PPGA Conference 2026: September 11-13

Written by Australian Dog Lover 11:34:00 - 0 Comments

Innovate, Educate, Advocate: The PPGA Pet Training Conference Returns for 2026!

Are you a pet industry professional looking to sharpen your skills, or a dedicated pet owner eager to understand the latest insights into animal behaviour?

The Pet Professional Guild Australia (PPGA) has announced its highly anticipated biennial conference for 2026—and it promises to be an unmissable event that goes well beyond standard PowerPoint presentations! Running from 11 to 13 September 2026 in Sydney, this year's event features hands-on practical workshops alongside a stellar lecture series.

Why the PPGA Matters

The dog and pet training industry in Australia remains largely unregulated. The PPGA stands out as one of the very few organisations requiring its professional members to commit to continuous further education. This ensures they consistently keep up with best practices and peer-reviewed scientific research to maintain their credentials.

The Keynote Line-up: World-Class Experts

Dr Tom Mitchell (UK): Rethinking Canine Agency & Optimism

Kicking off the conference is Dr Tom Mitchell, a world-renowned veterinarian, dog behaviourist, and founder of concept training. Concept training helps dogs make good decisions on their own via fun and engaging games and protocols. Tom brings over a decade’s worth of experience transforming canine behaviour struggles to help people (and their pets!) achieve their dog-owning dreams. 

He established Behavet, the world's largest online canine behaviour clinic, and founded Help! My Dog, an online community for dog owners and professionals, alongside its #1 ranked dog podcast.

• The Workshop: Tom will be hosting an interactive workshop focused on Agency—the ability for dogs to make autonomous choices and have control over their own life and environment. He will explore how powerful this can be, particularly with anxious, fearful, and reactive dogs.

• The Lectures: He will present a series of lectures exploring pessimism (and how to build optimism!), pressure-sensitivity, and the secret to transforming behaviour even with a long rehearsal history.

Simone Mueller (Germany): Mastering Predation Substitute Training

Simone Mueller is an acclaimed author (Hunting Together, Rocket Recall, Walking Together, and Don't Eat That) and the founder of Predation Substitute Training.

Simone's "ah-ha" moment came when her first dog, an Aussie Shepherd mix named Malinka, demonstrated an intense passion for chasing wildlife on walks. The conventional training options focused on punishment and left the human as the annoying factor that ruins the fun. Simone began playing games with Malinka that mimicked the predatory behaviour she loved to perform.

Playing Predation Substitute Games stopped Malinka from running off and searching for wildlife to chase. Instead, she focused on Simone during their walks, always eagerly waiting for the call to play her beloved games. Over the years, Simone developed Predation Substitute Training (PST) into a holistic, force-free training system for dogs with predatory behaviour. While hunting games and substitute activities are one important aspect, PST is built around four core pillars:

1. Emotional regulation

2. Cooperation and connection with the guardian

3. Safe outlets for predatory needs

4. Practical real-life skills (such as recall, impulse control, and behavioural interruption around wildlife).

• The Workshop: Simone will host an interactive workshop on building focus around real-life distractions.

• The Lectures: She will cover predatory behaviour in depth, putting PST into practice, and exploring why high-prey-drive dogs pull on the leash.

Local Scientific Insights

The conference also brings together top Australian veterinary and behaviour minds:

Dr Dennis Wormald (VIC): A practicing behaviour veterinarian in Melbourne with a PhD in canine anxiety, during which he led and published several scientific studies on anxiety in dogs. Dennis also launched ABAdog, an online platform linking trainers, owners, and vets in behaviour care.

Dennis will present a talk on stress coping styles, which is the way an animal responds both behaviourally and physiologically to stressful situations. His talk will look at how different breeds can have different stress coping styles and what techniques may be beneficial in helping them cope better. He will also give us a peek into behaviour medications from a behaviour vet's perspective. With the use of medication more common nowadays, this will provide an insight into how they work and how they can be utilised in managing behaviour cases.

Dr Diana Rayment: Holding a PhD in canine behaviour, Dr Rayment has worked as a dog trainer and behaviour consultant for over 15 years, alongside roles within animal rescue and shelter organisations. Her research work focuses on canine behaviour and assessments in different settings like rescues and shelters with a focus on how assessments and behavioural knowledge of animal care workers can be improved and how we can increase adoptability of rescue dogs. Diana will share insights into canine personality science, and how that theory can work in practice.

Expanding the Scope: Cats & Birds

This year, the scope of the conference has broadened to include a variety of pet species:

✔ Feline Behaviour:

Certified Cat Behaviour Consultant Andrea Carne of Cattitude will share her expert knowledge on feline behaviour. She conducts behavioural consultations not just in person but across the world.

She will be delving into some myths surrounding our feline friends and how we can help them to be happy and healthy. She will also provide advice to the age-old dilemma of how to introduce a dog to your resident cat with some interesting case studies as well.

✔ Avian Behaviour:

Brisbane-based Lee Stone, an Avian Behaviour and Training consultant for Parrot Life Behaviour and Training, will delve into the "wild mind" of our avian friends and how we can improve their lives.

Unlike our canine friends, avian species such as parrots that are highly intelligent, social, and largely undomesticated can present new challenges for pet owners. She will explore understanding behaviour challenges in a wild companion animal and what we can do to help them. She will also share lessons learned from working with animals who can simply fly away—and how those lessons apply to working with other pets.

Unwinding & Networking

There will be plenty of opportunities to mingle with other delegates and the speakers:

• Friday Night: A casual Cocktail Party (complimentary for those purchasing a 3-day ticket).

• Saturday Night: A Gala Dinner featuring an exclusive Guest Speaker (to be confirmed).

Event at a Glance

• What: Pet Professional Guild of Australia 2026 Conference: Innovate, Educate, Advocate

• When: Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September 2026

• Where:

  • Friday Workshops: St Ives Showground, Sydney (organised transport from the CBD is provided).

  • Saturday & Sunday Lectures: Rydges World Square, Sydney CBD.

• Full Schedule: ppgaustralia.net.au/Conference/schedule

• Registration: Opening shortly at ppgaustralia.net.au/Conference/Register

Australian Dog Lover Verdict

ADL Verdict: ★★★★★

Whether you are a dog professional aiming to bring the latest science-backed methods to your clients, or a dedicated pet parent dealing with a high-prey-drive or reactive dog, the PPGA 2026 Conference is an essential investment. The rare combination of practical field workshops at St Ives and central CBD lectures makes this the premier educational dog event of the year. Highly recommended.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest