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Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: Licensing vs. Industry Certification

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  This article is excerpted from the book, Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, authored by Niki J. Tudge, Susan J. Nilson, Debra A. Millikan and Louise A. Stapleton-Frappell (pp. 14-21). The book is available as a free download from DogNostics Career Center or in print from Amazon. According to Roth and Ramlow (2016), “Americans have always been rooted in the idea of economic freedom.” In other words, Americans tend to be of the belief that hard work… Continued

Report from the Pet Professional Guild 4-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop

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Professional Pet Care requires knowledge, skills, individual competency and a high level of responsibility. I recently had the pleasure of attending and presenting at a 4-day workshop designed to do just that.  In this blog post, I am going to give you a brief overview of the topics covered and some of the assessment exercises required to qualify as a Certified Pet Care Technician.  Don’t worry, I will also share more information about the workshop and all the fun and learning which took place, along with my personal ‘take-home’ points,… Continued

Is Your Dog Feeling Fearful, Anxious, or Stressed?

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I highly recommend that we all try to identify the signs and causes of stress in our lives, and our pets’ lives, so that we can begin to eliminate or reduce the stressors that may be adversely affecting our mental and physical well-being, and that of our pets. Dogs show many signs when they are fearful, anxious, or stressed. Here are some of the canine body language signals indicating fear, anxiety, or stress that you could learn to recognize: Identifying the triggers – those stimuli such as smells, sounds, or… Continued

Chat & Chuckle with Dr. Denise Johnson About Feline House Soiling

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Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Dr. Denise Johnson about house soiling issues in cats. Dr. Denise Johnson is a general practitioner of veterinary medicine and an International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. Her special interests include behavioral health and low-stress handling. Her qualifications include Elite Fear Free Practitioner, Certified in Low Stress Handling–Silver, and Cat Friendly Veterinarian Certifications. In addition to being a certified member of the IAABC, she serves on their Ethics Committee and as a peer… Continued

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All About Puppies & Kittens

Your Two-Day Virtual Event May 24 and 25, 2025 Learn About Preventing Problematic Behavior From the Onset Two Tracks – 16 Sessions – 14 Presenters Continued Education Units – Pet Professional Accreditation Board Puppy Track 8, Kitten Track 8, Both Tracks 16. CCPDT. Puppy Track 10, Kitten Track 8. IAABC Kittens Only  8 CEUs, Puppies Only 10 CEUs, Puppies & Kittens 16 CEUs Your Event Sponsors – Click Here To Learn More About Them Join us for a live two-day virtual event with Dr. Daniel Mills headlining a group of… Continued

Canine Enrichment Technician – Yearly

This membership requires you to hold the DN-CET certification. Please ensure you do this before you begin the application process.   Terms: $85 / Year First Name:* First Name Required Last Name:* Last Name Required Address Line 1: Address Line 1 is not valid Address Line 2: Address Line 2 is not valid City: City is not valid Country: Country is not valid — Select Country — United States (US) Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain… Continued

Therapeutic Diets for Companion Animals—Is the Investment Justified?

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By Sandra Grossmann A therapeutic diet, also called a prescription (Rx) diet, is one that is formulated to meet a specific need or to prevent a disease from reoccurring or getting worse. Pet owners can purchase therapeutic diets only via a licensed veterinarian, who must diagnose the disease and write a prescription.  Do You Legally Need a Prescription? One major pet food company owns a patent for the name “prescription diet.” Competing pet food companies are forced to use a different name, for example, “therapeutic diet” or “veterinary diet,” to… Continued

Chat & Chuckle with Laura Monaco Torelli About Cooperative Care With Cats

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Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Laura Monaco Torelli about cooperative care with cats. Laura Monaco Torelli is the founder of Animal Behavior Training Concepts in Chicago, Illinois. Her career began in 1991 with Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where she was part of the animal care team for beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, seals, river otters, and penguins. After nearly a decade at the Shedd, she moved on to the San Diego Zoo and then Brookfield Zoo as a lead supervisory trainer. During her time in the… Continued

What Do the Boy Scouts of America and U.S. Dog Trainers Have in Common?    

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A Lot, the Fox Is in the Henhouse By Annie Phenix and Pilley Bianchi Best-selling authors Annie Phenix and Pilley Bianchi have teamed up to write a compelling, fact-based news article that examines how family dogs are living in a time of major transition as they become more and more embedded in our families. More is expected of them, and more often than not, people expect their dogs to inherently know the rules of order. Sit, stay, come, chew this, not that. But despite 40,000 years by our side, dogs… Continued

Help! I’m a Dog Trainer, but I Don’t Have the “Perfect Dog”

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In this article, the experts at dogbiz share tips for dog trainers who may feel insecure about not having the “perfect dog.” Ask dogbiz Q: Hi dogbiz, Last year I became a certified dog trainer, and I’m now building my business. The problem is—my own dog still struggles with behavior challenges, and people seem to assume I should have the “perfect dog.” It often leaves me feeling unsure and like an imposter. I know I’m doing my best, but how can I overcome this insecurity? Thanks, Emma A: Hi Emma,… Continued

Reasons to Join

  Professional Membership Benefits When you join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) as a professional member, you enjoy proud affiliation with the only international membership association for pet professionals who subscribe to the view that aversive methods should never be used—or even deemed necessary—in the training, care or behavior modification of any animal. PPG is a prestigious, recognized membership organization with international reach throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Southern Africa. It is an organization that stands up for what you believe in and backs it up with the latest… Continued

Become a Certified Pet Care Professional

Your Professional Pet Care Certification EARN YOUR DN-CPCP Become your local area professional in pet sitting, dog walking, pet boarding, or day care! DogNostics’ Professional Pet Care Certification course is a detailed and extensive online program of study that will provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to operate a professional pet care company. Whether you are a current or aspiring pet sitting, dog walking, or boarding or day care business owner, this program is for you.  Investing in your professional development, your business, and your employees’ education… Continued

Chat & Chuckle with T Hamboyan Harrison About Strategies for Handling Fearful Cats

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Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with T. Hamboyan Harrison of A Cat’s Purrspective about strategies for handling fearful cats. T Hamboyan Harrison is a cat behavior consultant at A Cat’s Purrspective, LLC. As a disabled person, T especially enjoys helping cats with chronic medical conditions. T has spent over a decade volunteering with cats in local rescues and shelters, and has several cats of their own at home. T has certifications through IAABC (CCBC, ACSB-C) and Fear Free Pets (FFCP, animal trainer) and is… Continued

“A Dog’s View” by Kristy and Jamie Spencer

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PPG member Kristy Spencer and her son Jamie have made a short film called, “A Dog’s View.” Jamie is doing a filmmaking degree at the Film School in Manchester.   “The aim of the film is to hopefully help people develop a better understanding of how dogs see their world around them, including all sensory inputs,” said Kristy. “It’s going to be the start of a mini series of films to help express how a dog perceives its world and develop a deeper understanding of why dogs struggle with certain aspects… Continued

Chat & Chuckle with Tabitha Kucera About Cooperative Care for Cats

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Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), about cooperative care for cats—an important topic since significantly fewer cats than dogs see a veterinarian every year, and cooperative care can make vet visits less stressful and more comprehensive for cats!  Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training… Continued

Malena DeMartini: A Beacon of Light for Dogs Who Suffer When Left Home Alone

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  Malena DeMartini shares her personal and professional journey to creating her company that provides educational programs for dog professionals and guardians to help dogs with separation anxiety.   Who are you, and what makes you passionate about animal behavior? I have been a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant for over two decades and had a beautiful introduction to animal behavior via my education through the Academy for Dog Trainers. Initially, I worked with all manner of dog behavior, from jumpy puppies to human-directed aggression. However, I developed an… Continued

Kate LaSala Helps Dog Owners Accept Their Dogs for Who They Are

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  Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior/training, and what you are doing now? I’ve been an animal advocate for over three decades. I became vegetarian as a teen and have championed animal welfare as a rescuer, transporter, shelter worker, foster, volunteer, and trainer. But my life trajectory changed forever when our dog BooBoo arrived in our lives. I’ve been in private training for nearly 10 years now andremain committed to continuing education, helping people have better lives with their dogs, and… Continued

What Do You Do When You’re the Only Force-Free Professional in Town?

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  by the Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Panel This article was excerpted and edited from the PPG Advocacy Panel discussion on January 18, 2023. Moderator: Don Hanson: Chair of the PPG Advocacy Division and Shock-Free Coalition, board member of the Pet Professional Guild, and owner of Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine Panelists: Niki Tudge: President and founder of the Pet Professional Guild Debbie Sheridan: Owner of Debbie’s 4 Dogs in West Hartford, Connecticut Sue Kocher: Owner of Hendo Dogs in Hendersonville, North Carolina Kim Silver: Owner of Building… Continued

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