About Us
How It All Got Started
I left the store in tears. How could this happen in a well-respected, nationally-recognized pet store? I got into my car where my husband sat waiting, now looking concerned. “What’s the matter, what happened?” he asked. I had only come in to town to buy some supplies for our pet resort. But about half way through my shopping, I heard a horrible scream, a dog’s scream, from another aisle. Thinking a dog must be in trouble, instinct took over and, leaving my shopping cart, I rushed to help. But what I saw sickened me. In the middle of the aisle I found a dog “trainer” shrieking ‘NO’ while hanging a dog in the air using a leather leash and a choke chain. The dog’s owner stood to one side, perplexed, helplessly watching her beloved pet suffer at the hands of this trainer. I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned. What I saw was so brutal and inhumane. And so pointless. Don’t we know better by now? Haven’t we all read the scientific studies? Don’t we all understand the needless cruelty and ineffectiveness of such methods? I immediately sought out the manager who told me simply, “Oh, it’s one of our trainers, off duty, running a reactive dog class.” Horrified, I abandoned my shopping cart where it was and left the store. In tears. I couldn’t understand how this could be happening? What could I do about it, I asked myself? I figured there had to be other trainers like me who were not okay with the type of out-dated ‘training’ methods I had witnessed. But what to do? As we drove off my husband said, “You should start your own organization. Channel your frustration and tears into action.” So, I did. In November 2011, I began formulating the idea for the Pet Professional Guild with a goal of creating an alliance of like-minded pet professionals that could make a real difference in the pet world.
But PPG Is Not For Everyone
A Modest Beginning
From that modest beginning the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has grown into a worldwide alliance of over seven thousand talented and caring pet professionals and pet owners who are at the very forefront of animal behavior science and the training methods. Everything PPG delivers is informed by the latest and most rigorous scientific studies. We are spreading the word through numerous educational programs, annual events, position papers and legislative efforts. And though we’ve made great progress, we have a long way to go to educate even more pet professionals, government leaders and owners on the power and efficacy of Force-Free pet training and care methods. So if you believe in the Force-Free Method – Informed by Science, Guided by Empathy, and Governed by Ethics, we invite you to Join Us. Help us continue the effort to create a better business environment for pet professionals and pet owners who are committed to our Guiding Principles, giving a voice to those who cannot speak – the animals in our care.
What Can PPG Do For You?
We recognize just how difficult it can be for your potential clients to differentiate between you, a force-free, ethical pet trainer and care-giver, and an unqualified trainer or care-giver or those that use harsh, harmful and dangerous methods. This is especially challenging because pet owners typically know very little about the different techniques and methods used by animal trainers and handlers. Because we live in a world that popularizes over-hyped, highly edited television programs with flashy ads, promising instant results and unrealistic expectations that are too often marketed as “documentaries”, it can be next to impossible to be heard above the noise. And that leaves your clients in the classic “Comparing Apples to Oranges” dilemma when trying to find appropriate training and pet care solutions for their needs,.
To address these challenges, PPG members represent you and your business in the marketplace through education and advocacy. In addition, as a PPG member, you have access to a wide array of services and resources to help you gain an advantage for your business, professional growth and your personal development.