Dog Training & Wellness Services

DogRelations™ NYC dog training is really about positive reinforcement training in an enjoyable and life enriching way. This means giving your dog a clear understanding of behaviors you want to encourage while having fun and developing a close relationship. Dogs thrive on honest, direct and consistent communication, just like friends who completely trust and rely on one another.

Friday 21 December 2018

Dog training Tips: Substitutes for “STOP IT!”

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When I first teach “leave it” I start with a piece of food that I throw on the floor and reward any movement away from the desired object. I can then practice with different desirable objects in different environments but usually it is very clear to me what the object is, since I am controlling the “it”.

Then it all of a sudden hit me; Since I mostly don’t have control over what I want my pup to “leave” the actual cue to the dog should mean this: whatever you are looking at (the dog across the street, the weird limping person on the sidewalk, the shiny piece of orange peel sticking out underneath a trash bag) no matter what “Look at me and you get a reward” or “Give me your full attention”.

This can work when you are on a walk with your dog and the environment is such that the dog can actually hear you.

The best cues I find are “circumstantial”. I put down a platform and the dog knows they are going to stand on that platform no matter what. It’s totally clear.

I put my hand on the doorknob to open the door and the dog knows this means “sit” until they hear the word “OK!!!”

With my puppy Snorri I have also made putting on my winter jacket a cue for “ sit” and instead of rewarding his begging for food I say “ you know what to do” and he will settle on the floor. It’s a wonderful way to get replacement behaviors that lead to a harmonious and fun time instead of the boring “stop it!” or ”now, now: we don’t do this, do we?”

That just misleads the dog and contributes ultimately to reinforcing that behavior.

The goal of so called positive reinforcement teaching is to replace nuisance behaviors with highly rewarded replacement behaviors.

This article by Kay Laurence (Can we teach “stop doing that”?) describes very well what this means in practical terms. Keep in mind that any gesture, any object or location (such as a designated spot or platform that you pick) can become a cue for a specific behavior.

So that the somewhat elusive cue “leave it” should mean something specific behaviorally to the dog and offer the dog the solution to earn the reward. Kay Laurence tells us that she does use different “go to’s” for different situations. That is so smart.

Need help applying these techniques?  Book a behavior consultation!


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Tuesday 4 December 2018

Puppy Training & Managing Fear Periods

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Puppy training | Pup sitting on bench | Dog Relations NYC

We try and keep our dogs safe and do everything to stave away scary and unfortunate events. You can’t and should not raise your puppy in a bubble. However there are times when you might want to be extra cautious. Those times are when your puppy is going through natural fear periods.

I am particularly interested in the subject at the moment since my current puppy Snorri is clearly going through a fear period now.

The unfortunate events that happen can be anything from your dog getting growled at or attacked by another dog, some weirdo approaching your dog in a way that scares him or a piece of debris falls or tips over and makes a loud bang. These kinds of things will happen and really are practically unavoidable and luckily in most cases your pup can overcome the experience with a bit of counter conditioning. However, if your dog is in the vulnerable stage of a fear period there is an increased possibility that they experience something called “a single event learning experience”

Fear periods generally happen at two separate intervals as your puppy grows; one predictably at around 8-10 weeks of age, and a second more variably in late adolescence (6 – 24 months). A fear period is essentially a time when your pup is extremely sensitive to bad experiences. A single frightening or painful experience can have a lasting impact on your dog’s behavior.

This article describes fear periods and single event learning along with examples of what can happen:

http://www.drjensdogblog.com/the-dark-side-of-socialization-fear-periods-and-single-event-learning/

If you find that your puppy is all of a sudden afraid of things he was not at all bothered about before, please pay attention to that. Fear is not a rational response. Fear needs to be supported.  Try to help your dog remain in a state of mind where he can still think and accept his favorite treats.  Under no circumstances should you “flood” your dog, meaning that you force him through the scary event. That’s like throwing someone out of a plane to help him overcome his fear of heights.

Lastly, please be aware of the fact that sometimes the trigger event can leave permanent scars even with the best efforts and the most skillful training techniques.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Friday 26 October 2018

Dog Training Practice (with distractions) Makes Perfect!

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NYC Dog Trainer Services & Dog Wellness | Elisabeth training Maggie

“But he did it at home!” Is this something you have found yourself saying?

Have you ever wondered why your dog will happily sit for you when you ask, or come to you inside the house but as soon as you are in a different environment you get a “blank stare” or a “deaf ear”?

When that happens, you should realize that as soon as circumstances change everything you ask your dog to do becomes more challenging for them.  When you leave your practice room there are so many other stimuli the dog has to ignore to focus on what you are asking.

It’s kind of like learning a new language in the privacy of your home.  You know all the phrases and questions by heart, all the sentences in order. But as soon as you actually need to ask a question or respond to something on the long-planned trip, all of a sudden, the vocabulary flies out of your brain and you are reduced to a stuttering and gesticulating person who cannot think of a single word in the appropriate language when desperately trying to ask where the bathroom is.

The fact is that humans need practice in “real” circumstances and so do dogs.

So once your dog can perform a behavior reliably without any distractions you will need to up the ante by adding distractions, changing venues, adding distance or throwing toys. The more scenarios you can think of the better. Only then can you proudly say: “My dog knows what “sit” really means.”


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Wednesday 19 September 2018

Dog Training Tip: Why Are Corrections Futile? No Reward History In The Desired Behavior!

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Maggie sits expecting a reward | NYC dog trainer | Dog Relations NYC

There is a young dog in my neighborhood, a very friendly terrier.

He enjoys jumping on people. His owner however does not like it at all.

The owner has become hesitant about greeting other people and dogs in the street just because of this problem. The owner’s ability to enjoy his super cute and really excellent dog is marred and overshadowed by this one behavior.

I have been observing this situation for almost 3 years now.

So, this is what happens…

There is an encounter. The dog is on the ground and behaving ok. After a few moments the dog will jump up. The owner will correct him. No jumping! Tug on leash. Dog’s feet are on the ground. Owner ceases to pay attention to dog. At the next tiny movement: dog jumps up, owner: ah you must have treats in your pocket? NO JUMPING! Tug on the leash…pulling dog off. Dog is on ground again. Owner continues conversation and ignores dog while he is actually behaving ok.

You see the point?

If the owner understood that he should reverse his strategy and pay attention to the dog when he is not jumping and praise/feed him then he would not have this problem anymore.

This is why positive reinforcement is so much more powerful than corrections can be.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Friday 31 August 2018

Dog Training Myths: My Dog Is Just So Highly Strung

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NYC Dog Trainer Services & Dog Wellness | Wellness Consultations

“He really needs to run and run and run to blow off steam!”

“We need to exercise him all the time because he is so restless.”

Does that sound familiar? OK: so let’s think about this…

Being restless and hyperactive is not exactly comfortable for the dog or the owner.

If you highly reinforce that extremely self reinforcing behavior you are actually creating a dependence on it. Just like a person with running/ exercise addiction.

It also reminds me of my old violin teacher who stated that so many people seem to want to practice stuff that they are already good at.  However it’s not going to make you a better violinist if all you can do is bounce your bow at lightning speed but you cannot play a sweet melody!

This is true for behaviors also.

If you want your dog to calm down you have to reward him for being calm and practice that instead of running him more and more until he practically collapses with fatigue. I promise that when this dog wakes up all the dog wants to do is be even more excited and blow off steam.

The good news is that dogs are not only very smart they can also quickly adjust and learn that if they get rewarded for calm behavior to show off that behavior to earn kudos. Mental activity and rewarded calm behaviors are far more useful to help your dog be happy and calm.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Monday 30 July 2018

Dog Relations New York Training Studio

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NYC Dog Trainer Services & Dog Wellness | Dog Training at our studio

We now have a studio! The home-like atmosphere of the studio allows us to teach dogs and puppies manners that will transfer easily when they are back home. Sessions at the studio can be tailored to your needs.

New services by Dog Relations NYC:

Park and Train & SpaDoggy

Would you like to “park” your dog for a couple of hours and use the time for us to teach some valuable skills?  For example:

  • Settling down instead of begging at the table
  • Walking better on leash
  • Redirect barking and jumping when people enter your apartment
  • Accept grooming readily
  • Love the crate
  • Reinforce Housetraining

We can teach your dog some cool tricks and also add fine grooming services so your dog will come back beautifully groomed and bathed.

Happy Healthy Pup

Is your dog on the chubby side? We can help! We provide a fun body conditioning program of strengthening and balancing exercises that will stimulate your dog’s metabolism and increase body awareness. Your dog will develop increased body awareness that will play a significant role in injury prevention and improve overall gait and posture. With the mental stimulation we provide your dog will feel less hungry, be happier and return to you in better physical shape.

Dog and Puppy Staycation

Are you going on a business trip? Or going on vacation and cannot take your dog along? We can take care of your dog and you can be assured that noy only will your dog be loved and cared for, he will return to you knowing a few more tricks and with greatly improved overall behavior as we will teach automatic polite manners.

Our promise: Your dog’s safety, well-being and happiness comes first. Your dog will receive the most thoughtful and compassionate care.

We offer: Utmost cleanliness, privacy, safety, continuous supervision and consistent reinforcement. We use only the highest quality, organic treats and foods. We can also administer medications and injections if needed.

We are fully bonded and insured. Please inquire for rates and availability for all the above services.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Thursday 28 June 2018

Puppy Training: Are You Asking Too Much, Too Soon?

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NYC Dog Trainer | Dog Relations | Puppy training tips

Conventional advice given will say: don’t reinforce the dog’s behavior when he is “misbehaving”.

This may apply to certain situations, for example: don’t pat your dog while he is clawing at your thighs. But then there are different situations that make it more difficult to decide what to do.

For example: your puppy is crying while in the crate. Generally speaking you think “well, he likes the crate, but now for some reason he wants out and is whimpering”. But then you think: “I was told not to let him out until he is quiet to teach him that whining isn’t going to become a habit in the form of  a demanding behavior”.

So, you wait. The puppy is in there for 20 minutes crying. Finally, finally the complaining stops and you let the puppy out. Both you and the dog feel great relief that the suffering is over. But what has happened in the meantime? What has the puppy learned? What have you learned?

In fact, both of you have experienced crate time as mostly a pain in the neck. The incentive for trying this again is low, filled with anxiety and anticipation of yet another struggle.

I had this experience with a client the other day and wanted to share my thoughts.

My client reported that her puppy was happy in the crate but after a while the puppy started to whine and it took over a half hour for her to stop. Why is the puppy crying? Nothing has changed? She “likes” the crate! When I read that text I thought: Why did you leave the puppy in there for so long? Was there a reason?  I know this client well and I know it was done with best intentions in the name of “crate training”.

I guess the real reason is we humans are greedy and ambitious. “Greedy” in the sense that we want too much too soon. After all the puppy has been with me for 3 days! Panic sets in. She will NEVER, EVER be able to like her crate! That then turns into the human hating the crate and there we have it: general failure.

So here is what actually happened.

I asked the client to work in short increments. The puppy walks into the crate voluntarily, you reward the puppy close the door. Keep rewarding the puppy while she is still happy and quiet and then let the puppy out of the crate after a minute and play a great game with her. I asked the client to vary the amount of time from ridiculously short to up to a couple of minutes and the client complied.

The next morning, she texted me this: “I’m totally thrilled. The puppy went into the crate on her own at night and ended up sleeping happily in the crate with the door closed for 8 hours and we were both happy. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!”

While she was very happy about the results, she still didn’t understand why the method I suggested was so successful. This is why: as a teacher, you want to reward a desired behavior as highly and as often as you can in the shortest amount of time. I simply asked the client to reward her puppy at a much higher rate of reinforcement. I did not allow frustration or failure to come into the picture at all since I also asked her not to ask for too much. In this case it was the duration of the behavior. Short and sweet really pays off.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Thursday 31 May 2018

When it Comes to Dog Training, Size Should Not Matter

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Little Pepin practicing nice manners | Dog Trainer Dog Relations NYC

Featured above: One of my small breed clients Pepin, practicing polite manners

 

She is a good girl…but she freaks out when I move the laundry cart and we can’t really vacuum because it drives her crazy. We keep her inside now because she is very nervous on the sidewalk and she barks at all dogs and skateboards.  She pees and poops all over the house and rips up the pee pads. I really don’t understand that because she has all these toys.  Recently she even started nipping the housekeeper’s ankles. Now the housekeeper is terrified of her.

Oh, we didn’t want to train her! She is little she doesn’t need it. We just want to have her as a pet.

Any of this sound familiar so far?

My response: Really? You mean only German Shepherds and Dobermans “need” training?

Just imagine if this were really true; that would mean that people under a certain size would not be taught to read. Oh…they are so short: why bother!

Yes, there are certain aspects that are easier (maybe) when you have a small dog. For example: you can put them in a bag and carry them around, if necessary. They eat less. But that is really where the differences stop.

A small dog’s feelings are as important as a giant dog’s. A big part of teaching and socializing a dog is to give them self confidence and to teach them polite behaviors that will get them attention, fun games and their special treats. Leaving a dog in the dark and accepting their fears might seem “humane”.

Accepting the status quo is actually not really kind. If you want to be kind you will teach your dog how to cope with scary things and that polite manners pay off bigtime.

And please remember that a short person does not necessarily require less exercise either!

If you have questions about reinforcement or would like to learn more about training your dog in an enjoyable and life-enriching environment, contact us at Dog Relations


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Tuesday 24 April 2018

Protected: Dog Training: Understanding Reinforcement

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Friday 30 March 2018

When It Comes To Puppy Training, Timing Is Important

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Dogs jumping and playing | NYC Dog Trainer | Dog Relations NYC

A few days ago as I was walking Zeldi (who is always ready to play with pretty much any dog) when we ran into a woman with her puppy. The puppy was happy and made overtures that clearly showed he wanted to play. But what did the woman do? She restricted the pup with the leash, trying to get him to sit and not “jump” and play.

The result was that she was annoyed, the pup was disappointed and confused, Zeldi was frustrated, and I could not help but think: What signal is this puppy getting?

Aside from being unreasonable about her desire to have the puppy sit: she was also teaching the puppy that playing with other dogs is not desirable. Tensing the leash and forcing him into a sit by pulling the leash could cause the dog not only to think it’s a bad idea to play but that the pup could interpret the nervousness from his human as a signal that something is “wrong” and “be wary of other dogs”. In fact, this person could be creating a leash aggressive dog.

There is a time to teach and there is a time to play. Jumping around is part of play. Why stifle that? Why all of a sudden was it important for that woman to assert her “no jumping” rule?

Puppy manners are really important, I would be the first person to endorse civilized behavior. But we also have to realize that we cannot stifle our puppies’ needs.

As we teach our dogs we also have to allow them the space and time to learn in circumstances that are conducive to learning and paying attention. Let’s help puppies by manipulating the environment in such a way that makes it easy for them to understand the behaviors we are looking for at that moment. Then, once the puppy truly understands and is successful in a highly controlled circumstance we can add distractions and see if the puppy can still focus and perform. It is all a great game.

But we humans have to be reasonable. If you kind of know it would be futile to ask for something in a highly distracting circumstance, don’t even try. You are setting yourself and your dog up for failure.

To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

 

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Wednesday 14 February 2018

The Benefits of Positive Reinforcement

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dog training obedience positive reinforcement encouragement Elisabeth weiss dog relations

Imagine how you would feel if all you were told was: “This is wrong! Try again!” If you do not give any additional information what are the chances of the next trial being more successful? The chances of getting the next attempt “right” are pretty much close to zero.

I had a tutor once who was supposed to help me translate Latin texts. As soon as I was ready to translate my work, he would ask, “Are you absolutely sure this is going to be the correct answer?” And I would answer, “Well I am pretty sure, but I can’t be absolutely positive.” And so then he would tell me to be quiet until I was absolutely sure. Obviously not much was uttered in these sessions. I was pretty good at Latin and usually my answers were right, I never uttered a word because of the pressure.

Positive encouragement and a safe space to make mistakes makes a huge difference in the learning process.

In one of Karen Pryor’s books, she talks about meeting a couple of Labrador Retrievers who were perfectly behaved dogs. They had a history of aversive training and all initiative had been corrected out of them. They never did anything. Wonderful?

Frankly I don’t want my dogs to be too afraid to try something.

Dog Training with Trust & Encouragement

I recently encountered two other cases of dogs that had a history of aversive training and all initiative had been corrected out of them. Except they had been scared so badly that aside from becoming fearful to the point of being aggressive in certain situations, they did not even have the confidence to follow directions.

I felt particularly bad for one German Shepherd who came from a breeder who “trained” him for a year with a shock collar, a prong collar, and various other cruel means. The German Shepard was structurally damaged on top of being psychologically scarred.

I started to work on restoring his trust, if he ever had trust. The exercise was simple enough: I asked him to go settle on his bed. I pointed, guided and rewarded him each time. Usually a dog can figure this game out after a few reps, but not this dog. It wasn’t because he didn’t understand; it was because he was too afraid to take the leap of faith and risk being punished. Finally after a couple of sessions he mustered up enough courage to do it! It was a wonderful breakthrough for him and we celebrated.

My fervent wish is to raise awareness of how much psychological damage is done by baseless physical and emotional abuse. I recall a conversation with someone who told me, “I used the shock collar and it worked for a while, but now I cannot even touch my own dog and I am afraid of him.” That is major fallout.

We’ve learned about “punishment or correction” in theory, and the negative side effects, but to experience it first hand is far more troubling. Don’t let it come to that!

To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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Friday 5 January 2018

Teaching a new skills and the Ping Pong Method

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NYC Dog Trainer | Dog Relations | Dog getting toenails clipped

When teaching a new skill, we usually teach it through successive approximations. It’s like going from a rough sketch to a detailed painting. I have talked previously about comparing behaviors to a picture you have in your mind, then refining the image in successive approximations until you get the exact picture and thus ultimate understanding by the dog of what your mental image actually looks like.

For example if I teach the dog to offer a sit, at first I might not care where the dog sits or how long the dog sits but over time I can communicate quite precisely when and where I want the dog to sit in relationship to me.

What I would like to discuss here is that in order for the dog to learn a more refined understanding you must keep asking more and more of the dog. But in the process, you will definitely have more success if you allow the dog an easy answer in between making the puzzle harder and harder all the time. It makes the atmosphere more relaxed. If all of a sudden, it’s easier to guess right the dog as we ourselves do, gets the feeling “Oh that’s child’s play! Ha, no brainer!” I am sure that you have had an experience like this yourself.

So, if you decide to mix the easy “pong” into the learning experience the dog will feel encouraged and then gladly try to sit longer or closer or facing in a different direction. Rather than expecting the learning curve to ascend in a straight line, allow the variation that happens naturally and use the “ping-pong” effect.

Recently I watched an online seminar by Laura Monaco-Torelli, who specializes in teaching animals to accept so called “husbandry” procedures voluntarily. Anything from allowing the human to administer ear drops, accepting needle pokes/injections, having their blood pressure taken or getting weighed at the vet’s office. She actually applied the ping-pong effect in that process which was really interesting and informative to me.

One of the important reward factors that we tend to neglect are “space” and “time”. We tend to use mostly desensitization and counter conditioning to habituate dogs to certain scary or unpleasant procedures, not paying enough attention to those two strong reinforcements, namely space and time.

Let’s take the example of the dreaded nail clipping:

One day, for no apparent reason, my adolescent puppy would run away just when I touched the bag in the closet where the nail clipper is kept. When she was a puppy she let me clip her nails and I made sure that she was always rewarded. She never had an accident with the clipper, never any pain associated with the nail clipping that was apparent, but all of a sudden, she decided she hated the nail clipper. So much for puppy training.

After watching Laura’s webinar I told myself that I should be able to handle this dammit. First, I would go to the closet, open it and not take out the clipper, then reward her. That took no time whatsoever. Then I started taking the nail clipper out completely out of context. I would slowly move, allow her to look at the clipper and then reward her, paying attention to the fact that I presented the nail clipper FIRST and then the treat. I did not want to “lure” her with a treat to “let me” touch her with the clipper because, as we have learned in the past the treat becomes a predictor for a nail clipper appearing and thus gets devalued really fast.

After very few repetitions she was comfortable enough to settle down and allow me to touch her feet briefly with the nail clipper. However, I would not hold her paw and would allow her to withdraw the paw when she felt ambiguous. I would WAIT her out until she was ready to present the paw again. And here I think is the key point: to show her that the nail clipper might look scary but does no harm, I would touch her flank with the clipper and reward. Then touch another part of her body and then go back to the paw. I see this as an equivalent to the ping-pong of making it harder and easier intermittently. All of my movements were slow and I stayed calm. I did not put time pressure on her or myself!  Time and space = reassurance for both of us.

Rather sooner than I expected she allowed me to clasp the nail with the blades of the clipper. I still didn’t actually clip. Then, after returning to other body parts I felt that she was not afraid of the clipper. I then opened and closed the clipper so she could hear the sound a couple of times. Again, the high value treat followed this. Finally, we both felt calm and confident, I closed the clipper around the nail and actually clipped! I gave her calm but intense praise and a high value reward. But I did not stop there: I did another “mock” clip and rewarded her greatly for that (NOW: HOW EASY WAS THAT?!!) and then she was done!

A few days later, I was brushing her. I showed her the nail clipper… presenting them very slowly. No adverse reaction from her! We went through a couple of mock trials, I went to clip her dew claw and it was EASY!!!!

Now don’t you think the 15 minutes I invested in the nail clipping exercise was worth it? Compare the time involved in solving the problem and weigh it against a lifetime of dreading the nail clipping.

A little patience goes a long way and is a million times better than the quick and dirty; one person restraining the dog and the other person nervously fumbling around to cut the nail as quickly as possible. So much was achieved by allowing the PING-PONG effect to do its magic!


Elisabeth Weiss is a highly certified, experienced dog trainer in Manhattan, NYC. To learn more about dog training services, contact us by phone at (917) 783-1473 or our contact form.

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