March 2017
Where Do You Stand on Raw Diets for Dogs?
A recent Canine Corner post by Dr. Stanley Coren, a well-known writer on canine cognition, strongly suggests that raw diets are unsafe. I’d like to present an opposing view of this often contentious question. Full disclosure: I feed Cali a partially raw diet; I did the same for Jana for several years and she thrived on it. I’ve seen many, many dogs’ health and fitness improve dramatically and quickly when they switched to a raw diet. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Coren; I’ve read most of his (copious) work… Continued

#iSpeakDog Campaign Aims to Bridge the Communication Gap Between People and Their Dogs
Global Educational Campaign and Website Launch the Week of March 27, 2017 WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – March 27, 2017 – To help improve the relationship people have with their dogs, The Academy for Dog Trainers, the Humane Rescue Alliance, The Bark Magazine, and The Pet Professional Guild have teamed up to launch iSpeakDog, a global campaign and website designed to educate people about dog body language and behavior. iSpeakDog, which has launched as a weeklong campaign March 27 – April 2, 2017, comes at a time when canine behavior… Continued
The Right Touch
By Deirdre Chitwood I especially enjoy practicing Tellington TTouch® on cats at the shelter as it gives me an opportunity to use my skills in a place where there are so many different cats with so many different issues, both behavioral and health related. More importantly, it can also mean the difference between a cat spending his life in the shelter or getting adopted, and having the chance of a new start as a loved and cherished pet. I am also fortunate to have a cage-free, no-kill shelter in my… Continued
Emotion or Reason: Influencing Clients!
Harvard psychiatrist, Helen Reiss, asks this pertinent question: “Don’t we all want to be seen, heard and have our needs responded to; that’s the essence of empathy”. Professor Reiss is referring to inter-human empathy within healthcare when she makes this statement but it applies across the species barrier. If you think about it, the very core of work such as Marc Bekoff’s call to action in his book ‘The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons To Expand Our Compassion Footprint’, Temple Grandin’s ‘Making Animals Happy’ and the entire work of Jane Goodall… Continued
Using C-BARQ as an Assessment Tool
I accept behavioral cases within my dog training practice when I have the necessary education and experience to help, and I refer cases beyond my ability to other professionals. Gathering as much information about the dog in question is important to know which is which. One tool I use is Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) which is “designed to provide dog owners and professionals with standardized evaluations of canine temperament and behavior.” C-BARQ was developed by Dr. James Serpell, Professor of Animal Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania,… Continued
Pet Professional Guild publishes open letter to pet industry associations on the use of shock
Calls on organizations representing pet professionals to drive significant change by publicly saying “no” to any training technique that causes pain or fear TAMPA, Fla. – March 6, 2017 – PRLog — Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has released an open letter to pet industry representatives on the use of electric shock as a tool for training and behavior modification in pets. In the letter, PPG draws on a number of scientific studies and surveys to explain why shock constitutes a form of abuse towards pets, and should no longer be… Continued