Does Australia Just Not Like Dogs?

Hello, dog peeps. Jack here. Just a quick one before we get into this episode. You may or may not be aware that when I'm not talking dog stuff with Max, I in fact interview people who are incarcerated in prisons across the United States on a show called One Minute Remaining: Stories from the Inmates. And that show has been nominated for an award in America. And I would love your support if you've got 60 seconds to click the link in the show notes of this episode and just vote for my show. That would be amazing if you could. Thank you very much indeed. Oh, and don't forget to verify your email address. Otherwise, the vote does not count. Thank you.

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Well, should we start this episode with the British national anthem? It's the Dog People Podcast with your host, Jack Lawrence.

Secretly, I decided to start this podcast for some free dog training advice.

And Max O'Neill.

You would not believe how many people I meet and I go, what made you want to get, say, an Aussie Shepherd? They go, I don't know. I go, had you met one before? They go, no.

It's the Dog People Podcast, the podcast hopefully giving you a no-nonsense approach to dog training so you never have to say, it's okay, he's friendly. My name is Jack Lawrence, not a dog trainer, but that's why we've got Max O'Neill, Down Under Dog Trainer. And still joined by Georgina. The Instagram is— I've lost it, Georgie.

The Gundog Gang.

The Gundog Gang. We had a great chat about gundogs. Obviously, I froth on that. It's finally nice to have a fellow gundog nerd in the room because Max is always just telling me to shut up. If it's not a dog biting someone, he doesn't want to know.

One of those guys.

But Georgie and I have something in common, actually Max as well. But you and I were both born and bred in the UK.

That's it. I've only been over here Just coming up to 7 years. So most of my life, all my childhood.

Beating you slightly. I've done 24. But Max, you spent 3 years in the UK. In fact, that's where you started your dog training journey.

Where I started my business. I'm half English, got the British passport.

Have you got a British passport?

Yeah, dude. My

mum's English.

Is she? Yeah.

There you go. I'll have to have a chat with the authorities about that one.

My bloodlines go way back, mate.

I bet they do. What did you steal? What did your ancestors steal? More to the point.

Many loaves of bread.

But it got us chatting actually after we spoke about the Gundog stuff. If you haven't heard the episode, flick back and have a listen. It's good fun. But it got us chatting about the difference between the UK and Australia and the culture that is the dog culture. Because we're both saying that, you know, you go back and I've said so many times, still, when I go back and I'm like in a shopping centre, like in a sort of David Jones-esque place or Waitrose and see a dog, I'm like, hold on, what the fuck? What's going on? And then I go, oh, that's right.

Yeah.

In the UK, it's just It's just the thing. Like, you can— I mean, I took Kira the other day to the shops and I sort of walked her in past the sliding doors and I instantly got attacked by a security guy going, no dogs in here! Australia, I'm more and more convinced, hates dogs.

Not fans of them in the public spaces.

No. And look, I think a lot of that's got to do with irresponsible ownership and the fact that people have so— just do not have any control over their animals. But I don't think it's that bad that we have such authoritarian rules around dogs and where we can and can't go with them.

And it's a catch-22 because if you don't get them out socialising, they're not going to be good and they're not going to be able to do it. So, yeah, if we're not allowed into those spaces, you can't— Makes it really hard to train for it and have dogs that are comfortable.

But Max, why do you think it is that Australia is so hardcore on these rules?

I think like... What I noticed about the dog culture over there. So yeah, firstly, you can take your dog to pubs, restaurants, Australia Post, you know, all these different places. That wouldn't be Australia Post, but you know what I mean?

Royal Mail.

Royal Mail. Yeah. And, um, I think over here is a few people who've almost ruined it for everyone.

Yeah.

Because you do get people who absolutely take the piss, who have zero control. Their dog will go down the beach and punch on with someone. And because it's like, you know, I've spoke to, you know, the Gold Coast City Council and the animal management department around their numbers and just However frequent you guys are imagining it is, it's like 2 or 3 times that. Like, the rates of dog attacks in Queensland and Australia as well at large are like, are just astronomical. So I think because of that, they've just had to put in place blanket laws just to really go, sorry guys, we have to treat everyone as if they've got a really highly aggressive dog. Um, which is a tough one. Yeah. Um, because it shows, like, you know, like Jordie said, is like, well, the, the more the world just recedes on it, the less places you can take the dogs, the worse things are going to get, then it's going to be harder to come back from. Whereas In the UK, because you can take your dog everywhere and no one wants to be inconsiderate, is people really put effort into stuff. Like, I used to do sessions over there where people were like, hey, you know, I really plan on taking this puppy clothes shopping with me in the next few years. So I really want to make sure he knows how to behave in a change room.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know, I want to make sure he doesn't, you know, pee on— lift his leg in Royal Mail or doesn't nick food at the pub. And people really putting in effort. And because of that, you know, when you go out, you see loads and loads of good dogs. Like, you know, when I first got to the, you know, the UK, I thought everyone had assistance dogs. Because I just go down and see dogs in, you know, the shops everywhere. And I was like, bloody hell, this is— wow, a lot of people here struggling. And a lot of people with assistance dogs, I didn't realize it was pets, but like the standard there is just different. They are— it is, you know, a bit better. Everyone just is a bit more responsible. And because of that, they get to do more.

So. Therapy's biggest impact doesn't show up in some dramatic breakthrough. It shows up in the smallest moments. You bite your tongue instead of escalating. You put your phone down instead of firing off that text. You say what you actually mean instead Instead of what would hurt someone else the most. Nobody applauds those moments, but they quietly change your life. That's what growing feels like, and that's exactly what Grow Therapy is here for. Grow is therapy that works, covered by insurance. Sessions average $21 with insurance, and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. There are no subscriptions, no long-term commitments. You just pay per session. Grow connects you with thousands of high-quality licensed therapists across the US, offering both virtual and in-person sessions nights and weekends. You can search by what matters, like insurance, specialty, identity, or availability. And you can book a therapy session in minutes and begin in as little as 2 days, not the national 48-day average. See if you could pay as little as $0 for therapy in seconds at growtherapy.com/startnow. That's growtherapy.com/startnow. growtherapy.com/startnow. Availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan.

You're either all in on this model, or maybe you're building with another. You're either speed, or is it security? You're either custom, or are you ready to use? Or you're AWS AI. With hundreds of models, ready-to-use agents, speed and security built in, You don't have to pick a side. You can have them all. How will AI revolutionize your business? AWS AI is how.

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I guess if we think of, you know, why we're doing this episode is to try and, you know, help spark a bit of that. It's like, hey guys, if we all do better, we'll slowly get to take our dogs more places.

But do you think that will happen though? Do you think that the rules, if, if, if we're, if, if suddenly all of a sudden, you know, dog attacks come down and the incidents, you know, happen less and less frequently. Are the governments going to turn around and say, oh, you know what, we're noticing a real decrease in what's going on here. Well, let's relax the laws. I don't see that happening. I see them just going, the laws are working.

Well, it's not so much the government. It's more so like the private venues, right? It's just like, you know, it's restaurants and cafes and bars that can decide whether to include or exclude. And that's gotten better in the last 5 years. Like I remember we were saying off air, it's like when I had my last dog, if I wanted to take him out for brekkie, I used to phone that head of place and go, hey, are you like a dog-friendly place? I used to have to search blogs for top 10 dog-friendly cafes in the area. Now they're all bloody dog-friendly. So it's like it's already gotten better. I know there's now a few pubs on the Gold Coast that are slowly allowing dogs. You know, Bunnings have allowed dogs, gone from being—

But I mean, even I have grumbled about that because, and I've said in the past, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Yeah, we did a whole episode.

Yeah, because I mean, and that's the thing, like obviously I know sort of contradictory here. On one hand, I'll say, you know, we need to be able to take our dogs more places.

And that's just winners from sitting on that fence.

I know. On the other hand, I'm going, well, hold on a sec. But that's really, you know, like I go to Bunnings and I'm just like seeing people with dogs that are just yapping and barking at everything that walks past. I'm just like, what? What? What are you— and that's the problem. That in there is the problem. That is the problem because—

That's that. You don't really see that as much in the UK. And I think if you were that person with the dog that was yapping, you would be the odd one out and it would make you maybe go away.

You'd be embarrassed and you go, we need to sort this out.

You'd either not do it or you'd fix it.

A great part about Australia is like our I don't give a shit culture.

Yeah.

It makes a lot of things a lot of fun. A bad part about Australia is the I don't give a shit culture. Yeah, people take their dogs out and their dog would be kicking off. Like you said, it's just like you're trying to talk and it's just some Jack Russell going, yeah, and they trolley, don't give a shit. Yeah. Whereas like you said, in the UK, it's like people just don't do that. So because that doesn't happen, it hasn't ruined it for everybody. And it goes back in. And, and to be honest, I guess I ripped on you a second ago, but you're right. It's like, is just because you could choose it, you mean you should? But also, if you can, like, then let's do it. Like, let's try and get these places, you know, showing like, hey, like, it's Yeah, I mean, there's dogs here and it's fine. Like, they lift the mood. Like, going to like a Sunday roast at the pub and there'd be 12 dogs there just chilling was fun. I used to love going to the UK and getting on the beers with my dog.

Yeah.

Yeah. Hey, let's go and like have a few beers. You can have a dog beer. I'll have a roast. You can have the other half. Like, it was sick. I like taking him out more than my mates.

I mean, and that's what Georgie and I were saying. Like, that's the only— the one thing you kind of miss about the UK is that being able to take your dog, go to the pub with your partner or whoever, have a meal. The dog's there. You're having a good time. Couple of drinks. Yeah, they're just sitting there next to you relaxed and having a great time. And again, like, as you said, Max, like, it's hard here to— you've got to sort of pre-plan and go, well, we're going to go out. Should we take the dog? Well, where can we go to take the dog?

And because there are so few places, everyone with a dog that is not trained is there, and that becomes the problem. Mostly when I find somewhere that's dog-friendly, I'm thinking, okay, my dogs will be fine, but I can't guarantee that someone's not going to let their dog pull over to mine underneath the table. She's not going to appreciate that. So, I think if it could become just a better culture in general, that would hopefully fix some problems. More places would be available.

Do you guys notice it city to city? Like, do you guys go to Melbourne or Sydney and think it's more dog-friendly than here?

Or— I found Sydney, I lived in Sydney for a year and found that very undog-friendly.

Yeah.

Very unfriendly when it comes to dogs.

I was going to say, as far as Australia goes, I think Gold Coast is good.

I was going to say, I've lived in a number of different— I've lived in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and I think actually Gold Coast is probably the best when it comes to Yeah, it's good to hear about the dog situation and where you can go with your dog.

Definitely. And it's good. Like, I do feel like it's improving. Like, you know, more and more places are allowing it. And it's just, I guess if you're listening, like, you know, if you're listening and you're like a venue owner or something, like, allow it. Like, it's good for business. And if you're listening and your dog's not fully ready, maybe just try not to ruin it for everyone. Like, maybe do a bit of training, prepare your dog for it before you start to take advantage of this kind of newfound freedom in some areas. We still got a lot to go because I know where, you know, I was back in the UK earlier this year and it just same thing. I was like, far out, as soon as off the plane, I'm like, there are just dogs everywhere. It's so cool. It's unreal.

I mean, speaking of that, like I'm assuming we're saying to people listening who potentially don't have a dog who's ready to go to a cafe or to do that. So, okay, so I want to do that. I want my dog to be well behaved. Where do I start?

Just somewhere really quiet, like go off peak, go midweek, go on a Wednesday at 11 o'clock, you know, an hour before they close when it's dead and just start there. You know, maybe you get in the cafe first day, maybe you don't. Maybe just sit outside and get them prepared for it. You should also work on these skills at home. Things like parking or laying down with your dog, you know, shortening leash, all these things, just prepare them for it. So it's not a culture shock or a, you know, shock to them when you get there, so to speak. Just little things like that's all they need. Like for your dog to be well behaved out in public, they really only need, because it's all on leash, they really need to know a good loose lead walk and a good park where they just lay down and chill. That's it.

And not allowing your dog to be dragged across to other people.

Exactly.

That's the one I love the most. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the—

We're relaxing. I'm trying to enjoy my coffee.

No, our dogs must be friends. Yeah. All right. Well, it didn't mean to be a whinge episode, but it is about the UK. And what do we say about English people? Whinging Poms.

That's it.

So, you know—

It wasn't the weather this time. No, no, no.

All right. Thank you so much indeed again, Georgie, for coming in and having a chat with us and talking all things dogs, gundogs. If you missed the episode, haven't listened to it yet, make sure you flick back and check it out. We'll see you next time. The Dog People Podcast is a Mashed Pumpkin production hosted by Jack Lawrence and Max O'Neill.

You're either all in on this model, or maybe you're building with another. You're either speed, or is it security? You're either custom, or are you ready to use? Or your AWS AI. With hundreds of models, ready-to-use agents, speed, and security built in, you don't have to pick a side. You can have them all. How will AI revolutionize your business? AWS AI is how. Nickelback is back with a show that will blow your mind. With special guest Don Proko. It's Friday, October 16th at Live Nation.

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