The Pet Professional Guild - News April 2021

April 2021: Issue 64

Listen to the April 2021 Edition of BARKS News

PPG Gears Up for Up Your Business Game!

PPG is providing a range of educational business resources to help its members successfully negotiate their way through the pandemic, including Up Your Business Game!, a virtual event that runs from April 19-23, 2021. The event, which is FREE for PPG members and just $50 for nonmembers, will incorporate two sessions each day (9 a.m. ET / 6 p.m. ET) and a live Q&A with the presenter. Bonus panel discussions with business experts will take place on April 21 and 23. Special event features include:

A total of 14 sessions and two panel discussions.
Each session will have a live Q&A with the presenter at the end of the session.
All sessions will be recorded and available for one month after the event to those who have registered.
PPG Australia and PPG British Isles members will be issued event codes so they can sign up for FREE.

Register for Up Your Business Game!

Please support our sponsors, visit their websites and let them know how much

we appreciate the support they give PPG!

PPG Announces New Dates for PORTL Workshop

PPG has announced new dates for Your PORTL to Shaping with Mary Hunter. The event will now take place in Lecanto, Florida on April 9-10, 2022.

The event will incorporate two intensive days of lectures and hands-on exercises using the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab (PORTL), a tabletop game that will help you learn more about animal behavior and learning.

The workshop will be limited to a small group of attendees to allow ample time for discussion and questions and so that participants can receive individual coaching during the shaping exercises.

Register for Your PORTL to Shaping.

PPG Launches New Job Message Board; Adds New Member Profile Options

PPG has launched a new Job Message Board for members to post and reply to vacancies, available in the members’ area of the PPG website (note: you must be logged in). Also, members now have the option to include details of their Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest pages and add virtual/online training as an offered service under their PPG profile.

Upcoming Facebook Live Sessions

Chat Chuckle and Learn Sessions with PPG president Niki Tudge - save the dates!

Friday, April 23, 2021 / Noon (ET):

Victoria Stilwell of Positively will be chatting all things "positive."

Friday, April 30 / 3 p.m. (ET):

Dr. Kristina Spaulding of Smart Dog Training and Behavior will be chatting canine behavior and training.

Friday, May 14, 2021 / Noon (ET):

Kamal Fernandez of Kamal Fernandez Online Training will be chatting dogs, training, and catching us up on all the fun stuff he is working on.

Do you have something you’d like to share? Join Niki Tudge in one of our Facebook Live sessions! Just fill out this short form to get it scheduled and share your knowledge and experience with PPG members and supporters. The link is also available in the member area of the PPG website.

Check PPG Members' Facebook group for further details and to join live sessions.

Save the Date: Geek Week 2021

Following on from the enormous success of Geek Week 2020 last November, PPG has announced that this year’s event will take place on November 13-17, 2021.

Watch this space for more details.

Take a Sneak Peek at May BARKS

If you’re a BARKS subscriber, you can now check out the full contents list of the May issue (above right) in your member area of the BARKS website.

If you’re not yet subscribed, sign up today for your free lifetime digital subscription and get instant access to the current issue, as well as all the back issues to 2014.

Read the March 2021 issue (above left) of BARKS.

Get Your Article Featured in BARKS!

BARKS from the Guild, PPG’s bimonthly official trade publication, is looking for new writers to contribute on both a regular and an ad hoc basis. BARKS is all about pet professionals sharing their individual knowledge and experience with others as we work to grow the force-free community and spread the message. BARKS’ online audience is comprised tens of thousands of pet professionals and pet guardians all over the world; being featured in BARKS is great for your business, for your fellow pet professionals, and for the clients and pets we serve! Please read the BARKS FAQs page for more information on submitting articles or contact the editor for further details.

BARKS Podcasts are now available on Anchor, from where you can select your preferred app to listen any time or download. Make sure you follow BARKS Podcasts on whichever app you choose so you can stay updated with new releases.

Latest Podcasts:

Join Niki Tudge as she chats to:

BARKS Podcast with Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis Animal Behaviour Consulting discussing emotional learning (April 9, 2021).

BARKS Podcast with Alex Pietraszko discussing all the great programs offered by Animal Courses Direct (March 26, 2021).

BARKS Podcast with Dr. Dorothy Heffernan discussing all things equine (March 19, 2021).

BARKS News – March 2021 edition.

Listen to earlier BARKS podcasts.

Upcoming Live Webinars:

A Virtual "Up Your Business Game" - FREE for PPG Members
Monday, April 19, 2021 – Friday, April 23, 2021 / 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. E.T.

Getting Started with Instagram. Presented by Tracey Lee Davis
Thursday, May 13 / 1 p.m. E.T.

The Benefits of Scent-Work. Presented by Dr. Robert Hewings
Monday, May 17 / 2 p.m. E.T.

Discounted Webinars:

PPG is offering the following selected webinars at a discount this month - each webinar is just $15:

Stressed Out: Dogs, Hormones, and Stress

Dr. Jessica Hekman

Understanding Aggression in Dogs

Sezan Ozgunay

Defensive Aggressive Behaviour

Claudia Estanislau

Loose Leash Walking - Learn to Nail it Every Time

Yvette Van Veen

Nitty Gritty of Cat Training: Compacted Version!

Jacqueline Munera

Project Trade Names February Ambassador

Congratulations to Lee Desmarais of Zippity Do Dog Training and Behavior Modification LLC in Massachusetts, USA for trading discounts on force-free training services in exchange for a choke collar, two shock collars and three prong collars (above, left), and who has been named Project Trade Ambassador for February 2021. Congratulations, too, to Trista Miller of Polite Paws in Indiana, USA for exchanging one choke collar (above, right).