PPG Podcast

PPG Assistance Animal Division Meetup - Talking New Credential

Learn About the new Assistance Animal [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/divisions/assistance-animal-division/] Accreditation Program with Niki Tudge Host: Niki TudgeGuests: Christina de Juan, Ph.D [https://www.crescentservicedogs.com/about-us]. and ⁠Tracey Hagan⁠ [https://www.pawsitivepurposek9.com/meet-the-trainer] Topic: Assistance Animal Accreditation [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/about-ppab/] Recorded: July 30, 2026

PPG Advocacy Panel: An Introduction to Pet Professional Guild Resources for Pet Guardians

In this episode, the panel highlights some of PPG's most useful resources for pet guardians. Your moderator: ⁠PPG Advocacy Task Force⁠  [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/advocacy/] Chair Don Hanson Today’s panelists: Tasha Attwood, Dayle Pierce, Kim Silver, and Rebekah King Recorded July 15, 2026. Relax and enjoy the discussion! If you are a pet guardian visiting the PPG website, here are some helpful features that are explored in this episode: Find a PPG training and behavior professional [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/find-a-ppg-professional/]: Trainer and behavior consultant listings (a global database) Find a PPG pet care professional [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/find-a-ppg-pet-care-professional/]: Listings for groomers, dog walkers, pet sitters, boarding and day care Find a PPAB credentialed professional [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/find-a-ppab-credentialed-professional/]: These individuals have met specific criteria of skills and knowledge. Find a Behavior Team [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/programs/behavior-teams/find-a-behavior-team/]: A collaborative referral network of pet professionals in your geographic area. Like a "one-stop shop" for guardians. Subscribe for FREE to the Pets and Their People [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/pet-owners/pets-and-their-people/] blog for practical tips for pet people. FREE Junior Membership [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/join-ppg/junior-membership/] - We offer membership to children (8-12 years of age), teenagers (13-17 years of age) and young adults (18-20 years of age) as a way of helping them to learn about and understand pet care and give them insight into the possibility of working with animals in the future in a force-free, fear-free way. The Pet Dog Ambassador [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/programs/pet-dog-ambassador/pda-guardians-get-started/] (PDA) Program to learn and grow using positive reinforcement protocols. This isn’t about stiff, robotic drills in a sterile environment; it’s about celebrating the “Real Life” skills that make a dog a joy to live with. Two ways to become your community dog bite prevention expert: 1. The Dog Bite Prevention Educator [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/programs/doggone-safe/doggone-safe-programs/] Certification Program - This program prepares you to stay safe and provides the resources to help educate others on how to advocate for the importance of Dog Bite Prevention. 2. Be a Tree Presenter [https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/programs/doggone-safe/doggone-safe-programs/]- This program focuses on fun and interactive activities to teach children how to read dog body language and act safely around their dogs and strange dogs.

Chat & Chuckle: The Ethics of Pet Shows

Tune in as Niki Tudge, Dayle Pierce, Jenn Friedline, and Erika Liljefelt chat about pet shows and conformation. How ethical are they, and what needs to change? Recorded June 11, 2026. The Price of the Ribbon: While the public often sees the polished glamour of major conformation dog shows, there is also another side to the conversation - one that focuses on animal welfare, health, and quality of life. It is important to acknowledge that many exhibitors care deeply about their dogs, provide excellent care, and genuinely enjoy participating in shows with their canine companions. Many dogs also appear to enjoy aspects of the experience and are not subjected to all of the concerns discussed below. Nevertheless, critics of the conformation show world continue to raise important questions about how some dogs are housed, transported, handled, groomed, and judged. The following are ten of the most commonly cited welfare concerns associated with major conformation events: 1. Extreme and Prolonged Confinement ("Warehousing") 2. High-Stress Transport Logistics 3. The "Exhibitor's Blind Spot" to Environmental Stress 4. Cosmetic Invasiveness and Forced Grooming Restraint 5. Intrusive and Forceful Ring Handling 6. Intrusive Physical Exams by Strangers 7. Suppression of Natural Behaviors and Emotional Regulation 8. Deprivation of Social and Behavioral Enrichment 9. Lack of Standardized Veterinary Oversight During Events 10. Prioritizing Aesthetics Over Functional Biomechanics The Core Ethical Conflict: The future of conformation showing does not have to be a choice between celebrating breeds and protecting welfare. Many people within the show community are already advocating for healthier breed standards, improved welfare practices, and greater recognition of the emotional and physical well-being of the dogs involved. Meaningful progress is most likely to come through open discussion, ongoing research, thoughtful breeding practices, welfare-focused judging criteria, and a willingness to continually re-evaluate traditions in light of what we now know about canine health and behavior. Whether you agree with all, some, or none of the concerns discussed above, one principle should unite everyone involved: every dog deserves a life that prioritizes health, welfare, choice, enrichment, and quality of life alongside any competitive achievements.

PPG Advocacy Panel: "Beyond Belly Rubs" with Niki Tudge and Louise Stapleton-Frappell

In this episode, Niki Tudge & Louise Stapleton-Frappell Join Us to Discuss Their New Book, Beyond Belly Rubs: The Compassionate Pet Guardian [https://dognosticseducation.com/dn-courses/beyond-the-belly-rubs-the-compassionate-pet-guardian/] Hosted by: Don Hanson Panelists: Dayle Pierce and Tasha Attwood About Beyond Belly Rubs This book was written because love, while essential, is often asked to do too much work on its own. ·    Love does not automatically teach us how fear works in the brain. ·    Love does not explain why a dog can know a cue at home and seem to forget it outside. ·    Love does not tell us how to respond when kindness alone doesn’t seem to help. That isn’t a failure of love. It’s a gap in guidance.  This book exists to help bridge that gap. You don’t need to be a trainer, behaviorist, or expert in learning theory. You don’t need to memorize terminology or follow rigid rules. What you do need is a way to understand what your dog is communicating, how learning actually happens, and how to make choices that protect both emotional and physical well-being - without fear, force, or guilt. At its heart, this book is about turning care into clarity. It offers a calm, science-based framework to help you make sense of your dog’s behavior, respond with confidence rather than frustration, and build a relationship rooted not just in love, but in understanding, safety, and trust.  ·    You are not behind. ·    You are not failing. You are here - and that already tells us a great deal about the kind of guardian you are.

Chat & Chuckle: Chatting About Behavior Acquisition

In this episode Niki Tudge, Dayle Pierce, and Jenn Friedline chat about behavior acquisition, training mechanics, and much more!