Sydney Opera House hires seagull patrol dogs to protect customers’ food

Iconic Sydney dining spot Opera Bar has found an innovative way of protecting customers’ food — including the humble hot chip — from hungry birds.

A new month-long trial has stationed a number of Seagull Patrol Dogs at cafés around the Sydney Opera House with the sole job of protecting customers' food.

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Having your hot chips stolen by seagulls while trying to enjoy a meal at Opera Bar can be a bit of a ruff deal, but now the owners of the iconic dining spot may finally have found a solution.

A new month-long trial has stationed a number of Seagull Patrol Dogs at cafés around the Sydney Opera House with the sole job of protecting customers’ food — including the humble hot chip — from hungry birds.

After years of trial and error with failed methods such as wire cloches, sonic deterrents and even a robotic hawk, it seems the enduring problem of feathered food theft may finally have been found via man’s best friend.

When the dogs are present, seagulls have kept away from dining tables, choosing to float on the harbour at a safe distance, with Opera Bar already recording an 80 per cent reduction in meal replacements due to seagulls since the dogs were introduced.

“Customers love getting to see the dogs working and doing their job. People love the fact that something is being done,” Trevelyan Bale, General Manager of Opera Kitchen said of the trial.

The Seagull Patrol Dogs are charged with protecting customers' food from hungry birds.

“We are working to make it stick because when the dogs are there, it’s a different business.

“Usually, customers only come here once. Now customers aren’t worried about seagulls swooping and taking food off their plate.

“Safety-wise, when someone is eating and a seagull swoops down to the table, often a glass is knocked over. There is lots of broken glass around.”

The trial which began on January 3 ends on January 31 with Jade McKellar, Director of Visitor Experience at the Sydney Opera House, saying the establishment is keen to make the hot-chip deterrent dogs a permanent fixture.

“Our Seagull Patrol Dog trial has been incredibly successful,” said McKellar. “Opera Kitchen and Opera Bar have experienced a significant reduction in meal replacements due to seagulls, improving the experience of both visitors and staff.

“We’re now looking into how we can turn this trial into a long-term program.”

Opera Bar has already recorded an 80 per cent reduction in meal replacements due to seagulls since the dogs were introduced.

James Webb, founder of the dog training and walking service used in the trial, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, said the dogs have been working for about four hours a day throughout the month of January, keeping the pesky gulls at bay.

“Before the dogs were there, the seagulls were coming to tables every five minutes. Customers say they can’t believe the difference,” said Webb.

“There have been zero seagulls while I’ve been down there and when we started there were hundreds.

Webb said choosing dogs for the job is not based on breed but on the individual character of the pooch.

Carlos from Mad Dogs and Englishmen and Roxy on patrol at Opera Bar.

“Initially we were using my two dogs Muffin and Tauzer. The dogs need to cover about 150 metres so one dog wasn’t enough,” he added.

“We are now using client dogs as well and we have a large base of dogs that we walk every day. We have selected the most suitable dogs with strong prey urges and then it’s just about rewarding their behaviour.

“Fundamentally, you look at the drive and the character of the dogs. You need a dog that wants to chase seagulls naturally.”

Tauzer, an Australian Kelpie, was adopted by Webb and his family after a Blue Mountains farm-stay and is now one of the Seagull Patrol Dogs.

Tauzer was tied-up the entire duration of the family’s stay on the farm, for fear he would attack the chickens. So, after driving away, they turned back to take him home.

“We got him because of his desire to chase birds and now it’s his full-time job,” Webb said.