GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins announces new doggy behaviour podcast

Dogs Trust ambassador Charlotte Hawkins is hosting a new podcast called ‘Leaps and Hounds’ which focuses on dog behaviour issues and is produced by Charlotte’s friend, TV news producer Georgie Nel from Nel Media, who was inspired by the antics of her Labradoodle, Claude. 

Charlotte is joined on the podcast by Dog Trust’s Head of Clinical Behaviour Services who provides expert advice. 

Dogs Trust receives an average of 670 calls per month to their Behaviour Support Line and are on track to see an increase of calls of 40% compared to 2023. 

Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins has taken on a brand-new role, helping owners of four-legged friends with their beloved pets’ behavioural issues. Charlotte, who has recently become an ambassador for Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, decided to start the podcast to support owners, and keep dogs in their loving homes. 

The podcast, called Leaps and Hounds, is a six-part series on dog behaviour and training. In each 10-minute episode Charlotte is joined by Dogs Trust’s clinical animal behaviourist Kris Glover, a dog behaviour expert who provides top tips and expert advice on behaviours such as barking, jumping up, stealing items, aggression, odd phobias and poor recall. Each episode they are joined by a dog in the charity’s care to get to the bottom of the issue and demonstrate with the right skills and understanding how it can be combatted. 

Dogs Trust has found that unwanted behaviours are a growing problem, and one of the main reasons that people make the heartbreaking decision to rehome their dog. So far this year there has been over 9,000 handovers from people who say their dog is showing unwanted behaviours, which is 27% of all handovers to the charity. To help combat this problem, the charity set up its free Behaviour Support Line which receives an average of 670 calls per month. The charity predicts that by the end of 2024, there will be a 40% increase in calls compared to 2023. 

As well as the free helpline, the charity also has information on its website to help with training, understanding your pooch and how to sign up to the charity’s virtual and in-person Dog School.  

Charlotte said, “I’m a big dog-lover and know how just much joy they can bring, and I want to make sure everyone gets as much from their dog as I have with mine. It’s been an honour to work with Dogs Trust on Leaps and Hounds to understand more about dog behaviour and how best to train them. It’s so sad that record numbers of dogs are being given up, and it’s often due to behaviour issues. With just a few tips people can learn the reasons behind the way a dog reacts, whether it’s problems with aggression, poor recall or barking, which can help people tackle the issue. We hope this podcast will help people get the very best out of their dog! 

Kris Glover, Head of Clinical Behaviour Services at Dogs Trust said, “Everyday people make the heartbreaking decision to give up their dog due to behaviour issues, but with the right advice and guidance, such as what we discuss in Leaps and Hounds, we can hopefully educate people about dog behaviour and keep more pooches in their forever homes.”  

Georgie Nel, who produced the podcast said, “I have a dog called Claude who is brilliant but wayward.  He was my inspiration for the podcast. When he put bite marks in the butter for the umpteenth time I realised I might need a little expert help!” 

Listen to Leaps and Hounds with Charlotte Hawkins wherever you get your podcasts or search ‘Leaps and Hounds’ on YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/@LeapsandHoundspodcast 

For further dog behaviour advice visit the Dogs Trust website: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice