CCPDT: URGENT REPLY NEEDED TODAY

Dear Fellow Certificants,

The CCPDT’s decision to replace the LIMA framework with Dr. Susan Friedman’s Hierarchy of Behavior Change Procedures—while continuing to permit aversive tools such as shock collars, prong collars, and choke chains—represents a fundamental betrayal of the science-based and humane values that once defined our certification. This shift devalues our credential and isolates us from the broader scientific and veterinary communities that have long supported our work.

All three organizations—APDT International, AVSAB, and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB)—have published unequivocal position statements declaring that there is no ethical or scientifically justifiable place for the use of aversive tools or punishment-based methods in dog training. “Clarification: This article reflects our interpretation of published standards from APDT International, AVSAB, and ACVB. While no formal referral ban has been announced by APDT International against CCPDT-certified professionals, we believe that core ethical inconsistencies exist when referring to professionals affiliated with organizations that permit aversive tools. We respect the rights of all organizations to clarify their positions, and welcome open dialogue around these critical issues.”

• APDT International’s Standards of Practice explicitly state that “there are no training or behavior cases which justify the use of intentional aversive punishment-based interventions in any form of training.” The organization identifies a wide range of aversive tools—including shock collars (e-collars/stim-collars), prong collars, choke collars, leash corrections, shaker cans, and spray devices—as incompatible with their core values and professional standards. These standards are non-negotiable for all active members and are grounded in alignment with AVSAB’s evidence-based position (https://apdt.com/standards-of-practice/).

• The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) states in their official Position Statement on Humane Dog Training that methods based on fear, pain, or intimidation not only pose serious welfare risks but are also scientifically inferior to positive reinforcement approaches. AVSAB unequivocally opposes the use of any technique that relies on fear or pain, including all forms of shock, prong, and choke collars (https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf).

• The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) affirms in its own position statement that training and behavior modification should rely exclusively on humane, science-based approaches. Their board-certified veterinary behaviorists advocate for methods that avoid physical punishment and emphasize behavior modification grounded in learning theory and modern behavioral science (https://www.dacvb.org/page/PositionStatement).

Given these unambiguous stances, it is logically and ethically inconsistent for any of these organizations to maintain referral relationships with professionals or certificants affiliated with bodies that explicitly permit the use of aversives—such as the CCPDT under its current policy.

An organization cannot credibly claim to uphold and promote standards that reject the use of aversive methods while simultaneously endorsing, recommending, or referring professionals who operate under certification frameworks that allow those very methods. To do so would undermine their stated values, mislead pet guardians, and compromise the welfare standards the field is working to elevate.

This isn’t abstract—it’s a direct threat to your reputation, your referrals, and your business, and YOUR INCOME!

We are urging you to act now, before the policy takes effect on June 1, 2025. If you remain silent, you risk being viewed as complicit in a system that condones tools and methods proven to cause fear, pain, and stress in dogs. As a certificant, we strongly urge you to take a stand and communicate to the CCPDT that they need to remove all allowances for aversive tools. Take two immediate actions today.

1. Sign the petition here:
   👉 https://www.change.org/p/certified-trainers-demand-humane-standards-end-ccpdt-s-support-of-harmful-tools

2. Email your formal opposition to CCPDT leadership using the sample message below. You can send it to:
   📧 Administrator@ccpdt.org

📨 Sample Email to CCPDT:

Subject: Formal Opposition to Policy Change Allowing Aversive Tools

Dear CCPDT Leadership,

As a current certificant, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the recent policy change replacing the LIMA framework with Dr. Susan Friedman’s Hierarchy of Behavior Change Procedures. While presented as a modern alternative, this policy still allows for the use of aversive tools such as prong collars, choke chains, and shock collars—tools that are unequivocally associated with increased fear, stress, and the potential for harm.

This change is not aligned with current scientific consensus or with the ethical standards upheld by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), or the Association of Professional Dog Trainers International (APDT Int’l), all of whom have now distanced themselves from the CCPDT. I urge you to immediately reinstate LIMA as the standard for our profession and take a clear and uncompromising stance against aversive tools. The integrity and value of our certification depend on it.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Credential(s)]
[City, State]