The Modern Dog Trainer Blog
Successful Dogs Tell Us They Get It
We know that dogs communicate with us all of the time, whether we notice it or not. However, can they let us know when they have learned a skill we are teaching? Stanley Coren says yes, in his article, "Does A Dog's Body Language Tell Us How Much He Has Learned?"...
My Thoughts About The First PPG Summit
It was an honor to be a part of the historic, first-ever Pet Professional Guild Summit in Tampa, Florida, November 11, 12, and 13, 2015. I attended as a presenter (Training and Maintaining Therapy and Crisis Response Dogs) and as an attendee. The Pet Professional...
Volunteering as an APDT Conference Border Collie
No, not the dog. The Border Collies I’m talking about are people who volunteer to help at the Association of Professional Dog Trainers’ Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show. They are integral to the smooth and successful running of these Conferences. 2015...
Car Safety For Dogs
With winter coming upon us, it is more important than ever to encourage your clients to evaluate how their dogs ride in the car. Many of our clients are perfectly content to allow their pooch to roam freely around the car, or even sit in the driver's lap or on the...
Day Three Summary At The Pet Professional Guild Summit
The final day at any conference always has a little bit of a different feel to it; people are ready to go home to their families and pets, eager to put into practice all they have learned, but they are sad to be leaving their friends and colleagues. The 2015 Pet...
Day Two Summary At The Pet Professional Guild Summit
With no keynote speaker on Day #2, we were able to listen to our choice of presentations for every session. There were five different choices in every time slot. I started my day with Janis Bradley and her presentation, “That’s the Lab in Him. Breed Bias, a...
Day One Summary At The Pet Professional Guild Summit
Day one was rich with information! The Summit opened with PPG President Niki Tudge sharing her vision for the future and thanking those who have helped get both Pet Professional Guild and the Summit itself to this point. “Let the results of force-free training and pet...
Reflections On The APDT 2015 Conference
As a first time attendee of the 2015 APDT Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show, I was known as a "Conference Puppy" and I was thrilled to bits to travel all the way from Barbados to Dallas, Texas, USA to gain knowledge about dog training, behaviour and the...
How To Hold Semi-Private Lessons
Semi-private lessons are my new favorite type of service. They cover a number of client "problem" areas that we don't always get the opportunity to address through private instruction or group classes. Image via Kat Camplin What Is A Semi-Private Lesson Technically,...
How To Choose A Dog Training Business Name
Coming up with names for any business can be rather fun. For dog trainers, we tend to think of cute names that may draw clients into training that sounds happy and joyful. Fun aside, naming your business has important difficulties as well as benefits if you plan...
End Of Year Review
As we hit the beginning of November it's time to start planning for the usual annual holiday downtime. Other than much needed days off, how should we prioritize annual administration tasks? What gets us the most bang for the time spent? Get holiday/thank you cards and...
Top 10 Reasons To Join The IAABC
There are many professional organizations out there for dog trainers to join. How do you possibly decide which one(s) to give your money to? I recently joined the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) as a basic supporting member, and...
Tips for Becoming a Full-time Dog Trainer
This article was provided by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers to accompany our brand new podcast! Learn from professional dog trainers who have made the transition into full-time business owners before. We're sharing our tips for those who are...
The Modern Dog Trainer Podcast – Ep. 1 Going Full-time
The Modern Dog Trainer blog contributors invite the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers President, Brad Phifer, to discuss how to prepare yourself to become a full-time dog trainer. See the CPDT's accompanying article on going full-time as you listen to...
Bringing Modern Dog Trainers Together for Education
This post is a guest post by Miranda K. Workman, MS, CABC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA. We are honored to share with you a situation that proved that modern dog trainers can in fact come together to bring awareness into the community. At a recent TEDxBuffalo presentation about...
Interview With International Dog Parkour Association
The International Dog Parkour Association Is A New Titling Dog Sport The International Dog Parkour Association (IDPA) is dedicated to making the dog sport of parkour accessible to dogs in many different environments. Whether your dogs are reactive, shy, outgoing, or...
2015 APDT Conference – Day 2 Summary
Before I get into today's Speakers, I just want to report on what a great Conference this is! Everyone is so nice and friendly, I am rooming with Facebook friends, met lots of other friends as well as people I have interviewed. I am really enjoying the educational...
2015 APDT Conference – Day One Summary
My eyes opened up to darkness at around 6:00am and instantly I was excited when I realised I was in the Sheraton Dallas Hotel for the 2015 APDT Annual Educational Conference & Trade Show. This is the first year I have attended and this is known as being a...
A Dog Training Client’s Journey
When a prospective client calls you, it is unlikely that they know exactly what to expect. Usually, all they know is that they are in over their heads and they need professional help. Here we discuss the process a successful dog training guides their client through to...
Countdown To The APDT 2015 Conference
COUNTDOWN TO THE APDT 2015 CONFERENCE IN DALLAS In less than one week, I will be traveling all the way from Barbados (a tiny island in the Caribbean) to attend the Association of Professional Dog Trainers’ Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show, which will be...
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