The Art of Reading Dogs
Report from PPG’s Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Three of Eight) This is the third in a series of blogs in which I will endeavor to share a few of the highlights from PPG’s recent Certified Pet Care Technician workshop along with some of my own personal ‘take home’ points from the viewpoint of both an attendee and a presenter! Day one had begun with a two hour presentation from PPG founder and president Niki Tudge, Caring for Pets – Protocols and Procedures Part One. The end of a… Continued
Empowerment: A Key Factor in Dog Training
Report from PPG’s Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Two of Eight) The Pet Professional Guild recently held a Certified Pet Care Technician workshop at its Florida HQ. Topics covered included: How Pets Learn, Canine Behavior & Social Communication, Canine & Feline Anatomy and Physiology, Canine & Feline Health and Handling, Pet First Aid and Emergency Protocols, Pet Care Tools, Equipment, Toys & Supplies, Consent and Preference Testing, and Pet Care Policies and Protocols. In this series of blogs I will endeavor to share a few of the highlights from… Continued
Pet Care, the Force-Free Way
Report from PPG’s Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part One of Eight) PPG recently held a four-day pet care technician certification workshop at its Florida headquarters. Topics covered included: How Pets Learn, Canine Behavior & Social Communication, Canine & Feline Anatomy and Physiology, Canine & Feline Health and Handling, Pet First Aid and Emergency Protocols, Pet Care Tools, Equipment, Toys & Supplies, Consent and Preference Testing, and Pet Care Policies and Protocols. As you can see, the four-day workshop in Wesley Chapel covered all the necessary skills you will… Continued
Competition in the Dog Training World: Is It Necessary?
By Joanne Ometz I am a graduate of Turid Rugaas’ first US offering of her dog behavior counselor/trainer certification course. Most people in the US know Rugaas for her book, On Talking Terms with Dogs, and the study of canine body language is a big part of what I learned. But what is not well known is that she has a full curriculum that she has taught in Europe for many years. Before that, I was the organizer and de-facto teacher for a local dog club where the focus was on fun,… Continued
Declawing Can Cause Behavioral and Emotional Changes in Cats
By Bridget Lehet CAFTP CFTBS Take a moment and look at the world through a cat’s eyes. He is removed from his safe, warm, and familiar home and taken to the veterinarian’s office where he gets poked with a needle. When he awakens from general anesthesia his paws are throbbing in pain. For the next 2-3 weeks his paws will be so sore and tender that his ability to walk, climb, and jump may be drastically compromised. He may also begin associating the pain he suffers while scratching in his litter… Continued
Teaching the TrickMeister Way!
How important is it to teach your canine companion what you would like them to do? I believe it is extremely important but what is even more essential is that you teach in a way that doesn’t cause any stress; that you teach in a way that is fun for both teacher and student; that you teach in such a way that each ‘lesson’ is easy to understand; that you teach in a way that not only encourages learning but enhances it and that you teach in a way that… Continued
Happy New Year! Happy New Life!
First impressions are often lasting ones and so it was with my first behavior case involving a two-year old Australian Shepherd named Ranger. He was in the custody of a breed rescue and was deemed beyond hope. Ranger was destined for euthanasia due to behavior problems that were imposed upon him through no fault of his own. Ranger began life as a puppy with an elderly lady who did not exercise, train or socialize him. He was not even allowed outside to relieve himself. By his second birthday Ranger’s behavior… Continued
Just an Ordinary Dog!
My dog Jambo is a Trick Dog Champion. In fact, he was the first Staffordshire Bull Terrier to be awarded the Title. Jambo is an adorable, loving pet dog. Jambo is not an exceptional dog. He isn’t particularly athletic. He isn’t unusually intelligent. He is a dog who has been set up for success because of the way he has been taught. Jambo is not trained for hours every day. In fact, Jambo’s “training” sessions are always very short. If you asked Jambo, I am sure he would say that… Continued
Learning Becomes Almost Effortless
An excerpt from an upcoming article in BARKS from The Guild. Why do I love teaching tricks and why do my dogs love learning them? Why would you want to teach your dog tricks? What are tricks, anyway? How old should your dog if you want them to learn how to do tricks? How do I teach them? When do I find the time to teach them? Why do I use rewards? What is it that makes both teaching and learning tricks so much fun? Surely I should be teaching… Continued
The Many Reasons to Look Forward to the PPG Summit
I attended my first professional dog training conference in 2003. I can still remember how excited I was and how much information crowded into my new to dog training brain. It was a wonderful experience that subsequent conferences have never quite matched. This year, I am full of eager anticipation for the first ever Pet Professional Guild Summit, taking place in Tampa, Florida on November 11-13, 2015. There are several reasons this event is high on my agenda. First is I am fortunate to be the 12th person to achieve… Continued
Dog Training: It’s Not Just Semantics
Stop press! Have you heard? You don’t need to be a military commander to train a dog! You don’t need to yell or shout. You don’t need to use threats or physical punishment. You don’t need to know a single command. You don’t need to be the dog’s “master” or “pack leader”. The dog does not need to be “calm submissive” and you definitely don’t need to dominate him! So, how can you train a dog without using any commands? It’s actually really simple. You teach the dog what you… Continued
Let’s Get Tricking
Why I Believe We Should All Be Teaching Our Dogs To Do Tricks. You probably don’t realize it but you have already taught your dog to do lots of tricks! Have you taught your dog to sit, lie down, stand, stay or come? Have you taught your dog how to fetch a ball to your hand? Have you taught your dog to zigzag in and out of weave-poles? Name a behavior and I will tell you it is a “trick”. The words behavior and trick are often interchangeable. Trick dog… Continued
Defining the “C” in PCT-A
The Pet Professional Guild and force-free training are on my mind on a daily basis and I often think about the trainer certifications I have worked for. I have always been introspective and try to understand things on a deeper level in a world that seems to grow more superficial with every internet post. Lately I have been thinking about the deeper meaning PCT-A credentials have for me, and how that may extend to the community of professional trainers at large. Specifically, I wish to define the “C” in PCT-A… Continued
Distinguishing Ourselves as Force-Free Professionals
Some time ago I engaged in an online conversation with a dozen or more force-free trainers and the subject of professional certification came up. Most of the trainers had CPDT-KA credentials and some were considering letting them lapse because they saw little value in it. Others were new to the business and planned on testing for certification. One very experienced trainer rejected the need for certification and declared dog owners did not care about credentials. In my experience only two or three owners ever asked basic questions to determine whether… Continued
Take the Choke Out of Walking Your Dog!
by Niki Tudge April is designated Pet First Aid Awareness Month™ so I started thinking about the things that pet dog owners may be doing on a daily basis that could be risking the long term health of their dogs without their knowledge. The practice of using choke collars and jerking the lead as a “correction” that many people still use when training and handling their dog can do so much physical and mental damage to the dog. The most common ‘use’ of the ‘jerk’ correction I have noticed is… Continued