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BARKS Podcast with Molly Neher and Jennifer Kolar of Atlas Assistance Dogs

BARKS Podcast with Molly Neher and Jennifer Kolar of Atlas Assistance Dogs

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Molly Neher and Jennifer Kolar of PPG corporate partner Atlas Assistance Dogs. Atlas Assistance Dogs states its mission as follows: "Atlas fundamentally expands access to assistance dogs. We support ...
BARKS News – August 2021

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 ...
Great Expectations

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 ...

Latest Articles

Thinking Outside the (Litter) Box

By Marilyn Krieger Litter box avoidance is one of the most common reasons cats are surrendered to shelters and euthanized.  It is so sad and so unnecessary. Although the problem is hard to live with, it is also one of the easiest to solve.  Some of the solutions are simple — others are more ...

Letting Go of Puppyhood Things …

When should a dog stop sleeping in a crate? Most people, when faced with this question, will think about whether the dog can be trusted in the house unsupervised: Will she sleep through the night? Can I leave her alone without worrying that she'll chew on things? Does she know that she's ...

A Positive Outlook on Canine Aggression

It usually starts when I receive a call from a distressed client who informs me that their dog is, or has, suddenly turned 'aggressive.' They tell me their dog has 'challenged' them in some way: baring teeth, snarling, growling or may have even bitten (with various degrees of severity). ...

An Open Letter on Defining, Determining and Maintaining Best Practices within Our Force-Free Organization

Each year I am reminded of the importance of PPG's Guiding Principles and our ability to manage them on a daily basis. As I read through them yesterday I felt it would be a good reminder for each of us to read this article written by Debra Millikan DipABST, DipDTBC, PAB in 2012 on how ...

Is Calm Really Just Another Behavior?

What is the most difficult thing to teach our dogs? Coming back or a great recall? While I do agree that this is a difficult behavior, I do think teaching calm is much more difficult. Being calm is not the same as a cued ‘sit stay’ or ‘down stay’. Without becoming too airy fairy: Calm is ...

Electronic Containment System or Ambush Predator?

Much has been written about electronic shock (training) devices in their various forms. With all models a dog wears a collar fitted with an electronic device with two metal rods touching the neck of the dog, delivering electric shock. Delivery systems fall into three categories: 1) A person ...

How to Stop a Dog From Digging

Why do dogs dig? One of the questions I get a lot from my dog training clients is how to stop a dog from digging. This may be followed up with asking me why dogs dig in the first place. As with any dog behavior question, the answer can be summed up in two words, “it depends.” I know, probably ...

Getting It Right First Time

By Marilyn Krieger Like any pet, cats enhance lives and make a house a home. They excel at helping their people unwind after a stressful day. There is nothing quite as comforting as having a cat serenely napping nearby. Although cats bring joy and are great companions, they are a lifetime ...

Where Do You Stand on Raw Diets for Dogs?

A recent Canine Corner post by Dr. Stanley Coren, a well-known writer on canine cognition, strongly suggests that raw diets are unsafe. I’d like to present an opposing view of this often contentious question. Full disclosure: I feed Cali a partially raw diet; I did the same for Jana for ...