For those of you who are able to sniff out breaking news, you’d be across the fact that Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia commenced filming in last week across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The Water Cooler was in hot paw-suit of Ian Shivers, the shows dog behaviour consultant to chat about how he’s having a ball on set and to ask him if he knows what to do when a problem comes along… he must whippet. Get it? GET IT?
Tell us about your role on Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly.
My role is to ensure that the training methods and practices used in the show are not containing any misinformation, that they are not going to cause any stress fear or anxiety to the dogs. I also help the crew understand dog body language and have implemented some safety strategies for filming
How did you become a dog behaviourist, and how long have you been in the business?
Like lots of people in my industry it started with my own dog many, many years ago. She was struggling with separation issues and while learning how to help her I found out how much I really enjoyed doing it. So, I started working unofficially in the industry around 2010 then started getting more and more education in this area before moving to Sydney in 2013. I dipped my toe in the market in 2013 when I was still backpacking, at that point I actually bought business cards instead of paying rent and slept in my car while laying the foundations of Bondi Behaviourist which became official in 2015. Fortunately, by then I had moved out of my car and settled down here and now consider Bondi home.
Have you ever come across a dog behaviour problem you couldn’t solve?
Yeah, I’ve referred clients on to people that specialise in certain areas more so than myself and unfortunately there’s a very difficult part of the job every now and then where we end up with a behavioural euthanasia. When this happens, it’s never just myself on the case. There is always their regular vet and usually a veterinary behaviourist on board too. It’s not something I really thought about when going into this profession, it doesn’t happen often at all (I’ve only been involved in seven cases in eight years so far) but it always hits hard.
How do you earn each dog’s trust when working them? What do you do to make them feel safe?
Trust has to be earned and the best way to gain trust is to listen to the dog in front of you. What are they saying, react appropriately and don’t over impose. The more anyone feels that that they are heard by me the more they can drop their guard and trust that I’m not a threat. They’ll come towards me at their own pace.
What’s the biggest mistake dog owners make with their pups?
There’s three: The first one is people subscribing to the old dominance theory. This is still talked about by so many dog people, but it’s completely disproven. People are still trying to dominate their dogs by eating first, walking in front of them and going through doors first to prove they’re the alpha but it’s all rubbish. The dogs have no idea what we’re doing and often we end up being domineering a**hol*s instead. There is no pack leader, there’s no alpha dog or human. That whole study was completed last century and the person that completed the study is on YouTube apologising for ever creating it because it’s just false.
The second one is people think obedience is the key to a happy life with their dog. But, that notion that a dog must obey commands is really outdated too. These days we encourage people to have a healthy dialogue with their dog, listening to their body language and respecting their needs far more than we used to while still being able to communicate with them kindly, clearly and effectively.
And finally, people try to tire dogs out to get a well-behaved dog. They exercise the dog so much but, in the end they end up with what they aimed for – a tired dog. A tired dog is the same as a tired human. They’re anti-social, grumpy, jumpy and just not their best selves. Instead, people should be aiming for emotionally and mentally healthy dogs. These are the easiest dogs to live with.
What’s the biggest misconception about dogs with behavioural issues?
I think I probably just accidentally answered this above.
Picture this: You’re about to get your first ever puppy. What are the top 3 things you must or must not do in order to avoid behavioural problems?
Whoops, I think I answered more than one question at once with my long answer. Sorry, I should have read ahead.
Finally, what’s your favourite dog breed and why?
I love most breeds, but I have a massive soft spot for Newfoundlands. They’re just awesome. They’re big, they’re typically old personalities, they’re soft, they’ve got a real presence about them. Seeing them play and relax is just the best.
