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I have been assisting with our Reactive Rover classes for several years, but recently I had Ferrous enjoying a day a the beach! the opportunity to join the class as a student with my own dog, Ferrous. I love being a student. Not only do I get to spend time with my dogs, which can....

Bunting, head-butting or face-rubbing, is something anyone who has been around cats will recognize. Cats will rub against inanimate objects, as well as people or other animals that they feel comfortable with.  The term “allorubbing” is also used when bunting is done in a social context. Cats have scent glands along the sides of their....

Today I thought I’d address a question that we occasionally get asked by clients… “At what point can I stop using (the clicker/treats) with my dog for the behavior I am working on improving?” This is actually a really interesting question to answer since it brings to light several aspects of dog learning and helps....

There are many training tools that help people get better control with their pulling dogs. One that we have recommended to hundreds of our clients is the front-clip dog harness. Their feedback has predominantly been good. We find that these harnesses are minimally aversive (i.e. unpleasant) for most dogs. While they don’t provide as much....

Have you ever wondered how your dog or cat figures out how to do what? It is because of two types of learning that they are especially good at: associative learning, and learning by consequence. When working with companion animals, regardless of whether you are teaching obedience cues, working on tricks, or addressing complex behavior....

At my house, neither of my dogs are big fans of the rain, but it has never really been that big of an issue. That is, until the last major rain storm. For whatever reason, Ferrous took one look at the downpour and refused to leave the shelter of our tiny patio. At first, I....

As the owner of two German Shepherds, affectionately known as German Shedders, I have become a bit of a fanatic about vacuuming. During the last big shed, it occurred to me that maybe I was attacking the problem from the wrong end. Instead of vacuuming the floors and furniture so often, maybe I should be....

Holidays are a fun time to meet up with friends and family.  It’s also a great time for your  important to think of your pet during this time. Here are some simple tips and ideas to make the holidays enjoyable for everyone. Household decorations and festivities: Many plants, such as mistletoe and ivy, are toxic....

This pooch looks quite comfortable in his hot dog outfit. Remember that dressing up is not for everyone When I was young, Halloween was one of my favorite celebrations. Not so much because of the candy (although it was definitely a bonus) but because of the chance to be someone (or something) completely different from....

Welcome to Synergy Behavior and Beyond.  🙂 As we enter the blogosphere, we are excited to share with you a wide variety of subjects about behavior and training and about having a pet in the Portland area. Since all of our staff are going to participate, the postings are bound to be interesting and vary....