Jen and Ryan Tate decode the secret language of dogs

Experienced trainers Ryan and Jen Tate reveal ways to recognise your dog’s subtle signs. Watch Part 1 of our special Dogs of Oz video series. WATCH THE VIDEO

• Your guide to picking the perfect pooch
• Train your dog by rewarding good behaviour
• Video special: How to help your new puppy settle in

Experience counts when it comes to understanding and training dogs.

Ryan and Jen Tate – with 20 years experience between them – have hundreds of tips and suggestions to understanding and training your four-legged friend.

In an exclusive four-part video series the husband and wife team will be your favoured destination when it comes to learning about your dog – whether it’s a new puppy in the household, or an old friend lounging on the back step.

The first in the series is “The Secret Language of Dogs” and it will help you read the signs your dog is sharing – from the tip of their tail to the end of their wet nose.

What does a cock of the head mean, or when their ears are back, or when they roll on to their back?

“A dog’s posture and stance provides definite clues to their emotional state,” Mr Tate said.

“For example, if something is making your dog uncomfortable, they’ll let you know by stiffening their body and/or lowering their posture.”

The Dogs of Oz ambassadors have worked hard to become two of Australia’s most in-demand and respected animal trainers.

Dog behaviourists Ryan and Jen Tate with their dogs.

“Dogs have so much to offer us,” Mr Tate said.

“I thoroughly enjoy seeing the genetics of dogs shine through in their behaviour, whether it’s a cavalier giving the best cuddle in the world, a husky pulling a sled, or a border collie herding sheep, there is nothing more beautiful than watching a dog do what they were born to do.”

MORE FROM DOGS OF OZ

Do you have Australia’s Top Dog? Enter here and WIN!

Given the married couple’s critter credentials, it’s unsurprising the seeds for romance were sown while working at Sydney’s iconic Taronga Zoo – while both independently ran dog training classes.

“We were introduced at the zoo,” Mr Tate said. “After my first date I rang my sister and told her I found the woman I was going to marry. I proposed a few months later.”

Their son quickly followed and the pair started Tate Animal Training.

“Looking back, it was an incredibly risky move,” Ryan said. “But it has paid off in so many ways.”

They initially specialised in dog training but have evolved the business to offer workshops, online courses, TV and film work and consultations at zoos and aquariums.

The Tates also own and handle a variety of specialised conservation dogs, trained to locate a range of animals such as owls and koalas. The latter saw Ryan make headlines during the devastating NSW bushfires.

While the catastrophe coincided with the birth of their twins, the hard-core conservationists were determined to help the endangered koala population via their koala-sniffing detection dog, four-year-old English springer spaniel, Taylor.

Ryan Tate from TATE Animal Training Enterprises with his Springer Spaniel Taylor the Koala detection dog, searching the fire ground near Port Macquarie for burnt or injured koalas. Picture: Nathan Edwards

“Taylor can cover enormous areas very quickly,” Mr Tate said. “When the bushfires hit, we knew we had a responsibility to get her out finding injured koalas.”

To date, she has found 15 – including a joey – in affected areas and was even featured in overseas media as far as the US and Germany.

For most couples, fusing married life and an ever-expanding business with the demands of two newborns, a five-year-old and a house full of working dogs, wouldn’t work, yet Ryan and Jen continue to thrive.

“I don’t mean to sound corny,” Mr Tate said. “But Jen is some sort of cross between an angel and the energiser bunny. We both enjoy chaos and are driven by passion, so it just works for us. No two days are ever the same and that’s the way we like it.”

The Tates recognise just how important dogs are in our everyday lives.

“At a chemical level, dogs have legitimate mood altering abilities,” Ms Tate said.

“Whether it’s resting their chin on your leg or wiggling their butt when you get home from a rough day at work, they genuinely make us feel better about life.

Dog behaviourist Jen Tate training her pooch.

“I am literally surrounded by dogs all the time and know more about them than the average person, yet I’m still amazed at the emotional connections that me and my family form with them.”

This is what fuels the duo’s commitment to their profession – seeing the positive impact they’re making, both to the lives of dogs and their owners, is the real pay-off.

“I think we all have a desire to be part of things that are bigger than ourselves,” Ms Tate said.

“We have classes of pet owners that depend on us, regional communities that we do workshops for, and a huge amount of conservation projects that we are able to make a genuine positive impact upon. That is all the motivation we need.”

“We’re both so lucky to do a job we love,” Mr Tate said.

“Genuinely, we wouldn’t change a thing.”

Originally published as Jen and Ryan Tate decode the secret language of dogs