• 2026 PPGA Conference

    2026 PPGA Conference

    Workshop Working Position Application

  • We're excited to offer a number of working positions at the Workshop day of our 2026 Conference.  

    Date: Friday 11 September 2026

    Venue: St Ives Showground, Sydney

    If you are interested in securing a working spot for one of the workshops, please complete the form below.  Applications will close on 31 July 2026, after which all applications will be assessed for suitability.  Successful applications will be notified within the first week of August.  

    Please note:

    • The cost of the working spot is in addition to the cost of the Workshop (either on it's own or as part of a 2 or 3 day package).
    • Participants must have their own transport.  Dogs are not able to travel on the bus with delegates from Rydges World Square.
    • Invoices will be sent once offers have been made.   

  • WORKSHOP ONE: 9am - 130pm

    Dr. Tom Mitchell

    Agency - The Secret Sauce for Anxious, Fearful & Reactive Dogs
     
    In this workshop, I’ll share an additional layer to behaviour plans we have developed and piloted over the past 3 years focussed around practical strategies to give dogs agency, a feeling of control over the environment. This is one of the most impactful changes in behaviour plans we’ve made in the past few years. I’ll be explaining the science as well as showing you practically how to do this with dogs and where these strategies would sit in a behaviour plan. This learning impacts: 

    • Reactivity transformations
    • Working with anxious/worried dogs
    • All dog / puppy training
    • Building out confidence and learning to new environments 

     $200/dog

  • WORKSHOP TWO: 2pm - 330pm

    Simone Mueller

    From Hypervigilance to Engagement: Building Focus Around Real-Life Distractions
     
    Dogs with high predatory motivation often struggle to maintain engagement in complex outdoor environments. Behaviours such as scanning, fixation, and disengagement difficulties are frequently misinterpreted as non-compliance, rather than manifestations of elevated arousal and competing reinforcement contingencies.

    This practical workshop introduces a structured, reinforcement-based approach to developing functional focus in real-world contexts. Using live demonstration dogs, participants will observe how systematically designed training games can facilitate orientation, improve emotional regulation, and reduce conflict without the use of aversive strategies.

    Grounded in applied behaviour analysis and ethological principles, this session emphasises the role of predictability, reinforcement quality, and arousal modulation in building sustainable engagement outdoors.

    Learning Objectives

    • Identify key behavioural indicators of hypervigilance and disengagement in dogs
    • Explain the relationship between arousal, reinforcement history, and attention
    • Apply structured focus games to improve engagement in real-world environments
    • Evaluate training strategies based on welfare-oriented and evidence-based criteria

    $100/dog

  • Format: 0000000000.
  • Are you a PPGA member?*
  • Is your dog worried about, or likely to react to, other dogs? (This question is to assist with planning and management on the day).*
  • Is your dog worried about, or likely to react to, unknown humans? (This question is to assist with planning and management on the day).*
  • The Workshops will be held either in a large shed/barn or an open field. Do you think your dog would cope working in these environments in front of a crowd of up to 100 people?*

  • The Pet Professional Guild Australia (PPGA) takes your privacy very seriously. We abide by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. We will NOT sell or give your information to a third party without your express written permission.

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