#PPGSummit 2015: The Future Is Now
At times, with all the cruelty and destruction in the world, it can seem disheartening for pet professionals who are trying to make a stand for animals, to be their voice and ensure they get the best care possible and are never subjected to pain and suffering along the way. While there is still great resistance from many quarters regarding the power of training via positive reinforcement – scientific study notwithstanding – as everyone in attendance at the PPG Summit already knows, the results speak for themselves. As Ken McCort… Continued
What New Pet Owners May Not Know
I recently came across an article in which the author spoke about why people give up exotic birds…and it got me thinking. According to the ASPCA, approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats. Of the dogs entering shelters, approximately 35% are adopted, 31% are euthanized and 26% of dogs who came in as strays are returned to their owner. Of the cats entering shelters, approximately 37% are adopted, 41% are euthanized, and less than 5%… 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
What You Think Is One Dog’s Punishment May Be Another Dog’s Fun Game!
I was first introduced to a positive reinforcement instructor many years ago when I adopted my shelter dog, Freddie, an adolescent dog who was very enthused about EVERYTHING! As the instructor explained how to reinforce our dogs, and even as I was seeing results, what I really wanted to hear was how we were going to punish our dogs when they did “bad” behaviors. While I look back on that kind of thinking with laughter, it got me thinking about how humans are “wired” to want to correct a “bad”… Continued
Teaching Thinking Dogs
A study that was published recently by an Oregon State University researcher compared wolves with dogs … and many people reading the conclusions appear to have understood the study to mean that we teach dogs to be stupid. The study tested pet dogs’, shelter dogs’, and wolves’ ability to open a container that had sausage in it. The dogs mostly sniffed around, then sought help from the nearest human. The wolves tried harder to open the container. The dogs and wolves were all tested under two conditions: alone and with… Continued
A Freddie Moment
Freddie passed away on October 4, 2014. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and all that he meant to me in his brief life. He changed my world significantly since our first meeting at the adoption fair, and without him, I never would have discovered the joy in helping other people and their special canine companions. But rather than be maudlin, I’d like to share an excerpt from an article I wrote for a magazine years ago, highlighting “volunteer activities with your dog.” While unpacking… Continued
Pet Professional Guild links up with Victoria Stilwell to support National Puppy Mill Awareness Day
National Puppy Mill Awareness Day falls on September 27, 2015 and the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has partnered with renowned dog trainer, television personality and PPG Special Counsel member, Victoria Stilwell, in an effort to highlight the plight of millions of dogs held in puppy mills nationwide. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a puppy mill is a “large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs.” The National Puppy Mill Project states that there are currently 800,000… Continued
But It Worked for My Dog!!
What happens when someone shares a “success” story about training with aversives? Here’s my response to a commenter who did so on one of my previous posts. A Parable Once there was a woman named Reva who had a serious health condition that needed intervention. Her intexagog was inflamed and could rupture any day. Reva looked up intexagog specialists in the phone book. She found Dr. Bleppo, who had an ad that was both slick and reassuring, and picked him. She made an appointment. He was a likable guy and radiated competence. He said sure, he could fix… Continued
Free-Feeding From A Bowl Can Be Costly!
Food is sustenance; it keeps us alive, it fuels our activities, but for most of us it is emotional comfort. Food can trigger wonderful memories of family gatherings, or console us when we’re sick or upset, so no wonder we want to show our love for our pets with food. And it behoves us not to set down a big bowl of “love” so our pets can graze all day long. The problem is that pets, such as our dogs do not equate food with love; they don’t respect… Continued
Get Healthy, Get a Dog
I was excited when I read about Get Healthy, Get a Dog, a new report from the Harvard Medical School that describes the connections between life with a dog (or dogs) and better health. The article I read was very enthusiastic, and I immediately purchased a copy of the report, a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Angell Animal Medical Center (in Boston). A few days later, I settled in to read the whole 50-page document … and was deeply disappointed . It’s not that the report contains anything negative.… Continued
Dog Bites and the Importance of Education
I was very fortunate to be able to attend PPG Special Council member Victoria Stilwell’s second Annual Dog Bite Prevention and Behaviour Conference, held earlier this month at the University of Lincoln in England. The conference is a national event dedicated to finding practical and workable solutions to the issue of dog bites through education and heightened awareness. It began with a welcome introduction by Victoria Stilwell, which had us all eagerly awaiting the presentations that were to follow. Three of the presenters hailed from the University of Lincoln itself.… Continued
Use of Reiki in Pets
Reiki is a Japanese technique, based on the teaching of Mikao Usui in 1922, for stress reduction and relaxation that is also stated to promote healing 1. Practitioners believe that the human body is made up of energy and Reiki balances the human energy fields known as Auras, and energy centers known as Chakras 1. Although some practitioners swear by the benefits of Reiki, there are still limited research studies to provide evidenced-based practice guidelines and recognized results to prove its reliability and its use should not be substituted for… Continued
Remedial Socialization
I’m embarking on a new adventure in remedial socialization. I have a foster dog who is wonderful with other dogs, but totally avoids humans whenever possible. Sally is playful and sweet once you get to know her, but her first impression leaves a lot to be desired. Since she is reluctant to approach new people, Sally, and dogs like her, linger in shelters due to their inability to connect with potential adopters. I have coached quite a few clients through similar issues and have helped two of my other… Continued
An Open Letter to Canine Research Scientists
PPG Member Linda Michaels MA PCT-A calls on canine research scientists to lead the way on the ethical treatment of companion animals and take a stand against shock collars. It would require a long list to delineate the benefits of companion animal canine research conferences and live streams. Admirably, these conference bring canine researchers into the mainstream of the canine applied practices fields, i.e., dog training. Many pet parents and trainers take careful note of scientific positions and plan to incorporate the lessons-learned into their practice. The researchers benefit in… Continued
What’s In A Name?
What’s in a name? “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare was right when he penned those words to his classic play over 400 years ago because regardless of what you call a rose, it won’t change its intoxicating scent. But what about other labels? Unfortunately when it comes to our dogs, cats and other domestic animals, what we call them may very well define our relationship with them and quite possible influence laws that need to protect them from abuse.… Continued
Provide for Your Pet’s Care in an Emergency
One of the saddest things I see at the shelter is pets whose owners have passed away and left no provision for them in their wills. These pets are heartbroken and confused. I’m sure their owners would be devastated to know their beloved friend is pining in the animal shelter. If you love your pet, it is well worth your time to be sure your companion will be cared for in the event of illness or death. It is a good idea to have plans for an emergency as well… Continued
Are We Meeting Our Pets’ Needs?
I think it’s part of our American culture to love the idea of having a pet. Whether it’s a dog or cat or a pocket pet, many of us enjoy our lives more when we share it with a companion animal. There is another side to the equation. And that is how is our companion is enjoying their life with us. Animals have needs. The essentials are shelter, food and water. But even more so, particularly in the case of dogs, our companions need time and attention and some freedom … Continued
Korean Meat Farm Dogs Arrive without Much Baggage
In January the Humane Society International brokered a deal with a farmer in South Korea who had been raising dogs for food. In exchange for funds to convert his operation to blueberry cultivation, he surrendered his twenty three dogs into their custody. Next thing they knew, the dogs were departing Seoul on a trans-Pacific flight to Washington, D.C., where they were divvied up among six area animal shelters, including the one where I volunteer. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX95zmnc5Zc&w=482&h=296] I confess, my reaction to this news was mixed. I’m a sucker for a… Continued
Do Animals Grieve?
“There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we… Continued
Get Your Paws Off My Plate!
It was my first day on the job and I was sitting in the cafeteria at a table with other new employees. This was an exciting time, not only beginning a new job, but also the opportunity to get to know more people. As I was attentively listening to the woman’s conversation on my left, I couldn’t help notice that the gal on my right was taking food off my plate and eating it. As I whipped my head around in her direction, she smiled at me, like there was… Continued
A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas
Now that Thanksgiving is in the past, our focus turns to Christmas. Finding the perfect gift for a loved one can be a daunting task. If you are considering giving or getting a pet as a present, please do some research. First, be sure the intended recipient wants an animal. A client once confided in me she didn’t really want the dog her children gave her. The children thought the woman was lonely after the death of her spouse. The woman had been looking forward to traveling and living a… Continued
The Many, Many Problems with BSL
I recently had the pleasure of both attending and speaking at the Coast to Coast Bully Walk in Chesterton, IN. The walk is held every year, in various locations across the USA to celebrate Pit Bull Awareness Month. Both Jambo and I were kindly invited by Piper’s Page of Life but, unfortunately, Jambo could not attend. In my speech there, I focused on the importance of training your dog without force; improving the image of the “bullies”; why it is important to spay/neuter dogs; and why we should all fight… Continued
Is It Worth It?
Working in the industry of companion animal behavior and training, we all do things that are not financially lucrative and maybe take up a lot of our free time. Whether it is writing training articles and blogs; helping to raise money for animal shelters; running a Facebook page to help educate people; taking the time to talk to somebody who has concerns about their dog or maybe just taking the time to let somebody who is scared of a certain breed – or perhaps even scared of dogs in general… Continued
The Best Laid Plans: Adding a New Dog to the Fold
How to introduce a new dog or cat to a home with resident pets has been well-documented by many an expert. Personally, I have done it successfully so many times over the years I rarely bat an eyelid when another creature needs a place to stay. So bringing home dog #5 wasn’t really much cause for concern. I knew our dogs would be okay with her and eventually the cats too, but the dog herself was something of an unknown quantity. No worries I thought, we can handle it. I… Continued