“Fine” is a Four-Letter Word

Kid Kissing Dog

Have you ever looked at your dog and thought that she looks “fine”? Have you described your own or another person’s pet as “fine” when you describe them to your friends? Beware, the word “fine” is often not so fine!

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A Note from Dr. Valli – Synergy Snapshot

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A lot has changed with our practice since our last blog article. Previously, we were doing house call consultations only, and running classes out of dog daycares and boutique pet stores. While we enjoyed doing that, we really wanted a place that we could call “home”. After almost a year and a half of searching, we found a location in NW Portland that worked very well for us, and we named it the Synergy Behavior Center.

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Say What? Bunting

Dog Cat Rub

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.

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Why does my pet do that?

Yawningpuppyinbowl

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 problems, understanding the way they learn will make the process easier and more successful.

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Happy Howl-o-Ween! Halloween Pet Safety

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 my usual everyday self.  It’s a great time to play with costume make-up, wear funky clothing, and put…

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