Positive Paws & People

24/06/2024

On tomorrow evening in Dee Why!!!
It’s free!!!

Are you a dog owner or resident, and looking for support and advice to solve excessive barking?

19/06/2024

Pet Professional Guild Australia are here to help you and your dog - positively!

Are you a dog owner or resident, and looking for support and advice to solve excessive barking?

06/06/2024

Are you a dog owner or resident, and looking for support and advice to solve excessive barking?

21/05/2024

02/05/2024

Scent training could make pet dogs better behaved, suggests a study by Aberystwyth University academics published in Animals.

29/04/2024

LEARN, GROW, INFLUENCE
40 hours until Early Bird prices close 😉😲

So many speakers, so many topics.
Lots of fun & friends (old & new).
Come join us!
https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/conference/home

24/04/2024

21/04/2024

This looks great! A conference for everyone who loves their animals!!

2024 CONFERENCE TOPIC SPOTLIGHT: URBAN HERDING

We love our working breeds in Australia, however so many of them will never see livestock. Want to find out how to harness these herding instincts in a fun and engaging way?

Introducing urban herding: utilising the foundations of livestock herding, applied in your living room, backyard or urban area. And, of course, applicable to all breeds.

Barbara Buchmayer will take us through various herding-related topics over the 3-day conference. A practical introduction to positive herding via a workshop on Friday 14 June, followed by presentations on:
* urban herding
* enrichment for the high-energy dog
* introducing your dog to livestock
* flirt-pole play & skills: having fun while building self-control
over 15 & 16 June.

You can jump in for one-day ($250 for PPGA/APDT members until 30 April), two days or the whole conference.
Check out the schedule here: https://www.ppgaustralia.com.au/Conference/schedule

Early-bird prices end 30 April!

13/04/2024

UPCOMING WEBINAR - 18 APRIL

Join us for our April webinar with Dr Natalie Rogers on the very essential and important topic of 'Canine Cooperative Care'.

Animal husbandry can be one of the most stressful tasks for a dog, the dog guardian and veterinary care professionals. When you train with a dog to develop consent behaviours you give the dog the ability to actively engage with their husbandry. This creates a safer and lower stress environment where the dog is a willing participant in their care.
Dr Natalie Rogers is a full time academic and dog trainer. With undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Zoology, and Honours in Biological Science, Natalie also holds a PhD in Biological Science. She has taught Biology and Psychology at the University of New South Wales since 2010 and currently lectures on anxiety, stress, mental illness, animal learning and comparative psychology. Natalie is an accredited member of APDT and a proud Professional Member of the Pet Professional Guild Australia.

https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/Webinars/Upcoming/

08/04/2024

Our professional members must log continuing education points each year. It's one of our points of difference & we are proud to have so many members who value & prioritise ongoing learning ❤
This conference ticks a number of CE goals 😉

Early-bird tickets on sale until the end of April: https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/conference/home

07/04/2024

A lovely explanation!
Many new puppy owners stop socialisation training after the “cuteness” period has finished.
Socialisation and habituation are ongoing and easy to do.
It just changes but never stops. Avoid problem behaviours developing due to a lack of socialisation training. It’s not just about playing with dogs!

11/02/2024

Open to pet parents too!

** LEARN, GROW, INFLUENCE - save the date! **

We are VERY excited to highlight our biennial conference, coming to Sydney this June!!

The website will be live shortly, with a full list of speakers & schedule, but let's say we have a great mix of topics that are setup for us to learn, grow and then influence our wonderful clients.

So for now save the date: 14 - 16 June.
See you in Sydney!

31/12/2023

Happy New Year! 🎉

29/12/2023

A great reminder….prepare your pets for fireworks. 🐾

Just a reminder to prepare our pets for NYE:
1. If your pet is scared of fireworks, allow them access to a place where they like to hide and feel safe, maybe in their crate, under the bed/sofa or in the laundry.
2. Close all curtains to minimise light flashes.
3. Play some music in the background, try Bach, or some dogs find audiobooks soothing.
4. Have lots of their favourite treats and toys ready so that you can engage them in games and fun times for distraction, if possible.
5. If they are upset or scared, cuddling them will not 'reinforce their fear'. Please do comfort them if it helps them to feel better.
6. Make sure your pet is microchipped and has ID such as a tag/collar on, just in case they get lost.
7. Ask your vet about meds - some pets who are phobic need them to prevent a panic attack.

25/12/2023

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄
Hope everyone has had a lovely day. 🐾

20/12/2023

It’s storm season. Some great advice…..🐾

I am seeing more and more posts about missing/escaped dogs in our area lately. We often see an increase during storm season.
Here are a few tips that may help:
- Check all gates are closed/locked securely
- Make sure height of fencing is appropriate to contain your dog
- Block off any areas where dogs can dig under fences with wet ground
- Ensure contact details and address are current at local council
- Ensure dog is wearing collar with contact number visible
- Provide a safe, quiet place for dogs who show signs of storm phobia i.e. salivating, hiding, excessive panting, escaping, trembling
- Discuss medication with your Vet in need
- Comfort your dog. Contrary to popular opinion, it is ok to help your dog. You cant reinforce anxiety by cuddling

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08/12/2023

CUT THE LABELS, WILL YA?

We've come a long way since first considering the "unlabel me" concept and developing a new habit of describing observable behavior and conditions unambiguously. When the description of a "stubborn" parrot was revised to "remains on perch when I offer my hand" and an aggressive dog was further described as "growls when I reach for the food bowl" our ability to solve behavior problem situations really soared. Cheers to a new year of great work ahead and a new "unlabel me" meme. Download this and all BW art for free here: https://www.behaviorworks.org/htm/downloads_art.html
Happy holidays!

06/12/2023

Some parents pinch their child to get them to sit quietly. Some offer snacks and colouring books. Both are tools. Which would you prefer?
Do you escalate the pressure to ensure your horse gets the message? Or break down the task and increase the rate of reinforcement?
Do you ensure your horse 'never gets away with it'? Or go back to what your horse knows and simplify your lesson to ensure your horse always wins?
The steps to clicker training a behaviour are explained here by Georgia Bruce:
https://buff.ly/3G58zUU

20/11/2023

According to some trainers, dogs don’t need us to be their masters – they need our understanding and friendship.

14/11/2023

TRAINING TUESDAY - Equipment: long leads (5m+).

Long leads are a fabulous tool to allow more room for our dogs to explore without the frustration of a short tether. However, they can be tricky to manage effectively.

* Keep both hands free to use the lead: don't attempt to use a long lead whilst holding a coffee or your phone. You'll get wrapped up, caught up, caught out.
* It's a 1 dog at a time bit of equipment (per handler). Two dogs on long leads = lots of muddles unless handled with a bit of distance.
* Greeting other dogs can be really tricky on long leads, for the above reason!
* Space helps: they're best used where there's plenty of space for your dog to roam and unlikely to come across lots of other dogs/people/bikes/cars/etc.
* Retractible leads can have their own challenges (bigger handles; potentially less control over how much lead to release depending on your handler skills; the dog learns to pull a little to enable more lead)

Once you get the hang of them they can be a wonderful way to explore. And can help with loose lead skills, but more on that next time :)

08/11/2023

Why is my dog doing that? He is so stubborn….. 😫 Labels!

Instead of labelling behaviour, try asking yourself WHY your dog is doing something. There are so many reasons for behaviour.

All behaviour (from any species) happens for a reason. 🤔 🎓

Happy training! 🐾

04/11/2023

Absolutely YES! 🐾
Time for industry regulation and education.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about apparent quick-fix dog training methods seen on social media and TV. With that comes a discussion around what dog training should look like in 2023, and understandably, people want to know what the RSPCA, Australia’s most trusted animal welfare organisatio...

27/10/2023

Have a great weekend! 🐾🫶🏻

25/10/2023

20/10/2023

Well done to all involved! 🍾

YouTube star Augusto Deoliveira – who also cancelled trips to the UK and Italy – stands by his tough approach to training canines