Umwelt Dog Training

Let's talk socialization! It's really easy (and understandable) to think that socializing your dog is just about letting them randomly greet any pup on the street. There's so much more -and less- to it than that! Socialization is about building positive relationships with EVERYTHING. Dogs of course, but also skateboards, weird hats, your food delivery person, and those buses on Broadway that are still packed with tourists for some reason. ... Socialization should ideally be a series of bite-sized interactions. It's important to keep it as easy and low-stakes as possible! Odysseus is learning a little bit about this world every day, thanks to his dedicated parents. They understand that everything is new to him- and potentially scary. They're doing his best to get him comfortable enough to potty outside. Baby steps! Socialization can happen at any age, and should be a life-long process regardless. Your dog is learning whether or not that's your plan. A basic socialization plan is almost always my first step with a new client. Throughout this, keep in mind that it's our job to keep our dogs safe. So don't go running up to random dogs who might not appreciate that! #dogtrainer #nycdogtraining #virtualdogtraining #dogsocialization #havapoo #havapoosofinstagram #positivereinforcement #forcefree #clickertraining

Thankful, today and always, for the opportunity to teach and learn daily. I'm lucky to have wonderful clients and colleagues! @on_h_o_l_i_d_a_y #positivereinforcement... #forcefreetraining #boxersofinstagram #dogtraining #virtualdogtraining #thanksgiving See more

Pamper your pups, folks. #greyhoundsofinstagram #nycdogtraining #positivereinforcement #cozy #sweaterweather

. I love love love teaching "relax on a mat" (from Dr. Karen Overall's relaxation protocol and introduced to me by the great folks at @clickstartdogacademy .... Here Callie is first rewarded for approaching the mat- 2 paws on it is fine at the beginning. We then move on to rewards for increasingly more challenging relaxation behaviors: 4 paws on the mat, then sitting, then lying down, etc. . The reality is that most puppies need help learning to chill out, and most parents could use a sustainable strategy for encouraging these behaviors. . I'm actually quite slow to reward in some instances here. Unless I'm consciously waiting for a new behavior, I should be reinforcing without Callie "reminding" me to. I want to encourage her to focus on relaxing, not on me. P.S- recording yourself during training is a great way to improve your technique. . Also, when teaching this behavior, NO WORDS!! The mat itself is the cue, and should be removed when the training session is done. . This behavior often requires a lot of guidance at first, so reach out for help! . #dogtraining #relaxationprotocol #positivereinforcement #relaxonamat #nycdog trainer

Premiering my first @woofcultr purchase. I love it!! . #nycdogtraining #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #virtualdogtraining #forcefreetrainer