The Itch to Scratch
By Andrea Carne Regardless of whichever behavior issue I have been called upon to assist a cat guardian with – whether it be inappropriate toileting, aggression towards humans, or aggression between cats in a multicat household – I can almost guarantee that when I ask at the end of a consult, “Is there anything else you wanted to chat about while I’m here?”, the response will always include some variation of, “How do I get them to stop scratching the furniture?” My first response is generally to explain that scratching… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Dr. Dorothy Heffernan: March 19, 2021
Join Niki Tudge and guest Dr. Dorothy Heffernan as they discuss all things equine. Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred platform. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. See also Straight from the Horse’s Mouth where Dr. Heffernan discusses transitioning to bitless horseback riding in a BARKS blog post. Dr. Dorothy Heffernan is a psychologist who applies her knowledge of learning, cognition and neuroscience to help horse guardians improve their horses’ lives through a changed approach to management, training and environment. She uses a force-free approach to training and enjoys making science… Continued
Navigating the Storm
By Mary Jean Alsina “I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott Many dogs who come into this world quickly learn that there are many storms of which to be afraid. These storms come in many guises: other dogs, bearded men, men in general, vacuum cleaners, leaves rustling, visits to the vet and a whole myriad of other spooky things. Fearful dogs see the world around them as a very unsafe environment in which to live, relax and enjoy the lives… Continued
BARKS News – March 2021
Listen to the March 2021 edition of BARKS News! Highlights include: FREE member event Up Your Business Game! PPAB credentials now in French White House dogs Cat behavior call-in lounge New Facebook live sessions March BARKS from the Guild What’s new on the Guild Archive and BARKS Blog New BARKS Podcasts This month’s webinars and more. Prefer to read your BARKS News? Click here.
BARKS Podcast with Lisa and Brad Waggoner: March 12, 2021
Join Niki Tudge and guests Lisa and Brad Waggoner of Cold Nose College in Murphy, North Carolina, as they discuss their work with the dog training program, RESCUED: Saving Detainees and Dogs One Life at a Time, at the Colwell Probation and Detention Center in Blairsville, Georgia. The program focuses on the rehabilitation of detainees through training their dogs using positive reinforcement training techniques. Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred platform. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. Lisa Lyle Waggoner is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Pat Miller Certified Trainer-Level… Continued
A Cautionary Tale
By Kayla Sprague Before entering the world of dog training I had never really had an opinion on shock collars. To me they were just another kind of collar, another way to train a dog. I was unaware of any negative effects. After studying more about positive reinforcement training, however, I began to see another side to them as I realized exactly what they did and how they worked. It made me think about how this type of collar can mentally, physically and emotionally affect a dog. Then, on September… Continued
Pet Professional Accreditation Board launches French language option for training and behavior credentials
LECANTO, Fla. – March 9, 2021 – The Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) has completed translation of its study guides and instructions into French in a move that will make a force-free credential immediately accessible to French speaking canine training and behavior consultants worldwide. Two Québec, Canada-based canine training and behavior consultants, Lucie Malouin and Raphaël Pépin, are behind the drive to translate the program, having undertaken and acquired their PCBC-A credential and recognized the need to help other French speaking people undertake the same process. Malouin, of Complètement Canin, and Pépin, of… Continued
Straight from the Horse’s Mouth
By Dorothy Heffernan With a growing interest in ‘least intrusive, minimally aversive’ (LIMA) training methods and the ‘least intrusive effective behavior intervention’ (LIEBI) model, many equestrians of today are increasingly starting to consider the option of riding their horses without using a bit. Bits have traditionally been used to train and control horses, but few people question why this might be, or how they actually work. But there isn’t really a single answer to this “why,” because different cultures have their own approaches towards horse training. One single fact is… Continued
New Certificate Course: Helping Your Dog in the Post-COVID World
The International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour Ltd. (ISCP) has a reputation for excellence, with students and graduates in over 61 countries. The ISCP only promotes reward based, positive training methods. The school holds the emotional lives of dogs as a priority, and has signed the Shock-Free Coalition Pledge. The ISCP is accredited by UK Rural Skills. The ISCP is also registered as a college and training provider with the CMA, and with CPD UK. The school is an official vendor for the Pet Professional Guild, and is approved… Continued
A Letter to the First Dogs about Training Gear
Woofs from Gizmo’s Office Hey Major and Champ! I wanted to drop you a quick note and congratulate you both on your new “digs!” It’s great watching fellow canines once again enjoying the lush green lawns of the peoples’ house. Your hoomans do a great job of caring for you and it’s obvious you are important members of the family. However, I did notice that you are sporting some kinda “old fashioned” collars. Those collars are sooooo “last decade,” if you know what I mean. These days, collars are pretty much only… Continued
The Right Dog Harness for the Job
By Joan Hunter Mayer of PPG corporate partner Transpaw Gear® What do selecting a harness for your dog and shoe shopping have in common? More than you might think! When you venture out- or online- to purchase a pair of shoes, or an outfit, it generally boils down to selecting the right option to fit the person and the activity. For instance, a snazzy pair of stilettos might be great for an evening out, but would they be a good choice for running a marathon, strolling on the beach, or… Continued
Fear at the Vet: Examining Risk Factors
BARKS: How important is the behavior of the guardian in the context of attending the vet; was this found to have any influence on the dog’s behavior/emotional state? Petra Edwards: Behavior of the guardian wasn’t investigated in the above study (Edwards et al., 2019b), however Csoltova et al. (2017) found that guardians patting and interacting with their dog in a positive and supportive manner had dogs that showed fewer signs of fear than guardians who did not interact with their dog. I love this because it also beautifully discounts that… Continued
Itchy Dog or Stressed Dog?
The relationship between stress, behavior and animal health is complex and varied. Chronic, long-term stress interacts in various ways with personality type, behavior and immune health in both people and nonhuman animals. It’s not often straightforward to decipher which causes which when we evaluate chronic stress and health, however. Skin conditions have long been considered to be indicators of psychological distress although only recently has evidence for this begun to accrue. A growing number of research studies now provide evidence that emotional stress is linked to skin conditions such as… Continued
Reducing Fear – and the Importance of Choice
Counterconditioning is one of the most important techniques in animal training (arguably top five). Simply put, ‘conditioning’ means ‘learning’ and ‘counter’ means ‘opposite.’ Relearning might be another way of putting it. Practically speaking, it’s about changing someone’s learned associations. An example! Let’s say we have a dog, who’s started trembling and panting whenever she arrives to the vet’s office. She has probably learned to associate the vet’s office with aversive events. Strange sounds and smells. Unfamiliar people looming. Needles poking. A string of events that ends up with something painful…… Continued
Trick Bunnies
By Emily Cassell “So, where do you plan to hold your trick classes?” asked the interviewer from Do More with Your Dog! I hoped she was ready for the answer: “I don’t actually plan to hold in-person classes,” I explained. “The reason I am trying to get certified is so that I can create a Spark group for bunnies.” If you aren’t familiar with Do More with Your Dog! or their trick titling program, let me fill in some gaps for you. Do More with Your Dog! was the first sanctioning… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Sara McLoudrey: February 19, 2021
Join Niki Tudge, Sara McLoudrey of Synergy Behavior Solutions as they chat about dog training and behavior consulting. Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred platform. Or simply click ‘Play’ below. Sara McLoudrey CPDT-KSA, FearFree Level 1 and Certified Trainer, Low-Stress Handling Silver Certification, FitPaws-MT, TagTeach L3, is the behavior modification and training coordinator at Synergy Behavior Solutions, a veterinary behavior practice in Portland, Oregon. She has been a professional animal trainer since 2004, founding ROOT Dog Training in suburban Chicago. ROOT started as a single proprietor in-home training business, that grew… Continued
BARKS News – February 2021
Starting this month, we are trialing a podcast version of BARKS News. We would love to know if this is of value to our members, so please have a listen and then take a moment to let us know what you think! Sometimes people prefer to listen rather than read, so we are trying to offer more communication options for members. Listen to the February edition of BARKS News Or, simply click on the link below This BARKS Podcast is sponsored by 2 Hounds Design. Check the members’ area of… Continued
That Lightbulb Moment
By Bob McMillan Most of us have had that “ah- ha!” moment when we look at a dog and suddenly see more than a drooling collection of fur, bright eyes and animals instincts; when we realize here is a creature of another species who has feelings, intelligence, a sense of fair play and is very much self-aware. We are no longer looking at a shaggy lump, and this is no fanciful talking cartoon character. We are looking into the eyes of “The Other.” It may be a gradual realization. It… Continued
Ask the Dog!
By Ada Simms Many dog trainers and dog owners probably have a closet full of front attaching or no-pull harnesses. It shows that our interest is about the dogs and their comfort, therefore we experiment. Could we find one that goes on easier or one that provides more control yet is still comfortable for the dog? As I thought about whether I should use brand names or not for this article, I came to the conclusion I would not be doing justice to the companies that I have not bought… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Debra Millikan and Lucie Malouin: February 5, 2021
Join Niki Tudge, Debra Millikan of the Pet Professional Guild and Lucie Malouin of Complètement Canin in Québec, Canada as they chat through the process of becoming accredited through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB). Learn about PPAB’s eligibility, skill and knowledge testing – and much more. If you have unanswered questions about PPAB, the credentials, how they were developed, the different levels, the knowledge testing, the skill assessment, the process, or anything else at all, this is the podcast for you! Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred… Continued
Itchy Dog or Stressed Dog?
By Dr. Naomi D. Harvey The relationship between stress, behavior and animal health is complex and varied. Chronic, long-term stress interacts in various ways with personality type, behavior and immune health in both people and nonhuman animals. It’s not often straightforward to decipher which causes which when we evaluate chronic stress and health, however. Links between Stress, Behavior and Health An animal’s behavior can impact aspects of its physiology, such as its immune system, and conversely, the animal’s physiology and immune system can affect its behavior. According to Lopes (2017)… Continued
BARKS Podcast with Leslie McDevitt of Control Unleashed®: February 5, 2021
Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Leslie McDevitt about the upcoming educational event Reactive to Relaxed: Next Steps in Control Unleashed. Reactive to Relaxed: Next Steps in Control Unleashed will take place virtually on March 8, 10 and 12, 2021 – three webinars with 6 hours of education! 1. Pattern Games – March 8, 2021 / 5 p.m. ET. 2. Look at That – March 10, 2021 / 5 p.m. ET. 3. Cooperative Counter Conditioning – March 12, 2021 / 5 p.m. ET. All webinars will have… Continued
It’s a Dog’s Life
By Cecilia Sumner Not surprisingly, I love living with dogs. I embrace their essential dogginess. Barking, jumping, digging, hunting, these are all normal canine behaviors. I recognize I need to provide an outlet for these behaviors to keep my dogs happy and stress-free. Many pet owners struggle with understanding their dogs’ behavioral needs. While dogs evolved alongside humans, in recent history, our environment and expectations of our dogs have changed. Increasingly we fit our dogs into small compartments in our lives, often rendering us unable to allow them an appropriate… Continued
How to Start A Dog Grooming Career
By Karen, Canine Studies Tutor at Animal Courses Direct, a PPG Corporate Partner Dog grooming can be a wonderful, pleasant experience both for the dog and the groomer. It provides so many benefits and can help create wonderful bonds between man and man’s best friend! Dog grooming covers a variety of activities – bathing, brushing, fur trimming, nail clipping, ear cleaning, checking eyes and teeth and anal glands. So, a career as a dog groomer involves a large amount of job variety day-to-day. Many breeds of dog are just fine… Continued
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