven is a podcast for hunters, trainers, and handlers who live for early mornings, muddy boots, cold retrieves, and the bond built in the field. Hosted by Whitney Kaiser, the show features real conversations on sporting dog training, breeding, mindset, health, and the people shaping elite working dogs. From first retrieves to finished dogs, Dog Driven honors the journey, the work, and the dogs that give us everything.

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