Petland Hosts 6th Annual Dog Breeder Symposium

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Petland Inc., the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Ohio Professional Dog Breeders Association, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the American Kennel Club (AKC) recently hosted the sixth annual Dog Breeder Symposium in Walnut Creek, Ohio. More than 200 professional and hobby breeders from three states were in attendance.

“Petland is proud to be a partner in supporting this annual educational conference. This is a special collaborative effort between federal and state agencies and the pet industry to promote and implement processes to improve the life and welfare of pets,” Petland President and CEO Joe Watson said. “Breeders from around the state have a unique opportunity to hear firsthand about improvements and standards of care.”

The Symposium series sees the five groups work together to produce an annual breeder education event geared toward the continual improvement of dog-breeding standards.

“We find that bringing groups together is highly productive and beneficial,” Petland Vice President of Animal Welfare Brian Winslow said. “Petland works closely with the USDA and all of our conference partners as each group brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the meeting.”

This year’s symposium was held March 27 and focused on enrichment activities for dogs and how to train dogs in a kennel environment. Speakers included representatives from Petland, AKC, the Ohio Professional Dog Breeders’ Association as well as veterinarians. Previous symposiums have addressed the importance of socialization programs for breeding parents and their offspring, improved kennel design and genetic testing.