New Content

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 ...

20 Problems With Punishment in Animal Training

By Dr. Karolina Westlund

by Dr. Karolina Westlund Recently there was a video post in my Facebook feed that caught my attention. Typically, on Facebook, I’m a bit of a lurker. I’m not very active, and when I do ...

Common Stumbling Blocks to Behavioral Recovery for Dogs and How to Overcome Them

By Diane Garrod

by Diane Garrod In response to a survey of more than 1,000 pet parents in the United States by Kinship Partners (2021), 62% said their top priority is their pets’ happiness, and 80% said ...

I Pushed My Friend off the Sofa! Whoops… [How to deal with undesirable guest/animal interactions]

By Ryan Cartlidge I’m not proud of it, but recently I pushed a friend – who was staying at our house – off our sofa! Find out why below (as well as how to avoid doing it yourself) … This happened during the festive season, and if you are like us, you probably have lots of ...

Compulsive Eating in Dogs

By Maureen Tay Also known as compulsive eating disorder, compulsive eating is a disorder where a dog tends to eat everything - from food items to non-food items. The specific practice of eating non-food, non-nutritive substances, such as wool or paper, is known as pica. Stool ...

Training a Blind Dog

By Miki Saito Unfortunately, even knowledgeable and experienced trainers sometimes hesitate when it comes to working with a blind dog. It is as if they consider the dog’s blindness an obstacle that cannot be overcome. Since blindness cannot be changed, this mindset can lead ...

What Puppy Toy Next?

By Anna Bradley If you're anything like me, I absolutely love buying my dogs new toys. The look on their faces is pure joy and excitement when the novelty factor of a new toy kicks in – there's nothing like it! But then they get bored after a while and are already waiting for ...

BARKS Podcast with the PPG Advocacy Panel: Discussion #8 – When and How Should We Advocate for Outdoor Pets?

When and How Should We Advocate for Outdoor Pets? Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on When and How Should We Advocate for Outdoor Pets? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing ...

My Animal Is Not Food Motivated – AT ALL! [Your 9-point motivational checklist]

By Ryan Cartlidge Have you ever wanted to train an animal that was ‘not food motivated’? This challenge is something I have often heard people tell me over the years! And I always think to myself, “does your animal eat?” If the answer is ‘yes’, I’m curious if we can say ...

BARKS Podcast with Claire Staines of Lothlorien Dog Services

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Claire Staines of Lothlorien Dog Services in Scotland, UK. Listen as they discuss bringing home a new puppy - the trials and tribulations...and so much more! Listen to the Podcast with Claire Staines ...

BARKS Podcast with the PPG Advocacy Panel: Discussion #7: How Do We Advocate for Inclusivity and Diversity?

How Do We Advocate for Inclusivity and Diversity? Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on How Do We Advocate for Inclusivity and Diversity? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, ...

BARKS Podcast with Valarie Ross from Sits ‘n Wiggles R+ Dog Training: February 18, 2022

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Valarie Ross of Sits 'n Wiggles - Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio. Listen as they discuss gear, reactive behavior in dogs, inclusivity and diversity in pet-related professions, ...