by PPGWorld | Jan 12, 2018 | Advocacy, Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Pet Guardians, Training
In September 2017, the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) rolled out its Shock-Free Coalition, the key purpose of which is to build a strong and broad movement committed to eliminating electric shock devices from the worldwide supply and demand chain. It...
by Karen Baragona | Jan 10, 2018 | Personal Development, Pet Guardians, Training
You love dogs. Loved them all your life. I mean, like it’s a your religion. You read about dogs, write about dogs, think about dogs, surround yourself with dogs, can’t imagine life without dogs. And you tie yourself up in...
by Pet Professional Guild Cat Committee | Jan 5, 2018 | Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Pet Guardians, Training
By Paula Garber and Francine Miller In clicker training, primary reinforcers are things that are instinctively or inherently rewarding to a cat. Reinforcers for cats should be given in small amounts and frequently to maintain learning momentum. For cats who...
by PPGWorld | Dec 12, 2017 | Advocacy, Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Pet Guardians, Training
Shocking pet dogs remains a common, if controversial, training practice worldwide. In this open letter, Pet Professional Guild (PPG) combines decades of research, the opinions of certified animal behaviorists, and the question of ethics to explain why using electric...
by Pet Professional Guild Cat Committee | Dec 6, 2017 | Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Pet Guardians, Training
By Paula Garber and Francine Miller Why train a cat? Why indeed. Myths about the trainability of cats abound: “Cats can’t be trained because they’re too independent.” “Cats are difficult to train because they are not food motivated.” “Cats don’t...