orange cat and beagle looking at a laptop for frequently asked questions on Alana Stevenson's dog training and cat behavior services

Dog Training & Cat Behavior FAQs

Questions about Alana Stevenson’s dog behavior, dog training, and cat behavior services.

What areas do you service?

With a behavioral practice formerly based in New York and Boston, Massachusetts, Alana Stevenson now provides consultations online, and locally (at this time) in Vermont. She provides assistance to clients internationally, in Canada, and across the United States.

She has had clients in Morocco, Jordan, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Malawi, Malaysia, and Singapore to name a few.  Virtual consultations are provided by FaceTime, Google Meet, or Zoom. Other platforms may be used such as Signal and What’s App. See more about online consultations.

Rates are kept affordable to support a wide range of clients, but please reach out directly for current pricing.

All clients receive a follow-up check-in approximately two weeks after the initial consultation. Clients are welcome to ask questions and receive feedback during this time. Follow-up consultations, generally one hour, are available and scheduled as needed.

Clients typically benefit from 1 to 5 follow-up sessions depending on the behavior or training problems. Dogs tend to have multiple behavior issues that are frequently interconnected. For instance, a dog with separation anxiety might also be leash-reactive and afraid of strangers. A dog might chase the resident cat, but also have problems jumping on people. Foundational skills and regular online follow-ups help clients make faster progress, build confidence, and trouble shoot when they run into issues.

For cats, food, treats, and a variety of toys may be used, along with anything else the cat enjoys. Environmental enrichment and strategic placement of resources are components of feline behavior modification.

For dogs, when leashes are needed, a 6-foot nylon or fabric leash (5/8–3/4″ wide) is used, along with a flat collar, and/or front-connection or standard harness. Food is used, including “people food.” Extra-long leashes or long leads are used for distance training. Cross-body bags or waist packs are recommended for carrying treats or training dogs on walks. Basket muzzles or head-halters may be used on occasion.

Puppies can begin training as early as 8 weeks old when positive, gentle methods are used. The “6-month rule” is outdated and tied to correction-based techniques that rely on force or dominance, including the use of shock collars, pinch collars, or choke chains. Humane, positive training is safe and effective for dogs of all ages.

Yes. Older dogs learn faster, at times, and are fully capable of learning. The only difference is they may have learned established habits. Many adult dogs are wiser than puppies, so they may also be reserved or hesitant to try new behaviors without positive reinforcement and encouragement.

Discounts can be offered to rescue groups and animal shelters that seek services, network, or refer clients. Rates are kept affordable to service all clients from varied backgrounds. If a consultation is not possible at the moment, these resources may help:

While behavior can be significantly improved and/or managed, it is not ethical to provide a guarantee. Behavior is multifaceted and has many influences including timing, delivery, and consistency in training, environmental locations, sleep patterns, emotional triggers, exercise, sound, diet, human body language, the presence of certain animals or people, hormones, weather, and medical conditions.

Professional assistance greatly improves the chances of success and helps prevent the common mistakes people make that often create new behavior problems or worsen existing ones.

Shock, prong (pinch) collars, and choke chains work by causing pain and discomfort to suppress behavior. Humane, science-based methods focus on establishing trust, voluntary cooperation, and clear communication. Off-leash training results tend to be more reliable when taught with positive reinforcement. Dogs should feel safe and be willing participants when they learn—not forced into compliance.

Choke and slip collars routinely cause physical injuries, including damage to the spine, trachea, and esophagus. Often this becomes apparent as the dog ages. Pinch, prong, and spiked collars create bruising and can cause open wounds and skin lesions. Shock or “e-collars” are hard to regulate, increase fear and anxiety, create unpredictable behavior that can lead to aggression, and cause burns to the skin.

For more information

Clickers are rarely used when training dogs and are not used with cats. Instead, clients are taught how to improve their timing and use verbal markers. Many people find it challenging to use the clicker correctly while also delivering treats and managing the leash and their dog.

Clickers, however, can be helpful for shaping behavior and for teaching tricks or complex tasks. Clicker training can be taught to clients upon request.

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Crates are not recommended as a primary management tool. Most crates are too small to allow healthy movement. Walk-through and free-standing gates are preferred and provide more space and flexibility.

Crates may be used temporarily or for specific situations, but should not be relied on long-term. A crate is a cage—not a natural den. Keeping a dog in a crate during work hours and again overnight can result in dogs being caged 14 to 18 hours a day. Over-crating contributes to behavior problems, including hyperactivity, excessive jumping, mouthing, chewing, and barking, an inability to settle, attention-seeking, phobias, and separation anxiety.

Board-and-train is not provided. Most board-and-train facilities rely on kenneling, aversive methods, and corrective tools, including shock. Dogs form the strongest bonds with their primary caregivers.  It’s more effective long-term and more rewarding for both people and dogs when clients train their own dogs.

Anti-bark collars and devices are not recommended. Suppressive training equipment may reduce barking temporarily, but often creates additional behavior problems—and in some cases, makes barking much worse. Barking is best addressed by identifying the underlying reasons for it.

Purebred dogs and cats are primarily bred for physical features, not temperament or personality. Many behavioral traits attributed to specific breeds are common to all dogs and cats, and are shaped largely by learning, environment, and individual genetics—not breed type. Many breed stereotypes are misleading or behaviorally inaccurate—including certain breeds labeled as hypoallergenic or good family dogs. This also holds true for cats with certain coloring, such as orange or tortoiseshell.

Alana has a preference for shelter, rescue, and adopted animals, particularly older animals and mixed breeds, because they are one of a kind.