BARKS from the Guild Summer 2013

Barks From The Guild (An environmentally force-free online magazine)

The Pet Professional Guild

Vol. 2, No. 2 Summer 2013

No Pain, Lots To Gain.

Relationship Relationship--Building Between Pets and People.

In this issue:

Victoria Stilwell’s new book, reviewed!

Business Bytes Cat Training Tips Potty Training Tips Safe Boating with Pets Shocking Confessions Increasing Client Commitment Compulsion and Fear-Aggression Upcoming PPG Seminars, member interviews, product reviews and more!

Don’t Miss Out! There are member deals on products and training programs inside!

Message from the Founder Summer is really upon us, bringing record temperatures. Excessive heat is being reported all over North America and parts of Europe. These temperatures can make it difficult to safely exercise our pet dogs especially when the heat index is high from early morning to late evening.

In the absence of outdoor exercise, indoor training can help alleviate frustration and give dogs the daily mental stimulation they require. Trick training is great Niki Tudge fun, mentally stimulating, and does not always require a lot of space. The list of tricks you can shape is endless and can provide a fun activity for both dog and owner.

We would love to see your videos, and if they are suitable we will post them in our video library on PPG’s website. So get shaping and let’s see what you’ve got!

It also occurred to me that during these very hot summer days that, if you are a pet professional who operates a dog day care facility or provides services to pets outside the pet owner’s home, the PPG heat index guide is a great tool for you. This handout combines humidity and temperatures and then displays the Heat Index Guide with advice on limiting a pet dog’s exposure humidity and temperature levels.

I use this index on a daily basis when scheduling dog daycare play groups and other outdoor services we provide to our pet boarding clients. Safety must always come first when we care for pets, and not just physical safety, but mental safety as well.

The heat index (HI) is the temperature the body feels when heat and humidity are combined. The HI provides general guidelines for assessing the potential severity of heat stress. Individual reactions to heat will vary. It should be remembered that heat illness can occur at lower temperatures than indicated on the chart. Keep yourselves and your pets safe in these extremely hot weather conditions!

On very serious and sad note, on Thursday, July 18th, PPG Steering Committee Member and contributing columnist Leah Roberts was admitted to an Orlando, Fla. hospital where she had a CT scan. The scan showed blood in her brain and a 1-2 centimeter mass. An MRI and a full-body CT scan was performed and the results are very serious — there is cancer in her brain, liver and lungs.

Leah joined the PPG in January 2011 as our third member and she immediately joined our Steering Committee. Leah has been a constant and dauntless warrior on behalf of our pet dogs and

Articles & Columns

Founder’s Message—N. Tudge Book Review—L. Michaels Business Bytes—N. Tudge Compulsion and Fear-Aggression—L. Mills Cat Training Tips—M. Wolf Ask Leah—L. Roberts Safe Boating with Pets—C. Zehner International News—contributed Finding A Good Trainer—L. Michaels Fairy Tale Endings—J. Casey Member Profile—contributed Shocking Confessions—D. Marshall Increasing Client Commitment—N. Tudge Upcoming PPG Seminars Product Review—L. Clifton

The Guild Steering Committee Niki Tudge Catherine Zehner Diane Garrod Angelica Steinker Anne Springer Caryn Liles Mark Strauss Jan Casey Heidi Steinbeck Debra Millikan

Contact The PPG

Member Communication Admin@PetProfessionalGuild.com Publication Information Catherine@PetProfessionalGuild.com Advertisements Admin@PetProfessionalGuild.com International Communication Admin@PetProfessionalGuild.com Mailing Address 1778 Linda Lane Bonifay, FL 32425 Telephone 41 Dog-Train www.PetProfessionalGuild.com Newsletter Editor—C. Zehner

(Continued on page 23)

Our key business purpose is to initiate a serious effort for the education of pet care providers and the public coupled with an emphasis on building collaboration among force-free pet trainers and professional pet-care providers. We aim to publicize “our voice for the profession” that advocates for mutuallyagreed guiding principles for the pet care industry.

Cover: Five-year-old rescue Australian Cattle Dog “Rory” enjoys the waters of Shell Island in Panama City, Fla. His humans are William & Catherine Zehner of Panama City, Fla. 2

PPG Book Review Reviewed by Linda Michaels, MA Victoria Stilwell, star of the hit Animal Planet TV show It’s Me or the Dog and CEO of Victoria Stilwell Positively Dog Training, unleashes the power of Positive Reinforcement training with her new book, Train Your Dog Positively (TYDP). Stilwell, the passionately vocal dog training expert, delivers a concise, thorough, scientifically-supported and referenced discourse with a message that has far-reaching implications.

Stilwell hits her stride right out of the gate and delivers her trademark straightforward advice and insights with a fresh new eloquence while meeting a formidable challenge — providing clear theoretical explanations with practical applications in each area of dog problem solving.

In its first week of publication, sales topped the “Dog Training” category with the major online booksellers.

TYDP is a well-organized, pioneering treatise on the path to becoming a classic. In a personal message to our Pet Professional Guild (PPG) members and readers, Victoria, tells us, “I wanted to create a widelyavailable option that every pet parent could pick up, read, and understand while providing airtight documentation from the scientific community as well.” And that she has. Academically on-point, TYDP is written in unfettered language, making sometimes complex behavioral topics easy to understand. Every pet parent, dog trainer, behavioral consultant, veterinarian, animal activist, dog sitter, dog walker, groomer and dog lover should have a copy of TYDP in their research and pocket libraries.

Book:

Train Your Dog Positively: Understand Your Dog and Solve Common Behavior Problems Including Separation Anxiety, Excessive Barking, Aggression, Housetraining, Leash Pulling and More!

Author:

Victoria Stilwell

Pages:

256

Publisher:

Crown Publishing Company, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley (ISBN 978-1 -60774-414-6)

Price:

$12.98 USD (Amazon) $11.99 USD (Kindle)

Ringing endorsements include such notables as Dr. Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, renowned behavior expert and author and Robin R. Ganzert, PhD, President, American Humane Association. Stilwell credits the greatest minds in modern dog training, “as well as the thousands of trainers fighting this fight on a daily basis,” for inspiration.

She notes that the call to change in the contentious field of dog training is urgent. The absence of a “Do No Harm” professional ethic, and lack of industry regulation leaves the door wide open for promotions from purely profit-driven training companies, widespread misconceptions, and not only outdated but often damaging and dangerous dominance-method practices. Stilwell tells PPG, “I believe we’re in the midst of a tragic epidemic of fundamental misunderstanding regarding how dogs think, feel and learn most effectively. What sets good positive trainers apart from punitive trainers…is how they manage to stop unwanted behaviors while still using humane training techniques instead of punishment.”

If you’re a positive reinforcement trainer looking for succinct supporting arguments and to enhance your practice, it’s all here: challenging and dispelling the myth of dominance and pack theory. TYDP may be used as a source-book of quotes, research and resources about the science and effectiveness of positive reinforcement method training. TYDP is a well-honed treatise of domestic dog behavior, aimed at addressing and treating the underlying causes of problem behavior, as well as providing a comprehensive toolbox.

Stilwell dispels the myth that dogs are on a mission to dominate us. TYDP explains the world from the dog’s point of view and explains how they learn. What is perceived as a struggle of wills is simply normal canine behavior that, once understood and approached from a positive training point of view, is often easily modifiable.

Indeed, so-called “red zone” dogs, even more so than other dogs, need gentle training methods in order to prevent dog bites and improve behavior.

TYDP is a gift to pet parents seeking practical help making sense out of all the diverging advice about dog training. “So many pet parents want to do the right thing, but have been infected with the dangerous, less(Continued on page 5)

3

Business Bytes … More Marketing Math

By Niki Tudge In my last article, “Does Your Pet Business Marketing Equation Add Up?” I suggested a simple equation to help you balance the critical factors of your marketing plan. The equation I suggested you use as shorthand for your marketing efforts was: Sales = Services x Message x Prospect x Advertising Vehicle (Media) In this article I offer a similar shorthand method to help you balance taking care of your current customers with attracting new customers using the following simple matrix: Quality of Your Service/ Message/Prospect/Media Bad = -1 Weak = 1 Average = 5 Good = 10 Great = 15 Amazing = 20

Execution of Service/ Message/Prospect/Media None = 0 Weak = 1 Average = 10 Good = 100 Great = 1000 Amazing = 10,000

The numbers I’ve chosen are completely arbitrary and are only to show relative value. This matrix demonstrates the importance of balance in the same way as our previous marketing equation. A bad (-1) message executed in an amazing way (10,000) will result in a less than acceptable outcome (-10,000). Whereas a good service (10) executed at a good level (100) yields an acceptable result (1000). Too many businesses, both big and small, tend to forget the importance behind this matrix.

I’m sure you’ve all experienced this imbalance firsthand when you see companies who tend to offer fantastic rewards to new customers (free DVR, first three months free, etc. which in terms of our matrix would be 5 x 10,000 = 50,000) while taking current customers somewhat for granted with average quality of service carried out with average execution (5x10 = 50). When was the last time you were rewarded for being a long-term, loyal customer?

So as a small pet business owner with limited resources it is important to remember to not neglect your current customers while marketing to new customers. Nor should you neglect cultivating new prospects while taking care of your current, loyal,

valued customers. It is all about balance.

The matrix can help you remember to keep things in balance. Some of the following low/no cost ways to reward your loyal customers that will not put a strain on your marketing resources include: 

Reach out to them without trying to sell them anything – if you see an article you know they will be interested in, an event or news item you think they will appreciate, email it or clip it and sent to them. Or simply contact them with genuine interest in their new puppy, the medical condition of their older dog or anything else of mutual interest.



Always wow them with your services. Always.



Keep your word, answer emails, phone calls etc.



To the extent you can, always be available and try to accommodate your customers when they have emergencies, changed plans, last minute needs, etc. Become their “go to” service and think in terms of the lifetime value of loyal customers.

4

(STILWELL, continued from page 3)

effective and downright inhumane training techniques popularized by certain pop culture media phenomena,” Stilwell says. This book teaches pet parents to celebrate the relationship they have with their dogs through training, and that training should be fun.

In addition, TYDP contains practical applications in each major area of problem-solving, from frustrating, persistent nuisance issues such as housetraining to frightening multi-dog-household aggression. Stilwell’s use of case studies for elucidating problems and solutions captures the reader’s heart by putting a real-life fur-face on the problem.

Stilwell has truly come of age with this discourse, and continues to let the reader know she’s not to be tangled with. “All of us on this mission share a strong passion for not only sharing this information, but for helping to actively change people’s minds about how they think of dogs and the type of relationship they want with them,” she says. “The most important thing is to not give up.”  Linda Michaels, “Dog Psychologist”, MA, and Victoria Stilwell-licensed Del Mar dog trainer and speaker may be reached at 858.259.9663 or by email: LindaMichaelsPositively@gmail.com. 

(MATH from page 4)



Regularly review what your customers value about your service and use that information to optimize your marketing message to prospective clients.



Surprise your loyal customers with an unexpected discount or extra service when they least expect it. Reward customers for referrals that become new customers.



When appropriate, show your appreciation in a more substantial way with a small heartfelt gift. There is a great American-French word, lagniappe, meaning a small, unexpected gift given to a customer.



And above all, don’t take any of your cus tomers for granted – ever!

Niki Tudge is the founder of the PPG and The DogSmith, a national dog training and pet-care franchise. Her professional credentials include; CPDT-KA, NADOI – Certified, AABP- Professional Dog Trainer, AABP- Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, Diploma Animal Behavior Technology, and Diploma Canine Behavior Science & Technology. Niki has also published many articles on dog training and dog behavior and her pet dog training businesses have been featured in many publications including The New York Times.

5

Compulsion and Fear-Reactive & Aggressive Dogs...

By Lucy Mills How to deal with any problem behavior in domestic dogs is a subject that certainly divides opinion in the dogowning and training population. Even professionals are divided in their views about methods to deal with such issues and, above all, for problems relating to reactivity and aggression.

All dog training techniques sit somewhere on a spectrum from seriously-harsh, punitive and abusive to exclusively positive reinforcement. (Purists might add that there that it is impossible to purely use positive reinforcement since the withholding of reinforcement is, by its definition, negative punishment. However, that is a discussion for another time.) Dogs and their behavior are often considered “common knowledge” in society. Often, the information that is classed as common knowledge is sourced from popular dog-related television programs, with well-known celebrity trainers. Unfortunately the content is often not particularly scientific or safe and this can lead to popular

misconceptions about dog behavior and less-than-ideal handling and training practices.

Within the dog training community the debate regarding methods tends to be a spirited one, but never more so than when discussing difficult issues such as reactivity and aggression — behaviors which naturally are of more cause for concern than a dog that merely cannot walk on a loose lead. Trainers that use compulsion (correction/ aversive punishment-based methods) often accuse forcefree trainers of being permissive and not understanding how to correctly deal with really tough, or as they put it, “dominant” dogs.

The role of this article is to dispel a lot of the myths that support and favor the use of punitive, compulsion-based

methods when working with reactive and aggressive dogs. It will also endeavor to explain from a scientific standpoint why these methods are inappropriate anyway.

Operant Conditioning and Compulsion The idea for using punitive methods is not new; many compulsion trainers often cite B.F. Skinner’s important work on operant conditioning as support for their methods. For those unfamiliar with this, Skinner essentially set out to investigate and understand voluntary behavior by looking at the causes and consequences of that behavior, and later coined the term operant conditioning.”

Within his theory of operant conditioning he identifies four quadrants for learning, depicted in the accompanying graphic. As defined by Skinner, the terms “reinforcement” and “punishment” do not have the same “pleasant” or “unpleasant” connotation as they do in modern colloquial English language. The same applies for the terms

“positive” and “negative.”

He defines all four of the above terms in a more mathematical sense: “positive” equates to administering/adding something and “negative” equates to removing something. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated; punishment decreases that likelihood.

An essential principle of the theory is that all of the four quadrants follow as a direct consequence of the (operant) behavior produced and thus serve to either increase or decrease the frequency of that behavior. Further, operant conditioning only deals with operant behavior which is, by definition, an item of behavior that is initially spontaneous (not a response to a prior stimulus) whose consequences may increase or decrease the likelihood of recurrence of that behavior.

6

...Why science says it can never work.

The main two quadrants that concern trainers who use compulsion are: 

Positive punishment — administering something the dog finds unpleasant/punishing (such as a leash correction) as a direct consequence of the undesired behavior. This decreases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated;



Negative reinforcement — withholding the delivery of something the dog finds punishing (such as a leash correction), as a direct consequence of the desired behavior. This increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

In the case of negative reinforcement, the aversive will have at some point been introduced so that the dog works to avoid it.

There is no denying that compulsion-based methods work when dealing with operant behaviors. Skinner himself provided several examples. There are many examples to be found online of dogs trained with shock collars performing in disciplines such as IPO (schutzhund) for instance. The method works, but does the dog really enjoy working with their human when he is working to avoid being zapped or choked with a leash?

With the debunking of “dominance theory,” more dogs are being trained without compulsion and aversives. Indeed, the dog that won the 2013 FMBB IPO World championships was trained without the use of compulsion/aversives and is a great example of how strong, high-drive dogs can be trained using force-free, rewardbased methods and perform exceptionally. Done properly, the high level of proofing involved means you end up with a confident dog that has a rock-solid behavior and just sees distractions as an opportunity for more reinforcement for the right choices.

Why? The issue is that reactivity/aggression in many cases are not “initially spontaneous random behaviors” as defined by Skinner. Rather, they are responses to a prior stimulus (antecedent) which causes the animal enough distress that it chooses aggression. In other words, the animal displays an existing conditioned emotional response to the stimulus which, more often than not, has been classically-conditioned. (Physiologist Ivan Pavlov, originally discovered classical conditioning while studying the digestive process in dogs. He realized that the dogs salivated, an innate, unconditioned reflex, when presented with food. He was later able to pair the sound of a bell with the arrival of the food. He created a conditioned response where the dogs would begin to salivate when they heard the sound of the bell, or conditioned stimulus — even if the food was not presented.)

Classical conditioning, however, does not only deal with unconditioned (innate) reflexes/responses — it also deals with learned ones. This was demonstrated by Watson & Rayner (1920) in an experiment using an 11month-old infant named “Little Albert.” The researchers were able to pair a feared stimulus (the sound of a metal bar being banged behind the infant’s head) with an originally unfeared stimulus (a white rat). The little boy then learned to show fearful behavior (a conditioned response) towards the white rat (a conditioned stimulus) even when the metal bar was not hit anymore. His fears later generalized to all white animals.

Similar forms of classical conditioning occur, albeit accidentally in domestic dogs in the urban and other environments. For example: 

A dog that is anxious around strangers learns that the sound of the doorbell predicts the arrival of visitors into the house (an enclosed space where the dog has fewer flight options). He shows fear based behaviors and barks. He learns to bark anxiously (conditioned response) when the doorbell is sounded (conditioned stimulus) even when there is nobody there, or if they hear a doorbell on television.



A leashed dog is charged by an off-leash dog and Is bitten. There is no serious injury but the experience is enough to seriously frighten the “victim” dog. The next day the same dog is, while leashed, charged at by another off-leash dog that bounces enthusiastically all over her. Precursors from both invading dogs included direct eye contact and then charging forward at speed (unconditioned stimuli). From then on, whenever another dog looks at this leashed dog or runs past or nearby her (conditioned stimuli), she shows fearful behavior such as squealing and shak-

Operant vs. Classical?

While compulsion-based methods may work, often there is a fundamental lack of understanding of why reactive and aggressive dogs behave as they do, and why compulsion-based methods should not be used. Not all behavior is subject to operant conditioning, and reactivity and aggression are prime examples of this.

A compulsion trainer may say that ignoring a reactive behavior such as barking, lunging or snapping, which then starts to recur (even only once) means that the behavior has been positively-reinforced. They believe the use of negative reinforcement and positive punishment (corrections) will reduce the frequency of reactive behavior. This is a misanalysis and an inappropriate treatment plan.

(Continued on page 8)

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(COMPULSION, continued from page 7)

ing and/or barking reactively (conditioned response).

So while reactive behaviors technically do result in the consequence of the behavior reinforcing its recurrence (reactivity is reinforcing because the dogs get distance/ space they needed to feel safe), they are usually produced in response to exposure to one specific or a set of stimuli which they encountered prior (and learned to produce a negative classically-conditioned emotional and usually fear-based response towards).

While operant conditioning deals with the modification of operant (voluntary, spontaneous) behavior, many instances of reactivity or aggression are the symptoms of a negative conditioned emotional response and have been classically, rather than operantly, conditioned. As such, with variables such as a conditioned emotional response, physiological/hormonal factors relating to stress and anxiety present, or other health issues that may be affecting the behavior, it is inevitable that when presented with the feared stimuli at enough intensity, that the dog will react. When this is rehearsed enough, it becomes a conditioned reactive/aggressive response.

Other forms of reactivity, aggression and other fearful behavior may be generalized when stimuli that are presented regularly enough before a feared stimulus that already produces classically-conditioned aggressive responses begins to predict that same unpleasant confrontation and then cue that same classically conditioned fearful/aggressive response. Generalization is evolutionally a worthwhile process because the consequence is survival!

Phew! Still with me? (Give yourself a click + treat if so!)

In short, Skinner’s operant conditioning cannot explain all behavior because not all behavior is operantly produced nor is it subject to operant conditioning. Forcefree trainers sometimes make the mistake too. It’s not uncommon to hear, “I don’t want to mark that, because I don’t know what emotion/response I’m clicking for.”

You can’t mark, or operantly condition, an emotion.

What is possible is using the positive experience of operant conditioning (positively reinforcing desirable/non reactive behaviours) at a distance at which the dog feels safe. If the dog feels safe, he is able to enjoy clicker games and rehearse making good choices. It’s a double -whammy win-win situation; the positive experience of feeling safe and playing rewarding “clicker games” in the presence of a trigger helps to begin classically counter condition a more positive emotional response and desirable/pro-social choices that will help the dog navigate similar situations in the future, and are operantly conditioned (positively reinforced) at the same time too.

World-celebrated trainer Jean Donaldson demonstrates this brilliantly with a video in which she gets a positive conditioned emotional response to the Gentle Leader

head-collar by using straightforward classical conditioning and the enjoyable activity of practicing and being rewarded for operantly-conditioned behaviors (targeting — involving the soon to be conditioned stimulus).

Misconceptions about operant conditioning and emotional responses by force-free trainers can certainly be forgiven. They do no harm and either way, and can help get the dog out of the rut of rehearsed behavior chains by getting them to perform desirable behaviors around triggers while having the positive experience of being rewarded for doing so at a safe distance.

The same cannot be said for the application of aversives. If a dog reacts with an aggressive or fearful display, he is “positively punished.” If the dog doesn’t react he is negatively reinforced but the “threat” of positive punishment around the trigger remains. This is the perfect way to give the dog more terrible experiences around the feared triggers and further condition a negative emotional response.

The long and short of it; fear based reactive/aggressive behavior is normally classically-conditioned. This is why counter-conditioning (starting with the dog at a safe distance and pairing the trigger with something POSITIVE) can be so effective!

Use of compulsion methods with fearful-reactive/ aggressive dogs is likely to only give the dog another bad experience, increase stress levels, worsen things in long term and either lead the dog to a state of learned helplessness or drastically increase the likelihood of further reactions at increased intensity without any (or fewer) precursor behaviors. What compulsion trainers fail to acknowledge is that with dogs being sentient, complex animals, there is an emotional response behind the reactivity/aggression. This emotion is the driving force behind the behavior. Correcting behavior that is a symptom of this emotional response changes nothing for the better. Therefore, those who attempt to justify the use of compulsion by citing B.F Skinner are gravely misinterpreting his works. As it stands, many test participants have suffered enormously as a result of such original psychological works. It is time now to put the findings to good use through the application of kind, force-free, science-based methods that help fearful dogs and their humans.  Lucy Mills is an associate member of the Pet Professional Guild and trains as an agility instructor for Fun Dog Agility club, based in Hampshire, UK. She is a fulltime undergraduate student of Combined Modern Languages and speaks French and Spanish. She has experience working with both pet and wild animals such as rescued chimpanzees and a Bornean Orangutan. She lives with her two rescued border collies. It was through learning about their needs that she first began to learn about animal behavior and force-free training.

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Cat Training Tips … Overcoming Litterbox Problems add a few litter boxes in different locations at the same time. Pick locations where your cat can see who is approaching from any sides that aren’t backed by walls. These locations should also have multiple escape routes so that your cat can quickly leave her litter box if she suddenly feels anxious. If possible, make sure that children or other animals who might seem threatening to your cat can’t get near her litter box;

By Marilyn Wolf, BS, CPDT-KA According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, at least ten percent of all cats develop elimination problems. Some stop using the box altogether, while some only use their boxes for urination or defecation but not both. Still others eliminate both in and out of their boxes.

Elimination problems can develop for many reasons — a conflict between multiple cats in a home, a dislike for the litter box type or the litter itself, a past medical condition, or a cat deciding she doesn’t like the location or placement of the litter box.



Unfortunately, once a cat avoids her litter box for whatever reason, her avoidance can become a chronic problem. The cat can develop a surface or location preference for elimination, and this preference might be to your living room rug or your favorite easy chair.



Try playing with your cat near her litter box. Also leave treats and toys for her to find and enjoy in the general area leading to her box. Don’t put her food bowl next to the box, though, because cats usually don’t like to eliminate close to their food;

If your cat isn’t comfortable with her litter box or can’t easily access it, she probably won’t use it. The following common litter-box problems might cause her to eliminate outside of her box: 

You haven’t cleaned your cat’s litter box often or thoroughly enough;



You haven’t provided enough litter boxes for your household. Be sure to have a litter box for each of your cats, as well as one extra;



Your cat’s litter box is too small for her;



Your cat can’t easily get to her litter box at all times;



Your cat’s litter box has a hood or liner that makes her uncomfortable;



The litter in your cat’s box is too deep. Cats usually prefer one to two inches of litter.

Sometimes retraining to overcome litter box fears or aversions may not be necessary. Here are some steps that you can try to help your cat learn new pleasant associations: 

Move your cat’s litter box to a new location, or

Fill the litter boxes one to two inches deep with a litter that is a little different from the litter in the boxes your cat avoids. Use a finer or coarser texture. If you’ve been using scented litter, try unscented litter;



If you have a long-haired cat, try carefully and gently clipping the hair on her hind end if you notice that it gets soiled or matted during elimination. Matting can cause the hair to get pulled when the cat eliminates. That can be painful for the cat and make her skittish of her litter box.

Regardless of what you do to solve your cat’s elimination problems, do not: 

Rub your cat’s nose in urine or feces;



Scold your cat and carry or drag her to the litter box;



Confine your cat to a small room with the litter box, for days to weeks or longer, without doing anything else to resolve her elimination problems;



Clean up accidents with an ammonia-based cleanser. Urine contains ammonia, and therefore cleaning with ammonia could attract your (Continued on page 10)

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(LITTER BOX, continued from page 9)

cat to the same spot to urinate again.

Sourced from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) ď Łď€ Marilyn Wolf is the Managing Member of Korrect Kritters, LLC, and a Pet Trainer and Behavior Consultant. Currently, she works with dogs and birds. She is a Director and Secretary/Treasurer with the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, an Associate with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Professional Dog Trainer with the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals, Canine Good Citizen Evaluator, and adopter, foster and trainer for Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida.

10

Ask Leah . . . Potty Training 101!

By Leah Roberts How do I potty train my puppy?

Training a puppy or dog to eliminate outside instead of inside the house can be surprisingly quick and easy. Unfortunately, more people are aware of the "old wives tale" type of methods than they are good, solid, science-based techniques. If you thought it was normal to take months or longer to potty train a dog, you're probably using these old methods!

Supervision This is key. Whenever your puppy is not under your direct supervision, the puppy should be crated or tethered to you. This way you can be aware if the puppy is sniffing to let you know he/she needs to potty. Just like a human infant would not be safe crawling around the house when he's not being watched, a young puppy also needs the equivalent of a crib or play-pen to keep it out of trouble.

How long can the puppy “hold it?”

Puppies can hold their bladder, at most, and hour per month of age, plus one. For example, if your puppy is two months old, generally he can hold it three hours. But this is only a general estimate. A resting or sleeping puppy may be able to go longer. One who has just eaten and is running around like a maniac may not be able to make it 10 minutes.

Some pups can hold their bladder overnight, while they are sleeping. If your puppy can, consider yourself one of the lucky ones! If not, you may have to get up to take your puppy outside several times a night when he gets restless. It's best that the crate is located in your room where you can more easily respond when you hear your puppy.

The older the puppy gets, the more bladder control he develops, so this won't last forever. The more effort you put into being consistent, the quicker it will happen.

How does a puppy learn to hold it?

Dogs normally don’t care to eliminate in their sleeping area. This is why crating is so helpful in potty training. The size of the crate should allow your pup to stretch out comfortably and turn

around, but not be big enough so that she can eliminate in one end and sleep in the other. Unless the breeder forced the puppy to live in an environment where the puppy had no choice but to lie in a mess and ruined this instinct, the puppy will normally hold it rather than do that.

Most dog owners use one familyoriented room when playing with their puppies, such as the living room.

This is where the pup spends most of his time when he's not crated. So this will be the next place that he considers his personal living area, and he will be more likely to go outside of this area to potty. Many owners notice that their puppy will choose to leave this room to go in a hallway, other room, or behind furniture.

This is because those places have not yet been accepted as one of the dog's personal areas.

As mentioned before, supervision is key. When the pup is in this room and running free, there must be a human directly watching him. If he has the opportunity to eliminate undetected, he will have just learned that it is normal to go in that room. Now you not only have to teach him where to go, you also have a habit to break. He also must not be allowed access to any other area in the house at this point unless he is tethered or being watched. Prevention of accidents will go a long way in expediting your puppy's training.

Once your puppy has not eliminated in one area for 2-3 weeks, then you can open up another small area. Spend time with the puppy there feeding, playing, napping. Once the puppy hasn't eliminated in that area for 2-3 weeks, you can open up another area. This is how your puppy will learn that your whole house is a potty-free zone.

Potty training procedure Dogs are creatures of habit. The more purposefully planned your potty breaks, the easier time your puppy will have understanding what is expected of her. One of the most common complaints I hear is: “I took my puppy out walking for an hour, and she didn't poop. As soon as we got in the door, she squatted!” This is because your puppy is a very in(Continued on page 12)

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(Continued from page 11)

telligent creature. She loves her walks, and it doesn't take long for a puppy to learn that as soon as she eliminates, the walks are over. For you, that's the purpose of the walk. So if that ends it, she may hold it as long as she can to try to avoid having the walk end.

The procedure for teaching your puppy to do what you want her to do is:

puppy doesn't understand “My humans doesn't want me to go HERE.” He thinks you don't want him to GO. That can result in your puppy sneaking off to hide it, and may cause him to be reluctant to go outside in front of you. If you must discipline, take a rolled-up newspaper and whack yourself in the head with it, repeating, “I must remember to better supervise my puppy.”

When does he need to go out?



Always take her out on leash, through the same door, and go to the same spot where you would prefer that she eliminate.

After eating, after sleeping, after playing, and many times in-between. The more awake and active, the more often he has to go.



Stand quietly, not playing, not entertaining her in any way. If she starts to sniff or circle, you can quietly say, “Go potty.”

What goes in will come out



Once she goes, praise and reward her lavishly and take her for a walk. If she doesn't go in five or 10 minutes, take her back inside and put her in the crate. Try again in 20 minutes.

If you just open the door and let your puppy run free in a fenced yard, there is little directed learning taking place. So even if you have a fenced yard, I highly recommend using a leash and following the procedure. As a reward after elimination, you can take the leash off and instruct him to “go play.”

What happens when puppy makes a mistake?

When you catch your puppy in the act, distract him with a cheerful (NOT ANGRY) sound, and scoop him outside to his potty place as soon as possible, following the procedure above. It is suggested to carry him out there instead of letting him walk, because if he didn't finish he may not be able to hold it until you get him there.

If you don't catch him, don't do anything. Just clean it up. Always use an enzyme cleaner or your puppy will still be able to smell it and be drawn back to the same spot. If you discipline your puppy for housebreaking mistakes, it can backfire on you. Your

If you have your puppy on a low quality dog food, he will have to eat more of it to get the same nutrition, and that means he will also eliminate more.

The best food for your puppy is one that gives him energy, a healthy shiny coat, bright eyes, firm stools and overall vitality. Each puppy is different, so there is no one best food. Unfortunately, most of the most popular and well-known brands of food are of poor quality, and that's all you will find in a grocery or department store.

Choose a food by carefully reading the ingredients list on the bag. At the very least, a meat that you recognize should be listed as the first ingredient (i.e., chicken or lamb, not “meat,” and not byproducts). Grains should be kept to a minimum, and corn, soy, wheat and white rice avoided completely. Also watch for and avoid preservatives such as BHT and BHA. Though you will pay more for a quality food, it is an investment in your puppy's health and can save you money in the long run from conditions caused by a lifetime of poor nutrition.

It's much easier to house-train your puppy if you have her on a feeding schedule instead of “free feeding” (leaving the food down at all times). A 12

(Continued from page 12)

young puppy should eat three times a day, at the same times each day. Put down a measured amount, wait 10 minutes, and remove what is not eaten until the next feeding time. This will keep her regular so that you can better monitor when she needs to eliminate. A dog who is “free fed” is also usually harder to train with treats, since she is less likely to be food-motivated than one who has to wait for her meals.

A word on submissive urination Some puppies will urinate a few drops (or more) when they are excited or fearful. Normally puppies outgrow this within a few months, though some can take quite a bit longer. This is an instinctive act of appeasement, and the puppy has no voluntary control over it. If you make a fuss over it, the pup will tend to do it even more. Manage it as calmly as you can. If your pup urinates upon greeting you when you come home, make your entrances as low -key as possible, ignoring him until he's calmed, or greet him outside.

My puppy was potty trained and now she's not!

What has changed? A new work schedule? New construction? Anybody leave or join your family?

Dogs don't take well to change, and sometimes this

can affect potty habits. If so, just go back to the Procedure and start over. It won't take as long. If there have been no major changes, take your puppy to the vet. Urinary tract infections are a fairly common cause for incontinence. Occasionally puppies develop a "leak" after spay or neuter surgery.

This is correctable with medication.

Where to get training assistance A good trainer can help you through the potty training, along with other common new puppy issues such as nipping, chewing, and proper socialization.

See the Pet Professional Guild Trainers’ Directory to find a qualified force-free trainer near you.   Leah Roberts is the owner of Dog Willing, which teaches owners and dogs skills that allow better communication with one another. She is a PPG founding member, a mentor trainer for the Animal Behavior College and is currently participating in the Academy for Dog Trainers online program. A nationally-respected writer about dog issues, her online articles can be found at Orlando Dog Training and Behavior Examiner and Dog Star Daily.

Leah is currently writing a book on how to teach Puppy Kindergarten classes.

Family Paws Discounted Licensed Products for PPG Members.

Contact Jennifer Shryock to receive a 20 percent discount of these licensed products and become a licensed presenter of:

Dogs & Storks Dog & Baby Connection

13

Summer Fun — Safe Boating with Pets

By Catherine M. Zehner, CPDT-KA

Always have with you on the boat:

Dogs love hanging their heads out of the window of a moving car. Imagine, then, the joy they experience in a boat skimming across the water — sun and wind, smells of untold treasures to discover, water to splash in and fish to chase. Boating, to many dogs, is Nirvana.



Boating with our whole family – two-legged and fourlegged — is the preferred weekend excursion in my household, and happens regularly here throughout the year. However, best experiences rarely just “happen.”

They are created. And they are created through forethought, management, training and vigilance.

Leash(es) secured to the interior of the boat. If your dogs are new to boating, clip the leashes to the interior of the boat so that they cannot jump overboard.

Dogs have a tendency to want to go forward on the boat to “catch the breeze,” and if you hit a wave or back off the throttle suddenly, they can plummet forward off the bow and be run over by the boat (see earlier reference to Duct-tape and first aid.) My dogs are seven and five years old, and I still clip them in as I near my destination because I have seen them more than once get impatient with my anchoring maneuvers and dive off the boat to swim to shore. Don’t chance it.

I did not know any of this when, the day after purchasing and bringing home my four-month-old German Short-  One gallon, per pet, of fresh water and two water haired Pointer “Colter,” we took him on a poker run in bowls — one for the boat and one for the shore. I our 1983 Shamrock motorboat. He was a good sport, freeze water in large juice/milk jugs and place them well-behaved and game -- until we stopped at Shell Isin the sun, where they thaw. Then I periodically add land, a pristine barrier cold water to the water island just off of Pabowl, which the dogs nama City, Fla. We enjoy tremendously, stopped to let him pidand teaches them that dle and play in the the water bowl is way sand. Without missing tastier than the bay or a heartbeat, he put lake water. his nose in the air and went from first gear to  Poop bags.

The fifth gear in 2.5 nanowater, the sand, and the seconds. He was experience will almost tearing across the always immediately “set barrier island with your dog free.” Watch nary a care in the carefully in the first 15 world for his clueless minutes of frolicking. and terrified humans.

You will have presents We thought we’d to pick up.

Colter and his husky buddy, Rocky, take a nap on the never see him again. bow of the sailboat after a day at Shell Island, Fla.  Aerosol sunscreen We caught up to him and bug spray. Seriwhile a nice young couple was feeding him potato chips. ously. Short-haired dogs will sunburn on their belIt was both a good and a bad lesson — he ran off and lies and faces. Hold your hand over their eyes and was reinforced for not coming back to us. The leash spray the top of their heads. Then cup your hand went on, and the training began. A hapless dog owner over their noses and spray the muzzle. Then spray back then, I didn’t do it the right way at first, but with the their bellies. A dog with a sunburn on his belly is a help of mentors and much training, we achieved our pitiful, pitiful thing. It is also wise to keep some bug goal—safe and relaxing boating with Colter and his little spray that contains at least 20 percent DEET in case rescue brother “Rory,” a red Australian Cattle Dog. What of biting flies. Spritz your dog lightly, and make sure follows are the most important things I have learned the to wash your pooch thoroughly when you hit the hard way, so that you don’t have to. Take them seridock so that Fido doesn’t ingest bug spray while givously because Duct-taping a propeller laceration on a ing himself a bath! friend’s dog at 9 PM on a Saturday night when you at three miles from shore is not a situation you want to ex-  A lifejacket with handles. Your dog may be a great swimmer, but if he bails off the boat or loses his footperience (and yes, the dog in question recovered after ing, you’ll be really happy for that life jacket with seeing a vet and having drain tubes inserted.) handles when you go to scoop him up. And you’ll be Boating With Pets Checklist less panicked knowing that he is wearing floatation (Continued on page 30)

14

PPG Worldwide Liebe Frau Tudge, vielen Dank für Ihr überaus freundliches Angebot, mit uns zusammen zu arbeiten.

Wir sind selbstverständlich an dem Austausch unserer Logos auf den jeweiligen Websites sehr interessiert. Darüber hinaus werden wir unsere Mitglieder per Rundmail über die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Pet Professional Guide informieren und sie auf die Möglichkeit einer Mitgliedschaft bei Ihnen hinweisen.

Bitte teilen Sie uns die Namen Ihrer Vorstandsmitglieder mit, damit wir sie kostenlos in unserem Verband aufnehmen können.

Hier nun die Daten von zwei unserer Vorstandsmitglieder Susan Gonscherowski, Vorstand VdTT

Ulrike Soetje, Vorstand VdTT

Wibüschenweg 12

Wristerstraße 15

D-24576 Mönkloh

D-24576 Weddelbrook

Email: vorstand@vdtt.org Bitte nennen Sie uns den Mitgliedsbeitrag, zu welchem unsere Mitglieder in Ihrem Verband aufgenommen werden können, damit wir unsere Kollegen entsprechend informieren können.

Wir möchten uns bei Ihnen für die verspätete Antwort ausdrücklich entschuldigen; es gab einige Umstrukturierungen im Verbandswesen, die sehr viel Zeit in Anspruch genommen haben.

Untenstehend finden Sie die Kurzvita des VdTT für Ihren internen Newsletter.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen aus Deutschland, Susan Gonscherowski und Ulrike Soetje Im 2005 gegründeten Verband der Tierpsychologen und Tiertrainer (VdTT) sind Kollegen für die Tierarten Hund, Katze, Pferd organisiert, die an einem zertifizierten Institut mit entsprechendem Abschluss ihre Ausbildung absolviert haben.

Die Mitglieder des Berufsverbandes sind verpflichtet, sich kontinuierlich weiterzubilden und sich strikt an das Leitbild und die Ethik zu halten: 1. Das Wohlergehen aller Tiere sowie deren Besitzern steht für das VDTT-Mitglied an erster Stelle.

2. Bei verhaltensauffälligen oder kranken Tieren erfolgt immer eine medizinische Abklärung, bevor mit einem Training / einer Therapie begonnen wird.

3. Es muss während der Arbeit mit den Tieren und ihren Haltern gewährleistet sein, dass weder Tiere noch Menschen durch Fahrlässigkeit gefährdet werden.

4. Beim Training der Tiere werden ausschließlich Techniken eingesetzt, die dem Tier weder körperliche noch seelische Schäden zufügen.

5. Die Schulung des Halters zum Verständnis seines Tieres sowie der positive Umgang mit ihm, sind die Grundlagen der Zusammenarbeit.

6. Das Mitglied berät selbstverständlich nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen. Die Schulung des Halters zielt darauf ab, Fähigkeiten und Verständnis zu seinem Tier zu fördern und zu festigen, sodass keine Abhängigkeit zu den Fertigkeiten des Beraters entsteht. Ist ein Mitglied bei einer Tierart nicht ausreichend versiert, wird an entsprechende Kollegen verwiesen.

7. Der Berater / Trainer gibt keine unseriösen „Garantieversprechungen“ Entwicklungseinschätzung nach seinem aktuellen Wissensstand.

ab,

sondern

eine

reelle

(Continued on page 17)

15

A New Strategic Alliance...

Continued on p. 18

16

...PPG Worldwide Continued from p. 17

(Continued from page 15)

8. Der sensible Umgang mit dem Klienten sowie sein Wunsch nach Vertraulichkeit sind stets zu beachten.

9. Jedes Mitglied hält sich selbstverständlich auf dem neuesten Wissensstand (wie z.B. positive Trainingsmethoden, Techniken, Hilfsmittel).

10. Es darf niemals das Verhalten eines Tieres durch Härte, Strafreize, Schmerzen und/oder Angst beeinflusst werden.

Der VdTT begrüßt es, Verbandskooperationen mit Berufsverbänden einzugehen, deren Mitglieder ebenso strikt Irrationalität und Widersprüche im Umgang mit unseren Mitgeschöpfen ablehnen.



17

International News Austria Takes a Force-Free Stand PPG Member Lémone Vijfhuizen reports via the website http://www.hondsdomheid.nl/oostenrijk-verbiedmethodes-toch-niet/ that the Cesar Millan method is now prohibited in Austria.

“In the original document in Austria, they are indeed writing about the [Cesar Millan] method,” she reports.

“In Austria shock collars are forbidden. [Cesar Millan] is using/promoting shock collars, and the interviewed people in that article say that from that view the [Cesar Millan] method should been seen as illegal.”

Global News and Views on Force-Free Pet Care The Pet Professional Guild, the Association for ForceFree Pet Professionals, proudly announces the launch of its new e-radio webcast program — PPG World Services. The PPG is a non-profit member organization headquartered in Bonifay Fla., USA, and represents more than 2000 members around the world.

Donaldson is an award-winning author of The Culture Clash, Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs, Fight! A Guide to Dog-Dog Aggression, Dogs Are From Neptune, Oh Behave! Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker.

Chad Montire, the Director of A Meditation on Dominance and Dogs, will also be featured along with Tudge as the Founder and President of The Pet Professional Guild.

The program will be hosted by Nando Brown and Donna Saunders. Brown is the head trainer for Doghouse, in Almogia, Spain, He is a certified pet dog trainer, clicker trainer, trick dog instructor, nosework instructor, security dog handler and assessor for the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers. Brown is also a committee member of the Pet Professional Guild. He writes for various publications and hosts the “In the Doghouse” pet show on iTalkFM and has studied and trained under the Dr. Ian Dunbar, Sarah Whitehead, The Animal Care College, Drove Veterinary Hospital, Steve Mann, The Institute & members of the Dog Bookstall team.

Saunders runs the Doghouse Pet Lodge and is a City & Guilds Qualified Groomer, a member of The National Association of Professional Creative Groomers, a member of the Pet Professional Guild and has a keen interest in nutrition.

According to Niki Tudge, president and founder of the PPG, the mission of PPG World Services is to promote “Global News & Views on Force-Free Pet Care” and will serve as an advocacy forum for forcefree dog training and pet care issues.

“Our key advocacy goal is to facilitate an ongoing conversation with pet owners, pet care professionals and industry stakeholders aimed at moving the pet industry forward toward better informed practices, training methods, equipment use and pet care philosophies,” Tudge said. “Our message will strive to build wide-spread collaboration and acceptance of force-free methods and philosophies consistent with our guiding principles.”

The PPG World Services broadcast will initially be aired once per month with the aim of increasing this frequency as the audience builds.

For more information, on prior or future shows, visit www.PetProfessionalGuild.com.



The inaugural webcast for PPG World Services was in June 2013, and featured dog behavior expert and PPG special advisory council member, Jean Donaldson.

18

Dog Aware Franca Burkhardt & Nadja Glaser Wenn man Leute fragt, warum sie Vereine gründen, dann ist es meist deshalb, weil man den Wunsch hegt, der Überzeugung, die man vertritt, eine organisatorische, kollektive Grundlage zu geben. Und natürlich ist auch dogaware eine Vereinigung von Menschen, die einer gemeinsamen Philosophie ein soziales Gewicht verleihen will. Aber wenn ich so zurück blicke auf unsere ersten Diskussionen, dann ist da weit mehr als einfach eine gemeinsame Vorstellung, es ist die Sorge, um unsere tierischen Begleiter, die uns antreibt.

Jeder der ein Haustier besitzt, kennt das Gefühl der Vertrautheit und der Komplizenschaft. Der Hund ist ein ganz besonderer Begleiter, weil er sich, wie kein anderes Tier, unermüdlich und ohne auf seinen Energiehaushalt zu achten, seinem menschlichen Freund annimmt und ihn auszugleichen versucht. Wie oft kann beobachtet werden, dass Menschen, die aus verschiedenen Gründen physische oder psychische Schwierigkeiten haben, von einem Hund geradezu akribisch begleitet werden. Die Frage, ist also gar nicht, wer oder wie ist der Hund, sondern wer oder wie sind wir Menschen? Im Allgemeinen sind wir ein Tier, welches überdurchschnittliche Fähigkeiten im Bereich des abstrakten Denkens aufweist, wobei die verbale und schriftliche Kodierung unseres Denkens, die Sprache, eines der eindruckvollsten Merkmale ist. Soren Kierkegaard sagte einst: "Die Menschen scheinen die Sprache nicht empfangen zu haben, um die Gedanken zu verbergen, sondern um zu verbergen, dass sie keine Gedanken haben." Offensichtlich kann also das Tier, welches am meisten prädestiniert ist, zu denken, gedankenlos etwas tun oder etwas sagen. Um festzustellen, dass dies gleichermassen erschreckend und wahr ist, brauchen wir nicht die Kriege der Vergangenheit und die Verbrechen der Gegenwart zu betrachten, sondern es reicht völlig aus, die Menschen im Umgang mit dem wohl liebenswertesten Wesen, welches jemals beschlossen hat, an unserer Seite zu leben, zu beobachten. Man denke an den Hundehalter, der in Begleitung seines Trainers, die Strasse entlang kommt und sich inständig bemüht, im richtigen Takt am Halsband zu reissen und zu würgen. Man denke an die vielen Male, in denen der Mensch entscheidet, dass die einfache und schnelle Lösung, der Komplizierten und Überdachten vorzuziehen ist, egal was das für unseren tierischen Partner bedeutet. Wie viele Male opfert der Mensch die Vernunft dem Gefühl der Überlegenheit und der Macht? Wie weit kann ein Mensch gehen, immer in der Erwartung, dass alle Wesen die Gier und die Triebe stoisch hinnehmen? Es ist eine Schande! Und wenn ich in den Augen von meiner geliebten, vierbeinigen

Freundin die Angst sehe, wenn sie sich an frühere menschliche Begleiter und an unvorhersehbare Gewalt erinnert und wenn ich sehe, wie sie sich anlässlich neuen Begegnungen stets zur Abwehr bereit macht, dann sehe ich, wer oder wie Menschen sein können. Und Menschen nun, die erkennen, wer sie sind und wie sie sein können, sind nun in der Pflicht, die Probleme in die Hand zu nehmen und unsere tierischen Freunde gedanklich und sprachlich zu vertreten, um zu verhindern, dass noch mehr kleine, braune Augen Angst bekommen, wenn sie einen Homo Sapiens auf sich zu kommen sehen.

Zurück zur Frage, wer wir sind. Wir sind eine Gruppe von Menschen, die wissen, wie Menschen sein können und die für den bewussten, gewaltfreien Umgang mit dem Tier, und speziell mit dem Hund, einstehen. Dabei geht es nicht darum, die Wichtigkeit der Erziehung in Frage zu stellen, sondern den Weg zu hinterfragen und den Anspruch an Menschen zu stellen, wenigstens im Umgang mit den tierischen Freunden, ihre Fähigkeit zu denken zu benützen. Und weil meine Kleine, könnte sie es sagen, auch dafür einstehen würde, ziert sie das Wappen von dogaware!



klik hier voor de Vertaling! haga clic aquí para la Traduccion! clique aqui para Tradução!

Click here for Translation!

19

Finding a Good Dog Trainer

By Linda Michaels Originally published in the U~T San Diego, Scratch n’ Sniff.

One of the most important decisions you will make in paving a path to happiness with your pet is choosing a competent and kind dog trainer. The absence of standard credentials required by law, or established professional ethics, makes it problematic for pet parents to find a great trainer in an unregulated field.

However, science and culture are moving away from punishment/pain-based methods. Behavioral scientists resoundingly endorse dominance-free, Journey the wolf-dog, admiring his harness. reward-based training as the most effective, long-lasting and safest method, particularly for aggressive dogs who may bite if underlying issues are not adequately addressed.

Use of a front-clip harness or head collar is recommended for hard pullers — a step-in harness for puppies and small breeds. Medical injuries caused by collars constricting the airway passages are well-documented.

The Pet Professional Guild adheres to the “do no harm” ethic and a strict code of conduct for trainers, holding pet welfare as the top priority. It’s the right thing to do for those who cannot speak for themselves. Search www.PetProfessionalsGuild.com for a trainer near you. These trainers use the least aversive leash-walking equipment and behavior-change protocols available. Here are some principles of good dog training they recommend: • Find a trainer both you and your dog like.

• Reward behaviors you want repeated.

• Manage environments to prevent the opportunity for unwanted behavior.

• Remove reinforcement to stop or decrease a behavior.

• Teach alternative behaviors for behaviors you want to change.

Talented trainers can manipulate the resources we control in order to get the behavior we want. They don’t resort to force or pain-based methods.

Killer whales, dolphins, wild animals in progressive zoos worldwide, and wolfdogs trained with purely positive reinforcement methods, clearly demonstrate the power of positive methods. It can work for your dog, too.



klik hier voor de Vertaling! haga clic aquí para la Traduccion! clique aqui para Tradução!

Linda Michaels, “Dog Psychologist,” MA, and Victoria Stilwelllicensed Del Mar dog trainer and speaker may be reached at 858.259.WOOF (9663) or by email at: LindaMichaelsPositively@gmail.com

20

Fairy Tale Endings Don’t Always Exist

By Jan Casey, MS, DipCBST

standing of how creatures learn, and patience. Lots of patience.

And they lived happily ever after. I love stories that end like this, both in fiction and in real life. It is gratifying to see people find dogs (or dogs find people) and form a friendship that others can only envy. Whether brought together via the shelter, a rescue, a breeder, or luck, there is nothing quite like the bond between a canine and a human. In the majority of the clients I work with, this is the case. But sadly, not every story has a fairy tale ending.

First, have the dog checked thoroughly by your trusted veterinarian. Vision, hearing, urinary tract infections, thyroid problems – these are just a few of the physical problems which can affect behavior. Once the physical condition is addressed, take a look at the behavioral problems. For this, it is wise to seek the help of a force-free trainer who is experienced in behavior issues at the Pet Professional Guild or consult with a veterinary behaviorist or a certified Our intentions are good. We are committed to getting a applied animal behaviorist. dog or a puppy and bringing her into the family. We know It would be great if dogs wore signs advertising the homes we can provide food, shelter, healthcare, kindness, and they require: “No small children,” “No cats or other dogs,” love. A new being joins us in our existence and we are “Active families only,” or “Perfect for retirees.” We might thrilled. And the canine will be grateful and perfect, right? just learn to live with the problem behaviors, but gross misNot always. Every dog is an individual with a history, even matches can and do occur. While some agencies do if that history is only seven weeks long (the first 12 weeks screen the dog to know what home is optimal, many others being critical in a dog’s life). have no time, no experience, and/or no resources. Some Consider Boop. She is up for adoption (you choose the reason — there are many). We look into her eyes and see a soul in need. We connect and take Boop home with us, determined to show her the kindness and love she may have never known before. We have special plans – sports dog, therapy dog, working dog, or just companion – and Boop will play a central role. She will, of course, reciprocate by being the best dog on the planet. What we might not consider is Boop’s history before she came to us. She may have been abused. She may have never experienced any formal training. She may have lacked quality healthcare, had a poor diet, and never been socialized. Her genetic make-up may be poor. All of these may contribute to a dog who presents some challenges to our expectations.

just want to see the animal adopted with little regard as to whether it is a good match. The same is true of breeders – there are some who only place their puppies in appropriate homes (they usually require references) and others who will sell their dogs to anyone as long as the check clears. There are times when the dog just cannot stay in the home.

Dogs are intelligent, thinking beings. They, like us, are individuals and their behaviors will be formed through a combination of nature and nurture. In most instances, we can shape their behaviors into those more compatible with the rules necessary to live in our homes and in human society.

Sometimes we have a lot of history to undo first. This will be no easy task as it will take management, an under-

Jan Casey, MS, DipCBST—Companion Animal Sciences Institute is the Senior Behavior Consultant at Courteous Canine, Inc./The DogSmith of Tampa. She is a Pet Professional Guild Charter Member, a member of the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals and a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

When the issues cannot be resolved, consider returning the dog to the shelter, rescue, or breeder from which she came.

Any reputable organization will take the dog back if things don’t work out. Please do this as quickly as possible – waiting until the dog bites reduces future options. Provide them with any details of the dog’s behaviors, any observations you have made, as this may help make another placement more successful.

Re-homing the dog yourself may violate the original adoption agreement and can also leave you legally liable if the dog has bitten before and bites again, so this is not advisThe first few days with Boop go well. She is quiet and cau- able. tious, avoiding overt behaviors. Then she grows a bit more There are times when the dog is too damaged to live safely confident and growls when something she didn’t like oc- with humans. If all attempts to intervene fail, accept that currs. She may have start fighting with the other animals in your story may not have a fairy tale ending. We live in the the house, soiling the carpet, or chasing the kids. Where real world. When euthanasia is the last option, if you can did the gratitude go? What happened to that sweet little find it in your heart to be there to provide support and comdog we brought home? Doesn’t she realize that if not for fort as the dog undergoes the procedure, you will have prous, she would still be homeless and alone? How come she vided one final act of kindness. As Jewel sings,” In the end, isn’t doing her part to make the dream come true? only kindness matters.” 

21

PPG Member Profile ...

Name:

Cissy Sumner

Business Name:

Best Behavior Dog Training

Location:

Vero Beach, FL USA

Email:

bbdogtraining@bellsouth.net

Telephone No.:

772-978-7863

Web Site:

bestbehaviordogtraining.org

Tell us a little bit about your own pets:

I have three dogs, all rescues. Dale is my senior citizen. She is a 14-year-old “Florida Varmint Hound.” I have Messe Jesse, a nine-year-old Border Collie and Rio, a two-yearold that I call a “Tasmanian Devil” mix. Dale, now retired has several USDAA agility titles and is the dog that made me a trainer. Jesse is a fabulous and devoted companion. Rio is a work in progress and brings joy to my heart.

What do you consider your area of expertise:

I love working with reactive dogs. Once they realize they have nothing to fear, it's incredible how fast they improve.

Why did you become a dog trainer or pet care provider?

My dog Dale was jumped on at a play group. It changed her from a happy, social dog to a reactive dog. Everyone I spoke to advised punishing her. Honestly, I did try it, but punishment made her worse. I couldn't find any one to help me. I spent a year doing research and attending seminars. Once I found clicker-training and counter-conditioning, I was able to help Dale. Then, I wanted to change the way we train our pets and help people see you don't need to hurt a dog to train it.

Are you a crossover trainer or have you always been a force-free trainer?

I did use choke chains and some punishment. I wasn't really a trainer then. I was a dog owner stumbling around for ways to train my dog. Once I found out about motivational training, I stepped forward into being a trainer. I am always amazed at how we can help dogs improve their behavior, learn new skills and overcome fears by using rewards.

What drives you to be a force-free professional and why is it important to you?

It is so much more fun to train a dog using rewards. I'm all about having a great relationship with my dogs. I hope I treat my friends kindly. I want to treat my dogs the same way — with love and understanding.

What awards, competition placements, have you and your dog(s) achieved using Force Free methods?

Dale is a Canine Good Citizen and has a USDAA Advanced Agility Dog Title.

Messe Jesse is also a Canine Good Citizen, has a B.A. in Canine Life and Social Skills and has a USDAA Agility Dog title and AKC OA, OAJ titles. He is retired from competition, but is so valuable to me when working with reactive dogs. I owe him a lot for his patience and steady demeanor when working in stressful situations. Rio has a B.A. in Canine Life and Social Skills and also assists me with socializing reactive dogs. He is only two years old and had to overcome a really bad start in life. I am always amazed at his progress.

Who has most influenced your career and how?

That's hard to say. I love Sue Ailsby. Ann Braue has been a tremendous influence in agility. I try to learn from every trainer I meet and seminar I attend. There are so many talented, brilliant people out there!

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… Cissy Sumner How has the PPG helped you to become a more complete trainer?

PPG gave me the backbone to say “absolutely not” to shock, pinch and choke collars. I don't use them, but am now much more adamant stopping their use.

What are some of your favorite positive reinforcement techniques for most commonly encountered client-dog problems?

I live in an area with a lot of senior citizens. I have to be creative in finding ways for them to help their dogs even when they are physically challenged. I recommend having the dogs sit for all petting and attention. I figure I only get about half of what I ask for, but it's easy for the client and gets the dogs thinking about being compliant. And using the dog's meals for training. Lots of those dogs are a bit pudgy. This way the dogs get less treats and look to the owners for food and direction.

What is the reward you get out of a day's training with people and

I love the “ah ha!” moments, for dogs or people. When the learning light bulb goes on, every one is so delighted!

What is the favorite part of your job?

I love fostering a positive relationship between people and their pets. I like to think I improve their lives and create more enjoyment for them.

What is the funniest or craziest situation you have been in with a pet and their owner:

Wow, so many silly things have happened over the years. The craziest was the family chasing their dog with a tennis racket because they saw it on the Dog Whisperer. They were sure they were doing the right thing! The funniest was when I was ring crew at an agility trial. A little terrier jumped in my lap and started wildly licking my face. It's tongue went up my nose!

All I could do was laugh and hope he went back to his handler!

What advice would you give to a new trainer starting out:

Find a good mentor. So many training "schools" don't require nearly enough hands-on training. To be a good trainer, you need to see and handle a LOT of dogs.



(FOUNDER, continued from page 2)

in our efforts to educate pet owners and pet professionals on the necessity for force-free dog training and pet care.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Leah. To help Leah during this challenging time, PPG has set up a fund to help raise money to assist her in taking care of her home and her pets, so that the one worry she does not have is about keeping a roof over her and her pets’ heads.

If you are able, please contribute to help her. No amount is too small and will be greatly appreciated in helping Leah have one less worry during this difficult time.

 23

Shocking Confessions. Tales of Crossover Trainers

By Dawn Marshall I grew up in a dog-rescuing family and have always had dogs. As a kid I remember our chow Chow/golden retriever mix, Zipper, and our golden retriever, GG. We adopted Zipper and foster-failed GG, and both came into our lives as well-mannered adult dogs that didn't really need any training.

Fast forward to adulthood, moving to Florida with my then-boyfriend, now-husband and renting our first house with a yard. We knew we wanted to add a dog to our family — a puppy, so we could "raise it right." Neither of us had ever raised a puppy, so I'm not sure where we got the notion that we could do it better than anyone else at the time, but I digress. He wanted a Rottweiler (a man's dog, he said), I didn't have any preference other than an active large breed dog, we found the cutest Rottweiler-mix puppy that had been dropped off in a box at the shelter before he even had any teeth. It was love at first sight; we adopted him on the spot and named him Brady, after the New England Patriot's Quarterback Tom Brady.

dog's owner and told him I would pay for all vet bills. I asked the instructor what I should do about my dog's behavior and he recommended that I get a shock collar for him and told me I needed to leave the facility because aggressive dogs were not allowed on the property.

After a few days, I started researching shock collars. I hated the idea of it, but what could I do? I My dog had just viciously attacked another dog for no reason, and I needed to get him under control. I was told by a trainer that a shock collar was the best way to “fix” him, so I had to do it for his own good.

We went to see a shock collar trainer and she had me test the collar on my wrist. She asked me, "Are you ready?" and I nodded, clenching my jaw in anticipation of pain. I was surprised when I felt only a tingle and looked up and asked, "That's it?" "That's it!" she replied, smiling wide. I agreed to let her try it on Brady. She asked him for a sit and he paused to scratch at the collar. I thought to myself, he knows “sit” already, but I let her continue.

I had heard about using a clicker in training and experiWe went outside and she took him off leash in a fenced area, mented with it a bit. I had sucasking him to heel with her and cess teaching Brady to sit, jump up on platforms and stay down, stay, come, wave, play Marshall with Bruschi the American Pit Bull Terdead, roll over, and tons of other rier mix, Paisley the American Staffordshire Ter- there. He yelped a few times and she said, "He's just surfun tricks. When he was old rier, and Brady the “Heinz 57.” prised. He wasn't expecting that enough, I enrolled him in an agility class at a local dog training club. We had a blast and one." My heart ached but I felt I had no choice, I had to Brady loved it, until one day there was a new dog in do this. She handed me the remote and told me to do class, a large intact male Rottweiler. From the moment the same exercises she had just done, heeling and tellBrady saw him, he couldn't take his eyes off of him. My ing him to "place" on random objects. When I looked at gut twisted. They wanted me to send Brady through the the remote, I noticed the dial was turned half way up, tunnel, which meant I had to drop his leash. I said I did- not the initial "1" setting she used to demonstrate on my n't feel comfortable since I didn't have his focus, but wrist. I knew immediately why he yelped — it hurt! I was they insisted that they would catch him as he came out so upset, but I continued to rationalize that this was of the tunnel. I complied, sending Brady through the tun- what needed to be done, and we could do the training nel and watching in horror as Brady ran right through and get it over with and then he would be able to go the instructors legs over to the Rottweiler he had been back to living a normal happy life. fixated upon, grabbed his neck and shook, refusing to let go. I panicked watching the instructor repeatedly My homework was to perform the heeling and place exbeat Brady on the head with a closed fist, attempting to ercises and come back next week to work him with other dogs. I never did do my homework that week, but I get him to release his grip. did go back the next week. The trainer had us do the After what seemed like an eternity, someone dumped a exact same heeling and place exercises, but this time bucket of water on Brady and he let go just long enough she had a little Jack Russell with her doing the exerfor the instructor to pull him away. I went outside with (Continued on page 29) Brady and, sobbing and shaking, gave my name, number and address for the instructor to give to the other

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Impact Your Clients’ Commitment & Compliance

By Niki Tudge One of the biggest challenges we have as dog training professionals is our ability to clearly communicate to our clients the necessary action and commitment required to help them change their dog’s behavior and, more importantly, how this action and commitment will look as a plan and a road map toward our future success. How many times do we felt dejected and let down when a lack of our perceived “client commitment and compliance” leaves us feeling helpless and wondering “if only...”

As one who continuously asks, “what could I have done better?” I have to believe that we do have some very powerful tools available to us if we avail ourselves of them. We have the power of communication, and this alone can impact the lives of hundreds of dogs that pass through the front doors of our training facilities each year. Communication is our most powerful ally. It is our trump card and a tool in our kit that needs to be readily available, fully-flexed and always ready to go. If we do not have our ally alongside us and we are not able to have meaningful, engaging and impactful communication with our clients then we will never be able to create shared meaning around our philosophy, our goals and our ideas. This lack of shared meaning is the crux of many of the problems that manifest themselves as client lack of commitment, compliance and understanding. So our avenue to success is communication.

Our Communication Starts with Our Perceptions When you understand your perceptions and your client’s perceptions then you can begin to build productive relationships and you will find your clients are more committed and compliant to your recommendations. So how does this all happen? First, we are all individuals. We are a combination of our genes and our environment.

Our genes define the sort of person we are in terms of our body, mind and emotions and our environment impacts our characteristics and our behavior. As a consequence, we are all unique. When we are communicating with our clients we need to treat them as individuals and recognize they have different needs, expectations and motivations. There is no one-size-fits-all communication style. There is, however, a formula for building open and honest communication that results in a climate of trust and collaboration. If you can trust your client’s intentions and motivations then they will trust yours and a productive team will emerge that has the ability to work together on an effective behavior change program.

by which we become aware of the outside world and ourselves. We tend to distort our perceptions to fit the beliefs we hold using our unique and individual stimulus filtering system. We consciously and subconsciously control this filtering system by only allowing certain stimuli through while other unimportant stimuli are filtered out.

Our filtering process looks and works like this: 

Stimuli approach;



Stimuli enter our filtering system and are selected as important, or thrown out as useless;



Stimuli are integrated and organized;



Stimuli are translated into logic and meaning, based on our own biases;



We then think and take action.

How we filter these stimuli and how we think and act are an output of our own individual consequences assumptions and perceptions. Our individual perceptions are affected and distorted by these characteristics: 

Our own values, beliefs, attitudes and expectations;



The perceived physical attributes, age, gender and language of the other person;



The situation, location, setting, climate, etc.

Other ways we distort our perception We also distort our perception through stereotyping people, the “halo effect,” selective perception, projecting and attribution. If we look at each in more detail, we understand them and work to avoid them.

When we put people into groups or categories such as gender, age, or race it is called “stereotyping.” The “halo effect” is when we group people based on interpersonal skills, smiles or other easily-measured factors that we like. When we distort our perceptions using selective perception, we tend to focus on only one aspect of the person and ignore other aspects that maybe important.

We also “project” our own needs and attributes onto some people in situations where we would blame outside events for our own poor performance but blame them directly for their own. Recognizing all the ways that your perception can be distorted is central to communicating effectively. To be an engaging, impactful and collaborative communicator, you need to be aware of how you see others and how you can distort your own perceptions. When you are aware of your own distortions you can consciously work to change them.

What Is Perception?

Client Interaction

How we perceive others is very important and impacts how we communicate. Perception describes the process

The way you interact with your clients and the way you (Continued on page 29)

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The Pet Professional Guild membership offers a variety of benefits for the force-free dog training and pet care community and others interested in the behavior and care of pets. It is the Mercedes Benz of the Pet Industry. The Guild is not designed to attract the masses — we aim to attract the best. The only pet care providers and dog trainers that are listed on our pages abide by all our guiding principles and are proud members of the Guild.

Membership Benefits

Membership Levels        





Full Member, Dog Training - A Professional Dog Training Business Owner.

Associate Member, Dog Training – An Employee of a Dog Training Professional.

Cat Behavior Consultant - A Cat Behavior and/or Cat Training Professional.

Veterinarian Member - A State Licensed Veterinarian Professional.

Veterinarian Technician - A Licensed Veterinary Technician Professional.

Pet Care Professional - A Professional Pet Care Service Provider.

Pet Grooming Professional - A Professional Pet Groomer.

Provisional Member, Dog Training Student - A dog training student or dog training apprentice or a professional dog trainer looking for support and education to make the transition to force free dog training methods.

Provisional Member, Pet Care Business - A pet care student or individual looking to open his or her own pet care business.

Equine Professional. A Professional who specializes in Equine training

     

 

       

An electronic copy of our Proud to be a Member Badge.

The Guild membership certificate.

Group insurance policy pricing.

Access to a minimum of one FREE educational webcast each month.

Discounted educational programs via third party providers.

Discounted pricing on print materials, marketing collateral and sales aids through our online member print store.

A monthly newsletter.

A quarterly FREE online copy of our "Barks From The Guild" magazine publication.

Networking opportunities with fellow members.

Public relations and news releases.

Community outreach programs.

PPG branded client handouts.

Marketing Tools.

Multiple vendor discounts across pet industry partners.

Annual industry pet business survey.

PPG-licensed products and services.

26

Member Educational Programs Learn How To Set Up A FREE WordPress Website or Blog Do you envy other professionals blogs and websites?

This presentation will take you through the basics of how to set up and personalize your very own free WordPress blog or business website. Within two hours after completing the webinar, you can be blogging away or have a website that includes your biographical information, services and informational areas.

WordP r e s s c a n be personalized to reflect you individual personality and busiRegister ness in a professional manner.

Learning Objectives:  Understand the importance of blogging and how you can drive traffic back to your website to promote your own services.  Realize how easy it is to set up a FREE WordPress blog or website.  Learn how to personalize your blog or website, set up pages, blog categories and how to set up social media widgets for subscribers such as Facebook and other social media connections.

Change Unwanted Cat Behaviors. Do Aversives work? What are Effective Alternatives?

Join Marilyn Krieger for this exciting webinar on cat behavior. Many people resort to squirt bottles, cans that hiss, mats that shock, yelling, force and (positive) punishment in their efforts to stop unwanted cat behaviors.

Participants will learn whether these techniques work to change unacceptable behaviors and the common side effects of them.

They will also learn Register effective, force-free methods for behavior change. In addition, the webinar will cover implementing these techniques to change 2-3 common cat behavior challenges.

Learning Objectives: 

Side effects/consequences of using aversives and/or force to change unwanted cat behaviors



Effective alternative techniques for changing behaviors that do not include aversives and positive punishment

You will receive a full copy of the "How To” PDF after the webinar.



Details for modifying 2-3 specific and common behavior problems using force-free techniques

About The Presenter

About The Presenter

Niki Tudge is the founder and president of PPG, DogNostics eLearning & Business Coaching and The DogSmith. Niki specializes in pet industry small business growth, business management and people coaching and training programs. Niki has business degrees from Oxford University in England and is a Six Sigma Certified Black Belt. Niki is a credentialed peopletrainer through the HCITB, the international training board and a professional dog trainer and dog behavior consultant. Her certifications include: CPDT-KA, NADOI- Certified, AABP – Professional Dog Trainer, AABP – Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, Dip, ABT. Diploma. Animal Behavior Technology, Dip, CBST. Diploma Canine Behavior Science and Technology, PCSA, CPCT CAPCT.

Certified Cat Behavior Consultant MA, BA, Marilyn Krieger, Certified Cat Behavior Consultant and owner of The Cat Coach, LLC® She solves cat behavior problems nationally and internationally through on-site, phone and Skype consultations.

She writes articles on cat behavior for Catster and the monthly behavior columns for Cat Fancy Magazine. Her book, Naughty No More! focuses on changing unwanted cat behaviors through clicker training, environmental management and other force-free methods. She teaches classes and lectures nationally on cat behavior as well as being a frequent guest on television and radio programs, providing valuable insights on cat behavior. She was featured on Animal Planet’s Cats 101 and recently was the cat behavior advisor for a show aired on National Geographic. CEU's Pending for IAABC, CCPDT

Just because you missed one of PPG’s educational seminars doesn’t mean you missed out! Now PPG members can watch them any time! Log in to your PPG account to take advantage of this amazing member benefit!

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Our Vendor Partners — They Support You! Check out these participating businesses for special PPG benefits!

Family Paws

The Clicker Company

Doggone Safe

Force-Free Shopping

DogNostics eLearning

Membership Benefits

DogWise

PPG Business Liability Insurance FAQ

Dog Kingdom Pet Supply

2013 PPG Membership Certificates Now available. You can download them here. Enter your name, print and display proudly.

You Can Advertise in Barks from the Guild!

!

R O L O C L FUL

FULL PAGE

$145

1/2 page Horizontal

$100

1/2 Page Vertical

$100

1/4 Page

$65

Business Card

$35

For more information, contact Niki Tudge Niki@PetProfessionalGuild.com 41-DOG-TRAIN ((413-648-7246) 28

cises next to him, also on a shock collar. She instructed me to continue these exercises around other dogs and told me that would "fix Brady's issues with other dogs."

As much as I hated it, I did my homework a handful of times, borrowing friends and dogs to work Brady next to.

went on; Brady wasn't nice and calm — he had learned helplessness! My heart broke into a thousand pieces.

What had I done? All of the pain I caused him, both physically and mentally, was completely unnecessary. I sobbed into his fur and vowed I would never hurt him or any dog ever again.

Brady had never had any issues with any dogs other that the intact male Rottweiler, and had lots of doggy friends of all different sizes prior to the incident at agility.

After we started the shock collar training, Brady became increasingly anxious about everything around him, especially other dogs. He would whine non-stop when we went on walks, and he seemed to never be able to settle in the house. I stopped going to the shock collar trainer; there had to be a better way. This was not working; it was hurting my dog and making him an anxious mess.

I still had no idea how to help Brady or other dogs like him but I wanted to learn how to do it properly. I read Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt, The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson, Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor and The Other End Of The Leash by Patricia McConnell all in one week. Eyes wide open, I was excited to learn that there is a whole world of training out there that is incredibly effective and fun and never hurts or scares dogs! I was hooked on learning about it and have never looked back.

I asked all my dog friends, and they all recommended I watch the Dog Whisperer. I watched every episode available and read his book, Cesar's Way. I bought into everything he said, felt I wasn't “alpha” enough, that all I needed was to be calm, assertive and a firm leader and Brady would be a happy, well-balanced dog. I bought a choke collar and corrected Brady like Cesar demonstrated, and neck jabbed him or pinned him to the ground, depending on the perceived severity of the unacceptable behavior. A friend recommended a prong collar, and said they work better than choke collars for stronger dogs. I switched out the choke for a prong, and was relieved to see Brady stop whining and walking in a perfect heel on our walks. His entire demeanor changed and he was a much quieter, calmer dog. I believed I had achieved success.

I have since learned the difference between clicker training and using a clicker in training. I've learned the correct application and effectiveness of changing behavior using operant and respondent conditioning. I am currently attending DogNostics and working towards my Dog Behavior Consulting Diploma, and my entire education is based on training without pain and intimidation. I am so happy I saw the light and crossed over, I just wish the journey hadn't taken me so long or caused so much suffering to Brady before I knew better.

One afternoon I stumbled across a YouTube channel called Kikopup. It had great videos about teaching loose -leash walking, and I loved the teaching style and methods. I watched every single one. In one, she mentioned calming signals. I had never heard of them, so I started researching them. That led me to further investigate dog body language and learned helplessness. A light bulb

Dawn Marshall is the founder and president of Heart Dog Rescue and a dog behavior technician at Courteous Canine in Tampa, Fla. She is a PPG Associate Trainer Member, is Dognostics Pet First Aid and CPR Certified and is an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

(IMPACT, continued from page 25)

nication to enhance shared meaning with your clients resulting in a fabulous relationship that positively impacts the lives of more pet dogs.

(IMPACT, continued from page 24)

treat them will build up a climate of trust and great professional client relations. Think about the climate you want and need to create when you are working with your clients. The ideal climate is one where everyone trusts each other, the intentions, motivations and actions of all parties. Key to creating this productive climate is how you communicate. Honest communication helps not only an understanding in what is said but also the feeling behind how it is said. Hidden feelings and hidden biases and assumptions cloud communication and prevent honesty and forthrightness.

This is so much more easily written about or discussed than implemented. Stay tuned for information on how you can implement open, honest and impactful commu-

To my boy Brady, I am forever sorry, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Thank you for your love and forgiveness that I don't deserve. I love you.



 Niki Tudge is the founder of the PPG and The DogSmith, a national dog training and pet-care franchise. Her professional credentials include; CPDT-KA, NADOI – Certified, AABP- Professional Dog Trainer, AABP- Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, Diploma Animal Behavior Technology, and Diploma Canine Behavior Science & Technology. Niki has also published many articles on dog training and dog behavior and her pet dog training businesses have been featured in many publications including The New York Times.

29

exuberant dogs. Throwing the Frisbee in the opposite direction avoids conflict and wears him out. Just be cognizant that your dogs may not want to share YOU or their toys with other approaching dogs.

(BOATING, continued from page 14)

while you turn the boat around to go get him. 

A first-aid kit containing a three-ounce container of bleach, styptic powder or pads, betadine, antibiotic ointment, diphenhydramine (Bendadryl), non-stick telfa pads and vet-wrap or paper surgical tape and tweezers or a hemostat, bare minimum.

First aid is just that—FIRST aid. It is an immediate response to stabilize the animal until you can get him to a veterinarian. Do not attempt any first aid without muzzling the animal first. (If you haven’t already, visit the PPG web site to take its first aid webinar and test.)

Most avid boaters in the southeast are very aware of the Vibrio vulnificus, or “flesh-eating” bacteria that can live in warm saltwater. When “old salts” get cuts, we use diluted bleach directly on the wound, then cover it with antibiotic ointment. But Vibrio vulnificus affects only primates, so use Betadine or other disinfecting wound wash on your pooch. Styptic powder or pads can then be used to staunch bleeding after disinfecting a wound. To keep tissues soft and viable, slather with antibiotic ointment and cover with non-stick pads and secure with vet wrap or tape (make sure that you pull the vet wrap off the roll and then wrap the area, as the vet wrap is pre-tensioned on the roll and can cut off circulation). Diphenhydramine, or Benadryl, can be used in dosage of 1-2 mg per pound for insect bites that cause swelling or any sort of allergic reaction. Tweezers and/or a hemostat can be used to remove burrs, thorns, sea urchin spines, etc. 

A sturdy float that you can teach your dog to swim onto. Many dogs try to get back in their boat but can’t figure out the ladder. I taught my dogs to swim up onto a closed-cell foam float so that when they tire, they can still be around their humans but not have to be swimming or on the boat. Many dogs can also navigate boat ladders once they have their footing on the float.



Two favorite toys that will keep your dog engaged with you, close to you, and out of trouble. I recommend bringing two because, in my experience, it is common to lose track of one. My heeler has a tendency to guard me and be intolerant of overlyColter “hanging out” on a float with his humans



A solid off-leash recall, or a long drag line. Teaching dogs to stay with you when there is a whole new world to explore is another whole article. Keep them close until the newness has worn off, then let the line drag. Eventually you may be able to take the leash off, but don’t rush it. I don’t recommend having to chase all over creation after a dog when you are trying to have a relaxing day boating!



A rock-solid emergency “stop” cue. Bodies of water and the surrounding woods and brush, especially in the Southeast, are home to a variety of animals that can and will do your pet harm. Poisonous snakes, alligators, jellyfish and even sharks live in the environs around water bodies, and the more remote and pristine the area, the higher chances are those creatures are present. It is wise to keep your pets from running through brush in such areas – keep them in the shallow water with you where the worst thing they might encounter is an overzealous pinfish or chofer nipping at their heels. But should you encounter a dangerous animal, it is important to be able to stop your dog, and recall him when it is safe. I learned with valuable lesson recently when, on a quick trip to a nearby beach, my dogs and I ran across a six-foot Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (pictured above). I was able to give my pointer an emergency “whoa!” and then grab a Frisbee that I threw far out into the bay for him to retrieve and bring back to me at an angle that avoided the sunbathing reptile. I lost a few years off my life that day, but returned home with both of my boys alive, safe, happy and tired.

Last, I will say that a certain percentage of dogs never learn that they should not drink salt water. I own one of those dogs (the heeler). So I do not feed my dogs in the morning before a day on the water, because I know I will see it come out in liquid form from one or both ends. I feed them a double-ration when we get home. You can give them some Pepto Bismol before and after boating, but consult your veterinarian on dosages.

 Catherine M. Zehner, CDT, CPDT-KA, is the owner of The DogSmith of Florida’s Emerald Coast in Panama City, Fla. She is a PPG Steering Committee Member, a CGC Evaluator, a Pet Partner with her pointer Colter and a general boat bum when not working.

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Product Review — GREEN Slow Feeder

By Leslie McGavin Clifton Got a gobbler? We do: an English lab who inhales kibble. Dining in such fashion lends itself to bloat.

Talley has in past regurgitated a gobbled meal.

Drum roll…… and enter the GREEN Slow Feeder, recently reviewed in The Whole Dog Journal as amongst best new dog gear for the year. Thoroughly tried and tested on location, we love it. Perhaps the labs not so much, requiring them to consume kibble in a daintier less-preferred fashion. Here are just some of its many wonderful attributes:

GREEN Slow Feeder Features: non-toxic , dishwasher safe Colors: GREEN Size: 16 x 11 inches MSRP: $24.95



It is made of sturdy human grade plastic, all one piece;



It is easily filled, cleaned — no running around to pick up pieces;



It can also be used as a “busy” interactive toy — fellow trainer Jeni Grant shares that she uses the Green on her grooming table!

The product is designed to look like tufts of grass that turns your dog's meal into a challenging game. The desired amount of dog food is scattered across the GREEN, and then it is up to your dog to push the food out between the many blades of grass. GREEN slow feeder prolongs eating time significantly, which reduces gulping and inhalation of kibble and results in a happier and healthier dog.

Available in one size, it is designed to be used for all dogs, regardless of weight and breed. This slow feeder is made of hard plastic (without phthalates) and can therefore be used outside and cleaned in the dishwasher.

It is designed by Northmate and distributed in U.S. by Company of Animals. As tested on site, so far no dogs have been chewing on, picking up and carrying this feeder. Enjoy!! Get It Here Let us know how this is working for you; we love to get pictures and reviews.  Leslie McGavin Clifton, PMCT, CPDT-KA is the owner of Look What I Can Do dog training and Dog Kingdom Pet Supply in Earleville, MD.

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The Pet Professional Guild

stands alone as the only single point of access to a variety of information and tools provided by pet care professionals who adhere to a strict code of conduct.

The Pet Professional Guild affiliates & members offer a selection of force-free, learning theory-based dog training services and professional pet-sitting and dog-walking services.

Whether you’re a dog owner looking to solve a specific behavioral problem, a dog lover simply wanting to gain more control and clarity in your relationship with your dog, or a family burdened by the question of how to take care of your pets while you’re away from home, the Guild Members can help you.

Barks from The Guild is

the official Pet Professional Guild quarterly publication. The publication is circulated in March, June, September & December. © 2012 PPG. This journal may be printed once by the received, for personal use only and may not otherwise be copied or transmitted in any manner in part or in full without permission from the Managing Editor. Quotes of fewer than 200 words are allowed as long as the source is properly cited.

BFTG is produced by Guild members with contributions from industry experts and featuring a selection of informative articles, reviews and news stories supported by regular columns.

Members are encouraged to submit scholarly articles, opinion editorials, letters to the editor, member achievements, and other information pertinent to the industry.

Articles submitted will be approved for publication by the Guild Steering Committee.

Contributions to Barks from The Guild should be submitted to: Managing Editor Catherine@PetProfessionalGuild.com

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Submissions will be accepted no later than four weeks prior to the publication deadline.

The Pet Professional Guild is not responsible for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photographs and other proffered material. Submissions will not be returned. Submissions constitute permission for PPG, at its sole discretion, to use the submitted materials, in whole or in part, without compensation to the submitter.

For reasons of space and editorial content, PPG reserves the right to delete or alter any solicited or unsolicited information or part thereof, that is submitted or reserved for inclusion in the publication.

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