Episode 360: Nick Benger’s coming out party

In Episode 360 of The Canine Paradigm, we sit down with UK trainer Nick Benger for a long, honest conversation that runs close to two hours. Nick has been a prominent part of the positive only dog training movement, however his thinking shifted after an epiphany while considering dog sport training. That shift led him to question what he believed, what he had been taught, and what he had been telling others. We talk through the moment the penny dropped, what changed in his perspective, and what it feels like to step away from a tribe that rewards conformity. We also discuss a problem that frustrates many people in the dog world. Some trainers publicly condemn balanced trainers and the use of tools, while privately using the same tools themselves. Worse still, they keep telling their followers they do not use them, even while building their brand on attacking the people who do. We unpack the ethics of that, the impact it has on owners, and how it poisons honest education. This is not a hit piece. It is a serious conversation about integrity, identity, and what happens when reality collides with ideology. If you care about honesty in dog training, this episode is worth your time. Further Details Are you in search of top-tier dog trainers and steadfast supporters of the Canine Paradigm? Below is a comprehensive list of individuals and businesses that stand by our mission, contribute to our operational costs, and make significant contributions to the canine community. Glenn Cooke oversees a wide range of canine-related services at Canine Evolutio n and Pe t Resorts Australia . Pat Stuart offers a full suite of coaching and dog training services through Serious dog business We invite you to support our show and access exclusive content on our P atreon page . Your contributions directly support the show’s ongoing production, and we deeply appreciate the wonderful community that has formed around it. If you’re unsure how to contribute, feel free to reach out to us for assistance. Explore our complete range of merchandise at our Te espring store . You can also help by spreading the word within the canine community or suggesting special guests for future interviews. For information on how to listen to our podcast, please visit this link .

You can listen to Episode 360: Nick Benger’s coming out party online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 360: Nick Benger’s coming out party is an episode from The Canine Paradigm by Glenn Cooke & Pat Stuart.

This episode is 2:05:13 long.

This episode was published on Mar 8, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Canine Paradigm when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.