WoofGang LLC

10/08/2025

This just looks like an old dog, right? But this ole boy is very close to my heart, and the fact that he's old means sheltering makes a difference.

This is Wolfgang. Many years ago, he was brought in to the shelter I was working at. He was a stray running loose in a Philadelphia park. Wolfie was not an easy dog. He was a fairly yucky resource guarder. Given his beginnings as a scrappy stray trying to make ends meet, it wasn't too surprising. He was also a pretty obnoxious adolescent. We worked with him for months and even took him into our office as a foster because his behavior was deteriorating from kennel stress.

All that work paid off and he turned into quite a sweet, affectionate gent. Even still, he wasn't an easy dog to adopt out; given his past, he needed a dog-savvy adopter, so finding just the right home took a LONG time. But his perfect family came and found him.

Now, ten years later, Wolfie is an old man and it makes my heart sing to see him

10/06/2025

Bentley, the Aussie Shepherd mix, was given more than his fair share of cuteness... with those big ears and that head tilt AND smartness to boot, he's all that and a bag of bully sticks!

Bentley is also an adolescent, which presents some challenges. When he gets excited, he does not know how to contain himself appropriately, and he gets jumpy and mouthy. Bentley needs to learn how to keep a wrap on his excitement levels, but that is something that he needs to learn gradually. First we must teach him to keep a lid on low amounts of excitement and then, gradually, over time, increasing that until he has full mastery of his own arousal levels. Luckily, in Bentley's case, he's eager to learn and has fun doing it!

Adolescent dogs, just like their human equivalents, do not have complete control of their impulses. It is our job as their guardians to teach them how to have better impulse control. 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.)

10/03/2025

10/01/2025

Tilly loves her new alligator puzzle toy, and so do I! It's so easy to use for soft things, like a banana, and can be frozen. Both sides of the toy have a receptacle for food, so it carries plenty.

Licking is calming, so it can help an anxious dog (tho Tilly is not one of those). And for less than comfortable husbandry tasks, like a nail trim, licking something tasty can be a welcome accompaniment, both for the distraction and for changing the emotions around the task.

09/29/2025

This little sweetheart is Annie. She's a little shy when first meeting new people. Once she knows you, though, she's very engaging

09/24/2025

Dogs aren't the only ones who enjoy working for their food and snacks. Cats enjoy them, too! Steffi is particularly proficient using the fishbowl toy, dipping her paw in and scooping up a morsel. Luna pushes kibbies from the the top level of the tree to each next level down until it drops into the tray at the bottom to be gobbled up.

Enrichment toys are also used by zoos to provide their inhabitants species-specific games to play to get their meals. Chimps may have to swing through the trees to get their bananas. Cheetahs may chase a lure with a hunk of meat at the end of it to get their meals.

So don't miss out on this golden opportunity to provide your pet with mental challenges. Meals and snacks are the best part of their day... make them last!

09/22/2025

Kairo the BernaDoodle looks like he should be in an '80s hair metal band with that fab fur, right?! He's definitely too cool for school. Wait! No, he's not! Kairo recently joined his loving furever family and he's going to be their loyal canine companion for years to come, so puppy school is just what he needs to learn all the essential skills.

The early months of a pup's life are when he learns socialization, housetraining, aloneness tolerance, bite inhibition, how to share his resources, and restraint and handling tolerance for veterinary care and husbandry tasks. It is far more difficult to teach these skills later on, and some lessons, like socialization with all kinds of people, dogs and other animals, cannot be postponed til later. Missing out on his education around socialization during his sensitivity period will likely result in a need for behavior modification for fear-related issues later. And that's just for starters. It's much harder to teach a dog bite inhibition after the age of five months, for instance.

So it is never too early to start training once you bring your puppy home. 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.)

09/15/2025

Dalton, the Norwich Terrier, is a big personality in a tiny body! You can see all that character in those sparky eyes, no?! And in his interpretation of his "place" behavior... he certainly gives it his own spin :)

Dalton is shy with new people, and particularly so with children. It's not uncommon for a shy dog to be a bit put off by kids. They tend to be fast, unpredictable, and loud. That can make play a particularly powerful and helpful element of a treatment protocol because what is play but an activity that's often fast and unpredictable, sometimes even loud. AND it's fun!

There are so many reinforcers that can help with behavior modification -- food and treats, play, petting, even sniffing. Really anything a dog loves can be a useful avenue. But certain reinforcers can be especially complementary to specific behavioral challenges. 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.)

09/11/2025

Tilly's strict diet means that she can't have much fat, because her body can't process it. We've had to look other places for fun treats and chews. She's lovin' her sweet potato chews and is also enjoying some frozen banana in her alligator puzzle toy.