The Pet Professional Guild - News September 2019

September 2019: Issue 45

PPG Announces Workshop Groups for Kanab 2020

PPG has announced details of the workshop groups (see below) for its sixth annual summit in Kanab, Utah in September 2020. Daily workshops will be held in Horse Haven, Piggy Paradise, Dog Town, Wild Friends, Cat World, Bunny House, and Parrot Garden giving Program 2 attendees a variety of options to work with multiple species.

The theme of Kanab 2020 is Collaborative Care and Enrichment – Creating Partnerships for Positive Results and the event features two unique programs:

Program 1: The Three-Day Summit:

Monday, September 21 - Wednesday, September 23, 2020.

Program 2: The Five-Day Summit + Skills Workshop:

Monday, September 21 - Friday, September 25, 2020.

Quick Links:

Event Facebook group

Discounted rates of 20% are available for members plus an additional early bird discount -

Payment plans are available if you sign up before January 31, 2020.

PPAB Issues New Guides for Transferring Credentials

The Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) allows approved industry credentials from external parties to be transferred to its own credentialing program (provided they meet eligibility and ethical criteria) and has issued new study guides for each of its three credentialing levels to clarify the process. By transferring, canine training and behavior professionals who have already obtained a professional qualification will be able to transfer their skills and knowledge without starting the process from scratch, while ensuring they hold a credential that echoes their ethical standpoint.

View the new study guides:

Level 1: Canine Training Technician (CTT-A)

Level 2: Professional Canine Trainer – Accredited (PCT-A)

Level 3: Professional Canine Behavior Consultant – Accredited (PCBC-A)

September BARKS Available Online

The September 2019 digital issue of BARKS from the Guild, the bi-monthly trade publication from the Pet Professional Guild, is now available.

In the wake of New York being the first state to ban the practice of declawing cats, this issue’s Cover Story addresses some of the common myths associated with declawing and highlight some of the potential long-term physical and behavioral effects. Other articles include:

PLUS more Portland 2019 Cool Cats, all the latest PPG news, webinars, and podcasts. View the full Contents page.

To download a PDF version of BARKS, simply click on the link and select the ‘Download’ option. To order a print copy, please contact Rebekah King.

PPG Membership for Rescues

PPG’s Rescue and Shelter Division has a Rescue Membership classification that gives partner organizations access to multiple membership benefits, educational resources and other tools including some rescue collateral for adopters. “As a newly formed committee we are conducting some initial research into the needs of [rescue] organizations, so our efforts best marry with your current goals and requirements,” says Dr. Kelly Lee, committee chair. The committee is also on Facebook so anyone involved in shelters and rescues is invited to join the group.

Cat Committee Expands

Dr. Liz Bales VMD (above) has joined PPG’s Cat Committee. Dr. Bales is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine with a special interest in the behavioral and wellness needs of cats, including behavior and environmental enrichment. She is a writer, speaker and featured expert in all things cat around the globe including appearances on Fox and Friends, ABC News, The Dr. Katy Pet Show and Cheddar. She is also the founder of Doc and Phoebe’s Cat Company, and the inventor of The Indoor Hunting Feeder for cats. Dr. Bales sits on the Dean’s Alumni Council at the University of Pennsylvania, the Advisory Board for AAFP Cat Friendly Practice, and the Advisory Board of Fear Free. "I am delighted serve the Feline Committee of the PPG," said Dr. Bales. "Cat parents want what is best for their beloved cats, but exactly what our cats need remains a mystery to many. Veterinary behavioral science is making huge strides in understanding what cats need to be happy and healthy. As part of the PPG Feline Committee, I will work with my colleagues to promote cat physical and behavioral wellness through science based information and help to create the tools necessary to deliver wellness to all cats." Added PPG Feline Committee chair Paula Garber: "The Feline Committee is thrilled to welcome Dr. Liz Bales. The Committee and PPG’s membership will benefit from her expertise as a veterinarian and someone who is passionate about the behavioral welfare of cats.”

PPG Workshops 2019: Robert Hewings

Dr. Robert Hewings from the UK College of Scent Dogs is coming to PPG Headquarters in Tampa, Florida in November 2019 to present two programs:

#1 Become an Accredited Scent Instructor: Saturday, November 9 - Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

#2 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Assistance Dog Training: Monday, November 18 - Tuesday, November 19, 2019.

CEUs available for both events. Working and auditor spots are available for both. More details and how to register here.

PPG Workshops 2019: Craig Ogilvie

Highly experienced certified canine behaviorist and trainer, police dog training instructor and mondioring decoy, Craig Ogilvie will be in the US for the first time to present a two-day workshop, Communication, Interaction, Arousal & Problematic Behaviors - A Practical Guide to Understanding, Implementing and Overcoming, on October 12-13, 2019 at PPG’s Tampa, Florida HQ.

Member Brags

PPG Australia member Charlotte Smithson from the Perth Animal Training Specialists has been on air with Perth Tonight discussing her Escape the Snake^TM program that teaches dogs to recognize snakes and warn their owners about the presence of a snake.

Upcoming:

Wednesday, September 25, 2019 – 1 p.m. EST

Guest: Amy C. Martin, owner of Conscious Companion™.

Topic: Cats, Kids, and Compassion.

Fill out this form if you’d like to submit a question to any of the guests or hosts.

Previous:

August 22, 2019: Tabitha Kucera, certified cat behavior consultant, co-chair of PPG’s Feline Committee and owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat Behavior Consulting and Training and Positively Pawsitive Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio, discusses kitten socialization

View the full schedule of upcoming BARKS Podcasts here.

Find and listen to earlier BARKS Podcasts here.

Wednesday, September 18 - 2 p.m. EDT

Top Tips for Supporting a Client with a Rescue Dog Presented by Nathalie Ingham

Tuesday, October 8 - 1 p.m. EDT

Re-think Trigger Stacking. Presented by Sarah Fisher

Friday, October 18 - 4 p.m. EDT

From Formal to Functional - Using Comprehensive Information to Effectively Assess Animals Presented by Dr. Carley Faughn

Discounted Webinars - This Month ONLY!

PPG is offering selected webinars at a discount this month (discount valid till September 30, 2019).

Lining up the How, What and Why of Training. Presented by Alexandra Kurland

Brains, Bowls & Bull. Presented by Dr. Nick Thompson

The Sekara Diaries: Working Through the Challenges. Presented by Louise Ginman

Trust Centered Training. Presented by Judy Luther

Feline Foraging Toys: How to Implement, Motivate, and Stage the Difficulty Level. Presented by Ingrid Johnson

The PPG Archive holds approx. 3,000 articles, blogs and videos. Here's a selection of what's been added this month:

Compatibility of Cats With Children in the Family - Lynette A. Hart, Benjamin L. Hart, Abigail P. Thigpen, Neil H. Willits, Leslie A. Lyons and Stefanie Hundenski

Kids and Dogs: How Kids Should and Should Not Interact with Dogs – Dr. Sophia Yin

12 Facts about Canine PTSD – Lori Hickey

ASU researcher shows how stress hormones promote brain's building of negative memories - Margaret Coulombe

Teaching Your Horse Good Food Manners - Callie King

The rough guide to the stress response - Jessica Perry Hekman

Emotional Pain in Animals: An Invisible World of Hurt - Jessica Pierce

This algorithm decodes rat squeaks and could revolutionize animal research- William Poor

Behavioral and neural correlates of hide-and-seek in rats – Annika Stefanie Reinhold, Juan Ignacio Sanguinetti-Scheck, Konstantin Hartmann, Michael Brecht

Reactions of Infants and Toddlers to Live and Toy Animals - Aline H. Kidd, Robert M. Kidd

Clicker training videos for cats - beginner & advanced tutorials – IamCaspar

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Dogs - Wag!

Myth Monday: Training with Food rewards causes pushy Horses - Sandra Poppema

Dopamine reward prediction error coding - Wolfram Schultz

Xylitol Toxicity in Dogs – Dr. Ahna Brutlag

Inside the Mind of a Traumatized Dog. Does Canine PTSD exist, and if so, is it similar to PTSD in humans?- Sarah Drobny, Dr. Leah Miller

See the full PPG Archive.