January 2022
From the Editor
Welcome to our new-look BARKS from the Guild!
We’ve taken BARKS completely digital to provide you, the reader, a more seamless and user-friendly experience. No more navigating or downloading PDFs (although we will still be providing some special educational PDFs for PPG members) – just lots of easily accessible and shareable content that we will be updating regularly.
The format may be different but we still have the same top-level educational and informative content thanks to our loyal band of regular contributors who, as always, have delivered in spades.
Canine Communication and Social Behavior
Susan Nilson and Niki Tudge highlight the importance of dog training and behavior professionals being fluent in reading canine communications so they can understand a dog’s emotional state at any given moment in any given context, as well as be able to educate owners when a dog is experiencing a negative emotional state, such as fear, stress, or anxiety
Please Don’t Touch
Susan Claire shares a tale of nature versus nurture based on her experiences with Zia, whose reluctance to be touched led her to seek a behavioral consult to help snap her out of the training impasse she suddenly found herself in
The Right Choice
Anna Bradley discusses learning environments for puppies, explaining why classes may not be the best option for all puppies and why one-to-one training can be far more beneficial – depending on the dog
Ask the Experts: A Little Bit of Magic
Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner dogbiz talks cancellation policies and how to make them stick
The Cornerstones of PPG: Engaging, Educating, and Empowering
Carolyn Menteith speaks to PPG founder and president Niki Tudge about why she started a member organization for force-free training pet professionals, what members and pet owners can expect from PPG, and what sets PPG apart
Cat Sitter or Cattery?
Andrea Carne highlights ways feline behavior professionals can help cat owners decide on the best pet care option when they’re away from home
A Stronger Partnership
To celebrate the recent launch of PPG’s Horses with Voices initiative, Kathie Gregory discusses how we can give our horses a voice, as well as build confidence and resilience, through motivation
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Reinforcing Foraging
Sheila S. Blanchette sets out the steps she used to train Cricket, the lone quail, to step on the scale for weighing, and how she later applied the same protocol for training chickens and roosters
Knowledge for Life
Don Hanson reviews Puppy Socialization: What It Is and How to Do It by Marge Rogers and Eileen Anderson
Animals: The Greatest Teachers of All
BARKS features Anna Francesca Bradley of Perfect Pawz Training and Behaviour Practice in Hexham, UK
March 2022
Fear of Dogs: Expert Tips for Trainers
This article discusses learning to understand how a fear of dogs develops, and presents some strategies ...
Can’t Find the Right Dog Trainer? Become One Yourself!
May 2022
How Animals Learn
This article presents an overview of the types of learning, animal emotions vs. animal behaviors, applied ...
Punishment in Animal Training
This article examines the growing body of research indicating that reward-based training, and the ...
Car Woes: A Tale of Botched Socialization
This article tells the tale of Huckleberry, a dog fearful of riding in the car, and the importance of ...
Teaching My Hound NOT To Hunt
This article details how a dog obsessed with chasing squirrels learned, through repetition and ...
New Beginnings
This article relates the impact the pandemic had on one professional dog trainer’s business and how it ...
10 Steps for a Happy Office Dog
This article provides suggestions and advice for ensuring your dog feels safe and happy as an office dog, ...
Scents and Sense-ability
This article examines a new study that explores the importance cats place on an absent owner’s smell vs. ...
A Masterclass in Enrichment
This article reports on some of the wonderful work being done by the teaching staff and students at a New ...
A Complete Guide to Equine Enrichment
This article presents multiple suggestions for providing enrichment to our horses, including food puzzles ...
Ask the Experts: How to Run a Dog Training Business Online
This article provides guidance on how to move an in-person dog training business to an online dog training ...
Building Your Client an Effective Pet Training Program
This article presents guidelines for dog training professionals to help them build training programs for ...
Because Dogs Are Cool!
July 2022
How Your Donations Are Helping the Animals in Ukraine
By Dr. Marina Bayeva
Dear ...
Examining Training Methods
This article delves into the differences of opinion regarding the philosophical approach and structure ...
The Many Benefits of Using a Therapy Dog in Speech Language Pathology
This article explains how a speech language pathologist uses therapy dogs in her practice to help clients ...
A Beautiful Life with a Visually Impaired Dog
This interview features Lutz, Florida-based trainer Angelica Steinker explaining how she discovered that ...
Ensuring Quality of Life for Blind Dogs
This article sets out tips for how owners of blind dogs can ensure their canines get to live their best ...
Just Say No to Saying “NO!”
This article explains why shouting “NO” at your dog is ineffectual and counterproductive, and outlines ...
Understanding Livestock Guardian Dogs
This article discusses the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs to protect livestock predation, with the aim of ...
Front Door Freakout
This article looks into a dog’s varied emotional states associated with doors and provides three ...
Naughty Dog Syndrome? Say What?!
This article discusses reasons why owners may think that their dog is being ‘naughty’ when, in fact, a ...
Hunting the Elusive Red Dot
This article examines a recent study that explores the downside of laser light pointers in feline play and ...
What If My Dog Doesn’t Like You?
This article sets out steps you can take to help ensure a smooth introduction between your human-reactive ...
Exploring Uncomfortable Truths
This article discusses why the equestrian world has much work to do if it is ever going to grant horses ...