December 2021: Issue 72

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A Podcast of this issue of BARKS News will soon be available here.

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Geek Week Swag Bag Offers Still Available

Geek Week is over and what an amazing event it was! A big thank you everyone who presented, attended, volunteered, hosted, and worked so hard to make it such a huge success.

The event SWAG bag had some amazing offers, and PPG members have access to these right now as a special benefit. 

YES, even if you didn't attend Geek Week. 

As a valued PPG member, you can still take advantage of more than 50 amazing offerings from our incredible Geek Week vendors and sponsor partners. Warning – these offers may have a variety of expiration dates so act now. 

To grab your exclusive deal, log in to the members’ area of the PPG website and click on Geek Week SWAG BAG – before it’s gone.  

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Geek Week Gear and Accessories

Talking of Geek Week, there’s still  time to get in on these limited run T-shirts, mugs and stickers designed by Woof Cultr exclusively for Geek Week 2021. Place your order soon because they'll be removed from the Woof Cultr store after December 31, 2021. 

Already got your gear? Post your pix and tag @petprofessionalguild and @woofcultr on Instagram!

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Special Business Opportunity for PPG Members

Do you sell Business to Business? Would you like to increase your impact on our industry by offering your products and services to fellow PPG members?

If you’re thinking, “Yes!” then look no further. Take advantage today of PPG’s Vendor Discount Program and attract like-minded professionals, with like-minded goals, to your special offer. All you have to do is complete PPG’s Vendor Discount Form to get started.

Please contact membership manager Emily Conde support@petprofessionalguild.com if you have any questions.

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PPG Business Referrals

Do you get referrals from your PPG member listing? PPG fields several inquiries each day that we send in your direction. BUT it helps if your profile is correctly set up. Please visit the website and log in, then click ‘view,’ ‘edit profile,’ and make sure of the following:

GPS systems need a full address set up to ensure you will come up in the PPG Zip Code search, so if your listing is missing a street, a number, a zip code, or a town you will not show. You can make your address private in your profile by editing your settings, but it does need to be there to help find you in the database.

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PPG’s Advocacy Panel held its fourth virtual event last month, featuring a host of experts discussing the topic “Being Nicer” While Advocating. In case you weren’t able to make it for the live event, we recorded it and released it as a podcast. Listen to our BARKS Podcast with the PPG Advocacy Panel: Discussion #4 - “Being Nicer” While Advocating.

The Advocacy Panel’s key mission to support pet guardian education and make it accessible to a wider audience. 

Upcoming discussion topics:

Friday, December 17, 2021 / 3 p.m. Meeting People Where They Are To Facilitate Change

Friday, January 28, 2022 / 3 p.m. Your PPG Advocacy Panel at Work! What Does Pet Industry Licencing Look Like ?

 

Catch up with all the Advocacy Panel discussions to date:

Advocacy Panel Discussion #1 (August 27, 2021): How To Best Advocate for Positive Reinforcement Methods

Listen to the podcast / Watch the video

Discussion #2 (September 24, 2021): How to Reach and Work with Your Local Veterinarians

Listen to the podcast / Watch the video

Discussion #3 (October 22, 2021): Your PPG Advocacy Panel at Work! Advocating to Let Dogs be Dogs, Cats be Cats, Equids Be Equids

Listen to the podcast / Watch the video

Discussion #4 (November 26, 2021): “Being Nicer” While Advocating

Listen to the podcast / Watch the video

An Industry In Need

Message from PPG president Niki Tudge: At the urging of others, I am posting this video, An Industry in Need.  This video was prepared several months ago for a session at Geek Week 2021 and is based on a book, Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, published by DogNostics in 2019.

This book was the result of an intense 24-month collaborative effort with a goal of providing an effective framework by which oversight could be structured for the betterment of our industry and most importantly the pets in our care. Because of this we have always made this book FREE to everyone. Get your copy here.

Both the book and this video speak to, and provide a model for, industry self-oversight in partnership with local governments that includes the type of licensing needed that would encompass minimum skills and knowledge, competency, ethics, consumer protection and transparency and, primarily, must be of positive benefit for the pet, the pet owner, the pet professional and our industry.

Please take some time to listen to this and post any respectful, courteous and constructive comments on the Facebook feed and feel free to share.

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Upcoming Live Webinars:

Friday, December 17 / 3 p.m. ET

Your PPG Advocacy Panel at Work! Meeting People Where They Are to Facilitate Change.

Wednesday, January 19 / 12:30 p.m. ET

"How Should I Say This?" Handle Sticky Situations with Clients in Writing with Confidence! Presented by Nancy Tucker

Discounted Webinars:

Mindful Animal Care and Training.	Dr. Vanessa Rohlf
Fear Learning and How to Work with Fearful Dogs.	Alexandra Santos
Create and Send Your First Email Campaign in 15 Minutes or Less.	Tracey Lee Davis
Genetics of Dog Aggression.	Dr. Jessica Hekman
Emotional Dog.	Dr. Robert Falconer-Taylor

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The PPG Archive holds over 4,100 articles, blogs and videos. Here are some of the most recent additions:

Choosing a boarding cattery – International Cat Care

Food reinforcement and eating: a multilevel analysis - Leonard H Epstein, John J Leddy, Jennifer L Temple, Myles S Faith

"Who's been a good dog?" - Owner perceptions and motivations for treat giving - G A White, L Ward, C Pink, J Craigon, K M Millar

Excess protein enabled dog domestication during severe Ice Age winters - Maria Lahtinen, David Clinnick, Kristiina Mannermaa, J. Sakari Salonen & Suvi Viranta

Real ethology with Lucy Rees - Epona TV

Obesity in Dogs - Krista Williams and Robin Downing

Positive affect and learning: exploring the "Eureka Effect" in dogs - Ragen T S McGowan, Therese Rehn, Yezica Norling, Linda J Keeling

Training methods and owner–dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability - Nicola Jane Rooney, Sarah Cowan

Seven Reasons to Use Reward-Based Dog Training Methods – Zazie Todd

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New this month!

Dog Parks: The Good, the Bad, and the Reality – Rachel Brix

Thinking Outside the Shelter - Melissa Taylor 

The Bigger Picture - Morag Heirs

Welcoming a New Puppy – Ensuring a Happy and Successful Future Together - Anna Bradley

PPG Advocacy Panel: Making Education More Accessible – Susan Nilson

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