Animal experts divided about Barnaby Joyce's TV dog discipline

Should you yell at dogs? Experts weigh in after Barnaby Joyce's pooch spray Thu 23 Jul 2026 at 6:20am In short: One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce's dog Stella has shot to fame after interrupting an interview on ABC's 7.30 with Sarah Ferguson. Mr Joyce yelled at the dog live on air, telling it to "sit down!" Canine experts have offered advice on better ways to manage dogs barking inappropriately. When One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce had an interview with Sarah Ferguson on the ABC's 7.30 program interrupted by an errant dog this week, he decided to take action. "After getting to a point where I couldn't really think straight, I had to tell her, in farm language, to be quieter," the federal member for New England said. "That's how it works on the land." It was Mr Joyce's use of "farm language" with two-year-old Stella that shocked many dog owners. Kersti Seksel, a vet and specialist in animal behaviour, said she initially felt sorry for Mr Joyce being distracted by his border collie-cross-Staffordshire terrier. "But my next response was, 'I wish he hadn't yelled at the dog' because I don't think the dog understands what he was trying to convey," she said. "Really yelling, making a lot of noise, really doesn't help. "If you want to calm the situation down, it's often better to speak quietly to the person or the animal you're trying to deal with." Dr Seksel recommended diverting the dog's attention with a treat or asking it to do a task it does well, like finding a toy, as a way to stop barking. "Dogs speak canine, they don't speak human,"she said. "It's our perception that we need to speak loudly and firmly to dogs." Peter Hogan has 35 years' experience training working dogs at Glencoe in the New England region of NSW. He said Stella the dog would have been absolutely fine after the incident. "Farm dogs are used to being spoken to gruffly," Mr Hogan said. "That is how it's handled on the farm. "If we want him to understand that we're cranky, we'll change our voice tone." Mr Hogan said Stella was likely feeling just as much pressure as her owner during the tense interview. "[The dog] is thinking 'there's something wrong here, I'm going to respond somehow' and it was by barking," he said. "[Mr Joyce] may have gone a little over the top, but that dog will be fine." Mr Hogan said discipline and routine were key to having a well-behaved dog. "[The dog] doesn't need to be consulted in baby tones or a high-pitched voice," he said. "He wants you to be calm, not high-pitched, and provide him with the leadership he needs." Mr Joyce said Stella would probably enjoy the notoriety that came from her TV appearance. "They jump up on you and lick you to death 30 seconds later," he said. "They are our working colleagues; they are with us most of the day and they understand us better than most. "Just accept how we live out in the country and stop judging us. That's the thing that annoys me."