Meet Taro, our Dallas Dog of the Month!
During his in-home Dallas dog reactivity training program, Taro completely transformed his behavior around other dogs and people. He no longer shows reactive behavior around his past triggers and has gained so much confidence walking around his apartment complex.
Dallas has so many dog-friendly things to do and now Taro and his owner can enjoy all of them together! Go Taro!
We have in-home reactive dog training programs in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City and virtual dog training programs offered worldwide. Link in bio to learn more!
#dogtraining #dogreactivity #dallas #dogtrainer #dogs #beyondthedog
DON’T MAKE THIS DOG TRAINING MISTAKE 👇
One of the biggest dog training mistakes we see people make is that they expect their dog to listen around super difficult distractions without ever practicing in front of those distractions or nailing the basics first.
Here’s how to prepare your dog for advanced distractions!
1) Begin Fading Food: Get the food out of your hands and into a treat bag and delay the time it takes from saying the command to giving the treat.
2) Do Normal Activities but Remain Focused on Training: If you are practicing a down stay, pretend to check your email or get “distracted” by your phone. Start a load of laundry or begin unloading the dishwasher. Break the everyday activity into bite-sized pieces and reward your dog at short intervals for holding a command like “stay.”
3) Get Your Dog Practicing Obedience Outdoors: Remember, your dog’s nose is much better than your nose, and smells can quickly become very distracting. Go back to the basics you started with when you change environments from indoors to outside.
4) Moving to Advanced Distractions: Ensure your dog complies with verbal cues then start to change your positioning when you ask the command. Once your dog realizes that the command has little to do with the position you are in, it is time to teach them to comply with your command no matter what they are doing.
5) Target Problem Behaviors at Difficult Times: For example, work on jumping after your dog hasn’t seen a family member for a while or practice recall by a squirrel.
Remember, go back to the basics for a few minutes anytime you increase the level of distractions. As you progress through these steps, you will have a well-mannered dog and one that is compliant with commands around advanced distractions without yelling and screaming from you.
Want a professional dog trainer to do the heavy lifting for you? Our in-home dog training programs are crafted from decades of experience training dogs. We know e
Meet Howdy, our Dallas Dog of the Month!
Howdy the Beagle Mix enrolled in one of our in-home Dallas dog training programs to learn calm loose leashing. This is his progress after only two weeks of training!
We can’t wait to see how much this sweet boy learns by the end of his Dallas dog training program!
If you see another dog or your own dog showing this behavior, the dog park is not a good place for you and it’s time to leave!
1.) If a dog enters the dog park, is greeted by other dogs, and immediately runs away with their tail tucked oftentimes vocalizing.
2.) If a dog is overly physical, constantly chasing and biting other dogs without ever reciprocating vulnerable body positions.
3.) If a dog is showing clear signs of aggression such as hackles raised, consistently stiff body language, and growling and snapping towards other dogs.
If your dog has good social skills and you want to take them to the dog park, always stay on the sidelines first and watch if any dogs are exhibiting the above behavior. If they are, wait for those dogs to leave before entering to ensure safe, positive fun!
If you tried socializing your dog but something still isn’t clicking, we are happy to help! Link in bio for professional help with dog socialization, dog reactivity, or any other dog behavioral issue! We offer both in-home (in select cities) and virtual training sessions.
Some dogs should not go to the dog park and that’s okay!
Poor candidates for the dog park include…
❌ Young puppies, specifically those in the critical socialization period of 3-12 weeks (we recommend being extra picky about the group of dogs your puppy plays with until they are at least six months of age)
❌ Unneutered males over 8-months-old
❌ Adult males who have recently been neutered
❌ Dogs that stay by your side the entire time and have no interest in playing with other dogs
❌ Dogs that just want to play fetch with their owners and have no interest in interacting with other dogs
Stay tuned for part 2!
If you notice avoidant or fearful behavior in your puppy, let us know and we can help treat the behavior right away! We have both in-home and virtual puppy training programs that can be customized to fit you and your puppy’s exact needs.
Start your puppy training journey with us below!
https://calendly.com/petbehaviorteam/15min
All puppies bite. It is simply how they explore the world when they are young.
However, it’s super important to pay attention to the context in which your puppy is biting to differentiate between normal vs. abnormal biting.
❗Does your puppy hover over a bone, toy, or food?
❗Does your puppy growl when they’re picked up or while woken up?
❗Does your puppy act aggressively in response to being restrained?
❗Does your puppy grab things and run away?
❗Does your puppy try to swallow items like mulch, trash, or bones, whole?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, your puppy might be showing early signs of resource guarding.
To prevent resource guarding from worsening, practice approaching your puppy when they have a toy or bone, give them a treat, and walk away.
Don’t play with your puppy’s food or take it away mid-meal. Instead, approach them while they’re eating, drop a tasty treat in their food bowl, and walk away.
This helps create a positive association with your puppy being approached with valuable resources. The goal is for your puppy to happily await you approaching them.
Over time, you can prevent resource guarding from worsening with age!
If you need additional help with puppy biting, we have virtual puppy training programs and would be happy to help. Link in bio to learn more!
Ruby enrolled in one of our Dallas in-home dog training programs to address some of her avoidance behaviors relating to the crate.
Her trainer also flagged some early signs of touch-sensitivity which was critical for Ruby as the behavior could’ve escalated into severe aggression like a bite if it wasn’t addressed early on.
Ruby learned commands like crate, place, touch, heel, and more! Go Ruby!
Link in bio to learn more about our personalized in-home training programs!
Resource guarding is a complex, social behavior that is typically caused due to a multitude of factors including genetics, early environment, training history, and the behavior of other dogs in the home to name a few.
It is not caused because your dog no longer “sees you as the alpha”!
If resource guarding is left untreated, the behavior could escalate into your dog biting you or a family member.
Luckily, resource guarding can be treated with behavior modification! We treat resource guarding using a combination of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement that ultimately teaches dogs to look forward to being approached by loved ones.
Learn more about resource guarding below!
https://beyondthedogtraining.com/dog-training/why-is-my-dog-resource-guarding/
Dog-Friendly Chocolate-Covered Strawberries and Yogurt Hearts ❤️
INGREDIENTS
10-12 strawberries (stems cut off)
1/4 cup carob powder (or chips)
1/4 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS
For the strawberries…
Rinse your strawberries and chop off the tops. Set aside 5-6. Mix carob and oil into a bowl. Coat your strawberries and freeze overnight.
For the hearts…
Dice 5-6 strawberries. Mix with Greek yogurt. Spoon into a mold leaving space on top for the carob. Drizzle carob on top of your yogurt hearts and freeze overnight.
We hope you enjoy these dog-friendly “chocolate-covered” treats!
💌 Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌
If your dog only listens to you when you have treats, it’s not because they don’t love or respect you enough.
It’s because they simply don’t understand what is expected of them.
In a healthy relationship, you don’t assume the other person isn’t listening to you due to a lack of love. The same applies to your relationship with your dog!
Dog reactivity can be an incredibly stressful behavior for pet parents to manage. Many owners and trainers try using shock to treat reactivity. In many cases, shock is seemingly very effective in getting your dog to immediately stop barking or lunging.
But do the ends justify the means when it comes to using shock for reactivity?
Shock often addresses the symptoms of dog reactivity (barking and lunging) but it can mask the underlying cause of the reactivity, the desire to get unfamiliar people and dogs to go away.
The use of shock can make a dog stop barking and lunging but the negative association a dog has with unfamiliar people and dogs can be heightened. After using shock, the dog will associate other people and dogs with an even more unpleasant and painful experience. Classical conditioning is always at play!
Research supports this as studies show the levels of the stress hormone cortisol remain high after the use of shock. Research also shows shock can elicit aggressive behavior!
In our opinion, the ends DO NOT justify the means when it comes to using shock on behavioral issues such as reactivity. It is simply not worth the risk of long-term side effects.
Behavior modification using principles from classical conditioning and positive reinforcement is the best and most ethical method to treat dog reactivity.
For more information on this topic, check out our latest dog behavior blog post below!
https://beyondthedogtraining.com/dog-training/does-it-matter-how-you-train-your-dog-the-effects-of-aversive-training-techniques-on-well-being/
Some people think the far left has taken over dog training and that’s why trainers have stopped using aversive methods such as shock collars and the alpha roll. They believe you must assert your dominance over your dog or they will not listen to you, period.
But is this true? Is positive-based dog training too soft?
No. Research has proven time and time again that behavior modification is the most ethical and effective way to train your dog.
Classical counterconditioning is the foundation of behavior modification. Also known as pairing, classical counterconditioning is when an association between two stimuli is developed.
The most famous example is Pavlov’s dogs, who began to salivate at Pavlov’s bell simply because the bell was paired in time with meat powder. Counterconditioning, habituation, and systematic desensitization are all classical conditioning techniques behaviorists use to treat problem behavior with dogs.
By providing high-value foods in the presence of aversive stimuli, trainers can reduce the aversiveness of those contexts. For some dog-reactive dogs, feeding high-value treats in the presence of other dogs reduces reactivity. This means of treatment is much more ethical than relying on punishment procedures or avoiding these circumstances altogether.
If you are interested in seeking professional help, it can be hard to know where to look. These days, anyone can call themselves a dog trainer without receiving any certification. Who can you trust when it comes to your beloved furry family member?
Look for an organization where you can be supported under the guidance of a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, a Certified Behavior Consultant, or a Veterinary Behaviorist.
Our resident CAAB, Dr. Echterling-Savage, has a fantastic research paper on the effectiveness of classical counterconditioning in treating dog aggression. You can find this paper and more research on Dr. Ectherling-Savage’s behavior blog linked in our bio!
Thank you for believing in Beyond the Dog.
Many of you contacted us after receiving a recommendation. Others found Beyond the Dog through their own research. No matter how you found us, you did your due diligence, asked the right questions, and ultimately believed in us.
Thank you for being patient with Beyond the Dog.
It takes time to design your training program, communicate your pet’s individual needs, and solidify your training dates. Your patience does not go unnoticed as we prepare to do our best work for you.
Thank you for trusting Beyond the Dog.
You allow us into your home to work with your beloved four-legged family member, even in your absence. It is an honor and a privilege to become a staple in your home. Your trust in us is felt so deeply.
Thank you for investing in Beyond the Dog.
You put time, energy, and money into your pet’s future. You create space for us in your busy schedule, and your commitment to your pet is felt in every exchange. We strive to make your investment pay dividends.
Finally, thank you for your loyalty.
You share your experience with others and your words mean more than you know. For some of you, our relationship has spanned generations of your family pets. We’ve had the privilege of working with you and your family for decades. There are no words to describe how great it feels to start again with your family. Your loyalty pushes us to offer the same great quality year after year.
As we look ahead at 2024, a massive thank you to you and your pets, the ones that inspire us to go above and beyond!
Happy New Year!
- Kristyn and Sean Savage, Co-Founders of Beyond the Dog
Atlas enrolled in one of our Dallas puppy training programs to learn everything he needed to know to become a well-behaved, well-socialized adult dog.
He learned quiet behavior in the crate, how to appropriately greet new friends, advanced obedience in public, loose leash walking everywhere he goes, and more!
Atlas learned so much over the course of five short weeks and we’re so proud of this smart boy. Interested in private, in-home puppy training? Link in bio for more information!
Has anyone ever given you the advice that you should use an alpha roll whenever your dog disobeys you?
The alpha roll is when you use force and aggression to roll your dog onto their back and pin them to the ground. Some people say this is a good way to get your dog to listen and assert your dominance, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Depending on the temperament, age, size, and genes of your dog, using the alpha roll as a punishment could result in a bite or damage your relationship with your dog.
Furthermore, behavioral research has shown that using aversive training techniques such as the alpha roll elicits dog aggression at a higher frequency than positive reinforcement training.
Check out the study below for more information!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159108003717
Our Dallas Dogs of the Month, Jack and Beans, worked on loose leash walking, passing right by other people and dogs, staying quiet and calm when seeing the neighbors out the window, and much more during their maintenance program!
We get it, sometimes you need extra help maintaining your dog’s level of training, especially when major life events happen! We want to support you in whatever ways we can to ensure your dog maintains their level of training after their program ends.
Our maintenance program is completely customizable. Your trainer will help you determine how many weekly or monthly sessions are best to maintain your dog’s training.
Once you enroll in a dog training program, you will receive expert training advice for the rest of your dog’s life.
Click below to learn more!
https://beyondthedogtraining.com/dallas/in-home-dog-training/
If your puppy will be with another family member’s dog this holiday season, it’s important to monitor both their play and your puppy’s stress levels.
If your puppy is playing with another puppy, you want to make sure the play looks balanced and no puppy is pinning the other down for too long.
If your puppy is playing with an older dog, make sure the older dog is showing wiggly, friendly body language and making it clear that they also want to play.
Traveling somewhere for the holidays where you can’t bring your puppy along? We have Board and Train programs where your puppy will stay at one of our trainer’s homes for the holidays and return with advanced obedience skills! Schedule a free training consultation today to learn more!
https://calendly.com/beyondthedogconsult/15min
Your puppy’s first holiday season is an incredibly exciting time!
We want to make sure your puppy has stress-free, positive interactions with all of the new friends that they meet with the tips in this video. Stay tuned for part 2!
If you have any questions about puppy socialization, we’d love to help!
https://beyondthedogtraining.com/dallas/dog-training/
Has anyone ever told you that as long as a dog sniffs your hand, you can go ahead and pet them?
Some bites happen because people don’t pick up on the fact that a dog is nervous or simply does not want to be touched. They go to reach for the dog and assume all dogs can tolerate this action, which is not the case.
Sometimes, a dog will tolerate a hand in their face and even sniff it, but will not tolerate being touched by a stranger and end up snapping or biting the person.
When greeting a new dog, let them come to you. Do not go out of your way to reach for them. Once they start asking for attention from you with excited, wiggly body language rather than stiffening up or backing away, you can then ask the owner if it’s okay to go ahead and give their dog some love.
Lots of dogs love receiving attention from strangers but there are certainly some who simply prefer not to be touched by people they don’t know.
Your dog might be okay with you petting them all of the time but you cannot assume that every dog feels the same way.
