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Time, Space and Choices: Improving Welfare for Shelter Cats with Dr. Zazie Todd’s Purr


by K. Holden Svirsky “Cats are jewels,” I told my family after visiting Cat Town in Oakland, California. I felt lit up, like something magical had happened in the hour I’d spent there, kneeling on the floor in the open-space “cat zone,” and later peeking into the special studios of the adoption center. I was eager to see what I’d learned from reading Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd, PhD, come to life and practice. While chatting with Cat Town’s program manager, Dilara Göksel Parry, CCBC,… Continued


How Writing a Book on Canine Behavior Changed My Life


by Annie Phenix When my publisher’s acquisition editor called me out of the blue in July 2021 to ask if I would write a second edition to my first canine behavior book, The Midnight Dog Walkers, my immediate response was a firm “no.” I had many reasons to decline. I had removed myself from the arena, so to speak, and wasn’t active in training groups or going to conferences. I considered myself semi-retired, and while I still consulted with dog owners, my focus was not on the dog training industry… Continued


20 Problems With Punishment in Animal Training


by Dr. Karolina Westlund Recently there was a video post in my Facebook feed that caught my attention. Typically, on Facebook, I’m a bit of a lurker. I’m not very active, and when I do watch videos I often don’t share, like or comment – even when perhaps I should. This time, I watched, feeling my jaw gradually dropping in disbelief, and then I actually left a comment. I wrote: “I’m speechless”. And that was it. I know, kinda lame. But I didn’t have time for an essay, and then… Continued


The Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Grain-Free Pet Food Debacle


Was It Bad Science or Shameless Greed and Fraud? by Don Hanson There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that feeding your dog grain-free or BEG (boutique, exotic ingredient, grain-free) diets puts them at increased risk for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), according to an update on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website (FDA, 2022). This is excellent news! People can now feed their pets a grain-free or BEG diet without fear. However, it is also tragic news, as how this investigation was handled was a travesty. It… Continued


Common Stumbling Blocks to Behavioral Recovery for Dogs and How to Overcome Them


  by Diane Garrod In response to a survey of more than 1,000 pet parents in the United States by Kinship Partners (2021), 62% said their top priority is their pets’ happiness, and 80% said their pets deserve more of their time. Seventy-one percent said they could not have survived the pandemic without their pets. (A link to the full results of the survey and infographics can be found in the references.) Even so, pet parents often have unrealistic expectations of their dogs, and when addressing a behavior problem, these… Continued


Meet Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training


  Laura Cassiday takes cat owners from hopeless to hopeful using her feline expertise and force-free training techniques.   Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what you are doing now? I studied English and professional writing in college and grad school, and worked a couple of writing and editing jobs. In 2017, I was so bored and miserable that I just quit without any real plans. I took some time to figure out what I wanted to do with… Continued


PPG Advocacy Panel: What Do You Do When You’re the Only Force-Free Professional in Town?


Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on What Do You Do When You’re the Only Force-Free Professional in Town? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format.   Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson   Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: PPG Founder and President Niki Tudge, Debbie Sheridan, Kim Silver, Sue Kocher, Judy Luther and Beth Adelman.   Mentioned links: Advocating Together (article) PPG’s Guiding Principles Listen to the Podcast here on a choice… Continued


Pets, Emotions and Anthropomorphism


by Don Hanson Emotions are complicated and messy. So much so that as a youngster watching Star Trek in the 1960s, I was attracted to the Vulcan ethos of suppressing all emotion and replacing it with logic. However, I eventually learned that without emotion, we are devoid of joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love. But, unfortunately, the price for those positive feelings is negative emotions such as anger, emptiness, frustration, inadequacy, helplessness, fear, guilt, loneliness, depression, feeling overwhelmed, resentment, failure, sadness and jealousy. The fact… Continued


Advocating Together—The Mission, Vision and Values of the Pet Professional Guild


by Niki Tudge Each of us wants to bring about change in our industry. We yearn for a day when pain and fear are no longer used in the training and care of pets. We have a mammoth job ahead of us, and it most certainly is not a sprint but a marathon. It is possible to hold professional autonomy and support your choice of humane hierarchy while also taking a stand and position against the use and application of tools designed with one purpose: to inflict pain or fear.… Continued


Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Winter Outdoor Safety Tips for Pets


Just like people, dogs vary in how well they tolerate cold weather. In addition to significant physical injuries like frostbite and hypothermia, exposure to cold weather conditions can cause dogs (and cats) undue stress and suffering. Here are some tips from the Pet Professional Guild for keeping pets safe, comfortable and happy during the cold winter months. As with smaller breeds of dogs, be extra cautious when allowing cats outdoors in cold weather.      


Crossover Trainer Regine Manicom Uses a Better and Kinder Way to Get Amazing Results


Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what are you doing now? I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph, and animal behavior has always been of special interest to me. I started out just training my own dogs. Sadly, my first two dogs were trained with choke chains (there was nothing else around, and I didn’t know any better), but in the late 1980s, I was introduced to Ian Dunbar and then Karen Pryor… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Jeanette Davis of Feline Rescue Association and Silver Whiskers Animal Rescue


Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also with the PPG Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Jeanette Davis of the Feline Rescue Association and Silver Whiskers Animal Rescue in Baltimore, Maryland, about keeping community cats warm in the winter. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded on December 23, 2022.   Jeanette Davis is a professional cat lady who lives in Baltimore, MD. She manages over 10 colonies in the Baltimore area and regularly engages… Continued


Tips for Ensuring Safe and Happy Holidays for People and Dogs


By Niki Tudge All behaviors that dogs exhibit are designed either to access pleasurable situations and desirable objects or to avoid and escape unpleasant situations and undesirable objects. (Note: This is based on what each individual dog considers to pleasant or unpleasant, not the human, and it is important to be aware that the canine and human opinions may differ in any given situation!) A dog’s communication systems are greatly ritualized, and have evolved specifically to avoid or cut off conflict. This has made dogs, as a species, very successful… Continued


What Is Enrichment for Animals?


  by Diane Garrod When the term “enrichment” is verbalized, its meaning is often not clearly understood. When I’ve asked clients, “What enrichment does your dog get?” I’ve gotten answers like ball play or a walk, or a long pause of nothing because the client is not sure what enrichment is or means. This got me thinking about the differing categories of enrichment for animals and led me to dig deeper into the science and definition of enrichment. Is it the same for dogs as it is for horses and… Continued


Canine Enrichment with Scent Detection


By Emily Coleman In early November 2022, my dog Deja and I journeyed off to the sunny climes of Crystal River, Florida, in search of adventure! And odor … By this I mean we attended the Pet Professional Guild’s three-day Scent and Scentability workshop.    Expert detection-dog handlers Dr. Robert and Karen Hewings, both retired professional police dog handlers, provided loads of valuable insight. Robert and Karen now run the UK College of Scent Dogs and were kicking off an international tour. In total, they presented five days of quality… Continued


One for the Birds


by Lara Joseph Aviaries are large outdoor enclosures designed to give birds space to fly, walk, learn and explore in a naturally occurring environment. Providing an aviary in which to train birds is an important form of enrichment for them. Birds, like other animals learn, from their environments. Birds with behavior problems might scream, pluck, or resort to nesting behaviors. Conversely, birds in aviaries have an opportunity to interact with their environments in positive ways and can demonstrate positive behaviors to replace abnormal, repetitive, or undesired behaviors. An aviary improves a… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Sandra Grossmann of The Feline Consultant


Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also with the PPG Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Sandra Grossmann of The Feline Consultant about feline nutrition and feeding cats. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded on November 18, 2022.   Sandra Grossmann is a certified feline training and behavior specialist (CFTBS) through the Animal Behavior Institute and a Cat-Friendly certified veterinary assistant. Prior to working as a feline behavior and nutrition consultant, she worked… Continued


Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: Licensing vs. Industry Certification


  This article is excerpted from the book, Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, authored by Niki J. Tudge, Susan J. Nilson, Debra A. Millikan and Louise A. Stapleton-Frappell (pp. 14-21). The book is available as a free download from DogNostics Career Center or in print from Amazon. According to Roth and Ramlow (2016), “Americans have always been rooted in the idea of economic freedom.” In other words, Americans tend to be of the belief that hard work… Continued


PPG Podcast with the PPG Advocacy Panel: Discussion #15 – Top Tips on How to Network and Spread the Mission


Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Top Tips on How to Network and Spread the Mission Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format.   Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson   Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion includes: Aaron Jones of the PPG Inclusivity Division and PPG Shelter and Rescue Division, Linda Michaels, Kim Silver, Dr. Karolina Westlund and Monique Williams of the PPG Equid Division. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of… Continued


When Cat Guardians (and Their Cats) Are at the End of Their Rope, Bonnie Comes to the Rescue


Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself, how you first got into animal behavior and training and what you are doing now. A: I live in Missouri with my husband of 20 years along with two cats, one gerbil and some fish. I volunteer at Wayside Waifs, where I previously worked for nearly 11 years as their feline care manager. I helped develop behavior and socialization programs to help increase each cat’s chances of adoption. I also love dogs! I love to travel, and most recently we went to… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas of dogbiz


Join PPG’s Kelly Fahey and PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas of dogbiz about their THRIVE! program. THRIVE! is an online program of dogbiz’s that provides group coaching and a supportive community to help R+ dog trainers and their businesses thrive. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below.   Recorded on October 21, 2022.


Chat & Chuckle with Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training


Join Niki Tudge and PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training as they chat about cat declawing, current legislation banning the procedure and ways to advocate for cats to keep their claws. Apologies in advance for some audio issues in this episode! Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below.   Recorded on October 14, 2022.


Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Maker of Shock Collar Products


By Niki Tudge Good news! A class-action lawsuit has been filed in California against Radio Systems, maker of shock collar products. The story has been picked up by Bloomberg Law and several other sites.   Excerpt from the filing:   “This is a consumer class action arising out of misrepresentations and omissions by Radio Systems in connection with its manufacture, sale, marketing, and advertising of shock collar products under the brand name PetSafe® (the “Shock Collar Products”). Shock Collar Products are devices that deliver electric shocks to household pets via a collar worn… Continued



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