By Your Side Pet Behavior Consulting

10/07/2025

Just going to drop this cutie right here and say what a pleasure it was to help him and his humans start to build a nice foundation for their lives together. Thank you to team Franklin for letting be a part of your journey.

22/06/2025

It's going to be *wicked* hot here in MA for the next several days. Keep dog walks and outside play short. And PLEASE do not leave your dog in the car even "for a minute" while you run into the store, bank, wherever. Your dog will be safer and happier - and much cooler - at home!

It’s doggone hot outside this week! 🔥 Ensure your pets stay safe by staying informed about the current temperatures and learning how to respond in emergencies!

Signs of heat stroke: panting, weakness, bright red tongue, diarrhea, vomiting, and thick/sticky saliva

What to do if you think a dog is experiencing a heat stroke:
- Move the dog into a cool area. Get the dog out of direct sunlight and into a cool, shaded area. You need to cool the dog down, but NOT too quickly.
- Apply cool water all over body (NOT ice cold).
- If they are alert and conscious, give small drinks of cool water.
- Apply cool towels to head, neck and chest.
- Take your dog to the vet ASAP! Some complications of heat stroke include liver disease, sepsis, and muscle damage throughout the body.

Stay safe this week!☀️

30/05/2025

Advocate for your cats. You and your veterinarian can work together to make vet visits less stressful for your cat.....and for the humans too.

08/05/2025

I don't often post about my own pets (heck, I don't post often, period.) But today I am celebrating 19 years with Tuffy and Olive. They were the second group of kittens I trapped, along with their mom, when I lived in a Boston neighborhood that was teeming with community cats. Their mom was TNR'd but we fostered them because Olive had an eye injury, and Tuffy seemed to be her "protector" then. Needless to say, they never left.

Fast forward 19 years. Tuffy and Olive are old cats. In a lifetime of living with cats, they are the oldest I have had. I am learning about geriatric cat behavior, physical and cognitive decline, and how to care for them. It sometimes feels like finding my way in the jungle with a blindfold on because there's generally less knowledge and resources for cats than for dogs.

I am learning how important it is to do my own research, advocate for them, and be patient....with everyone on their teams....myself included.

I don't love this part of the journey, but I am glad we are on it. If we weren't, I wouldn't have as much time with them. I often say that the animals themselves have been my best teachers. I am so grateful for the lessons Tuffy and Olive continue to teach me.

The Cornell Feline Health Center is a good resource if you are caring for a senior cat.
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/loving-care-older-cats

I also really like the Cat Friendly Homes website.
https://catfriendly.com/life-stages/senior-care/

31/03/2025

Scooping the litter box may not be your favorite task...but it's waaaay better than dealing with the alternative if you don't do it regularly. And keep in mind that as cats age, you need to adjust your behavior, too. With 3 senior kitties in my household (who p*e A LOT), I am scooping boxes four times a day (sometimes more).

21/03/2025

This.

A lot of dogs want you to know this -

Instead of a fancy collar and bed? They’d rather have a fenced in yard - even if it has to be small and home made - so they can have off leash time to dog and dig.

Instead of daily neighborhood walks? They’d rather you drive to a dirt road and put them on a 30ft line and let them zig zag and smell as long as they like

Instead of twice daily meals in a bowl? They’d rather have food through enrichment activities that stimulates their brain and their nose.

Instead of basic obedience training? They’d rather have purpose driven training that feeds their genetic make up and needs AND helps them survive and thrive in todays world.

Instead of a human wanting something from them? They’d love a human wanting to understand them better.

Instead of focusing on perfect “heels” and “stays”? They’d love to learn how to be resilient and less stressed and cope with the outside world and our expectations.

Instead of harsh punishments and corrections? They’d prefer proactive management and rewards for good decisions.

We can’t change everything about the lives our dogs are forced to live with us in, but we can make these kinds of changes and see a huge improvement in their quality of life and wellbeing.

-Helen St. Pierre

08/03/2025

This is what responsible rescue looks like. Being a safety net when an adoption isn't the right fit and not shaming a family for trying. Recognizing that a dog with behavior challenges needs skilled help and being that help. Not immediately rehoming the dog, crossing their fingers, and washing their hands. Thank you Animal Farm Foundation for doing right by Macho and the people who loved him. What a beautiful, lucky boy.

15/02/2025

A couple of days ago, we received a call from a dog owner whose dog went missing from a dog care provider’s backyard- less than four hours after she dropped off the dog at the provider’s home.

While this was not in our town, it was nearby, and we, and our community following, have become well-known for our help, outreach and compassion, for pet owners in need.

After several hours (well into the overnight) of searching for the dog (along with proper authority reporting and social media), the dog was sadly picked up by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), after it was found deceased on the on-ramp to a local highway.

This post ISN’T intended to break all of your hearts on this Valentine’s Day.

Make no mistake, it IS heartbreaking. And being on the other end of the phone with a devastated dog owner, several times throughout this week into today– has only heightened our genuine heartache for her.

[If you know us by now, then you know that these incidents bring us very close to these owners and families].

PLEASE, dog owners-do your research BEFORE you leave your dog with someone who is operating a business– OR operating a service UNDER a web-based app platform (i.e. Rover, Wag, Care. com, etc,)

In nearly every MA community, a Kennel License is needed (and often a Business Permit) to operate the business of caretaking for other people’s dogs – out of one’s home.

This INCLUDES those caretakers who operate under these web-based app platforms!

And these platform entities make it clear in their Terms of Service Agreements [to their providers], that as providers, each is responsible for adhering to their own local and state laws and ordinances, as they pertain to keeping dogs on their properties.

Care Providers-PLEASE understand that ‘Kennel’ does not just mean kenneling as in ‘boarding dogs overnight’. ‘Kennel’ refers to any place where dogs are being kept, temporarily-for a fee-whether they are being dropped off for daycare, group play, hikes, walks, outings, training, dog sitting, and/or overnight stays.

Dog owners-PLEASE require that your chosen dog care provider shows you a legitimate current year Kennel License.

Even prior to that, call your city/town Clerk’s office directly and ask if there IS a valid Kennel License (and business license) at such address.

THIS is how YOU best protect your dogs.

Report unlawful operations, as this is how you can protect other dog owners.

'Massachusetts General Law c.140 §137A governs the licensing of kennels. The law states that a person who operates a kennel without a license or violates the terms of their license may be fined.'

In this heartbreaking incident this week, the dog care provider did NOT have a Kennel License, nor a Business Permit. The provider was also caring for five other dogs in her home at the time of this incident.

So, on this Valentine’s Day – while we try to help this dog owner piece back together her heart, SHE is standing strong with us, in our fight to encourage everyone who is considering using a dog care provider through a Rover, Wag, Care. com, etc. platform app, OR through any other means of in-home pet care service offerings-to PLEASE do your homework and ascertain legitimacy.

We do not want to see any more broken hearts…especially on Valentine’s Day.

[Photo: ‘Morgan’, wearing a heart bandanna in honor of both Valentine’s Day and the loss of this beloved family dog]

12/02/2025

Sharing this after hearing from a client about a very scary incident in her yard involving her dog and three coyotes. Fortunately she had her dog on a long line and despite a chase, he was unharmed.

Please keep your dogs leashed on trails and in any unfenced area - including your yard. Their life may depend it!

11/02/2025

Sharing this for the message...(though if you are looking for a large breed dog, this guy is up for adoption!)

Do your research. Find a behavior professional who will *support* your bond with your dog instead of recommending that you cause him/her pain. Help your friends, family, and neighbors by recommending trainers, veterinarians, and other professionals who employ humane methods. We can all do better when we know better!

Lucky is an incredibly special dog! We bet you thought he was a doodle, when in fact, he’s a Komondor! This is a pretty unusual and unique breed of Livestock Guarding Dog that usually has a corded coat and requires lots of grooming maintenance. Unfortunately, parts of his coat needed to be shaved down after an injury caused by a prong collar. Lucky is a BIG(almost 100lbs!) boy and he’s very strong, so when his family starting looking for help managing him, a trainer recommended a prong collar seemingly without giving adequate information about the risks and function. This is SUCH a common recommendation from trainers here in New England and it’s such a shame because, at best, they work by causing discomfort to your dog and at worst, they cause serious injury. The MSPCA-Angell believes that the best approach for training and behavior modification is with rewards-based methodologies. To this end, we do not recommend the use of force in animal training as it can cause pain, injury, and/or mental suffering for the animal. The dog training field is totally unregulated, so it can be really easy to get harmful advice. If you need help finding a trainer, check out our website for tips for finding a safe trainer for your pet!
At the end of the day, Lucky’s family recognized it would not be possible for them to safely manage his size and strength and we’re honored that they entrusted us to find him a new place to call home. He’s available for adoption at our Boston Adoption Center. We’re happy to report that a front hook harness and treats have made it significantly easier to manage this big boy already, but he’ll definitely be looking for someone who can manage a big, squishy, energetic, strong boy! He’ll also need someone who is excited to take on those grooming needs! Sound like he might be a good fit for your household? Stop by the Boston Adoption Center, Tuesday-Sunday, 12-3!

31/01/2025

This one is for my dog clients....(if there are any still here given my inactivity)...

What ONE thing (service, resource, bit of knowledge) would most improve your quality of life with your dog? Share this far and wide...I want lots of answers!

Picture of a sweet shelter pup I worked with for the algorithm tax.

10/01/2025

It is now illegal to declaw cats (unless medically necessary) in Massachusetts. This is exciting news for cats for so many reasons! No more little paws will be mutilated in the Commonwealth. Not familiar with what declawing surgery entails? Checkout pawproject.org