Tanya Lawless

  I have been fascinated by animal behaviour my entire life, seeking solace in nature and with my numerous dogs, cats, horses and other pets over the years.  I completed my university degree in Zoology which lead to travel in Australia and around the world where I worked in zoos, stables, shelters and most excitingly, as a conservation volunteer living on a game reserve in Botswana, where I studied the resident lion prides and all the other incredible animals on the reserve. Africa is my favourite place on earth, for anyone who has been there, you may agree that it just gets ‘under your skin’. I’m looking forward to trip number 4 as soon as we are able! 

Dogs were always my constant companions and an opportunity arose for me to purchase a dog walking business that I was working casually for on the northern beaches of Sydney. It was a wonderful and successful 6 years of walking every breed you can imagine, in groups and individually, and it developed both my dog handling and business skills – my clients were fantastic. I realised however, that there was more to it than just a ‘tired dog’ at the end of the day, they needed to learn something in the process. It was time to solidify my skills and experience with up to date knowledge, as I recognised that things had changed! 

I also had adopted a male blue heeler who was challenging me, for despite being familiar with the breed (having 2 previously), he had some reactivity which was not responding to ‘traditional’ ways of doing things. I got some poor early advice from a couple of trainers which I knew in my heart wasn’t right, which sadly made things worse and I paid for that for many years to come with Jed. I urge clients to question everything and never go against their instincts.

Jed was and is still my greatest inspiration, he was the ‘game changer’ that so many trainers talk about, the dog that changed everything. I needed to learn more, I needed to learn how to help him so I started with a Cert III Statement of Attainment in Dog Training from Sydney TAFE and a Puppy Instructor’s Certification from Austin’s Dog Education. I got a job as a Puppy Development Advisor for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, which lead me to establishing the Puppy Raising Program on the South Coast on NSW, a move I was happy to make from Sydney! I’m very proud that we have a thriving and supportive community of raisers on the South Coast, who are producing some incredible Guide dogs and therapy dogs who change the lives of blind and visually impaired people in our community.

I also ran private puppy schools, adolescent classes, behavioural consultations in both Sydney and the South Coast and I have attended more conferences and workshops and read more books on dog training and behaviour to list! I have well and truly immersed myself in the current, up to date science and research of what works and what doesn’t, how paradigms have changed and I have drawn inspiration from some phenomenal trainers and behaviourists around the world. 

Jed and I soaked up all of this knowledge as we worked with his reactivity, and he was able to complete courses in sheep herding, agility, dock diving, obedience and our most favourite, nose works. We had an amazing time learning every day and he is the smartest dog I have ever known. Sadly, I lost him suddenly in early 2020 at age 9, and although the grief has not lessened, he remains my inspiration and motivation to share what we learnt in order to help others.

Scent detection and noseworks remain my absolute favourite activity with dogs.  I now have a 4.5yr old working line English Springer Spaniel named Jarrah, who was purchased to further my knowledge and experience in scent detection. Currently, Jarrah and I are working with Ecology and Heritage Partners as a Conservation Detection Dog Team undertaking bird and bat mortality surveys on the windfarms in Western Victoria.  During 2023-2024, we gained invaluable experience and training with Skylos Ecology working as a conservation detection dog team on windfarms in Victoria and NSW. 

With my brilliant business partner Leigh, we formed Unpacked Dog Education and Training in 2021 to combine our knowledge and experience to help dogs and owners with their training goals – from pre-purchase puppy advice, through puppy school, adolescent and adult courses, workshops, walk and trains and behavioural consults.  We are excited to educate and inspire others to give their dogs the best lives they can possibly have and to have fun along the way.  We really hope to see you soon!

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science – Zoology, Monash University, Melbourne

Statement of Attainment in Dog Training Sydney TAFE, Ultimo 

Puppy School Instructor’s Course (Vicki Austin), Brisbane 

Current First Aid Certificate 2023 (First Aid Training Group)

Working with Children Clearance 

White card (construction)

Conservation Volunteer – Selinda Game reserve, Botswana 

Scent for Six course – The School of Canine Science 

Pet First Aid Course 2024 (Ballarat Vet Practice)

Telephone Crisis Support Course, Lifeline Northern Beaches, 

Diploma in Contemporary Somatic Psychotherapy, Sydney 

I had always wanted to work with animals,  I grew up in a small country town surrounded by animals, then spent much of my early adult life in cities all over the world, where I spent many many years in the restaurant business, both in the front of house and a chef… it is an industry I still love and work indirectly in… I love to cook. However, a move to the NSW South Coast in 2009 gave me the opportunity to start ‘anew’ and I set my sights on obtaining a job in the animal field… I didn’t care where I started… Within months of moving I had a job at a well-known animal welfare shelter.

During the 4 years I spent working in the shelter, I was able to observe dogs in one the most stressful environments they can be placed in, and learn about the way that dogs learn and behave straight from the source. During this time, I cared for, walked, played with, learnt the tools required to undertake temperament tests, and matched many dogs to loving families. Also during this time I found my ‘soul-dog’ an Irish Wolfhound cross named Boss, who for 10 years was my constant companion and greatest teacher, not only in the way that dogs think, but he also taught me so much about my own behaviour.

My learning has continued both formally and informally for the past 12 years. Informally, the 10 years I spent with Boss were priceless, he was an excellent teacher, he was a gentle soul, however given his early years (he was 3 when I adopted him and had had 4 homes previous to me), he struggled with several levels of anxiety, mainly separation anxiety. I lost Boss in 2019, sometime later a friend suggested that ‘to fill a void and improve your training skills’ I should apply to be a Puppy Raiser for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, so I became a raiser of one of these extraordinary dogs. Becoming a puppy raiser, re-ignited my passion for everything I had learnt in the shelter and gave me an amazing opportunity to hone my dog handling skills with a dog that wanted to learn and to learn from an extremely skilful trainer. Labradors are an amazing breed, one thing many don’t know (unless you’ve raised them), is they can be one of the hardest puppy breeds to raise…I stepped onto a steep learning curve, which took me onto a journey to formally learn about how dogs learn and led me to the life of a trainer that I had always wanted.  I still have the puppy given to me by Guide Dogs to raise, he was released from the program due to health reasons. I jumped at the opportunity to keep him, he and I still work together on a daily basis, he loves to work and we are both constantly learning. We have been training in scent detection, which he loves, and look forward to expanding our career together in field.

Formally, I have completed the School of Canine Science Puppy Lab, an intensive course in the development and learning behaviours of puppies from pre-birth until 16 weeks old. It also involves developing a successful puppy school class. I have studyied Behaviour Bible with School of Canine Science. This course covered topics such as domestication and evolution, genetics, neurobiology, endocrinology, physiology, cognition and emotion and sociology, and learning to see dogs through these lenses. Understanding all of this leads to understanding behaviour modification of issues such as separation problems, dog-dog aggression, resource guarding, human aggression, predation and compulsive behaviour.

Since early 2021 I have been running adolescent dog classes with my Unpacked business partner Tanya and conducting behavioural consultations with a range of dogs and breeds, helping families mould the dog that suits their life. 

I am passionate about understanding both the nurture and nature aspects that influence dog behaviour, with a particular emphasis (and skill) with shelter or ‘rescue’ dogs. I also firmly believe that to fully understand our relationships with the dogs we bring into our lives we need to be open to reflecting how own our behavioural traits influence the dogs we live with. This will always be the lasting legacy that Boss left me with.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Health Science (Human Movement)

Graduate Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

Statement of Attainment Viticulture

Puppy Lab – School of Canine Science

Behaviour Bible  - School of Canine Science 

Current First Aid Certificate 2023 (First Aid Training Group)

Working with Children clearance

Pet First Aid Course 2024 (Ballarat Vet Practice)

Uche is a working line Labrador, he was bred as part of the Guide Dog NSW/ACT program in May 2019, he was raised by Leigh, however was removed from the program when he was 12 months old due to repeated ear infections. He now ‘works’ for Unpacked, he is an excellent example of the connection you can create (even in the highest distraction environments) with your dog when you work with them from a young age, if you come to one of our classes he will be there to show all that he can do… and to greet you with much enthusiasm, as he is after all, a Labrador, the most social of all dog breeds.

When Uche left the GD program he started learning scent detection, which he loves, he gets that ‘find’ command & he bounds off with great joy all over his face. He is also working hard on his obedience on cue from a distance, as he might like to do some film or photography work in the future.  He has also become an essential part of  Unpacked, as his patience, good nature, connection with Leigh and his skills are an amazing teaching tool for other dogs and their owners.

He likes to spend his off-time (which there is a lot of), asleep on the couch, or the bed, or as close to a human in the house as he possibly can, going for long walks, swims at the beach (or in a friends pool)… he actually doesn’t mind what he’s doing as long as his people are involved.

Jarrah is a working line English Springer Spaniel, who has the energy level that you would expect from this breed. She was born in May 2020, and purchased by Tanya to train to do conservation detection work, she was well on track with her training when things took a slight turn in March 2021, she became seriously ill, with a rare auto-immune disorder, she lost all movement from the hips down and had a serious infection around her heart, however with a lot of skill from her vet team and incredible amounts of patience and love, she is back on her way to fulfilling her detection role. She is the most tenacious, bravest, resilient dog you’ll ever meet… and is constantly happy and ready to work. 

In 2023 she achieved her goal of over coming her illness and becoming a detection dog. She currently works with Tanya as a Conservation Detection Dog, working on Windfarms in Victoria and NSW on bird and bat mortality studies, a job that she loves to do. Come to a class and she’ll show you how, she’ll also show you how to greet other dogs politely as she has one of the gentlest meeting styles we’ve ever seen.... that is if she's not out in the field at the time.

On her time off (which she says she doesn’t need as she is always ready to do something / anything), she likes to trot around with her favourite sock, watch the birds in the backyard, hang out with Uche, lie in the sun (for the briefest of times) and play with (or annoy) her cat sister Tonks.

Although not directly involved in the day to day activities of Unpacked, Tonks the 14 year old Tonkinese cat is the cog that holds it all together.  As she teaches us daily the importance of relaxation and finding that which makes you truly happy. For Tonks, that involves finding the warmest sunniest spot and good food.

The newest member of the team, Ash is a working line English Springer Spaniel, born in September 2023, she is in the very early days of her training, it is our hope she will join her sister as a detection dog, but that will be her choice.  For now she is learning to be a confident young dog... who also enjoys antagonising her siblings 😊