BARKS Podcast with Toni Clarke of Well Done Charlie Dog Training
Join Niki Tudge and Rebekah King as they Chat & Chuckle with Toni Clarke of Well Done Charlie Dog Training, about how to develop and execute training plans to prepare pets to fly. Listen to the Podcast with Toni Clarke here on your choice of platforms. Or just stay on this page and click on the ‘Play’ icon below. Recorded July 19, 2022. About Toni Clarke Toni Clarke CTC, CSAT, VSA-CDT received her Certificate in Training and Counseling (CTC) from the elite Academy for Dog Trainers. She… Continued
‘Excessive‘ Barking – Are There Any ‘Quick Fixes’ That are Humane?
“Oh, I LOVE it when my dog shouts at the mail carrier and won’t be quiet when I ask him to,” said no one ever! Don’t we all love a quick fix? If only there was a quick way to make our dogs be quiet…well, one that’s humane that is. You see, there are many ‘quick fixes’ in dog training and some of them make your eyes water and are really not very nice for your dog. We love our dogs, don’t we? So there’s no need to go… Continued
New Beginnings
This article relates the impact the pandemic had on one professional dog trainer’s business and how it empowered her to make life-changing decisions about her future – both personally and professionally By Gail Radtke In April 2020, right at the beginning of the pandemic, I closed my dog training facility that I had been operating in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, and moved all the equipment into my garage. Like so many other people at the time I was unsure, unprepared, and overwhelmed, but knew I had to make fast decisions… Continued
Six Tips to Keep At-Home Dog Training Fun and Consistent
Keeping up the consistency of training your dog at home, when you don’t have a dog trainer looking over your shoulder or need to be top of the class can be hard! Let’s be honest, there is a lot of other stuff we do at home, and sometimes training our dogs takes a back seat, to you… know ALL THAT OTHER life stuff! But training relies on keeping things consistent and interesting; there aren’t any shortcuts, honestly. Dogs learn through repetition and being rewarded for things we want them to… Continued
Meet the People Behind the Fundraiser for Ukrainian Animal Shelters
Quick Links: Donate to help animals survive the war in Ukraine. BARKS podcast with Dr. Marina Bayeva: Hear updates on the use of funding and the animals benefiting from your generous support. Lifelong animal welfare advocate, Dr. Marina Bayeva, began a grassroots campaign to help animals survive the war in Ukraine. On May 4, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) streamed an informative and inspiring live discussion with Dr. Bayeva, veterinarian Dr. Paula Klek, and members of PPG’s Shelter & Rescue committee. Meet the the people behind the campaign and… Continued
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
Just the Thought of Leaving Pets in a War Zone is an Incredibly Difficult Mental Exercise
The thought of losing my dogs or being forced to leave them behind in a war zone if I had to evacuate is an incredibly difficult mental exercise. I can barely even write about it. And yet I had been faced with this dilemma in my previous life when I lived in Nigeria. During my three years there we experienced two coups and I had to face the possibility that in the event of a mandated evacuation I would have to leave my pets behind. I was told in clear… 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
Top Tips to Help Your New Dog or Puppy Settle In
Bringing a new puppy or dog into your home can be one of the most wonderful times for you and your family. It can also sometimes feel pretty overwhelming! There’s so much to think about, isn’t there? We thought we’d help you out and provide some top tips on settling in that new furry member of the family, so your new dog days can be just like the fairytale books tell you! Get a routine Puppies and dogs thrive on a routine. It gives a new dog confidence to know… Continued
PPG Advocacy Panel: Making Education More Accessible
By Susan Nilson The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel was launched in August and has already held its first three sessions, where the panel discussed How To Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Methods, How to Reach and Work with Your Local Veterinarians, Your PPG Advocacy Panel at Work! Advocating to Let Dogs be Dogs, Cats be Cats, Equids Be Equids, and “Being Nicer” While Advocating (links to all podcasts and videos below). Panel members to date include Beth Adelman, Kristi Benson, Dr. Laura Donaldson, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Dr. Robert… Continued
Saving Detainees and Dogs, One Life at a Time
By Lisa Waggoner “The rehabilitation of inmates requires a willing state of mind, a helpful attitude which insists upon finding something of value even in those who have devalued themselves beyond personal hope of redemption…guided by the philosophy of maximum value on human rights and dignity.” – William H. Lyle, Jr., Ph.D. The above quote is from Behavioral Science and Modern Penology (1973), a book of articles compiled and edited by my dad, Bill Lyle, with assistance from Thetus Horner, an inmate at the Tennessee State Penitentiary. In March of… Continued
Understanding, Identifying, and Coping with Canine Stress
Just like us, our dogs can and do experience stress. And just as stress can make us feel afraid, hyper, edgy, or irritable, it can do the same to our dogs. As a pet behavior consultant, I have observed that most behavior problems with pets, especially the more serious, such as aggression and separation anxiety, are related to one or more stressors in the animal’s life. It is a well-established fact that chronic stress can have a detrimental effect on our behavior, health, and overall well-being. If we want our… Continued
The Problem with “Furry Little Humans”
By Andrea Carne Let’s open this discussion with the whole cats vs. dogs “thing.” Honestly, why do we continue to debate this ongoing battle of the species? Social media is filled with cartoons and memes depicting the supposedly obvious differences and, while I can enjoy the funny side as much as anyone else, there is a serious side to the argument when it comes to actual research. Case in point: A new study by Chijiiwa et al. (2021) on cat behavior has already gained a lot of press this year,… Continued
Alone Training
By Don Hanson Dogs are social animals, and most will actively seek out our companionship. They can quickly become accustomed to having their people around all the time (especially during these pandemic times when many of us are spending more time at home than usual), but this is not a necessarily good thing if they will need to spend some time on their own at some stage. And as much as we might want to believe we will always be with our dogs all the time, that scenario is improbable.… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Lisa and Brad Waggoner: March 12, 2021
Join Niki Tudge and guests Lisa and Brad Waggoner of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, as they discuss their work with the dog training program, RESCUED: Saving Detainees and Dogs One Life at a Time, at the Colwell Probation and Detention Center in Blairsville, Georgia. The program focuses on the rehabilitation of detainees through training their dogs using positive reinforcement training techniques. Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred platform. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. Lisa Lyle Waggoner is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Pat Miller Certified Trainer-Level… Continued
Pit Bull Pete: One Dog’s Journey with Fear
By Daniel Antolec As an accredited professional dog trainer and certified canine behavior consultant I have devoted myself to helping anxious and fearful dogs. My journey on that path began on August 28, 2012 when I first began working with Ranger, a two-year-old Australian shepherd who was evaluated by another trainer, and whose euthanasia had already been decided based upon his poor quality of life. Ranger, like so many of my behavioral cases, had a multitude of fears. These included neophobia, separation anxiety and extreme leash reactivity. After three months… Continued
Good Kharma: Lessons from a Retired Greyhound
By Devene Godau *This post is the Pet Professional Guild winning entry in our Geek Week 2020 Writers’ Competition* I thought I knew everything there was to know about dogs. As a child I read everything I could and in my teens I spent my spare time working in a boarding kennel. All I dreamed of was being a dog trainer. When I graduated from college, I moved back home when my mom got a cairn terrier puppy. I was excited to start the training process with her and signed… Continued
Getting Willow: How the Loss of One Dog Taught Me How to Grieve and Love Again
By Sonya Bevan *This post is the Pet Professional Guild Australia winning entry in our Geek Week 2020 Writers’ Competition* I lost the love of my life on my birthday. I chose the day to sit by her side and say farewell. Although it felt like I had no choice. Zuri, my Rhodesian Ridgeback and keeper of my heart, was dying of cancer which had spread mercilessly to her lungs and abdomen. Every decision I had made up to this point was meant to prevent this. I was shocked to… Continued
Behavior Modification — A Case Study of a “Difficult” Dog
By Maren Jensen Ph.D. and Angelica Steinker M.Ed. CDBC PDBC PCBC-A The Joy and Journey of Rehabilitating a Dog with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Pica, Separation Anxiety, Noise Sensitivity and Aggression Rumble was a normal puppy. He investigated, pounced and loved all. Rum, as he is affectionately known, socialized with confidence and happiness, starting at nine weeks. He learned how to learn playing games. Maren, his owner, is a dog trainer and dog sport coach. Everything seemed on track for Rum to make a spectacular entrance into the dog sport… Continued
Tips to Help Your Reactive Dog
As a certified canine behavior consultant I enjoy working with “reactive” dogs. Yes, I said enjoy. Helping a dog and their guardian overcome this common behavioral issue is truly joyful for everyone involved. This is a long post…entire books have been written on this topic after all. I want to give you some virtual help during the global pandemic which has us sheltering at home. So feel free to get a cup of coffee or tea and then continue reading. What “reactive” means This refers to canine behavior in which a… Continued
PPG Virtual Summit Recordings Now Available!
The recordings for the PPG Virtual Summit on April 2-3, 2020, celebrating the launch of the Pet Rescue Resource, are now available. Register here for access to these eight exceptional educational experiences offering 12 hours of recordings plus Q&A sessions: Preventing and Reducing Fear in The Shelter Environment – Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis Animal Behavior Consulting Seven Top Tips to Promote Calm in Rescue and Shelter Dogs – Dr. Nick Thompson of Holisticvet Scent Work Solutions for Dogs in Rescues and Shelters – Dr. Nick Thompson of Well Connected Canine… Continued
Dogs in the Zone
By Barb Levenson Have you ever seen that look in your dog’s eyes? He looks at you and it feels like he truly loves you. Well, you are probably right. Scientists are discovering that we may actually be correct. Our dogs are indeed expressing their love for us. Several weeks ago I was working with my eight-month-old border collie puppy, Classy. I wanted to shape the behavior of him putting his head down while he was in his bed. In this situation I used a clicker as my marker so… Continued
Official News Release: PPG Announces Virtual Summit to Celebrate Launch of New Pet Rescue Resource
April event will mark unveiling of Behavior and Welfare Toolkit, specifically designed to help increase adoption and retention rates in the shelter and rescue sector WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – February 17, 2020 — The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has announced an educational Virtual Summit taking place on Thursday, April 2 – Friday, April 3, 2020 to mark the launch of its new program, the PPG Pet Rescue Resource – A Behavior and Welfare Toolkit. The Pet Rescue Resource Behavior and Welfare Toolkit is a comprehensive educational product, designed by PPG’s… Continued
A Miniature Puppet Master
By Bob McMillan I’d heard about dogs like Bentley—manipulative, ready to take over the house and quite likely the entire block, a mastermind who bends all other dogs to his will. Bentley was my first chance to observe a Svengali of the dog world in his native habitat, which in this case was in my lap in my own home, looking up at me with huge, sincere, moist brown eyes. The little guy really had me, until a better lap came along and I watched him work his mojo on… Continued