Petland Hosts 8th Annual Dog Breeder Symposium

Petland Inc., the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Ohio Forum for Companion Animals (OFCA) and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently hosted the eighth annual Dog Breeder Symposium in Walnut Creek, OH. More than 275 people representing professional and hobby breeders from Ohio, Indiana and Iowa were in attendance.

“Petland is proud to support this vital annual event focusing on breeder best practices. The collaboration between federal and state agencies, breeders, veterinarians and the pet industry demonstrates the priority all of us have in continuing to develop and implement processes to improve the life and welfare of pets,” said Petland President and CEO Joe Watson.

The Symposium series is the only of its kind where the five groups work together to produce an annual breeder education event geared towards sharing best practices and the continued improvement of dog-breeding standards.

“Each group brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the meeting and it’s an extraordinary educational networking opportunity that supports and encourages responsible breeding,” said Petland’s Vice President of Animal Welfare Brian Winslow.

This year’s symposium was held Sept. 29 with the following key areas of focus:

• Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Canine Care Certified Program – Certification with the nation’s highest standards of care in regulated and unregulated kennels.
• Exercise
• Obedience Training
• Providing an environment of positive enrichment and socialization.

Speakers included representatives from Petland, AKC, USDA, ODA, OFCA as well as veterinarians. Breeders also participated in panel discussions about best practices. Previous symposiums have addressed the importance of socialization programs for breeding parents and their offspring, developing rehoming programs for retired sires and dams, training, improved kennel design and genetic testing.