What Do the Experts Say?
Respected veterinarian and thyroid expert Jean Dodds recommends against choke and prong collars “as they can easily injure the delicate butterfly-shaped thyroid gland that sits just below the larynx and in front of the trachea. These collars can also injure the salivary glands and salivary lymph nodes on the side of the face underneath both ears.”
Bestselling author and canine behaviorist Jean Donaldson says, “These devices [choke and prong collars], when they work, do so to the degree that they hurt. With the advent of modern methods and tools they are irrelevant.”
According to veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist Soraya V. Juarbe-Diaz, “Using punishment to stop behaviors is not new. Notice I say ‘stop’ rather than ‘teach’—I can stop any behavior, but I am more interested in teaching my students, animal or human, to choose the behavior I want them to perform because they can trust me, because I do not hurt them and they are safe with me, and because the outcome is something they enjoy.”
A PPG Advocacy Program
The Pet Professional Guild believes that effective, humane animal training and pet care procedures lay the foundation for an animal’s healthy socialization and training, and helps prevent behavior problems. We believe that the general pet-owning public deserves affordable access to transparent, competent and accountable pet behavior and care professionals. Pets deserve to be cared for, managed and trained in a nurturing and stable environment.
PPG encourages all pet owners and pet professionals to embrace modern, science-based training techniques and tools, especially the latest generation of no-pull harnesses, which are free of the risks posed by traditional collars and offer far more benefits.
Project tRade is the Pet Professional Guild’s international advocacy program that promotes the use of force-free equipment for pets by asking pet owners to relinquish choke, prong and shock collars, and any other devices that are designed or function to reduce behavior through pain or fear. As an incentive and a reward, PPG members offer a selection of tools and/or discounts in exchange, thus the name tRade.
Project tRade is designed to incentivize pet owners to seek pet professionals who will exchange aversive training and pet care equipment for alternative, more appropriate tools and educational support.
Swap Gear for Discounts and Help Create a Kinder World for Pets!
Many of our members successfully use this program as a marketing tool and reap the benefits.
We encourage you to swap qualifying gear like choke, prong and shock collars for great discounts on pet training and care services.
Program Overview
This is an opt-in program for Pet Professional Guild members.
When members choose to participate in this marketing and educational advocacy program, they will:
- Have permission to display the Project tRade participant badge on their business website and marketing collateral
- Have access to the following Project tRade marketing collateral to print and use:
- Bumper stickers
- Rack cards
- Refrigerator magnets
- Posters
- Discount cards (business card size)
- Collateral for veterinarians
- Bookmarks
- Postcards
As a PPG member, you can indicate that you participate in Project tRade on your directory listing.
Check out your PPG member area for the Project tRade tools and resources!