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 […]

Did you know that many dog trainers focus on teaching appropriate behaviors? The way they do this is through a procedure called shaping.  B.F. Skinner was a proponent of shaping behaviors in different types of animals. A reporter challenged Skinner to train a dog to do something new because he did not believe how quickly […]

For most puppies, crate training is necessary to help manage their behavior. A crate can be an invaluable tool to help potty train or to prevent unwanted chewing. Unfortunately, most puppies don’t immediately love their crate, but with some guidance and training you can help to create a positive experience. For starters monitor your puppy […]