by Niki Tudge | Jul 9, 2015 | Advocacy
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT REGARDING THE USE OF SHOCK IN DOG TRAINING To download this as a PDF Click here The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) believes unequivocally that the pet-owning general public needs – and...
by Eileen Anderson | Jul 9, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Training
Most trainers agree that if there is one thing that the tool called a clicker is useful for in particular, it is for shaping behavior. Shaping consists of marking and reinforcing successive approximations towards a goal behavior. When shaping, the...
by Cecelia Sumner | Jul 7, 2015 | Training
This is a really exciting time to be a canine professional. Dogs have come to the forefront in research, giving us new information about how they learn as well as their cognitive abilities. This new data allows trainers and behaviorists …
by PPGWorld | Jul 4, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Training
We’ve all been there, sitting in the audience waiting for the guest speaker to come on stage. Or it could be at a wedding or even a classroom. The crowd is talking, laughing in a collective rumble, when suddenly someone...
by Eileen Anderson | Jul 2, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Pet Guardians
Oh no. Noisy holiday rolling around again, and your dog is scared of fireworks? Even though it’s just a few days before the holiday, you can make a plan and take action to help your dog be a bit less...
by Drayton Michaels | Jun 29, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Training
Misconception #1 – Feeding a dog when they are barking or fearful reinforces the fear. Absolutely not true. You can only cause more fear by implementing more fear or pain. Fear trumps food, so if the dog is taking the …
by Pam Hogle | Jun 28, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Business Development
Humans and dogs love to play together; from recent research, it seems that this shared love for play has been a key element in shaping our close bond. While there is still a question as to whether shared play creates …
by Eileen Anderson | Jun 22, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Training
Shout-outs to Companion Animal Psychology for the post, The Right to Walk Away” which covers the effects of offering that particular choice in animal experiments, and encourages us to apply the concept to our animals’ lives. Also to Yvette Van...
by Eileen Anderson | Jun 20, 2015 | Pet Guardians
I generally write a lot about dog body language in my blog. I discuss letting animals have a say in how and when they are handled and touched. I talk some about how to perceive their answers through observation. And...
by Daniel Antolec | Jun 17, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Business & Consulting, Business Development, Training
Some time ago I engaged in an online conversation with a dozen or more force-free trainers and the subject of professional certification came up. Most of the trainers had CPDT-KA credentials and some were considering letting them lapse because they …
