Everything Was Fine Until…
By Suzanne Clothier Does this sound familiar? “Everything was fine until… [fill in months, age, event].” It’s a statement that is common, and sometimes accepted without much thought. For example, a client might tell us that their puppy was a saint until he turned 7 months old. Or that there were no problems until Grandma Tilley came to stay for a week. Perhaps a new neighbor was bitten, or the owner was nearly pulled into the street when the dog spotted a squirrel. Whatever the precipitating event(s) that brought the… Continued
‘Laundry List’ Dogs
By Kristi Benson As dog trainers, we may frequently find ourselves sitting across the kitchen table from our clients in something of a conundrum. While we may have been called in to assist with house-training, or jumping up, or biting strangers, or any other typical concern, clients do not always stick to the script. For example, we may find out that the dog who is eliminating inside the house is also chewing the walls when left alone, or that the dog who is jumping up on guests cannot be enticed… Continued
Goals in Dog Training: Outcome or Behavior – Which Do You Control?
By Niki Tudge One of the most common mistakes we see dog training professionals make is to try to impart their goals upon their clients. For example, you may feel that pet dogs should behave in a certain way, have specific skills, do certain tasks or not do other things such as climb on furniture or jump at you on arrival. News flash: Your clients may not want any of these things, they may have quite different opinions and therefore goals. To get everyone on the same page and to… Continued
Dog Trainers: Still Here to Help – Virtually!
Progressively, over the last couple of months, I have seen my client contact change dramatically. Classes, in-person 1-to-1 training sessions, day training, board and train etc…all of this physical, hands-on work has had to end due to COVID-19. Of course, the social aspect for us and our dogs has also come to an abrupt stop. No longer do we have access to that unique rapport with clients and no longer do our dogs have that option to form friendships, bond and learn about social interaction at training classes. For those… Continued
Message Received!
By Suzanne Clothier At the heart of any relationship is communication. On so many levels, how effectively we communicate plays a huge role in the quality, tenor and overall success of a relationship. As psychologist and family therapist pioneer Virginia Satir (1998) states: “Communication is to . . . relationships . . . as breathing is to life.” As a trainer, my goal is to find the communication approach that serves the human, the dog, and the relationship. I need to recognize what works well for that specific team, and… Continued
A Summary of the Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act
By Niki Tudge Below is a broad summary of the various types of assistance and relief the recently passed legislation may provide you and your business. The situation is constantly changing so this summary is meant only as a general guide. Please check with your local authorities and your accountant for guidance specific to you and your situation. Assistance in the form of Loans: The “Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act” provides loan support for: Small employers with 500 employees or fewer plus businesses that meet current Small Business… Continued
Financial Management During Challenging Times
By Niki Tudge Keeping and maintaining accurate and timely business books is always an important function of owning your own business but this responsibility becomes especially critical during challenging times for several reasons. Operating your business without accurate GAAP financial records (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles – all modern financial bookkeeping software uses these principles or the UK equivalent) is like being in the middle of the wilderness without a map (or GPS): 1. What you measure is what you can improve so knowing what your income is and where it… Continued
Business Contingency Planning – Need Help?
By Niki Tudge Join us on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 to discuss all these important points and more with the experts at dog*biz. Click here to register for this interactive webinar hosted by PPG president Niki Tudge. By now, we are all well aware of the impact of the coronavirus. Things are changing rapidly, on a daily, if not hourly, basis. First off, let’s not panic! But let’s also recognize that it may get a little rough and rocky for a while. No one knows for how long, but in… Continued
PPG Summit 2020 Sessions: Building Positive Boundaries for the Refined Suburban Canine – Teaching Dogs to Enjoy Their Yards without the Need for Electronic Devices
BARKS presents session details from PPG’s 2020 Summit and Workshops in Phoenix, Arizona *Early bird discount available if you register before January 31, 2020! Session Details: Presenters: Judy Luther and Niki Tudge Session Title: Building Positive Boundaries for the Refined Suburban Canine – Teaching Dogs to Enjoy Their Yards without the Need for Electronic Devices Session Type: Lecture (1.5 Hours) Electric fences as containment tools are very common in our residential communities. Many locations restrict or ban the use of physical fences leaving pet owners with little choice but to… Continued
PPG Summit 2020 Sessions: Growing Collaborative Care and Your Business
BARKS presents session details from PPG’s 2020 Summit and Workshops in Phoenix, Arizona *Early bird discount available if you register before January 31, 2020! Session Details: Presenter: Tia Guest Session Title: Growing Collaborative Care and Your Business Session Type: Lecture (1 Hour) It is an exciting time to be a dog trainer as the concept of collaborative care grows to reach pet owners, veterinarians, vet staff, and others involved in caring for our pets. It is also a perfect time to position ourselves as a resource. By offering training services… Continued
Personal Trainer or Dog Trainer? The Case for Day Training
By Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner, dogbiz Frustration over unfinished cases and low client compliance—endemic issues in our industry—often lead us to view clients as lazy, uncommitted, unskilled, uncaring, cheap. As positive reinforcement trainers, we teach “Don’t blame, train.” But while we’re quick to apply this mantra to dogs, we’ve largely failed to do so with our human clients. The human client equivalent would be, “Don’t blame the client, train their dog.” Our primary service modality, of coaching clients to train their dogs, does not serve our human or canine… Continued
Fetch More Dollars: Like Peas in a Pod
By John D. Visconti In a previous article (see Fetch More Dollars: Selling Is Helping, BARKS from the Guild, June 2014, p.59), I discussed the negative association many trainers have with the words ‘selling’ and ‘salesperson.’ Additionally, I pointed out that a professional salesperson is in the business of helping people, not exploiting them. Hopefully, because you embraced these concepts and now possess a different perspective on what it means to be a salesperson, you will never experience beads of sweat forming on your brow should someone ask, “Are you… Continued
They Call Him Rocket Man
Dog trainers enjoy the privileged opportunity of influencing the life and welfare of other people’s pets. With that comes great responsibility to only use methods and equipment which are modern and effective, while promoting a positive relationship as the dog becomes a full member of the family. In short, we must do everything which is in the best interest of the welfare of the pet and their family. On February 7th of 2016 I began a journey with a Welsh Terrier named Rocket, but everyone calls him Rocket Man. Rocket… Continued
Four Steps to a Thriving Group Class Program
By Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner, dogbiz Do any of these group training class challenges sound familiar? Students who tell you their dogs “only behave during class” or “when the trainer is around” Starting class with 6 students and ending with 3 Students who check training off their list after Puppy or Basic Manners class, never to return Cancelling or postponing classes that don’t fill in time. Teaching half-empty classes Struggling to teach students with a wide variety of skill levels and needs Fitting in make-ups for students who… Continued
Behavior Suppression Is Not the Same as Behavior Modification
By Jenny Efimova Reactive behavior is the tip of the iceberg. It’s what we see: the lunging, the barking, the snarling, the growling, etc. It’s what’s above the surface and it’s what we often want to stop. What we don’t see and what’s driving this behavior is the rest of the iceberg below: the fear, the anxiety, the stress, the frustration. So if we want the behavior to change, we need to look at the root cause, not just the symptoms. When we change how a dog feels about a… Continued
How to Make the Transition to Full-Time Dog Pro
By Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner, dogbiz If your dream is to work with dogs for a living but you’re still toiling full time outside the dog industry, or juggling a part-time business alongside your “real” job, you need a transition plan: A plan to get you from where you are now to working full-time in your own dog training or dog walking business. Here’s what should go into yours: Determine feasibility. Feasibility is a comparison of revenue to expenses. Is your business set up to make what you… Continued
The Reality of TV Dog Training
By Niki Tudge and Susan Nilson In recent years, much creditable scientific study has been given to dog training and behavior modification methods and their respective efficacy and consequences. The preponderance of the evidence shown by these studies indicates that the implementation of training and/or behavior modification protocols predicated upon outdated “dominance theory” and social structures (“alpha,” or “pack leader”), usage of physical or mental force, intimidation, coercion or fear are empirically less effective and often create as a consequence “fallout” behaviors, such as fear, aggression, global suppression of behavior,… Continued
Dog Training: Why I Do It
By Joanne Ometz Eight people enter the room with five puppies. I encourage whole families to attend my puppy classes. “Let’s get everyone on the same page,” I have told them, so parents, kids, couples, and single puppy parents arrive, leading or being led by their puppies. All take their places, sitting and immediately beginning to lower treats to the floor by their young dogs, who begin to slow down, sit, or lie down, to settle. Soon, we have a room full of quiet people with puppies lying at their… Continued
Tips for Working with Clients with Mobility Impairments
By Veronica Sanchez A large and rambunctious dog can pull an owner off their feet, even if they do not have any physical limitations. However, people who have mobility impairments are at a higher risk. Additionally, the consequences of an injury may be more serious. Fortunately, there are a variety of strategies that can help clients with mobility limitations be successful in training their dogs to walk on a loose leash. Many people may experience a mobility limitation, including people with disabilities, people with temporary health injuries as well as… Continued
Getting Scientific about Dominance
By Don Hanson What we know about the science of canine behavior and dog training is continually evolving. As such, every year I like to select a new book to recommend to my students, my staff, area veterinarians, and my colleagues that I feel will be the most beneficial to them and their dogs. This year I have chosen Dog Smart: Evidence-based Training with The Science Dog by Linda P. Case. At the beginning of her book, Case states she has two primary objectives: “…to provide accurate summaries of some… Continued
Partnering With the Veterinary Community
As a force-free professional dog trainer and behavior consultant I practice a holistic approach to pet care and training and have worked to develop a network of professionals in various fields who serve the needs of dog owners. These services are grooming, pet sitting, boarding, daycare, pet supplies and veterinary. My goal is to develop a referral network with those who put the welfare of pets at the pinnacle of their business model, as I do. As a result of this strategy I enjoy referrals from about 15 veterinarians with… Continued
Take Your Dog Training Career to the Next Level with Karen Pryor Academy
By Karen Pryor Academy Do you want to feel empowered with the skills to become a dog trainer who is ready to launch a successful business or career? Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program is for anyone with a significant interest in dog training and behavior. It’s a life-changing course for those looking to change careers or to add training skill to their animal care skill set, like a veterinary technician, pet sitter/walker, or groomer. The DTP program is for the highly motivated trainer who has specific goals… Continued
Pet Professional Guild Response To Joint Industry Code of Conduct
Official Pet Professional Guild (PPG) response to the announcement (September 11, 2018) by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) that they have combined to adopt a unified Code of Conduct, a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for professional animal behavior consultants and trainers. Download the pdf. PPG wishes to acknowledge the efforts of all those who participated in the development of the combined Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics and… Continued
Human vs. Canine Behavior: A Brief Comparison
By Joanne Ometz “The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.” – Mark Twain This quote has become ubiquitous. It is on coffee mugs, bumper stickers, and T-shirts. But why do so many people feel this way about members of our own species? And why do we attribute such high standards of behavior to our canine companions? Some say dogs are more pure; they love unconditionally and are always there for us. But when it comes to each other, are they really any “better” than us? As a… Continued
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