WoofGang LLC

07/11/2025

07/07/2025

As we all just celebrated Independence Day, Mabel the mini Poodle asks: "When can I gain MY independence?" Since we rely on the crate to help puppies learn to hold their bladders and to keep them from chewing on the wrong things, how do we then transition them to lives with less restriction without taking two steps back?

Giving a puppy her independence is not a wholesale thing, changing from supervision and crating to complete freedom in a single stroke. Instead, Mabel will gain her freedom in increments. When we start seeing a puppy signaling that she needs to go outside to potty and when she starts making good choices about what to put her teeth to, choosing toys over furniture, we are ready to start trusting her a bit. So, when she's just been outside for a potty and some exercise, and she's tired and feeling nappy, we might give her a free 15 minutes out of her crate while we take a quick shower. Little by little, that free time can expand. Dogs sleep much of the day away anyway, as their most energetic times are morning and evening. If they've had plenty of morning exercise, we can expect that most of their daytime hours will be spent resting.

The habits and patterns established during puppyhood will last a lifetime. WoofGang can help! We offer in person sessions as well as online training. Contact us at (646) 345-5116 to set up a session. Like this page for posts about all things dog! And sign up for the WoofGang emailing list... with tips, tricks, special offers and Mutt Morsels -- training tips that solve everyday problems. Simply click on http://eepurl.com/gQDqLX to subscribe and join! (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

07/02/2025

Chewbarka and I have been friends for closing in on two months now and this little sweetheart is a changed dog in that time. Once rambunctious and irrepressible, she has become a polite little lady in just a matter of weeks. Of course her transformation took the committed efforts of her loving family and it was no easy feat. It took patience and consistency.

Here she is showing her new-found self-restraint and impulse control. Chewie is the embodiment of a beautifully behaved companion

06/30/2025

Rigatoni, the Dachshund, is a sensitive boy

06/26/2025

This is Maya practicing her recall. This is what we want a recall to look like... zippy and exuberant! Anything less will not bring her across a large field or away from a squirrel.

Maya is sporting a Thundershirt, a snug garment that can give respite to a dog who struggles with anxiety. It works in much the same way as swaddling an infant or putting a weighted blanket on a child might. In Maya's case, it is helping her be more comfortable working in a foreign environment. She is having a good time concentrating on the task at hand

06/24/2025

This beautiful gal is Penny, and she is scared of new people, which is why I’m keeping my distance. Working with dogs who are fearful of strangers takes time, patience, and consistent work. And, lucky for Penny, her parents are all in, working tirelessly with her to help her be more comfortable around new people. Because, while our dogs do not have to love everyone – and really, who loves everyone?! – they do need to be polite canine citizens. Penny is being picture perfect here!

People often think that, if a dog is afraid of men, for instance, then men should be recruited to give them treats. That’s often not the best approach. Because, while a tasty tidbit may lure a dog up to a scary man, once so close to him, she has a choice to make… grab the treat and run away (the right choice) or grab the treat and run him away (the wrong choice). We never want to put a dog in a position where she has such a high probability of making a mistake.

If your dog is afraid of new people, it’s important to start associating strangers with good, pleasurable things while not putting anyone at risk. WoofGang can help! We offer in person sessions as well as online training. Contact us at (646) 345-5116 to set up a session. Like this page for posts about all things dog! And sign up for the WoofGang emailing list... with tips, tricks, special offers and Mutt Morsels -- training tips that solve everyday problems. Simply click on http://eepurl.com/gQDqLX to subscribe and join! (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

06/23/2025

As a dog trainer, people associate me with dogs, but I am also a cat person through and through. The handsome devil on my lap is Django, and he is a bit of a Casanova, skilled in the art of stealing hearts.

Today's post is a bit off the beaten path for me, celebrating my family members of the feline purrsuasion

06/16/2025

This is Sunny, the Pug. At 3 years old, she is a crazy rapscallion when compared to her big "brother" Bongo, the 13 year old Pug. It's hard to blame her, really. She's just young and energetic, and she missed the memo describing what was expected of her.

Sometimes, when we have an older mellow, well-behaved dog, we forget the work it took to get him that way and so any new young upstart looks poorly behaved in comparison. We can't help but hope that some of the good behavior of the older will rub off on the younger. Unfortunately, it's more likely that bad behaviors, like demand barking or dog reactivity, will be contagious, not good ones.

Sunny is a sweet girl, ready to be her best self with just a little guidance! All it will take is training and consistency. WoofGang can help! We are offering online training as well as outdoor sessions. Find us on the web at www.myWoofGang.com or contact us at (646) 345-5116. Like this page for posts about all things dog! And sign up for the WoofGang emailing list... with tips, tricks, special offers and Mutt Morsels -- training tips that solve everyday problems. Simply click on http://eepurl.com/gQDqLX to subscribe and join! (You can unsubscribe at any time.