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Reality Check for Carers/Owners of Dogs with ‘Issues’

LOSING HEART Why do so many clients with fearful or reactive dogs, who often have started off so well, lose heart? The reason is because they just don’t fully accept the time and work that changing fear-based or guarding behaviors in particular can take. Teaching people is the easy bit. A ...

How Did The Aversive Get There? A Call for Honesty

I am mystified by one particular argument of those who use protocols for fearful or reactive dogs other than desensitization/counterconditioning (DS/CC). These other protocols often use negative reinforcement; if not that, then sometimes desensitization without counterconditioning; sometimes ...

Understanding Canine Body Language Essential to Preventing Dog Bites

The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is promoting education and a better understanding of canine body language as paramount in reducing the number of dog bites this National Dog Bite Prevention Week, taking place 18 – 24 May, 2014. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association ...

A Dirty Big Secret – Get With The Program

A basic strategic marketing plan is paramount as a small business owner, no matter how good you are at what you do, says Niki Tudge First published in "Barks From The Guild" (Spring 2014), the official publication of The Pet Professional Guild. For many small business owners, taking the ...

If They Could March

re blogged from  Your Pit Bull and You If They Could March by Jean Donaldson If dogs could march on Washington, what would they march about?  Adequate food, shelter, veterinary care?  Big ticket stuff, but I doubt it.  When people march, it’s never for something everybody already agrees on ...

Got Voice? Can Sing! The PPG Force-Free Boogie

Get into the force-free boogie. Sing along to the upbeat, toe- tapping, music about force-free training and PPG. On a serious note PPG is looking for some vocal talent to record this song for us. Contact Niki Tudge by email if you are interested Lyrics by Melissa Hagood Music and Recording by ...

Why Would We Want to Be Pack Leaders?

By Niki Tudge There are so many inaccurate facts that need to be dispelled about dogs and the dog training industry. The use of dominance theory and the necessity to be a pack leader using this dominance theory is one of the more concerning inaccurate facts that as professionals we have an ...

Choke, prong and shock collars can irreversibly damage your dog.

by Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM Read the full blog here Why can collars cause hypothyroidism and other health problems Learn about better alternatives. Before you start reading the following lines, I invite you to do a little test. Open your hands with your thumbs touching each other. Place the ...