: About Me

I am a Dog Trainer and Behaviorist relocated in Saratoga Springs, NY from New York City.
I have always had Dogs and animals in my life, but I began a dedicated journey of learning the language of Dogs when I was a Volunteer for a Rescue Group in NYC, A Cause For Paws (www.acauseforpaws.com) It was when I began fostering I realized that many of these dogs required Rehabilitation, a complicated and subtle path which demanded much more than providing food, shelter and love. That before I could even begin to teach them some Basic Obedience Skills and help them become more adoptable, I had to first help them regain their trust in humans again. In order to achieve this, I had to figure out who they were and how they viewed our world, from their perspective, not mine. And that before I could teach these Dogs anything, they had to learn how to simply be Dogs again.

So feeling the responsibility that these Dogs depended on me to help them find a happier future, I felt obligated to apply great effort and go out and find a knowledgable Teacher that could train me as well. It was my great fortune that I began my apprenticeship with one of NYC's top trainers, Lydia DesRoche. Lydia was and remains, always on the side of the Dog and all mistakes are yours. It taught me accountability and yet it was thru all of these mistakes that I found myself learning lessons that I could build upon. Lydia holds high standards and demands excellence. I had wanted the best to teach me and that is what she expected back from me as well. I remained beneath her guidance and tutelage for many years, refining my handling skills, trailing her around while she did volunteer temperament tests at the CACC and ASPCA, enrolling in as many classes as I could find the time for and reading as much as my eyes and brain could absorb and ingest. I enrolled Dogs in Agility Programs that taught me new techniques of handling. I volunteered to take Foster Dogs to their Veterinarian visits and I learned to listen & ask questions, furthering my knowledge of the physical elements of a Dog. I worked with as many Breeds and Behavioral Issues that I could find as each offered a new and different challenge. I began to understand qualities of Breed specific and more importantly, the commonality amongst all Dogs. It was an arduous yet joyful journey that continues as I write.
Through noticing my own mistakes with the many Foster Dogs and those that found a permanent residence at my home, I realized that these Dogs were not bad dogs or problem dogs but that they had more likely been failed by their humans, not the other way around. And these humans weren't necessarily terrible people either, but perhaps they had not received the information, education or a skilled Teacher to guide them through the process of establishing a communicative and harmonious relationship with one another. They were simply two beings speaking an entirely different language and it all fell apart.
So equal to Training a Dog in Basic Obedience and helping them develop good Doggy Manners is my dedicated focus on the other half of the relationship, the human. To provide information that helps them understand Dogs on a deeper level. To teach them how to establish genuine communications with their Dogs that encourage a loving and harmonious relationship. I want to be an educated Resource for my Client's that remains beyond our initial Training Sessions.
It is a great honor to be in service to Dogs. My sense of obligation to help each and every one narrow the communication gap between Dog & Human is a driving force behind all of the work that I do.
I am grateful to all of the Dogs that have so forgivingly and patiently taught me the world they speak. It is with gratitude that I am willing to share all that they have taught me. As the presence of Dogs in my life has been so enriching (I've been introduced to some of my best friends thru Dogs)I feel a deep sense of obligation to speak to humans on their behalf and return all that they have so generously given me.
I also am grateful to Helium.com for providing a vehicle where I can share this information and hopefully thru my essays, provide helpful guidelines or insights that may help give the reader a deeper understanding of the most loyal and Best Friend relationship they will ever have.

Pets & Animals > Dog Training How to help a timid rescue dog

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Rescue dogs tend to be timid in one way or another. Most have recently experienced an upheaval in their environments which can make a dog proceed in a cautious manner and rightly so! Many, but not all, have had some form of abuse that can also make a dog feel out of balance and act timid. As a Dog Trainer and a former Foster Volunteer with a NYC Rescue Group, I have had a wide array of Dogs who have come into my home helping them make the transition and make them more "adoptable" to their new family. I begin my Rehabilitation Program with some very dedicated & disciplined approaches wh...

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