#103 Professor Carri Westgarth - Are Woke Cheese Tossing, Cuddle Fairy Twinkle Twots Presiding Over A Ticking Timebomb Of Training Methods?

In this episode, Steve is joined again by the legendary Professor Carri Westgarth to unpack a recent controversial BBC article claiming that "woke" training methods are leading to an increase in dog bites. We move past the headlines to look at the real data, why it's a complex and nuanced issue, and why being a "cheese-tossing cuddle fairy" might not be as bad as the BBC suggests.

About Our Guest:

Professor Carri Westgarth is the Chair in Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Liverpool. She is a leading authority who supervises PhD research on all aspects of companion animal welfare and anthrozoology. Her own PhD, conducted within the Liverpool Veterinary Epidemiology Group, specifically explored the complexities of contact between dogs and people.

A Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, Carri is the author of The Happy Dog Owner and Dog Bites: A multidisciplinary perspective and, quite impressively, a recent winner of a swanky camper van for the price of a fancy sandwich (£7.50).

• The "Woke" Headline: Unpacking the recent media narrative that positive training is "permissive" and dangerous.
• The Bite Data: What are the figures and what might that tell us
• Unpicking the Science: How to know what you're looking at can be trusted?
• The Trainer Wars: Fear mongering and bear poking; is it audience capture or marketing & who ultimately loses?
• The Pain Link: Carri shares a personal story about her Spaniel, Maple, and how subtle pain can mask as unwanted behavior.
• The Regulation Utopia: Why Carri feels licensing and industry regulation may be harder to implement than they look on paper.

Important Links:

• DogX 2026 Tickets: Grab your seat for the ultimate training conference at dogxconference.com
• Start Your Journey: Find out how to become a PACT accredited trainer at pact-dogs.com
• Carri’s Research: Check out her work at the University of Liverpool or grab her book The Happy Dog Owner.