Gentle Beast

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Gentle Beast

Dog training and behavior instruction from the world's best, when and where you need it.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from Gentle Beast!

Good Boy meets Mean Girls…the crossover event of the year.

10/21/2025

Halloween’s coming up so say hello to some of our favorite dogs of 2025, who played some tricks and deserve plenty of treats 🎃 🦴 🐶

Drop a comment ⬇️ and tell us which one’s your favorite

10/17/2025

Halloween is a challenging time of the year for dogs. Try to reframe it: are there training opportunities that Halloween might provide?

The morning after Halloween, take your dog and hang quietly somewhere. See if you can catch people in costumes doing the morning walk of shame. They’re tired and quiet, which is great for a dog that’s a little nervous around strangers and confused by all the outfits, and the overall vibe tends to be way more mellow for everyone.

09/24/2025

It’s hard to explain why you love a certain dog sometimes, except that you just do 🤷‍♀️

Drop your favorite dog stories below 👇

09/18/2025

Choosing the right dog is all about fit. Sometimes, a dog comes into your life and you find a way to make it work. Other times, you can afford to be more deliberate. Either way…I love all dogs, even the high-energy super social loudmouths. 🐶 🔊

Tell me what I’m wrong about in the comments below!

09/02/2025

Good Boy - a horror movie through the eyes of a dog - hits theaters October 3. While you’re waiting, check out some of these fantastic dog-centric horror movies and books. And, if you’re like me, please feel free to use DoesTheDogDie.com!!

08/26/2025

1. Corner: Even calm dogs can lash out when another dog suddenly appears from behind a closed door. Keeping your body between your dog and everyone else helps them feel more comfortable.

2. Stop: This is a safety cue for off-leash dogs. Use it to stop your dog from entering dangerous areas. Adding an implied Down-Stay teaches your dog to wait for you.

3. Wait: Your dog should be waiting for you at thresholds like elevator doors, sidewalks, gates, etc. Gates and doors can shut unexpectedly, leaving you and your dog stranded on opposite sides. Dogs also do not understand traffic flow/cars and are harder for drivers to see.

4. Heel: When navigating a high-traffic area with a lot of distractions, putting your dog in a tight, focused Heel can help you both move through it quickly. You can always restrain your dog using the leash, but that often increases stress and tension. This is also more respectful of strangers’ boundaries, as not everyone is comfortable being approached. Heel isn’t the same as loose leash walking, which is more appropriate for regular walks.

5. Leave It/Drop It: Being proactive about training your dog to avoid chicken bones and other garbage can keep your walks more enjoyable and prevent future ER trips. This keeps walks a shared experience, not occasions for you and your dog to fight over a chicken bone.

6. Stairs: While most dogs encounter stairs naturally, dogs that live in high rises may not use staircases outside of emergency situations. Some dogs are also leery of entering the stairwells.

7. Go Potty: This is a basic cue for service dogs in training that pets can learn easily. Even if you don’t need your dog to potty on command, be consistent about waiting for your dog to potty close to home before starting the walk. It’s a QOL upgrade.

8. Chill Out: People-watching in dog-friendly areas is one of the stealth joys of having a dog in any urban area. Even if you prefer to sit in the park instead of on the sidewalk, make a habit of teaching your dog that when you’re sitting on a bench, they should be lying down. Plus it’s fantastic for your dog’s socialization and boosts confidence.

08/21/2025

Do you have to walk your dog every day?

Yes and no.

Walks are one of the easiest, most accessible methods of providing your dog with mental and physical stimulation, but they’re not the only way. You can be flexible about how you meet your dog’s needs, as long as they do get met.

On the other end of the spectrum are dogs who get plenty of walks and exercise but still seem bored and restless. For them, walks aren’t enough. And that’s where dog sports come in.

Dog sports give your dog a way of fulfilling their natural instincts and finding purpose outside of being a pet. It strengthens the bond between you and your dog - after all, dogs evolved in part to work alongside humans.

If you’re interested in trying out dog sports but there’s no trainer nearby, you can always look into self-training. Many dog sports rely on your dog having a natural drive for these behaviors. Try lots of sports to see which one works best for you and your dog. Remember: both you and your dog should be having fun.

05/30/2025

Sometimes the best man for the job is a dog. And dogs can be a lot more than just a pretty face - Hollywood and video game companies have been employing dogs for motion capture and voice acting roles. Most of these dogs are nepo babies who land their roles through industry connections…aka their owners, who work on set in some capacity.

In the animated Lilo & Stitch, Theodore supplied Stitch’s panting voice, which came naturally to him. The rest of Stitch’s voice was brought to life by a human voice actor, Chris Sanders.

Ollie the Plummer Terrier provided sound effects for a giraffe that Ellie encounters in the video game The Last of Us. He didn’t even have to wake up for the role - the sound effects were taken in his sleep! Unfortunately, he did not reprise his role in the live action HBO adaptation.

An unknown whippet was initially cast as a xenomorph in Alien 3. However, he was fired for being too cute for the role, as footage showed he retained an unmistakably whippet-like trot down the hallway.

An unknown pack of dachshunds played the role of killer rats in the schlocky ‘80s horror movie Deadly Eyes. These rats (conveniently described as being the size of small dogs) terrorize a city. They retain a very canine quality to their movements, but apparently that bothered the director less!

Gyoza produces sound effects for the Covenant aliens in Halo Infinite. He’s not the only pug employed by the studio. Later, 343 Industries announced that they had hired another pug, Buddy, to produce alien noises for future games.

In Hades, Cerberus’ voice is supplied by four dogs: Solo, Marzipan, Higgins, and Regis. All four dogs belonged to the developers working on the game.

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