Wayside is committed to helping you make the most of your relationship with your pet. We believe that proper training and socialization will strengthen the special bond between pets and their people and we encourage you to check out the free behavior and training resource articles below. Written by Wayside’s Certified Behavior Team, these resource articles and videos will help you and your pet navigate behavior challenges. From bringing your new pet into the home to enrichment ideas to addressing more challenging concerns, the Wayside Resource Library is always available.

Wayside Waifs also offers a variety of dog training classes, seminars, and private training sessions. Check out our upcoming classes here.If you have questions about our dog training classes, please email us here

These articles are all in PDF format and require Adobe Reader. If you don’t have Adobe Reader, you can download it for free here.

Dog Related Articles  

• Escape Behaviors
• Managing Age-related Challenges in Senior Dogs
• Puppy Biting, Nipping and General Unruliness
• 3/3/3 Guide for Bringing Home a New Dog 
• Tips for Preparing Your Dog for Your Return to Work
• Socializing Your New Puppy During Quarantine
• Adopting a Shy and Fearful Dog
• Crate Training Basics
• Fear of Strangers and New Family Members
• House Training & Marking
• Leash Reactivity
• Peace Academy – Jumpy, High Energy Dogs
• Separation Anxiety
• Service, Therapy & Emotional Support Animals: A Simple Breakdown
• Bringing Your New Dog Home – The First Few Weeks
• Canine Body Language 101
• Confidence Boosters for Shy or Fearful Dogs
• Enrichment Ideas for Dogs
• Helpful Tips for Caring for a Heartworm Positive Dog
• Helpful Tips for Introducing a New Dog to New Baby
• Introducing a New Dog to a Resident Dog
• Resource Guarding: Prevention and Helpful Tips

Cat Related Articles   

• 3/3/3 Guide for Bringing Home a New Cat
• Cat Aggression Towards People
• Cat Toys and Interactive Play
• Cats In Conflict
• Destructive Scratching
• Discouraging Free Roaming Cats
• Introducing Your Cat to the Litter Box
• Introducing Your Feline to a Canine
• Introducing Your Feline to a Feline
• Managing Your Kitten’s Rough Play
• My Cat is Eating Weird Things
• Reducing Urine Marking
• Reducing Your Cat’s Fearful Behavior
• Scratching: A Healthy Habit
• Setting Up The Environment for Your Cat
• Solving Litter Box Problems
• Training Your Cat Using Positive Reinforcement Methods
• Trimming Your Cats Nails
• Understanding Talkative Cats
• Understanding Your Kitten’s Behavior
• Using Aversive Conditioning to Modify Your Cat’s Behavior

Ask a Trainer Assistance

Do you have a pet behavior question or problem you’d like to discuss with one of our behavior trainers?

Canine behaviors we can help troubleshoot by phone or email: 

• house training
• basic obedience
• house manners
• leash skills
• crate training 

If you have questions that fit the above criteria, please email us here You can also call our Canine Behavior Help Line at 816-986-4467 and leave a voice message. We do our best to reply within 48 hours. 

We cannot give advice on the phone or via email for the following behaviors: 

• aggression (growling, snapping, or biting) towards people or other animals
• severe separation anxiety 

For assistance with these more concerning issues, please start with a visit to your veterinarian to rule out any underlying medical concerns and speak with a certified canine behaviorist.