New Content
The Bigger Picture
By Morag Heirs
Within my day to day life as a canine professional, I am regularly asked for advice on cases where standard training approaches seem to be failing. In some of these cases, deafness or visual impairment is also part of the picture.
The case* I will talk about here illustrates ...
BARKS Podcast with Paula Garber and Tabitha Kucera of the PPG Feline Committee: December 4, 2020
Niki Tudge, PPG president, chats with the PPG Feline Committee chair, Paula Garber and vice-chair, Tabitha Kucera about all things feline. Topics range from pet cats and veterinary visits, to ...
What Makes a Cat a Cat?
By Dr. Liz Bales
What is the essence of a cat? When we understand what motivates a cat’s behavior, we understand what to expect from a cat — as a human companion and a companion to other cats ...
Latest Articles
How Long Will I Have To Treat My Dog?
By Fran Berry, CPDT-KA
Of all the questions I receive, “How long will I have to treat my dog?” tops the list!
It seems that some humans are resistant to give their dogs “treats” during training; their opinions run the gamut of “Dogs should do things because I say so.” to “I don’t want my ...
Get With Your Money Pet Professionals & Small Business Owners!
by Niki Tudge
Numbers! Numbers! Numbers! Wherever you go, you are bound to see numbers. Addresses, license plates, phones, prices and of course, money! Numbers connect us all to each other in many more ways than we might imagine. Our world revolves around numbers. Some of us enjoy dealing ...
Pet Loss and Grieving
In my opinion, the only downside to having a dog is the brevity of their life span. Recently, I said good bye to my canine friend of 15 years, Dale. Dale had a good long life for a large dog, but it was still too short to me.
I will be forever grateful for all the things she taught me. ...
Pet Professional Guild Celebrates National Mutt Day with Mutts Gallery; Poignant Tales of Rescue
Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is celebrating National Mutt Day with the creation of its very own Mutts’ Gallery. The gallery features photos of PPG supporters’ mutts along with incredible tales of their rescues, their achievements once given a second chance in life and the ...
Be Brave – Take a Stand, Move Shock Off The Table!
by Niki Tudge
For a force-free trainer, shock collars are off the table. There is never a need or time when considering using one would be acceptable. Why?
An effective pet dog training program is one component of your dog’s physical, mental, environmental and nutritional ...
What Does “Aggressive” Look Like Anyway?
I was recently looking for photos of dogs displaying “aggressive behavior” for an article in BARKS from the Guild, the quarterly publication produced by the Pet Professional Guild. There were plenty of them in the image library. Pictures of dogs showing their teeth that is. The only problem ...
Enjoyable Walks: More Than Just Dog Training – a Holistic Approach
This is the story of a new client I went to the other day with two three-year-old re-homed German Shepherds: Princess and Duke. I was called because walks are a nightmare for the whole family, the lady in particular.
First a bit of background.
The five family members are very conscientious ...
A Little Truth in Advertising, Please
Can a dog trainer advertise that they’re “force-free” and then strap a shock collar on your dog? Surprisingly, they can — and some do. This puts dog owners in a bad place if you believe positive training is the only acceptable way to help your furry friend learn your rules. How do you wade ...
It’ll Be a Cold Day in July…
Thanks to the polar vortex, Lexington, KY enjoyed near-record low temperatures in the mid-50s (Fahrenheit) and lower humidity this past week of July. I took advantage and walked Zip and Trevor in my neighborhood after work most evenings. One evening Zip and I shared dinner ...