Upper Pups

09/09/2023

Xena is a rockstar!!!

26/08/2023

Hi world, I’m Xena! My parents adopted me at 12 weeks old and wanted to start training right away. I’m doing amazing with potty and crate training already. I’ve already learned sit, down and touch. I have a 4 yr old human sister who is very scared of me so we are all working together as a family to make my transition in the home smooth.

24/08/2023

Let’s make sure we get our dogs the outdoor exercise and enrichment they need as the school/busy season approaches. Please email me at [email protected] to chat.

24/08/2023

I am offering this discount to have our 2 legged and 4 legged friends get a smooth transition into the school year. I am also offering dog training walks and dog exercise walks as well. Please reach out for more info. Let’s have a great school year!

24/08/2023

Offering Private, in home, positive based training and overall wellness education for you and your d

18/08/2023

Urgent rescue/placement needed. Steve, the kitty on left is deaf, declawed and full of love. Rosie , the dog is a bundle of love and energy. It is suspected Rosie is around 2yrs old and Steve the kitty is around 4 or 5. They are living in a car currently as their guardian is battling addiction and severe mental illness: I’m just trying to help. They are in Atlantic County, NJ. Pls share long and wide.

15/08/2023

https://soundcloud.com/sandi-766713717/upper-pups-talk-radio-aug-2023?si=94d33d28e4824c81bb38be953e79aff5&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I was lucky to have been on a local radio show this past weekend and wanted to share! I share training, behavior , and ways to prep your pet for back to work/school this Fall.

Listen to Upper Pups Talk Radio Aug 2023 by Sandi on

06/07/2023

My favorite part of working with families is getting photos like this; Here Maggie the dog is working on “chill” with her sister Lauren. Rewarding dogs for settling is such a huge part of what I enjoy teaching. There’s always such a need for “look at what my dog can do.” But can you slow them down ? Learning to settle on cue can be magical.

24/06/2023

Hi friends! These are 8 week old kittens I’ve been fostering. They are ready for their permanent homes. Kid, dog and cat friendly. Maxi: long haired female calico. Sam/ long haired black/white male. Bailey aka Bagels: gray tiger female shorthair. Miss Chunk: smoky gray shorthair female. The shelter is overwhelmed so I’m trying to get them seen before sitting in a cage. Please reach out and share! They are fostered through the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter in Vineland. Thank you! They were personally bottle fed and raised by our family.

21/06/2023

‘Tis the season to get ahead of firework/storm season! Fear is no fun for anyone.

21/06/2023

Sharing to help our pups get through the fireworks/storm season. Being prepared is everything!

21/06/2023

21/06/2023

Time to prep your pup for some fireworks!!

31/05/2023

Rewarding a dog for relaxation can be a long lasting behavior to work on but once the dog connects the dots, it can be a beautiful thing. This is 2 yr old Tazz and he is very excitable and quite goofy. We spent the entire session basically waiting for him to express some signs of relaxing. If worked on for a few minutes daily, getting a dog to “chill” on cue can be amazing. Many times we spent so much time teaching our dogs to do things and not reward them for something we look forward to, and that’s down time. Am I right?

24/05/2023

I implemented a collar hold for Harbor because he likes to play chase when it's time to go into the crate. If dogs are comfortable with a collar hold in training, the chase can dissipate and go more smoothly. Since Mom is retired, Harbor doesn't get to be alone for long stretches of time and is quite attached to Mom. Having him stay from a distance is such an accomplishment. Go Team Harbor!!!

15/05/2023

Hi world, I’m Tazz!! I need some help with Sandi because I’m a bit much with my excitement and size. I heard she had rescued St Bernard’s before so I think she can handle me. I really want to be the best boy but I just don’t realize how big I am.

05/05/2023

Back to School Special!

For the month of September, I will be offering $20 off all consultations. I am hoping for a smooth transition for all families, 2 legged and 4, at the start of the school season.

I'm also adding in walks for more local clients in Upper Township and lower Atlantic County for when you can't get your dog out.
I know we all get busy sometimes so I thought by adding walking, I can help clients be a little less stressed when they are at work, or when they are home! Exercise if sooo important for seeking more calm behaviors in the home.

Offering Private, in home, positive based training and overall wellness education for you and your d

02/05/2023

Hi Upper Pups friends! I’m Harbor and I’m going to be trained to be the best companion I can be for my mom! I can’t wait to learn new behaviors!

27/04/2023

Take your kid to work day!!! 9 yr old Charley walked the dogs with me and did some agility in the backyard. So great to have kids participate in this as it helps their bond with your animals. Go Chuck!

19/04/2023

Good news Upper Pups friends! I’m back to start training as of next week. I had my 3 week post op check up today and got cleared. I have another 2 weeks before I can walk my own dogs and lift but I can help you with your doggies! I just can’t have them jump on me for another 2 weeks to avoid a possible hernia. Yay!!

17/03/2023

Hi world, I’m Figgy and aren’t I the cutest rescue ever?? I love people, animals, children and life in general. I’m so happy I was saved by the most wonderful family and I love to learn. Aren’t my ears fabulous?

03/03/2023

Hi Upper Pups friends. I just wanted to let you know starting 3/27, I will be pausing training as I will be having surgery and will need 4-6 weeks to recover. I apologize for any inconvenience and I hope to be back better than ever before!

23/02/2023

Here is rescue girl Maggie learning to leave it. It isn’t the easiest to teach a beagle to leave food but she did great and will only get better with training. Here are the beginning stages and the next step would be placing the treat on the floor but slow and steady wins it with this cue. Go Maggie!

21/02/2023

Hi world, I’m Mr Lincoln. I’m a newbie with Upper Pups and re learning how to live with my mom. She got me right when Covid hit so my socialization was limited. I’m a little guy with a big personality and I can’t wait to learn more. Did you know Poodles are the smartest of the dog world? Not to toot my own horn but I’ve already learned so much in just 2 sessions. Go team!

17/02/2023

Meet Mr Cooper. No I wasn’t supposed to work with him today but his sister just wasn’t into training today. As you can tell, Cooper doesn’t like to stay still so we worked super hard on the “stay” cue today and Mom did amazing; she is super patient, doesn’t yell, and is everything a dog mom should be.

16/02/2023

Meet newest rescue Maggie!! She is so willing to please and snuggle. It’s amazing to see a stray that was overbred just relax into a home and love everyone around her. What a gem!

19/01/2023

Hi friends! We are Pepsi and Georgia! I’m Georgia on the right and have developed some behavioral issues my family wants to work on. I’m hoping to get better with Miss Sandis help and hopefully show my progress here. Yay for happy training!

01/01/2023

Happy New Year Upper Pups friends! I’ve been saving these goodies for New Year clients. A treat pouch, water bowl, and collar night light if you sign up for training with me. Yay!

16/12/2022

I wanted to share a blog I just posted on the website:

When should I start training my dog?
Dec 16
Written By Sandi Vesay

I usually get a lot of inquiries this time of year and some follow up and some decide to wait on training. I wanted to write this blog in hopes that some people who are deciding to get a dog, think long and hard about it beforehand.

Firstly, potty and crate training seem to be the headache of most new dog parents; It’s 100% acceptable to get frustrated but just realize it is not the fault of the dog; They do not have the maturity to figure this out on their own especially if they’ve never been taught where to relieve themselves. On a personal note, my own was 17 weeks old when she made the connection to go to the back door to tell me she had to potty; It wasn’t until a full 5/5 months when she was fully potty trained.

If you’ve rescued a dog, the process can take longer say you had an island rescue who only pottied whenever and wherever. Or if you’ve rescued a dog that was kept in a crate 24/7: the chances of using a crate to help with potty training may be difficult because there is a fear component now with being crated day in and day out.

I’ve worked with clients whos’ pups were as young as 6 weeks and I tell him to just focus on loving and touching until about 8 weeks of age; Maturity and comprehending are everything and at 6 weeks, it is a touch too young to get solid training in.

At 8-10 weeks, I would jump right in with the basics such as potty/crate along with basic cues such as name/sit and down. This sets up a nice foundation and connection to you and your fur baby.

I can’t stress enough how it’s usually a fault in our system if the puppy isn’t picking up potty training and we label them “stubborn.” Name calling doesn’t really help the situation and it makes us settle into the frustration a bit more which we don’t want.

So think of training also being potty training…They need to learn this skill and that after pottying, is playtime. After eating /drinking is potty time . After a play session, that’s an immediate potty session. So we have to not wait for our dogs to tell us but to get ahead and know when they’ll need to potty before it happens.

We’ve got this!