Should I Play Tug with My Puppy?
Should I play tug with my puppy? Yes, with only a few simple rules. There are many myths in the world of dog training. One such myth is that playing tug with a dog encourages aggressive behavior. There is no evidence supporting that notion, so you can relax and play tug with your pup. So, why are puppies so mouthy? One common, if not universal, complaint I hear from puppy families is that their pups grab their clothing and tug. Consider that everything in the puppy’s world is a new… Continued
PPG Training & Behavior Professional Member Area
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Pet Owner Member Area
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Pet Professional Accreditation Board
Stand Up for What You Believe In! We invite you to join one of our twice-monthly support webinars: Second Wednesday of the month at 11:00 am ET Fourth Thursday of the month at 5:00 pm ET Register to attend an event today! View the events at the top of the right sidebar or just click here. We look forward to seeing you! Do You Already Carry a Well-Earned Credential? Click below to learn how to transfer your current credential to the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. It’s easier than you think!… Continued
British Isles Chapter
Dayle Pierce with PPG Staff Member Phoenix Your chapter co-leader and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Dayle Nathan Watson Your chapter co-leader and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Nathan Tom Candy Member of PPG’s Steering Committee representing the British Isles Chapter Email Tom At its heart, the UK Dog Behaviour & Training Charter™ is a code of conduct, ethics and methodology. More than that however, the Charter is a collaboration of many of the UK’s leading behaviour and training membership organisations who for the first time… Continued
South African Chapter
Chapter Leader position to be filled soon … We are delighted to have an official PPG chapter in South Africa. We promote and support all the great resources PPG offers to the pet training and care community. In addition, we are committed to providing relevant regional resources to South African pet professionals. Our goal is to create and support a force-free South African community that takes care of animals using empathy, understanding, mindfulness and respect. We also aim to focus on the mental wellness of our professional community—this is one… Continued
Doggone Safe – Be A Tree Member
This membership requires you to have the Be a Tree Presenter Kit. Please ensure you have the kit before you begin the application process. If you are currently an Individual member with Doggone Safe, please check your member area for your program discount code. Terms: $65 / Year First Name:* First Name Required Last Name:* Last Name Required Address Line 1:* Address Line 1 is Required Address Line 2: Address Line 2 is not valid City:* City is Required Country:* Country is Required — Select Country — United States (US)… Continued
Doggone Safe – Dog Bite Prevention Member
This membership requires you to hold the DN-CDBPE credential. Please ensure you do this before you begin the application process. If you are an Individual member of Doggone Safe, please check your member area for your program discount code. Terms: $65 / Year First Name:* First Name Required Last Name:* Last Name Required Address Line 1:* Address Line 1 is Required Address Line 2: Address Line 2 is not valid City:* City is Required Country:* Country is Required — Select Country — United States (US) Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria… Continued
Doggone Safe Member Area
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Doggone Safe – Individual Member
This membership level provides resources to help you in your community. You will also receive discount codes for the two upgraded memberships with Doggone safe Terms: $65 / Year First Name:* First Name Required Last Name:* Last Name Required Address Line 1:* Address Line 1 is Required Address Line 2: Address Line 2 is not valid City:* City is Required Country:* Country is Required — Select Country — United States (US) Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas… Continued
Expert Opinions
DR. KAREN L. OVERALL Karen L. Overall is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior (ACVB) and is certified by the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) as an Applied Animal Behaviorist.World renowned animal expert Karen Overall has spoken out over many years of the ineffectiveness and ill that results when electric shock is used as a training tool on dogs. “As a specialist in veterinary behavioral medicine I have been advocating for banning the use of shock collars of any kind for years. There are now ample published data… Continued
Sign the Shock-Free Pledge
To download the above pledge document, click on the pop-out icon in the top-right corner to open it in Google Drive, then click the download icon in the upper right-hand corner of the Google Drive page to save the document to your computer. Stand Up For What You Believe In. Individual Members Individual Members of the Shock-Free Coalition benefit from the knowledge that they will be at the forefront of our mission. You will be kept up to date on all our activities and success stories. Your pledge signature will be… Continued
Do Pets Experience Emotional Trauma?
[Trigger warnings: abuse, hostage-taking, kidnapping, threats of violence] I recently met a gentleman who, upon learning I worked with animals, stated “I don’t know how you feel about this, but I demand my dog do whatever I ask him to do, immediately when I ask, and I have no problem hitting my dog.” He also was quick to tell me his dog loved him and they had a great relationship. I later learned his dog is 14 years old. Well, no dog should be treated that way, but older dogs… Continued
Doggone Safe Programs
Once you are a Doggone safe individual member or a Pet Professional Guild member and can access the membership resources, you can upgrade your membership to either/or Be a Tree Member or the Dog Bite Prevention Educator. These two enhanced memberships require you to complete an educational program and adhere to the PPG Guiding Principles. You will find discount codes for both programs in your member area. If you currently have a Be a Tree Kit or carry the Dog Bite Prevention Educator Certification, you may join at those levels now. Educational Tools A… Continued
Join Doggone Safe
If you want to join Doggone safe, you have three options. The individual membership level is available to everyone. Once you are a member and can access the membership resources, you can upgrade your membership to either/or Be a Tree Member or the Dog Bite Prevention Educator. These two enhanced memberships require you to complete an educational program and adhere to the PPG Guiding Principles. You will find discount codes for both programs in your member area. If you currently have a Be a Tree Kit or carry the Dog Bite Prevention Educator Certification, you may… Continued
Professionals Say No
Renowned Canine Training and Behavior Experts Interviews We asked a group of renowned canine training and behavior experts how they would persuade pet professionals that electric shock has no place in their toolbox for the training, care or behavior modification of any pet. Interviews by Susan Nilson & Louise Stapleton-Frappell. (2016, November 8 – 9). Why Electric Shock Has No Place in a Professional’s Toolbox for the Training, Care and/or Behavior Modification of any Pet. Pet Professional Guild Annual Summit, Tampa, Florida. Here are their responses: Jennifer Arnold: I think it’s… Continued
Project tRade
What Do the Experts Say? Respected veterinarian and thyroid expert Jean Dodds recommends against choke and prong collars “as they can easily injure the delicate butterfly-shaped thyroid gland that sits just below the larynx and in front of the trachea. These collars can also injure the salivary glands and salivary lymph nodes on the side of the face underneath both ears.” Bestselling author and canine behaviorist Jean Donaldson says, “These devices [choke and prong collars], when they work, do so to the degree that they hurt. With the advent of modern methods and tools… Continued
Pet Parenting Can Be Hard. It’s Okay – You Are Not Alone.
Pet guardianship can be trying at times. The good news is that if you’re reading this letter, you’re doing a great job! As professional canine behavior consultant and frequent Pets and Their People content contributor Don Hanson simply states in his article on building trusting and joyful relationships with pets, “No pet is preprogrammed to exist with humans harmoniously. Therefore, you will need to kindly and patiently teach your pet what they need to know.” If you’re thinking to yourself, that sounds easier said than done, the pet professionals who… Continued
Animal Training Foundations for Future Success
I’m very much into practical training and tend to focus on building behaviors that make managing and handling animals easier. Practical Training Foundations The benefit of this approach is that most of the behaviors I focus on build a foundation for the more advanced behaviors that people ultimately want. Teaching your horse to line up at the mounting block is great, but not if your horse is throwing his head up when you try to halter him in the stall, or is cutting you off when you’re trying to walk… Continued
Summer Fun for Dogs & Puppies
It’s summertime (in the Northern Hemisphere) with longer days, meaning that we can spend more time enjoying the nice weather with our puppies or dogs. For Dogs Who Love Water If you are spending time in the garden, make sure you provide shade and water. If your dog or puppy enjoys a paddle, then you can provide a paddling pool for your pup to play in and you can buy toys that float. Be careful with your dog or puppy around your sprinkler and limit the use or buy a… Continued
Members-Only Programs & Events
Divisional Meetups Divisional meetups are informal members-only gatherings that are hosted by the individual divisions. They feature guest speakers and provide PPG members opportunities to meet, chat and learn about specific topics pertinent to that division. Meetups are held via Zoom to enable the use of Closed Captioning. The events are recorded for members to watch after the fact. If you are interested in being a guest on a divisional meetup, then please click the button below to complete a short form. The Positive Bookworm The Positive Bookworm The Positive… Continued
What Is Canine Kennel Cough?
Symptoms & Prevention* Canine cough, or kennel cough, are lay terms for Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC). There are many bacteria and viruses which can cause this illness. However, the most prevalent of the bacteria that cause this illness is Bordetella bronchiseptica. This illness involves an inflammation of a dog’s trachea and upper bronchi, similar to bronchitis in a human. The air flowing over the inflamed tissues can be very irritating, which causes the dog to cough. *Editor’s note: This information does not replace the advice or instruction given to… Continued
About Barks
About BARKS BARKS is an online publication for pet professionals including trainers, behavior consultants, pet care providers, animal shelter and rescue workers, and all those working in the broader pet services industry. It is the official trade publication of the Pet Professional Guild. BARKS covers all things animal behavior and training, specifically in the fields of canine, feline, equid, and avian, with an occasional foray into pocket pets and exotics, as well as advocacy, business, sales, marketing, and consulting. Educational Platform In a world where there is often information overload, BARKS provides a platform… Continued
Help Your Pet Enjoy (not just tolerate) Brushing and Nail Trims!
You can help your pet enjoy basic care, such as brushing and nail trims, at home. Here are our tips so that some common husbandry procedures can be pleasurable for everyone involved. Cooperative care and basic home pet care activities that help to keep pets healthy like grooming, bathing and nail clips have come a long way from the days of just ‘getting on with it.’ We now give our pets much more control and choice over these procedures so that they find them enjoyable. Brushing Your Pet Brushing your… Continued