TATE Animal Training Enterprises

08/05/2026

“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” David Attenborough.

What he said! 🌎

07/05/2026

Last Thursday, was the perfect backdrop for the launch of Ryan and Deane’s latest book, “Animal Training – Undressed.”

I just realised we’ve shared it on our personal pages but not here. Thank you to everyone who made the effort to come and join the celebration.

Over the past 18 months, there’s been endless conversations, laughter, tears, and plenty of me (Jen) saying, “You can’t put that in,” while watching these two bring this epic mix of science and storytelling to life.
If you love animals, behaviour, and learning through real stories, this book is absolutely worth the read.
Huge congratulations to and Ryan for taking this project from idea to published book alongside field trips, animal births, and all the chaos life throws in the mix.
PS They ignored me and kept most of the inappropriate stuff in!
A huge shout out to for hosting an awesome book launch for us. If you have not visited this zoo yet. Add it to your to do list.

06/05/2026

Last week, Steve, Dash, Darcy and I had the privilege of spending a few days on Lion Island, just off Palm Beach in Sydney, helping NSW NPWS look for evidence of Black Rats.
Steve and I like to think we’re pretty decent at spotting signs of rats after working on eradication and biosecurity projects for many years, but Dash and Darcy definitely keep us humble. The dogs add a whole extra layer to the team, sniffing out even old rodent s**t hidden through leaf litter and rocky terrain.
Safe to say the four of us make a pretty solid crew.

One of the highlights was watching Long-nosed Fur Seals hanging around the shallows and hearing Little Penguins tucked away in the rocks. It actually felt a bit surreal for Steve and I, having both worked around these species in previous conservation programs over the years.

This project, funded by the Australian Government, forms part of broader biosecurity and preparedness efforts relating to HPAI H5N1 avian influenza and protection of important island wildlife values.

26/04/2026

Come and meet our dogs!

26/04/2026

Teaching your puppy to be calm in the presence of chaos (without the need for treats or constant interaction) is a big step towards raising an independent, confident dog who is able to “switch off”.

We call this the ‘Cafe Dog Exercise.’

The success of this exercise depends on a few factors:

- ensuring your pup is comfortable. This means they have had a good opportunity to go to the toilet, aren’t expecting a meal, they are not thirsty and are not exposed to the elements.

- they have recently had some fun. You do not want your pup fully wound up, but if they have had an opportunity to play, go for a short walk, use their nose or socialise, they are more likely to be ready to settle.

- they are not too close to distractions. This will depend on your pup’s familiarity with the exercise and how excited they are by the action, but enough distance that it isn’t all-consuming is required.

- reasonable proximity to you in the early days. You will be able to extend your distance as your pup becomes used to the exercise, but starting near enough that they don’t feel stuck and abandoned is extremely important.

This simple exercise is a game changer for anyone who wants to be able to take their dog to the cafe, the playground, or generally have them chilling out with the family in distracting environments or public places.

24/04/2026

We have your Friday night viewing sorted!

Tune in to Gardening Australia tonight for a lovely little story on Squid, Milo and Kelly and their teams in Western Australia doing amazing things in the fight against phytophthora.

Glevan Consulting Detection for Good 🐶

Have a great weekend everyone.

Inspiring, entertaining and full of practical advice, join Costa Georgiadis and the team as they unearth gardening ideas, meet avid gardeners and look at some of the most inspiring gardens from across the country.

12/03/2026

Here are ✌️ important facts about puppyhood:

1.) The first 4-6 weeks that your puppy is at home with you is the most critical period for socialisation - fundamental in developing their perspective on all the stimulus of the world they will live in for the rest of their lives.
 
2.) The first 0-4 months of a puppy’s life are when their immune system is most vulnerable. It is critical to restrict their access to the outer world where they may come into contact with life-threatening diseases.
 
For those of you quick on the maths, you will have realised that these two periods overlap. They also present two completely opposing ideals: one requires puppies be actively exposed to the world, the other protected from it.
🤯🤯🤯
 
For help on managing the risks and how to have fun exposing and socialising your dog safely and effectively to the world around you, check out our book ‘How To Train Your Dog’. Link in stories

10/03/2026

A year ago was Connor’s most impressive and valuable find..
THIS is why we do what we do!!

First some context: When you’re trying to eradicate something from an ecosystem, and you are down to the last few w**ds or trying to confirm their absence, dogs are not just helpful—they’re essential. Their ability to detect what human eyes cannot see, makes the success of a project infinitely more achievable. These dogs excel at pinpointing a single tiny plant hiding out of sight, often alerting to seedlings, hypogeal germination, subterranean stolons, rhizomes, and possibly even seeds—though proving the latter in the field has been a challenge.

In february last year, the dogs threw us a curveball. Claire and Connor were asked to re-check a site where Sally first indicated nearly three years ago—remote, unforgiving conditions at the top of Australia. The site has been under constant human and canine surveillance, and nothing had surfaced. Yet, visit after visit, both Connor and Sally kept hitting on the same spot.
So when Claire was to give it one final check before we chalk it up as a “false indication,” pull the pins, remove the data, and stop monitoring the site. Guess what happened? The tiniest plant had appeared.

Hidden beneath snow grass, a tiny 8mm rosette had just begun to emerge. Without the dogs, this plant could have gone on to flower, seed, and set the entire project back to square one. 3 years the dogs have been indicating on a spot with no visual evidence until that moment!

Now, keep in mind—these are Australia’s first purpose-trained w**d eradication dogs. Just imagine what the next generations are capable of!

Well done and Connor! (And sally and the rest of the team over the years). 👏👏👏

**deradication dogs hawkw**dr

04/02/2026

The ability to keep up with a growing puppy’s energy requirements is a major concern for many owners. Regardless of the breed, it can be a shock to the system when the sleepy, cuddly blob of a pup that came home at 8 weeks of age goes from entertaining zoomies in the evening to a seemingly insatiable desire to run and play.
Working with high-drive breeds like working spaniels, border collies and Belgian Malinois, we are often pointedly asked: “How do you wear THEM out?”

A trap that many owners will fall into is relying upon the activity that wore their dog out that one time and gave everyone some respite while they slept for the next 16 hours. Perhaps it was swimming at the creek, a particularly vigorous game of fetch, chasing a bike, or (all too-often) a couple of wild hours at the dog park.
The issue with this approach is that dogs are quick learners and supreme athletes. In reality, a key part of the effectiveness of this activity the first time around was that it was novel, which made it more mentally and physically strenuous.
So what’s the solution?
The answer is that we don’t go out with the intention of wearing them out entirely (at least not physically!) Rather, we provide them with mental and physical stimulation through a range of genetically fulfilling activities. This will include controlled exposure to the world around them, curated socialisation, training sessions, scent games, fetch and tug, and exploring different environments. We incorporate training into these activities, which builds their rapport with us and adds a mentally stimulating element (which helps wear them out more than just mindless running).
The key is that following these activities, regardless of whether they are completely pooped, or just starting to warm up, we will have quiet time and a focus on independence building. This may be in a crate, a pen, or a tie-up exercise. This teaches them that there is light and shade to their day: they will get the opportunity for exercise, activity and learning, but when that is done, it is time for calm and quiet.
📸- 🙌

06/01/2026

“Our old dog NEVER did that!”

This is a phrase frequently heard in home consultations, typically from owners of a pup that is hitting adolescence and testing boundaries. Often the dog before you is the physical reincarnation of the much-loved, greatly-missed pooch in the portrait on the wall.
However, to our rose-tinted memory, Fido the First never did anything wrong, while Fido the Second still has remnants of the decimated rosebush tangled in his coat.

There are 2 key factors at play here, generally working in tandem. The first is that no two dogs are alike – you are instantly doomed to failure trying to recreate the magic of the past. The other (and this is key) is the human brain is wired to minimise hardship when happy memories can take its place. This is why I start planning my next tattoo on the way home from my last and why younger siblings are able to exist. This is why we focus on training with positive reinforcement, rather than punishment: the positive memories last longer and sit forthright in our mind.

No puppy is without their difficulties. When you have raised a few puppies, as we have, you become better prepared for what is coming your way and more able to write off the challenges as simple steps in the journey. Ari (our Aussie pictured here) made Taylor (spaniel pictured here) feel like the devil reincarnated. But in hindsight, both dogs had their challenges during puppyhood and adolescence and both ended up as dogs we had only dreamed of having join us on this crazy life ride.