BARKS Podcast with the PPG Advocacy Panel: Discussion #1 – How to Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Training
How to Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Training Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on How to Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Training. Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson and PPG President Niki Tudge Your Advocacy Panel includes: Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Dr. Zazie Todd, Pat Miller, Kristi Benson, Helen Phillips, Holden Svirsky, Sam Wike, Claire Staines, Dr. Robert Hewings, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Kim Silver, Judy Luther,… Continued
Pet Professional Guild Launches ‘Horses with Voices’ Initiative
OFFICIAL PPG NEWS RELEASE | LECANTO, Fla. – Aug. 30, 2021 – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has launched its Horses with Voices initiative, the primary aim of which is to improve companion equid* welfare by educating and empowering owners to commit to a higher standard of care for all species, from stabling practices to training practices and more. Horses with Voices takes the format of a seven-point pledge whereby owners, guardians and caretakers commit to advocating for their equid companions while striving to create a harmonious and equal partnership with them. Each individual point… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Geek Week Presenters Irith Bloom, Paula Garber, Julie Naismith, Suzanne Clothier, and Dr. Simon Gadbois
Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Irith Bloom, Paula Garber, Julie Naismith, Suzanne Clothier, and Dr. Simon Gadbois about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Listen as they explore their topics and what registrants can expect to learn from each of their sessions. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. Find out more about Irith Bloom, Paula Garber, Julie Naismith, Suzanne Clothier, and Dr. Simon Gadbois in our Geek Week 2021 Presenters Guide. To find out more about the… Continued
Pet Professional Guild Announces Corporate Partnership with Zigzag Puppy Training App
OFFICIAL PPG NEWS RELEASE | LECANTO, Fla. – Aug. 23, 2021 – PRLog — The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has announced a new corporate partnership with Zigzag, an all-in-one puppy training app designed to help puppy parents teach their pups core life skills using positive reinforcement-based methodology. The app will be available to the public starting August 30, 2021. As part of the new partnership, the PPG Canine Committee will provide technical support to help users with app navigation and FAQs. In cases where additional support from a trainer or behavior consultant is requested or needed, the puppy… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Geek Week Presenters Dr. Laura Donaldson, Simone Mueller, and Dr. Holly Tett
Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Dr. Laura Donaldson, Simone Mueller, and Dr. Holly Tett about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Listen as they explore their topics and what registrants can expect to learn from each of their sessions. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. Find out more about Dr. Laura Donaldson, Simone Mueller, and Dr. Holly Tett in our Geek Week 2021 Presenters Guide. To find out more about the sessions discussed in this BARKS Podcast,… Continued
An Open Letter to Animal Shelters and Rescues
By the Pet Professional Guild Geek Week 2021 “For the Love of Rescue”: Supporting Shelter and Rescue Continued Professional Development A day does not go by where we, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) do not see and recognize all the hard work and emotional investment that you and your team put into rescuing, housing, and rehabilitating thousands of pets in need. Often this work is completed on strained budgets over many hours, utilizing hundreds of unskilled volunteers. Given the constraints many rescue organizations find themselves facing, the results and achievements… Continued
BARKS News – August 2021
Listen to the August 2021 edition of BARKS News! Highlights include: PPG Advocacy Panel Shock-Free Coalition ‘Tag It’ Competition Winners Volunteers needed for new Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals Committee New PPG Corporate Partner: UnChase PPG board and staff news Geek Week 2021 – Early Bird discount till August 31, 2021 / Updated presenter list / Second scholarship tickets awarded This month’s Dog Lounge Upcoming Facebook Live events New BARKS Podcasts Sneak peek at September BARKS from the Guild PPAB fee waiver This month’s live and discounted webinars New on the Guild Archive…and more. Prefer… Continued
Great Expectations
By Rachel Brix Depending on the area you are looking in, there may be a variety of boarding facilities to choose from, so it can be a daunting task to try to figure out which one is the best place for your dog to stay. Budget is, of course, always a consideration, but beyond that how do you choose? In my experience, there are a number of factors to think about, and also some red flags to look out for. Personality: Selecting a boarding facility should be as much about… Continued
The Physical Effects of Harmful Training Devices
By Niki Tudge and Susan Nilson* In addition to the potential psychological effects of using training devices that cause pain or evoke fear, there is also the issue of possible physical damage to consider. We present here a variety of perspectives offered by veterinarians, canine research scientists, a professional dog trainer, and an engineer: Thyroid Gland “The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ just in front of the larynx and trachea, and the mandibular salivary glands are found on the side of the face just below the ears. Thus, they… Continued
Grab the Positives and Keep Going!
I don’t know what it is lately… Maybe it is something to do with the pandemic and all the associated stress, but recently I have met a lot of pet owners who are really struggling. I don’t know how much of a thing this is generally, but I am definitely coming across a growing number of people who are concerned about whether what they are doing is the right thing, or that what they are doing may be completely wrong, or if others will think that what they are doing… Continued
Is Love Enough?
By June Pennell I would love to be able to say that love is enough to help a troubled dog. Indeed, perhaps it is enough for a dog without any behavior issues or a troubled background. Perhaps. But although the idea that you can help a dog (in this case, one who is reactive towards other dogs or strangers) purely by showing him that he is loved may be an attractive one, is it actually possible? I would say, “probably not.” So many of us (me included) would like our… Continued
Pet Professional Guild Establishes Advocacy Panel to Broaden Educational Reach
OFFICIAL PPG NEWS RELEASE | LECANTO, Fla. – July 29, 2021 – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has established an Advocacy Panel as part of its key mission to support pet guardian education and make it accessible to a wider audience. PPG considers it to be critical that pet guardians are equipped with the tools they need to ask informed questions of training and behavior professionals prior to hiring, so they are aware of what training philosophy, equipment and methods will be implemented. As such, the newly-launched Advocacy Panel will host a series… Continued
A Life without Pets
By Fiona De Rosa and Fiona Warton As the aging population of the western world increases, more people are finding themselves moving from their own homes and into aged care accommodations. This can mean that companion animals get left behind, with the new living arrangements unable to accommodate pets. At this time of life, it can be especially distressing for older people to leave not only their community and social networks, but their companion animals too. It is undoubtedly a less than ideal scenario, given that research shows companion animals… Continued
Stimulation for Psittacines
By Amy Martin Physical and mental stimulation is vital to every species on the planet. Squid, poison dart frogs, pigs, rats, cats, tortoises, spiders, jaguars, sheep, dogs, ferrets, parrots, you name it, they all need daily stimulation. Enrichment is a fundamental component of responsible, preventative companion parrot care. But how can we ensure the parrots we care for are getting enough? Vital For Well-Being Studies have shown that when animals are provided with a stimulating environment, they are less stressed, live longer and are better able to develop problem-solving skills,… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Zazie Todd of Companion Animal Psychology: July 16, 2021
PPG president Niki Tudge chats to Zazie Todd, animal behavior expert and award-winning author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy, and creator of the Companion Animal Psychology blog. Listen to Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. Zazie Todd Ph.D. (psychology, University of Nottingham, England) MFA (creative writing, University of British Columbia, Canada) graduated with honors from Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers and has a Certificate of Feline Behaviour with Distinction from International Cat Care. She is a shelter affiliate member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a… Continued
BARKS News – July 2021
Listen to the July 2021 edition of BARKS News! Highlights include: Geek Week 2021 – Early Bird discount available till July 31, 2021! / Special options for shelter and rescue / Schedule now available / First scholarship tickets awarded Upcoming Facebook Live events This month’s Cat and Dog Lounges Project Trade update New BARKS Podcasts July BARKS from the Guild PPAB fee waiver This month’s live and discounted webinars New on the Guild Archive…and more. Prefer to read your BARKS News? Click here to read BARKS News online.
BARKS Podcast with Helen Phillips and Jules Morgan of The Gun Dog Trainers Academy: July 9, 2021
Helen Phillips and Jules Morgan of PPG corporate partner Gundog Trainers Academy chat about positive gundog training and the increasing demand for ethical gundog training, as well as all the great work they are doing in the UK. Listen to Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. About the Guests Helen Phillips is the owner of Gundog Trainers Academy in the UK and is a qualified teacher and an animal training instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). Helen taught a canine training and behavior… Continued
Meet Geek Week 2021 – The Sequel
By the Pet Professional Guild We’re Back – and Better than Ever! Geek Week: November 13-17, 2021 Early Bird Discount till July 31! We had so much fun last year and learned so much about hosting virtual events that we only had one choice: hit the replay button to bring you Geek Week 2021 – The Sequel. It’s not just a repeat event. It includes all the best from Geek Week 2020 and more. Based on attendees’ professional feedback, we have incorporated many of last year’s most popular features, and added… Continued
The Problem with “Furry Little Humans”
By Andrea Carne Let’s open this discussion with the whole cats vs. dogs “thing.” Honestly, why do we continue to debate this ongoing battle of the species? Social media is filled with cartoons and memes depicting the supposedly obvious differences and, while I can enjoy the funny side as much as anyone else, there is a serious side to the argument when it comes to actual research. Case in point: A new study by Chijiiwa et al. (2021) on cat behavior has already gained a lot of press this year,… Continued
5 Ways to Streamline Your Business as a Pet Professional
By PPG corporate partner, PocketSuite One of the big lessons for pet professionals in the last year and a half is that even a pandemic doesn’t have to tank your business. While many other sectors suffered, pet professionals benefited from the “pandemic puppy” trend, which created even greater demand. But with health concerns at the forefront, the most successful businesses had to innovate and streamline to take advantage of the trend. These changes leave them well poised for growth as recovery begins. Here’s how you can follow their example and… Continued
The Emotions of Reactivity
Reactivity refers to canine behavior whereby a dog is over aroused by something in the environment. For some dogs it may be the sight of another dog. For others, it may be a child riding a bike or a jogger passing by the window. Or any number of things. The behavior response includes an abrupt increase in tension and arousal, which may be manifested in repeated barking and/or lunging, a display of teeth designed to be threatening/intimidating, or various other behaviors which guardians often perceive to be aggressive. The next… Continued
Resource Guarding vs. Rule Setting: Training and Management
How do we know if we’re dealing with resource guarding or rule setting? For me, the answer lies in a constellation of observable behaviors which, taken together, tell the tale. I think of this as The Zones. Ownership Zone: This is the actual physical space in which the dog has ownership of or control of the resource. Defense of Possession Zone: Where is the point where the dog feels that his control of a resource may be threatened in some way? Where is defense of possession triggered? Influence Zone: Where… Continued
A Positive Strategy
As I set up my dog on the start line of an agility course, I want her to feel excited and exhilarated. At the same time, I also want her to feel relaxed within the environment and completely engaged with me, focused on my communication and maintaining our connection throughout this adventure together. In human psychology we talk about ‘flow’ as being ‘in the zone,’ i.e. giving the task at hand our full attention, oblivious to whatever else is happening. Flow is also what we want to achieve with our… Continued
Lessons in Empathy
By Kathy Wolff According to Wikipedia (2021), empathy is the “capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of emotional states.” “Hi, my name is Kathy, and I’m a Nervous Nellie.” At least, that’s the cutsie polite little name we used to call it when I was younger. I was someone who always saw the glass half empty, worried about what was going to happen… Continued
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