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Fun Canine Nose Work in the Shelter
Congratulations to Kristin Laurene! This post won runner up in the 2022 Canine Scent Writing Competition.
It is definitely not a news flash to any dog owner that a dog’s sense of smell is its strongest. It is also not surprising to hear about dogs stuck in shelter environments getting bored ...
Building the ‘Super Learner’
By Kate Mallatratt
One of my behavior colleagues posed a very interesting question recently, “If you always set your dog up for success and aim for errorless learning, are you ...
BARKS Podcast with Dr. Kristina Spaulding of Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior
Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Dr. Kristina Spaulding of PPG corporate partner, Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior.
The trio ...
Latest Articles
Muzzles Schmuzzles…Not “Just Another Piece of Kit!”
Saying the word “muzzle,” suggesting the use of and/or using one, or seeing a dog wearing one can have negative connotations for some. But why? Perhaps because we have become used to seeing guard dogs or so-called aggressive dogs wearing them. They are used by the military, armed forces and ...
Quick Cat Behavior Tip: Petting-Induced Aggression
By the Pet Professional Guild Cat Committee
Petting-induced aggression is a commonly reported feline behavior issue whereby adoring owners often find themselves at a loss to understand why their beloved kitty is so accepting of their affection one moment, only to go completely on the ...
BARKS Podcast with Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis Animal Behavior Consulting: June 12, 2020
Every Friday, PPG President Niki Tudge hosts a Facebook Live session for PPG members in the PPG Member group. In the Friday June 12, 2020 session, we talked punishment with Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis Animal Behavior Consulting, as well as the ethics construct as a side model to science, ...
Reinforce the Behavior You Prefer
Last night I was relaxing on the screened porch with my Labradors, Buddha and Gandhi. The porch faces the backyard and leads to a deck. It is a comfortable and quiet spot where we spend a lot of time and enjoy watching the wildlife. Living in the countryside means the variety of wildlife ...
It’s a Dog’s Life
By Cecelia Sumner
Not surprisingly, I love living with dogs. I embrace their essential dogginess. Barking, jumping, digging, hunting, these are all normal canine behaviors. I recognize I need to provide an outlet for these behaviors to keep my dogs happy and stress-free.
Many pet owners ...
BARKS Podcast with Dr. Kristina Spaulding of Smart Dog Training and Behavior: June 5, 2020
Every Friday, PPG President Niki Tudge hosts a Facebook Live session for PPG members. We were privileged on Friday June 5, 2020 to host Dr. Kristina Spaulding of Smart Dog Training and Behavior where we explored and discussed stress! We can all benefit from knowledge about stress and how this ...
Setting the Right Criteria
By K. Holden Svirsky
Guppy, a young male “pit bull” and German shepherd dog mix, didn’t know how to sit. Or, more accurately, he didn’t know how to sit on cue. To be considered adoptable by the suburban families that frequented the shelter, this was a pretty important behavior. Guppy was ...
Lockdown to Normality…What Does It Mean for Dogs?
I've spent a lot of time over these last few weeks writing about how to help dogs and their guardians during the somewhat challenging situation of social distancing and lockdown posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, how do we cope with restricted exercise, the lack of social contact, ...
Feline Behavior Unmasked: Superfecundation
By Beth Adelman
Q: I recently adopted two young cats that the shelter told me are littermates. But one is a black shorthair and the other is orange and kind of fluffy, and they’re actually not much alike. If they were really siblings, wouldn’t they be more like each other?
A: Cats from ...