Would you like to more about common dog problem behaviors and how these behaviors can be addressed through behavior modfication training? Or perhaps you are looking for information on dog obedience training and how to teach your dog good manners? As well as providing dog training to clients nationwide, Beyond the Dog publishes free blogs providing information on dog training and dog behavior insights from Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage.
In this blog, we will provide an organized list of blogs published by Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, her credentials, experience and what training programs we provide.
Who is Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage?
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a PhD in Behavioral Psychology, specializing in animal behavior. She has trained dogs and cats with complex problem behaviors and taught high level obedience and manners for over twenty years, and co-founded Beyond the Dog in 2005.
In her role, she supervises and mentors all of Beyond the Dog’s trainers across multiple locations including Houston, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Sarasota. She develops and modifies all of our training protocols and programs for both dogs and cats. She also personally trains dogs through our Board & Train Wellness Retreat and provides virtual training programs to clients nationwide.
What is Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage’s training approach?
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage believes in a holistic approach to dog training, which includes recognizing the complexity of dog behavior and how it is influenced by various factors including their environment, training history and genetics.
Her training methods are based on classical counter-conditioning and positive reinforcement, which are both dog friendly approaches to training.
For treating problem behavior, our approach is functional. We identify why the animal is engaging in a behavior and teach them an appropriate way to get the same or similar results. Later in training, suppose problem behavior is present, and the animal understands what we expect and offers the appropriate behaviors regularly.
In that case, we use the science of behavior to tell us when or if punishment is appropriate to eliminate the problem behavior. It is important to note that punishment does not have to be scary or painful, and we do not use shock (sometimes referred to as “stimulation”), prong, or choke collars. We do not throw scary objects or chains at dogs as a form of punishment. Depending on the function of the behavior, we use things like verbal reprimands or timeouts, just like we humans experience!
What problem behaviors does Beyond the Dog address?
As well as providing high level obedience training for dogs and cats. Beyond the Dog addresses common dog problem behaviors that includes:
- Reactivity
- Resource guarding
- Touch sensitivity
- Cat aggression
- Separation anxiety
- Fearful behavior.
Common cat problem behaviors that Beyond the Dog addresses includes:
- Treating aggressive cat behavior
- Cat potty training
Beyond the Dog provides these services through in person training at our Dallas, Houston, Sarasota, and Tampa Bay locations.
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage provides training through our Board and Train Retreat and our Virtual Training Programs.
Now that we have discussed who Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage is and what training Beyond the Dog provides, let’s move on to her published.
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage’s research papers and blogs organised by topic
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage has published research papers including:
You can view all of Dr. Echterling-Savage’s blogs on our national website. Here is a list of these blogs by topic:
Cat Behaviors and Training:
Dog Training Methods and Behavior Modification
- “Does it matter how to train your dog? The effects of aversive training techniques on well being”
- “How to choose the right dog trainer for you: What do the credentials mean?”
- “Does positive reinforcement work for aggressive dogs?”
- “Does behavior modification work with dogs?”
Reactivity:
- “Reactivity”
- “Why is my dog reactive on leash and not reactive off leash?”
- “How can I help my reactive dog?”
Resource Guarding
Touch Sensitivity
Understanding Dog Behavior:
- “Debunking the alpha dog myth”
- “Why do dogs dig?”
- “Protecting the mental health of dogs”
- “Why does my dog yawn?”
- “Why does my dog pee: The differences in house soiling, submissive urination, and excitable urination”
- “Why does my dog show their teeth?”
- “Why do my dog’s hackles stand up on end?”
- “Licking behavior explained”
- “Why does my dog bark?”
- “How do I communicate with my dog?”
- “Identifying body languages in dogs”
Beyond the Dog’s TikTok Channel
For more helpful tips on dog training, we recommend that you check our TikTok channel for helpful training tips.
On our TikTok channel, Dr. Echterling-Savage helps answer commonly asked questions including:
We are here to help
You can contact our Pet Behavior Team for a free consultation, where we can chat with you and provide a personalized recommendation that meets your needs.
