Instinct Dog Behavior & Training Northern NJ

08/06/2024

UPDATE: The roads are clear! Message to all of our families- you may hear that streets in Englewood are flooding. They are indeed however all of our dogs are safe. We have flood controls in place and people on site. We also have a generator in the event that power goes out (which has not happened). If you are picking up your pup tonight please don’t attempt to drive in. We’ll keep them safe and sound and want you to stay safe too! Please call tomorrow before coming to the facility for drop off, pick up or lessons. We’ll post more updates here as we have them.

07/16/2024

I've swithered about the wisdom of posting this for fear of backlash but I keep coming back to these questions and I think they are important so here goes nothing...

I was working in the park yesterday and saw things which, if I'm honest, kind of broke my heart a wee bit. A beautiful puppy on a slip lead being corrected (by a 'trainer') whenever they stopped to sniff. An obedience class of dogs half of whom appeared to be on 'grot' collars (choke collars). A dog being walked on a prong collar in a strict heel and never allowed to stop, sniff or interact with the world around them.

So my questions are...

What has happened in our relationship with our dogs that makes more and more people feel ok about training their dogs with force & coercion & discomfort/pain?

Do people believe these things don't hurt? That the dog truly doesn't mind? Or do they acknowledge that these things are unpleasant (at best...painful at worst) but believe this is the only way to teach dogs? Do they understand what they are doing but feel there are no other options? Is the dog's discomfort simply a price worth paying for the human's convenience? Has frequent exposure to coercive trainers on social media numbed us to the casual cruelty with which they treat dogs? Or do we just avoid thinking about it all too deeply for fear we may have to face some uncomfortable truths?

Where is our empathy, kindness and understanding for the captive animals we have chosen to bring into our lives? If we truly care about our dogs (and I believe most owners do) then why are we often so quick to use physical force & discomfort? If we are prepared to sacrifice their wellbeing and experience in favour of our control over them - and it's worth saying these are not mutually exclusive - then we have some serious reflecting to do....

07/10/2024

Ok all our dobie lovers! Let’s find a foster or adopter for this sweet girl! Please share widely
&
Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA, Inc.

07/10/2024

A great podcast!

Cog Dog Club!
In one hour, 5pm pacific, it’s all about what we call “start buttons” in training. I have thoughts, and if you learned about this from me more than a couple years ago, they’ve changed a lot.

Membership or patreon! 🔗 in comments

07/10/2024

From the national radio show, pet expert Steve Dale on keeping dogs safe in extreme heat with AVMA Past President Dr. Rena Carlson

06/16/2024

Cherishing all our alumni families.

06/05/2024

03/08/2024

Meet Steve! Steve is a 13 week old Doberman pup who sustained a catastrophic spinal injury several weeks ago. Luckily our friends at Doberman Pinscher Rescue of PA, Inc.. were able to do an emergency admission when it was realized that he was not recovering. Steve will likely not regain use of his hind legs - however Steve approaches life full throttle and doesn’t even realize he’s disabled! While he has a long journey to creating his best life he’s now being fostered by Suze Cullinan and comes to work here every day. The entire team of trainers and canine care help care for him. He starts rehab next week, and thanks to the incredible generosity of Joey's PAWJoey's Paw he’s soon to receive the gift of a free doggy wheelchair! Stay tuned for more updates. For now, enjoy this spicy little nugget and look at that play with helper dog Bridget!

02/14/2024

Pugs and kisses and poodles of love from Instinct ❤️

12/22/2023

Adoptable Eri has found his forever home! The best of gifts for the holiday- he’s already in love with his new sister and family. Thank you for all the work you do! Head on over to their website to donate - your dollars help find homes for dobies in need

12/20/2023

From Heath’s people!
“Just wanted to drop a note and tell you how wonderful it’s been to meet and work with Emma. We had our post-boarding home session today, and it was so worthwhile for all of us to spend time with her.

As much as we have liked our other trainers—shout-outs to Amber and Tiffany—(and, of course your colleague, Meg), we are particularly impressed by Emma. Heath threw curveballs today, and she was as effective here as she had been at Englewood. Gentle, kind, and entirely unflummoxed by our big boy. By the end of the session, there was marked improvement that we aim to replicate.

Thank you for your kindness to our guys, and hats off to you for being able to attract and retain top notch staff in all capacities. You knew this already, but we are fans.”

11/30/2023

We are so very proud of you Alumni Gorazo! This sweet boy and his human did the Turkey Trot by doing a short distance each day. This allowed him to move and exercise at his own rate, despite some mobility issues. It takes a lot of creativity and love to adapt to your pup’s health issues. And we are so very proud of them both 💕

11/28/2023

On this Giving Tuesday we are highlighting Sammy’s Hope! Please consider donating to this wonderful rescue; and consider being a foster (even short term!)

Every Dollar Doubled

or
Venmo -Hope
Are you looking for a cause to support for end of year giving?
Sammy’s Hope is dedicated to improving the lives of homeless animals. Donate to help make a difference for animals in need.

We hope this will be a very special holiday season for you and your loved ones. With your support, we know it will be for Sammy’s Hope.

Please consider donating today!

11/21/2023

Brand new Helper Puppy Georgia checking in to let everyone know we are busy caring for all the dogs in our care this holiday week! If you need to leave a voicemail please be patient- our first priority is always the pups!

11/01/2023

We hope your Halloween was as adorably spooky as ours was! 🎃👻🐶

10/17/2023

Courtesy of Dr Emily Levine

Please share widely!
There is an upsurge in punishment based training and people are struggling to choose the best road for their pup (and cats, horses….)

Dog trainers that use aversive training methods, including Augusto DeOliveira, also known as "The Dog Daddy," have caught the attention of concerned animal welfare groups, trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and pet owners. The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) recently issued a stat...

09/03/2023

Say "Hello" to this weeks Puppy Train and Play participants!

Steve, Lila, Summer, Besma & Lucky learned new skills, fun confidence building exercises and got lots of time to socialize with new pup and people friends!

08/16/2023

People let me tell ya 'bout my best furfriendsss💕🎵 Just some of this weeks adorable dynamic duos AND trios!

08/15/2023

Helper dog Maddie is checking in to say….every pup deserves their own couch 🥰. Many shelters and rescues in our area are full and desperately need foster homes - especially for the larger dogs. Our friends at Liberty Humane are looking for people who can foster (and perhaps foster fail) as they are experiencing record admissions. Please think about fostering! We here at Instinct Dog Training of NJ and Philadelphia will provide 3 free virtual trainer consults to anyone adopting a large dog from Liberty Humane in August!

06/23/2023

Positive reinforcement dog training starts young 😏. We were honored to have Miss Maverick help train puppy camper Pearl! Maverick is the daughter of one of our wonderful canine care team members and spent some time helping this week. Both had a fabulous time and Maverick also helped out with the kitten our team is fostering!

06/08/2023

Today, Cleo graduated Puppy Camp with flying colors!

She is now well versed in puppy manners, socialization and impulse control.

Well done, Cleo and Coach Bri! 🎓🐾🎉

03/27/2023

Family Paws Parent Education (FPPE) programs answer questions and provide solutions for new parents at webinars taught by qualified dog professional specializing in dog and baby dynamics, Vera Murri. Since 2002 the Dogs & Storks® program has helped countless families safely and happily introduce their beloved dog to their new baby.  FPPE is excited to have expanded the program offerings with the Dogs & Toddlers™ and is confident this will help support many more families. 

As an FPPE licensed presenter, Vera's goal is to guide families and help our community to:

* Increase infant and child safety around dogs
* Decrease stress and anxiety for new parents who already have dogs
* Increase successful dog/child relationships and family harmony 
* Decrease the number of dogs surrendered to shelters each year because of changes at home
* Increase awareness of the importance of learning about dog communication and behavior
* Decrease bites to young children due to lack of knowledge of dog communication and behavior

Please join us on April 4th & 18th! Email [email protected] for more info!

03/23/2023

Helper Puppy Bridget has some great news for all our clients (throughout all of NJ and the Philly metro area)!

Here at Instinct of New Jersey and Philly we understand that these are very tough financial times for so many. We want to be able to help families and their dogs get the help they need. So we are making a few changes! We are officially offering payment plans to our families who need it. We will manage the payment plans internally and so will not need to use a third party management firm. This means that you can help us design a payment plan suited to your budget and you won’t need to pay interest.

We aren’t sure if this will be a long term thing (and is offered specifically to clients working with Instinct NJ and Philly).

However we will offer this program for as long as we can. It can be used for camps of any length and for lesson packages of 6 or more.

Additionally if you plan to board your dog for a significant period of time this year, we’re able to offer boarding packages at a discount.

Please contact us online or by phone to learn more!

03/04/2023

Sharing this to all our social media to help this little guy from our friends at The Good Life Dog Rescue. Adoptable and waiting to begin his best life! If you adopt thin Instinct Dog Behavior & Training Northern NJ. Will offer three free in home (if in our area) or virtual lessons to help this sweet boy acclimate! Having had, fostered and trained blind dogs, know that they live quite large and fun lives with their humans

We’ve all seen the tv shows, the tearjerking viral videos. Adopter sees dog — whether in a simple photograph or in real life — and they instantly “know.” It’s love at first sight. Cue the music. 🎻

But what happens when your eyes aren’t normal? When the vision and eye contact that creates that feeling isn’t possible? When everyone assumes that you’re broken but you’re just happy being you?

P’nut is blind. And sure, maybe his eyes look like he’s wearing white eye contacts from a zombie Halloween costume and he can stare right through your soul (and steal it?). We don’t care, and he certainly doesn’t, so why does the world care so much? 🤷‍♀️

To us, he’s a dog with a heart of gold and special superpowers to parkour through his dark little world without missing a beat. He plays, he pounces, he walks, he jumps, he burrows, he cuddles and he LOVES with the best of them, blind or not. And we think it’s about time someone loves him as much as we do!

Can you help P’nut finally find his family? His biggest wish is to trade the hubbub of NYC for the chill suburban life. 🏡

Let’s turn these baseless stereotypes into positive HYPE!

📣share this post
🥜tell all your friends and fam about him
📧email [email protected]
🖥️apply at www.thegldr.org to foster or adopt
❤️open your heart and give him a chance!

02/17/2023

We have some VERY exciting news!

Starting March 1st, Instinct will be hosting ongoing free, live dog training & behavior seminars, including:

Puppy Parenting Roadmap, for caretakers of puppies ages 8-20 weeks, to be held the 2nd Wednesday of every month.

Rescue Dog Roadmap, for caretakers of recently adopted (or soon-to-be adopted) rescue dogs, to be held the 4th Wednesday or every month.

Hosted via Zoom, seminars will include a live presentation followed by a Q&A session. They are open to EVERYONE - dog owners, walkers, pet sitters, trainers, veterinary staff, shelter & rescue workers & volunteers, breeders, and of course - our Instinct clients!

Get kind, practical, step-by-step guidance & support from some of our most experienced certified trainers & behavior consultants at Instinct locations across the country.

Register today at www.instinctdogtraining.com/seminars

Know someone who could benefit from this resource? Tag them in the comments! We can’t wait to see you there.

01/30/2023

Today, we are dispelling some of the most common myths surrounding separation anxiety. Here at Instinct, we are lucky enough to have a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer on staff, Amber Byleckie. Amber's unique training allows her the ability to create individualized programs for each pup. Please send us any questions you may have, we are here to help!

12/22/2022

🎉We're ringing in the New Year at Instinct Englewood with a 🎉

One lucky dog lover will win a gift basket worth over $500!!! It's filled with toys, snacks, and even a gift certificate that can be used towards training sessions and training camps at our Englewood, New Jersey location!

The contest is running on Instagram from now until midnight on December 31st, 2022. The winner will be picked New Year's Day 2023, contacted about their basket, and announced on our page!

To enter, and for official rules, head over to our Instagram page: .

🐕Good luck!🐶

11/17/2022

SUN'S OUT, TONGUES OUT ft. Flash, Monti, Beau, George, Jinx, Harlow, Gunner, Indigo, Phoenix, Sadie, Humphrey, Cali & Sadie!

11/12/2022

We are loving our labradors at puppy play today! Puppy Nori comes to socialize while she learns to be a service dog, puppy camper Rodger (here to socialize and learn to play politely) and our super wonderful helper dog Flash! The cuteness is real for sure. Remember our FREE puppy play happens on alternate Saturdays or Sundays and the occasional Wednesday nights!

08/07/2022

Meet puppy camper Dijon! Keeping cool at camp where he’s getting lots of socializing, play, and manners training! We are delighted to welcome him with his alumni parents - stay cool!