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Dr Zazie Todd: Understanding strange dog behaviour

8 Jun 2025

Animal behaviorist and certified dog trainer, Dr Zazie Todd joins us once again to discuss some of the curly questions around canine behaviour. Audio

Sunday 15 June 2025

On today’s show

8:10 Mitch McCann: A week in the US 

We get the latest from the the US from our correspondent Mitch McCann   

A protester stands holding a U.S. flag while facing a line of law enforcement officers during demonstrations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. Following a series of aggressive federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, tensions escalated when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a high-profile raid on a Home Depot location. The raid sparked widespread protests across the city, where demonstrators decried the targeting of immigrant communities and the separation of families. Clashes soon broke out between protesters and federal agents, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, a move harshly criticized by California officials, including the governor, as "purposefully inflammatory." (Photo by David Pashaee / Middle East Images via AFP)

Photo: DAVID PASHAEE

8:25 The Inaugural FIFA Club World Cup 

Sports reporter Coen Lammers joins us from Cincinatti and the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, a new tournament with a $1 billion prize purse making it one of the richest sports events in the world.  

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 08: A detailed view of the FIFA Club World Cup trophy on display at BMO Stadium before the game between the Los Angeles FC and the Sporting Kansas City on June 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.   Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Orlando Ramirez / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Photo: ORLANDO RAMIREZ

8:40 The Sunday Morning Quiz 

Quiz master Jack Waley-Cohen is back with his Sunday Morning quiz.    

Jack is the mind behind the questions on BBC's infamous quiz show Only Connect, known for being both hard — and at the same time totally obvious.     

Wake up your brain and have a go!  

Sunday Morning Quiz image

Photo: RNZ

8:45 Morning or night – when is the best time to shower?  

Some people swear by a shower before bed, others insist that a shower in the morning sets them up for the day. But which is best for hygiene? Dr Primrose Freestone is an associate professor in clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester and says there is a very clear answer to that question.     

Showerhead with flow of water spilling out on blue background

Photo: 123rf

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch talks to an Australian media boss, who once called the shots over newspapers here, about where he thinks our media is heading. Also, local election candidates are already making bold policy promises in the media, and a live global broadcast of a play about the past that echoed what’s happening in the US today.  

George Clooney in the CNN livestream of his play Good Night and Good Luck.

George Clooney in the CNN livestream of his play Good Night and Good Luck. Photo: CNN / YouTube

9:40 Are Vegetarians more power hungry than meat eaters? 

A study has shown the perception of a peace-loving vegetarian may be due for revision. Professor John Nezlek of SWPS University in Warsaw led the research. He joins Jim to discuss how values differ between those who eat meat and those who do not.  

Amusing vegetable face (Photo by Foodcollection GesmbH / foodcollection via AFP)

Photo: FOODCOLLECTION GESMBH

10:10  The latest on the Russia-Ukraine conflict  

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon joins Jim to discuss developments in the Ukraine-Russia war.  Hamish is a former British Army officer, a chemical weapons expert and is a commentator on military strategy. 

Firefighters extinguish a fire at a civilian plant following Russian powerful attacks to Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early on June 7, 2025. amid Russian invasion in Ukraine. Russia pummelled Ukraine's second-largest city before dawn on June 7, killing two people in what Kharkiv's mayor described as the "most powerful attack" there since the start of the war. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)

Firefighters extinguish a fire at a civilian plant following Russian powerful attacks to Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early on June 7, 2025. Photo: AFP/SERGEY BOBOK

10:30  Death of the dating app 

Why are young people turning away from dating apps? Luke Brunning, co-director of the Centre for Love, Sex, and Relationships (CLSR) at the University of Leeds joins Jim to discuss how people are still finding love on-line – but in places not designed for matchmaking. 

woman looks at online dating profile

Photo: 123RF

10.45 Is it time to invest in gold? 

Financial journalist and creator of the Making Cents podcast, Frances Cook, is back with Jim to talk about investing in gold, the share market and the state of Auckland’s housing market. 

Business Desk investments editor and financial educator Frances Cook

Business Desk investments editor and financial educator Frances Cook Photo:

11:00 The battle over free speech in the UK 

UK correspondent Christian Smith talks to Jim about all the big stories making news in Britain, including the left and the right claiming the debate over freedom of speech. 

Early misty morning view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament across Westminster Bridge, London, England, United Kingdom, Europe (Photo by Amanda Hall / Robert Harding Premium / robertharding via AFP)

Photo: AMANDA HALL

11:20 The terminal decline of the semi-colon 

A recent study in the UK found that semi-colon use in English books has plummeted by almost half in the last 20 years, and another study suggests 67% of British students never or rarely use the semicolon, with just 11% describing themselves as frequent users. 

Massey University linguistics lecturer, Dr Eleanor Ridge, joins us to give us a quick lesson in semi-colon use and discusses its decline. 

Photo:

11:40 Have we got the job for you? 

Job scams are doing the rounds and are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Netsafe’s chief online safety officer, Sean Lyons, joins Jim to discuss the techniques scammers use. He also has an update on Re:Scam – Netsafe’s AI tool that wastes scammer’s time so they can’t target their next victims. 

 

Photo: Supplied

For those of you curious about the Sunday Morning show theme tune, it was written by Jim’s daughter, Rebecca Mora when she was 18 and studying music composition at Auckland University. 

‘Hatstand’ is the title and it was mastered by RNZ engineer Andre Upston.