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PPG Advocacy Panel: Are We Trainers or Teachers? What Best Describes What We Do for Our Clients?


Listen as the PPG Advocacy Panel answers the questions, “Are we trainers or teachers? What best describes what we do for our clients?” Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Beth Adelman, Judy Luther, Sandra Machado, Kim Silver, and Sam Wike Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.


Tom Candy Is Appointed to PPG’s Steering Committee


The Pet Professional Guild is pleased to announce that it has appointed Tom Candy to its Steering Committee. Tom, a U.K.-based animal behavior professional, will help build the organization in the British Isles. Click here to read the press release.


Chat & Chuckle with T Hamboyan Harrison About Strategies for Handling Fearful Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with T. Hamboyan Harrison of A Cat’s Purrspective about strategies for handling fearful cats. T Hamboyan Harrison is a cat behavior consultant at A Cat’s Purrspective, LLC. As a disabled person, T especially enjoys helping cats with chronic medical conditions. T has spent over a decade volunteering with cats in local rescues and shelters, and has several cats of their own at home. T has certifications through IAABC (CCBC, ACSB-C) and Fear Free Pets (FFCP, animal trainer) and is… Continued


“A Dog’s View” by Kristy and Jamie Spencer


PPG member Kristy Spencer and her son Jamie have made a short film called, “A Dog’s View.” Jamie is doing a filmmaking degree at the Film School in Manchester.   “The aim of the film is to hopefully help people develop a better understanding of how dogs see their world around them, including all sensory inputs,” said Kristy. “It’s going to be the start of a mini series of films to help express how a dog perceives its world and develop a deeper understanding of why dogs struggle with certain aspects… Continued


Industry News: Update on the U.K. “American XL Bully” Ban


The following update is from Cooper & Co. Solicitors, which specializes in criminal and civil cases involving dogs in England and Wales: The ban is being introduced in stages. The first thing to know is that you should STOP any plans you may have for breeding from an XL Bully, as by the time the puppies are born it will be illegal to sell the puppies (or even give them away). DEFRA has published what it says is the “Official definition of an XL Bully dog” and it summarizes what they… Continued





Chat & Chuckle with Tabitha Kucera About Cooperative Care for Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), about cooperative care for cats—an important topic since significantly fewer cats than dogs see a veterinarian every year, and cooperative care can make vet visits less stressful and more comprehensive for cats!  Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training… Continued


Industry News: U.K. Aims to Ban “American XL Bully”


On September 15, 2023, the U.K. government announced its intention to add American XL Bully dogs to its list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dog Act. Read the full story here. A panel discussion entitled, “XL Bully Ban: What We Know So Far,” was held on September 24, 2023. The panelists included Trevor Cooper (Solicitor), Mel Rushmore and Andrea Phillips (Deed Not Breed), and Mike Webb (Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home). Watch the recording here. As stated in PPG’s position statement on breed specific legislation, “PPG holds that Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) such as… Continued



Action Needed! The Final Push for the U.K. Shock Collar Ban


We need your help to make a final, hard push for the e-collar ban in the United Kingdom! Please email the Leader of the House and ask her to re-schedule the House of Commons debate that was cancelled back in June, so that the legislation can go through on the timetable stated back in April. This will be a triumph for animal welfare!  If you have friends, family or colleagues in the United Kingdom, please pass this email along to them so they can take action as well. Even if… Continued



PPG’s New Pet Training Science Alliance Program


Join Niki Tudge, Jean Donaldson, Judy Luther, and Rebekah King as they gather to officially launch PPG’s new Pet Training Science Alliance (PTSA)! Learn about what the program is, how the program works, and how you can help support it as an educator or as a learner.  Stay up to date on the latest PTSA projects here: ⁠https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Pet-Training-Science-Alliance Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded September 25, 2023


Take Part in Groundbreaking Puppy Research Run by University of Lincoln and Zigzag


Did you know? There has been minimal research surrounding puppy development since the 1960s, with huge gaps existing in our knowledge—particularly in relation to specific breed behaviours and traits. Crazy, isn’t it? Zigzag has joined forces with the University of Lincoln, and we want you to join us and be a pioneer in new, modern research—research that could prove crucial to puppy development. Through this research, you and your clients could be a direct reason for people to gain a better understanding of puppy behaviour that would ultimately help improve… Continued


PPG’s Ethics Review Process—A Reminder


Professional ethics are of utmost importance here at PPG, and we take reports about ethics violations very seriously. PPG’s ethics review process is detailed and confidential, and has worked exceptionally well since it was created more than 12 years ago. However, in order for PPG’s Ethics Committee to investigate an ethics violation report, the person making the report must provide complete information and evidence to support their claim. For legal, ethical and other reasons, PPG can’t investigate ethics complaints based on hearsay. Read more about PPG’s ethics review process and requirements… Continued


Call to Action! Please Speak Out Against Abusive Dog Training Methods


It is extremely unusual for PPG to name individuals we disagree with. Normally, we speak to methods, philosophy and approach using facts. THIS IS DIFFERENT. Augusto DeOliveira (aka “the Dog Daddy”) is not training pets—he is inflicting pain and fear. This is not dog training; this is abuse. Some of the abusive practices the Dog Daddy exhibits in his videos are: Since its inception, PPG’s mission has been to combat cruel and abusive dog training methods like those used by the Dog Daddy, while simultaneously promoting its Guiding Principles and… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Katenna Jones About Working with Dogs and Cats Together


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Katenna Jones of ⁠Jones Animal Behavior⁠ about working with dogs and cats together. Animal behavior is not a new field for Katenna, nor a hobby turned into a career—it’s all she’s ever done. She became a shelter volunteer in 1998 while earning a Bachelor’s degree in biology, then went on to earn a Master’s in psychology with a focus on animal behavior from Brown University. Katenna is Rhode Island’s only Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant,… Continued


Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine with Dr. Marc Bekoff


Join Niki Tudge as she chats with Dr. Marc Bekoff about his recent book, Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine, including some annoying dog myths that are covered in the book. ⁠⁠The book is available on Amazon here. Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded July 31, 2023


Action Needed! The U.K. Shock Collar Ban


Your action is urgently needed. PPG British Isles members, please take immediate action and follow the instructions below. If you are not in the United Kingdom but have friends, family or colleagues there, please pass this email along to them so they can take action as well. As anticipated, the supporters of electric shock collars have come out in force to lobby Defra, insisting that e-collars are necessary for training dogs and modifying behavior. There is a real danger that this may sway the government, which is currently listening to… Continued


Chat & Chuckle with Beth Brown About Control Unleashed for Cats


Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Beth Brown about Control Unleashed for cats!  Beth Brown (CDBC, CCBC, CSAT, CPDT-KSA, CCUI, FFCP) is passionate about educating people to advocate for and use force-free approaches to living with their animals. Specifically, teaching people and animals to communicate more effectively together using Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed pattern games is the most rewarding thing she does. Beth works with private clients through her behavior-consulting business, ⁠Ear to Tail⁠, and on a variety of behavior issues for both dogs and cats,… Continued


PPG Advocacy Panel: The Why and How of Teaching Our Students the Importance of Understanding Our Pets’ Emotions and Body Language


Grab your favorite snack or beverage, and settle in to listen as the PPG Advocacy Panel discusses the why and how of teaching our students the importance of understanding our pets’ emotions and body language.  Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Beth Adelman, Daniel Antolec, Judy Luther, Sandra Machado, Kim Silver, and Sam Wike Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion of misunderstood facts about dogs! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’… Continued



PPG Advocacy Panel: How Do the PPG Guiding Principles Differ From LIMA?


Listen as the PPG Advocacy Panel addresses these five important questions: Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Niki Tudge, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Dr. Zazie Todd, Sue Kocher, Debbie Sheridan, and Kim Silver Enjoy listening to the Advocacy Panel’s informal, free-flowing discussion of misunderstood facts about dogs! Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.


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