Trades Protocol for Professionals Course
A Better Way to Treat Resource Guarding
Most trades protocols are taught for textbook scenarios, but fall apart in real homes.
Which means they don’t work when…
- The dog is guarding a stolen TV remote
- Kids make the environment unpredictable
- The client rushes steps, or worse, improvises
When your cases don’t match the textbook scenario, you’re left guessing how to adapt the protocol. And when safety is on the line, guessing isn’t good enough.
The Pet Harmony Trades Protocol & decision-making framework removes the guesswork so you have a better, safer, adaptable tool for teaching trades.
Registration Ends In...
If you’ve ever felt unsure working a guarding case, you’re not alone.
Many professionals learned a single trades protocol, usually demonstrated with a dog calmly chewing a toy in a controlled environment.
But real-life cases rarely follow that script.
When that happens, you start second-guessing:
I’m failing to implement this trades protocol.
I don’t know how to adapt this protocol for this environment.
Am I going to get my client bit?
What happens if they mess up?
Am I missing something important?
Those questions don’t mean you’re a bad trainer.
They mean you’re working with complex, high-stakes cases where thoughtful decision-making matters.
The problem isn’t that you don’t know a trades protocol.
The problem is that most trades protocols are taught as fixed step-by-step exercises, not as part of a broader decision-making framework.
Safe, adaptable trades protocols are about decision-making, not just steps.
The true skill isn’t memorizing a protocol.
It’s knowing when, how, and whether to use trades safely.
When you have a decision-making framework, you can confidently adapt your approach to any guarding scenario, keep everyone safe, and teach clients protocols they can actually implement.
If you ever struggle to implement trades with your clients,
you should join our
Trades Protocol for Professionals Course
By the End of This Course, You'll be Able to:
Confidently decide when and how to use a trades protocol
Adapt the protocol to different guarding scenarios
Safely teach trades to clients with varying skill levels
Anticipate and prevent common pitfalls & safety risks
Integrate trades into a thoughtful guarding treatment plan
Learn the skills that make our trades protocol work for real cases
This course goes beyond teaching a single protocol.
You’ll learn the skills to evaluate, adapt, and safely implement trades for real clients.
When to switch from classical to operant conditioning
Why you need both strategies to be effective and increase agency, and what that means for timing, reinforcement, and learning.
How stress changes everything
Including how to recognize escalation early and support de-escalation before things fall apart.
How to identify the real contributing factors
From environment and history to stress load and trust, resource guarding is complex.
The foundational skills guarders need
And no, it isn’t “drop it” or “leave it.” #sorrynotsorry
The Details
When & Where
- Access the Week 1 pre-recorded lesson as soon as you register
- Weekly lessons drop on Mondays
- Instructor support starts April 15, 2026 and ends May 13, 2026
- Live Zoom classes are on Wednesdays from 3-5 pm CDT:
- April 15
- April 22
- April 29
- May 6
Live classes are recorded.
The Curriculum
Week 1
- When, where, & why to use a trades protocol
- Implementing the Pet Harmony Trades Protocol
- Management, risk factors, and “oh sh*t” moments
Week 2
- Reading stress, escalation, & de-escalation
- Optimizing safety
- Selecting protective tools
Week 3
- Adjusting trades for each dog
- Accounting for contributing factors
- Troubleshooting in real time
Week 4
- Deciding when trades are appropriate
- Determining required learner skills
- Considering complementary behaviors
Choose Your Learning Journey
Auditor Spot
- The Pet Harmony Trades Protocol to use with your clients
- 4 pre-recorded lessons
- 4 live classes over 4 weeks
- Recordings available post-class
- Q&A during live classes
- Access to class discussion forum for sharing comments, questions, and videos
- Observe instructor feedback on student videos
- 1-year access
- Course-completion certificate
- CEUs: 4 PPAB, 4 CCPDT (1 trainer, 3 behavior), 4 IAABC
Working Spot
Everything in the Auditor Spot, plus:
- Share practice videos and receive Instructor feedback
- One-on-one coaching from the instructor during live Zoom sessions
Meet Your Instructor
Hi, I'm Emily Strong
You may know me from our book, Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and our Enrichment for the Real World podcast.
But what you may not know is that resource guarders have a special place in my heart.
My heart dog, Brie, grew up in the wild west (literally) and learned that she had to guard food to survive. My new puppy, Miley, started showing signs of guarding when she hit adolescence.
I’ve lived and breathed guarding protocols in my personal life and in the lives of hundreds of my clients.
And I can’t wait to share them with you, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! Plus, you’ll have 1 year to access those recordings.
Nope! If you think this course will help your career then you are invited and more than welcome to join!
No. The course teaches foundational steps and the decision-making framework to implement trades safely.
Trades protocols work well for dogs guarding items and/or food, so that’s our focus. You’ll learn how to adapt our trades protocol for a wide variety of items, environments, and client skill levels.
Yes. Safety is central. You’ll learn how to evaluate readiness, implement safeguards, anticipate risks, and teach protocols safely.
Absolutely. You’ll learn to avoid accidentally reinforcing stealing while still giving dogs agency and clients a safe, effective strategy.
Yes. The course goes beyond any single item to teach you how to apply trades protocols to any guarded object.
Yep! While this course will focus on dogs, we’ve used it with other species, too.
Take the Guesswork Out of Guarding
Resource guarding is complex. Trades protocols are powerful if you know when, how, and whether to use them safely.
With Trades Protocol for Professionals, you’ll:
Confidently evaluate when trades are appropriate
Adapt the Pet Harmony Trades Protocol to any environment, dog, or client scenario
Teach trades that are safe even when humans make mistakes
Integrate trades into a broader guarding treatment plan
Stop second-guessing yourself. Gain the skills, framework, and confidence you need to navigate real-world guarding cases safely.
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Results are not guaranteed because behavior, human, canine, or otherwise, are not guaranteeable.
