Loving Partners: The Bonds We Share with Assistance Animals
Anyone who has the luck to have a dog as a part of their lives knows just how much love and joy both guardian and dog share with one another. For Assistance Animal guardians, this relationship is even more deeply amplified. A Unique Bond This is not to disregard the love that all guardians share with their dogs, but to explain the unique bond assistance animal guardians have with their animals. For guardians of assistance animals, the guardian, and the animal– regardless of species– spend all of their time together,… Continued
Upcoming Pets and Their People Online Events
You’re invited to join us for the following events, streaming live on the Pets and Their People Facebook page: Facebook Live with Annie Phenix Date: Friday, July 1, 2022 Time: 3 PM ET Link: https://fb.me/e/1vNkyJC4i Your Host: Niki Tudge Special Guest: Annie Phenix of Phenix Dogs Training, LLC Topic: REACTIVE DOGS About Your Host: Niki Tudge is a frequent Pets and Their People contributor. Niki’s professional credentials include: AABP-Professional Dog Trainer, AABP-Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, PCBC-A and PCT-A through the Pet Professional Accrediting Board and she has… Continued
Safety Tips for Dogs Who Love Water
When the weather turns warm, we all enjoy a cool dip in the pool. Our dogs are no different. Safety should always be a priority. These tips will help your dog stay safe around water, so you can have a fun summer season. Whenever your dog is around water make sure he/she is wearing a life jacket. I teach my dogs that they can only swim if they are wearing their life jackets. My dogs are also only allowed on a boat if they are wearing a life jacket.… Continued
Therapy Work for Pet Dogs
Many people feel that their dogs are missing out on something as a pet, or feel that others could also enjoy their dogs. Therapy work is a great way to give your dog a job that can improve life for both you and your dog, and also people in your community. Opportunities For dogs with very calm temperaments and basic training, there are many opportunities for you both to pay visits to specific places such as schools, hospitals, retirement homes, and other workplaces to offer help to others. Therapy… Continued
Agility for Cats!? A Cat Behavior Consultant Answers What, Why and How
Our three cats coax us daily for their agility time in our basement! Agility is also a sport that I have introduced to more than one of our foster kittens and taught to more than one of my clients and/or students. What is Agility? It’s a sport whereby a handler directs a cat through a preset obstacle course. Modeled after the equestrian sport of show jumping, and adapted first by the dog world, agility is designed to demonstrate coordination, intelligence, beauty of movement, training, and speed. In competition, cats… Continued
Calling All Pet People
While tips and advice are super helpful, often the most profound inspiration and understanding comes from people sharing their real-world experiences. So, we want to hear from you! Have an inspirational story about pets and people to share? Submit it here. (View our submission guidelines.) Have a training question for our feline, canine or equine experts? Submit it here. Want to Connect? Find us on Facebook. Pets and Their People is looking for writers, story ideas and breaking mews. Throw us a bone…we’d love… Continued
Knowing How to Choose the Right Dog Trainer
Unlike some professions, there is currently no single ethical standard and no centralized or government licensing board for dog trainers and behavior consultants. As a result, consumers face a confusing landscape of philosophies and marketing language. The following suggestions will help dog owners find a competent, ethical trainer and keep their pet(s) safe. Ask for Details of Formal Education and Credentials Your trainer should have an educational background in how animals learn and are motivated. College, community college or vocational classes in psychology, animal behavior and/or animal training are a… Continued
Don Hanson Reviews Dr. Conor Brady’s “Feeding Dogs”
Feeding Dogs: The Science Behind The Dry Versus Raw Debate by Conor Brady, Ph.D. will hopefully end the debate over how to feed our dogs for optimum health. Dr. Brady spent 10 years examining what the scientific literature tells us about canine nutrition, answering such questions as: Is the dog a carnivore or omnivore? What are the problems with feeding kibble? Why are so many people pro-kibble and anti-fresh food despite evidence to the contrary? And how to feed a dog a species-appropriate diet for optimal health. In addition,… Continued
Homemade Dog Treat Recipe: Zenikens
Zenikens were developed to help two dogs with two different problems. Zen after whom the cookies are named, suffered from muscle and nerve immunity problems similar to MS and required a diet as preservative free as possible; Chappi had anal gland issues needing the high fiber to assist these delicate glands. Oven temperature: 200 degrees Celsius; (Approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit) Ingredients: 4 cups rolled oats plus some extra if needed 3 cups whole meal plain flour plus some extra if needed 2 to 2 ½ cups wheat bran –… Continued
Six Tips to Keep At-Home Dog Training Fun and Consistent
Keeping up the consistency of training your dog at home, when you don’t have a dog trainer looking over your shoulder or need to be top of the class can be hard! Let’s be honest, there is a lot of other stuff we do at home, and sometimes training our dogs takes a back seat, to you… know ALL THAT OTHER life stuff! But training relies on keeping things consistent and interesting; there aren’t any shortcuts, honestly. Dogs learn through repetition and being rewarded for things we want them to… Continued
From the Editor
One of the most difficult things about being an animal lover is feeling helpless when you hear about pets in need. If that describes you, please take a moment to read this month’s Editor’s Picks about the people behind the fundraiser for Ukrainian animal shelters and how you can help them. How Can You Help Today? Donate: Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Click on link to donate.) Get Inspired: Meet the People Behind the Fundraiser for Ukrainian Animal Shelters (Listen to the BARKS podcast.) Read and Share: Please also… Continued
Meet the People Behind the Fundraiser for Ukrainian Animal Shelters
Quick Links: Donate to help animals survive the war in Ukraine. BARKS podcast with Dr. Marina Bayeva: Hear updates on the use of funding and the animals benefiting from your generous support. Lifelong animal welfare advocate, Dr. Marina Bayeva, began a grassroots campaign to help animals survive the war in Ukraine. On May 4, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) streamed an informative and inspiring live discussion with Dr. Bayeva, veterinarian Dr. Paula Klek, and members of PPG’s Shelter & Rescue committee. Meet the the people behind the campaign and… Continued
Assistance Animals: It’s NOT All Work and No Play!
Every dog wants to have fun, at least some of the time, and that goes for assistance animals such as service dogs, emotional support dogs, and therapy dogs. While some assistance dogs need to be on the ready 24/7 to aid their handlers when a need arises, that doesn’t mean they never get a break. Handlers of working assistance animals love their dogs and are grateful for the support they provide. They see their dogs as friends and trusted family members, and they want to enrich their lives as much… Continued
That Crazy Puppy Behavior
Imagine this: You just finished cleaning up from dinner and are about to sit down and relax when it happens…….CRAZY PUPPY BEHAVIOR! Almost daily puppy parents ask me how to change crazy puppy behavior. After discussing this with the puppy parents, I find most of this behavior happens in the evening. Puppies are like little children; they get overtired after a long day. Puppies need a lot of sleep. Most people don’t realize how much sleep a puppy needs. Depending on the age, they need as much as 20… Continued
The Many Benefits of Fostering Shelter/Rescue Pets
Fostering animals gives them a break from the stressful environment that they encounter while in the shelter. BENEFITS FOR THE ANIMALS AND SHELTERS If you foster an animal, they will have the ability to get away from the continuous noise caused by the other animals there. Even one or two nights in a home has been shown to reduce the stress hormone known as cortisol. The pets will also get the much needed and important human interaction that they wouldn’t receive as often when staying in the shelter. Some… Continued
Ask a Trainer: Dog Digging Holes in Flower Beds
Q: “Help! My dog is digging huge holes in flower beds!” (This question was submitted via the Pets and Their People Facebook page.) A: There are several reasons your dog may dig in the flower bed. There may be critters such as moles in the flower bed, or they may be one of those dogs who like to hide their toys. Let’s say you have ruled out these two possibilities, there is another reason your dog may be digging. Social Learning One of the biggest reasons I have found that… Continued
People Are Risking Their Lives to Help the Pets of Ukraine – And They Need Your Help
Quick Links: Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Click on link to donate.) Meet the People Behind the Fundraiser for Ukrainian Animal Shelters (Click on link to listen to the inspiring BARKS podcast.) Everything has changed for the beloved pets of Ukraine. You Can Help The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Shelter & Rescue committee is asking you, our dedicated and generous community, to help these animals and the people caring for them. On Wednesday, May 4, PPG livestreamed a free event for the public to meet… Continued
Just the Thought of Leaving Pets in a War Zone is an Incredibly Difficult Mental Exercise
The thought of losing my dogs or being forced to leave them behind in a war zone if I had to evacuate is an incredibly difficult mental exercise. I can barely even write about it. And yet I had been faced with this dilemma in my previous life when I lived in Nigeria. During my three years there we experienced two coups and I had to face the possibility that in the event of a mandated evacuation I would have to leave my pets behind. I was told in clear… Continued
A Dog’s Communication System
A dog’s communication system is greatly ritualized, and has evolved specifically to avoid or cut off conflict. This has made dogs, as a species, very successful in terms of their numbers, variety, and adaptability. Things, however, can go awry when we humans misread the signals dogs send us, leaving them helpless to effectively communicate their feelings to us no matter how hard they try. We cannot know or understand what dogs think and vice-versa. What we can do, though, is understand their body language, observe them carefully as we interact… Continued
Summer is here! Protect your pets against heatstroke with this heat index tool
This information does not replace the advice or instruction given to you by your veterinarian Summer is when dogs are most at risk of being affected by heatstroke. A dog’s normal body temperature is 100°F to 102.5°F but, unlike humans, dogs do not have sweat glands throughout their skin. Their only methods for cooling include limited sweat glands on the pads of their feet and nose, and panting. Both of which are inefficient at cooling their body temperature in extreme situations. If a dog cannot effectively dissipate heat, their internal… Continued
The Essence of a Dog: A Free Education from a Free Choice Walk
By giving our dogs as much autonomy as we safely can, we can learn a lot about body language and social interactions from observing their behavior © Karolin Klinck One cold day last spring, snow still clinging to the ground and ceding to the warm sun only on the tips of south-facing hillocks, I decided to do something new. I wouldn’t walk my dogs; nor would I walk with my dogs. I would instead be walked by my dogs. I decided to simply follow my dog Mischa for… Continued
What Are Assistance Animals?
There are three categories for animals that assist humans in the U.S. This post explains the different categories and the roles such animals play for their owners and in society. SERVICE DOGS Specially trained dogs (and sometimes miniature horses) do many different kinds of work or tasks for their handlers with disabilities to help them lead more independent and normal lives. The most common services provided are mobility, medical alert, guiding the visually impaired, hearing alert, and psychiatric support. Service animals are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act… Continued
Ten Dog Training Tips That Benefit Pets and Their People
It is important for those who live and work with dogs to have an understanding of basic behavioral science. Bearing this in mind, here are just a few examples of positive reinforcement training protocols that may be used in place of aversive methods*: Rather than waiting for a dog to make a mistake so you can punish him, reinforce behavior you like to help the dog learn and so both parties feel more positive about the relationship. Rather than using a choke chain or prong collar which rely on… Continued
Celebrating Differences Towards More Breed Inclusivity!
As a community at the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) and here at Pets and their People (P&TP) we covet the possibilities of a more inclusive approach to our pet dogs, our beloved canines. Falling in Love with Dogs Based on Appearance or Breed Did you know that dogs are the most varied species on the planet, and the most numerous? I know from my perspective that if all dogs looked like (insert my least favorite breed here), I would probably be a donkey trainer. We all have our favorite breeds… Continued
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