Best Of Behavior, LLC. Dog Training and Behavior Consulting

12/28/2024

🤔 Clients always want to know how I cut up my Happy Howies treat rolls!
So here is a quick tutorial- this is how I get SO many perfect bite sized pieces, quickly and easily!
This way yields hundreds of treats per roll- probably well over a thousand…and then some!
Enjoy! 😊🐾

https://youtu.be/v2WhrJ5o6AI?si=ynUTkaJV8lAmO7Eu

This is a quick cutting demo for you to see how I cute up my Happy Howie’s to get small pieces PERFECT for training! It’s quick and easy! So many clients ask...

12/01/2024

When we do aggression consults, addressing pain is of utmost importance.
It is one of the primary things a well educated and experienced behavior consultant will consider.

I cannot diagnose pain.
That is for your wonderful Veterinary professionals to do (as you may have heard me say if you are one of my incredible clients “I’m not a Vet, nor do I play one on TV!’). They will be able to assess and treat for pain.

Pain can often be a significant contributor to aggressive behaviors. (Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs- Mills et al. 2020)

But I DO consider ALL the ways that WE, you the owner and me the animal professional, along with your Vet teams, can limit the many ways that pain is, or could be, a factor in your dogs behavior challenges .

One of the ways that I can help is to identify and to limit potential things that can exacerbate pain!

For example, in my cases today, we discussed amongst many, many things: access to sofas, beds, food and water (how they are obtained, elevation etc…), movement around the home (slippery floors and stairs), touching and petting and so on…

Something as basic as sitting on a slippery floor could potentially exacerbate pain in many places such as the hips, knees, spine, neck etc…
A slippery surface will add the potential of discomfort during the sit and after the sit, and if we did repetitive ‘training’-ooof!!

It is our job to discuss and bring awareness to ALL of these small (or large) potential agitator’s.
For a successful behavior change plan to work, we often must get into the ‘nitty gritty’ finer points.
Not always, but when we have more complex situations with varying and often seemingly unpredictable causes (antecedents and distant antecedents) those finer points can be what makes or breaks a plan!

Check out the cutest sploot sit below- cute right?
Cute…But potentially a very painful position for this adorable young dog, which could be a single factor among many causing discomfort or pain.

For this kid, I recommended (among many other recommendations)using more mats and rugs around the house to prevent slipping and unstable movement.

Walking on slippery floors for many dogs is like trying to walk with slippery soled shoes on ice. It will increase tension and tightness in their body which will exacerbate pain. Slipping can create injuries or worsen them as well.

Pain lowers thresholds. And that will often lead to a ‘grumpier’ animal (I know my severe neck issues this year made me less than a joy to be around!).

If you are concerned about pain, please see your Veterinarian!
Take videos of the movement you see (or don’t see) of your animal from different angles, and show those videos to your Vets (it helps them a great deal to see natural movement outside of what their clinical observations enables).

12/01/2024

Sometimes the photos that look like ‘nothing big’ can actually be great accomplishments.
For example: This little dude, an intact adolescent male, has a difficult time focusing in class, and other places too.
His Mom, a very busy professional woman, has been putting in the work and it shows!
Look at that attention!
We teachers see the effort, time and work that you put in!
We see it in the small ways and the big ways, and everything in between.
And let me tell you, we celebrate all of those wins right along with you.
Comparison is the theif of joy- focus on you and your dog’s journey, and celebrate each step.
Because we do for, and with, you 💖

11/26/2024

We are so very excited and honored to be giving our dog bite prevention and safety presentation at Homewood Veterinary Clinic!
We hope to see you there! (Presentation starts at 2pm!)
Learn valuable techniques to keep you, your family and your dogs safe when approached by off leash dogs (even the aggressive ones!).

🎉 Let’s PAWTY! Join Us for Homewood Veterinary Care’s Open House & Adoption Event! 🐾

We’re opening our doors and inviting the community to a fun-filled day celebrating pets and the people who love them! Bring the whole family (including your furry friends!) and join us on December 7th, from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm for an event packed with activities:

🐶 Pet Adoptions: Meet adorable adoptable pets from local rescues looking for their forever homes!

🍩 Refreshments: Enjoy treats and drinks while you mingle with fellow animal lovers.

🎟️ Raffle Prizes: Enter for a chance to win exciting prizes—perfect for pet parents!

🏥 Hospital Tours: Go behind the scenes at our clinic and meet our dedicated team!

🦮 Dog Bite Awareness Workshop: Learn how to keep yourself and your pet safe with tips from our partners at Best of Behavior.

This is a day for our whole community to come together and celebrate our love for animals. We can’t wait to see you and make it a PAW-some day for everyone! 🐾💙

11/20/2024

We are excited to once again present our 'Dog Bite Awareness' presentation at the Homewood Veterinary clinic!
This can definitely be a problem with the seemingly high amount of off leash dogs that are regularly on our Homewood streets these days!
Join us to learn how to prevent dog attacks to yourself, your dogs, and even your children!
Along with what to do when a sticky situation arises- what can you carry and/or do?!
Presentation will begin at 2pm! There will be Q and A's afterward.
Hope to see you there!

🎉 Let’s PAWTY! Join Us for Homewood Veterinary Care’s Open House & Adoption Event! 🐾

We’re opening our doors and inviting the community to a fun-filled day celebrating pets and the people who love them! Bring the whole family (including your furry friends!) and join us on December 7th, from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm for an event packed with activities:

🐶 Pet Adoptions: Meet adorable adoptable pets from local rescues looking for their forever homes!

🍩 Refreshments: Enjoy treats and drinks while you mingle with fellow animal lovers.

🎟️ Raffle Prizes: Enter for a chance to win exciting prizes—perfect for pet parents!

🏥 Hospital Tours: Go behind the scenes at our clinic and meet our dedicated team!

🦮 Dog Bite Awareness Workshop: Learn how to keep yourself and your pet safe with tips from our partners at Best of Behavior.

This is a day for our whole community to come together and celebrate our love for animals. We can’t wait to see you and make it a PAW-some day for everyone! 🐾💙

11/06/2024

🥹 We are so excited to start our new class ‘Basic Skills and Beyond!’ tomorrow, at Homewood Veterinary Care!

🐕 Overview:
Grow your relationship with your dog using playful interaction and training to build trust. Your furry friend will transform into a well-mannered companion with our Basic Skills and Beyond Fusion Class! This dynamic program combines hands-on training sessions, live video sessions, engaging online videos, and freebies delivering exceptional value tailored specifically for dogs who have never been to a training class!

✅ What to Expect:
Focus & Attention: Master techniques and play fun games to improve your dog’s focus on you and reduce distractions, setting the stage for effective training.
✅ Essential Cues:
Teach fundamental cues such as sit, down, stay, and come, with a focus on impulse control and responsiveness.
✅ Interactive Online Videos:
Access a rich library of instructional videos that complement your in-class training and experience, allowing for practice at your own pace.
✅ Hands-On Practice and Live Video Sessions:
Benefit from real-time feedback and personalized guidance during in-class and live sessions to reinforce learning.
✅ Positive Reinforcement:
Utilize reward-based methods to encourage good behavior, building trust and confidence in your dog.

🐾 Who Should Attend:
This class is designed for all dogs. It’s especially perfect for dogs who have never been in a class and adolescent dogs (typically ages 6 months to 2 years) who may be experiencing typical ‘teenage’ challenges. It’s perfect for dog guardians looking to strengthen their training foundation and skills, and enhance their relationship.

🤓 This class filled up immediately (class is limited to 8 ), but will advertise the next session as soon as the date is set (keep an eye out on here!)

11/05/2024

🏃🏽‍♀️‍➡️ Slow down on your walks this morning and this season! 🍁

👃🏻Dogs can smell better in the rain because moisture amplifies scents. Here's why:

💧Water v***r traps scent molecules because it holds onto scent molecules, making them stronger and longer lasting.

🌨️ Cool, moist air makes scents heavier.
When the temperature drops, scent molecules move closer together, resulting in a higher concentration of smell. This makes it easier for dogs to track scents.

10/03/2024

The 3 R’s.
Reactivity, reinforcement repetoires and relationship.

09/30/2024

Many things to consider when you are bringing a baby home!
Contact us if you need before or after!
💖🐾

09/30/2024

💖 One of my favorite parts of our classes are the
Facebook LIVES in our private FB group.

🐾 They are an ‘extra’ way to support my students and bring incredible value to their class experiences.

🔆 Ever wanted to ask a professional your dog related questions?
Now you can!
🔆 Ever wanted to clarify things that you learned in class IN between your classes?
Now you can!
🔆 Ever wanted to have little weekly deep dives into topics that you didn’t even really know about that can bring superb value to your dogs lives (and yours!).
Now you can!

(Photo from this evenings live session in our Puppy Start Right group class!) 🐾

09/27/2024

https://www.facebook.com/stories/10156669457477463/UzpfSVNDOjEwNTA2NTE3MzI5OTg4NTk=/?view_single=1&source=shared_permalink&mibextid=W9rl1R

03/06/2024

Come and meet some puppies and say hi to me! 🐾

Come, sit, and stay awhile this Saturday, Rockstars. Play with adoptable puppies from PawsUp4Rescue, Joliet. We’ll have animal advice from behavior consultant Sonia Fetherling at Best Of Behavior, LLC. Dog Training and Behavior Consulting, eco-friendly pet supplies from Gaia's Market & Refillery, resources from Homewood Veterinary Care and goodies from Glenwood Village Pet Hospital and Healthy Hounds Canine & Feline Nutrition, Inc.

02/23/2024

🍩 🐕 America runs on Donut Dogs!

Here at Best of Behavior we also work with the quite rare, Donut Dog breed. 🍩

Yet to be recognized by the AKC, this fun little breed can often be found at a local shelter, just waiting to be adopted.
Donut Dogs can bring a smile to your morning, and a pep to your step!
They will keep you energized all day long!
You ‘kin do it!

02/16/2024

We will be having a ‘Puppy Pop-up’ event at The Rock Shop in Homewood on March 9th.
Lots of fun details to come!

(But of you want to come and get your puppy breath fix- mark your calendar!! And if you have any puppy, dog and cat related questions- come and ask away! 🙂😸) (Also….if you’re in the market to adopt, the puppies are up for adoption!) 🤭

Rockhound Pepper (she is speaking with her eyes, trust us) says tune in March 9 from 3-5 for a Best Of Behavior, LLC. Dog Training and Behavior Consulting pop-up tackling all things pup-related