TAMPA, Fla. - July 11, 2016 - PRLog -- The Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI) has added leading pet industry experts Kamal Fernandez and Karen Wild to its Special Council with immediate effect. They join existing Special Council members Craig MacLellan, Prof. Paul McGreevy, Debbie Matthews, Victoria Stilwell and Helen Phillips as PPGBI looks to build on current expertise and give force-free training and pet care methods an even broader voice.
PPGBI was formed in 2015 with the goal of addressing the needs of the pet-owning community and force-free pet professionals in the region, and to educate pet professionals and owners that forceful and aversive methods are outdated, scientifically unsound and, ultimately, ineffectual. PPGBI's Special Council members are universal in their endorsement of PPGBI's Guiding Principles, which state that shock, pain, choke, prong, fear, physical force, physical molding or compulsion-based methods should never be employed in the training of or caring for a pet.
PPGBI Special Council members are appointed for the experience and knowledge that they can contribute to the education and engagement of force-free pet care and training methods industry-wide, and the most recent additions are no exception. Wild is a certificated clinical animal behaviorist and a qualified dog training instructor who lectures at Anglia Ruskin University and the Central College for Animal Studies in the UK. She is also an established author. Fernandez is an internationally recognized seminar instructor and dog trainer who has established a reputation for positive training and championed the use of reward-based methods worldwide.
"Karen Wild and Kamal Fernandez are both highly respected, prominent specialists in the field of animal behavior and training and we are honored that they have accepted our invitation to join PPGBI's Special Council," said Niki Tudge, president of PPGBI's parent organization, Pet Professional Guild (PPG). "We look forward to working with them to improve our organization and its efforts to promote force-free training across the board, both for pet professionals and pet owners."
"Professional practice and 'people skills' are missing from many areas of pet business education," added Wild. "PPG provides a huge resource for these aspects and I am happy to be a part of this. I favor proper registration … [of] credentials and experience so that pets and their owners get the very best of care. This is the way forward for our industry and for animal welfare."
As part of its objective to educate both industry professionals and pet owners on the proven benefits of scientifically sound, force-free approach to animal behavior and training, PPGBI is holding its inaugural educational Mini-Summit for pet professionals in Leeds, England on Saturday, September 10 - Sunday, September 11, 2016.
About The Pet Professional Guild British Isles
The Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI) was launched in April 2015 as an overseas branch of the US-based Pet Professional Guild, a 501(c)6 a member organization founded on the principles of force-free training and pet care. Its membership represents pet industry professionals who are committed to force-free training, pet care philosophies, practices and methods. Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean: no shock, no pain, no choke, no fear, no physical force, no physical molding, and that no compulsion-based methods are employed to train or care for a pet. PPGBI is holding its inaugural educational Mini-Summit in Leeds, England on Saturday, September 10 - Sunday, September 11, 2016.
About Karen Wild Dip. App. Psych, CCAB, MBPsS
Karen Wild has both a degree and a diploma in psychology from the University of Nottingham, England. She is a certificated clinical animal behaviorist and qualified dog training instructor who runs full-time behavior practice Pawprint, near Peterborough, England, working with family pets. Wild also lectures on behavior practice, practical training and consultation for Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, and on the professional diploma for clinical animal behavior at Central College for Animal Studies, England. Most recently she has specialized in behavior and puppy work but her career has ranged from class teaching, obedience, flyball, agility and working trials competition to running a popular dog display team. Wild writes on dog behavior and training for Dogs Today, Pet Product Marketing, PETS International, Dogs Monthly and Pet Focus and is also a guest blog writer for Dr. Ian Dunbar's website, Dog Star Daily. She has authored three books: What Your Dog Wants, 21 Days to the Perfect Dog, and Being a Dog. Wild is a strong advocate of positive reinforcement-based training methods for both pets and their people.
About Kamal Fernandez
Head trainer and owner of East London Dog Training, Kamal Fernandez has over 20 years' experience training dogs from all walks of life. He started training in 1991 after adopting Scrunch, an independent free-willed chow-chow mix who prompted a trip to Newham Dog Training Club at Eastlea School in London, England. Thus began an epic journey into the world of dog training which started with a dog that would not come back when called, to competing in the Obedience Championship at renowned UK dog show, Crufts. Fernandez has immersed himself in the world of animal training, led by some of the 'leading lights' in the field such as Sylvia Bishop, Susan Garrett, Bob Bailey, Ian Dunbar and Karen Pryor. Now an internationally renowned seminar instructor, Fernandez has been invited to teach all over the world in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium and Germany.
Contact
Niki Tudge
***@petprofessionalguild.com
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
Read Full Story - Pet Professional Guild British Isles appoints new representatives to special council | More news from this source
Press release distribution by PRLog
