People Are Risking Their Lives to Help the Pets of Ukraine – And They Need Your Help
Quick Links: Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Click on link to donate.) Meet the People Behind the Fundraiser for Ukrainian Animal Shelters (Click on link to listen to the inspiring BARKS podcast.) Everything has changed for the beloved pets of Ukraine. You Can Help The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Shelter & Rescue committee is asking you, our dedicated and generous community, to help these animals and the people caring for them. On Wednesday, May 4, PPG livestreamed a free event for the public to meet… Continued
Compulsive Eating in Dogs
By Maureen Tay Also known as compulsive eating disorder, compulsive eating is a disorder where a dog tends to eat everything – from food items to non-food items. The specific practice of eating non-food, non-nutritive substances, such as wool or paper, is known as pica. Stool eating (coprophagia) can also be categorized under pica. Common among Puppies Puppies are curious animals. They eat just about anything they can find, including things that are inedible. Puppies love to investigate their surroundings. An excellent way to do this is for… Continued
The Pets Left Behind in Ukraine Need You – Here’s How You Can Help Today!
By K. Holden Svirsky This article looks behind the scenes to find out how the animals left behind in Ukraine are being cared for by a dedicated and devoted network of animal lovers and professionals (including photos and video footage). It also explains why they urgently need donations from the international community, shows how the funds donated so far are being utilized, and if you want to make a contribution, tells you exactly how you can do it. Quick Links Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Direct link to… Continued
Training a Blind Dog
By Miki Saito Unfortunately, even knowledgeable and experienced trainers sometimes hesitate when it comes to working with a blind dog. It is as if they consider the dog’s blindness an obstacle that cannot be overcome. Since blindness cannot be changed, this mindset can lead trainers to believe that these dogs cannot be trained but this is, of course, untrue. The dog’s blindness does not inhibit training. His emotional state, however, may be preventing him from having a positive learning experience. As explained by Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz at the Clicker… Continued
From the Editor
Welcome to our new-look BARKS from the Guild! We’ve taken BARKS completely digital to provide you, the reader, a more seamless and user-friendly experience. No more navigating or downloading PDFs (although we will still be providing some special educational PDFs for PPG members) – just lots of easily accessible and shareable content that we will be updating regularly. The format may be different but we still have the same top-level educational and informative content thanks to our loyal band of regular contributors who, as always, are delivering in spades. Get… Continued
Advocating for Humane Techniques
This article examines the scientific data on aversive dog training methods, and discusses: Potential fallout such as habituation, learned helplessness, pain sensitivity, physical damage, emotional damage, and contact force; The stance on punishment in dog training taken by numerous professional organizations; Understanding basic behavioral science; Alternative, positive reinforcement training protocols for more optimal results. By Susan Nilson and Niki Tudge The current scientific data, in addition to the moral and ethical concerns about mental and physical damage to animals subjected to methods using force, fear and/or pain, have… Continued
Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks
This article discusses the importance of ongoing training, learning, and enrichment for dogs, from puppyhood through to old age, and provides suggestions for fun games and activities By Anna Bradley I often wonder why so many of us train our dogs for a certain period of time and then just stop. For example, we get a puppy and train him to do a bunch of skills, maybe take him to puppy school and out to meet new friends, and practice our skills out and about. Maybe we engage the services… Continued
Fear of Dogs: Expert Tips for Trainers
This article discusses learning to understand how a fear of dogs develops, and presents some strategies that will gradually help reduce that fear By Stefani M. Cohen LCSW As dog trainers and pet industry professionals, you have most likely encountered someone who is afraid of dogs. You may even have received a call that the family just got a new puppy or dog and their child is afraid of him/her. I thought it would be helpful for you to have a general understanding of how the fear develops and then… Continued
What Are Assistance Animals?
There are three categories for animals that assist humans in the U.S. This post explains the different categories and the roles such animals play for their owners and in society. SERVICE DOGS Specially trained dogs (and sometimes miniature horses) do many different kinds of work or tasks for their handlers with disabilities to help them lead more independent and normal lives. The most common services provided are mobility, medical alert, guiding the visually impaired, hearing alert, and psychiatric support. Service animals are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act… Continued
Ten Dog Training Tips That Benefit Pets and Their People
It is important for those who live and work with dogs to have an understanding of basic behavioral science. Bearing this in mind, here are just a few examples of positive reinforcement training protocols that may be used in place of aversive methods*: Rather than waiting for a dog to make a mistake so you can punish him, reinforce behavior you like to help the dog learn and so both parties feel more positive about the relationship. Rather than using a choke chain or prong collar which rely on… Continued
From the Editor – Welcome!
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Pets & Their People! We’re so happy you’re here! Please enjoy the tips, tools & resources provided by respected and dedicated pet professionals from around the globe! Let’s Meet Your Contributors: Ryan Cartlidge is a professional animal trainer who’s been working around the world, including in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the US. He’s trained teams, developed animal training programs, been published in leading industry magazines, spoken at international conferences, and delivered presentations in a University on animal behaviour. And through the Animal Training Academy,… Continued
Dominance is Old Hat!
Despite the growing body of scientific research to the contrary, the “dominance” approach is one that some still elect to use in animal training and behavior modification, specifically with regards to dogs and horses. The underlying philosophy of so-called dominance theory in its application to pet dogs is, at best, outdated, at worst, impacts negatively the entire approach educated pet professionals should be taking. The theory of dominance in dogs “originated from work conducted several decades ago. According to Miller (2018), ‘[t]he erroneous approach to canine social behavior… Continued
Enrichment – Providing Pets with Activities to Improve Welfare
You know we don’t really think about our pets as being in captivity but if you think about it, they are. Animals that are held by humans and prevented from escaping are deemed to be captive. The term captive is usually applied to wild animals that are held in zoos and theme parks, but this can be a general term used for all types of animals confined whether it be in zoos, farming and agriculture or our pets. Think about this for a moment. Our pets are captive animals. What does that… Continued
Homemade Dog Treat Recipe: Gandhi’s Globs
Gandhi’s globs were developed as a high value meal replacement for training reinforcements. Gandhi loves his food and feeding him these during many of his training session acts as a part meal replacement to help him to maintain his weight. Ingredients: 1 kg or 2lb chicken mince, cooked 60 gm or 2oz fresh parsley chopped finely or vitamised 500 gm or 1lb carrots minced or vitamised 200 gm or 7oz celery chopped finely or vitamised 200 gm or 7oz zucchini chopped finely or vitamised Can diced tomato including juice 2… Continued
What Do You Know About Canine Communication?
All behaviors that dogs exhibit are designed either to access pleasurable situations and desirable objects or to avoid and escape unpleasant situations and undesirable objects. (Note: this is based on what each individual dog considers to pleasant or unpleasant, not the human, and it is important to be aware that the canine and human opinions may differ in any given situation!) A dog’s communication systems are greatly ritualized, and have evolved specifically to avoid or cut off conflict. This has made dogs, as a species, very successful in terms of… Continued
A Path to Your Pet’s Health – Book Review of The Forever Dog
Niki Tudge, PPG President, reviews The Forever Dog – Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Shaw Becker. I consider Dr. Becker’s book “The Forever Dog” my go-to User’s Manual for optimizing my dog’s life and certainly as the framework to adding quality to her years. (Full disclosure – The Pet Professional Guild is included in this book as a Training and Behavior Resource). The common sense and practical approach offered to optimizing the quality and longevity of… Continued
The Physical Effects of Harmful Training Devices
By Niki Tudge and Susan Nilson* In addition to the potential psychological effects of using training devices that cause pain or evoke fear, there is also the issue of possible physical damage to consider. We present here a variety of perspectives offered by veterinarians, canine research scientists, a professional dog trainer, and an engineer: Thyroid Gland “The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ just in front of the larynx and trachea, and the mandibular salivary glands are found on the side of the face just below the ears. Thus, they… Continued
Aggression from Hearing Impairment?
By Morag Heirs As any reputable behavior consultant will tell you, all animals presenting with a behavior problem should first be checked by a vet. As behavior consultants, we work on veterinary referral for a number of reasons. Firstly, we want to be sure that the problem is not a symptom of an underlying medical condition and, secondly, we may need to collaborate with the veterinary professionals if medication or supplements are needed to support the behavioral therapy. Sometimes we might receive a referral where the examining veterinarian has decided… Continued
The Art, Science and Ethics of Using Decoy Dogs
By Yvette Van Veen Learning to work with a reactive, anxious or fearful dog is a challenging process. Dog owners especially struggle. They must learn new skills and execute them correctly, while working with a difficult, if not dangerous, dog. In such situations, owners are often robbed of the opportunity to begin basic skills with an easy dog. It is not an ideal way for anyone to learn. Decoy dogs are one way in which we, as behavior consultants, can create some flexibility. Rather than honing skills during chance encounters… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Cynophobia Specialist Stefani Cohen: January 21, 2022
Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with licensed clinical social worker Stefani Cohen, about cynophobia, aka fear of dogs. Stefani helps dog lovers and dog trainers understand more about the fear of dogs, as well as how to help both others overcome their fear. In 2020, she published her book, Overcoming Your Child’s Fear of Dogs, which is a step-by-step guide for parents based on exposure therapy using a live dog. Listen to the Podcast with Stefani Cohen on your choice of… Continued
The Rollercoaster of Reactivity
By Mary Jean Alsina Leash reactivity can be one of the most common (and embarrassing) problems dog owners deal with on a daily basis. It is also one of the most requested behavioral issues I work on with clients. Disapproving glances from passersby, the constant feeling of being out of control, and not having a grasp on how to address the behavior are all concerns for owners of leash-reactive dogs. Dogs may react poorly when on leash for a variety of reasons, which can include fear, excitement, pent-up energy or… Continued
The Art of Teamwork
By Gail Radtke In a previous article I wrote about how my dog, Lanie, became a St. John Ambulance (SJA) therapy dog in British Columbia, Canada (see The Miracle Mutt, BARKS from the Guild, October 2014, pp. 36-39). Lanie was a year old at the time and had a beautiful, friendly temperament. A friend suggested that we apply to the SJA program and I thought it would be the perfect outlet for her natural abilities. Although Lanie and I had already done a great deal of obedience training at that… Continued
Reinforcing Foraging
This article sets out the steps the author used to train Cricket, the lone quail, to step on the scale for weighing, and how she later applied the same protocol for training chickens and roosters As a certified parrot behavior consultant trainer, I have had the opportunity over the years to train many different companion birds, ranging from budgies to yellow streak lorikeets. So when the chance to train a quail came up, I could not say no. Quail Surrender to Rescue My local rescue contacted me one day to… Continued
A Stronger Partnership
To celebrate the recent launch of PPG’s Horses with Voices initiative, this article discusses how we can give our horses a voice, as well as build confidence and resilience, through motivation. We sometimes ask a lot of our horses when it comes training. We use training for many different purposes, including specific activities, daily routines, and just spending time together. If we practice an activity, whether we have the aim of competing or not, we train our horses to repeat exercises over and over again. Often, we expect them to… Continued