Beyond the Dog - Houston

DISCLAIMER: Do not try anything you see in this video at home without the guidance of a professional behavior consultant, especially if your dog has bitten people before. � Meet Helix, our Houston Dog of the Month! Helix was exhibiting severe reactivity towards people. His owner had previously enrolled him in various training programs but they were unsuccessful in modifying his reactive behavior. Helix is now much more comfortable with greeting new people thanks to his personalized guest routine and behavior modification training. He no longer barks and lunges at people and is much more comfortable receiving pets and treats from new friends without being afraid. Treating dog reactivity is what we do best at Beyond the Dog. Over the past 20+ years, we have treated thousands of reactive dogs and can personalize our unique reactivity treatment to fit the specific needs of any dog. We have virtual training programs available worldwide and in-home training programs in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City. Concerned about the price of our programs? Insurance typically covers behavioral training programs like ours as they are led by one of approximately 50 CAABs in the country! Link in bio or DM us to learn more about our reactivity dog training programs! #dogreactivity #dogtraining #rescuedog #dogtrainer #dog #beyondthedog

Pixie the 11-month-old Pomeranian, our Houston Dog of the Month, enrolled in one of our Houston in-home dog training programs to address her fearful behavior and prep her for her upcoming travel plans! Go Pixie! Click the link below to learn more about our in-home dog training programs! https://calendly.com/petbehaviorteam/15min

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!

Many pet insurance companies like Trupanion cover the cost of reactivity training programs when they are led by a CAAB or Board Certified Vet Behaviorist! Cases like Amber’s here show that treatment can be effective for even the most severe reactivity cases. We are so proud of all of the progress Amber made with her severe people reactivity. We have in-home training programs in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City as well as worldwide virtual training programs. Start your dog's reactivity treatment with us today using the link 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!

Ava the 8-month-old Dachschund enrolled in one of our Houston Board and Train Programs to work on… 🐾 Housebreaking 🐾 Howling in the crate 🐾 Jumping 🐾 Play-biting 🐾 Barking and lunging at cats 🐾 Excessive play with the senior dog in her home 🐾 Not listening to come when called or leave it Ava did so well during her program and is now overall much calmer around the house! During our board and train programs, your dog will receive an unmatched level of training, attention, and care. Your dog will live directly in your trainer’s home and become a temporary member of their family unlike at traditional boarding facilities. Learn more about our board and train programs below! https://beyondthedogtraining.com/houston/in-home-puppy-training/

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!

Meet Chico, our Houston Dog of the Month! This 11-month-old Great Pyrenees enrolled in one of our Houston dog training programs! During Chico’s in-home and board-and-train blended program, we addressed the following: 🐾 Barking at noises and other dogs in the yard 🐾 Destroying furniture when left alone 🐾 Crate training 🐾 Digging in the yard 🐾 Barking and lunging at other dogs on leash 🐾 General loose leash training 🐾 Wait at the front door and fenceline 🐾 Scratching at doors Click the link below to create a customized dog training program for your pup! https://2d54usl8l2g.typeform.com/to/JMn6DojX?typeform-source=beyondthedogtraining.com

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. Watch the full video below!