A Few Basic Rules About How and When to Approach a Dog Safely
Sharing the following rules and teaching them to both adults and children can help everyone stay safe. Is It Safe to Approach a Known Dog? You may assume that it is safe in certain contexts to approach a dog that you know. However, you still need to exercise caution and respect the dog’s space. Every child – and adult for that matter – should be taught a few basic rules about how and when to approach a dog. The majority of dog bites occur in the home with a… Continued
Shared Blog Post – The Proper Use of Food in Dog Training
The following article was originally written by Niki Tudge, Leah Roberts and Carole Byrnes in 2013 for the Pet Professional Guild and updated by Niki Tudge in January 2022 for The DogSmith. An excerpt: You choose if you want to motivate your dog with something he likes and will work to attain, or something he dislikes and will work to avoid. NOTE. WE ALWAYS USE FOOD because we want our dogs to feel safe and happy and not afraid of a consequence! Wait! What? “Always use food”??? We are sharing this post because… Continued
Determining If Your Dog Understands SIT
Students often ask, “How can I tell if my dog understands what I’m teaching him or her?” How we assess a dog’s training can vary with what we’re teaching, the environment where we are testing them, and the dog and their physical and emotional status at that particular point in time. Below you will find one method you can use to assess how well your dog understands a simple behavior like sit. You will give your dog a single visual or verbal cue and look for them to respond in… Continued
Shared Blog Post – Secret Reasons for Behavior Changes in Your Dog
The following article was written by C.C. Bourgeois and originally appeared on the Wonder Dog University Blog. Particularly, if you notice a sudden, dramatic behavior change in an adult dog, teamwork will be essential in discovering the underlying cause and addressing it to bring your pet relief. The post describes how pet guardians, animal behavior professionals and veterinarians can all work together to help our pets. An excerpt: Of course, there could be a hundred reasons under the sun why a dog has begun displaying a particular behavior. One of… Continued
Book Review: “Dog Training and Behaviour Solutions”
Reviewed by Lottie Bennett, Lottie’s School for Dogs “Dog Training and Behaviour Solutions” is not your average dog training book. Indeed, it is a collaboration piece between multiple force-free and fear-free professionals and if two heads are better than one, then twelve must be even better than that! The book is a compilation of articles written by these professionals on various aspects of puppy and dog ownership, care, training, and managing and treating behavior problems. As such, you do not need to read the book cover to cover, but the… Continued
How To Select a Service Dog or Assistance Dog Prospect
It can be a daunting prospect to begin to research and search for a service dog or assistance dog in the best of cases. When you are going to be training the dog yourself, due to barriers accessing charitable services, it can be even harder. A Force-Free Professional Can Make a World of Difference Seeking help from a qualified Pet Professional Guild trainer can be extremely helpful. You are guaranteed to be working with a vetted and approved trainer. You can ask for their experience and knowledge with service/… Continued
Getting Your Puppy or New Dog Used to Being Alone: Where’s Your Dinner Game
Where’s Your Dinner Game This game is an easy and simple way to build a bit of independence and confidence in a puppy or a new dog. It is based on free choice on the dog’s part and can be adapted in any number of ways as their confidence builds. It requires two people and a bowl of food! One person holds the puppy at one end of the room while the other places their bowl of food down at the far end of the room, and then quickly… Continued
Jumpy Dogs – Key Strategies That Might Surprise You
Traditionally you may have been told to ignore dogs or puppies when they jump up. However, this is unfair to your dog or puppy, as usually when they jump up they are nervous and are asking for reassurance, or you have been away and they are pleased to see you. Dogs are social animals and crave social and emotional contact from their guardians. Therefore, when your dog jumps, they have a social or emotional need, and as dog guardians we should fulfill that need. Provide Reassurance When your dog… Continued
Teach Your Cat to Like the Carrier – You Got This!
Does your cat run and hide as soon as she sees the carrier? Even worse, does your cat scratch and bite if you try to force her into the carrier? Take a deep breath! There is a way to teach your cat to like the carrier. Make the Carrier a Happy Place First, put the carrier in a part of the house frequented by your cat, so your cat gets used to seeing it. If the only time your cat ever goes into the carrier is for a vet… Continued
You Can Still Help the Animals of Ukraine Survive the War
Quick Link: Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine (Click on link to donate.) Latest updates on the Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine fundraiser Highlights for the month of July include: – local and international adoptions picking up despite the challenges – shelters preparing for the winter and taking on long overdue repairs – delivering pet food all over Ukraine and fostering new partnerships … and so much more! A Letter from Dr. Marina Bayeva: On August 24th, it will be six months (!) since Russia invaded Ukraine. Six… Continued
Pets – Who Cares for Them When You Cannot? (Part Two)
Before you entrust the care of your pet to anyone, you should ask them the following: Have you had formal training in pet first aid, and can you apply first aid if necessary? What experience do you have with pet health issues such as diabetes, seizures, and bloat? Do you have experience giving pets medications such as pills, ointments, drops, or injections? Have you had training and experience supervising interactions between pets that do not regularly interact with other pets? Are you familiar with canine and feline body language? Do… Continued
Getting to Know Pets and Their People Magazine
Here at Pets and Their People, we want to make it as easy as possible for busy pet parents like you to find the pet care information you’re seeking. So here’s a quick summary of some of our most useful features: For training tips, enrichment ideas and product reviews, be sure to visit the Current Issue. You can find current Lifestyle, Pet Safety and Educational posts on our blog. Have a training question? Submit it here. Have a story to share about the pet(s) in your life? Submit it here. We’d… Continued
Looking at Dog Training with Fresh Eyes
You have your treats ready. Maybe you have a clicker and a treat pouch too and you’re ready to train your dog. Yippee! Setting up structured training sessions where you do your homework from puppy or dog training classes is common, isn’t it? But what happens outside of these sessions? Do you ever think to yourself, “I’m not training now.”? Well, we have news for you! While we might not think we’re actively training, our dogs are always learning. They’re either learning that things they do get them rewards from… Continued
Six Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool During the Summer Months
1. Baby pool Some dogs might not enjoy swimming in their big backyard pool, but enjoying laying in a baby pool. Some even like to roll around in it. 2. Sprinkler Some pups might not enjoy submerging themselves in a pool, but love to run free through a sprinkler. 3. Slip and Slide We’ve had many dogs grace our homes who enjoyed the slip and slide. They can run down it, lay in the water, dash through the water feature. 4. Splash Pad This combines the fun… Continued
Pets – Who Cares for Them When You Cannot? (Part One)
As much as we would like to have our pets with us at all times, that may not always be possible. Sometimes life throws us a curve ball that will require you to leave your pets in the care of someone else. For example, you may need to travel for work, a family healthcare crisis, or a funeral. In addition, you may need to evacuate your home due to a natural disaster where you will not be able to take your pets with you. Planning Ahead Perhaps you’re staying home… Continued
Managing and Training Fearful Equids
Fearful Equids Caring for fearful equids brings its own special challenges but can also be exceptionally rewarding. Here are a few simple tips to ensure your success. Move how you naturally move, but slower. One of the things most people do when they start working with fearful animals is to tiptoe around them and move hesitantly. Instead of helping, this can actually make them more anxious and it makes you seem suspicious. Instead, try moving the way you naturally move, but slower. As I often tell my students,… Continued
How Do Dogs Cool Down?
Your dog has three ways to help keep cool in hot conditions; panting, sweating and blood vessel expansion. On very hot and humid days, even with a few cooling systems on board, our pets can still struggle to regulate their temperatures. Running, hard play, direct sun and other variables can create a potentially dangerous situation for your dog when it is hot. As pet guardians we need to make sure that our pets’ environment keeps them cool and safe. Panting – Respiratory Process The sweating process for dogs Is actually… Continued
Product Review: Wondercide®
All-Natural There is a lot of talk about flea and tick meds, and what is best for our dogs. Recently the topic has turned to all-natural products. I want to share my favorite all-natural flea and tick preventative. We live in a heavily wooded area and have an overabundance of ticks, fleas, chiggers and mosquitoes. Many animals and humans suffer with pesticide exposure, and I wanted to reduce this for my pets and family. I do my best to avoid chemicals around our pets, family and the wildlife I… Continued
Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine Fundraiser – Latest Updates
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.) Dear Supporters, Here please find the latest updates for the Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine fundraiser – both the big picture and the individual shelter updates. Some of the highlights include: – animals finding new homes even during the war – expanding capacity by building new enclosures to take in even more animals – kitten and puppy season… Continued
How to Handle Your Dog When You Encounter a Service Dog
Many pet guardians don’t know what to do when they encounter a service dog team, particularly when they have their pet with them. Here are a few tips in case you and your pet encounter a service dog team at the pet store, park, or other place. Your first concern should be making sure your dog is leashed. No matter how well-trained you feel your dog is, if your dog makes a mistake and distracts the service dog, it could result in injury to the service dog handler. If… Continued
Tired of Furry Furniture? Try These Tips!
Why Do Pets Love to Get on the Furniture? There are many reasons, including some you may not have thought about: Comfort – Furniture is comfortable. Our pets need a soft cozy sleeping place to get good rest, especially as they age and start to have joint pain, etc. Security – Another big reason is being up higher than floor level gives your pets a better view of their surroundings. Only allowing your pets on the floor greatly reduces their environment and limits your pet’s ability to observe what is… Continued
Dogs and Automobiles – Part 2: Aversion and Motion Sickness
A Dog May Suddenly Refuse to Get in the Car for Several Reasons The vehicle may have become a predictor of something unpleasant such as a trip to the veterinarian. Or perhaps the dog was in the car during a traumatic event such as a crash or a thunderstorm. If the dog was injured getting in or out of a vehicle, they might also become anxious about the car. Nausea due to motion sickness is one of the biggest reasons dogs learn to dislike traveling. This may be due… Continued
Ask A Trainer: Tension in a Multidog Household
Q: After two weeks with us, my foster girl had a fight with my male dog. Both huskies. They now walk circles around each other and have low growls. How do I get them comfortable around each other again? I would love to take them to the park in my car but I am scared I will have a fight break out in the car. -R. A: Thank you for the question, R.! My first suggestion would be to reach out to a Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Dog Trainer in… Continued
Dogs Who Growl with Teeth, Oh My!
My dog growled at me today and that made me happy! Why, you ask? It is very simple actually; he is a rescue dog that had a bite history when I adopted him. Warning Signs He is a dog that had been punished for growling, and so he no longer growled when upset or scared. His name is Oso and he has turned out to be an amazing dog. He just needed love, and to be taught that warning signs are acceptable and appreciated in this house. He… Continued
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