November 2019: Issue 47 PPG Summit 2020: New Dates and Location Save the date! PPG is heading to Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, September 18 – Tuesday, September 22, 2020 for its sixth annual summit. There will be two programs to choose from: Program 1: The 4-Day Summit Program 2: The 4-Day Summit & Off-Site Workshops Registration opens Wednesday, November 27, 2019. Early bird discount will be available. Further details to be announced this week! PPG Expands Steering Committee ![]() ![]()
2020 Leslie McDevitt Workshop PPG is hosting a 2-day workshop with Leslie McDevitt (below) titled Reactive to Relaxed: Next Steps in Control Unleashed. Taking place in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, April 18, 2020 - Sunday, April 19, 2020 McDevitt will teach material from her newest book Control Unleashed: Reactive to Relaxed. PPG Welcomes New Corporate Partner PPG is delighted to welcome Smart Dog Training and Behavior, LLC as its new corporate partner. Smart Dog’s owner Dr. Kristina Spaulding is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist with19 years’ experience in the dog training and dog behavior fields. She offers dog training classes, private dog training and behavior modification, and online services. The latter comprises a variety of professional courses aimed at pet professionals and interested pet owners and go beyond the basics of methodology and learning theory to get in-depth information on the current science on dog training and behavior.
Amongst the many other great things they do, PPG’s corporate partners also contribute to the BARKS blog. Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis ABC runs a variety of online courses focusing on animal emotions and the foundations of successful animal training. Check out her blogs here: Veronica Sanchez is the founder of Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach™, an educational certification program for professional trainers in service dog training. Check out her most recent blog, Tips for Working with Clients with Mobility Impairments. And finally, Veronica Boutelle is the founder of dogbiz, the pet industry’s leading business support company. Check out her posts: Check out too dogbiz’s exclusive Black Friday offer, which was emailed to all PPG members earlier today (November 15, 2019)! PPG Releases Position Statement on Declawing Cats
PPG has released a statement on the practice of declawing cats that acknowledges scratching as a “natural feline behavior” and takes the position that declawing cats “for owner convenience or in an attempt to protect property, people, and other pets is both inhumane and unnecessary given that there are highly effective alternatives available to manage the behavior more appropriately and less intrusively.” Read the full statement/download pdf. (Photos: Can Stock Photo/aksakalko & AlexanderPokusay) PPG November Workshops PPG hosted Dr. Robert Hewings (front, center) from the UK College of Scent Dogs at its headquarters in Tampa, Florida this month. Hewings presented both his Become an Accredited Scent Instructor and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Assistance Dog Training workshops. We’ll have a short report and more pictures from the event in the January 2020 issue of BARKS. PPG Reiterates Industry Education Mandate PPG has issued an updated Industry Education Mandate based on its Key Charter and Guiding Principles, stating that “PPG is committed to supporting organizations, groups, industry bodies and associations that seek change and also to reaching those who have not yet determined change is a priority. In this manner, PPG can focus on enacting systems that reinforce those who seek collaboration and who are open to education and networking.” Read full statement/download pdf. The November 2019 issue of BARKS from the Guild is now available to read online. This issue’s Cover Story, drawing on comparisons with the field of dog training, discusses the pervasiveness of “dominance” related training methods in the horse world, and explains how force-free, scientifically sound methods can be implemented instead to make the very best of your partnership with your horse (or dog). Other articles include:
![]() This Month: November 19, 2019: Sally Williams, cat behavior consultant and owner of The Contented Cat, founding director of The Brodie Fund, and founder of The Feline Fine Project discusses pet cancer and its impact on family members.
![]() November On Demand – Available Now: Understanding Gene-Behavior Relationships in Domestic Dogs. Presented by Dr. Nathaniel Hall Functionally Analyzing Aggression. Presented by Chirag Patel How to Speak Cat: Exploring Feline Communication and Social Behavior. Presented by Paula Garber Wednesday, December 4 - 12 p.m. EST Debunking Compassion Fatigue: Being Mindful of The Stressors of Caring. Presented by Coleen Ellis Thursday, December 12 - 1 p.m. EST A Simple Recipe for Social Media Success. Presented by Tracey Lee Davis Discounted Webinars - This Month ONLY!: PPG is offering selected webinars at a discount this month (discount valid till November 30, 2019). Understand How You Can Bring A Feral Pup Into The Pet Home - Yvette Van Veen “Beware the Straw Man: Fact, Fiction & Science in the Dog Training World” - Linda Case Understand the Fallouts of Punishment and What it Can Do to Dogs and People - Alexandra Santos Learn about Platform Training for Dogs - Michele Pouliot Inbound Marketing for Non-Marketers - Sam Mallikarjunan The PPG Archive holds over 3,000 articles, blogs and videos. Here's a selection of what's been added this month: The Use of Pet Correction Devices – Pet Professional Guild How Training Methods Affect a Dog's Attachment to Its Owner – Stanley Coren How to Introduce a Second Cat – Pam Johnson-Bennett A computational model for the modulation of the prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex - David Fernando Ramirez-Moreno, Terrence Joseph Sejnowski Influence of housing conditions on beagle behavior - Suzanne Hetts, J. Derrell Clark, Janet P. Calpin, Cheryl E. Arnold, Jill M. Mateo Social referencing and cat–human communication - I. Merola, M. Lazzaroni, S. Marshall-Pescini, E. Prato-Previde Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners - Ann-Sofie Sundman, Enya Van Poucke, Ann-Charlotte Svensson Holm, Ashild Olsen Faresjö, Elvar Theodorsson, Per Jensen & Lina S. V. Roth 6 common medical problems that can masquerade as bad behaviour in your cat or dog - Danielle Hodges Reward-Based Dog Training Isn’t Just for Sunny Days – Zazie Todd Horses Blink Less, Twitch Eyelids More When Stressed, U of G Researchers Find – University of Guelph Carl Safina Is Certain Your Dog Loves You - Claudia Dreifus Effects of Group and Individual Housing on the Behavior of Kennelled Dogs in Animal Shelters - Petra A. Mertens & J. Unshelm Pet Professionals Call for Dog Training Industry Overhaul – Australian Dog Trainer Good Alternatives to E-Fencing: Dog Training Experts Weigh In – Kristi Benson Use of experimenter-given cues in dogs - Vilmos Csanyi, József Topál, Ádám Mikósi, R. Polgárdi Is Clicker Training the Most Effective Way to Train Dogs? - Stanley Coren Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans - Kristyn R. Vitale, Alexandra C. Behnke, Monique A.R. Udell Manifestations of chronic and acute stress in dogs – Bonne Beerda, Matthijs. H. Schilder, Jan A.R.A.M.van Hooff, Hans W. de Vries Evaluating pair versus solitary housing in kennelled domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) using behaviour and hair cortisol: a pilot study - Emma K Grigg, Belle Marie Nibblett, James Q Robinson, Judit E Smits Does training method matter?: Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare - Ana Catarina Vieira de Castro, Danielle Fuchs, Stefania Pastur, Liliana de Sousa, I Anna S Olsson Tsk, No, Eh-eh: Clearing the Path to Reinforcement with an Errorless Learning Mindset – Dr. Susan Friedman The Many Faces of Behavior Myopia: Recognizing the Subtle Signs - Angelica Steinker and Eileen Anderson The Concept of Dominance and the Treatment of Aggression in Multidog Homes: A Comment on van Kerkhove's Commentary - Petra A. Mertens Do Dogs Understand Play Signals Given by Humans? - Stanley Coren
See the full PPG Archive.
New this month! Position Statement on PPG’s Pet Industry Education Mandate– PPG The Pet Professional Guild Position Statement on Cat Declawing– PPG On the Danger of Dog Collars – Dr. Karolina Westlund The Power of the Clicker – Donna Savoie The Elephant on the Stairs – Bob McMillan The Miracle Mutt – Gail Radtke Encounter with a Poisonous Toad: How Positive Cues and Scent Games Saved the Day- Louise Stapleton-Frappell When Food Toys “Fail” - Eileen Anderson They Call Him Rocket Man – Daniel Antolec All Hallows and…..All Positive – Anna Bradley A Miniature Puppet Master – Bob McMillan Battling the Stereotype - Louise Stapleton-Frappell Subscribe to the BARKS Blog. Member Brags Congratulations to PPG member David Shade (above, with Otis) who shared his inspiring story at the TEDxRoseTree in Media, Pennsylvania last weekend. Shade is a disabled combat veteran, entrepreneur, CEO, and professional dog trainer. After struggling for years with Post Traumatic Stress, he found that the power of healing dogs can bring is remarkable and, since then, has dedicated his life to helping animals and humans. He is now CEO of At Attention Dog Training where he and his team train dogs every day in an effort to keep happy dogs in happy homes.
PPG QUICK LINKS
* BARKS Blog - latest blog posts and subscribe * BARKS from the Guild: back issues * BARKS from the Guild: subscribe * BARKS from the Guild on Facebook * BARKS Podcasts - subscribe and listen * Pet Professional Accreditation Board * PPG All about Cats Facebook Group * PPG All about Horses Facebook Group * PPG Archive (links to over 3,000 articles, blogs and studies and growing daily) * PPG Education Scholarship Program * PPG Educational Resources: webinars and workshops * PPG Member Discussion Board (note: you must be logged in) * PPG Shelter and Rescue Facebook Group * Shelter and Rescue Resources |