Just Say “Agh, Agh!”
By Brad Waggoner CPTD CTP-KPA In a group class the other day, I witnessed a couple constantly using the vaguely buzzer-like noise “Agh! Agh!” with their dog in a harsh tone of voice. What they were attempting to do was tell the dog that he was doing something wrong, though it was easy to see that the dog was having a hard time figuring out what was right. These folks have been through a couple of our classes in the past, and they understand that we use positive reinforcement to… Continued
Calling Dr. Google And Other Experts
I recently saw these words on a coffee mug: Please Do Not Confuse Your Google Search With My Medical Degree! And yes, these mugs can be customized for any profession, so I mused at how often I’ve been tempted to use those words when I hear the familiar “Well I looked on the internet about “dog behavior”, and this is what I found…” While we’re fortunate to have information at out fingertips, it just perplexes me that someone might blindly follow advice from a “Dr. Google” with questionable credentials, if any.… Continued
Dog Bites: Who Is Getting Bitten and Why?
The following is an excerpt from PPG’s recently released Position Statement on Breed Specific Legislation. Statistics show that the majority of dog bites occur in children or the elderly. The results of a study by Dixon, Mahabee-Gittens, Hart and Lindsell (2012) assessing dog bite prevention knowledge in children concluded: “Our results show a notable lack of awareness and knowledge regarding dog bite prevention among children, as nearly half of child participants failed a dog bite prevention knowledge test based on well-accepted dog bite prevention recommendations. Moreover, based on parent/guardian responses,… Continued
Breed Specific Legislation: Guesswork Based on Appearance
The following is an excerpt from PPG’s recently released Position Statement on Breed Specific Legislation. BSL (also known as Breed Discriminatory Legislation) is a law or legal ordinance that restricts or prohibits the ownership of certain breeds (or types) of dogs. In places where BSL has been implemented it varies from a complete ban of certain types of dogs to regulations imposing restrictions on ownership and special requirements including, but not limited to, mandatory muzzling; leash laws; special ‘housing’ (for example, fully enclosed cages); chaining; minimal wall enclosure height; mandatory… Continued
Breed Specific Legislation: No Evidence that It Works
The following is an excerpt from PPG’s recently released Position Statement on Breed Specific Legislation. BSL can and does result in the destruction of dogs. Research, however, would suggest that there is no evidence to support claims that BSL makes communities safer for people or companion animals. Indeed, there is little, if any, evidence to support any claims that BSL has reduced the number of dog bites. Here are some examples: • Denver, Colorado enacted a breed-specific ban in 1989. Citizens of Denver continue to suffer a higher rate of… Continued
What’s Breed Got to Do with It?
The following is an excerpt from PPG’s recently released Position Statement on Breed Specific Legislation. The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is becoming increasingly alarmed at the number of dogs being seized or banned in a variety of communities worldwide based purely on their breed or appearance, allegedly in the interest of public safety. At the same time, there is little, if any, assessment of an individual dog’s behavior or environment, their owners’ knowledge of canine behavior and training, and/or their suitability as a dog guardian. PPG holds that Breed Specific… Continued
That Tickles!
Many, many years ago I enrolled in what seemed like a fun weekend workshop with my dog. The ad read, “No limits to learning” or something similar, so of course, I jumped at the chance to attend with my dog. As we sat in the small room with other dog owners, you could feel the excitement build as the speaker grabbed his microphone to engage the crowd who, by the way, seemed very familiar with this particular speaker. Imagine my shock (the operative word here), when he started bashing positive… Continued
New Study Aims to Understand Behavior of Lost/Missing Cats
Lost cats that are not found by their families are a major contributing factor to the feral cat, homeless cat, and shelter cat populations. This is evident when you realize that the national “Return to Owner” (RTO) rate for stray cats that end up in animal shelters is 2 percent. That’s only 2 percent! Through education and research, Missing Pet Partnership (MPP), a Seattle-based national nonprofit organization, is working to change those statistics. “The majority of indoor-only cats that escape outside don’t travel very far,” says Kat Albrecht, founder of… Continued
Not Just a Trainer
By Veronica Boutelle MA Ed, CTC It’s funny sometimes the things you find yourself doing. I imagine doctors don’t anticipate spending half their lives wrangling with insurance companies when they first imagine what it would be like to help people be well. Most real estate agents probably don’t understand up front how much of their lives will revolve around filling out complicated contracts— they just want to show houses and match people with the right homes. And dog trainers— well, we just want to train dogs and improve the bond… Continued
July 4th Chill Out!
By Fran Berry With the 4th of July holiday upon us, this article may seem like a day late and a dollar short, however, A client recently contacted me on an unrelated matter, and casually mentioned that she was all prepared for dealing with her noise phobic dog during this weekend of fireworks by purchasing a ThunderShirt, a bag of cannabis cookies from her local pet boutique, and acepromazine that her veterinarian had prescribed. Now to be clear, I don’t give veterinary advice, however I don’t mind referring my clients… Continued
Why It’s Important to Teach Your Dog to Love Wearing a Muzzle
By Maureen Backman, MS, CTC, PCT-A of The Muzzle Up Project How wonderful would it be if dogs were conditioned to love wearing their muzzles early on so that if they needed to wear one later in life, it would not be an aversive event for them? The following scenarios illustrate why muzzle training is important for every dog: Aggression If he bites, I’ll muzzle train him. All dogs have the ability to bite. Most dogs display various warning signals prior to biting. These signals may be obvious, such as… Continued
Competition in the Dog Training World: Is It Necessary?
By Joanne Ometz I am a graduate of Turid Rugaas’ first US offering of her dog behavior counselor/trainer certification course. Most people in the US know Rugaas for her book, On Talking Terms with Dogs, and the study of canine body language is a big part of what I learned. But what is not well known is that she has a full curriculum that she has taught in Europe for many years. Before that, I was the organizer and de-facto teacher for a local dog club where the focus was on fun,… Continued
The Smartest Dog?
The other day, I got a good laugh reading the bumper sticker of the car in front of me: “My Dog Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student!” This got me wondering as we “pet-parents” often do, about how smart my own dogs are. By coincidence, I happened upon a newsletter from a local veterinarian’s blog listing the top seven most intelligent dog breeds (border collie, poodle, German Shepherd, golden retriever, Doberman, Shetland sheepdog, and Labrador retriever). Unfortunately my dogs were not on the list, but undeterred, I went to the American… Continued
The Conscious Equestrian – Extinguishing Force From the Rider’s Repertoire
By Sara Richter CPDT-KA As an equestrian coach and riding instructor, most of the clients that I work with come to me with a pre-existing knowledge of traditional horsemanship. One of the most prevalent challenges that I face in my line of work, is transitioning those riders from aversive techniques to force-free methods of riding. Many riders have trouble fathoming that control can come from a non-compulsive approach when they have been using traditional methods with “success” for years. After all, sitting on the back of a 1,000+ pound animal… Continued
Things You Don’t Know
There are many myths and misconceptions about dog training, some of which are broadcast on TV or written in popular books. Do you know the truth? You don’t need to worry about being alpha. Dogs don’t need to be rolled over on their backs, approached aggressively, or made to wait while their owners walk through doors in order for dogs to “know their place” or learn respect for their owners. Dogs understand and respect those who treat them with kindness and who behave consistently. Clear-cut, consistent rules make for healthy… Continued
Human Attitudes
I’m sure others might feel the same way as I have recently so I have decided to share this as I have found a positive way forward if one is feeling somewhat burned out… The last few months I’ve been feeling slightly overwhelmed with what I face when visiting pet dog and horse owners who call for my assistance. Like many of my colleagues who read this, I’ve got a very strong view on how other animals should be perceived and therefore treated – sometimes what we see out there… Continued
The Game Of Know, Not No!
Many years ago when I was first learning this “new” method called positive reinforcement training, even though my dog was learning in huge leaps to do all the behaviors I asked him to do, I had this nagging question: But how can I tell him when he does something wrong? Humans seem to be wired that way and are more apt to point out someone’s errors more often than looking for something correct. And unfortunately for our canine friends, we take the same punitive stance. This makes sense to some… Continued
Do Docked/Missing Tails Lead to Miscommunication in Dogs?
Are dogs with docked or missing tails vulnerable to miscommunication or misunderstanding by other dogs? Or do they learn to rely on other body language communication? I have a little rescue dog (right) who came to me from Romania with her tail missing. I don’t know where it went or why it was removed but I have spent three years watching and being fascinated by her body language, behaviorally. I have also noticed she has a real fear of being knocked on her rear and if she is bumped into by… Continued
The Perfect Dog
I have the perfect dog. He doesn’t bark, “potty” in the house, chew on furniture, or do ANY undesirable dog behaviors. Perhaps you have one too; mine is called Fido, and he’s a big stuffed dog! Real dogs bark, dig in the yard, eliminate in the house, whine, chew on furniture and other delectable human artifacts. And they do this unless the dog-guardian knows how to prevent the behavior from occurring while showing the dog what behaviors they’d like him to do. Unfortunately for a lot of our dogs, their… Continued
Pet Professional Guild Launches Worldwide Advocacy Program
Project Trade encourages pet owners to exchange aversive training devices for discounted force-free training services provided by PPG members Tampa, FL – The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has launched Project Trade, an international advocacy program that encourages pet owners to trade aversive equipment for scientifically sound, force-free training and pet care services. PPG members may opt in to the program and, in doing so, will provide incentives for their clients to switch to more appropriate training and pet care tools by giving them professional educational support at discounts of 10-15… Continued
10 Steps for a Happy Office Dog
By Chantal Hughes We know there is a link between happiness in the workplace and increased productivity. And now, findings from research coming out of Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA reports that, “Man’s best friend may make a positive difference in the workplace by reducing stress and making the job more satisfying for other employees.” Great news, right? Yes, generally. And here’s the but….as long as the “lucky” dog has an experienced handler. I work with too many gorgeous dogs with separation anxiety. So, here are 10 steps to ensure… Continued
Are You Suffering From Compassion Fatigue, Stress or Burnout? Three Tips That May Help You!
by Niki Tudge The signs of work and personal time imbalance are unmistakable. Every day we hear of people in our industry suffering from poor health, burnout and stress. If you recognize the signs of imbalance in your own life, then you need to take action immediately and focus on achieving a more balanced approach. Work-life Imbalance can promote poor health and over time this can lead to devastating, and possibly life changing consequences. Imbalance and The Effects On Our Health: Obesity: Not taking the time to exercise or eat… Continued
Professional Competency, Transparency and Accountability. Have You Got What It Takes?
Written by Niki Tudge There is much chatter within the pet industry about transparency, competency and accountability amongst professionals. So let’s look at each of these individually and what they mean. 1. Transparency to me implies openness. Are you transparent in your business practices? Can others see, read or listen to information that informs them upfront about each of the actions you may perform when caring for or training their pet. Are you honest about the protocols, procedures, equipment, techniques you may use to achieve mutually agreeable goals? Are… Continued
The Top 7 Reasons You Absolutely Cannot Miss The Pet Professional Guild’s Annual Educational Summit
The Top 7 Reasons You Absolutely Cannot Miss The Pet Professional Guild’s Annual Educational Summit 1. You Will Have Lots of Fun From the Welcome Reception, to Quiz Night, ‘Munch and Learn’ Merry-Go-Round and the Gala Dinner you will have more fun packed into a few short days than you thought possible, all while honing your skills and enhancing your professional education. The PPG Summit is just so much fun! Surrounded by like-minded professionals, you are free to socialize and share ideas, and reconnect with old friends while making new… Continued
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