Cat Introductions – One Step at a Time
Since starting my cat behavior consulting business in 2019, the issue that I have been most often contacted about is that of cat introductions. While there are some cats that will roll out the welcome mat almost immediately for a newcomer, most need a more structured approach. 1. SAFE ROOM The first introduction step is to start your new cat in a safe room. This room should have all the major resources that a cat needs: feeding station, litter box, scratching post, bedding, and toys. One benefit of a safe… Continued
A New Puppy Affects the Existing Dog(s) in Your Household – Here’s What You Need to Know
In this blog post, we are going to look at how getting a new puppy may affect the existing pets in your home. The safest and most responsible option would be to speak to a qualified trainer or behavior consultant to assist you with a management plan as well as an introduction between the new puppy and the resident dog. Very often, our nervousness gets the better of us and the situation. Our dogs pick up on our anxiety and an introduction might not go as smoothly as it can.… Continued
Trigger Stacking in Pets Explained
The holidays, a busy time of year, are quickly approaching! This time of year can be stressful for everyone, including our pets. Your home may undergo many changes, including decorating and adding a tree that may be so tempting for cats to climb or dogs to chew on! Not only that, but we’ll also have a lot of visitors and people coming and going, which can all contribute to trigger stacking, but what exactly is trigger stacking? When a series of minor incidents pile up to the point where your… Continued
Canine Enrichment with Scent Detection
By Emily Coleman In early November 2022, my dog Deja and I journeyed off to the sunny climes of Crystal River, Florida, in search of adventure! And odor … By this I mean we attended the Pet Professional Guild’s three-day Scent and Scentability workshop. Expert detection-dog handlers Dr. Robert and Karen Hewings, both retired professional police dog handlers, provided loads of valuable insight. Robert and Karen now run the UK College of Scent Dogs and were kicking off an international tour. In total, they presented five days of quality… Continued
Why Does My Pet Do That?
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why does my pet do that?” The reasons why pets do what they do and behave the way they do will always have a function, whether we understand it or not! Reasons, Emotions and Needs Behind Pets’ Behaviors Behavior is a complex subject, and when we examine our pet’s behavior, there are many factors to consider, such as: Physical health – pain, disease, hormones, age, and general health Genetic – species, breed, breeding lines, hereditary Temperament – personality, breed type History – socialization, early… Continued
One for the Birds
by Lara Joseph Aviaries are large outdoor enclosures designed to give birds space to fly, walk, learn and explore in a naturally occurring environment. Providing an aviary in which to train birds is an important form of enrichment for them. Birds, like other animals learn, from their environments. Birds with behavior problems might scream, pluck, or resort to nesting behaviors. Conversely, birds in aviaries have an opportunity to interact with their environments in positive ways and can demonstrate positive behaviors to replace abnormal, repetitive, or undesired behaviors. An aviary improves a… Continued
Before You Get a New Puppy
Are you planning on acquiring a new puppy? It’s a good thing you are reading this! We will guide you through essential information you need to make an informed decision. Whether you are a new dog owner or an experienced dog guardian, getting a new puppy is very exciting. It also comes with many responsibilities, such as research on: The breed that would best suit your household Finding an ethical breeder OR Choosing the right puppy from a rescue A qualified professional’s school to enroll your puppy for early socialization… Continued
Shock Myths and Misconceptions
#1 — “The shock collar doesn’t hurt my dog. I tested it on my arm. it’s just a little vibration.” I know that it seems like the shock collar doesn’t hurt the dog, because when we test the collar out on ourselves, it might not feel so bad, but unfortunately it can be very painful and scary for dogs. In fact, if the shock is not painful or scary, it won’t work to teach your dog anything. Dogs need motivation to do the things we ask of them — no… Continued
Are Electronic Shock Collars Painful?
A New Study Reveals Some Answers By Sophia Yin, DVM, MS Trainers often debate about the use of electronic shock collars. Some trainers find these collars unethical and unsafe. The pro-collar camp takes a different stance. Some say it just distracts the dog, calling it “tap technology” and others say it may be painful at the instant but then the dog learns to behave and there are no lasting negative effects. In 2003, researchers from the Netherlands, Matthijs Schilder and Joanne van der Borg, assessed the short and long term… Continued
Electronic Fences – What You Need To know
Electronic Fencing What you need to know Written by Eileen Anderson. Sourced from Eileen and Dogs Electronic fences, e-fences, radio fences, Invisible Fences™, pet containment fences: they all amount to the same thing. A system where your dog wears a radio controlled electronic collar that shocks him whenever he crosses a certain perimeter, sometimes marked (at least at first) with little flags. If you are considering this kind of fence, there are some things you need to know that the people who market them won’t tell you. The fences and accompanying… Continued
What Is Shock Training?
Is It Really Just A Tap? Shock Collar Training Explained Written by Eileen Anderson. Sourced from Eileen and Dogs This question is answered below in this article written by Eileen Anderson. Thank you to Eileen for kindly allowing us to use her wonderfully written articles as part of our Shock Free Coalition. Shock collar trainers have several names for the shocks that they administer through the collar. A tap. A stim. A nick. A page. Static. Application of pressure. It sounds like something short and relatively benign. Even the word… Continued
Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: Licensing vs. Industry Certification
This article is excerpted from the book, Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, authored by Niki J. Tudge, Susan J. Nilson, Debra A. Millikan and Louise A. Stapleton-Frappell (pp. 14-21). The book is available as a free download from DogNostics Career Center or in print from Amazon. According to Roth and Ramlow (2016), “Americans have always been rooted in the idea of economic freedom.” In other words, Americans tend to be of the belief that hard work… Continued
Before You Adopt Your Rescue Dog
We will be digging into information current and/or future dog guardians should consider before they adopt a (another) dog. Let’s Explore the Subject of How to Choose a Dog You can use the following as a guide: Visit often. Keep in mind, that the shelter environment is generally more stressful than the average home. Dogs who exhibit overarousal in the rescue environment might be calmer in a home environment. Visit the dog often and ask the shelter staff to take the dog to a play garden or a… Continued
Practical Training Tips for Pet People
At Pets and Their People, we’re on a mission to provide resources and practical tips to pet people…with a dose of encouragement and humor! So, if your cat is counter surfing or your dog’s digging up the garden, we’re here for you! Take a deep breath and enjoy diving into these helpful tips from our expert contributors: Is Your Cat Counter Surfing? The PPG Cat Committee Has an Answer! If the cat is getting on the counter to access a window, cover the window with a temporary blind or… Continued
When Cat Guardians (and Their Cats) Are at the End of Their Rope, Bonnie Comes to the Rescue
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself, how you first got into animal behavior and training and what you are doing now. A: I live in Missouri with my husband of 20 years along with two cats, one gerbil and some fish. I volunteer at Wayside Waifs, where I previously worked for nearly 11 years as their feline care manager. I helped develop behavior and socialization programs to help increase each cat’s chances of adoption. I also love dogs! I love to travel, and most recently we went to… Continued
Ways Assistance Animals Help
Assistance Animals are so much more than well- behaved and well-trained pets. They work in a vital, supportive role to their guardians. What Do Assistance Animals Do? Assistance animals help to keep their handlers safe in many scenarios. For example, they can medically alert to low blood sugar, migraines, or an epileptic fit before they manifest, or detect their guardians’ changing blood levels or breathing. They can also help as psychiatric service dogs. They may aid their guardian with PTSD through flashbacks and panic attacks, or help to ground a… Continued
Chat & Chuckle with Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas of dogbiz
Join PPG’s Kelly Fahey and PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas of dogbiz about their THRIVE! program. THRIVE! is an online program of dogbiz’s that provides group coaching and a supportive community to help R+ dog trainers and their businesses thrive. Listen to the Podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded on October 21, 2022.
Slithery Snakes and Other Scary Things!
It’s that time of year when we see many snakes and lizards warming themselves along our running pathways. Having lived in Florida for over 15 years, I know these are a common but not always welcome sight. As a certified dog trainer and behavior consultant, snake avoidance was built into my puppy-raising plan when Doogie came into our home as an 8-week-old rascal. We lived on 24 acres with water frontage, so it was essential to ensure Doogie had the skills and knowledge to avoid a critter safely should she… Continued
Pet Insurance – How to Choose a Provider
When we decided to purchase pet health insurance for Muppy nine years ago, there were far fewer options than you will find today. However, that means choosing a plan may be more complicated today. Then, there were fewer companies, and it was easier to find independent and unbiased reviews online. Today several major insurance companies are offering policies for pets as they see this as a financially lucrative market. Their participation could drive prices up or down. Unfortunately, how plans are marketed does not always make for an easy, apples-to-apples… Continued
The Lost Art of Disagreeing Without Being Disagreeable – An Urgent Need
By Niki Tudge As business owners, one of our fundamental responsibilities to our clients, our employees and our stakeholders is to ensure that we provide a workplace where civility is not only a priority, but a deep-rooted, daily cultural norm. Manners, respect, consideration, tolerance and equality are all characteristics and indicators of a healthy and progressive organizational culture. While the mere suggestion of implementing a workplace training program on manners may draw sneers and seem like overkill, the reality is that rudeness is a workplace epidemic that can cost small… Continued
Scent Work Works for Shelter Dogs
Using scent work as part of enrichment programs in shelters can improve both welfare and adoption rates for dogs by Rachel Lane You’ve probably heard people say that when you adopt a shelter dog, you adopt problems and bring home headaches—or another version of the same sentiment. I have heard this far too often, and it always makes me sad. Yes, it is true that sometimes dogs in shelters do display behaviors that adopters label as undesirable, but there are also lots of amazing animals waiting for their forever homes.… Continued
Would You Invite Your Best Friend to a Restaurant with Cuisine They Don’t Like?
Doogie and I walk together every day and run every other day. Doogie only ever runs 6 miles on roads, and then she goes home to snuffle mats and frozen KONGs while I clock up more miles. Doogie often prefers to walk. But whether we choose to walk or run, the focus is always on OUR enjoyment, the collective! This video shows the beginning of one of our outings. We are walking to warm up and collect important peemail. Watch Doogie’s body language change when I say, “are you… Continued
Is It Time to Have a Business Meeting with Yourself?
by Veronica Boutelle If you’ve ever had someone say to you, “Oh, you’re a dog trainer? It must be so fun to play with puppies all day!” and had to take a very deep breath, we get it. Running your own business, especially one that requires complex behavior work and client support, is a lot. Whether you’ve just started out in the dog world or have decades of experience, long to-do lists seem to go with the territory. The exciting thing we’ve seen in our THRIVE! group coaching program is… Continued
The ‘Touch’ Cue: Its Many Uses and How to Train It
Targeting is a behavior in which a dog uses a particular area of their body to target something. This is often your dog’s nose to your hand, but it has many other applications such as a chin target, a back foot target, a shoulder target, or for your dog to go to a specific location such as a mat, their bed or a station. Targeting is beneficial because it directs the dog to where you want them to go or what you want them to do with their body… Continued