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I’ve Been Rescued by a Pet

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This blog post is the Runner-up in our Pets and Their People PPG Summit Blog Contest which invited entrants to submit a blog post on the topic of being rescued by a pet. This week we celebrated Dezra’s Gotcha Day! Ten Years!! We adopted Dezra on August 17, 2013. Ten years ago, I could not have imagined where I am now. Dezra truly changed my life, and the lives of many other dogs when she joined our family. After our dog Theo passed away, my husband and I were looking to… Continued

How to Interact with a Dog – Respecting Personal Space

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While many people recognize and address the physical health of their pets, the same cannot always be said for their pets’ mental well-being. Sadly, I’m not surprised, as some people fail to recognize the importance of mental health in humans, believing behavioral issues are character flaws rather than symptoms of illness or distress. Behavior problems with pets are on the rise. Often, they occur due to an aspect of a pet’s mental health and emotional well-being. Feeling Safe Every dog, like every person, has a personal space bubble. Each person… Continued

Becoming a Cat Person

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This blog post is the Winner in our Pets and Their People PPG Summit Blog Contest which invited entrants to submit a blog post on the topic of being rescued by a pet. I was never a cat person. First of all, I had a cat allergy. A few hours near a cat and my nose started dripping like a faucet. Strike one. Soldiering through my congestion, the animal-lover in me desperately wanted to pet my aunt’s cats when we visited for holidays. She led me into the bedroom and let… Continued

What Do You Do When You’re the Only Force-Free Professional in Town?

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  by the Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Panel This article was excerpted and edited from the PPG Advocacy Panel discussion on January 18, 2023. Moderator: Don Hanson: Chair of the PPG Advocacy Division and Shock-Free Coalition, board member of the Pet Professional Guild, and owner of Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine Panelists: Niki Tudge: President and founder of the Pet Professional Guild Debbie Sheridan: Owner of Debbie’s 4 Dogs in West Hartford, Connecticut Sue Kocher: Owner of Hendo Dogs in Hendersonville, North Carolina Kim Silver: Owner of Building… Continued

Member Publications

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Looking for a Fun Way to Enrich the Life of Your Cat? Give Agility a Try!

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Modeled after the equestrian sport of show jumping and adapted first by the dog world, feline agility is a team sport whereby a handler directs a cat through a preset obstacle course. By the very fact that agility is a team sport, it can strengthen the bond between you and your cat. Agility has physical and cognitive benefits too. It gets everyone off the couch, burns calories, and builds muscles. Because it draws on environmental memory, agility helps cats adapt more easily to new situations. Finally, agility uses cats’ natural… Continued

Top 5 Stress Busters for Pet Parents

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Sharing your life with a pet can be wonderful; they offer us so much in companionship, comfort, and unconditional love. But let’s face it, pet parenting is tough. The responsibility of having a living creature completely dependent on you, and the desire for them to be well-behaved pet citizens can become overwhelming and a source of much frustration and anxiety. The simple truth is training any pet doesn’t always go as planned. Stumbling blocks and setbacks are completely normal and should be expected. There will be exercises and training that… Continued

Junior Membership

Junior Membership Here at the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), we believe that the next generation of pet professionals is at a point in their lives where we can help them to understand and implement those methods and ethics that will see the continuation of the force-free movement. To that end, we offer membership to children (8-12 years of age), teenagers (13-17 years of age) and young adults (18-20 years of age) as a way of helping them to learn about and understand pet care and give them insight into the… Continued

Leadership Team

Volunteer Committee Chairs Laura Cassiday  – Feline Division Michelle Martiya  – Equid Division Don Hanson –  Advocacy Task Force Judy Luther – Canine Division  Debra Millikan –  Education Division  Lorena Patti –  Inclusivity Division Holden Svirsky –  Shelter & Rescue Division Christina de Juan – Assistance Animal Division  Dayle Pierce, Nathan Watson & Tom Candy– British Isles Chapter  Tersha Bateman – Republic of South Africa Chapter  Guild Publications Paula Garber – Editor BARKS from the Guild Dr. Pam Shultz – Editor Pets & Their People Administration Niki Tudge – Executive Director… Continued

Founder & President

Niki Tudge – M.B.A, PCBC-A, PCT-A, Six Sigma Black Belt, HCITB TS1, TS2 & TS3 Niki was born and raised in England but at an early age set out to fulfill her dream of seeing the world. Her career in hotel executive management from London to the West Indies, the Middle East and Africa, not only provided her with the means to work and live in many different countries, but it also gave her real-world business experience. In addition to business degrees from Oxford University, Niki is also a qualified… Continued

Inclusivity Committee

Lorena Beatriz León-Patti Your committee chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Lorena Welcome to the Inclusivity Committee! Here at PPG, we are committed to being more purposeful in enhancing inclusivity and diversity within both our membership and the wider pet professional community. When we speak to diversity, we mean the presence of differences in race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, disability, age, religious commitment and political perspective. Equity is about promoting justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes and distribution of resources by our organization. Inclusivity is… Continued

Pet Training Science Alliance

Help PPG Support Science to Advance the Dog Training Industry! We are delighted to announce that the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is supporting an ambitious research project by Dr. Jamie Deleeuw of Community Research+. Despite the public’s increasing demand for dog training, there remains a notable lack of research dedicated to the professional pet dog training community. The studies included in this breakthrough project will provide an in-depth investigation into why dog trainers use specific training techniques and the prevalence and predictors of change in training method usage over time. The findings will… Continued

Visiting Public Dog Parks, or Not

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  It seems public dog parks are popping up all around the county I live in, and clients frequently ask me “What do you think about dog parks?” to which I reply, “I like the concept, but not like the consequences.” What Is the Concept of a Dog Park? A fenced property is provided for public use where folks may take their dogs to either play by themselves or with other dogs. Some parks have a single fence while others are divided into small dog spaces and large dog spaces.… Continued

Abusive Dog Training Practices and Informed Consent, Ethics and “Do No Harm”

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by Niki J. Tudge Dog trainers who use punishment-based approaches and equipment designed to work by causing fear and/or pain commonly market themselves under a variety of verbiage and marketing slogans such as “balanced,” “positive relationship,” “natural methods,” “relationship building,” “positive only,” and “no food necessary.” These are all taglines that are bandied around but mislead unsuspecting owners who are looking for humane ways to train their pets. Meanwhile, the terminology used may be carefully crafted to appeal to pet guardians who may not always understand the various training methods… Continued

When Pet Surrender Is Your Best Option

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It is sometimes perceived that people who surrender their pets to a shelter don’t care about them or want what’s best for them. In pet rescue, a field that is frequently overburdened, underfunded, and rife with compassion fatigue, our brains may adhere to the most convenient scapegoat. But that same overwhelm and lack of resources is not exclusive to the shelter worker; it may plague the surrenderer as well. Those surrendering their pets would often prefer to go another route but are lacking in time, money, energy, and/or support. If… Continued

How to Make Your Pet’s Space Cozy

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We all have a favorite place to relax and unwind. For some of us it might be our bed, favorite chair or a peaceful reading area. Our pets are no different, and although they can’t curl up with a good book, they do like a comfortable, safe space to relax and rest.  Rest and relaxation is as important for our pets as it is for us. So how do you go about creating the perfect resting spot for your pet?  Choosing the right spot for your pet to relax The… Continued

Transfer Your Current Credential Into PPAB

Transfer Your Existing Credential or Gain a New One! Does your existing pet industry credential not completely reflect your philosophy? Or perhaps you would like to use your existing credential to add a new one to your repertoire? If so, this is the place for you! When you transfer your credential to a Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) credential, you will be in the company of colleagues who believe shock, choke, prong and pain, force, and fear are unnecessary! Transferring your current credential or elements of it to acquire a… Continued

Pet Professional Accreditation Board

Stand Up for What You Believe In! Do You Already Carry a Well-Earned Credential? Click below to learn how to transfer your current credential to the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. It’s easier than you think! Competency Is Mission Critical What is professional competence, and how does the concept of competence impact the work of professional pet trainers and pet care providers? Professional competence is the “broad professional knowledge, attitude, and skills required to work in a specialized area or profession. Disciplinary knowledge and the application of concepts, processes, and skills… Continued

Expert Opinions

DR. KAREN L. OVERALL Karen L. Overall is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behavior (ACVB) and is certified by the Animal Behavior Society (ABS) as an Applied Animal Behaviorist.World renowned animal expert Karen Overall has spoken out over many years of the ineffectiveness and ill that results when electric shock is used as a training tool on dogs. “As a specialist in veterinary behavioral medicine I have been advocating for banning the use of shock collars of any kind for years. There are now ample published data… Continued

Shock Talking Points

IMPORTANT TALKING POINTS REGARDING SHOCK COLLAR TRAINING. These are compiled from a collection of PPG Position Statements. If any of these bullet points are used, then please also include the link back to the corresponding PPG Position Statement. Copyright 2023 The Pet Professional Guild. Equipment-Used-for-the-Management-Training-and-Care-of-Pets Open-letter-to-veterinarians-on-referrals-to-training-and-behavior-professionals Position on shock collars

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