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PPG Advocacy Panel: Unrealistic Expectations: Where Do They Come From and How Do We Diffuse Them?


In this episode, the PPG Advocacy Panel discusses unrealistic expectations for pets, where those expectations come from, and how to diffuse them. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Task Force Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Dr. Karolina Westlund, Daniel Antolec, Kristi Benson, Kim Silver and Sam Wike Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded March 20, 2024. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.


Chat & Chuckle with Beth Adelman About Shifting Perspectives About Cat Behavior


Change can be good, especially when it comes to understanding cats better! Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Beth Adelman about shifting people’s perspectives about cat behavior. Beth Adelman, MS, is a Cat Behavior Consultant in Brooklyn, New York. Beth is currrently on the executive committee of the Pet Professional Guild’s Feline Division, and was a founding member of the Cat Division of the IAABC. She is the former editor in chief of Cats magazine and DogWorld and former cat columnist for the New York Post. She currently is a… Continued


PPG Advocacy Panel: Changing a Pet’s Behavior by Changing Human Behavior


In this episode, the PPG Advocacy Panel discusses changing a pet’s behavior by changing human behavior. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Task Force Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Dr. Zazie Todd, Dr. Karolina Westlund, Beth Adelman, Daniel Antolec, Judy Luther, Sandra Machado, Pat Miller, Debbie Sheridan and Sam Wike Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded February 21, 2024. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.


Membership Types and Access


Doggone safe only has one public membership, which is the Individual Member. This membership provides access to lots of educational resources, and we thank those of you who are Individual Members and are providing education in your local community. The other two memberships require knowledge and skills, and for anyone wanting to take their education to the next level, we encourage you to participate in either the Be a Tree Program or the Dog Bite Prevention Educator program. You can find the links on your member landing page. When ready,… Continued


Welcome to Your New Website


Welcome! Welcome to the new website. We hope you can find everything you need. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need help or support.


Submitting Your Assessment Results – Assessor Updates


We have made the following updates to the Instructor/Assessor Guide Page 10 Submitting Your Assessment Results Key Changes Are: PDA Guardians are not automatically added to the directory, as many do not want or need to be listed. This gives them a choice. If a PDA Guardian wants to be listed, you can send them the correct registration links and then they can add themselves.


Chat & Chuckle with Kate Benjamin About Environmental Enrichment for Cats


You’ll feel enriched after listening to Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison chat and chuckle with the incredible Kate Benjamin about environmental enrichment for cats! Founder of the cat style brand Hauspanther, Kate has been writing about cats and design since 2007. Her website ⁠hauspanther.com⁠ is the top online resource for design-conscious cat lovers. She has been interviewed as a cat style expert by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, NY Daily News, CBS Sunday Morning, O, The Oprah Magazine and many other media outlets.  Kate co-authored with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy two New York… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Mary Stevens About How Cat Consultants Can Build Relationships with Veterinary Practices


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Mary Stevens about how cat consultants can build relationships with veterinary practices. Shortly after Mary graduated from Villa Julie College with a degree in biology, she fell upon a job in veterinary medicine. She has now been a veterinary technician for almost two decades, and in 2022 she began her journey into feline behavior. Mary studied the basics of feline behavior and training through Animal Behavior College, receiving her certificate in December 2022. She began her mentorship with… Continued


PPG Advocacy Panel: Are We Trainers or Teachers? What Best Describes What We Do for Our Clients?


Listen as the PPG Advocacy Panel answers the questions, “Are we trainers or teachers? What best describes what we do for our clients?” Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Beth Adelman, Judy Luther, Sandra Machado, Kim Silver, and Sam Wike Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.


Tom Candy Is Appointed to PPG’s Steering Committee


The Pet Professional Guild is pleased to announce that it has appointed Tom Candy to its Steering Committee. Tom, a U.K.-based animal behavior professional, will help build the organization in the British Isles. Click here to read the press release.


Chat & Chuckle with T Hamboyan Harrison About Strategies for Handling Fearful Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with T. Hamboyan Harrison of A Cat’s Purrspective about strategies for handling fearful cats. T Hamboyan Harrison is a cat behavior consultant at A Cat’s Purrspective, LLC. As a disabled person, T especially enjoys helping cats with chronic medical conditions. T has spent over a decade volunteering with cats in local rescues and shelters, and has several cats of their own at home. T has certifications through IAABC (CCBC, ACSB-C) and Fear Free Pets (FFCP, animal trainer) and is… Continued


“A Dog’s View” by Kristy and Jamie Spencer


PPG member Kristy Spencer and her son Jamie have made a short film called, “A Dog’s View.” Jamie is doing a filmmaking degree at the Film School in Manchester.   “The aim of the film is to hopefully help people develop a better understanding of how dogs see their world around them, including all sensory inputs,” said Kristy. “It’s going to be the start of a mini series of films to help express how a dog perceives its world and develop a deeper understanding of why dogs struggle with certain aspects… Continued


Industry News: Update on the U.K. “American XL Bully” Ban


The following update is from Cooper & Co. Solicitors, which specializes in criminal and civil cases involving dogs in England and Wales: The ban is being introduced in stages. The first thing to know is that you should STOP any plans you may have for breeding from an XL Bully, as by the time the puppies are born it will be illegal to sell the puppies (or even give them away). DEFRA has published what it says is the “Official definition of an XL Bully dog” and it summarizes what they… Continued





Chat & Chuckle with Tabitha Kucera About Cooperative Care for Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), about cooperative care for cats—an important topic since significantly fewer cats than dogs see a veterinarian every year, and cooperative care can make vet visits less stressful and more comprehensive for cats!  Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training… Continued


Industry News: U.K. Aims to Ban “American XL Bully”


On September 15, 2023, the U.K. government announced its intention to add American XL Bully dogs to its list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dog Act. Read the full story here. A panel discussion entitled, “XL Bully Ban: What We Know So Far,” was held on September 24, 2023. The panelists included Trevor Cooper (Solicitor), Mel Rushmore and Andrea Phillips (Deed Not Breed), and Mike Webb (Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home). Watch the recording here. As stated in PPG’s position statement on breed specific legislation, “PPG holds that Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) such as… Continued



Action Needed! The Final Push for the U.K. Shock Collar Ban


We need your help to make a final, hard push for the e-collar ban in the United Kingdom! Please email the Leader of the House and ask her to re-schedule the House of Commons debate that was cancelled back in June, so that the legislation can go through on the timetable stated back in April. This will be a triumph for animal welfare!  If you have friends, family or colleagues in the United Kingdom, please pass this email along to them so they can take action as well. Even if… Continued



PPG’s New Pet Training Science Alliance Program


Join Niki Tudge, Jean Donaldson, Judy Luther, and Rebekah King as they gather to officially launch PPG’s new Pet Training Science Alliance (PTSA)! Learn about what the program is, how the program works, and how you can help support it as an educator or as a learner.  Stay up to date on the latest PTSA projects here: ⁠https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Pet-Training-Science-Alliance Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded September 25, 2023


Take Part in Groundbreaking Puppy Research Run by University of Lincoln and Zigzag


Did you know? There has been minimal research surrounding puppy development since the 1960s, with huge gaps existing in our knowledge—particularly in relation to specific breed behaviours and traits. Crazy, isn’t it? Zigzag has joined forces with the University of Lincoln, and we want you to join us and be a pioneer in new, modern research—research that could prove crucial to puppy development. Through this research, you and your clients could be a direct reason for people to gain a better understanding of puppy behaviour that would ultimately help improve… Continued


PPG’s Ethics Review Process—A Reminder


Professional ethics are of utmost importance here at PPG, and we take reports about ethics violations very seriously. PPG’s ethics review process is detailed and confidential, and has worked exceptionally well since it was created more than 12 years ago. However, in order for PPG’s Ethics Committee to investigate an ethics violation report, the person making the report must provide complete information and evidence to support their claim. For legal, ethical and other reasons, PPG can’t investigate ethics complaints based on hearsay. Read more about PPG’s ethics review process and requirements… Continued


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