n e w s PPG Postpones Phoenix Summit to 2021; Announces 2020 Virtual Summit
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iven the current situation with COVID19 and our industry, PPG, after much deliberation and based on feedback from its members and the industry community, has decided the following: 1. We are 100% committed to our Summit 2020 format and all it en compasses with the Arizona Humane Society. So, rather than cancel the event, we are moving the program to next year. Registration will take place on September 17, 2021 with the fourday program to follow on September 1821, 2021. Further details will be released in due course. (See petprofessionalguild.com/PPG‐2021‐Summit‐&‐Workshops and also ad on p.63). 2. To replace our inperson Summit this year, PPG will host a special event on November 1115, 2020, titled Geek Week: For the Love of Sci ence (petprofessionalguild.com/GeekWeekNovember2020). Geek Week will be a unique, fun and educational virtual experience to include funfilled activities, competitions and prizewinning opportunities plus three days of virtual ‘Science & Skill’ sessions presented by industry leaders. A 50% discount will be available for members! (See also ad on
opposite page). If you had planned to attend PPG Summit 2020, then you should have already received a personal email communication detailing the great alternatives available to you. We are happy to discuss these fur ther if you have any questions, so please do not hesitate to reach out to the PPG admin peeps, Rebekah King and Sharon Nettles. You can find their contact information here: petprofessionalguild.com/contactPPG.
Pet Professional Guild Joins Six Leading Organizations to Support UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter
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PG has signed up to be one of seven found ing organizations to support the UK Dog Be haviour and Training Charter (ukdogcharter.org) launched on June 8. The initiative aims to pro vide clarity regarding the future direction of dog behavior and training throughout the UK in relation to professional standards, tools and methodologies, with canine welfare at the heart of its mandate. The Charter evolved of a recognition by the founding industry bodies (comprising PPG, the COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers, International Canine Behaviourists (ICB), the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT), the Association of INTODogs, the UK College of Scent Dogs, and the Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behaviour) of the need for a collaborative approach to the challenges that lie ahead for the industry, including regulation, canine welfare, and support of in dividual practitioners. By setting out common values of welfare and professional conduct, the Charter aims to provide assurance to the public, other professional bodies, and government agencies that signatory organizations are com mitted to transparent complaints and grievance procedures that can be supported by independent arbitration if needed. As such, signatory or ganizations have agreed on a set of minimum standards of animal wel fare and professional conduct to ensure practitioners use the most uptodate and humane methodologies and tools. These include pub licly pledging "not to endorse correctionbased remote training devices or aversive stimuli that work through eliciting a withdraw reflex/re sponse and/or an alarm reaction, and/or that cause pain and/or fear" (including shock collars, citronella collars, antibark collars, choke chains and prong collars). These stipulations must be referenced in the organi zation's code of practice with clear guidance to members. To help pro vide assurance and accountability to the public and other bodies, members of Charter organizations will be able to display the Charter symbol to show they have been checked, and are monitored and sup ported by a reputable organization, and have aligned themselves to the ethical, welfare and conduct obligations stated in the Charter. Since its inception in 2012, PPG has attracted and retained mem
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BARKS from the Guild/July 2020
bers who are committed to the pet's welfare and consider this to be their top priority at all times. PPG members pledge to focus on the im plementation and practice of a holistic, "force free" approach to pet training and care by attending to the physical, emotional and envi ronmental wellbeing of every animal in their care, founded specifically on the principle of doing no harm given that there are perfectly humane and positive alternatives that are not packaged with problematic emotional conse quences such as fear, anxiety and pain. An es sential part of this forcefree philosophy is to avoid any training methods or equipment that are aversive and/or punitive and that work by inflicting pain, force or fear. PPG members un derstand this to mean that any equipment and/or methods involving the use of shock, pain, choke, force or fear are never employed to train or care for any pet under their charge. "PPG's key goal is to drive and bring about change in the pet serv ices industry, specifically the fields of training, behavior consulting and pet care," said PPG president Niki Tudge. "This soughtafter change pro motes scientific, humane and positive reinforcementbased methods and skill application in order to reach training, behavior modification, and pet care goals for both pets and their owners. "To enact, promote and manage this scope of change, PPG needs to be at the forefront of shaping the industry. This means, as an organiza tion, it must help guide, manage and, when necessary, reinforce small approximations of cultural shifts, behavior change or attitude adjust ments towards the end goal when organizations, associations and indi viduals who are operating within the industry present them. By aligning with likeminded professional bodies under the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter, PPG has great confidence that both pets and their guardians can now look forward to greater transparency from the pro fessionals they elect to work with while remaining assured that their pet's welfare will always be the top priority. The strong and visionary foundation brought about by this unified approach is sure to be a posi tive force in the United Kingdom as the pet industry evolves, and one which may, in time, inspire other countries to follow." Read full press release: bit.ly/2XSHM8J.
