Expert Advice From Our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

It can be frustrating when your cat stops using their litter box! In fact, it is one of the top reasons cats are surrendered to shelters every day. We want to offer an alternative solution! Contrary to popular belief, cats do not eliminate outside of their litter box on a whim because they are “mad” […]

Many families have decided to add a new canine member while they are working and studying from home. This is a perfect time to bond and teach your puppy new commands and tricks. “Sit” or “Down” are fun commands to work on, but did you know there are even more important behaviors to address? Puppies […]

With summer in full swing, it is important to keep your pup’s obedience skills sharp! Follow along with our summer training checklist to make sure your dog is ready to explore with you! 1. Socialize This one is difficult during a pandemic but still just as important! Make the most of your neighborhood walks and […]

Dog training is often viewed as a hobby to many–more of an after-work activity than a career. Honestly, I thought that way too. I was convinced in my undergraduate career that dog training would be my “fun side projects” rather than the start of my research interests. I know I am not the only one […]

When raising a puppy, it can become overwhelming with all the things you are supposed to do with them. We wanted to make it easier for you, so we gathered our top 5 actions to avoid with your puppy instead! Avoid Using the Crate as Punishment A crate is an invaluable tool when raising a […]

The Dangers of Shock Beyond the Dog focuses on training that builds positive relationships. In general, we avoid the use of harsh aversive stimuli. In fact, using aversive stimuli such as shock collars, prong collars, or choke chains can be detrimental to the animal’s overall wellbeing, and more effective (and humane) training methods lead to […]

Now that we have introduced shaping and talked about how to shape new behaviors in our animals, we are going to spend some time on WHY Beyond the Dog focuses on shaping appropriate behaviors.  Shaping uses positive reinforcement – rewarding the behaviors we want to see. These behaviors are more likely to occur if they […]

If you have been following along our blog, we have been talking about shaping to teach new behaviors! It is one way dog trainers teach obedience skills to your puppy or dog.  To shape a new behavior, pick a target and provide treats for anything that resembles that target. As your dog gets better at […]