New Content
How Writing a Book on Canine Behavior Changed My Life
by Annie Phenix
When my publisher’s acquisition editor called me out of the blue in July 2021 to ask if I would write a second edition to my first canine behavior book, The Midnight Dog Walkers, my immediate response was a firm “no.”
I had many reasons to decline. I had removed myself from the ...
Is It Time to Have a Business Meeting with Yourself?
by Veronica Boutelle
If you’ve ever had someone say to you, “Oh, you’re a dog trainer? It must be so fun to play with puppies all day!” and had to take a very deep breath, we get it. ...
BARKS Podcast with the PPG Advocacy Panel: Discussion #14 – Dog Safety: Should It Be Taught in Schools? Is There a Public Safety Concern?
Dog Safety: Should It Be Taught in Schools? Is There a Public Safety Concern?
Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Dog Safety: Should It Be Taught in ...
Latest Articles
BARKS Podcast with Victoria Stilwell: April 23, 2021
Join Niki Tudge and Victoria Stilwell of Positively as they chat about all things "positive."
Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred platform. Or simply click ‘Play’ below.
Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer best known as the star of the international hit TV series It's ...
A New Trend in Dog Boarding
By Rachel Brix
Pioneered by Dr. Hal Markowitz in the 1960s, enrichment originated from a focus on zoo animals. He called zoos “concrete wastelands” (Bender & Strong, 2019) and was determined to improve the animals’ lives in captivity. He first developed ethograms, or inventories of ...
BARKS Podcast: Expert Panel Discusses Sales in the Pet Industry
Join pet industry experts (above, left to right) Niki Tudge, founder and president of the Pet Professional Guild and DogNostics Career Center, Gina Phairas, founder, consultant lead, and dogbiz U director at dogbiz, Colleen Ellis, founder of the Two Hearts Pet Loss Center and Dr. ...
Life Beyond Leash Reactivity
As far as behavior consults go, it's fair to say that reactivity is probably my most commonly encountered issue.
The term 'reactivity' has become, I feel somewhat of a buzzword over recent years but what I'm referring to in this post is dogs who are reactive on the leash when they encounter ...
BARKS News – April 2021
Listen to the April 2021 edition of BARKS News!
Highlights include:
FREE member event Up Your Business Game!
New PORTL workshop dates
New member job posting board & member profile options
New Facebook live sessions
Sneak peek at May BARKS from the Guild
What’s new on the ...
Why You Should Avoid “Obedience” Training Tactics for Dogs and Consider this Alternative Instead
By Animal Courses Direct
Firstly, let’s look at the definition of obedience – ‘It is a form of social influence that involves acting on the orders of an authority figure.’
The word ‘obey’ is all over the internet when it comes to training dogs, and unfortunately, it is giving the wrong ...
BARKS Podcast with Dr. Karolina Westlund: April 9, 2021
Join Niki Tudge and Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis Animal Behaviour Consulting as they discuss emotional learning.
Listen to the Podcast here on your preferred platform. Or simply click ‘Play’ below.
Read Dr. Westlund's January cover feature in BARKS from the ...
The Essence of a Dog: A Free Education from a Free Choice Walk
By Kristi Benson
One cold day last spring, snow still clinging to the ground and ceding to the warm sun only on the tips of south-facing hillocks, I decided to do something new.
I wouldn’t walk my dogs; nor would I walk with my dogs. I would instead be walked by my dogs. I decided to ...
A Safe Escape
By Dr. Lisel O’Dwyer
The Adelaide Hills, South Australia have recently faced severe brushfires, an unfortunate situation that has prompted the discussion of the logistical differences between evacuating and housing horses versus dogs and other small domestic pets in the face of natural ...