About

Founders/organizers at the first-ever BlogPaws conference in April 2010 challenged pet bloggers to Be the Change for Pets. When asked what ONE thing would improve the lives of pets, some of us replied … raise awareness about humane (pain-free) alternatives to dog collars designed to hurt, startle, punish.

That’s how Never Shock a Puppy was born. Check out these inspirational videos to learn more. The big lesson? We might not be able to change the lives of EVERY dog, but even helping ONE dog makes all the work worth it.

And, by “puppy” we mean any dog — no matter size, sex, age, or breed.

Truly, there is NO need to pinch, shock, choke … hurt, scare, startle … drag around, struggle with, boss around your dog to teach him/her basic manners.

We have 2 goals!

In addition to raising awareness, we have planned a service project:

Between September 1, 2010, and October 20, 2010, we want to raise $2,500 for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley‘s No-Choke Challenge. It is a like-minded program to raise awareness of humane dog training tools and methods.

They will give free dog collars or dog harnesses to people in Boulder (Colorado) who turn in their choke chains, pinch collars, or shock collars.

Essentially, the money raised will buy 165 or so replacement dog collars or dog harnesses.

That’s 165 dogs who will no longer HURT in the process of learning. We cannot change the entire dog-training world, but we think this is a start.

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Our Coalition

Candy Blakeslee is the owner of Best Friends General Store, a online store for pet toys and training products. –> additional bio pending

Deborah Flick has a PhD in communication and a master’s degree in psychology. She is the author of the award winning book, From Debate to Dialogue. A life-long dog owner and lay trainer, it was Sadie, Deborah’s fearful, reactive Standard Poodle, who four years ago challenged her to learn more about dog behavior and training. Deborah studied under the tutledge of Nana Will, a nationally recognized service-dog trainer who apprenticed with renowned animal behaviorists Marian Breland Bailey and Bob Bailey. Deborah currently writes Boulder Dog Blog, a 2010 Pettie Award Nominee. She also blogs for Dog Star Daily.

Roxanne Hawn is a professional journalist and dog blogger. She began writing about pets in 1995, when she worked for the American Animal Hospital Association and later for the American Humane Association. Roxanne served on the board of directors for the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (a coalition of animal welfare groups), which studied why dogs end up in shelters, with behavior issues topping the list. Roxanne also volunteered for many years at an animal shelter, where she witnessed firsthand what happens when the human-animal bond breaks or never forms. Roxanne’s work has been published by many dog outlets, including The Bark, AKC Gazette, WebMD (pets), and Clean Run (an agility magazine). She also writes for pet industry trade magazines, including some in the veterinary profession. Roxanne has written for many regional and national outlets, including The New York Times, Bankrate.com, Natural Home, and Reader’s Digest. Roxanne began blogging about her fearful border collie, Lilly, in April 2007. Called Champion of My Heart, the blog chronicles training challenges and life in general with a brilliant, sensitive dog always at her side. Roxanne recently won the 2010 DogTime Media Best Dog Blog Award. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family.

Lorie Huston is a veterinarian with over 20 years experience with both dogs and cats. Though not a professional trainer by occupation, Lorie nevertheless strongly supports the use of positive training methods and encourages their use with pet owners asking her advice. Being strongly based in science, Lorie believes that the rewards of positive training methods are well documented in the current scientific literature. She has also been quite impressed with the sound results obtained with these methods.

Debbie Jacobs is the author of A Guide to Living With and Training a Fearful Dog, which was a finalist in 2008 for a Dog Writers of America Award. –> additional bio pending

Anna Johnson, BS, CFEP, HAP, CNC, is the founder of Calling All Dogs (Utah). She is a professional dog trainer with over 10 years experience creating well-behaved, calm, happy, and healthy dogs. She has an Animal Sciences degree from the University of Hawaii, is a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner, a Holistic Animal Practitioner and Canine Nutrition Consultant. She enjoys using holistic therapies to heal ailing pets or simply create a better all-around companion.

Christine Koretz owns MoxiePaws, an online pet site and blog. –> additional bio pending

Hilary Lane owns Fang Shui Canines, a canine coaching business that helps people and their dogs live harmoniously. She has volunteered with Humane Society Boulder Valley in their STAR programs, puppy socialization classes, and other training events. Hilary co-founded Rocky Mountain Border Collie Rescue, where she trained rescues to be more adoptable. Currently, she evaluates potential canine candidates for a Search and Rescue organization, writes articles for pet publications, including Cornell and Tufts veterinary newsletters, and co-moderates DogTalk, a weekly dog show that educates individuals about specific pet issues. Her two rescue Border Collies, one of which is an Animal Assisted Therapy Dog, reside with her in Louisville, Colorado.

Susan McCullough is a writer who specializes in canine health and behavior topics. She has won six Maxwell awards from the Dog Writers Association of America for her feature and book writing, as well as the 2001 Eukanuba Canine Health Award for excellence in writing about canine health. Among her books are the best-selling Housetraining For Dummies and the award-winning Senior Dogs For Dummies (both, Wiley); her breed-specific books focus on Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds, Beagles and American Pit Bull Terriers. In addition, Susan has studied canine behavior with renowned trainer Pat (The Power of Positive Training/Wiley) Miller, where she served as an assistant trainer, and also assisted with shelter assessments and behavioral consultations.  Susan and her Golden Retriever, Allie, live with their family in Vienna, VA.
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About the artwork!

Huge thanks to Cathy Lester for creating the original graphics for the site. She also does animal portraits and fine art.