Pets and Their People Blog

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Pets & Their People! We’re so happy you’re here! Please enjoy the tips, tools & resources provided by respected and dedicated pet professionals from around the globe! Let’s Meet Your Contributors:

Ryan Cartlidge is a professional animal trainer who’s been working around the world, including in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the US. He’s trained teams, developed animal training programs, been published in leading industry magazines, spoken at international conferences, and delivered presentations in a University on animal behaviour.

And through the Animal Training Academy, he connects hundreds of animal behaviour and training enthusiasts with an extensive and growing library of lessons and tutorials delivered by renowned animal experts.

Check out Animal Training Academy here, specifically the free ATA Podcast, and the free animal training and behaviour course. 

In this issue, discover why Ryan pushed a visiting guest off the sofa – and what you can learn from his “Whoops!” moment.

Petrina Firth is a Dog Trainer and Certified Animal Behaviorist of over 10 years who now mainly specializes in Separation Anxiety (CSAT) and also creates content, lessons and articles for the Zigzag puppy training app and website. Zigzag is a puppy training app with a difference, rather than focusing solely on obedience, we take puppy owners on a journey through Life Skills and important developmental stages, to hopefully give them happy, confident and well-behaved puppies, with an understanding that puppies and dogs aren’t robots, they have big feelings, and that’s ok!

Petrina is a member of the PPG, the head of marketing and board member for the APDT UK, and a member of the CAPBT committee. She is also a tech and gadget enthusiast who enjoys city living with her rescue French Bulldog and partner.

Don’t miss Top Ten Tips to Help Your New Dog or Puppy Settle In from Zigzag Puppy app.

Don Hanson ACCBC, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA is the owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop and ForceFreePets.com in Bangor, Maine, where he has been helping people with their pets since 1995. He is a member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG). He serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee and chairs the Advocacy Committee. Don also produces and co-hosts a weekly radio show and podcast, The Woof Meow Show.

Be sure to take a look at Don’s heartwarming take on Building and Maintaining a Friendship with Your Pet.

Jeannine Lampe has a Bachelor of Education (Hons) and works in aged care.  She is a certified Canine Nutritionist who is constantly updating her knowledge and hopes to embark on further academic studies in nutrition this year. As well as being Volunteer Coordinator for Canine Behavioural School in Adelaide, South Australia she is constantly trialing new recipes for her Happi Chappi Bakery for Dogs.

Look no further than this issue of Pets and Their People if you’ve been searching for a recipe for healthy homemade dog treats.

Judy Luther is the chair of PPG’s Canine Committee. Building trusting relationships with dogs is a specialty of hers and she has developed an entire Trust Centered Training program around that concept.

Here she shares with us some simple do’s and don’ts of Building a Trusting Relationship with Pets.

Niki Tudge MBA PCBC-A CABC CDBC is the founder and president of the Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Education and The DogSmith. She has substantial leadership experience in business management and administration, particularly in the nonprofit sector, which encompasses her role as the president of Doggone Safe, a nonprofit educational organization. She has published numerous articles, which have been featured in publications such as the New York Times. She has also authored five books; her most recent project, Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, which she co-authored, was published in 2019.

Read her review of the New York Times best seller – ‘The Forever Dog’ and her deep dive into enrichment for your canine.

The current issue also features articles contributed by the following Pet Professional Guild Committees:

Assistance Animal Committee – Discover the three categories for animals who assist humans in the U.S. and the roles these animals play for their humans and for society.

Equid Committee – Did you know environmental enrichment is key for the welfare of horses? Mary Richards shares some fundamentals of equine enrichment.

Feline Committee – Is your cat a counter surfer? Read about the steps you can take to lessen this behavior without risking damage to your relationship with your frisky feline!

Inclusivity Committee – In this issue, the committee discusses a more inclusive approach to our pet dogs.