SABCAP - South African Board for Companion Animal Professionals

17/10/2024

This is most definitely on my wishlist! If you can join this one do not hesitate!

05/10/2024

APDT International takes the stance that there are no training or behavior cases which justify the use of intentional aversive punishment-based interventions in any form of training ranging from general obedience and tricks to dealing with severe behavior problems. This is in alignment with the Amer...

02/10/2024

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!
It may be really disappointing and frustrating when our dogs are not the social beings we expected them to be.

Many believe dogs should just naturally get along with other dogs, after all they’re the same species.

Some believe the “unsociable” dog has a behaviour problem that needs to be “fixed”.

Early, appropriately timed and correct socialisation is vitally important, but sometimes despite all of this, some dogs are just not that sociable.

Sometimes this can be improved, especially if the cause is from a negative experience, but genetics, breed tendencies, individual personalities, health and age all contribute to tolerance and sociability, which also change throughout life.

If we, as a human species, don’t get along with everyone we meet, how can we expect our dogs to?

Do we label every person that has an argument, doesn’t make friends with everyone they meet, doesn’t like every other person, prefers not to socialise - as having a problem that needs to be fixed?

Why is it so easy to accept that every individual person is different than to accept that every individual dog is different?

When we have done what we can to improve our dogs’ social skills, we need to accept and acknowledge our dogs for the individuals they are, allow and respect their choice of whether to be sociable or not and never force interactions that a dog is not comfortable with.

02/10/2024

27/09/2024

The question was asked if I could train a deaf cattle dog to stop biting tyres [sic] using positive reinforcement, and the answer is yes! There's a caveat, however. What is referred to as positive reinforcement training is not as simple as those who advocate aversive methods of training would like to believe. It involves a whole lot more than simply giving a dog a cookie! But unless you've ever seen or been introduced to really good training, you would not know that, and you would not understand how powerful and versatile non-aversive, fear-free, evidence-based training is! To the person who asked this question, I would like to in turn ask these questions: can you train a wolf to accept nail trims using a shock collar? Can you train a tiger to accept blood draws using a shock collar? Can you train a rat to identify TB or locate a landmine with a shock collar? Can you train a fish or a butterfly with a shock collar? Which arm would you put the shock collar on to train an octopus? Why on earth do you need a shock collar to train what could be arguably described as the most agreeable domestic animal on the face of the earth? ~Cindy

24/09/2024

Clippers and shears are important for achieving the desired style, but what about tools and equipment for addressing the behavioral side of dog grooming?

19/09/2024

Over excited dogs need help to be calm. Here we explore 3 ways to help these dogs relax plus many more dog training tips to help over aroused dogs. As dog tr...

12/09/2024

One might argue that passive cruelty or neglect tend to manifest from convenience or function. For example, professional groomers or dog trainers may be motivated by a need or desire to get results at whatever cost to the pet. Economically, they may be motivated by profit and the need for expeditious business transactions. These practices may include pinning down a dog to trim his nails or applying physical punishment, such as a leash jerk, to prevent a dog from pulling on the leash.