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News Release: Pet Professional Guild debuts event app for 2017 Orlando summit


App will provide convention attendees with an easily accessible and up-to-date interactive experience Tampa, FL – May 31, 2017 – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is debuting a free downloadable mobile app at its third annual educational summit, taking place in Orlando, Florida from November 16-20, 2017. The app will be an essential add-on for attendees and provide details on the daily schedule, presentation topics, extracurricular events, speaker photos and biographies, as well as any last minute schedule or room changes. Two months prior to the summit, PPG will add on… Continued


#iSpeakDog Campaign Aims to Bridge the Communication Gap Between People and Their Dogs


Global Educational Campaign and Website Launch the Week of March 27, 2017   WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – March 27, 2017 – To help improve the relationship people have with their dogs, The Academy for Dog Trainers, the Humane Rescue Alliance, The Bark Magazine, and The Pet Professional Guild have teamed up to launch iSpeakDog, a global campaign and website designed to educate people about dog body language and behavior. iSpeakDog, which has launched as a weeklong campaign March 27 – April 2, 2017, comes at a time when canine behavior… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Releases Schedule, Opens Registration for 2017 Summit


Educational summit in Orlando, Florida will feature a wide range of renowned speakers, hands-on labs, academic sessions with new Ph.D presenters, package and payment options, plus an event app to keep registrants up-to-date TAMPA, Fla. – Jan. 31, 2017 – PRLog — The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has released the schedule and opened registration for its third annual summit, taking place at the at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort in Orlando, Florida from Thursday, November 16 to Monday, November 20, 2017. The event promises three and a half days… Continued


Pet Professional Guild announces scholarship program for members to further force-free education


Eligible candidates can apply for educational opportunities that support PPG’s stance on avoiding the use of aversive methods and equipment in animal care and training WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Jan. 17, 2017 – PRLog — The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is to provide a limited number of scholarships for members to further their education in force-free training and/or pet care. Under the PPG Education Scholarship Program, members will be able to apply for suitable educational programs offered by organizations that support PPG’s Guiding Principles and goals, with a focus on… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Announces New Look, Innovative Educational Events for 2017 and 2018


Conventional annual summit in Orlando, Florida will be supplemented with practical, multi-species behavior and training workshops in Kanab, Utah WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Jan. 9, 2017 – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has announced the dates and location of this year’s annual summit, as well as a smaller educational event next year to incorporate a number of hands-on, multi-species workshops with internationally acclaimed animal training and behavior experts. PPG’s third annual educational Force-Free Summit will take place at the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista hotel in Orlando, Florida from November 16-20,… Continued


Project Trade: Economics 101


In the spring of 2016 The Pet Professional Guild rolled out Project Trade, an “international educational advocacy program promoting the use of force-free pet equipment by asking pet guardians to swap choke, prong and shock collars” (1). In return for swapping their aversive gear, pet guardians are given a discount of up to 15% by participating Project Trade members. My goals include educating pet owners and eliminating aversive gear from the marketplace so I immediately charged out of the gate like a crazed terrier chasing a squirrel and joined Project… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Lines Up Canine Behavior Specialists for Podcasts on Breed Specific Legislation


In light of ongoing events in Montreal, PPG podcasts will feature a host of dog training and behavior experts to explain why breed bans are ineffective in reducing frequency of dog bites Starting next month, Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is to host a number of canine behavior experts in a series of podcasts to discuss why Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) is ineffective and potentially misleading. The move is part of PPG’s ongoing mission to deliver quality, up-to-date education on dog bite safety and force-free training and pet care to both… Continued


Reflections of a Force-Free Trainer


As I enter my second year of Pet Professional Guild (PPG) membership and the 10-year anniversary of retirement from my first career (and subsequent launching of my second career) I feel it is time to reflect on where I was before and after PPG. Each of us follow our own path and yet we have come together in PPG. In my youth I foolishly thought I was the master of my own fate, determining the course of my life and controlling circumstances through choice. Growing older I realized that had… Continued


The Power of Project Trade


When I first learned of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) I had just recently worked with a handsome little elderly dog named Pete and acquired my first shock collar. Rough handling turned Pete into a hand-biter; adding a shock collar made it much worse. Taking it off Pete probably saved his life and spared his owner the heartache of euthanizing her long time pet, as many around her had been advising. I was highly motivated to see shock collars taken off all dogs and wanted to persuade a local legislator to… Continued


Advocacy is Where You Look for It


In April 2016 I attended the 11th annual Applied Animal Behavior Conference hosted by the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Each year veterinary professionals and students gather to learn about animal behavior, a subject not typically included in veterinary curricula. The conference was divided into small and large animal presentations. I only work professionally with dogs so I chose the small animal option. The entire day was focused on Dr. Marty Becker’s Fear-Free iniative and its practical applications. Steve Dale, CABC began by addressing feline enrichment and fear-free… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Launches Worldwide Advocacy Program


Project Trade encourages pet owners to exchange aversive training devices for discounted force-free training services provided by PPG members Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has launched Project Trade, an international advocacy program that encourages pet owners to trade aversive equipment for scientifically sound, force-free training and pet care services. PPG members may opt in to the program and, in doing so, will provide incentives for their clients to switch to more appropriate training and pet care tools by giving them professional educational support at discounts of 10-15… Continued


The Top 7 Reasons You Absolutely Cannot Miss The Pet Professional Guild’s Annual Educational Summit


The Top 7 Reasons You Absolutely Cannot Miss The Pet Professional Guild’s Annual Educational Summit 1. You Will Have Lots of Fun From the Welcome Reception, to Quiz Night, ‘Munch and Learn’ Merry-Go-Round and the Gala Dinner you will have more fun packed into a few short days than you thought possible, all while honing your skills and enhancing your professional education. The PPG Summit is just so much fun! Surrounded by like-minded professionals, you are free to socialize and share ideas, and reconnect with old friends while making new… Continued


#PPGSummit 2015: The Future Is Now


At times, with all the cruelty and destruction in the world, it can seem disheartening for pet professionals who are trying to make a stand for animals, to be their voice and ensure they get the best care possible and are never subjected to pain and suffering along the way. While there is still great resistance from many quarters regarding the power of training via positive reinforcement – scientific study notwithstanding – as everyone in attendance at the PPG Summit already knows, the results speak for themselves. As Ken McCort… Continued


Rio Goes to Tampa


I was so excited to attend the PPG Summit in Tampa, Florida last month. Tampa is just a bit more than a 2 hour drive for me. And for years I’ve wanted to take one of my dogs to a professional training conference. All the locations have been too far to drive and my dogs are too big to fit under the seat of an airplane. So while I have been fortunate to attend many conferences, this was the first time I was able to take one of my pets.… Continued


Listen To The Opening Address at The PPG Summit – Tampa, 2015


A few of the most important points I felt were covered in my opening address at PPG’s First Educational Summit in Tampa, FL. Click here to listen to the full 19 minutes. • I reflected on the sometimes rocky but never boring journey it has taken over the last four years to get PPG to where it is today. • In my humble opinion the profession of animal training, behavior and pet care is a tripod of art, science and relationships, and each is as important as the other.  •… Continued


30 Reasons to Join the Pet Professional Guild


                        You may be wondering what exactly are the benefits of joining a member organization such as PPG so we’ve decided to help you out by listing a mere 30 of them. Whether you’re a seasoned pet professional, a novice trainer or a pet owner concerned with your pets’ well-being and best interests, PPG is the place to be. There are plenty more reasons to join PPG, but here are 30 to get us started: The only membership organization… Continued


The Many Reasons to Look Forward to the PPG Summit


I attended my first professional dog training conference in 2003. I can still remember how excited I was and how much information crowded into my new to dog training brain. It was a wonderful experience that subsequent conferences have never quite matched. This year, I am full of eager anticipation for the first ever Pet Professional Guild Summit, taking place in Tampa, Florida on November 11-13, 2015. There are several reasons this event is high on my agenda. First is I am fortunate to be the 12th person to achieve… Continued


PPG World Service Radio Show Launches with Trial Podcast


PPG World Service is the official international e-Radio web-casting arm of The Pet Professional Guild. The mission of PPG World Service is “Global News & Views on Force-Free Pet Care” and will serve as an advocacy forum for force-free dog training and pet care issues. The PPG World Service broadcast will initially be aired once per month with the goal of increasing this frequency as the audience builds. Together we are hoping to create a fun, educational and informative show. So come along and join us, bring your questions, expertise… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Launches First International Chapter, PPG Australia


Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild has announced the establishment of its first overseas chapter in Australia where, on April 4, 2015, members of the Delta Professional Dog Trainers Association (DPDTA) voted overwhelmingly to become PPG Aust  WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — In its previous format, DPDTA was an Australian body of force-free trainers, all of whom have studied with the Delta Society Australia Ltd and achieved a Certificate IV in Behavioral Training or Companion Animal Services, a nationally recognized qualification throughout Australia. Membership was strictly limited only to those… Continued


The Pet Professional Guild and Victoria Stilwell Partner to Promote Joint Goals of Promoting Force-Free Positive Dog Training Methods


March 2015. Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is delighted to announce that Victoria Stilwell is Joining the Pet Professional Guild Special Council in support of PPG and its Guiding Principles. The Pet Professional Guild Special Council is a collection of leading industry experts who not only endorse and support PPG but also have respected knowledge to contribute to the education and engagement of force-free pet care and training methods. “This collaboration with Victoria is a really good fit for PPG,” said Niki Tudge, PPG’s founder and president.… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Opens Registrations; Announces Impressive Speaker Line-Up for First-Ever Force-Free Convention


Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has opened registrations for its inaugural educational convention, The Force Free Summit – Reaching for a Higher Standard, to take place at the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel in Florida on November 11-13, 2015. Aimed predominantly at pet industry training and behavior professionals and savvy pet owners, the principle goals of the summit are to build a greater awareness of PPG as the go-to organization for force-free training professionals, to build a stronger collaboration amongst said professionals, and to build communication and networking opportunities with the veterinary community. Summit 2015… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Raises the Stakes in Virtual Competition


Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is offering an unprecedented range of prizes to entice the participation of members, supporters and pet owners in its virtual community event, The International Day of Celebration for Force-Free Training and Pet Care (ICFF), taking place between now and February 17. Like its predecessor last year, ICFF 2015 entails a photo and video competition where members are invited to submit entries in various categories. However, the prizes on offer this time round are even more alluring, with a free pass to PPG’s… Continued


The PPG Key Charter – Renew Your Passion


PPGs Key Charter is supported by our Vision, Mission & Values and collectively known as The PPG “Guiding Principles” As we come close to our third year of operation I wanted to share this message with you all. I personally find it very pleasurable to read and it is as meaningful today as it was when it was first written. Read our full Guiding Principles here The Guild Key Charter States That: a)  By combining and coordinating our knowledge, efforts, skills, talents and passions to pursue a common purpose, we… Continued


Pet Professional Guild Announces Second Virtual Force-Free Training Competition


The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has rolled out the guidelines for its second international virtual community event, The International Day of Celebration for Force-Free Training and Pet Care (ICFF). Taking place on 17 February each year to honor one of PPG’s founding members, the late Leah Roberts, the event was created to recognize Roberts’ lifelong crusade for force-free training and better treatment for all pet dogs. Like its predecessor in 2014, ICFF 2015 will entail a photo and video competition where members are invited to make their submissions under a… Continued


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