Synergy Veterinary Behavior

Synergy Veterinary Behavior Creating harmony between people and their pets

We are a veterinary behavior referral practice dedicated to bringing happiness to the Portland-area's people and their pets by providing supportive and comprehensive programs for diagnosis and treatment of problem behaviors.

⭐ Portland Veterinary Medical Association's Pet Food and Supplies Drive is here! ⭐We are excited to be one of the collec...
11/22/2025

⭐ Portland Veterinary Medical Association's Pet Food and Supplies Drive is here! ⭐
We are excited to be one of the collection locations this year! Donations will be accepted through January 15th, 2026.

Donations can be brought to us Sun-Weds from 9am-6pm at 2127 NW York St, Portland, OR 97210. Please email us before arriving at [email protected]

👉 👉 What's needed:
▪ New or gently used: collars, leashes, harnesses, head halters, warm pet clothes, beds, blankets, cat litter
▪ Training treats and dry or canned/pouch food: Must be unopened and in original packaging (must be within 1yr of expiration)
▪ Clinic, medical, and grooming supplies: cleaning products, storage bins, syringes, gloves, etc
▪ Common-use medications, over-the-counter supplements, and flea/tick/HW preventatives (no controlled substances) (must be within 1yr of expiration)
▪ Dog and cat toys (new/gently used)

💙 Recipients of the donations will be: 💙
• Portland Animal Welfare Team: www.pawteam.org
The Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) Team saves lives, alleviates suffering, and keeps pets and people together by providing free veterinary care to the pets of people who are experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty.

• Coffee Creek Puppy Program: www.canine.org
A small group of adults in custody (AIC) at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) in Wilsonville raise puppies for Canine Companions. Canine Companions is a national non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities by providing highly trained service dogs. The AIC handlers raise the puppies for the first year and a half of the dog’s life. PVMA member hospitals provide veterinary sponsorship while the dogs are in our area.

Resource guarding is surrounded by misconceptions and outdated advice. Do you know what is true and accurate?"You need t...
11/20/2025

Resource guarding is surrounded by misconceptions and outdated advice.
Do you know what is true and accurate?

"You need to establish your dominance" - FALSE. Alpha/dominance theory is outdated, disproven, and a dangerously inaccurate description of the problem.

"You need to get them used to being messed with" - FALSE. We should not be messing with our dogs to teach "tolerance". This most often teaches dogs that we are not to be trusted, as we continuously invade their space. We also need to get over the idea that dogs need to learn to tolerate everything.

"You need to be able to take things from your dog whenever you want" - KIND OF. While we should work on solid "trade you", "drop it", and "leave it" cues, the more we physically take resources away from them, ESPECIALLY when there is a resource-guarding issue, the more likely the problem is to escalate. Again, we are showing them we are not to be trusted.

"Resource guarding is always over food or toys" - FALSE. Resource guarding can be over anything a dog sees as a valuable resource. This can include spaces, people, and even random items they find.

Resource guarding most often stems from underlying anxiety or insecurity. We need to be able to meet their needs and make them feel safe and secure to improve. If you're unsure how to achieve that or need help, please reach out!

What is your dog trying to tell you? 🐶It's normal to feel frustrated by your dog's behavior at times. However, all behav...
11/19/2025

What is your dog trying to tell you? 🐶

It's normal to feel frustrated by your dog's behavior at times. However, all behaviors serve a purpose - to meet their needs.

So, when you notice a behavior you don't like...

👀 First: What are they doing?
Describe the behavior(s) you see. What are they trying to access or get away from?

👀 Second: Dig!
What body language do you notice before, during, and after the behavior(s) are performed? Based on your observations, can you tell what they might be feeling?

💭 Third: Plan
What actions can we take to help meet their needs? How can we prevent the unwanted behaviors from being rehearsed? How can we set them up to succeed next time we're in this situation?

Even when you're feeling frustrated, remember that all behaviors serve a purpose, and your dog is not doing something to spite you. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified, positive reinforcement-based behavior professional for help.

11/19/2025

Punishment in dog training: what does the science tell us?

Today's Facebook Live is going to be SPICY 🌶 🥵Join Lorenzo Fox (FDM, SAPT, PDT, CCUI) for our Facebook Live TODAY, Novem...
11/18/2025

Today's Facebook Live is going to be SPICY 🌶 🥵

Join Lorenzo Fox (FDM, SAPT, PDT, CCUI) for our Facebook Live TODAY, November 18th, at 5:30pm Pacific Time.

Lorenzo will dive into what the science ACTUALLY tells us regarding aversive tools and techniques in animal training.

Can't wait to see you there!

PSA: Your pet is not stubborn!You may be, though😉What is often attributed to as "stubbornness" in our pets is typically:...
11/17/2025

PSA: Your pet is not stubborn!

You may be, though😉

What is often attributed to as "stubbornness" in our pets is typically:
▪ A lack of understanding
▪ We are asking for something they don't know, or don't know well enough to repeat in different situations
▪ There is a lack of appropriate reinforcement history
▪ A pet's emotional state can also impact their ability to respond to cues

If we want our pets to listen to us or do things a certain way, the first and most important step is building your relationship with them. From there, practice and repetition will be your new best friends!

Synergy Veterinary Behavior's Group Class Schedule! 🐶Classes are held online or at our facility at 2127 NW York St, Port...
11/16/2025

Synergy Veterinary Behavior's Group Class Schedule! 🐶
Classes are held online or at our facility at 2127 NW York St, Portland, OR 97210

➡ Register and view upcoming classes here: https://www.synergybehavior.com/dog-group-classes/

⭐ Class Offerings: ⭐
▪ Reactive Rover: Homeschool - Starts Tues, 11/18/25 and Tues, 2/3/26 at 6:00 PM
▪ Nose Knows - Starts Weds, 1/7/26 at 6:00 PM
▪ Control Unleashed 1: Reactive to Resilient - Starts Sun, 1/11/26 at 4:00 PM
▪Nose Knows MORE! - Starts Sun, 2/8/26 at 5:30 PM

Happy World Kindness Day 💙In today's world, which often feels more divided than united, World Kindness Day reminds us wh...
11/13/2025

Happy World Kindness Day 💙

In today's world, which often feels more divided than united, World Kindness Day reminds us what humanity looks like at its best.

Kindness is how we hold space for people, no matter our similarities or differences. Kindness builds compassion and love.

Every act of care for ourselves, our communities, our pets, and even those we struggle to understand pushes back against hate.

“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.”
― Kahlil Gibran

What to Prep When You're Expecting: Pet Edition, Part 2 🐶 👶 🐱As your baby grows and becomes more mobile, your home's man...
11/12/2025

What to Prep When You're Expecting: Pet Edition, Part 2 🐶 👶 🐱

As your baby grows and becomes more mobile, your home's management needs will need to change as well.

We recommend implementing the Success Stations outlined by found here: https://www.familypaws.com/resources/ and reading their other resources for additional guidance.

The best way to prevent potential problems between your children and pets is to set them up for success and use active and attentive supervision anytime they're in the same room or able to access each other.
Active and attentive supervision doesn't mean they cannot interact, but all interactions should be directly supervised by a parent or adult watching.

However, they don't always have to interact! In fact, most of their existence together doesn't need to rely on interactions. Our pets can and will "opt out" or say no sometimes, and we need to respect that. Allowing babies and children to push a pet's boundaries or invade a pet's safe zone (like their resting areas) is inappropriate and unsafe. Pets do not need to learn to "tolerate" inappropriate interactions. Instead, we should be there to support safe and comfortable interactions between our kids and pets, and keep them separate when we cannot.

As always, if you sense a problem or potential concern, it's important to reach out for help as soon as possible from a qualified, positive reinforcement-based behavior professional.

This Veterans Day, we honor every person who has served, and we recognize that the cost of service is not equal. Women, ...
11/11/2025

This Veterans Day, we honor every person who has served, and we recognize that the cost of service is not equal.

Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ service members have always faced discrimination and injustice within the military, even as they served with courage and conviction. Then, when the uniform comes off, too many veterans are still left to fight continuous battles against a system that too often fails to provide the mental health care, healthcare, and support they’ve earned.

This Veterans Day, we not only express gratitude, but we also call for a broken system to be fixed. For a nation that truly honors its veterans through action, equity, and care.

To all who have served, and to those still fighting seen or unseen battles: we see you, we thank you, and we stand with you.

New YouTube Video!▶️ Dominance: Myths vs. Reality: https://youtu.be/dePU-oqTZqU?si=19OVtCRTPj1-GwABThe term "dominance" ...
11/10/2025

New YouTube Video!

▶️ Dominance: Myths vs. Reality: https://youtu.be/dePU-oqTZqU?si=19OVtCRTPj1-GwAB

The term "dominance" is widespread in animal training. What does this mean from a behavioral perspective, versus an animal training perspective? Why is it such a common framework for our interactions with animals?

📣 Hard Truths: Things won't get better if we continue to let them get worse.When developing plans for training, behavior...
11/09/2025

📣 Hard Truths: Things won't get better if we continue to let them get worse.

When developing plans for training, behavior therapy, and behavioral treatment, management is a fundamental component supporting long-lasting behavior change.

If we cannot successfully implement management, the behaviors we are trying to stop will continue to be rehearsed, and the frequency and intensity will likely increase as well.

If there's ever a part of your pet's plan that you're unsure how to implement, struggling with, or don't know how to progress from there, please be sure to communicate your needs. We are here to support your pet, and that means we need you to feel supported too!

Address

2127 NW York Street
Portland, OR
97210

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 6:30pm
Sunday 9am - 6:30pm

Telephone

+15033361202

Website

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