January is National Train Your Dog Month!!

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is once again promoting the benefits of reward based training and socialization for all puppies and dogs through National Train Your Dog Month. There are lots of events, free downloads, and cool stuff available free to everyone on the National Train Your Dog Official Website!

FREE WEBINARS-To help the public, animal shelters and others in the pet care industry, APDT has recorded free webinars for the public with many well-known pet training and behavior professionals. These will be available starting in January on the National Train Your Dog Official Website and are completely free.

• Shelter Dogs: Good Choice or Bad? - Trish King, CPDT-KA, CDBC
• Got C.L.A.S.S.? Canine Life and Social Skills for Pet Owners - Ann Allums, CPDT-KA
• Housetraining Basics - Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA
• Loose Leash Walking - Gail Fisher
• It Takes Two: Successful Cat and Dog Interactions - Jacqueline Munera, CCBC
• Feline Issues: Litter Box and Scratching - Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
• Dog Safety: What to Teach Your Kids - Joan Orr, MSc
• Setting Dog and Baby Up for Success! - Jenn Shryock, CDBC
• Separation Anxiety in Dogs - Melissa Bain, DVM, DACVB, MS

FREE CHATS-APDT has also set up a calendar of Facebook "chats" with professional training and behavior consultants throughout the month of January on a variety of topics focusing on the training and care of dogs, cats and even rabbits! Anyone with behavior and training questions can join the chats to learn more about their chosen pet. To join the chats, visit the APDT Facebook page at the date and time listed below.

All about Bully Breeds! Anything You Want to Know about 'Pit Bull' Type Dogs
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC and Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
January 2, 12 pm Eastern

Leash Manners
Gail Fisher
January 6, 12 p.m. Eastern

Adopting a Dog
Trish McMillan Loehr (ASPCA), MSc, CPDT-KA
January 9, 2 pm Eastern

Things to Teach Your Children to be Safe around Dogs
Joan Orr
January 12, 6 p.m. Eastern

Safety around Dogs for Babies and Toddlers
Jenn Shryock, CDBC
January 12, 7 p.m. Eastern

Housetraining
Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA
January 18, 6:30 p.m. Eastern

Introducing Cats and Dogs
Jacqueline Munera, CCBC
January 24, 12 p.m. Eastern

APDT CLASS: Canine Life and Social Skills
Ann Allums, CPDT-KA
January 25, 12:00 p.m. Eastern

APDT Rally
Ann Allums, CPDT-KA & Ali Brown, MEd, CPDT-KA, CDBC
January 25, 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Common Dog Behavior Problems (Barking, Digging and More)
Marjie Alonso, CDBC, CPDT-KA
Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
January 27, 4 pm Eastern

All About Cats
Mychelle Blake, MSW, CDBC and Katenna Jones, MSc, ACAAB, CABC, CPDT-KA
January 30, 5 pm Eastern
FREE PUPPY AND DOG TRAINING TIPS-APDT has complied a list of articles for new puppy/dog parents about the importance of training and socialization. Check these out:

• The Benefits of Training
• Help Your Dog Love Visiting the Veterinarian
• "Real Life" Training
• The Importance of Socialization
• Teach Your Dog to Play With Toys

You can check out the complete list of articles at the National Train Your Dog Month Website.

Resolve to train your dog in 2012! You can join on of Jenn's classes and check out her Blue Dog website for the January schedule including puppy classes, adult dog classes, Rally-O, Canine Life and Social Skills, and K9 Cross Training. Let's make 2012 a wonderful year for new puppies and dogs with reward based training and a positive start!!

And here are more links on finding a reward based dog training professional in your area:

Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers

International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

Animal Behavior Society

American College of Veterinary Behaviorists