Jason Purgason: President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP)

Jason Purgason, President of Highland Canine Training, LLC, is now serving as the President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP). Purgason’s tenure as IACP President started with effect from July 1, 2024.

The IACP was founded in 1999 to promote exceptional levels of professional practice from canine professionals around the world. Through seminars, ongoing educational initiatives and mentorship, the IACP advocates for fair, ethical and safe dog training to improve training outcomes for pet dogs.

Highland Canine Training has been closely affiliated with the IACP for some time, with many of its trainers registered as professional members of the organization. In addition to Purgason serving as President, trainers from Highland Canine Training also have advocacy on key committees within the IACP, including the legislative, member support and European members. This reflects Highland Canine Training’s ongoing commitment to education and development of best practices within the dog training industry.

What is the IACP?

The IACP is an organization consisting of thousands of dog trainers from across the globe. It exists to promote and advocate for the best interests of the dog training community, using research and science to ensure positive outcomes for dogs, owners and trainers alike. The IACP offers professional membership accreditation for dog trainers, in addition to continuing educational opportunities and assessments.

The organization holds an annual educational conference. The 2025 IACP Conference took place in Savannah, GA at the end of July. The 2026 Conference will be held on August 18-20 in Newport Beach, CA.

What does the IACP stand for?

The IACP has published a number of position statements that outline their stances on various issues that are affecting the dog training community. These include:

Training tools – The IACP strongly opposes legislation that bans or limits the humane use of training tools such as E-collars and prong collars.
Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) – The IACP is against the recent reinterpretation of LIMA principles by purely positive trainers to eliminate the use of training tools.
Sterilization – The IACP opposes mandatory sterilization of dogs, believing that the decision should rest with owners as opposed to government authorities.
Debarking – The IACP is opposed to oppressive laws that prevent dog owners from freedom of choice in relation to debarking.
Puppy mills – The IACP is against commercial breeding of puppies on a mass scale, which increases the population of dogs ending up in shelters.

Why is the IACP beneficial for dog trainers?

The IACP is a valuable organization for dog trainers to be a part of, and many of our trainers at Highland Canine Training have been professional members for a number of years.

Being a member of the IACP presents educational opportunities to further a trainer’s knowledge and understanding of canine behavior. In addition, being part of a reputable organization offers reputational benefits and enables members to be found by prospective clients in the IACP’s searchable trainer database.

“At Highland Canine Training, we’ve been close allies and Platinum Sponsors of the IACP for a number of years,” explains Purgason. “Supporting the IACP is something that we feel strongly about! This organization is unique in that it is the largest in the world of its kind and is the only one that supports a common sense and balanced approach to training dogs.

“As President of the IACP, I have continued to advocate for the use of science in all aspects of dog training, and representing the interests of our members to enable them to help the dogs and owners they work with.”

Representation on IACP committees

In addition to Purgason’s role as President, Highland Canine also has a presence on various committees within the IACP. This continues to allow our organization to have a voice at the table when it comes to some of the hot-button topics that dominate the dog training industry.

Emma Stowe, Highland Canine’s professional dog trainer in Cleveland, OH, and member of the IACP’s Legislative Committee, explains:

“The IACP Legislative Committee’s focus is to monitor legislation around the world that affects any professional in the canine community. Our goals are not only oriented on fighting legislation, but also to support legislation to allow professionals to continue to provide various ethical methods and resources to our communities.

“As a volunteer, my role on this committee is to watch the progression of different legislation move throughout the system and draft letters for full or partial support or opposition. Most of the legislation I have chosen to work with pertains to service dogs, allowing for continued public access for service dog handlers, users and trainers. Working with this legislation also allows us to help create clear definitions of service dogs throughout the country.”

Magdalena Szymanska, Lead Instructor at the School for Dog Trainers (Main Campus), and Chair of the European Members Committee, says:

“I’ve been volunteering on the IACP’s Educational Committee for over a year now. The main goal of this committee is to build educational modules for the members in order to certify with – for example, our prong collar assessment which is up and running, and many others that are still in works.

“For me as an instructor at the School for Dog Trainers, this is a great opportunity to serve alongside other experienced trainers and instructors from different backgrounds. The IACP allows me to continually evolve and learn different perspectives in the dog training community.”

Anayla Fontán Núñez, a dog trainer and behavior specialist based in Puerto Rico and member of the IACP Member Support Committee, says:

“As part of the Member Support Committee, my role is to connect with members and ensure they feel supported within the IACP. One of my goals is to expand awareness of the association in Puerto Rico, so that more people who want to grow in dog training can have access to resources and opportunities, ultimately helping to improve the lives of dogs.”

For more information on the IACP, visit their website at iacpdogs.org.