You did not choose this dog because you wanted a quiet life.
You probably expected energy, enthusiasm, and character… You may not have expected your dog to feel this full-on in everyday life.
If your dog finds it difficult to settle, focus, listen, or stay calm when life gets exciting, it can quickly leave you wondering what to do next. You may have already tried videos, books, classes, trainers, or advice from several different places, only to feel more confused than clear.
This is where our structure helps. Handler Essentials gives you the right foundations in the right order, so you can understand your dog, make clearer decisions, and feel calmer and more confident together.
Your Dog Was Bred For One World, But Lives In Another
Many owners are told that their energetic dog will settle down with age.
Age can help, but it does not replace understanding what your dog was bred to do.
This is often the missing piece for owners of gundogs living as family pets. Your dog is not a kenneled working dog with a full working outlet, and they are not a low-drive pet with low-drive needs. They are somewhere in between.
They fit in one world by instinct, but live in another every day.
Once you understand that, training becomes much clearer. You can begin to recognise the instincts underneath the behaviour, and teach the essentials in an order that suits the dog in front of you
Why I Created Handler Essentials
I created Handler Essentials because I kept seeing owners with bright, busy dogs trying to make sense of too much advice.
They were doing their best, but the advice was often scattered. Some of it was aimed at pet dogs, some at working dogs, and not much of it helped with the reality of living with a hunting-breed dog in a family home.
At The Ladies Working Dog Group, we understand dogs bred to hunt, retrieve, search, and work. We also understand that many of these dogs are not living as full-time working dogs. They are living in homes, with families, routines, visitors, walks, and everyday life.
Handler Essentials was created to give you a clear starting point, with the key skills taught in an order that makes sense.
Jo xx
Founder Of The LWDG
A Clear Route Through The Fundementals
The difference with Handler Essentials is that it does not give you more advice to sort through.
It gives you a clear route through the skills that matter most first.
You will learn what each skill is for, why it matters in everyday life, and how it connects to the next one.
That means you are not jumping between random tips or trying to decide whether pet dog advice or working dog advice fits your dog best.
Handler Essentials brings the two together in a practical way, so you can build useful skills for the dog who shares your home, your walks, your routines, and your family life.
Introducing Handler Essentials:
A practical online course that teaches the core handling skills for active dogs, in a clear order, so you know what to focus on first and what to build next.
Handler Essentials has already been used by over 2,000 owners who wanted training to feel less random and more doable.
What You’ll Learn Inside Handler Essentials
What you’ll learn (in the order it actually matters)⬇
1. Sit and Wait
Build a reliable pause that helps your dog listen before rushing into the next thing.
2. Self Control & Stediness
Help your dog learn how to pause, think, and stay connected when life becomes exciting.
3. Effective Recall
Understand how to build a stronger response you can trust when you call your dog back.
4. Retrieving
Use your dog’s natural interest in carrying and retrieving in a more structured way.
5. Heelwork
Teach your dog how to move with you more calmly and consistently.
6. Stop Whistle
Build the foundations of stopping and listening at a distance.
7. Hunt, Search and Find
Give your dog a useful outlet for their natural desire to search and use their nose.
Bonus Detailed Learning Guides
Get detailed learning guides to help you understand each skill more deeply and apply it with more confidence.
BONUS 62 Handler Exercises
Get 62 progressive exercises across the key foundations, with each card showing you what to do, what you need, and when your dog is ready to move on.
Owners Like You Are Already Finding Their Way Through
Handler Essentials has given me more confidence and focus in just weeks – it’s amazing!
Judith P
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I was so excited to find this course. As a novice trainer in the US, this helped me plan sessions and understand the hows and whys of gundog work — all without an e-collar!"
Terri R
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Found the course really useful. Love all the ways it comes together... My favourite module is Self-Control... I have a large Munsterlander... say no more! If a friend asked about the course, I’d tell them: BUY IT!
Amanda W
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Here’s How To Access⬇
🐶 Click any ‘Start the Course’ button to enrol. Pay securely by card or PayPal.
🐶 You’ll get instant access to the course for £87, with lifetime access to the course and all updates.
🐶 Your login details will be sent by email. You can log in and start straight away.
🐶 You can also join the free Handler Support Group, so you’re not figuring things out alone as you work through the course.
Foundational Cues
Not a list to memorise. A structure that shows you what to work on first, and why, so training stops feeling random whether you’re training for the field or the family room.
Training you can return to when real life happens
Recorded sessions and real questions from owners at the same stage as you, so you’re not left wondering how this applies when things don’t go to plan.
Guides that help you think, not just record
Simple guides to help you reflect on what you’re seeing, spot patterns, and adjust without spiralling or starting over.
Exercises to fully train each cue
Multiple training exercises for every cue, so you’re building understanding, not just rehearsing one version.
What changes once training makes sense
I absolutely loved this course. Have worked my way through it and I am now currently going back referring to the relevant sections for the level my dog and I are at. My favourite Module is the sit! This was totally inspiring. Who knew how important this one command was and how vital it is for all other foundation training. I have watched parts of this module again and again as I feel it is so key for both my pup and me. I started to learn what I should be working on and how to tackle each section of training covered in the course. I would totally recommend the Hot Mess Handler. I would also say that even if you don't feel you are currently up to the level covered in the modules watch them as you will soon realise that each module has elements in it that are relevant to all levels.
Sam E
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you so much for all the time and effort that you give to the group. I signed up for the 'Hot Mess Handler' course and it is so helpful to me at this time. I have a 17 month old Welsh Springer Spaniel and due to the Covid restrictions have been unable to train her with other dogs around ie in a training club environment which I could really do with. However the course has given me motivation and ideas encouraging me to put in the time she needs hopefully to produce a confident well mannered dog. I also want to comment on the positive and non critical attitude shown from the members of the group when they answer questions and discuss methods of training. It is so refreshing to hear that everyone wants to help each other without criticism or disagreement. Please keep up the good work.
Sue W
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really enjoyed the Hot Mess Handler course. I found the videos and the accompanying workbooks and homework really easy to follow, and I like that there are exercises in for puppies as well as older dogs, but novice handlers. I have two dogs, a puppy and a nearly 3 year old dog, and so much of the course is applicable to both of them.The course gave me the confidence to break down training elements into bite-sized chunks that not only will the dog hopefully get, but also I will be able to remember and piece together. I think the bonus module on training sessions really emphasised this, as it showed how to combine the different homework exercises into training for the 'finished behaviour' and how to back track the steps needed to get there. I'd really encourage anyone who wants to have a safe and well behaved dog to take this course, as even if I never work either of my dogs on a shoot or in a trial, the foundations of Gundog behaviour are what we as pet owners all want: a dog that is safe, steady and that we can engage with in activities they enjoy: hunting, retrieving etc
Amanda W
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
JOIN OVER 2000 STUDENTS ALREADY USING THIS PROGRAMME TO TRAIN THEIR DOG!
£87 • Lifetime access • 14-day satisfaction guarantee
Your happiness is important to us. If you’re unhappy with the course within 14 days of purchase, please contact us for a full refund.