Handling Without Force: Practical Strategies for Everyday Pet Care (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Presented by Patrina Carter, Kate Shaw and Dr Ingrid Groeger-Stone

This panel discussion examines best-practice approaches to pet handling across common scenarios, including grooming, veterinary care, equipment use, and movement. Emphasis is placed on low-stress, force-free methods that support animal welfare.

Learning Objectives

Identify key principles of low-stress, force-free handling across a range of everyday scenarios, including grooming, veterinary care, and transport.
Recognise how equipment (e.g. harnesses, muzzles, ramps) can be introduced and used in a way that supports comfort, safety, and animal choice.
Apply practical strategies to support cooperative care and voluntary movement, including the use of targets, mats, and reinforcement.
Evaluate handling approaches to ensure they prioritise welfare, reduce stress, and promote long-term positive outcomes for both animals and their guardians.

About The Presenters

Patrina Carter runs Penrith Valley Pet Care, a professional, locally owned pet care service based in the Penrith region of New South Wales, specialising in in-home pet care and cat boarding services. She is dedicated to providing reliable, compassionate, and personalised care to ensure (mostly cats) remain safe, comfortable, and well looked after while their owners are away.

As part of her work, Patrina manages medication administration, claw trimming, and flea and worm treatments and focuses on maintaining pets’ normal routines and reducing stress by providing care in a calm, familiar environment.

Patrina has a strong focus on animal welfare, hygiene, and individual attention, and prides herself on her professionalism, reliability, and treating every pet as if it were her own.

Kate Shaw has over 20 years’ experience using positive reinforcement with horses. She is passionate about fear, aggression, and helping people get started using food safely and effectively in training. She also works with dogs, cats, rats and other species. Kate has several rescue horses with traumatic histories, giving her both personal and professional experience of how effective force-free training, combined with species-appropriate care and management is, for even the most severe behaviour challenges. She holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science and serves on the PPGA Committee.

Dr Ingrid Groeger-Stone (Creature Connections) is a Behaviour Veterinarian and Dog trainer, with a focus on practical, welfare-first support that helps dogs and their people build real-world skills and confidence. She brings a strong mix of clinical behaviour knowledge and hands-on training experience across search & rescue dog training, pet dog training and scent sports.

Her qualifications and accreditations include:

Postgraduate qualifications in Veterinary Behaviour (MANZCVS)
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Professional Dog Trainer (KPA-CTP)
Accredited Mantrailing Global Instructor (Mantrailing Global Head Instructor for Australia)
Certified K9 Nose Work Instructor (CNWI)
Fear Free Certified Veterinarian
Interactive Play Skills Instructor

Ingrid works with clients across South Brisbane, Logan, and the northern Gold Coast, with virtual consults available. Through Creature Connections she offers veterinary behaviour consultations, behaviour modification programs, and training services including mantrailing and nose work instruction, workshops, and one-on-one coaching. Outside of work, Ingrid trains and assesses operational urban search & rescue dogs, and enjoys mantrailing & nosework with her own dogs.

After a Dog Attack: Supporting Clients to Navigate and Comply with Declarations (Thursday, April 30, 2026)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT

After a Dog Attack: Supporting Clients to Navigate and Comply with Declarations

When a client's dog is involved in an incident or declared a regulated dog, do you know how to support them?

Each year, over 20,000 dogs across Australia are reported to councils for behaviour-related incidents, triggering time-sensitive processes and compliance requirements that may last for the life of the pet. This webinar brings together the perspectives of an animal management leader, a behaviour assessor, and a trainer to provide practical guidance for behaviour professionals supporting clients both immediately after an incident and in the longer term.

Learning Objectives

Understand the laws and regulations governing dogs involved in incidents, and their role in community safety
Learn what happens when a dog is issued a notice or declared, including the rights and responsibilities of dog owners
Understand what makes a behaviour assessment suitable for use as evidence in a declaration matter
Identify how trainers and behaviourists can support clients in the immediate aftermath of an incident and through ongoing compliance
Recognise approaches for working alongside councils, managing client expectations, and improving welfare outcomes

About the Presenters

Tracey Lord, Animal Management Supervisor & Delta-Certified Behaviour Professional

Tracey brings a rare perspective that spans both sides of the declaration process. She now supervises a council animal management team in WA, and has represented councils at tribunal on multiple occasions. Previously, she worked as Senior Animal Behaviour Technician and Head Trainer at WA's first behavioural veterinary clinic from its founding. She holds a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services from the Delta Institute.

Dr Diana Rayment, Program Specialist at PetRescue & Animal Behaviour Consultant

Dr Di is a Program Specialist at PetRescue and a board member of the Australian Institute of Animal Management (AIAM). She is an experienced animal behaviour consultant in private practice, trusted by practitioners and dog owners alike for her expert behaviour assessments. Di also consults to state and local government and animal welfare organisations on their animal management policies and operations.

Jess Sandstrom, Dog Trainer, Howling Success Dog Training and Behaviour

Jess is a dog trainer and co-owner of Howling Success Dog Training and Behaviour, and a committee member of the Pet Professional Guild Australia. She has developed a strong focus on supporting dogs with behavioural challenges, particularly reactivity, aggression, and fear-based behaviours. Jess also provides a specialised support service for Menacing and Dangerous Dogs in NSW, helping guardians manage compliance requirements and demonstrate behavioural outcomes for potential revocation.

Moderator

Robbie Dinte, Founder of Bestr

Robbie is the founder of Bestr, a technology platform supporting local government and businesses to create safe, comfortable, and compliant spaces for people and pets. His personal experience with his dog being declared Menacing was a catalyst for him to commence studying animal behaviour with the Delta Institute, and to explore building the infrastructure required for our modern pet-friendly world. Bestr provides online guides to help dog owners understand and navigate regulated dog declarations, and Robbie runs a Facebook community offering support and shared understanding for impacted owners.

Pet Professional Guild Australia upcoming events

Handling Without Force: Practical Strategies for Everyday Pet Care (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)

After a Dog Attack: Supporting Clients to Navigate and Comply with Declarations (Thursday, April 30, 2026)

After a Dog Attack: Supporting Clients to Navigate and Comply with Declarations

Learning Objectives

About the Presenters