Editor’s Picks
The Pet Dog Ambassador Program: Show Your Clients the Value of Force-Free Dog Training in Everyday Living
by Niki Tudge For trainers and pet professionals, the Pet Dog Ambassador (PDA) program is more than just a curriculum—it’s a way to provide long-term value to your clients while upholding the highest ethical standards. The Professional’s Perspective: A Business-in-a-Box Are you dedicated to training the “real-life” skills that make a dog a joy to live with – walking on a loose leash, greeting people politely, and staying focused amidst life’s distractions? As a professional trainer, you can register for the PDA program and become an Instructor. If you are… Continued
Help Get the Whole Household on Board with Your Training Plan
by Veronica Boutelle In this article, the experts at dogbiz share tips for working with a committed client who’s training is being undermined by a skeptical partner. Ask dogbiz Q: Hi dogbiz, I’m working with a really great client who is totally committed to training her dog. The problem is that her partner is not on board at all. He ignores the training plan, uses completely different methods, and sometimes jokes that the dog “needs a firmer hand.” My client is frustrated and says she feels like she’s doing all… Continued
Latest Articles
The Pet Dog Ambassador Program: Show Your Clients the Value of Force-Free Dog Training in Everyday Living
by Niki Tudge For trainers and pet professionals, the Pet Dog Ambassador (PDA) program is more than just a curriculum—it’s a way to provide long-term value to your clients while upholding the highest ethical standards. The Professional’s Perspective: A Business-in-a-Box Are you dedicated to training the “real-life” skills that make a dog a joy to live with – walking on a loose leash, greeting people politely, and staying focused amidst life’s distractions? As a professional trainer, you can register for the PDA program and become an Instructor. If you are… Continued
The Language of Dog Training: It’s Not Just Semantics
by Louise Stapleton-Frappell Originally published in BARKS from the Guild (Stapleton-Frappell, 2015). Updated and expanded for 2026 with current perspectives from DogNostics Education. Why Do Semantics Matter? The language we use shapes ethics, learning, and relationships in modern force-free training. According to the Britannica Dictionary, semantics is “the study of the meanings of words and phrases in language, and how those meanings shift depending on context.” In dog training, semantics matter because the words we choose don’t just describe what we do; they reveal how we think about and relate… Continued
Help Get the Whole Household on Board with Your Training Plan
by Veronica Boutelle In this article, the experts at dogbiz share tips for working with a committed client who’s training is being undermined by a skeptical partner. Ask dogbiz Q: Hi dogbiz, I’m working with a really great client who is totally committed to training her dog. The problem is that her partner is not on board at all. He ignores the training plan, uses completely different methods, and sometimes jokes that the dog “needs a firmer hand.” My client is frustrated and says she feels like she’s doing all… Continued
A Kinder World for Pets and People: The Building Blocks of Meaningful Change
by Tasha Attwood A recent Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Panel discussion centered on a simple but powerful question: how can guardians and professionals work together to create a kinder world for pets? For this event, moderator Don Hanson was joined by panelists Rebekah King, Kim Silver, Jennifer Van Valkenburg, and myself. It was a very powerful and emotive discussion, with a message of kindness for everyone, and I’ve summarized some of the highlights for pet professionals here. Well-being Begins with Understanding Kim Silver opened the discussion by reflecting on welfare… Continued
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