Canine Communication and Social Behavior
This article highlights the importance of dog training and behavior professionals being fluent in reading canine communications so they can understand a dog’s emotional state at any given moment in any given context, as well as be able to educate owners when a dog is experiencing a negative emotional state, such as fear, stress, or anxiety. Dogs often feel stressed or anxious in certain situations and will give signs to indicate their discomfort. In such cases, there is a need for awareness and, if appropriate, intervention to prevent pushing a… Continued
PPG Advocacy Panel: Making Education More Accessible
By Susan Nilson The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel was launched in August and has already held its first three sessions, where the panel discussed How To Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Methods, How to Reach and Work with Your Local Veterinarians, Your PPG Advocacy Panel at Work! Advocating to Let Dogs be Dogs, Cats be Cats, Equids Be Equids, and “Being Nicer” While Advocating (links to all podcasts and videos below). Panel members to date include Beth Adelman, Kristi Benson, Dr. Laura Donaldson, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Dr. Robert… Continued
Defying the Stereotype
By Dee Goings When people think of a Rottweiler, they often think, unfortunately, of a large hulking mass on a choke chain or shock collar. My girl, Ripley, could not be more different. She came to me from a family who had purchased her from a working dog breeder and had her flown out to them. At 12 weeks, when she started teething, they gave her a dustpan to chew on. She then started using the owner as a chew toy and so they called me. At the age of… Continued
Play vs. Aggression
By Maureen Tay As a trainer, the issue of aggression is raised a lot. Indeed, it is the most commonly reported behavior issue by dog owners (Overall, 2013). One owner who contacted me recently had adopted a new dog and called me to say that the new dog and the resident dog were now growling at each other and going after each other’s legs and necks. But without being there to see the actual situation, it is obviously impossible to tell if these dogs are just playing or if there… Continued
A Cautionary Tale
By Kayla Sprague Before entering the world of dog training I had never really had an opinion on shock collars. To me they were just another kind of collar, another way to train a dog. I was unaware of any negative effects. After studying more about positive reinforcement training, however, I began to see another side to them as I realized exactly what they did and how they worked. It made me think about how this type of collar can mentally, physically and emotionally affect a dog. Then, on September… Continued
The Right Dog Harness for the Job
By Joan Hunter Mayer of PPG corporate partner Transpaw Gear® What do selecting a harness for your dog and shoe shopping have in common? More than you might think! When you venture out- or online- to purchase a pair of shoes, or an outfit, it generally boils down to selecting the right option to fit the person and the activity. For instance, a snazzy pair of stilettos might be great for an evening out, but would they be a good choice for running a marathon, strolling on the beach, or… Continued
8 Pawsome Autumn/Fall Tips for Dog Guardians
It seems like no time since the year was just beginning and the trees were coming into bud. And yet somehow, despite the scourge of COVID-19, this year has whipped through and we’re almost facing its end already. So with the advance of these beautiful autumnal colors on our trees, what do these changes bring for dog guardians and what can we do to make life just a little bit easier for all of us? 1. Mud! Autumn, or fall, brings mud! Gone are those lovely warm summer walks with… Continued
How to Choose a Harness for Your Dog
By Joan Hunter Mayer of PPG corporate partner Transpaw Gear® Dog harnesses are a commonly chosen item, but the amount of dog gear for sale can make a pet parent’s head spin! Why choose harnesses over collars for attaching the leash on walks and adventures? And how do you choose the right harness for your pet? Harness vs. Collar: A collar can be too tight, risking physical injury – Dogs who pull while wearing a collar can put pressure on their necks, potentially injuring this sensitive area. Even without an… Continued
Empowering Dogs and Humans to Have a Deeper, More Connected Relationship – One Harness at a Time
By Joan Hunter Mayer of PPG corporate partner Transpaw Gear® At TransPaw Gear®, our goal to help move society forward into a mutually respectful space between dogs and humans – thereby creating a pawsitive cultural shift. Walking together is one of the most basic activities dogs and the people who love them do together, so we set out to create pet harnesses that ensure an easy, enjoyable, walking experience. More importantly though, we are on a mission to empower dogs and humans to have a deeper, more connected relationship –… Continued
A Foot in the Door
By Tabitha Davies Shelter is defined as a place to rest, a place for comfort and a place for safety. But with 3.9 million dogs entering shelters and an average of 1.2 million of them being euthanized each year (Source: ASPCA), this is sadly not the case for many dogs in US shelters. Life in the shelters in Coachella, CA, where I am based, means a concrete floor with drains, full access to food, water, and, only if you are without behavior problems, a blanket, bed and toy. It also… Continued
Setting the Right Criteria
By K. Holden Svirsky Guppy, a young male “pit bull” and German shepherd dog mix, didn’t know how to sit. Or, more accurately, he didn’t know how to sit on cue. To be considered adoptable by the suburban families that frequented the shelter, this was a pretty important behavior. Guppy was incredibly friendly and goofy and he loved people. So he jumped all over them. Admittedly, 70 lbs. of exuberance, tongue and pointy teeth a few inches from your face isn’t exactly what most folks write down under “I’m looking… Continued
PPG Joins Six Leading Organizations to Support UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter
Milestone agreement sees seven professional bodies join forces to set professional standards and ensure consumer transparency, with animal welfare at the forefront TAMPA, Fla. – May 28, 2020 – PRLog — The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has signed up to be one of seven founding organizations to support the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter set to be launched on June 8. The initiative aims to provide clarity regarding the future direction of dog behavior and training throughout the UK in relation to professional standards, tools and methodologies, with canine welfare at the heart of its… Continued
Setting the Right Criteria
Why do trainers and dogs reach these impasses? When progress plateaus, trainers begin to consider more invasive measures. Dogs risk being sent to boot camps and being subjected to shock or prong collars because “treat training” didn’t work. The problem is rarely motivation, of course, or the effectiveness of positive reinforcement. The problem is the trainer’s inability to set appropriate criteria…The ability to set good criteria isn’t just for jumpy, mouthy dogs who find themselves in a shelter environment. It is even more important in cases of fear and aggression.… Continued
E-Fence Fallout
By Daniel Antolec My clients Maggie and George* had both grown up with dogs. Now, as a married couple, they were ready for a puppy of their own. In 2009, they bought a house with a large lot that was ideal for a dog and joyful labradoodle, Charlee, thus entered their lives. As the house was located along a busy boulevard they, of course, wanted to keep Charlee safe while enjoying the yard, so they considered installing either a physical fence or an electronic containment system (ECS). Building a physical… Continued
Shock-Free Coalition Launches Pledge Drive to Educate Pet Professionals and Guardians on the Risks of Using Shock as a Training Tool
Initiative will offer an array of educational prizes as incentive for participants to share their knowledge with fellow professionals, clients and pet owners and recruit signees TAMPA, Fla. – March 2, 2020 – PRLog — The Shock-Free Coalition, a global advocacy program spearheaded by the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) to end the practice of using electric shock to train, manage, and care for pets, has announced the launch of a 61-Day Pledge Drive to educate consumers and pet professionals about the benefits of using reward-based training as opposed to the risks associated with using shock… Continued
The Problem with Shock
By Angelica Steinker It isn’t that shock collar training doesn’t work, because it does. The question is at what price? Some extremely skilled trainers may be able to offset some of the problems shock collars can cause. However, shock collars are for sale at almost every pet store making them readily accessible to the general public. A shock collar can potentially lead to very serious problems. There are a multitude of other powerful training options including obedience, behavior management, and positive reinforcement. Malfunction The first potential problem is that the… Continued
“I Will Never Use the Shock Collar Again!”
By Eileen Anderson This is a story from a client of one of my professional trainer friends. Let’s call my friend “Phoebe.” My friend had met the client for some coaching for her young, exuberant dog, Raven. But it was a very long distance for the client to come. My friend received this email after she hadn’t heard from the client in a while. Some details were altered for privacy, but I’ve left the email essentially as the client wrote it because she tells the story so eloquently. I am… Continued
Training Horses with Positive Reinforcement: Taking Cues from the Dog World
…horses in the wild do not have a strict dominance hierarchy, and your horse is not trying to dominate you if he does something you don’t want him to. Horses do not like physical pain any more than we do. This is not a good way to teach and horses, like any animal, are less likely to do something again if the result is pain. Ask yourself why that is. Is it because they have learned a new behavior or is it simply because they are scared of being hurt?… Continued
A Miniature Puppet Master
By Bob McMillan I’d heard about dogs like Bentley—manipulative, ready to take over the house and quite likely the entire block, a mastermind who bends all other dogs to his will. Bentley was my first chance to observe a Svengali of the dog world in his native habitat, which in this case was in my lap in my own home, looking up at me with huge, sincere, moist brown eyes. The little guy really had me, until a better lap came along and I watched him work his mojo on… Continued
Being Social…..and Polite
I have seen many posts on social media recently by dog owners regarding ‘out of control’ dogs in public spaces. I don’t recall this much of an outcry 3, 5 or way back 10 years ago, so is it really warranted? Or is it simply the case that now we have a facilitated platform for such views? It’s only a personal opinion, but in my view the simple answer is, yes, it is warranted. The great thing is that modern society largely embraces canine culture. There’s still a lot of… Continued
Case Study: Attack – The Best Form of Defense?
Just look at this dog! Isn’t she wonderful? Billie is a four-year-old Aylestone bulldog and her guardians have had her for six weeks. Previous to this she had been used as a breeding bitch and ended up in a shelter, so she probably didn’t have a very good life. She certainly has a good life now. Scared – attack may be the best form of defense Billie is a sweet-natured dog, although maybe a little worried about things. She is a dream at home, but out on walks she is… Continued
Are Head Halters Like Prongs?
By Yvette Van Veen Are Head Halters Like Prongs? Head halters took the training world by storm years ago. Some trainers are hanging up their head halters because they simply don’t like how dogs seem to fight them. Other trainers, those who use force have long tried to make the claim that head halters are no different from prong collars. Generally, the argument made is that if you use a head halter then you really are no different from a trainer who uses prong collars. That we are in denial. That aversives are necessary. That we… 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
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