Pet Care Division
Niki Tudge Your divisional chair and founder of PPG. Email Niki Join PPG Today and Enjoy 25% Discount Off These Great Certification Programs For Pet Professionals Supporting pets and their owners is a shared function of all pet professionals, including pet groomers, pet sitters, dog walkers and canine enrichment technicians. If you are interested in joining our divisional team and giving a voice to pet care providers, please join PPG today then log in to your PPG member account and fill out the volunteer form. With your help, we can… Continued
Shelter & Rescue Division
K. Holden Svirsky Your divisional chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Holden The goal of the Shelter & Rescue Division is to develop tools and resources to help support those who work for or represent animal shelters and rescues. PPG’s discounted Rescue Membership level provides access to all the benefits, educational resources and tools of a professional membership, including materials to share with adopters. As a rescue member of PPG, you get exclusive access to these popular PPG programs: You also get discounts on PPG’s Pet Dog Ambassador… Continued
Assistance Animal Division
Christina de Juan Your divisional chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Christina The goal of the Assistance Animal Division’s is to bring awareness to the different functions and roles that animals play in assisting humans, with a special focus on the humane treatment and welfare of people and assistance animals. The division’s membership represents a broad spectrum of pet professionals with a variety of skills and interests specific to assistance animals, and is committed to developing resources to support those who need and work with service animals, therapy… Continued
Equid Division
Michelle Martiya Your divisional chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Michelle Here, we focus on all things equid. In the above menu, you will find a host of helpful resources. At the top of the list are PPG’s Guiding Principles with amendments specific to equids. Under Equid Articles, you’ll find informative articles about equid management, social relationships and structure, and more, as well as PPG’s position statements related to equid training and care. In 2020, we rolled out a new project called Horses With Voices. It is… Continued
Feline Division
Laura Cassiday Your divisional chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee. Learn more about Laura Email Laura Cats are wildly popular pets, and millions of people worldwide share their homes with them. But sometimes cats seem a little mysterious, and many myths about their true nature exist. Did you know … Want to learn more? In the above menu, you will find a host of helpful resources. At the top of the list are PPG’s Guiding Principles with amendments specific to cats. Under Feline Articles, you’ll find informative articles about… Continued
Canine Division
Judy Luther Your divisional chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Judy Here, we focus on all things canine! In the menu bar, you will find links to lots of nice resources on a variety of canine-related topics, from advice on how to find great dog trainers to puppy education resources to articles about canine communication and social behavior. The Canine Division is very active and participates in lots of the programs developed at PPG. Several times per month, we host a Chat & Chuckle with special guests via Facebook… Continued
Advocacy Task Force
Don Hanson Your task force chair and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee and board of directors Email Don The Advocacy Task Force promotes PPG’s Guiding Principles, Code of Ethical Conduct and critical advocacy programs—the Shock-Free Coalition, Project tRade, the Advocacy Panel and others. The Pet Professional Guild was founded based on a commitment to provide educational resources to animal trainers, pet care providers and the public, with an emphasis on building collaboration among animal trainers, pet care providers and advocates for mutually agreed force-free guiding principles for the pet… Continued
Chat & Chuckle with Dale Ward: Raising the Worst Dog Ever! (Part 1)
Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Dale Ward of Dale’s Dog Training Academy about her book, Raising the Worst Dog Ever: A Survival Guide—winner in the Human/Animal Bond category of the 2020 Dog Writers Association of America competition! Enjoy listening as Niki, Judy, and Dale share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format! Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded May 29, 2023
Chat & Chuckle with Dr. Mikel Delgado of Feline Minds
Join PPG’s Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Dr. Mikel Delgado of Feline Minds about play and enrichment for cats! Be on the lookout for Dr. Delgado’s new book, Play With Your Cat, coming out in February 2024! Enjoy listening as Laura, Joanna, and Dr. Delgado share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format! Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded April 21, 2023
Chat & Chuckle with Hansa Bergwall of PocketSuite
Join Niki Tudge, Judy Luther and Kelly Fahey as they chat and chuckle with Hansa Bergwall of PocketSuite, a corporate partner of the Pet Professional Guild. Learn all about PocketSuite’s features, benefits and tools to help your animal training business succeed! Enjoy listening as Niki, Judy, Kelly and Hansa share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format! Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below. Recorded April 10, 2023
Why Not Debate Somebody in Real Time?
by Niki Tudge Two years ago, I was asked to debate a controversial figure on a podcast, and for several reasons, I turned it down. I was asked repeatedly, bordering on harassment, even though I gave what I believed to be a sufficient answer. Politely, I answered no. The first part of my answer was that I have limited bandwidth, and I place my efforts where I feel I have the most impact. The other part of my reasoning was based on the following. Going onto a podcast, Zoom… Continued
Dog Bite Prevention Week!
As a certified dog bite prevention educator, I can tell you that dog bites do not just happen out of the blue as many seem to believe. Behavior is Communication All behavior is designed to access something, avoid, or escape something. In applied behavior analysis we talk about behavior being anything we can observe that can be measured. The problem, when it comes to dog behavior, is a lack of human comprehension. Our understanding is limited and we miss the details, the communication signals. If humans could ask WHY… Continued
Time, Space and Choices: Improving Welfare for Shelter Cats with Dr. Zazie Todd’s Purr
by K. Holden Svirsky “Cats are jewels,” I told my family after visiting Cat Town in Oakland, California. I felt lit up, like something magical had happened in the hour I’d spent there, kneeling on the floor in the open-space “cat zone,” and later peeking into the special studios of the adoption center. I was eager to see what I’d learned from reading Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy by Zazie Todd, PhD, come to life and practice. While chatting with Cat Town’s program manager, Dilara Göksel Parry, CCBC,… Continued
Chat & Chuckle with Hanna Fushihara of Nosework Cats
Chat & Chuckle with Hanna Fushihara of Nosework Cats Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Melissa Taylor as they chat and chuckle with Hanna Fushihara about nosework for cats! (Yes, you read that right!) Hanna runs Nosework Cats as well as Hot Fuzz Dog Training from her home in New York State. She has been training dogs for more than 10 years and began teaching canine nosework in 2018. She reached the NW3-Elite title level competing with her pit bull, Derek, before he passed away. Hanna started developing her own ideas on… Continued
PPG Advocacy Panel: Words Matter—How the Words We Choose Influence Human Behavior
Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for this month’s discussion: Words Matter—How the Words We Choose Influence Human Behavior. Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Kristi Benson, Judy Luther, Pat Miller, Debbie Sheridan, Dr. Zazie Todd and Sam Wike. Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. Recorded March 15, 2023.… Continued
Advocating for R+ Animal Training—Three Key Documents
Advocating for R+ Animal Training—Three Key Documents Contributed by Don Hanson, Chair of PPG’s Advocacy Division and a member of PPG’s board of directors As you know, positive reinforcement is under attack by some in the dog training community. Therefore, to prepare yourself to successfully advocate for and educate others about the benefits of positive reinforcement, I recommend you become familiar with these three documents: the PPG Guiding Principles, the 2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines, and the AVSAB Humane Dog Training Position Statement. They will be valuable in helping… Continued
How Do We Advocate and Communicate Without Enabling Equivalence Where None Exists?—Part II
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Chat & Chuckle with Carrie Anne Selwyn of Canine Hoopers World
Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Carrie Anne Selwyn of Canine Hoopers World based in Surrey, United Kingdom, about hoopers! Learn why Carrie calls hoopers “the laziest dog sport for the handler,” but also one of the most inclusive sports for dogs. Pet guardians and pet professionals, enjoy listening as Carrie, Niki and Judy share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format! Listen to the podcast on a choice of platforms here. Or simply click on the “play” button below.… Continued
A Kids Comprehensive Guide To Speaking Dog!
A Great Educational Tool for Families A Kids’ Comprehensive Guide to Speaking Dog! Available NOW A fun, interactive, educational resource to help the whole family understand canine communication. Keep future generations safe by learning to “speak dog!” The perfect tool for parents, educators, dog trainers, and behavior specialists to use in support of family pet dog training. Features the renowned Be a Tree® international dog bite safety program Real-life situations explained with photos and fun cartoons Complete toolbox to help children stay safe around just about any dog Written and contributed… Continued
How Do We Advocate and Communicate Without Enabling Equivalence Where None Exists?—Part I
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PPG Advocacy Panel: Anthropomorphism—Is It Relevant?
Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Anthropomorphism—Is It Relevant? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: PPG Founder and President Niki Tudge, Sue Kocher, Linda Michaels, Debbie Sheridan, Dr. Zazie Todd and Sam Wike. Listen to the podcast here on a choice of platforms. Or simply click the ‘Play’ button below. February 15, 2023. Find out more… Continued
Chat & Chuckle with Parrish Warren of Space City Cats
Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Parrish Warren of Space City Cats, based in Houston, Texas, about educating the public and handling misconceptions about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats. Topics covered include: Working with feeders to gain their cooperation with TNR (people skills required!) Proper feeding of the cats for trapping success Networking with others to maximize the use of TNR resources Trapping 101—the step-by-step process Favorite baits for trapping Post-surgery care and recovery time before returning cats to their… Continued
Common Stumbling Blocks to Behavioral Recovery for Dogs and How to Overcome Them
by Diane Garrod In response to a survey of more than 1,000 pet parents in the United States by Kinship Partners (2021), 62% said their top priority is their pets’ happiness, and 80% said their pets deserve more of their time. Seventy-one percent said they could not have survived the pandemic without their pets. (A link to the full results of the survey and infographics can be found in the references.) Even so, pet parents often have unrealistic expectations of their dogs, and when addressing a behavior problem, these… Continued
Give a Warm Welcome to Your New Chairs of the Assistance Animal Division
Give a Warm Welcome to Your New Chairs of the Assistance Animal Division Christina de Juan is the owner of CreScent Service Dogs in Central Florida, which helps people with disabilities train their service dogs for their individualized needs. She specializes in scent training for gluten and allergens, and also offers private lessons for scent detection dog sports. Natasha Attwood is the owner of Miyagi’s Dog Training and Behaviourist Services in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, through which she provides holistic dog-centered training and behavior modification services, and specializes in reactivity and aggression. Read the full news… Continued