PPG Podcast

Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Melissa Taylor as they chat and chuckle with Hanna Fushihara about nosework for cats! (Yes, you read that right!) Hanna runs Nosework Cats as well as Hot Fuzz Dog Training from her home in New York State. She has been training dogs for more than 10 years and began teaching canine nosework in 2018. She reached the NW3-Elite title level competing with her pit bull, Derek, before he passed away. Hanna started developing her own ideas on how to play nosework with her cats in the spring of 2020 during the start of the pandemic, making adjustments to how she played nosework with dogs so that her cats would find the activity fun, challenging and motivating. She’s been adding her imaginative, artful skills and humor to the mix with her online Nosework Cats class to make it unique and her own.  Enjoy listening as Laura, Melissa and Hanna share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join the Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Panel for this month's discussion: Words Matter—How the Words We Choose Influence Human Behavior.  Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Kristi Benson, Judy Luther, Pat Miller, Debbie Sheridan, Dr. Zazie Todd and Sam Wike. Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join Niki Tudge as she chats and chuckles with Dr. Kristina Spaulding of Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior and Irith Bloom of The Sophisticated Dog about agency and choice, as well as slow thinking, stress, learned helplessness and much more! Pet guardians and pet professionals, enjoy listening as Dr. Spaulding, Irith and Niki share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join PPG Founder and President Niki Tudge and Canine Division Chair Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Dr. Jennifer Nesbitt-Hawes of Pet Perspective in Australia about puppies! Pet guardians and pet professionals, enjoy listening as Dr. Nesbitt, Niki and Judy share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Carrie Anne Selwyn of Canine Hoopers World based in Surrey, United Kingdom, about hoopers! Learn why Carrie calls hoopers "the laziest dog sport for the handler," but also one of the most inclusive sports for dogs. Pet guardians and pet professionals, enjoy listening as Carrie, Niki and Judy share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Parrish Warren of Space City Cats, based in Houston, Texas, about educating the public and handling misconceptions about Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) for community cats. Topics covered include: Working with feeders to gain their cooperation with TNR (people skills required!) Proper feeding of the cats for trapping success Networking with others to maximize the use of TNR resources Trapping 101—the step-by-step process Favorite baits for trapping Post-surgery care and recovery time before returning cats to their outdoor homes Tips for successful trapping and more! Pet guardians and pet professionals, enjoy listening as Laura, Joanna and Parrish share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Anthropomorphism—Is It Relevant? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: PPG Founder and President Niki Tudge, Sue Kocher, Linda Michaels, Debbie Sheridan, Dr. Zazie Todd and Sam Wike.

Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also with PPG's Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Joey Lusvardi of Class Act Cats. Topics covered include: How they each got started as cat behavior consultants What sparked their career changes Getting experience volunteering with rescues and shelters Different courses available to help gain knowledge The importance of networking and being a member of professional organizations like PPG How to get your business set up and start taking your first clients Pet guardians and pet professionals, enjoy listening as Laura, Joanna and Joey share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format!

Join PPG Founder and President Niki Tudge and Canine Division Chair Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Veronica Sanchez of Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education, a PPG Corporate Partner. Veronica shares information about her Service Dog Coach certificate program that is opening for enrollment on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Enrollment for this program opens only twice per year, so don't miss your opportunity to apply now at cooperativepaws.com! Other topics covered in this episode include: How Veronica got started training service dogs Options for acquiring a service dog or training a pet dog to be a service dog Wheelchair and service dog public access issues with Uber, Lyft, airlines and others The pros and cons of a national registry and ID card/tag system for service dogs and adaptive equipment Training puppies and teenaged dogs Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as Veronica shares her expertise in a fun, free-flowing format.

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on What Do You Do When You're the Only Force-Free Professional in Town? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: PPG Founder and President Niki Tudge, Debbie Sheridan, Kim Silver, Sue Kocher, Judy Luther and Beth Adelman.

Join Laura Cassiday, PPG Feline Division chair, and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also of the PPG Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Jeanette Davis of the Feline Rescue Association and Silver Whiskers Animal Rescue in Baltimore, Maryland, about how to keep community cats warm in the winter.

Join PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison, also with the PPG Feline Division, as they chat and chuckle with Sandra Grossmann of The Feline Consultant about feline nutrition and feeding cats.

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Top Tips on How to Network and Spread the Mission Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Division Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion includes: Aaron Jones of the PPG Inclusivity Division and PPG Shelter and Rescue Division, Linda Michaels, Kim Silver, Dr. Karolina Westlund and Monique Williams of the PPG Equid Division.

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Feline Division Chair Laura Cassiday of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior and Training as they chat about cat declawing, current legislation banning the procedure and ways to advocate for cats to keep their claws.  Apologies in advance for some audio issues in this episode!

Join Kelly Fahey and PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas of dogbiz about the THRIVE! program.  THRIVE! is an online program of dogbiz’s that provides group coaching and a supportive community to help R+ dog trainers and their businesses thrive.

Join hosts Niki Tudge and Lorena Patti of PPG's Inclusivity Division as they celebrate LGBT History Month and World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10)! Featured guests are Lottie Bennett, Valarie Ross, Angel Rowe and Debbie Sheridan. 

Listen to Judy Luther and Niki Tudge chat through this month's PPG Member News. We talk about PPG Events, Webinars, Meetups, News & More! You can read the full newsletter here  Other PPG Publications BARKS from the Guild presents a collection of valuable business and technical articles as well as reviews and news stories pertinent to our industry. BARKS is the official publication of the Pet Professional Guild and is designed for animal training and pet professionals. Read BARKS Pets and Their People presents a collection of articles as well as reviews pertinent to pet care. P&TP is a publication of the Pet Professional Guild and is designed for pet owners Read Pets & Their People

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Dog Safety: Should It Be Taught in Schools? Is There a Public Safety Concern? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel includes: Aaron Jones, Sam Wike, and Monique Williams

Join Niki Tudge, PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther and BARKS Magazine editor-in-chief Paula Garber as they Chat and Chuckle with Dr. Lisa Radosta, owner of Florida Veterinary Behavior Service and co-owner of The Real Dog Nerds, about pets with behavior problems requiring a veterinary behaviorist, and what pet guardians can look for and do in preparation for and support of a veterinary behavior program for their pet.

Join Niki Tudge as she chats and chuckles with Annie Phenix of Phenix Dogs about using emotion and connection in training.  Annie’s new book, Positive Training for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs: Proven Techniques to Help Your Dog Recover from Fear and Anxiety and Enjoy Walks Calmly, will be available in November 2022. Annie is also the author of The Midnight Dog Walkers published in 2016, and is a Certified Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator.

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Dr. Kristina Spaulding of Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior about her new book, The Stress Factor in Dogs.

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on pet management and whether it can be enough in helping pet owners. Pet guardians and pet professionals, we invite you to listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. 

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Irith Bloom of The Sophisticated Dog about virtual dog training and much more. 

Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther talking Scent with Dr. Robert Hewings, BSc. MA. D/Prof. (Head of School) and Karen Caton-Hewings. Learn all about the upcoming PPG Scent Fest events: Your Scent & Scentability 3-Day Workshop Event - Scent Work for practical training and behavior solutions, Nov. 2-4, 2022 Beyond The Basics of Canine Scent - Introducing Advanced Detection & Handling Skills, Nov. 5-6, 2022 Discover what will be covered and how much fun it will be!

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther to Chat & Chuckle with Lisa Radosta, DVM DACVB. Dr. Radosta is the owner of Florida Veterinary Behavior Service, a specialty practice in southeast Florida and co-owns Dog Nerds, an online educational resource for guardians whose pets have behavior disorders. For more information visit: https://flvetbehavior.com/about/veterinarians/

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Animal Emotions & Their Importance In Understanding Behavior. Pet guardians and pet professionals, we invite you to listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: PPG president Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion includes: PPG Shelter & Rescue Committee chair K. Holden Svirsky, PPG Assistance Animal Committee representative Tracey Hagan, Aaron Jones of the PPG Inclusivity Committee, Linda Michaels, Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Dr. Zazie Todd, and Dr. Laura Donaldson.

Join Niki Tudge and Rebekah King as they Chat & Chuckle with Toni Clarke of Well Done Charlie Dog Training, about how to develop and execute training plans to prepare pets to fly. 

Join Judy Luther and Niki Tudge as they chat with Debby Lucken from Kids Around Dogs.  KAD - Kids Around Dogs is an award-winning association of Dog Professionals and Child Care Professionals who specialize in helping families with children to train their dogs and live in harmony together. Debby Lucken (ISCP.Dip.Canine.Prac.), the founder of KAD, has also designed a successful protocol to overcome the fear of dogs in kids, which all KAD Approved Members are qualified to use. You can reach Debby here 

Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Annie Phenix about her work, her books, and all things dog! Annie is the author of The Midnight Dog Walkers published in 2016. Annie is a Certified Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator. In our chat we also discuss Annies new project and book, available in November 2022,  Positive Training for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs: Proven Techniques to Help Your Dog Recover from Fear and Anxiety and Enjoy Walks Calmly (CompanionHouse Books) Rehabilitating Fearful, Anxious Dogs. You can order it here 

Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Barbara Hotel about all things Teen Dog! All dogs (and humans) have to go through the teenage phase to reach the stability of adulthood. Some dogs breeze through this stage with barely a glitch, but most of us will have a challenging time. It is normal to sometimes feel despondent or disappointed because we thought we did everything right when they were puppies and now nothing seems to be working. The challenges of the teenage phase are real and can put our relationship with our dog at risk. Barbara explains that It does not have to be like this!  The book will help you to understand your teenage dog better and navigate these challenges, by covering: an understanding of the unique challenges you and your teenage dog face; why and how your relationship matters in the training process; the role of anthropomorphism and consideration of dog emotions and minds; the benefits of positive reinforcement; the importance of lifelong socialization; how to keep your and your dog's sanity despite some common setbacks; and promoting the value of calmness. You can - and should - enjoy your teenage dog despite the difficult behaviours they show. The reward is a happy and well-adjusted friend for life! Learn more here 

Today we had a fabulous chat with Rosie Robinson from the UK  about websites, lead Generation, Google and so much more. Rosie offers support from simple sites to full on e-commerce and has the digital solutions to ensure your business reaches the right customers. You can reach Rosie at https://www.wufdesign.co.uk/

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a  thoughtful and lively discussion about the Top Ten Things We Can Do to Help Veterinarians Help Us Help Our Pets. The Advocacy Committee is a selection of notable practitioners, scientists and representatives from PPG committees. Your Moderators: PPG Advocacy Committee chair Don Hanson & PPG president Niki Tudge Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Chair of the PPG Shelter & Rescue Division - Holden Svirsky, Kristi Benson, Sam Wike, co-chair of the PPG Feline Division– Beth Adelman, Tracey Hagan (PPG Assistance Animal Division), and Dr. Kristina Spaulding. Additional Resources: Pet Parents - How to Support Your Veterinary Team The Husbandry Project

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Mychelle Garrigan of PPG corporate partner, Pet Pro Marketing. Pet Pro Marketing provides digital marketing services for pet care professionals including website design, audits and maintenance; search engine optimization (SEO); content creation/copywriting; and social media/digital marketing strategy. 

Join PPG president, Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther for a fun and informative Chat & Chuckle with Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB of PPG Corporate Partner, Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior. They discuss upcoming Research Bites topics and so much more.

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Recognizing Microaggressions So They Can Be Managed and Avoided Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: PPG president Niki Tudge & PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion includes: Valarie Ross, Aaron Jones (PPG Inclusivity Committee), Co-chair of the PPG Feline Committee- Beth Adelman, Dr. Zazie Todd, and Dr. Eduardo Fernandez See Also: The Topic of Microaggressions for Identification and Educational Purposes!

Join PPG President Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther as they Chat and Chuckle with Molly Neher and Jennifer Kolar of Atlas Assistance Dogs, a proud PPG Corporate Partner. The mission of Atlas Assistance Dogs: "Atlas fundamentally expands access to assistance dogs. We support people with disabilities to train and certify their own service dog using positive, ethical training methods. At Atlas, we believe anyone who would benefit from a qualified assistance dog should be able to have one."

Join PPG president Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther to Chat & Chuckle with Dr. Em of Vet Med Corner. Dr. Em is a veterinarian looking to share research based information for anyone wanting to learn!

PPG is supporting a fundraiser for six animal shelters in Ukraine. Meet the creator, Dr. Marina Bayeva as well as supporting veterinarian Dr. Paula Klek and PPG's Shelter & Rescue Division Chair Holden Svirsky. Listen to updates on the use of funding and hear inspiring stories about the animals benefiting from your generous support. Donate to Help Animals Survive the War in Ukraine: https://givebutter.com/wtSBYy For further reading, please see: The Pets Left Behind in Ukraine Need You – Here’s How You Can Help Today!

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on competency. What Key Skills Should Pet Professionals Be Able to Demonstrate & Why? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson & PPG President Niki Tudge Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Sam Wike, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther, Dr. Kristina Spaulding and Angel Rowe.

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on When and How Should We Advocate for Outdoor Pets? Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: The Advocacy Panel is a selection of notable practitioners, scientists and representatives from PPG committees. Your panelists for this discussion are: Kristi Benson, PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther, Dr. Laura Donaldson, and Dr. Kristina Spaulding.

Join PPG president Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther for a PPG Chat and Chuckle - Bringing Home a New Puppy - The trials and tribulations with Claire Staines of Lothlorien Dog Services.

Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther to Chat and Chuckle with Valarie Ross from Sits 'n Wiggles - Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Cleveland, Ohio. Listen as they discuss gear, reactive behavior in dogs, inclusivity and diversity in pet-related professions, important cues to teach every dog...and so much more!

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on What Does Pet Industry Licensing Look Like?  Listen as panel members explore this fundamental, controversial and very timely topic that directly affects pets and their guardians, as well as those working in the pet care industry. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion includes: PPG president Niki Tudge, K. Holden Svirsky – PPG Shelter & Rescue Committee, Aaron Jones – PPG Inclusivity Committee, Monique Williams - PPG Equid Committee, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Laurie Williams, Pat Miller, Linda Michaels, and Sam Wike.

Join Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee chair Judy Luther as they chat with Stefani M. Cohen, LCSW about helping dog lovers and dog trainers understand more about cynophobia - the fear of dogs - and how to help others overcome it. In 2020, Stefani published her book, Overcoming Your Child’s Fear of Dogs, which is a step-by-step guide for parents based on exposure therapy using a live dog.

Join hosts PPG president Niki Tudge and PPG Canine Committee Chair Judy Luther for a very special Chat and Chuckle. They are joined by Dr. Karen Becker to discuss her The New York Times best seller, The Forever Dog - Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer! - co-authored with Rodney Habib.

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a fascinating and thought-provoking discussion on 'Meeting People Where They Are to Facilitate Change.'  Your host and moderator is PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson. The Advocacy Panel is a selection of notable practitioners, scientists and representatives from PPG committees. Your panelists for this discussion are: PPG president Niki Tudge, Holden Svirsky - Shelter & Rescue Committee, Aaron Jones - Inclusivity Committee, Beth Adelman - Feline Committee, Dr. Zazie Todd, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Dr. Laura Donaldson, Laurie Williams and Kristi Benson. Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as the panelists share their expertise and insights in a fun, free-flowing format.  (Recorded on Friday, December 17, 2021.)

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats & Chuckles with Molly Kelsey, The Cat Counsellor about feline enrichment and socialization...and more! 

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats & Chuckles with Veronica Sanchez about service dog training. Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach™ is a service dog trainer certificate program developed by Veronica Sanchez M.Ed. CABC, CPDT-KA, an expert in service dog training. The program is for experienced professional pet dog trainers who would like to learn how to train service dogs. Successful graduates earn the respected SDC™ certification.

Your PPG Advocacy Panel at Work! Join the panel for a discussion on "Being Nicer" While Advocating. Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise and insights in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson PPG and PPG President Niki Tudge Your Advocacy Panel for Today's Discussion: Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Kristi Benson, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Laurie Williams, Kim Silver (Advocacy Committee), Judy Luther (Canine Committee), Aaron Jones (Inclusivity Committee), Beth  Adelman (Feline Committee), Monique Williams (Equid Committee)

Join the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) Advocacy Panel for a discussion on Advocating to Let Dogs be Dogs, Cats be Cats, Equids Be Equids. Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderator: PPG Advocacy Committee Chair Don Hanson  Your Advocacy Panel: Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Dr. Zazie Todd, Kristi Benson, Holden Svirsky (Shelter & Rescue Committee), Judy Luther (Canine Committee), Dr. Laura Donaldson, Dr. Karolina Westlund, Beth Adelman (Feline Committee), Monique Williams (Equid Committee), Karen Seifert. Find out more about future Advocacy Panel topics and dates.

Join PPG president Niki Tudge and Denise O'Moore, chair of INTODogs, one of the Geek Week co-hosting organizations as they Chat & Chuckle with some Geek Week presenters and sponsors. Tasha Attwood, Dr. Jen Nesbitt-Hawes, Dr. Mindy Waite, Dr. Lisa Gunter and Dr. Melissa Starling chat about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021 and share a few chuckles! FIND OUT MORE about the presenters in our Geek Week 2021 Presenters Guide and explore the sessions discussed in this BARKS Podcast in our Geek Week 2021 Session Descriptions Guide. Geek Week 2021 FEATURES: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions; Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days; Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks; 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers - 28 academics, 29 behavior experts and 13 consulting specialists; Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues; Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face; Meet the authors – Get the details on what’s between the covers; Payment plans – Pay over 4 months; CEUs;  and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party – Get fancy, network, and win prizes! Register for Geek Week 2021!

Join Niki Tudge as she chats with a selection of our Geek Week Sponsors: Sara McLoudrey of Decisive Moment Pet Consulting, Gina Phairas of dogbiz, Revell Horsey of PocketSuite and Malena DeMartini of Malena DeMartini, Inc.  Geek Week 2021 will feature Your Sponsor Hook-up: Loads of opportunity to spend quality time learning about industry innovations, products and services to help you and your business grow! The Geek Week Key Sponsors will participate in Exhibitor Corners where they can set up their own events, provide videos and graphics, and answer all of your questions! We have a great selection of professionals who have joined us this year to support you and your business. And don't miss our Exhibitor Sessions! Jump on our Zoom event, twice daily, where all our Sponsor Partners will gather in one spot, at the same time. Take this opportunity to mingle and move across the breakout rooms to speak with our Exhibitors live. During the Sponsor Spotlight sessions, you can spend an hour live to ask questions and learn about new products and services that can benefit your business and the well-being of your clients and their pets. Check out the schedule for times and links. Register for Geek Week 2021!

Join Niki Tudge and Denise O'Moore as they Chat and Chuckle with Louise Stapleton-Frappell, Dr. Lisa Radosta, Melissa Taylor, and Alexandra Santos about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Find out more about the presenters in our Geek Week 2021 Presenters Guide and explore the sessions discussed in this BARKS Podcast in our Geek Week 2021 Session Descriptions Guide. Geek Week 2021 Features: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions; Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days; Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks; 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers - 28 academics, 29 behavior experts and 13 consulting specialists; Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues; Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face; Meet the authors – Get the details on what’s between the covers; Payment plans – Pay over 4 months; CEUs;  and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party – Get fancy, network, and win prizes! Register for Geek Week 2021!

Join the PPG Advocacy Panel for a discussion on 'How to Reach and Work with Your Local Veterinarians.' Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: Don Hanson & Niki Tudge Your Advocacy Panel for this session: Kristi Benson, Holden Svirsky, Sam Wike, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Judy Luther, and Beth Adelman

Niki Tudge hosts a Chat & Chuckle with Emily Wolf and Libby Felts of Summit Dog Rescue and the podcast, Pod to the Rescue. Emily and Libby provide us with an inside look at the newly created podcast, Pod to the Rescue. Whether you are fostering or adopting, the podcast was created with the goal of providing the rescue community with up-to-date information on dogs' behavior and how to set your dog up for success. Listen for a special guest 'appearance' by Daisy the Dog - keeping it real!

Join Niki Tudge, Debra Millikan and Denise O'Moore as they Chat and Chuckle with Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Michelle Martiya, K. Holden Svirsky, Grisha Stewart and Jean Donaldson about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Find out more about the presenters in our Geek Week 2021 Presenters Guide and explore the sessions discussed in this BARKS Podcast in our Geek Week 2021 Session Descriptions Guide. Geek Week 2021 Features: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions; Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days; Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks; 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers - 28 academics, 29 behavior experts and 13 consulting specialists; Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues; Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face; Meet the authors – Get the details on what’s between the covers; Payment plans – Pay over 4 months; CEUs;  and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party – Get fancy, network, and win prizes! Register for Geek Week 2021!

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Judy Luther, Leslie McDevitt, Veronica Sanchez and Dr. Karolina Westlund about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021.  Find out more about the presenters in our Geek Week 2021 Presenters Guide and explore the sessions discussed in this BARKS Podcast in ourGeek Week 2021 Session Descriptions Guide. Geek Week 2021 Features: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions; Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days; Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks; 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers - 28 academics, 29 behavior experts and 13 consulting specialists; Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues; Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face; Meet the authors – Get the details on what’s between the covers; Payment plans – Pay over 4 months; CEUs;  and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party – Get fancy, network, and win prizes! Register for Geek Week 2021!

In this session, Niki Tudge and Judy Luther chat with Lorna Winter about the ZigZag Puppy App. What is ZigZag? Zigzag is the easiest Puppy Training App to get a perfectly trained puppy in 8-12 weeks! Every day ZigZag provides pet owners with 3-5 fun and easy exercises to train their puppies in all the important life skills. Read PPG's press release announcing the corporate partnership with Zigzag. For more info on the app, see Zigzag's website.

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Emily Tronetti, Tracey Lee Davis, Michael Shikashio, Rain Jordan, & Nancy Tucker about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Listen as they explore their topics and what registrants can expect to learn from each of their sessions. ABOUT GEEK WEEK: Geek Week is the Pet Professional Guild’s virtual educational summit taking place this year on November 13-17. Features include: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions, Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days, Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks, 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers, 28 academics, 29 behavior experts and 13 consulting specialists, Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues, Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face, Meet the authors – Get the details on what’s between the covers, Payment plans – Pay over 4 months, CEUs, and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party - Get fancy, network, and win prizes! All this delivered on an easy-to-use, innovative platform giving you one-click access to your events. For more information and tickets, visit: www.GeekWeek.Rocks

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Irith Bloom, Paula Garber, Julie Naismith, Suzanne Clothier, and Dr. Simon Gadbois about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Listen as they explore their topics and what registrants can expect to learn from each of their sessions. Register for Geek Week 2021 at: www.GeekWeek.Rocks Geek Week 2021 (November 13-17) Features: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions, Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days, Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks, 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers, Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues, Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face, Meet the authors – Get the details on what’s between the covers, Payment plans, CEUs, and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party!

Join the PPG Advocacy Panel for a discussion on 'How to Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Training.' Pet guardians and pet professionals, listen as panel members share their expertise in a fun, free-flowing format. Your Moderators: Don Hanson & Niki Tudge Your Advocacy Panel for this discussion: Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Dr. Zazie Todd, Pat Miller, Kristi Benson, Helen Phillips, Holden Svirsky, Sam Wike, Claire Staines, Dr. Robert Hewings, Dr. Eduardo Fernandez, Kim Silver, Judy Luther, Dr. Laura Donaldson, Dr. Karolina Westlund Find out more about the Advocacy Panel, including future topics and dates.

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Dr. Laura Donaldson, Simone Mueller, & Dr. Holly Tett about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Listen as they explore their topics and what registrants can expect to learn from each of their Geek Week presentations.

In this month's BARKS Newsletter we speak of Geek Week, Shock-Free Coalition "Tag It!" Competition winners, BIPOC Scholarships, new Corporate Partner UnChase! and much more.  Catch up on BARKS news. You can also read the BARKS Newsletter by Clicking Here.

On today’s podcast I chat with Dr. Zazie Todd from Companion Animal Psychology which has been inspiring pet owners to have happier cats and dogs since 2012.  We chatted about Zazie’s upcoming sessions at Geek Week 2021, WAG – The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and much more. You can reach Zazie via her website here. Grab your own copy of WAG by clicking here. Learn more about Geek Week here Geek Home Key Event Details For The Love of Rescue Your 2021 Presenters Geek Week Sessions Geek Week Registration BIPOC Scholarships Sponsor Geek Week

In this months BARKS Newsletter we speak of Geek Week, Your Geek Week schedule, discounted webinars, scholarships winners , The Pet Professional Accreditation Board (FREE to members) and much more. Catch up on BARKS news. You can also read the BARKS Newsletter here

In this podcast  Niki Tudge chats with Jules Morgan and Helen Phillips from The Gundog Trainers Academy Their mission is to support, nurture and encourage high standards of ethical, science-backed, non-coercive, and effective methods of training for gundogs in the UK. They aim to build an extensive network of like-minded, qualified Gundog Trainers to fulfill the demand for ethical gundog training for shooting, for competition, and for pleasure. GTA offers educational courses in practical and theoretical formats with a final assessment process that accredits teachers to become GTA Instructors. Handler-only courses are devised to improve and extend upon gundog handling skills to owners and trainers by delving deeper into the learning process and applying it to fieldwork. The GTA is a member of ABTC & PPG. The Gundog Trainers Academy: https://www.gundogtrainersacademy.co.uk/

In this months BARKS Newsletter we speak of Geek Week, BIPOC Scholarships, new Corporate Partners PocketSuite and Pet Pro Marketing  and much more.  Catch up on BARKS news. You can also read the BARKS Newsletter here

Join Niki Tudge as she chats with Ken MacLeod.  Ken MacLeod is an Emmy-honored set designer, a positive reinforcement dog trainer, and a major Bruce Springsteen fan.  Throughout Ken's long career in the film industry, he designed sets for many iconic commercials, and worked on several television shows, such as Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and his decade-long residence at Saturday Night Live. Working alongside Hollywood's top talent, his love of animals has always been his primary passion. Ken graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy intending to learn skills to train his reactive puppy, Scooter. After graduating the course, Ken saw such incredible results with Scooter via positive reinforcement training that he was inspired to begin taking on clients and teaching others the methods he had learned and developed that so benefited his pup. MyPositivePup.com was founded 3 years ago. Ken, still working at Saturday Night Live, and can hardly keep up with the growth of his new business venture.  You can follow Ken and Scooter's story at @mypositivepup on Instagram.

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats & Chuckles with Rain Jordan from the Fearful Dog Project. In this podcast we talk dog fear, methods for addressing fear and we also explore the Fearful Dog Project program that is described as “TFDP's Fear Abatement Mastery (FAM) program is the most humane, comprehensive program for fearful dogs. Begun in 2014, the program is continually expanded & refined. Available nationally & in some countries. You can learn more about Rain and her work here at the website The Fearful Dog Project.  About The Fearful Dog Project The Fearful Dogs Project offers a comprehensive program of learning in order to equip you to best help fearful dogs, including feral dogs, puppy mill survivors, and others. We’ll cover the anti-aversives philosophy that underlies the program, as well as theory and activities that comprise the best practices for working or living with this population of dogs. Who the Program is For Professionals and non-pros welcome, including anyone living with or working around one or more fearful dogs.  Canine behavior consultants, dog trainers, veterinary staff, rescue, sanctuary, & shelter staff, fosterers & other volunteers, groomers, dog daycare owners, boarders or sitters, pet store staff, animal welfare & protection organizations, delivery workers, animal control officers, police officers, and of course pet parents.

In this months BARKS Newsletter we speak of Geek Week, Pet Dog Ambassador, new Steering Committee appointments, a new Shock-Free Coalition Logo  and much more. Catch up on BARKS news. You can also read the BARKS Newsletter here https://petprofessionalguild.com/News-May-2021where you will find all the necessary links to delve more deeply into BARKS News and what is happening at PPG

Join Niki as she chats to Dr. Spaulding. It's always great to host Dr. Spaulding and the conversation is always fast moving and fascinating.  In this episode we talk about topics ranging from animal self-awareness to current research papers and how to read and interpret them.  Dr.Spaulding hosts a monthly webinar  called Research Bites, this is the fastest and easiest way to keep up-to-date on research on dog training and behavior! For those of you who are interested in signing up these are the upcoming dates: May 11th, 2021, 7 pm Eastern Do dogs have mental representations of past events? Exploring the question of episodic memory in dogs. June 8th, 2021, 7 pm Eastern What are the most effective approaches to aggression in dogs? A detailed examination of various aggression treatments. July 13th, 2021, 7 pm Eastern How does training method impact emotional state? Examining the effect of methodology on wellbeing in dogs. About Dr. Spualding  Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB Co-owner, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Behavior consultant, Class instructor Click here to learn more 

Join Niki Tudge and a Panel of Business Experts, Veronica Boutelle Tracey Lee Davies and Coleen Ellis. During the PPG “Up Your Business Game” event we hosted these experts to give us advice on how we can grow our pet businesses. In this podcast other than lots of great yuck and giggles we also discussed packages, social media, pricing and much more. Come and join us and listen in. We hope you enjoy it. Learn more about your Panel Colleen Ellis Veronica Boutelle Tracey Lee Davis

Join Niki Tudge as she chats with Victoria Stilwell. It’s always a pleasure for me to host and chat with Victoria Stilwell. The conversation moved quickly through comparing Cadburys to Hershey’s chocolate. We covered the important topic of how we, the British, define biscuits versus the term more commonly used in the US, cookies. We did soon reach the important topics and had some thought-provoking discussions about dog breeding, puppy mills and much more. Thank you, Victoria, for all the great work you do, for being a great guest and for always being a fabulous sport! About Victoria Stilwell Victoria Stilwell is a world-renowned dog trainer best known as the star of the international hit TV series It's Me or the Dog. Having filmed over 110 episodes of It's Me or the Dog beginning in 2005, Stilwell is able to reach audiences in over 120 countries with her philosophy of positive training methods. She also served as a judge for Greatest American Dog on CBS, as the behavior specialist for Dogs Might Fly on Sky One, and as the resident dog behavior expert on the One Show on BBC1. Her most recent show, Dogs With Extraordinary Jobs, airs worldwide including Channel 5 in the UK and the Smithsonian channel in the USA. logo-IMOTDA passionate advocate for positive reinforcement dog training methods, Stilwell is the Editor-in-Chief of Positively.com which features a roster of Positively Contributors comprised of the world’s leading veterinary behaviorists, dog trainers and behavioral scientists. She is a vocal opponent of punitive, dominance-based training techniques which often result in 'quick fixes' but ultimately cause more long-term harm than good while damaging the owner-dog relationship. Learn more here 

Join Niki Tudge and a Panel of Business Experts. Dr. Robert King, Gina Phairas and Coleen Ellis.  In this discussion we explore pricing, email marketing, product augmentation, target marketing and more. We hope you enjoy it. Learn more about your Panel Colleen Ellis Gina Phairas Robert King  Niki Tudge

Listen to the April 2021 Edition of BARKS News here. Learn about the Up Your Business Week FREE event for PPG Members, who are upcoming guests are on PPG Facebook Lives, new webinar offerings, job boards, Project Trade winners and so much more. Quick Links Read the PPG Newsletter Subscribe for BARKS from the Guild PPG webinars Upcoming events The PPG Archive

It is always so educational and so informative when we have Dr. Karolina Westlund in the house. Join Niki as she chats with Dr. Westlund about Emotional Learning, and of course so much more. Prof. Karolina Westlund helps pet parents and animal professionals attain happier animals that thrive in the care of humans. She grew up pining for a kitten and pestered her parents until they finally gave in. The resulting black, green-eyed, half-Siamese cat she got for her seventh birthday became a true friend who lived to be 21 years old but was an easily startled cat who often went into hiding when there were visitors. She had grand ideas about becoming a field biologist, but instead she majored in ethology and developed a passionate interest in animal welfare as seen through a multidisciplinary lens, including behaviour analysis and affective neuroscience. She is now an associate professor of ethology at the University of Stockholm, Sweden where she mainly teaches about how behavior management can be used to improve animal welfare. She also conducts live seminars, free online webinars and masterclasses in addition to more extensive courses, as well as the occasional scientific publication on the topic of enrichment, animal training and well-being. Visit Dr. Westlunds website here 

Join Niki Tudge and Alex Pietraszko - Head of Marketing for Animals Courses Direct. Learn all about the great programs they offer to pet professionals and the new courses they are working on www.animalcoursesdirect.co.uk. Animal Courses Direct are the largest organisation in the UK offering Ofqual regulated animal care courses that meet rigorous government regulated standards. Their Ofqual qualifications comply with Animal Activity Licensing Regulation requirements and the  animal courses are accredited and recognised by employers; they are designed to enhance career and employment prospects. Rated Excellent by Trustpilot. Established in 2005. Enroll today and study with confidence! You can reach them on Facebook here and at their website here 

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats & Chuckles with Dr. Dorothy Heffernan about Equines. We discuss Equine communication, training methods, common myths about horse behavior and so much more. Dorothy Heffernan is a psychologist who applies her knowledge of learning, cognition and neuroscience to help horse guardians improve their horses’ lives through a changed approach to management, training and environment. She uses a force-free approach to training and enjoys making science fun and relatable. Since 2013, she has written a blog about horse behavior, Horses Under Our Skin, helping people understand why their horses act the way they do. She is an endorsed trainer of the World Bitless Association and helps horse owners transition to bitless riding using positive reinforcement techniques. In addition, she works with horse, pony and donkey owners using an evidence-based approach to resolving behavior issues from handling, riding, transporting and husbandry problems. She has been a chartered member of the British Psychological Society for nearly 20 years. You can reach Dr. Heffernan on Facebook here

Listen to the March 2021 Edition of BARKS News here. Learn about the Up Your Business Week FREE event for PPG Members, PPAB Launches French Language Option for Training and Behavior Credentials, PPG’s Gizmo Pens Letter to America’s First Dogs, PPG and Victoria Stilwell Positively Link Up  to Offer Training Support to White House Dog, Major, March Cat Behavior Call-In Lounge, Upcoming Facebook Live Sessions, March BARKS Now Available Online.  Links to referenced documents  Barks from the Guild March Newsletter The Pet Professional Accreditation Board PPG Facebook Page Post

Join Niki Tudge as she chats to Lisa and Brad Waggoner about their Prison Dog Program. They have been dog trainers for, Rescued Program, Saving Detainees and Dogs One Life at a Time, since its inception in 2012. The program focuses on the rehabilitation of detainees through training their dogs using positive reinforcement training techniques. You can find out more about Lisa and Brad at Cold Nose College 

Join Niki Tudge as she chats with Sara Berry McLoudrey from Synergy Behavior Solutions in Portland, Oregon. We chat all about virtual training, the experience of transitioning from a small business owner to working as a Trainer at a Behavior Practice and then all about Horny Dogs. Yes you read it correctly, this is the only podcast where the conversation can go from trees and rain to Horny Dogs all in one session. Got your interest, push play and listen on.. Sara McLoudrey, CPDT-KSA, CNWI, FitPaws-MT, TAG-L2 Behavior Modification and Training Coordinator, Certified Animal Trainer Sara joined Synergy Behavior Solutions in 2016. She came to us from Chicago, where she owned her own successful dog training business.  She is the only Victoria Stillwell certified trainer in Oregon, a  CPDT-KSA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed), and FitPaws certified instructor.  She also has been a Certified Nosework instructor. Sara works with and enriches our patients through private instruction and Synergy's unique group classes.She competed the Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification. Learn more

BARKS Newsletter February 2021: Issue 62 Each month Susan Nilson puts together the latest news for our PPG Members. We are now podcasting the highlights of the PPG Newsletter so members who prefer Podcasts can catch up on everything PPG. To read the full BARKS Newsletter click here  This podcast was sponsored by 2 Hounds Design.  About 2 Hounds Design 2 Hounds Design almost never was.  Alisha never planned on starting a collar company.  With a background in theoretical and applied Physics, nobody could have guessed where the adventure would take her. Quick Links BARKS from the Guild Live Webinars Guild Archive

Join Niki Tudge, Debra Millikan and Lucie Malouin as we chat through the process of becoming accredited through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. Learn about Eligibility, Skill and Knowledge testing and much more. If you have unanswered questions about PPAB, the credentials, how they were developed, the different levels, the knowledge testing, the skill assessment. the process or anything else then listen on. To learn more about the credentialing board click here  The Accreditation Board  offers the only Accredited Training Technician & Professional Canine Trainer certification for professionals who believe there is no place for shock, choke, prong, pain, force or fear in pet training and behavior practices. The Board also offers the only  psychometrically sound examination for Training & Behavior Consultants who also support these humane and scientific practices. 

Lots of fun was had during this Chat & Chuckle with Leslie McDevitt. Other than training topics we also chatted dragons, big hair and a few other off the cuff topics. Much of the focus was on the Virtual “Reactive to Relaxed: Next Steps in Control Unleashed” event we are hosting in March with Leslie McDevitt. Leslie described what attendees can expect to learn and what skills they can hone. The event is streamed directly to your living room and all attendees will have access to three webinars and Live Q&A with support via a Facebook group. Webinar one: Pattern Games held on March 8, 2021. 5.pm. ET. Live Q&A 6: 00.p.m. Webinar Two: Look at That held on March 10, 2021 5.pm. ET. Live Q&A 6: 00.p.m. Webinar Three: Cooperative Counter Conditioning held on March 12, 2021 5.pm. ET. Live Q&A 6: 00.p.m. Learn more here https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/event-4097900

Niki Tudge chats with Claire Staines about Dog Training in Scotland through the COVID Pandemic. Niki says It’s always a pleasure to chat with Claire the owner of Lothlorien DS. Claire was a PPGBI Steering Committee member and is currently a Faculty Advisor at Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior. Claire’s business in Edinburgh was established in 2004 as a dog walking business. Over the years it has expanded and now offers training and walking services across Scotland’s Central Belt. Tune in to listen to this fun casual yet informative conversation. You can learn more about Claire Staines here

Join Niki Tudge while she Chats and Chuckles with Julie Brewer from the UK. We chatted about lots of things regarding positive reinforcement training and the way to best engage and educate clients being central.  Julie Brewer has a Masters Degree in Clinical Animal Behaviour from University of Lincoln with Professor Daniel Mills. Julie has several other qualifications, Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training from COAPE, Diploma in Photography and Digital Imaging, Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing RCVS, Registered Veterinary Nurse. Julie is a member of The Pet Professional Guild,  COAPE, Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, Pet Professional Network and the British Veterinary Nursing Association In 2018 whilst still working as a full-time veterinary nurse, doing permanent weekend and night duties, running puppy training classes and seeing behaviour cases, she started her Masters degree, took on another puppy from Spain called Dodo and opened her business with her business partner Dawn, also a qualified veterinary nurse. Little Tykes Dog Hub in Grimsby offers Day Care, Training and Behaviour was born. In 2020 Julie gained a Merit in her degree, despite never believing that she was capable, and is still growing the business in the face of Covid having to change to online provisions.   Julie will happily say “if I can do it then anyone can”.

Join Niki Tudge as she chats with Veronica Sanchez M.Ed CABC CPDT-KA. Veronica is the founder of the Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach™, an educational certification program for professional trainers. She teaches dog trainers how to train service dogs and how to incorporate service dog training into their pet dog training businesses. She also offers a variety of online courses on different aspects of service dog training and often speaks and writes on service dogs for professional associations. Veronica is also the author of the book, Service Dog Coaching: A Guide for Pet Dog Trainers and has supported owner-trainers training service dogs for mobility, hearing, mental health, neurological problems and dual guide-mobility work. Her interest in service dogs is both professional and personal, as she has a disability herself, a neurological condition called generalized dystonia, and she has trained her own dogs to assist as service dogs. Get certified today. Click here to learn more abut the Service Dog Certification Program

Niki Tudge chats with Dr. Hannah Capon about how excited they are at CAM to promote the first course Canine Arthritis Management has released. CamAdvocate Level 1. CAMadvocate Level 1 is a modular course for canine professionals to improve their understanding of canine arthritis, and to define their role in identification, diagnosis and management of the neglected condition. The course consists of 10 modules, with video presentations, course notes, downloads, owner-focused tools, further online learning and social media uploads. You can learn more about the program here. Interested in supporting CAM and learning more about the organization, click here. 2021 Thrive! Listen to the end of the interview and you can also get upto date information on the the Thrive Program by dog*biz We’ve been hearing amazing things from PPG members about what they’ve been accomplishing through THRIVE!, and how much they love the program. We urge you to learn more and claim your spot here. Remember—open enrollment is this week only, January 20-26. Grab this incredible opportunity while it’s available!

In this episode of BARKS podcast, we focused on all things feline. Niki had the pleasure of chatting with the PPG Feline Committee Chair and Vice-Chair, Paula Garber and Tabitha Kucera. The topics ranged from pet cats, veterinary visits, what we know we don’t know and so much more about our feline friends. We also chatted about feral cats and the myths about cat colonies. We spent some time talking about all the great things the Feline Committee is doing including the popular Cat Lounge! The conversation rounded off with some important discussions about  health and fitness for pet professionals. You can learn more about the  PPG Feline Committee by clicking here 

In this BARKS Podcast Niki Tudge and Denise O’Moore review the 5-day Geek Week schedule. Join Denise and Niki as they Chat and Chuckle through 5 days of more than 130 sessions. They home in on presenters, discuss content, dates and the excitement of seeing so many, 85, internationally recognized presenters at one event. You will also learn all about the great competitions and prize-winning opportunities through the week. To learn more or grab your ticket before registration closes on November 8, 2020 click here www.GeekWeek.Rocks To review the full schedule you can see it listed here www.GeekWeekEvent.com

Join Niki Tudge as she chats to Louise Ginman, the President of APDT Australia one of the co-hosting organizations for  Geek Week. Louise is also doing two presentations at Geek Week and we discussed the topics of My Dog Has Cancer: Navigating Cancer from a Pet Parents’ Perspective and Home Alone Program for Puppies and Dogs of All Ages. About Louise Louise Ginman PCT-A is a Delta Accredited and Professional Canine Trainer – Accredited dog behavioural trainer who runs a dog training business, Positive Dogs, in Sydney, New South Wales. She has served on the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Australia committee since 2008 and been president since 2012. She also serves on the PPG Australia committee. Ginman has several qualifications including a BSc and Certificate IV in companion animal services, as well as over 27 years’ experience with both domestic and exotic species in both a training and husbandry/management capacity. She worked as a veterinary nurse, dog and cat groomer and animal attendant in a busy and large practice in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney for several years before moving to Taronga Zoo in 1994 to work on the Carnivore Unit where she is the unit supervisor. Her role is varied and covers duties such as carnivore husbandry and management, animal training and enrichment, diets and nutrition, staff training and supervision, media work, conference presentations and other forms of public speaking, research, education and conservation work. Ginman is guardian of a Shetland sheepdog and a Siberian husky and competes at agility, Rally O and obedience. Her book, The Art of Introducing Dogs. A guide to conducting dog to dog introductions, was published in 2013. She strives to educate people about living in harmony with their dog through her writing and pet dog training courses. About Geek Week Geek Week is the ultimate virtual event for professionals working in the fields of pet care, animal behavior and training, as well as for guardians who want to learn more about their pets! So, join us for more than 130 sessions delivered by 85 world class presenters over 24 hours a day for a fabulous five days! Register Today

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Debra Millikan, a PPG Board Member and Steering Committee Team Member. Niki and Deb spent an hour talking about the Pet Professional Accreditation Board and the development of the three PPAB credentialing levels. Learn how these credentials evolved, what they involve and how you can become an ethical credentialed force-free professional. The Accreditation Board sets a very high standard for competency and each credentialing level tests knowledge, basic training skills, conditioning a positive emotional response, running classes and for the Behavior Consultant case management is assessed through case studies. You can learn more about PPAB here  https://www.credentialingboard.com In the back half of the chat we discussed the Pet Dog Ambassador Program and how important it is in promoting positive reinforcement-based pet training across our communities. The Pet Dog Ambassador program is a pet manners training program for dogs of all ages. Through the 5 step credentialing program pets learn the much-needed real life skills in a fun and supportive environment. The PDA program also attracts professionals who become licensed to not only teach the curriculum but also assess the pet dog skills. Learn about PDA here and how you can get involved.  https://www.petdogambassador.com/ Debra Millikan PCBC-A AABP-CABT CAP2 Debra Millikan has over 40 years’ experience in dog training that has seen her involved in conformation, obedience judging, pet manners classes and puppy pre-school. Currently, she serves on the board of the Pet Professional Guild, Doggone Safe, the Companion Animal Sciences Institute and the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals. She also trains aspiring instructors at Canine Behavioural School in Adelaide, South Australia.

Join Niki Tudge as she chats with Veronica Sanchez M.Ed CABC CPDT-KA. Veronica is the founder of the Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach™, an educational certification program for professional trainers. She teaches dog trainers how to train service dogs and how to incorporate service dog training into their pet dog training businesses. She also offers a variety of online courses on different aspects of service dog training and often speaks and writes on service dogs for professional associations. Veronica is also the author of the book, Service Dog Coaching: A Guide for Pet Dog Trainers and has supported owner-trainers training service dogs for mobility, hearing, mental health, neurological problems and dual guide-mobility work. Her interest in service dogs is both professional and personal, as she has a disability herself, a neurological condition called generalized dystonia, and she has trained her own dogs to assist as service dogs. Niki and Veronica chat about her new program called Mobility Task Training How-To’s. Niki and Veronica chat about the Service Dog Industry, public access dogs and the concept of at home service dogs and so much more.

Niki Tudge is joined by Laurie Williams the Owner of Pup N Iron® in Virginia. Join Niki and Laurie as they talk about this extremely important topic, diversity in the dog training profession. Laurie C. Williams CPDT-KA has had a love of and connection with dogs from as far back as she can remember. She is the owner and director of training and behavior counseling at Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness and Learning Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she has been serving her community as a canine education specialist and dog behavior counselor for the past 15 years. She holds a bachelor’s from Norwich University in Montpelier, Vermont and was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Natural Sciences Department of Northern Virginia Community College for seven years. She is also a nationally published writer with articles appearing in the APDT Chronicle of the Dog, The Whole Dog Journal, Dog & Handler, 911, Essence, Fitness, and Good Housekeeping. She is currently a member of the board of governors of the Dog Writer's Association of America and is a therapy dog evaluator for Pet Partners, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a licensed judge for the American Kennel Club. Geek Week - Learn more here 

Join Niki Tudge where she Chats and Chuckles with Judy Luther. Niki and Judy chat equine, canine and captive animals. Their discussion ranges into the great programs the PPG Canine Committee are working on such as Project Trade, Boundary SOP's and so much more. Judy  is based in the St. Louis, Missouri metro area and Branson, Missouri and has provided training and behavior consulting services for a variety of species, both domestic and exotic, for over 27 years. She is a board certified pet dog trainer through the Certification Council of Professional Trainers, a certified nose work instructor, a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy, a certified canine massage therapist, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, an AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. evaluator, an APDT C.L.A.S.S. instructor and evaluator, and works with the American Humane Educators Association. She is also the creator of Trust Centered Training™, which utilizes the latest scientific research, and runs her own training business. In addition, Judy is the chair of PPG’s Canine Division, sits on the Advisory Board for St. Louis County Animal Control, and has volunteered for the Missouri Puppies for Patrol program. 

Niki Tudge the PPG President hosted Denise O’Moore, Chair of INTO Dogs on Facebook to talk Geek Week. For an hour they chatted about the Geek Week schedule, presenters, and all things Geeky education. Tune in to hear the fun news about this great event where for five-day, 24-hours a day there will be more than 130 sessions with over 80 presenters. Learn about the sponsorship opportunities, virtual exhibitor halls and so much more Learn more by visiting the website www.GeekWeek.Rocks

On today’s episode we “Chat & Chuckle” with Kelly Duggan from Kelly Duggan Design. Kelly wears many hats and has several roles in our industry, from her own business to supporting the Academy for Dog Trainers to working behind the scenes helping PPG with their new site. Today we talk to Kelly about marketing and websites and how you can best leverage your website to service more clients and help more pets. The conversation wanders from graphic design to navigation to capturing important client date and making it really easy for clients to book services. We even go down the “time management” road. Plus, you not only learn what Kelly keeps close at hand on her desk in this episode, but I have to reveal too! To learn more about Kelly you can visit her website here or her Facebook page.

Join us on this podcast where Dr. Fernandez and Nik Tudge chat science, ethics, bears, tigers, data collection and so much more Learn what three things Eduardo has on his desk at all times! Dr. Eduardo J. Fernandez received his Ph.D. in Psychology (minors in Neuroscience and Animal Behavior) from Indiana University and his M.S. in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. Much of his past and current work involves the behavioral training and welfare of zoo, aquarium, and companion animals. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Behavior Analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology. He will begin his new position this summer as a Senior Lecturer of Animal Behaviour in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

Today in our PPG Member group we talked Punishment with Dr. Karolina Westlund. We discussed the downside of using scary punishment, the ethics construct as a side model to science, the humane hierarchy and so much more. Listen here to the audio of this thought challenging conversation between Dr. Karolina and PPG President, Niki Tudge.  Conversations with Dr. Karolina are always science based and animal welfare centered. Dr. Karolina represents her business Illis ABC where she provides top-notch education on animal behavior to pet industry professionals. To learn more about Illis and the programs they offer visit their website here https://illis.se/en/

Every Friday, PPG President Niki Tudge hosts a Facebook Live session for PPG members. We were privileged on Friday June 6, 2020 to host Dr. Kristina Spaulding from Smart Dog Training and Behavior where we explored and discussed stress! We can all benefit from knowledge about stress and how this impacts our four-legged family members and it's our goal at PPG to spread the word and help provide education to pet professionals and pet owners. Tune in to join the session To learn more about Dr. Kristina Spaulding and the education she offers please visit her website Smart Dog Training & Behavior 

INiki Tudge catches up with Gina Phairas  and Veronica Boutelle  of PPG corporate partner dog*biz to talk about the FREE six-week group coaching program, Survive & Thrive, they launched in April 2020 to help R+ trainers navigate through the COVID-19 crisis.  They talk about their experiences and also their key takeaways from coaching pet professionals and small business owners through these challenging times. The discussion ranges from the new landscaping of the pet industry to how Survive & Thrive is shaping some new ideas and innovations for pet professionals. Click here to find out more about dog*biz.

Join Niki Tudge as she hosts Coleen Ellis from Coleen Rocks to talk about how to get your business “Future Ready”. In this interactive dynamic discussion you will learn how to think about your marketing from a different perspective. We will discuss the importance of “Honoring Your Story” to understanding the “Experience Economy” and how to use these to get your business “Future Ready” Ever wondered about the importance of being different, well we got it covered here. Learn about your 5 onlies and much more So strap in, this is a long one, chock full of advise and tips to getting your business future ready! Ready to be inspired and energized? Possibly you’re an entrepreneur trying to be all things in this new business you’re rockin’, or maybe you just need a burst of energy to start you off on your next journey. For whatever you fall into as a member of a community or group, Coleen’s message will be just what you need to take YOU to the next level! Learn more about Coleen here

Niki Tudge chats to Dr. Zazie Todd about her new book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. Dr. Todd is well-known among pet professionals for her blog Companion Animal Psychology, but she is also a featured blogger on Psychology Today. Zazie Todd Ph.D. (psychology, University of Nottingham, England) MFA (creative writing, University of British Columbia, Canada) graduated with honors from Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers and has a Certificate of Feline Behaviour with Distinction from International Cat Care. She is a shelter affiliate member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a multispecies professional member of the Pet Professional Guild, a volunteer at the BC SPCA, and an affiliate member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

How much do you not know, but need to know, about canine arthritis, a disease that can affect four out of five older dogs? Join Niki Tudge as she chats to Dr. Hannah Capon of PPG corporate partner Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) about this illness and how you can make changes in your living environment to help with pain management and thus achieve a better quality of life. CAM aims to challenge arthritis as the major cause of elective euthanasia in the UK and is committed to promoting better care of our aging canine friends. CAM believes that, through education, the disease can be better tackled to give our dogs longer, healthier lives free from pain. Help support CAM by sharing their resources, referring your clients and friends to their website, and grabbing some of the really cool CAM products from their store. PPG members, check your member area for updates on vendor programs and savings to be had when purchasing CAM products. To learn, more about canine arthritis, sign up for the recording of the PPG webinar, The Neglected Pieces of the Arthritis Puzzle - Important Interventions for Shelter Dogs Suffering with Arthritis, presented by Dr. Capon. PPG will donate the webinar sales to CAM to support their goals. Learn more about CAM founder Dr. Hannah Capon MA Vet MB MRCVS  Subscribe to the CAM YouTube channel. If you are a proactive pet owner or your canine companion has recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease or dysplasia, check out this great educational resource offered by CAM.

Today I had the pleasure to interview Dr. Kristina Spaulding from SmartDog Training and Behavior.   We discussed an array of issues from why we need more science in our industry to examples of what we might be missing by not keeping up to date on current scientific research? Grab a cup of coffee or tea, settle in and enjoy the chat! To learn more about Dr. Spaulding you can visit www.smartdogtrainingandbehavior.com

TransPaw Gear is a PPG Corporate Partner. They offer PPG members fabulous pricing for their TRANSPAW GEAR® HAPPY HARNESS™ 2.0 TransPaw Gear is a small but mighty operation. Joan runs the company in addition to her Santa Barbara training business The Inquisitive Canine. After those early experiences working with businesses and people who brought equal parts integrity and passion to their roles, the bar was set high for future collaborators; Joan continues to surround herself (albeit largely virtually these days) with dedicated support professionals – a writer/editor, marketing, SEO, and website specialists, and legal and accounting support – to help keep TransPaw Gear running smoothly while maintaining the company’s core values of integrity, transparency, and compassion, to name a few. She does this while always keeping one eye on the mission of bringing dogs and humans together Visit there website https://transpawgear.com/ and muse the products, their blog and sign up for their newsletter. 

Niki Tudge interviws Veronica about her business and in particular the certificate program for professional dog trainers her company offers.  Learn about how you can intergrate Service Dog Programs into your existing business model.  As Veronica says "the demand for service dogs has skyrocketed. Whether working with “owner-trainers,” people with disabilities training their own dogs for service work, or for a service dog program, there is a growing demand for dog trainers qualified to train service dogs. Unfortunately, few pet dog trainers are knowledgeable and skilled in service dog training" There are also fabulous on-demand programs you can register for and in particular one called Service Dog Fundamentals. Whether you are a professional dog trainer, career changer, owner-trainer or a healthcare professional, if you are interested in service dogs this course is a great starting point. You will learn about service dog laws, the service dog training process and understand how learning theory is applied to service dog training. This on-demand course covers the important basics anyone considering working with service dogs needs to know. Visit https://cooperativepaws.com/