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Me, the Pet Professional Guild, and My Village People

By Coleen Ellis I’m just coming off an amazing weekend with yet another Pet Loss and Grief Companioning Certification class under my belt! Not unlike any of the other classes, the attendees are all about animals! Just like every other class, it’s a fabulous few days spent with my tribe! ...

Quick Cat Behavior Tip: Counter Surfing

By the Pet Professional Guild Cat Committee Important Reminders about the Behavior Getting up high is a natural feline behavior that enables cats to survey their territory and feel safe. Other reasons cats might jump onto counters include to obtain food, look out a window, get ...

PPG Summit 2020 Sessions: Zen Games – Should I Stay or Should I Go?

BARKS presents session details from PPG's 2020 Summit and Workshops in Phoenix, Arizona Session Details: Presenter: Dr. Deborah Jones Session Title: Zen Games - Should I Stay or Should I Go? Session Type: Lecture/Lab (1.5 Hours) As trainers, we use Zen games as a way to teach dogs the ...

Dog Behaviour and Managing Our Frustrations

We wouldn't be human if frustration didn't sometimes creep in when managing our dogs, particularly when helping them overcome training and behavior related issues. I don't think it's possible not to experience these emotions and I never blame owners for feeling exasperated or at the end of ...

Feline Behavior Unmasked: Emesis in Cats – Common but Not Normal

By Dr. Liz Bales  Q: I have 2 cats. One throws up constantly. She has thicker fur (she a tortie) than the other. I try to brush her as often as I can but she's not a huge fan. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! A: This is such an important and misunderstood topic. We can help a lot ...

Official News Release: PPG Announces Virtual Summit to Celebrate Launch of New Pet Rescue Resource

April event will mark unveiling of Behavior and Welfare Toolkit, specifically designed to help increase adoption and retention rates in the shelter and rescue sector WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – February 17, 2020 -- The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has announced an educational Virtual Summit ...

The Five Freedoms and Shirley

I had planned to write about a different topic today, but life often gets in the way of our plans -- such as having to euthanize one of my pets yesterday. She was just shy of 15 years and that is very old, for sheep. Her name was Shirley and she has a story to tell. My wife and I first met ...

Jumping…A Perfectly Incompatible Solution!

As an animal behavior consultant, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, 'How do I stop my dog from jumping up?'  Now there are, of course, multiple reasons why dogs may jump up - excitement, learned responses to given contexts, continued reinforcement (whether intended or ...