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Why is “Balanced” Dog Training Controversial?

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The term “balanced dog training” reflects a specific approach within the broader spectrum of dog training methodologies, aiming to strike a balance between reinforcement and correction techniques. However, “balanced” training has been a subject of debate and controversy. Critics argue that the use of aversive techniques can be harmful to a dog’s well-being and damage their trust in their owner or handler. Core Principles of “Balanced” Dog Training Types of Corrections Key Factors Contributing to “Balanced” Dog Training’s Popularity “Balanced” dog training remains in the public eye despite empirical evidence… Continued

Help Pets Overcome Their Fears with Counterconditioning

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If our pet doesn’t like something that we need them to tolerate, like vet care or grooming, we need to help convince them it’s worth it. Focus on Feelings We spend a lot of time training our animals’ behaviors (stationing, picking up feet), but sometimes the problem is emotional (fear, stress). We want to approach these situations from a more classical psychology perspective. It’s important to start by making the thing they dislike as small and mild as possible. So, whether you make it quieter, smaller, slower, or further away,… Continued

Why Is Advocating for Our Pets So Important?

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Some dogs spend so much of their relatively short time with us hoping to be noticed…hoping that the door may open, or the cookie cabinet will open, hoping for even a short massage. I see many dogs daily, weekly, yearly who are trying their best to live in our modern world, a world of rushing, Zoom calls, humans with good intentions but not much time… We need to help dogs to feel accomplished, happy, cared for and heard. But in this crazy busy world, we might instead tend to push… Continued

What Do the Boy Scouts of America and U.S. Dog Trainers Have in Common?    

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A Lot, the Fox Is in the Henhouse By Annie Phenix and Pilley Bianchi Best-selling authors Annie Phenix and Pilley Bianchi have teamed up to write a compelling, fact-based news article that examines how family dogs are living in a time of major transition as they become more and more embedded in our families. More is expected of them, and more often than not, people expect their dogs to inherently know the rules of order. Sit, stay, come, chew this, not that. But despite 40,000 years by our side, dogs… Continued

Celebrating Life Together – Our Pets Share Our Lives, and Never for Long Enough!

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I recently lost my Kitty Kat; it gave me pause, as always when we lose a pet. We flashback to all the memories, laughs, and lovely moments we shared over the years. I sat in a quiet location as my tears subsided and flashed back to how she came into my life. I have not yet reached the point where I can think back fondly with a smile; the pain is still too raw. But what I can do is reflect on our time spent together, our reinforcement history, the… Continued

Celebrating Life Together – Our pets share our lives, and never for long enough!

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I recently lost my Kitty Kat; it gave me pause, as always when we lose a pet. We flashback to all the memories, laughs, and lovely moments we shared over the years. I sat in a quiet location as my tears subsided and flashed back to how she came into my life. I have not yet reached the point where I can think back fondly with a smile; the pain is still too raw. But what I can do is reflect on our time spent together, our reinforcement history, the… Continued

PPG Appoints Maria Karunuñgan as Vice Chair of Its Shelter & Rescue Division

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Please join us in congratulating Maria Karunuñgan as the new vice chair of PPG’s Shelter and Rescue Division! “I am excited to help support Division Chair Holden Svirsky and the PPG in this new role, and continue the volunteer efforts and collaboration that I have been a part of since this division was formed in 2017.”  Maria Karunuñgan, PhD, CTC, CSAT, has spent nearly 10 years working in different behavior and training capacities for various shelters and rescues in the Northern California Bay Area, including the East Bay SPCA, Joybound… Continued

PPG Appoints Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as Feline Division Vice Chair

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Please join us in congratulating Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as the new vice chair of PPG’s Feline Division! “I am thrilled to accept the role of vice chair of the Feline Division at the Pet Professional Guild,” said Joanna. “In this position, I will be dedicated to advancing feline welfare through education, advocacy, and support for other cat professionals. Together we will strive to improve the lives of cats and strengthen the bond between pets and their guardians.” Joanna is a Houston-based dog and cat trainer and behavior consultant. She started on… Continued

Getting Started on Celebrating Life Together

Celebrating Life Together – The Antidote to Harmful and Outdated Training and Pet Care Advice Congratulations and thank you for registering for the Celebrating Life Together advocacy event! This page will help you with some basics for getting the most out of this important and unique event. Soon you will receive an email with more information about how to prepare and submit your entry for the Community Outreach Competition (if you are participating) and how to attend the three-day virtual education event (if you are attending). Let’s Get Started! Download… Continued

Chat & Chuckle with Michelle Martiya About Working With Hybrid Cats

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Savannahs and Bengals (and spraying) … oh my! Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Michelle Martiya about working with hybrid cats! Michelle Martiya is an ABI certified exotic animal trainer who works with canines, equids, and exotic species. Michelle specializes in connecting and building relationships with fearful and feral equids, combining her natural ”way” with animals and her many years of experience, with a robust education in animal behavior and training. Michelle’s animal experience includes both domestic and exotic species, and she currently coaches… Continued

Prescription and Veterinary Diets–Are They Medicine? Are They Worth the Added Cost?

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by Don Hanson Pet foods sold as “prescription” or “veterinary” diets are typically promoted as treating medical issues like skin allergies, kidney disease, cancer, and more. They usually are much more expensive than regular dog food. For example, an 18.7 lb. bag of one company’s kidney diet sells for $104, while a 15 lb. bag of its regular dog food costs $46, half the price of the “prescription” diet. These alleged medical diets are often sold by veterinarians or outlets that will only sell you the food if you provide… Continued

Add Your Credential to the PPAB Transfer Matrix

What Is the PPAB Transfer Matrix? When an individual who already holds a credential awarded by another organization applies for a Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) credential, they consult the PPAB Credential Transfer Matrix to determine whether their current credential can be transferred to their chosen PPAB credential and what additional items they may need to submit. If a credentialing organization is not listed in the matrix, it is because no one has applied to have that specific credential added yet, or a previous application has not been deemed to meet… Continued

Pet Professional Guild Announces New Event Titled Celebrating Life Together—A Pet-Approved Event

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Paula GarberEmail: [email protected]: petprofessionalguild.comSocial Media: Facebook, Twitter Pet Professional Guild Announces New Event Titled Celebrating Life Together—A Pet-Approved EventThe August event includes a three-day virtual education event and a month-long community outreach competition whose aim is to saturate social media and local communities with fun, effective pet training and care protocols for pet professionals and pet owners. The Villages, Fla. – May 10, 2024 — The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has announced a two-part event called Celebrating Life Together—A Pet-Approved Event to raise awareness for humane,… Continued

Canine Resources

Dog owners, these resources are just for you! Under Canine Articles and Flyers, you’ll find information on dog training, teaching your dog to wear a muzzle, traveling with your dog and more. Scroll down to the Puppy Education section for great resources that will help set up your puppy for success, and be sure to check out the Dog Training Videos section for an amazing collection of 20 videos to help you train your dog. Canine Articles and Flyers Puppy Education Dog Training Videos

When Kindness Hurts: The Importance of Self-Care for Behavior Professionals

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by Anna Francesca Bradley When I first delved into the world of animal behavior over 20 years ago, there was very little, if any, emphasis on looking after oneself. The focus (and rightly so) was on clients’ well-being and doing one’s utmost to help both animal and human, and very little thought was given to the individual professionals who were throwing everything, their heart and soul, into that journey. Thankfully, awareness has changed. The Professional’s Role When I first thought about becoming a behavior modification and training professional, I did… Continued

Riff Raff: From Reactive to Relaxed

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This article is the runner-up entry in the BARKS 2023 Summit Writing Competition! by Tasha Attwood Riff Raff is a 7-year-old entire (intact) male Leonberger who lives in a bungalow with his owners, Claire and Paul. They have had him since he was 8 weeks old, and he is the only pet in the household. Claire’s parents live in the house next door and have three Briards, two males named Bruce and Billy, and a female named Annie. The houses are separate but adjoined via a door in Claire and… Continued

The Surprising Similarities Between Dogs and Toddlers and How We Can Use Them to Make Us Better Pet Professionals

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by Judy Luther In this post, I give a little insight into how dogs are much like toddlers when it comes to emotions and learning, and how teaching them like we teach toddlers can be so beneficial.   It was 2016 and I was heading to session #2 with a client who had a new puppy. During the first session, the mom confided she felt like she made a mistake getting a puppy with a toddler in the house, and she was considering sending the puppy back to the breeder.  When… Continued

Best Practices

Best Practices At PPG, we encourage professional autonomy within the confines of our mutually agreed principles.  Written by Debra Millikan, Dip.ABST, Dip.DTBC, PABC As members of PPG and in accordance with PPG’s Guiding Principles, “Members understand force-free to mean, no shock, no pain, no fear, no physical force, no compulsion-based methods are employed to train or care for a pet.” It is also the belief that experienced trainers must begin their behavior change programs with the least invasive and least aversive training protocols necessary to change the problematic behavior. Education is one… Continued

Applicant Support Group

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Your New Support Group As an applicant to our credentialing program, we are sure you have many questions. To make it easier for you to get answers, we have scheduled a monthly session on Zoom. The following are the days and times you can jump on Zoom each month and talk to the Education Committee leadership. The second Tuesday of the Month at 6:00 p.m. ET – starts April 9, 2024

Membership Types and Access

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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

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Celebrating Life Together

The Votes Are In! Winners in the public vote part of the Community Outreach Competition will be announced Oct. 21. Best in Show and Best on the Block winners to be announced Oct. 28. Stay tuned for the results! Your PPG Advocacy Event – Raising Awareness for Humane, Ethical, and Effective Pet Training and Care  Join Forces and Be Part of The Solution Help Us Provide the Antidote to Harmful, Aversive Training & Pet Care Event CEUs PPAB 30, CCPDT 24, KPA 24, PMCT 24. We Plan To Saturate Social Media… Continued

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