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BARKS Podcast with Dr. Karen Becker, Author of ‘The Forever Dog’: January 14, 2022
Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther for a very special Chat and Chuckle with Dr. Karen Becker.
Dr. Becker is discussing her New York Times bestseller, The Forever Dog - Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer!, co-authored ...
Banking the Positive
'Banking the Positive' is actually a comment I wish I could take credit for, but it's actually something one of my clients said. She came up with it during a conversation we were having about ...
The Power of Play
By Margo Patrick
*This post is a selected entry from the Pet Professional Guild Writers’ Competition for Geek Week 2020*
My goal is to educate and facilitate health, wellness and ...
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Stress and Dog Training
I’d like to thank The Pet Professional Guild for asking me to blog for their website. I feel there is no better organization for pet dog guardians or pet professionals to be members of. I’m honored to be part of the PPG team both as a professional member and as a contributor of information ...
Getting to Know You: The Human-Canine Bond
By Bob McMillan
Everybody with a dog knows that Fido needs to learn the household rules, but it’s easy to put the cart before the horse. Before a dog learns to sit, much less goes on to agility trials, obedience competitions, flyball or musical freestyle events, he needs a rock solid ...
My Dog Is a Sociopath!
My dog is a sociopath! Well he must be because I’ve never seen that “guilty” look on his face when I come home and he has destroyed something!
Apparently most dogs are very guilty creatures. Just Google “guilty dogs” and you’ll see an array of photos and videos, some of which have gone viral. ...
It’s Okay to Comfort Your Dog!
U.S. folks and Canadians, get ready for the fireworks!
This is partially a re-post from 2013, but I’ve added some new resources.
People in the U.S. and Canada are getting ready for national holidays that often include all sorts of loud pops and booms from fireworks and firecrackers, even ...
Ode to a Kong
I think that there shall never be/A toy as useful as the K-O-N-G/They give our dogs stupendous joy/Who hasn't used this wonderful toy?
Have you ever used a Kong? I find creative stuffing is the key to success. So often my clients tell me they have one, but that the dog isn't interested. ...
Resource Guarding: Knowing the Signs
Daisy was a serial resource guarder. Whether this was genetics, early learning, her experiences living rough or a combination of all three, I found out about it the hard way when I walked past her one day and she was chewing on a bone in a doorway. Of course, I should have thought of it but ...
What the Nose Knows
By Bob McMillan
A whiff of cinnamon can whisk you back to that day years ago when you baked cookies with grandma on a rainy Saturday. You stroll into a florist to buy flowers for a party and the smell of the flowers floods you with memories of your father’s funeral. A single scent can ruin ...
Gun Dogs: Just a Commodity?
The other day I visited Rufus, a beautiful four-year-old chocolate Labrador. He had, until a year ago, been gun dog trained.
Whilst harsh training methods may well work in the moment, there is usually future fallout of some sort.
In my opinion, gun dogs 'used' by people solely for hunting ...
Is That “Smiling” Dog Happy?
Maybe, but maybe not!
We humans tend to get warm and fuzzy feelings when we see dogs “smile.”
It’s true that some dogs’ mouths open in a cute smile when they are relaxed and happy. But a dog with his mouth open could alternatively be panting from pain, stress or fear.
Can we tell the ...