Summit Events
PPG British Isles Summit 2024
Because both knowledge and skills are mission-critical!
PPG British Isles is hosting an in-person event designed to support both academic and skills development among professional dog trainers and behavior consultants. The October 2024 event will be held over three days and will feature a series of academic sessions that will underpin more than 18 skill labs. Participants are invited to bring their dogs and work under the supervision of an expert while enhancing their training skills!
As with all of PPG’s events, there will be plenty of fun, games, and giggles.
Summit Dates
October 4-6, 2024 (Friday through Sunday)
Location
Ogilvie Dogs, Isla Farm, 4 North Drove, Twenty, Bourne, PE10 0BJ
About the Venue
The venue offers a great indoor training experience and outdoor training fields. The indoor area of the facility features 20m x 54m Juta astroturf, and the outdoor training field is 4 acres and fully fenced.
Academic sessions will be held indoors, and skill labs will be held both indoors and outdoors.
Hotel Information
See below for hotel information and contact details.
Summit Planning Team
Niki Tudge, Rebekah King, Dayle Pierce, Tom Candy, Nathan Watson
General Schedule
Event Check-In & Grab your SWAG
Thursday, October 3
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Daily Summit Event Times
Friday and Saturday, October 4 and 5
9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 6
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Evening Entertainment
Thursday, October 3 – Evening Shindig (drinks): 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 5 – Mechanical Skill Olympics: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Need a Payment Plan? We’ve Got You Covered!
Sign up for an easy payment plan today, and we’ll take care of the rest. Payment plans are available for PPG members (your summit discount is automatically applied) and non-members. Each plan consists of four monthly payments. The first payment will be charged when you sign up for your payment plan, then the next three payments will automatically be charged to your chosen payment method.
How to set up your payment plan and get your summit ticket:
PPG members, start by logging in to your membership account on the PPG website.
- Click on the button for your payment plan below.
- Complete the payment plan form, choose your payment method (credit card or PayPal), then click the “Get Your Payment Plan” button.
- Paying by credit card? The next screen will collect your credit card details and your card will be charged for the first installment in your plan.
- Paying by PayPal? You will be directed to the PayPal website where you will pay for the first installment in your plan.
- You will receive a confirmation email with a coupon code that will allow you to register for the summit without paying up front. (You must register for the summit so we can order your T-shirt and so you can R.S.V.P. for the evening events.) Follow the instructions in the email to get your summit ticket.
PPG Member Payment Plans & Summit Tickets
PPG members, these payment plans are for you! Your PPG member discount has already been applied. Choose your payment plan based on whether you will attend the event as an Auditor or you will participate in the Skill Labs. Sign up for your plan before June 30.
Non-Member Payment Plans & Summit Tickets
Not yet a PPG member? No problem! Choose one of the payment plans below based on whether you will attend the event as an Auditor or you will participate in the Skill Labs. Sign up for your plan between May 1 and June 30.
Your SWAG Bag Sponsors
Your Lanyard Sponsor
Your T-Shirt Sponsor
Co-Host
Bringing Your Dog
We welcome you and your dog as a working team when you sign up for skill labs. Please make sure that your dog is a suitable candidate to be around lots of people and other dogs. Dogs must be comfortable and free of stress and anxiety during the event.
Please bring your dog’s water bowl, water from a familiar source, a dog mat or bed and, if possible, a crate or containment area where your dog can relax. Please ensure your dog is dressed appropriately and that you have the necessary equipment and tools on hand to ensure a successful event for you and your pet. You will also need waste cleanup provisions in case your dog has an accident.
Please do not bring a reactive dog, a dog in heat, or a dog who is in any way uncomfortable or stressed in public spaces, large crowds, or around other dogs.
Sign ups for skill labs will be available closer to the event date, as well as on site at the event.
Presenter Lineup
Sarah Fisher
Canine and Equine Behavior Advisor & Educator
Sarah Fisher is a canine and equine behaviour advisor and educator. She has worked with animals for almost thirty years and is the founder of Animal Centred Education. Her greatest passions are supporting adolescent dogs, and dogs in the care of animal welfare organisations.
Sarah teaches Animal Centred Education (ACE) courses for trainers, groomers, vets, veterinary nurses, physiotherapists and animal behaviour counsellors who wish to broaden their expertise by learning detailed ACE Observations combined with ACE Free Work, gentle bodywork, techniques inspired by animals and some modified methods shared by professionals working in the fields of animal welfare, education and behaviour.
ACE Free Work has evolved over many years; it offers canine caregivers and guardians a unique opportunity to stand back, watch more, and “do” less. It enables dogs to become the pilot of their own learning experiences, with support from their caregiver or guardian. Free Work is proving to be life changing for dogs of all ages and backgrounds; it has helped countless dogs worldwide learn how to reorganise their bodies more efficiently, which has had a profound effect on the way the dogs respond to their external environment.
Sarah is experienced with a wide range of breed types and teaches staff workshops for many of the UK’s animal welfare organisations, including Battersea. She also teaches online courses and webinars for behaviour and training advisors.
Sarah gives presentations on a variety of topics at dog training and behaviour seminars in the UK and abroad, and delivers seminars and practical workshops for a wide range of organisations, including those involved with scent detection dogs, assistance dogs, and police dogs.
Jasper Molloy
CTC
Jasper Molloy is a professional dog trainer and behaviour consultant based in Northampton and is the owner of ThinkDogs Training & Behaviour. They are a graduate of Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers, achieving a Certificate in Training and Counselling with Honours, and hold a diploma in Advanced Canine Behaviour. Jasper is a Canine Training Professional member of the Pet Professional Guild, a registered Animal Training Instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council, and a member of the Canine Behaviour and Training Society.
Jasper works with a variety of clients and cases, but has a particular interest in trick training and owner-trained assistance dogs. They specialise in working with psychiatric and autism assistance dogs. Jasper is passionate about force-free training and commitment to ethical and evidence-based practices in the industry, as well as promoting diversity, equality and accessibility.
In 2023 Jasper appeared on an episode of the BBC Our Lives TV programme as an expert Assistance Dog trainer assessing an owner-trained partnership. They have been interviewed for BBC Radio Northampton. They have presented on different topics relating to dog training and behaviour at events for the PPG, TCBTS and the Virtual Dog Conference. Previously, they have worked with Puppy Stars Training Academy and for the charity Medical Detection Dogs. Jasper has been involved in dog training demos and displays at different charity events and the National Pet Show at the NEC. They regularly attend courses and seminars in order to develop their knowledge and remain up to date with standards in the industry. Jasper is proudly neurodivergent and has two pet dogs, a husky cross and a Malinois, who are trained in tricks, heelwork to music and other fun activities.
Leslie McDevitt
MLA, CDBC, TAGteach2
Leslie McDevitt has taught the program from her Control Unleashed books and videos all over the world. She specializes in creating operant counterconditioning “games” to help dogs function in challenging environments without anxiety or fear. Leslie has spoken at lots of conferences and enjoys being a guest speaker for the Clicker Expo. She is very proud of her certified Control Unleashed instructors, who are teaching her program in many different countries.
Helen Philips
Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC)
Helen has been shooting with and working dogs in the field for over 30 years and has over 20 years of experience as a professional trainer.
Having owned various breeds, from crosses to spaniels and HPRs, Helen has an extensive understanding of living with and working with hunting dogs. She owns, trains, and works Vizslas, Jack and Dibble, and English Springer Spaniels, Wren and Teal.
Through her training business, Clicker Gundog in Worcestershire, Helen offers a range of 121 sessions, courses, workshops, and camps to teach handlers and dogs everything they need, from the basics to advanced skills for those working in the shooting field. Helen manages a small shoot with her husband, Chris, at the Clicker Gundog Training Centre, which is solely used for training days. She is also the author of the popular Clicker Gundog training book.
One of the UK’s most qualified gundog trainers, Helen has a Distinction in Canine Training and Behaviour from Warwickshire College, has obtained the Clicker Trainers Competency Assessment Programme levels 1, 2 and 3 with Distinction, and has also achieved the Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate on Dummies and Game with both Vizslas and Springer Spaniels.
Helen is a member of the Special Council for the Pet Professional Guild (PPG), an Accredited Animal Training Instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC), an accredited trainer and assessor for the Gundog Club, and the chair and co-founder of the Vale & West Gundog Club.
Jules Morgan
Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC)
Jules Morgan has been a professional dog training instructor since 1993, initially teaching puppy, adolescent, and behaviour classes for pet dogs.
Today, she specialises in choice-based, positive, ethical gundog training for pet and working dogs. Through her business, Teach Your Gundog, on the Surrey / West Sussex / Hampshire border, Jules offers a range of private 121 training sessions, classes, and workshops for all abilities and breeds.
Jules considers Working Cocker Spaniels, Buckle and Raffle, and Labradors, Otter and Fonzi, her greatest teachers.
Jules is an Accredited Animal Training Instructor with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC), a member of the APDT (the Association of Pet Dog Trainers), an accredited trainer and assessor for the Gundog Club, and the secretary and co-founder of the Vale & West Gundog Club. She has also passed the Royal Kennel Club J Regulations for Retrievers, and is a member of BASC and holds their Safe Shot Certificate and the Lantra Shooting Assistant/Loader Certificate.
Robert Hewings
PhD
Dr. Robert Hewings and Karen Caton-Hewings
Dr. Rob and Karen are the driving force behind the College of Scent Dogs. Together, they bring a unique combination of proven operational canine scent detection training experience underpinned by outstanding academic qualifications.
Both Rob and Karen have served with London’s Metropolitan Police, each retiring after 30 years of exemplary service—that’s 60 years of operational experience to share with you.
Rob is also an operational police dog handler with 20 years of specialized canine training, and spent the final 10 years of his service as a full-time police dog trainer. In his quest to gain more knowledge in his field, Rob engaged on a learning journey that spanned 10 years, ending in a doctorate of professional practice scent detection dog training. He is the award-winning author of Scent Training for Every Dog and will soon be releasing his second book, Tracking for Every Dog.
Dr. Rob and Karen are the driving force behind the College of Scent Dogs. Together, they bring a unique combination of proven operational canine scent detection training experience underpinned by outstanding academic qualifications.
Both Rob and Karen have served with London’s Metropolitan Police, each retiring after 30 years of exemplary service—that’s 60 years of operational experience to share with you.
Karen is the college’s most experienced and operationally proven team member, being an accomplished specialist search dog trainer working within the explosive search environment both in the United Kingdom and abroad. Karen has planned and developed both national and international training exercises. She has organized joint working practices between the police, military, prison service, Britain’s Ministry of Defense and the private security sector.
Having worked within the counterterrorism area of policing, Karen has hands-on experience dealing with the aftermath of terror attacks, and as a licensed search dog handler has spent many years protecting the royal family, the British government and its property, and high-level security requirements in and around London.
Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. She consults with people and their pets, working mainly with dogs and horses. In addition, Mary teaches online courses for professional animal trainers and others interested in the science of behavior through Behavior Explorer.
Mary has taught classes at the University of North Texas as an adjunct instructor. Her interest in instructional design led her to convert an upper-level undergraduate class into a self-paced, mastery-based course using Dr. Fred Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction. In 2019, Mary and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz published their first book, PORTL: The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab.
Mary’s main research interests include studying the process of shaping and developing better methods for teaching both people and animals. She is a full member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has presented her research at the organization’s annual convention. You can find Mary online on her personal blog, Stale Cheerios, and at Behavior Explorer.
Niki Tudge
MBA, PCT-A, PCBC-A
Niki is a certified Dog Behavior Consultant and holds reputable health and fitness certifications.
As the founder and President of the Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Education, and The DogSmith, Niki has substantial leadership experience in the pet industry. Niki has published numerous articles on dog training and behavior, and her pet dog training businesses have been featured in many publications, including The New York Times.
Niki’s professional credentials include; AABP-Professional Dog Trainer, AABP-Professional Dog Behavior Consultant, and PCBC-A and PCT-A through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. Niki also earned diplomas in animal behavior technology and canine behavior science and technology through the Companion Animal Sciences Institute.
Along with Niki’s business degree and M.B.A. from Oxford Brookes University, she is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, HCITB TS1, TS2 & TS3 certified people trainer, and Team Facilitator and Project Manager.
To complement Niki’s dog behavior skills and experience, she is also a certified fitness Instructor, walking and running coach, and carries several certifications in the health and fitness industry. Additionally, Niki offers coaching and programs through her business, Running with Your Dog.
Her professional credentials include International Sports Science Association (ISSA) certified fitness trainer, ISSA certified transformation specialist, nutritional coach, and ISSA elite trainer. Niki is also a certified ChiWalking and ChiRunning coach. In addition, she has completed the well-known M.A.F. Foundations certificate course developed by Dr. Phil Maffatone and is a supporter of the M.A.F. system.
Louise Stapleton-Frappell
BA Hons, PCT- A, PCBC-A, CAP3, CTDI, DN-FSG2, DN-CPCT, CWRI
Louise is a partner and faculty member of DogNostics Career Center and board member of the Pet Professional Guild. Louise has constantly built on her knowledge and furthered her education in the field of force-free, rewards-based, science-based pet training. The creator of the DogNostics’ Dog Trainer Certification Program, Louise has presented at conferences internationally and has gained a reputation for expertly teaching and training humans and canines at her own establishment, The DogSmith of Estepona, in Southern Spain, where she offers a wide range of both group and private classes and pet dog services.
Tom Candy
BSc (Hons), MSC, CCAB, CDBC, CSBS
A passion for animal welfare and training led Tom (he/him) to undertake a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in bio-veterinary science and a Master of Science degree in clinical animal behavior from the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom. Having started volunteering in rescue at the age of 15, Tom has been involved in a variety of aspects of rescue, including fundraising, home checking, transporting and general day-to-day operations.
Since graduating, Tom has been working at The uk’s largest dog welfare organisation as a training and behavior advisor, eventually working in seven rehoming centers before being promoted to senior training and behavior advisor, where he supports the training and behavior teams across the southwest United Kingdom. Tom is responsible for supporting and advising managers and training and behavior advisors on matters relating to behavioral concerns, and for helping to promote higher levels of welfare for dogs.
Tom is a certified clinical animal behaviorist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council in the United Kingdom, and a certified canine behavior consultant and certified shelter behavior specialist with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. He has been lucky enough to speak on several shelter behavior topics in webinars, podcasts, workshops and conferences both in the United Kingdom and internationally, including the United States, Canada and Spain. Most recently, he presented on meeting dogs’ needs in a kennel environment and ran workshops on such topics as enrichment and training as part of everyday life in kennels at the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference in Bulgaria.
Veronica Boutelle
MA Ed, CTC
Veronica is the founder of dogbiz, where she helps lead the THRIVE! program to support dog trainers’ business success. Veronica is the author of several books, including How to Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is. She writes regular business columns for multiple industry journals, including the Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) BARKS Magazine. A sought-after international conference and seminar speaker, Veronica loves any chance to help R+ dog trainers around the world build their business skills and make a solid living helping more dogs. PPG summits are one of her favorite opportunities for doing so.
Julie Naismith
BSc., CTC
Julie is a trainer and behavior consultant who works solely with separation anxiety cases. Julie trained at the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers, under the apprenticeship of the world-renowned trainer and force-free advocate, Jean Donaldson.
Julie is the author of bestselling separation anxiety training guides found in the Be Right Back! series of books. Be Right Back! has over one thousand reviews, and is the most widely read book on separation anxiety around the world.
She is a total separation anxiety geek, and is committed to making the world a better place for unhappily-home-alone dogs and their stressed-out guardians.
Julie feels privileged to help thousands of guardians around the world via her Separation Anxiety Heroes membership, her AI-enabled separation anxiety training app, and the guidance she gives to the 70,000 plus members of her free Separation Anxiety Dogs Support Group on Facebook.
In addition, Julie runs the SA ProSM certification program for trainers and behavior consultants around the world.
Julie currently lives in the Canadian Rockies with her husband and three dogs. Originally hailing from Yorkshire, she loves to split her time between two of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Summit Schedule & Session Guide
Click below to view the summit schedule and session guide in Google Drive. To download the documents from Google Drive and save them to your computer, click the download icon in the upper right corner of the Google Drive page. (Please note, the summit schedule is a “live” document and will continually be updated as we receive information from our presenters and sponsors.)
You Are Invited
Sponsorship and On-Site Vendor Opportunities
PPG relies on sponsors to support its educational mission, and our summit offers you an excellent opportunity to place your brand, products and services directly in front of your consumers—pet industry professionals. We have developed a great cross-section of sponsorship and on-site vendor options to meet your marketing goals and budget needs.
We invite you to join the Pet Professional Guild for its first force-free training and behavior summit in the British Isles since 2016. PPG will be hosting a group of worldwide-renowned presenters who will be providing both lectures and hands-on clinics on a variety of topics.
Click below to view the PPG British Isles Summit 2024 Sponsorship & Vendor Opportunity Guide. To download the guide from Google Drive and save it to your computer, click the download icon in the upper right corner of the Google Drive page.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss these opportunities or to share your own ideas.
Ready to grab your sponsor or vendor opportunity? Click here to fill out a brief form.
Hotels In The Area
Hotel Name | Distance From Venue | Address | Contact number | Website |
Tulip Queen | 9.6m | Barrier Bank Development, Spalding PE12 6FY | 01775 302320 | Tulip Queen, Spalding by Marston’s Inns, Spalding – Updated 2024 Prices (booking.com) |
Travel Lodge Spalding | 10.2m | Springfields Outlet Centre, Camel Gate, Spalding PE12 6EU | 0871 984 6383 | Travelodge Spalding Hotel – Book Now |
The Angel Hotel | 4.5m | 9, North Street, Bourne PE10 9AE | 01778 422346 | The Angel Hotel, Bourne | Bed & Breakfast Hotel in Lincolnshire (theangelhotelbourne.com) |
The Griffin | 12.4m | 15 Bulby Road, Irnham, Nr, Grantham NG33 4JG | 01476 550201 | The Griffin Inn, Irnham (thegriffinirnham.co.uk) |
The Wishing Well Inn | 3.5m | 21 Main Rd, Dyke, Bourne PE10 0AF | 01778 422970 | The Wishing Well | (thewishingwellinn.co.uk) |
Dormy House | 4.6m | 28 Meadow Gate, Bourne PE10 9EZ | 01778 394950 | The Dormy House – Guest House Accommodation in Spalding (uktourismonline.co.uk) |
Summit Events