The Pet Empowerment Framework
What is Pet Empowerment?
Pet Empowerment is The Academy of Pet Careers' proprietary framework for working with animals. Its foundation is built upon force-free and science-backed methodology, and focuses on the enrichment of animals in order to promote a healthier human-pet bond. This means we do not promote or teach the use of force, intimidation, or punishment in our school. Instead, we focus on compassionate, modern techniques that allow animals to make their own choices. This builds a confident pet, as well as confident pet professionals.
Practicing Pet Empowerment means understanding the desires and motivations of your pet. For a human and their pet to live an empowered lifestyle, both must work to improve communication and strive to seek a balance between the needs of the human and the needs of the pet. Pet Empowerment benefits both the animals under our care and the students enrolled in our programs.
Why do we teach this framework to our students?
Our job is to create career-ready professionals who are properly equipped to handle the challenges of pet care. That's why we teach Pet Empowerment, which reflects the current scientific literature and the most modern techniques. Animals who learn through positive, reward-based methods are more confident in themselves, are more trusting towards humans, and retain skills that actually last. This is the direction the pet industry is moving in, and we want our students to be prepared for that. Just by learning under this framework, our graduates have an immediate advantage in a competitive job market.
Pet Empowerment is rooted in animal behavior. Therefore, our students learn to recognize the early signs of stress or fear and respond accordingly to keep the pet as happy and comfortable as possible. Not only does this keep humans safe, it keeps animals safe and reduces the risk of behavioral euthanasia, a practice where an animal is put down after being deemed unsafe due to behavioral issues. When done properly, Pet Empowerment practices can address many behavioral issues, and it can even prevent them before they begin.
How do we implement Pet Empowerment at APC?
Pet Empowerment isn't just fluff. This framework shapes how our entire school operates. All students enrolled in our school learn how to put Pet Empowerment in practice, whether they are studying to be a dog trainer, dog groomer, or veterinary assistant. It is baked into our curriculum. Veterinary assistant students learn how to handle injured animals with patience and care. Dog training students learn to reward desired behaviors rather than punish undesired behaviors. Dog grooming students learn to actively lower stress for dogs in the salon.
While students at our school, they must abide by the force-free principles set forth by Pet Empowerment in our classrooms. Students can even take the Pet Empowerment Pledge to show their dedication to creating positive experiences for animals.
The Pet Empowerment Pledge
By making the pledge, you or your business agree to the following practices. You will join a community of pet lovers who are trying to change the world by actively pursuing better practices of care. These small changes will go a long way in improving the lives of pets and reducing incidents of behavioral euthanasia.
I Pledge To...
(For businesses, please enter your business name and email address)