TATE Animal Training Enterprises in Sydney, Australia | Dog trainer

TATE Animal Training Enterprises

Locality: Sydney, Australia

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25.01.2022 Dog-to-Dog SOCIALISATION How does your dog behave in the presence of other dogs? There are many adult dogs that find it challenging to be around other dogs. Too arousing.. too scary... too excitable or too overwhelming. This may present in lead reactivity or more simply an inability to listen and respond to basic cues in the presence of dogs. Sometimes this can relate back to how they were socialised during their critical learning phase as a puppy. ... So whats going wrong? While its necessary for your puppy to have social experiences with other puppies/dogs, its very important that the social interactions that they do have, are the right ones! Too many uncontrolled interactions as a puppy can lead to poor social behaviour as an adult. Choose socially competent adult dogs to play with. Keep social interactions short and sweet. Avoid the mindset of burning off puppy energy by long, free play sessions with other dogs/puppies. This may work short term but can create issues long term. Dont allow your puppy to rehearse too much boisterous/rough behaviour during play with other dogs or alternatively, constantly being shy; rolling on their back constantly, tail tucked, freezing e.t.c. Find a reputable puppy school with a qualified trainer that allows monitored social interactions but also promotes opportunities for all the puppies to learn to be okay not saying hello to each other. Keep in mind, your puppy has already experienced lots of rumble tumble play time with their siblings! So once they get to you its more important for them to learn other important skills like; How to walk past another dog that doesnt want to greet them. How to sit calmly in the vets waiting room while other dogs come and go. How to relax at the cafe while theres a dog 2 tables over. How to ignore silly dogs that are barking at them. If you have an adolescent or adult dog that is reactive or overexcited around other dogs.... - Choose games like tug of war or fetch to engage your dog in play with you instead of other dogs. - Avoid excessive free play time with other dogs, especially unknown dogs. - Engage a qualified dog trainer for further assistance.

24.01.2022 This Friday, on Better Homes & Gardens, Dr Harry will be taking you through the journey of how we train and utilise Koala detection dogs for conservation purposes, with the help of Dash and Taylor. This was Dashs first big gig... showing off what shes learnt so far to a film crew. Tune in Friday, 7:00pm channel 7.

23.01.2022 How to train Leave It with Steve and Tex.

23.01.2022 Youngest members of the Tate family; Twiggy, Evelyn, Dash and Wren. (Causing sleep deprivation since 2019). #4under1 #suckersforpunishment

22.01.2022 Last week Keeper Steve Animal Training hung up his Zoo Keeper uniform to come onboard with the TATE team full time! He is now available to help with all Sydney based pet owners from puppy school through to in home behavioural consultations. We are also wanting to get an expressions of interest for a Senior Puppy Life Skills course to run at Epping Vet or any other location along with some alternative class ideas. Would anyone be interested in trick training or scent detection courses? Let us know! We are keen to utilise Steves versatile skill set and put him to work.

22.01.2022 Meet Mister! He is one of 21 puppies that started TATE puppy school this weekend. Week 1 is A LOT of information to digest but its the most important week of all. In order to raise a confident, happy and relaxed adult dog, whilst training behaviours is important, time and effort needs to be invested into your pups emotional development while they are young. Being a highly social and intelligent creature they need help learning how to be okay with being alone and need exposure to pleasant social experiences in order to grow to love and accept the busy world we live in. Good luck putting all the homework into place this week and we hope your puppies sleep well tonight. #raisingahappydog #behaviouralenrichment #independencebuilding #correctsocialisation

22.01.2022 Brrrrrrrrrrr Its a chilly one out there today. Amali and Chief have got the right idea, keeping snuggly and warm on their first day of puppy school at Wauchope Vets yesterday. Head to www.tateanimals.com to find our nearest puppy school otherwise join our online puppy school community and train your puppy in the warmth and comfort of your own home! One of the best benefits of online puppy school is that you gain access to all the training, raising and puppy proofing advice from the day you sign up. Which means the day you bring your puppy home OR if you are super organised, sign up before hand and start off on the right foot by preventing the wrong behaviours from developing and implementing all the right training.

21.01.2022 Why Train Animals In Zoos? To the untrained eye it may appear that Zoo Keepers only train animals to do tricks for the purpose of entertaining the zoo patrons. This couldnt be further from the truth. These days, zoo keepers utilise their animal training skills for many other reasons, mainly driven to improve the welfare of the animals in their care. Husbandry and routine health checks - Zoo keepers will train an animal, using the animals favourite food, to voluntar...ily present their mouth/paw/ear/rump to a grate for hand injections, daily observations or the administering of medication. Crate Training - Instead of just transacting animals between zoos without any notice, Zoo keepers are now given months worth of time to desensitise and train up their animals to be comfortable walking into a crate and being contained for a period of time. How? A crate is placed in the animals exhibit or den and initially the animal will be wary of this novel stimulus but over time, it becomes background furniture. Meals are fed out of it and the animal might receive their favourite treats for voluntarily walking into it and eventually having the door closed. Social Interactions - Some creatures like seals, dolphins, ungulates and primates thrive off social interactions. Training an animal a behaviour strengthens the bond between human and animal and allows that species social opportunities outside of the animals they are housed with. To give animals experiences beyond their enclosure - If an animal is capable of being trained to respond to particular cues reliably, such as a recall or a target, it allows zoo keepers the ability to free fly birds or take animals for walks around the zoo grounds exploring and experiencing new sights, sounds and scenery. And yes, zoo keepers train animals to do tricks. BUT.. not for the sole purpose of entertaining zoo patrons. For the same reason we encourage dog owners to teach their dog new skills. Intelligent animals thrive off problem solving, learning and being challenged. An animal in a zoo environment doesnt have to think about how its going to survive and find its next meal or how to problem solve evading predators. The act of learning a new behaviour, whether its touch, crate, or walk on your flippers and balance a ball, creates learning opportunities that stimulate their brain. All the above points can be incorporated into the training of our domestic pets as well: Train your dog to be okay with being handled, having their teeth brushed, being washed, accepting medication, receiving injections and so on. Teach your horse to voluntarily walk into a float prior to moving them. Train your goldfish to target on a toothpick... for no other reason but to break up their day and give them the satisfaction of solving a problem! Despite how the saying goes, fish do have a memory longer than 3 seconds.

21.01.2022 Miss you Alfredo! So much spunk.

21.01.2022 Have you chosen a human name for your puppy? Its becoming more and more popular and we are loving the names people are deciding on!! Meet RUSSELL AND HENRY! ... 2 puppies (with great names!) that are getting the best start to life with their owners combining puppy school with a home consultation to provide some personalised help with home set up, management and breed specific training. Its worth the investment short term rather than having to fix behavioural issues down the track. Available throughout the Sydney and Port Macquarie region. Enquire at www.tateanimals.com Anyone else have a human named dog? Share the name below and offer some inspiration for those still deciding on a name. Last year we had Jenny the border collie pup and Ryan the Staffy. - @keepersteve

19.01.2022 BEHAVIOURAL ENRICHMENT An animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of animal care by identifying and providing the environmental opportunities necessary for optimal psychological well-being. If there is one thing Zoo Keepers do incredibly well, its coming up with new and innovative ways through, behavioural enrichment, to meet the biological needs of animals in their care.... Enrichment varies hugely for every species and its important to do research and know the genetics/lifestyle habits/motivations of your animals before attempting to enrich their lives. Lets take sun bears for instance. They have dozens of built in tools to help them climb, forage, crack into and tear apart. They are very active and extremely agile. Naturally, sun bear keepers have a HUGE job on their hands keeping these animals physically AND mentally satisfied. They will gate the bears in their dens several times a day so they can walk through the enclosure scattering insects, burying nuts, spraying scents, hiding berries and smearing food. They will even go as far as adding a new tree to the exhibit, dragging in a rotten, insect filled log, filling a pond, then empty a pond and filling it with something else. Or getting really creative and putting a coconut inside a box, inside another box into a hessian sac and tying it to a tree. The best part is sitting back and watching the animals investigate, problem solve and tear it all apart! Now if a Koala keeper was to put gum leaves inside a box, inside a hessian sac and tie it to the tree for the purpose of keeping their brain active, it would have the opposite effect and the poor koala would go hungry. So how would you enrich a Koalas day in the zoo? Offer them a few different species of eucalypt to choose from and make sure they have a variety of tree folks to fall asleep in. We can adapt all of this to the pet world. Google Enrichment ideas for {enter pet species} ...or share your latest enrichment below - Ellen Wilson @ellapatrice

18.01.2022 Anyone elses dog love the beach? Piper does! It encapsulates everything a Labrador loves about life in the one place! Biggest sandpit in the world! Waves to crash through. Balls to run after.... Family to run around with. Shared dog exercise areas should be about enjoying social outings with the family or meeting up with 1 or 2 known doggie friends. Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy some down time with your pets!

17.01.2022 This is Harvey - @ourwhippetharvey He has recently completed Ryans online scent detection course and now know ms hows to find !! What a perfect game to play when its pouring and cold outside but your dog has energy to burn.... No matter how old or young, big or small, active or relaxed your pooch is... they were born to use their nose and would benefit from any activity that challenges their ol factory system. Scatter feeds Food puzzles Fetch and find Nose Works Scent detection www.tateonlinetraininghub.com

17.01.2022 Why teach your dog scent detection? Heres just a few reasons.. It provides a physical outlet. It stimulates their brain and helps develop problem solving skills.... It provides important genetic fulfilment: Dogs were born to use their nose with over 300,000 million olfactory receptors. Its a great way to bond with your dog. Its a useful skill to have! Sick of losing your wallet, phone, keys... no problem.. train your dog to find them. No matter whether your dog is big or small, old or young, active or a couch potato they will all enjoy the process of learning a new skill!! How good are close ups of dogs noses?!

17.01.2022 THE BITEY PUPPY First and foremost Why do puppies mouth and bite? Dogs love to investigate, explore, play and communicate via their mouth. So naturally, this is how they are going to attempt to interact with humans as well. Along with these innate canine instincts, a puppy begins to teethe anywhere from 10-12 weeks which can lead to an increase in any form of mouthing behaviour in an attempt to provide them with much needed pain relief.... So, how can we survive this period as well as promote good behaviour, prevent bad behaviour from being rehearsed and help our little canine friend out with those sore gums? 1 Offer lots of opportunities for your puppy to mouth and chew appropriate items such as enrichment; Kongs, Ice blocks, dog friendly fruit and veg, cardboard boxes to rip apart (please be mindful and supervise as some dogs will consume cardboard). 2 When you are not playing, training or supervising your puppy, put them in safe spaces such as a puppy pen or crate with enrichment mentioned above. 3 Teach them a better way to interact and play with humans; tug, fetch, flirt pole e.t.c. 4 Train them to sit for attention, affection and praise, instead of jump or bite or hang off clothing! By implementing these 4 points and being consistent with it during the first few months of having your puppy home, managing the mouthing phase will be, dare I say it, a piece of cake! (Maybe not but it will certainly be much easier, especially with young kids!)

17.01.2022 PUPPY RAISING SPACES The way you set up your home to accomodate for a new puppy in the first few months will go a long way in helping develop good long term habits such as the following: INDEPENDENCE BUILDING....Continue reading

16.01.2022 IMPORTANT MESSAGEfrom one Mum to another. (We posted this a year ago but resharing in hopes it offers new dog owning families a fresh perspective on raising dogs and children in the same household.) ... On separate occasions recently, I (Jen) have spoken to 2 human nurses who have told me when it comes to dog bite injuries, the majority of victims are young children and the dog is generally known to the family OR is the family dog. They often hear the parents say things such as the dog has never done anything like this before, or this is so out of character, Im shocked that this happened. For many animal behaviour experts, watching cute viral videos or seeing a photo of a child and a dog interacting doesnt ignite a warm fuzzy feeling, but rather one of discomfort and concern. There is usually more than one subtle warning sign in the dogs behaviour that the dog is not enjoying the childs affection; yawning, wide eyes, lip licking, turning the head or body away, body shaking e.t.c. Whats alarming is, to the untrained eye, these moments get labelled or viewed as instant bond or best friends forever. Just like us, dogs have off days or thresholds (breaking points). So what might be tolerated for days, weeks or years, may one day be pushed beyond their ability to cope. We have an energetic 5 year old boy (and now 2 1 year olds) and we work tirelessly to teach them all to respect a dogs space. Every little bone in a childs body is wanting to love dogs the same way they would their mum and dad.. a giant bear hug, an over zealous squeeze or a kiss on the face! For the dog, that may not be being received as love or affection. What we endeavour to teach our kids at home is: How to read dog language. Walk dont run past a sleeping dog. DO NOT approach a dog while its eating, sleeping or in its bed/crate. We also involve our son in some basic training here and there and never leave him unsupervised with one of the dogs, no matter how much we trust them. I will always ensure those boundaries are in place, for the safety of our child and the welfare of our dogs. When it comes to taking a photo with him and one of the dogs, rarely, if ever, do we ask him to hug them. For us, THIS is a perfect family photo of a child with his dogs where EVERYONE is relaxed. Learn how to read your dogs body language before promoting interactions with children for a photo, otherwise a snap of the camera could ultimately lead to a snap of something else. #raisingawareness #forthekids

16.01.2022 EARLY BIRD PRICE - RYAN'S MEMBERS LOUNGE OPEN So my members lounge is OPEN again and it will be the last time for 2020 and that is why for the next 24 hrs I am giving you the opportunity to sign up at the EARLY BIRD price! Are you ready to learn how to develop the skills to have the perfect dog?... One thing I get asked all the time is, how do I get my dogs to listen to me every time? My answer is make yourself the MOST reinforcing thing in your dogs life! So inside my members lounge I am giving you my exact dog training success path so you too can have the perfect dog and together you can live a happier life. So what is my members lounge all about? Well it is my signature program that I have put together to teach you my exactly how you can train your dog with ease and have lots of fun along the way too. There are over 100 bite sized video tutorials that take you step by step in each vital area starting from the beginning right through to the advanced steps of the training process. What will I cover in the lounge? Each bite inside the lounge is designed to be worked through each month so you can implement the steps & get the results. The topics include: - Building independence - Solid sit, drop & stand - Solid stay even in distracting environments - Bomb proof recall - Walking on lead without pulling AND SO MUCH MORE Plus you get Live Q&As with inside our awesome private FB community to NOW have I got you interested? If you said YES, then my my members lounge is for YOU! To find out more and how you can join click the link below but be quick the early bird price ends soon If you said YES, then my my members lounge is for YOU! To find out more and how you can join click the link below but be quick the early bird price ends soon #bequick https://www.tateonlinetraininghub.com/members-lounge

16.01.2022 Does your dog suffer from noise phobia? Maybe they struggle to cope in the presence of storms of fireworks, or react uncomfortably towards the sound of lawn mowers, motor bikes whizzing past or kitchen appliances! its fairly common in adult dogs and can be very debilitating. ... In puppy school, we talk about slowly desensitising your puppy to life in order to build up their confidence and tolerance to the world around them. This includes noises. We encourage all our clients to download the @soundproofpuppyapp to offer a helping hand in this area. Spots owner did a fantastic job at raising a confident dog around noises. So much so, every time Spot hears a loud noise he runs over, tail wagging and sits beside Georgie, his mum, expecting a spoonful of something delicious in return. @ajrtnamedspot

15.01.2022 Twiggy is in training to find weeds! Why weeds? Because invasive plants can have devastating impacts on Australias most vulnerable habitats and the fauna that lives within those ecosystems and we want to protect them. Why dogs? Because they have an ability to see the world differently through their nose. They are experts at finding tiny new growth or even rhizomes growing under the ground and can cover large distances in a short amount of time. ... #conservation #detectiondog #beautifulaustralia

15.01.2022 Are you ready to learn how to have the PERFECT DOG? If you said YES then I have some exciting news... THE DOORS TO RYAN’S MEMBERS LOUNGE ARE OPEN ... That’s right I have opened my doors to my members lounge for the last time in 2020! So what is my members lounge all about? Well it is my signature membership program that I have put together to teach you my exact training success path I use to train all my dogs through bite sized video tutorials that take you step by step in each vital area of the training process. Some of the the topics I cover in detail include: Finding the perfect reward Communicating with your dog Basic commands Crate training Perfecting the sit, drop & stand Developing a solid stay & recall Walking loosely on lead Engaging play with tug or fetch Performance heeling AND MORE All these topics also include reducing problematic behaviours such as: Separation Anxiety Reactivity to dogs or people Guarding high value items like food or toys Getting distracted in the real world Property guarding AND MORE When you understand the foundational obedience skills that dogs MUST have to reach their full potential, the sky’s the limit & you are on your way to having the perfect dog! Not only that you get to join my private FB community where I go LIVE each month for Q&As and I must say what a fantastic and diverse group of trainers, from dog enthusiasts right through to new dog owners keen to learn more! To find out more or join me in the members lounge click the link in our bio or head to https://www.tateonlinetraininghub.com/members-lounge Hope to see you inside the lounge

15.01.2022 COMPETITION TIME To promote our book launching on March 16th, we are excited to offer 10 dog owners (dog owners-to-be) a free copy along with a Trainer’s Pouch of their choice to kick start their training journey with their dog! TO ENTER 1. Follow our page... 2. Tag a mate below that would also like to win. 3. Share this post to your story (paper plane next to the heart below the pic) .. Enter as many times as you like, each tag will be an entry PRIZE Includes: A copy of ‘How To Train Your Dog’ and a Trainer’s Pouch of your choice. 10 prizes to giveaway. Competition Ends midnight on 10th of Feb, winners announce Friday 12th of Feb. ... This competition is no way endorsed, sponsored or administered by, or associated with Instagram See more

14.01.2022 Bike riding is more fun with friends. #howcoolaresheep #reubenandrosie

14.01.2022 Simone is our Mid North Coast trainer and conservation field assistant. She started her zoo keeping and animal training career at Calmsly Hill City Farm and also worked at Taronga Zoo with the epic Ungulate team. Shes currently employed at Billabong Zoo, working predominantly with Australias iconic Koalas. (Hence why she is such a whizz at identifying the hundreds of different species of eucalypt when we are in the field!) Biggest animal youve worked with: Giraffe! The b...iggest one being jimiyu who is 830kg and is 19 feet high (5.7meters!!!) Smallest animal: Spinifex hoping mouse (30g) What has been the highlight of your zoo keeping career so far? Can I have a few? Working together with my working dogs and demonstrating their herding skills to 100s of kids cheering them on everyday at Calmsly Hill - there is nothing more rewarding than being able to bring your dogs to work and then show off their amazing skills. Also, having the opportunity to hand raise orphan wallaby and kangaroo joeys and squid the piglet I raised which was so much fun. Currently Im enjoying being part of a successful koala breeding programme at @billabongzoo which is so important for the survival of the species and theres nothing better than koala and koala joey cuddles. Coolest behaviour youve trained? - Training my working dogs to herd sheep ducks goats, and cows . Also training the common marmosets to recall to a bell and moving them to a new exhibit without having to do a catch up. What have you changed in your personal life to better the environment because of something you have learnt at the zoo: Making better decisions with products to reduce my plastic use and acquiring a huge respect for farmers and growers of all our produce and trying my best to not to ever waste them .

12.01.2022 Ryan is currently on Lord Howe Island working with the Biosecurity team. Pictured here is Sebbi (Taylor's Dad) and Zuma (Taylors brother). Both these dogs share the same extreme love of their job and the tennis ball as Taylor does. They protect this island paradise from a number of potential biological threats. ... We'll upload a few more photos of the operations over the coming days and weeks.

11.01.2022 Water play This might seem strange but not all dogs naturally love water. Some dogs can grow up to be frightened of it. This could be due to a scary experience they had as a puppy or possibly the fact that they were simply never exposed to water during the important Critical Learning Period. We do this at some of our outdoor puppy schools as part of socialisation/environmental exposure week. ... Start by introducing your puppy to a small, still body of water for them to explore at their own pace. Socialising your puppy is not just about puppy-to-puppy play. Its about exposing them to all social situations with living beings BUT we also want to consider gentle exposure to environmental influences as well; Different weather conditions, different surfaces (grass/tiles etc). Join us at one of our puppy schools to find out more about raising a confident and happy adult dog towards everything in life! NEXT CLASSES: SouthEast Sydney Vet - 11th August Wauchope Vet - 23rd August Kingsgrove Vet - 12th August Head to www.tateanimals.com to book a spot. For Belrose puppy owners, contact Belrose Vet directly to secure a space. - Wauchope Vets

10.01.2022 Dog clubs are an absolute gold mine! Right now there are more dog owners than ever looking for something fun to do that mentally and or physically challenges their dog. And every week we get emails from aspiring dog trainers and handlers looking for ways to gain experience. There really is something for everyone (and every dog) at dog clubs and the value for money is unbelievable! ... We have learnt incredibly valuable lessons at clubs and trials from highly experienced and passionate volunteers that give their time every week for the love of dogs and their sports. We can't stress this enough if you want to become a professional dog trainer or handler and are struggling to get a break or enough experience, give one of the sports a crack and try to get some titles behind you and your dog. The journey will change you forever. Right now in Australia you can get involved in: Obedience Agility Flyball Tracking Gun dog trials (excellent for conservation handlers) Nose works trials (excellent for everyone) Protection sports and IGP Lure coursing Earth dog trials (great for all those dachshunds) Herding trials Sled/pulling trials Dancing with dogs Treiball Dock jumping And probably heaps more we've missed! The picture is a throwback to a weekend that Ari won a double obedience trial and we were proud as punch!

10.01.2022 How very lucky we are to be the only country in the world to have Koalas, platypus, echidna, wombats, bilbies, numbats, quolls, phascogales, potoroos, quokkas and devils! This is only the beginning of our weird and wonderful collection of mammals. A week ago was #nationalthreatenedspecies day. A day to think about how we can prevent more extinctions and improve the conservation of this country.... Plant native trees! Turn lawn into habitat! Add nest boxes to trees in your backyard for local animals species. Create safe spaces for wildlife to retreat to if they find themselves in your backyard with an inquisitive pet. Donate to conservation organisations. Keep pets inside or contained at night as most of our native wildlife is nocturnal.

10.01.2022 Can any creature be trained? A light hearted read for your Sunday morning from Keeper Steve Animal Training

10.01.2022 Exactly a year ago today, the skies above port Macquarie turned red and signified the beginning of the east coast of Australia catching on fire over the following months. We had no idea what was about to follow. What we thought was going to be a summer of family down time with Ryan tying up work for a while, due to the arrival of twins 2 weeks earlier, turned into the most adrenlin packed, hectic and busy 6 months of our lives. Ryan and Taylor became part of a professional an...d extensive wildlife search and rescue team that scoped the fire sites in search of injured or displaced Koalas and other wildlife. It’s easy to look back and dwell on the trauma and devastation of last summer, but over this past year, Taylor and the TATE Team have surveyed hundreds of hectares of koala habitat, both burnt forests and areas untouched by fire and have found hundreds of healthy koalas. Whilst greater pressure has been placed on the future survival of this iconic species since these fires, we have personally seen first hand the many people, organisations and private landholders working tirelessly to restore, rebuild and rewild our prescious bush.

09.01.2022 We throw a lot of emphasis towards the importance of training your puppy during the Critical Learning period, but its equally as important to continue investing in your dogs training right through until they have matured emotionally. We are currently offering adolescent dog training classes at Deep Creek Reserve in Narrabeen and the next one starts THIS SATURDAY, 2-3pm and runs for 3 weeks. If you think your dog would benefit from some fine tuning in the areas of loose lead walking, stay, recall or engagement games like tug and fetch, come along and join us. Head to our website www.tateanimals.com to reserve a space.

08.01.2022 MEET THE TEAM! With a new year upon us and new projects in the works, for those of you who haven’t met our dogs yet, we thought we would formally introduce our canine team members to everyone and the jobs each of them are currently involved in. TAYLOR- Is our leading Fauna Conservation detection dog. Currently involved in jobs for state government, local councils, biosecurity and the private sector. She is a Koala detection expert but is also trained to find other mars...upials, Owls, Frogs, and invasive animals. You name it, she will find it... with extreme speed and efficiency. She also works every second week for Lord Howe Island Biosecurity. RAFA - Works alongside Taylor for Lord Howe Island Biosecurity checking cargo for any ‘hitchhikers’ that attempt to board boats and planes bound for the island, ensuring the island stays pest free. FINN - Our delightful little Sheltie who was once a whizz at detecting truffles, now specialises in helping people overcome their fear of dogs on a regular basis through the Cynophobia Clinic in Sydney as well as assisting us with private consults for dogs who have a fear of other dogs. SALLY - The Cocker spaniel plant specialist. She works the summer in the Australian Alpine regions finding Orange, Mouse Ear and King Devil Hawkweed. Aside from her ongoing hawkweed work her latest incredible success is sniffing out an endangered underground orchid called Rhizanthella slaterii. CONNOR - An English Springer Spaniel, another plant specialist and best friend to Sal. He too spends the summer up the mountains of Kosciusko #huntingforhawkweed. Connor has also got three years up his sleeve finding the semi aquatic alligator weed as well. (Can even locate it under water) but is currently working on an exciting new project we look forward to sharing soon. PIPER - Our loveable, almost 2 year old, Labrador is training and working alongside Ryan’s Sister Carly as a therapy dog for her Occupational Therapy work with kids. We are currently working on developing an online training program to support professionals looking at adding a support dog to their business. DASH - Our youngest member of the team, who is not quite 1 and has already passed her validation tests on Biosecurity and Koala scat detection. She is working on a brand new project alongside Connor we hope to announce soon. This gorgeous group of hounds are the backbone of our business and we feel very lucky to share our working days with them.

08.01.2022 DID YOU KNOW .. After the female Cassowary lays the eggs her job is done and she leaves to find another potential mate. The male Cassowary will sit on those eggs for 50 days, fiercely protecting them until they hatch, and then its his duty to raise them for the next 18 months. #happyfathersday to all the dads out there. What a magnificent creature!!! #southerncassowary @billabongzoo

06.01.2022 Looking for your next bushwalk?

06.01.2022 COMING UP ON THIS FRIDAY'S SHOW: Dr Harry is meeting some cute canines on a very important mission: saving our precious koalas. TATE Animal Training Enterprises

06.01.2022 TRAINING TIP TUES: Shake Teaching your dog the cue ‘shake’ might seem like a fun trick to train, but this behaviour has some great benefits down the track. We train all our dogs to offer up their paws to help with the following:... - To check for and remove bindi’s or splinters. - Inspect in between the paws for other injuries. - Nail clipping or hair trimming if necessary. - It can also be a nice ice-breaker behaviour to help your dog feel confident and comfortable in a new setting by asking for something easy that they know how to do How to train ‘Shake’ or ‘Paw’: Step 1: Capture the pawing at your hand by holding a tasty treat inside your fist and presenting it to your dog at nose height (this behaviour is usually easier if the dog is in a sit position). They may initially sniff, lick or nudge your hand with their nose but wait them out. As soon as they lift a paw off the ground and swat or touch your hand say ‘GOOD’ and open your hand and give them the treat. Repeat a few times. Step 2: Introduce the word ‘SHAKE’ by saying the word just before you present the fist. Step 3: This time, repeat step 2 but without the treat in your fist. When your dog paws your hand say ‘GOOD’, open your hand (to show your dog their was nothing there) and immediately reward your dog with a treat from the other hand. Repeat this step a few times. Step 4: Gradually begin to change the positioning of your hand from a fist to a flat palm facing up with each successful repetition. Worth noting: Only ever reward the shake (with food or praise) if you ask for the behaviour. Otherwise you end up with a dog that starts scratching everyone for attention!

06.01.2022 5 important steps to raising a healthy, happy, behaviourally sound puppy. 1.) BREED SELECTION: Choose wisely! Not every breed is suited to every home. Research the history of breeds you are interested in along with their registered dog group through ANKC rather than focusing on the breeds trainability, energy levels, affection e.t.c. Steer clear of choosing a dog based on looks, a movie role or that one dog you meet at the cafe that is perfectly behaved. There is a r...Continue reading

06.01.2022 A lovely story about the "Wentlooge" Springer Spaniels bred by Hwyel Blake. Features our super star Taylor and many of her relatives. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3478414718906864&id=155232024558500

06.01.2022 Does your puppy or dog dig??

05.01.2022 Cynophobia - A fear of dogs.

04.01.2022 HOT WEATHER REMINDER Here's a few things you can organise the night before or do on a hot day to keep your pets cool if you don't have air con (Feel free to share any other ideas we haven't mentioned!): 1. Freeze enrichment the night before, bone broth/kibble/treats in an ice block.... 2. Give your dog a really good brush prior to a hot day to remove any excess hair allowing them to better regulate their temperature. 3. Wet a towel and put it in your freezer, take it out the next day and lay it on top of their bed. 4. Frozen water bottles (great for smaller pets like guinea pigs/rabbits) or ice cubes in their water bowl. 5. Take them for a swim/play with a sprinkler/fill up the paddling pool. While you are at it, don't forget to leave an extra big, (shallow) bowl of water out for our wildlife and top up those bird baths. They will thank you for it!!!

04.01.2022 Here's a special little finch called Rachel for your morning. She was thrown from her nest as a chick and had a broken leg but that didn't stop this little bird from being the biggest star of the Wildlife Sydney mixed species show. Weighing out her daily training diet came down to a single grain! Apparently video quality on phones wasn't very good 10 years ago but you get the idea. This was a quick recall training session in the backyard!

03.01.2022 Dash and Twiggy Tate. The future generation of Australias conservation detection dogs.

03.01.2022 Expecting a baby? or two? Heres some advice on helping to ensure safety on all parts and your dog adjusts to the new family member.

03.01.2022 One of the most important keys to training, and something that can easily be forgotten is to... MAKE IT FUN! Having fun makes learning faster, more engaging and more successful every time!... When trying to achieve complicated or challenging behaviors, its easy to get caught up in the mechanical side of training and over look this. However, it is an absolute game changer for Zoo animals, working dogs and companion dogs alike. What steps do we take to ensure we are achieving this? 1. Help the animal feel comfortable fun cant be had if youre feeling scared or uncomfortable. This might mean building trust and rapport with the animal first, just sit with them for a while. It also includes taking some time to build confidence in new spaces or any space that you want to train in. Especially key if its a 200kg Gorilla that could just walk away if it doesnt feel like participating but its equally important if its a nervous Chihuahua puppy. 2. Break the behavior down into achievable steps How frustrating and not very fun at all would it be to have to try to score 5 perfect shots in a row in basketball when youve never even held a ball. Is it possible? Sure it could be but its going to be a lot more fun if you start with an achievable step like learning to handle the ball and make some easy shots from up close. The same goes for training animals. If you start with an easy step first then progress through more challenging ones you can reach the end goal much quicker and the process will be far more enjoyable for all involved. 3. Keep sessions short Trying to learn something new can be mentally tiring. A sure way to keep an activity engaging and fun is to keep it short and sweet and then come back to it again later. No more than 5 10 minutes training a new behavior can work well for both Australian Sea Lions and Australian Shepherds alike. 4. Utilize appropriate reinforcement For an Andean condor this might be a reward of 3 large mice yum! And for a working line springer spaniel this could be an epic game of fetch with their favorite ball. For every species, breed and even individual this might be something different so take some time to get to know the animal and find out what they might enjoy best. 5. Train when you yourself are feeling good, not when youre feeling angry or frustrated. Emotions are contagious and you and the animal are sure to have a less than average training session if you start off on the wrong foot, in the wrong mood. Youre much better off taking the day off from training and just spending some time hanging out rather than trying to work on something new. This might mean chilling on the couch with your Malinois or filling a mud wallow with the hose while your Asian Elephant splashes around. Whether its a Giraffe, a finch or a Labrador, training should be lots of fun for both you and the animal or else youre just not doing it right. - Keeper Steve Animal Training

03.01.2022 Most of the world is currently experiencing some level of social distancing or isolation at the moment.. but have you just acquired a new puppy? Here are 7 areas of puppy raising that will be impacted SOCIALISATION - Social distancing may actually work in your puppys favour. This allows you to take your puppy for walks, absorbing the world from a reasonable distance without them being overwhelmed, smothered by cuddles or going into a socially arousing flap at the sigh...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Dont forget 7:00pm tonight channel 7 @bhgaus featuring Ryan, Dash and Taylor! .. It was a pleasure hosting Dr Harry and the @betterhomesandgardens crew at our place.

01.01.2022 Amazing news out of Western Australia.

01.01.2022 I asked Lennox what he wanted to be when he grew up and he replied... Train dogs to find endangered animals in the bush. Not sure where that idea has come from. Its not your average career goal response from a 5 year old! He did go on to say but if that doesnt happen, Ill be happy with professional Motocross rider. Thats more like it! Flashback to a very small Lennox training a very young Ari.

01.01.2022 Stephen began his Animal Training career at Taronga Zoo working on the Marine Mammal precinct alongside Ryan, and has spent over a decade training animals of all shapes and sizes. He holds the fort for all our Sydney based puppy school clients, as well as behavioural cases and jobs for The Cynophobia Clinic. Heres an insight into his Zoo Days in light of National Zoo Keeper Week.... Biggest animal youve worked with?... 300kg Leopard Seal in Taronga Zoo's Great Southern Oceans. Smallest animal youve worked with? Giant Burrowing Cockroach at 30g. Highlight of your career? I really loved working with seals on stage and presenting shows. The shows we did for Dream Night, where the zoo is opened for sick kids through charities like Starlight were particularly special: all the staff volunteered their time for those nights and the energy in the audience was electric! Coolest behaviour you have trained? I had some great highlights in the five years I worked directly with Michi, the California sea lion. I trained some fun behaviours, including a rollover while balancing a ball on his nose and a corkscrew out of the water. However, the most rewarding behaviours to train were those that reduced stress in in his care, such as voluntary injections for arthritis treatment. What have you changed in your personal life to better the environment because of something you have learnt in the zoo world? I became so much more aware in my time with Marine Mammals just how great our impact on our oceans is through overfishing and plastic waste. I am far more cautious of my plastic usage now and will be the irritating person asking where and how seafood is sourced, anytime I purchase it! Check out his adventures at Keeper Steve Animal Training or insta @keeper_steve