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The Click Starts the Behavior
By Yvette Van Veen
A common expression used in clicker training is that the click “ends the behavior.” Rarely do we stop to think what this really means but it bears closer examination.
Typically, the phrase indicates that dogs get reinforcement post-click, even if they ...
Great Expectations
By Rachel Brix
Depending on the area you are looking in, there may be a variety of boarding facilities to choose from, so it can be a daunting task to try to figure out which one is the best ...
The Physical Effects of Harmful Training Devices
By Niki Tudge and Susan Nilson*
In addition to the potential psychological effects of using training devices that cause pain or evoke fear, there is also the issue of possible physical damage ...
Latest Articles
Do Dogs Have a Right to Say NO?
Aren’t dogs supposed to do as they are told and follow so-called "commands?" They are just dogs after all. Interestingly enough, only about 20 years ago we took no for a no and children who approached dogs when they were sleeping or eating were in no uncertain terms reminded to ‘let sleeping ...
The Emergency Muzzle: An Essential Skill
Report from PPG's Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Eight of Eight)
This is the final post in a series of eight blogs in which we will share a few of the highlights from the PPG workshop which covered all the necessary skills needed to become a Certified Pet ...
That Tickles!
Many, many years ago I enrolled in what seemed like a fun weekend workshop with my dog. The ad read, “No limits to learning” or something similar, so of course, I jumped at the chance to attend with my dog. As we sat in the small room with other dog owners, you could feel the excitement build ...
How to Lift, Medicate Your Dog
Report from PPG's Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Seven of Eight)
In this post we will take a look at Rebekah King's day three presentation, Canine and Feline Health Health & Handling which included common canine diseases; recommended canine vaccination ...
What is Force-Free Ethical Pet Care?
Report from PPG's Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Six of Eight)
In this post we will take a look at part two of PPG president Niki Tudge's presentation, What is Force-Free Ethical Pet Care? Caring for Pets, Protocols & Procedures.
Tudge began by ...
Relationship Is Its Own Reward
A cardinal rule in education, dog training, anything where one person is trying to affect another's (person's or dog's) behavior is that the trainee determines what the reward or motivator is. If I am not interested in food, I am not going to work hard for it, no matter how tasty you think it ...
Desensitizing a Dog to New Equipment, Toys
Report from PPG's Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Five of Eight)
This is part of a series of blogs in which we will share a few of the highlights from day two of PPG's recent workshop and my presentation on Pet Care Tools, Equipment and Toys – a study of ...
The Anatomy and Physiology of Pet Care
Report from PPG's Four-Day Pet Care Technician Certification Program Workshop (Part Four of Eight)
This is the fourth in a series of eight blogs in which we will share a few of the highlights from day two of PPG's recent Certified Pet Care Technician workshop, and Rebekah King's ...
Are Cats Just Like Us?
By Beth Adelman MS
My husband and I spent the entire spring laughing every time we saw an ad for the movie Keanu that showed an impossibly adorable kitten dressed up like a gang member. Now we are also laughing at the ads for The Secret Life of Pets, which, like virtually all animated ...