Leadership Team
Volunteer Committee Chairs Laura Cassiday – Feline Division Michelle Martiya – Equid Division Don Hanson – Advocacy Task Force Judy Luther – Canine Division Debra Millikan – Education Division Lorena Patti – Inclusivity Division Holden Svirsky – Shelter & Rescue Division Christina de Juan – Assistance Animal Division Dayle Pierce, Nathan Watson & Tom Candy– British Isles Chapter Tersha Bateman – Republic of South Africa Chapter Guild Publications Paula Garber – Editor BARKS from the Guild Dr. Pam Shultz – Editor Pets & Their People Administration Niki Tudge – Executive Director… Continued
Abusive Dog Training Practices and Informed Consent, Ethics and “Do No Harm”
by Niki J. Tudge Dog trainers who use punishment-based approaches and equipment designed to work by causing fear and/or pain commonly market themselves under a variety of verbiage and marketing slogans such as “balanced,” “positive relationship,” “natural methods,” “relationship building,” “positive only,” and “no food necessary.” These are all taglines that are bandied around but mislead unsuspecting owners who are looking for humane ways to train their pets. Meanwhile, the terminology used may be carefully crafted to appeal to pet guardians who may not always understand the various training methods… Continued
PPG Professional Membership
Which Membership Is Right for You? Here are some tips to help you determine which PPG professional membership suits you. Behavior & Training Professionals If you are a pet behavior or training professional, choose the Behavior and Training Professional membership. You can indicate which species you work with and what services you provide during your application process. During the application process for each member, you will be prompted to select the species you work with and the services you offer. Choose a yearly or monthly membership, then click “Sign Up.” Pet… Continued
When Pet Surrender Is Your Best Option
It is sometimes perceived that people who surrender their pets to a shelter don’t care about them or want what’s best for them. In pet rescue, a field that is frequently overburdened, underfunded, and rife with compassion fatigue, our brains may adhere to the most convenient scapegoat. But that same overwhelm and lack of resources is not exclusive to the shelter worker; it may plague the surrenderer as well. Those surrendering their pets would often prefer to go another route but are lacking in time, money, energy, and/or support. If… Continued
British Isles Chapter
Dayle Pierce with PPG Staff Member Phoenix Your chapter co-leader and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Dayle Nathan Watson Your chapter co-leader and a member of PPG’s Steering Committee Email Nathan Tom Candy Member of PPG’s Steering Committee representing the British Isles Chapter Email Tom At its heart, the UK Dog Behaviour & Training Charter™ is a code of conduct, ethics and methodology. More than that however, the Charter is a collaboration of many of the UK’s leading behaviour and training membership organisations who for the first time… Continued
What Do Dogs, Cats, Cars and Chairs Have in Common?
The Need for a New Legal Definition of Living Property by Niki J. Tudge Are Pets Family? According to The Harris Poll (2015), “nearly all pet owners (95%) … consider their pets to be members of the family.” Yet, legally, pets are still considered property or chattel. “Technically in the eyes of the law, [cats and dogs] are no different from a couch or a car” (Grimm, 2014). The terms “property” and “chattel” may be defined as follows: Property: Anything that is owned by a person or entity. Property is divided… Continued
Shock-Free Coalition
Coalition Purpose and Function The Shock-Free Coalition has been developed purposely to bring together parties that have mutual business interests and a personal investment in the welfare of pets. The Coalition embraces stakeholders of similar values and interests, enabling all parties to combine their resources and become more successful in achieving the stated goals. Strategic Approach The key purpose of the Shock-Free Coalition is to build a strong and broad movement committed to eliminating shock devices from the supply and demand chain. This goal will be reached when shock tools… Continued
Members-Only Programs & Events
Divisional Meetups Divisional meetups are informal members-only gatherings that are hosted by the individual divisions. They feature guest speakers and provide PPG members opportunities to meet, chat and learn about specific topics pertinent to that division. Meetups are held via Zoom to enable the use of Closed Captioning. The events are recorded for members to watch after the fact. If you are interested in being a guest on a divisional meetup, then please click the button below to complete a short form. The Positive Bookworm The Positive Bookworm The Positive… Continued
Nelly the Desert Dog: Once a Feral Night Roamer, Now a Super Trooper
by Sarah Bartley We arrived in the Arizona desert at the beginning of August 2022. What a relief—no stray dogs. Military bases are like gated communities. Resident dogs are always on leash or contained in a yard. A few months later, in November, is when I first saw the little orange dog curled up on the side of the road, just outside of base. I have no idea how she got there. We are literally in the middle of nowhere. I had been on my way out for a… Continued
About Barks
About BARKS BARKS is an online publication for pet professionals including trainers, behavior consultants, pet care providers, animal shelter and rescue workers, and all those working in the broader pet services industry. It is the official trade publication of the Pet Professional Guild. BARKS covers all things animal behavior and training, specifically in the fields of canine, feline, equid, and avian, with an occasional foray into pocket pets and exotics, as well as advocacy, business, sales, marketing, and consulting. Educational Platform In a world where there is often information overload, BARKS provides a platform… Continued
Cats and Kids
by Andrea Carne “And in breaking news … a child was left scratched and in tears after a play session with his pet cat went horribly wrong …” Ever heard that on the nightly news bulletin? No, of course not. We may hear about dog bites from time to time and much has been written over the years about children and dogs. Indeed, many pages of books, articles and blogs have been dedicated to the topic and some fabulous community education and classroom programs have been developed to educate children—and their… Continued
House Training 101: Tips and Tricks for a Mess-Free Home with Your New Puppy
You brought home your new puppy and quickly discovered they are a peeing and pooping machine. House training a puppy can seem like a daunting task. It can feel frustrating at times. I mean, who wants to clean pee and poop? No one! But I’m here to tell you that it’s totally doable—and in less time than you might think. By following my tips and tricks, you’ll have your puppy house trained in no time flat. Let’s address one important thing before we get started… you ARE going to miss… Continued
Meeting the Environmental Needs of Your Pet Cat(s)
Enrichment provides cats with ways to engage in natural behaviors. It improves their physical and mental health, alleviates stress and boredom, and improves their ability to cope with challenges. There are numerous types of enrichment, but perhaps the most basic and well-known is environmental enrichment. It will be the focus of this article. EATING/DRINKING Feeding stations should be located in calm and quiet areas that allow cats to eat in peace and without interruptions. This will help keep them from being interrupted or disturbed, which will in turn help prevent… Continued
How to Book More Clients in Your Dog Training Classes
by PocketSuite As a dog trainer, you give your all in a session, whether you have two students or ten. But, of course, you want to fill those spots to make that hour count. If you want to land more clients for your dog training classes, keep reading! We compiled these expert tips to show you how to book more clients for your dog training classes. #1 Optimize Your Dog Training Website Your website is the first point of contact for potential clients. A professional website goes a long way… Continued
Fear Is an Emotion, Not a Behavior
There’s an old saw in the dog world that just won’t go away: “Don’t pet or comfort your dog when she’s acting scared—you’re just reinforcing that behavior.” But fear is not a behavior to be reinforced – or punished. It’s an emotion, like excitement, affection, playfulness, and sadness. Behaviors and emotions are tied together in important ways, but they are not the same, and require different approaches when they become a problem for your pet. Behaviors are Learned – Emotions are Involuntary Take for example the fallacy that forcing a… Continued
Meet LT Taylor, Whose “Hyperfixation” on Dogs Led to a Career in Animal Training
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what you are doing now? My mother is a dog breeder, so our house always had several dogs growing up, from Jack Russell terriers to Old English mastiffs. I became interested in behavior and training as a teenager, but then veered toward humane education and spent several years working at the San Francisco SPCA after graduating college. I loved working in sheltering but wanted to be more involved with the operations… Continued
Dog Training Tip: Build Trust by Creating a Reinforcement History
We need our pets to trust us so that they will follow our cues and guidance, especially when they are feeling unsure about a situation. We can’t always predict when a sticky situation will occur and when it does, we want our dogs to know we’ve got their backs – to keep them safe, or to get them out of there. Earning and maintaining an animal’s trust goes hand in hand with creating a reinforcement history during training. Building a Relationship Based on Positive Interactions Ideally, we start creating… Continued
Starting Off on the Right Paw with New Pet Introductions
Bringing a new pet home is always fun and exciting for us but how might our other furry family members feel? It could be a source of stress or worry so it’s always important to introduce new pets gently so everyone starts off on the right paw. A Good Experience for Everyone You can actually begin whilst your new pet is still with their breeder, foster or rescue organization. Do some scent swapping by rubbing a blanket on your new pet and taking it home so your existing pet becomes… 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
Ideal Pairings to Consider When Getting a New Cat
Thinking of adding another cat to your household? In this article, I describe the best combination of cats, based on the advice in professional articles and the experiences of animal welfare workers. Best Cat Pairings What do I mean by best combination? It’s when all members of a group of cats live together peacefully, stress-free, and happy, and with acceptable behavior. International Cat Care (ICatCare) says siblings who grow up together make the best pairings. ICatCare noted that this is especially true if “there was evidence of sociability with each… Continued
What You Need to Know About Puppy Socialization
Socialization is a hot topic, but what does it mean exactly? Is it about your pet being able to play and being social? Well kinda, but not just that. Dogs and cats have a critical socialization period; in puppies this is a period of 3-12 weeks of age, and in kittens their key socialization period is up to 7 weeks of age. During these periods our pets are most receptive to new experiences, and the things they are exposed to -or not- can have far reaching consequences. That’s not to… Continued
Winter Weather Tips for Pets
Like people, some pets love the winter snow and cold, and others hate it. Our dog Dulice was not deterred by the snow but found a terrier’s dream as it allowed winter burrowing. My current dog Muppy, a rescue from Mississippi, hated her first seven winters in Maine. However, Muppy enjoys a good roll in the snow today as long as the temperature doesn’t drop below 30 F. Our cat Boomer enjoys outdoor journeys on a harness and leash and lying in the summer sun, but when it comes to… Continued
Meet Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training
Laura Cassiday takes cat owners from hopeless to hopeful using her feline expertise and force-free training techniques. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get into animal behavior and training, and what you are doing now? I studied English and professional writing in college and grad school, and worked a couple of writing and editing jobs. In 2017, I was so bored and miserable that I just quit without any real plans. I took some time to figure out what I wanted to do with… Continued
Chat & Chuckle with Joey Lusvardi of Class Act Cats
Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also with PPG’s Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Joey Lusvardi of Class Act Cats. Topics covered include: 🐈 How they each got started as cat behavior consultants 🐈 What sparked their career changes 🐈 Getting experience volunteering with rescues and shelters 🐈 Different courses available to help gain knowledge 🐈 The importance of networking and being a member of professional organizations like PPG 🐈 How to get your business set up and start taking your first clients… Continued