Professionalizing the Pet Industry
In industries such as the pet industry, where quality impacts public safety and protects against dangerous practitioners, there may be room for a model of regulation that provides the necessary competency and operational guidelines, as well as a level of oversight and ethical supervision for trainers and behavior consultants, while protecting the needs of pets and their owners and providing for transparency and consumer protection. Licensing alone that requires an annual fee with oversight solely from a government body is just not going to cut it. Read article.
Cooperative Care: It’s Not Just for Dogs!
Horses, as a species, are prey animals. They are often space conscious and uniquely aware of their surroundings and sensitive to the elements within them. Physically large and robust animals, horses easily dwarf their trainers or handlers and are incredibly strong. Although these are important traits for livestock animals, their size and strength can result in a “heavy-handed” approach being taken to physically manipulate and coerce them into a specific behavior or position. This approach still pervades all aspects of traditional horsemanship and even extends to routine medical care or… Continued
The Top Ten New Simple Solutions to Help You and Your Dog in the New Year
Helping Pet Dog Guardians Get It Right! Did you know that good management is an essential part of any training or behavioral change plan? In fact, management is an important part of your dog’s life, in the same way that it’s important to manage your children’s environment. If your dog is behaving in a way you do not like, then limit his opportunity to practice the unwanted behavior. Management strategies can be put in place while you learn how to teach your dog new and more appropriate behaviors. Here are… Continued
Teaching Your Dog to Self-Interrupt
By Eileen Anderson Here is something I taught with positive reinforcement that enhances Clara’s life and mine. I’ve taught her to respond positively to being interrupted, and even to interrupt herself. This trained behavior helps us get along smoothly from day to day, and also helps keep her safe in the world. Self-interruption is related to a whole batch of desirable dog behaviors. I mean desirable to us humans, but they are beneficial to the dogs, too. People refer variously to reorientation, offered attention, checking in, and more. Even recall is related. By whatever name, these… Continued
A Cry for Attention
By Lara Joseph Foraging is defined as searching for food. From my observations, however, much more is involved than the mere hunt for food when a parrot carries out this behavior. I am fascinated with watching birds forage because it has such a profound impact on their behavior in so many ways. It seems to come naturally to some companion parrots while others need to be taught. Incorporating foraging opportunities in our birds’ cages, rooms, aviaries and other environments can really help engage and stimulate their minds and fill their… Continued
The Problem with Shock
By Angelica Steinker It isn’t that shock collar training doesn’t work, because it does. The question is at what price? Some extremely skilled trainers may be able to offset some of the problems shock collars can cause. However, shock collars are for sale at almost every pet store making them readily accessible to the general public. A shock collar can potentially lead to very serious problems. There are a multitude of other powerful training options including obedience, behavior management, and positive reinforcement. Malfunction The first potential problem is that the… Continued
PPG Summit 2020 Sessions: Do Scientists Really Know What They’re Talking About?
BARKS presents session details from PPG’s 2020 Summit and Workshops in Phoenix, Arizona *Early bird discount available if you register before January 31, 2020! Session Details: Presenter: Dr. Karolina Westlund Session Title: Do Scientists Really Know What They’re Talking About? Session Type: General Session (1 Hour) In the last 100 years, what we know about animal behavior, learning and cognition has been completely rewritten. But how many of today’s assumptions will hold true another 100 years from now? Which areas need further study? What claims are yet to be refuted as… Continued
Opinion: Puppies Are Poor Christmas Gifts
It may be tempting for parents to get a puppy for their kids as a special Christmas gift. We have probably all seen TV programs and holiday movies where that scene played out joyfully on screen. And there was always a happy ending. But Christmas puppies do not always have happy endings. Modern families seem busier than ever. Often, both parents work full time, the kids are away at school during the day and are being transported to and from athletic and social activities on weeknights and weekends. That leaves… Continued
Living and Working with Deaf Dogs
By Morag Heirs Our canine companions are remarkably adaptable and, based on current thinking, this ability has allowed them to take advantage of the rubbish dumps created by primitive humans and shaped the transformation from wolf-like ancestor through to domesticated dog. I often feel that their talent at interpreting our sometimes hurried and chaotic verbal language is nothing short of miraculous! In some ways then, the deaf or partially-deafened dog has an advantage over the hearing dog. Born with restricted senses, these dogs not only are largely oblivious to our… Continued
Fetch More Dollars: Like Peas in a Pod
By John D. Visconti In a previous article (see Fetch More Dollars: Selling Is Helping, BARKS from the Guild, June 2014, p.59), I discussed the negative association many trainers have with the words ‘selling’ and ‘salesperson.’ Additionally, I pointed out that a professional salesperson is in the business of helping people, not exploiting them. Hopefully, because you embraced these concepts and now possess a different perspective on what it means to be a salesperson, you will never experience beads of sweat forming on your brow should someone ask, “Are you… Continued
“I Will Never Use the Shock Collar Again!”
By Eileen Anderson This is a story from a client of one of my professional trainer friends. Let’s call my friend “Phoebe.” My friend had met the client for some coaching for her young, exuberant dog, Raven. But it was a very long distance for the client to come. My friend received this email after she hadn’t heard from the client in a while. Some details were altered for privacy, but I’ve left the email essentially as the client wrote it because she tells the story so eloquently. I am… Continued
Perfect Dog? What You Put In Is What You Get Out
So many times people say to me – your dog must be perfectly behaved right? Well…yes, he responds very well to what I ask him to do in various situations, but it doesn’t ‘just happen.’ It’s not something that miraculously occurs – it takes work. Unfortunately, sometimes owners enter the world of ‘dogdom’ with the expectation that a ‘perfect family pet’ is generated within the realms of a six-week puppy starter course. During this initial period, puppies are entering a rapid stage of physical, mental and social growth and learning.… Continued
They Call Him Rocket Man
Dog trainers enjoy the privileged opportunity of influencing the life and welfare of other people’s pets. With that comes great responsibility to only use methods and equipment which are modern and effective, while promoting a positive relationship as the dog becomes a full member of the family. In short, we must do everything which is in the best interest of the welfare of the pet and their family. On February 7th of 2016 I began a journey with a Welsh Terrier named Rocket, but everyone calls him Rocket Man. Rocket… Continued
The Miracle Mutt
By Gail Radtke Changing your career in your 40s is nerve-wracking at the best of times but I was lucky enough to have a very special friend to inspire and guide me towards following my passion. That special someone was Lanie, a Shar-Pei-Chow-Malamute-shepherd-mix girl who completely changed my life. Up until 2007 I had had a rewarding career at British Columbia Provincial Corrections in the Greater Vancouver area as a Correctional Supervisor and Instructor but then a car accident left me with injuries that would change my ability to carry… Continued
The Power of the Clicker
By Donna Savoie Dickens’ family purchased him from a breeder when he was five months old. The breeder did not allow the family to see the entire litter nor the dam and sire before they took him, but brought him up a flight of stairs and simply told the family, “I pick this pup for you.” The family was slightly upset by the interaction and the inability to view the entire litter or meet the dam and sire, but Dickens ran right over to them and snuggled and won them… Continued
When Food Toys “Fail”
By Eileen Anderson How many of us have heard about food-toy failures from our friends and clients? “I tried the Kong with my puppy, but she didn’t like it,” or, “My dog is not smart enough for those puzzle toys!” There is an ever-increasing variety of food toys for dogs and other animals on the market. There are toys of differing complexity. There are toys that demand problem solving and toys that necessitate complex motor skills. Dog owners are fortunate to have more and more choices to enrich their dogs’… Continued
On the Danger of Dog Collars
By Karolina Westlund Ph.D. of PPG corporate partner Illis Animal Behaviour Consulting There’s a debate raging in Sweden about whether choke collars are potentially dangerous to dogs. Pros and cons of choke collars? Photo: Elf, Wikipedia Several influential dog coaches on TV use and recommend them, other experienced dog professionals argue against them. It’s currently causing all kinds of shock waves to ripple across social media, which inspired me for a blog post. I’m not a dog owner – I’ve never owned a dog. I’m guessing that in some people’s eyes, this… Continued
Trigger Warning!
We’re all familiar with the term “threshold,” the magical line where, when kept under it, our dogs can focus and learn. During behavior consultations, the concept of a threshold and how to stay under it are, in my opinion, a trainer’s best friend. But how do we know that our dogs are actually under threshold? Certainly, we’ve all been in situations where progress, at times, looks like one step forward and two steps back. In this article, we will look at what one particular dog’s threshold looked like and how… 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
Position Statement on PPG’s Pet Industry Education Mandate
The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) and its membership hold themselves accountable to a high standard of ethics, protocols and transparency. Since its inception in 2012, PPG has been unwavering and unequivocal about where it stands on equipment philosophy and training methods for pets. As such, its members are committed to the use, promotion and education of humane, scientific and effective training, care and management protocols, as espoused in PPG’s Guiding Principles (2012). While PPG has taken an exclusively force-free approach and a promise to “do no harm,” it also recognizes… Continued
Pushing and Pulling are for Luggage, Not for Dogs
One of my recent puppy clients was a precocious fellow named Colt. He was hardly bigger than the family cat, and it was the first puppy the family ever had. From day one we covered all the basics of raising a puppy, with an emphasis on keeping things safe and fun, and applying the training skills in everyday life. Each time I work with a “first time puppy” family I am reminded of the enormous amount of work which is required of them, and how easily they forget what I… Continued
PPG Summit 2020 Sessions: How Emotions Impact the Outcome of Your Training
BARKS presents session details from PPG’s 2020 Summit and Multi-Species Workshop Events in Phoenix, Arizona Session Details: Presenter: Dr. Karolina Westlund Session Title: How Emotions Impact the Outcome of Your Training Session Type: Keynote Session (1.5 Hours) Emotional experiences impact brain development, personality, social skills, and stress sensitivity, and this presentation will focus specifically on how emotional reactions impact learning and performance. It will examine several of the mechanisms involved and discuss the importance of not only the animal’s emotional experience, but also the human part of the equation. The… Continued
How I TRAINED My Dog to Take a Pill
By Eileen Anderson Most of us have used the “hide it” method at one time or another to get our dogs to take pills. In fact, I wrote a whole post about some ways to sneak pills into dogs. But there’s a better way. What if you never had to hide a pill again? What if your dog would take a pill almost like a human? Instead of washing it down with a drink of water, your dog would get a favorite treat afterward instead. Pill-taking can be trained as a behavior. It… Continued
Resolving Destructive Behaviour in Your Pet
By Karolina Westlund Ph.D. of PPG corporate partner Illis Animal Behaviour Consulting Destructive behaviour can be extremely frustrating. Image: concept by ILLIS ABC, drawing by Pyrrth Destructive behaviour from your beloved pet can be a nuisance. Assuming there’s not an underlying medical condition or the behaviour isn’t anxiety-related, let’s look at some ways of addressing these types of behaviour, regardless of whether you’re a dog dude, a cat gal or a parrot person. Or hang out with any other critter, for that matter. I’m going to use cat furniture scratching as… Continued