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Wellness + Enrichment
Health Is an important factor driving behavior
Mental and physical well-being are strongly connected. My primary objective is to design a program that suits your dog and ensures that you and your dog can spend as many fun-filled and healthy years together as possible. Good health and even-keeled behavior, proper nutrition and plenty of mental stimulation go hand-in-hand to forge a mutually satisfying and joyful relationship!
Private, in-home body conditioning services are beneficial to all dogs but are especially important for dogs who are predisposed to injury due to congenitally unstable joints, sports injuries, arthritis and cognitive degeneration.
WE PROVIDE CAREFULLY TAILORED PRIVATE, IN-HOME SERVICES IN NEW YORK CITY FOR:
• Post surgery and post injury
• Sports conditioning for working dogs
• Body conditioning for senior dogs, dogs with arthritis
• Occupational Therapy /Mental stimulation for chronically ill and senior dogs
• Body awareness /training for overweight dogs
• Dogs with orthopedic issues (ie: weak knee caps, hip dysplasia)
Results Include:
• Improved reaction and control
• Increased core strength
• Stabilization of weak areas
• Improved balance and proprioception (awareness of the body’s position in space)
• Increased range of motion in joints & elongation of the muscles
• Improved sensory & body awareness
• Preventing sports-related injuries
• Improved cognitive awareness and decreased depression
There are so many reasons why increased body awareness can prevent injuries and provide excellent stimulation for dogs of any age. Post injury/post surgery dogs recover better and more completely given an intelligent exercise program. Dogs with arthritis can experience improved range of motion and flexibility through gentle stretching, massage, as well as core stabilizing exercises. Senior dogs love to play mentally stimulating and endorphin-producing games that help prevent ‘doggie Alzheimer’s’ and depression.
Contact me and let me help give your dog a healthier, higher quality of life!
In New York City, a lot of dogs are latchkey dogs who get minimal exercise while you are at work all day. An alarming number of our dogs are overweight because they have access to food, treats and high calorie biscuits and bones all day long. Carrying around too much weight increases stress on the tendons, ligaments and the tissue surrounding the joints thus increasing the risk for cruciate ligament rupture, hip dysplasia, disc disease and soft tissue injuries of all kinds.
Without question, the best way to combat obesity and restore health is to combine diet change with increased exercise.
At DogRelations NYC, we design a balanced, highly nutritious diet, as well as a sensible and safe exercise program for your dog that allows them to gain healthy, lean muscle tissue while losing fat. Our exercise program includes interval training with your dog to gradually build up endurance and strength for a healthy cardiovascular system, mentally stimulating games to shift the dog’s focus away from food, and core exercises to strengthen joints, increase motion and maintain an injury-free, more active lifestyle!
Give us a call and let’s get your dog back to a healthy weight so they can have maximum quality of life and increased longevity!
We believe that it all starts with food that is free of chemicals, preservatives or cheap and overly-processed ingredients. In other words: dogs as living beings need real food as opposed to extruded pellets that masquerade in a cute package as “dog food”. When it comes to health, we believe that puppies and dogs deserve nothing but the best. We like our clients’ pups to beam with health, shiny coats and a very healthy weight on the lean side.
At DogRelations we have done all the work for you. So if you want to give your dog well-balanced, complete and delicious food choices, contact us and we will design a great menu including treats, snacks and proper portioning for you.
Let us guide you to finding the best and freshest food choices for your puppy or dog to assure they get the best chance to live a very long and healthy life!
Is your dog overweight? A picky eater? Unmotivated? Did you notice your dog has trouble getting up, or is slow sitting down? Does your dog lack exercise? Is the coat not healthy and shiny?
During the Comprehensive Wellness Consultation, we address all of those issues and motivate your dog to eat with gusto. We do fun enrichment walks and use some of your household equipment to build great obstacle courses inside your home or create puzzles for your dog to solve. They will learn useful tricks to turn them into a “helper” dog!
All of the above will be fun for both humans and dogs. It will enhance your relationship and greatly enhance the quality of life for your mixed-species household.
Initial Wellness Consultation
The Initial Wellness Consultations provides an in-depth assessment of your dog's overall health and well-being with the goal to help your companion lead a longer and healthier life by preventing or improving physical imbalances and implementing a tailored wellness and nutrition plan.
Not sure what service would be the best fit for you? Take this easy fast quiz to tell you the perfect service to book.
SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO ASK A QUICK QUESTION
If you need support after your 1 month of support that is included in any Comprehensive Consultations, our online check-ins are the perfect solution to ask simple questions and get answers and feedback.
Rather than waiting until your next lesson, book a 15-minute or 30-minute check-in session.
Mental and physical well-being are strongly connected. My primary objective is to design a program that suits your dog and ensures that you and your dog can spend as many fun-filled and healthy years together as possible.
Designed to provide maximum support and guidance for first-time dog guardians and/or to address behavior problems such as excessive barking, separation anxiety, resource guarding, adult house soiling or a variety of fear and fear aggression issues.
I can teach your dog to perform tasks that help mitigate your stressful or anxious moments. Together we determine which behaviors your dog should be trained to recognize and then perform these tasks.
The focus for this training is on reinforcing house training, establishing polite manners and building confidence in your puppy while educating guardians in the practical application of positive reinforcement
How to Adopt a Dog from a Humane Society or Animal Shelter
How to Desensitize Your Dog
How to Create a Private Space for Your Dog
How to Bond With Your Dog
How to Socialize Your Dog
Online
Boutique
The carefully thought out and well-proportioned design of the Haqihana harness guarantees maximum comfort in all situations. Any kind of pressure would be safely distributed onto the dog’s sternum and thorax only, even when the dog is pulling, jerking or being restrained. The harness therefore never causes pain or skin chafing. If properly used in combination with the longer leash the dog feels free of restriction and allows the dog to move naturally. The two buckles on the dog’s back make putting on and removing the harness easy for both the dog and the handler.
Dog Relations advocates science-based and force-free learning opportunities and experiences. Learn how to teach your dog basic skills in a fun and rewarding way!
Elisabeth was fantastic with Isis, our Havanese. Despite our best efforts Isis had been doing her business all over the…
Elisabeth was fantastic with Isis, our Havanese. Despite our best efforts Isis had been doing her business all over the house and was not good at listening. Elisabeth was able to train her in a couple of sessions to listen and do her business in the right places. Elisabeth engaged Isis with interactive tasks which she found challenging and fun. Having Elisabeth come to train Isis was the highlight of her week. Isis was connected and engaged with Elisabeth at all times. I would recommend Elisabeth to any dog guardian. Her loving care and her practical advice have been invaluable to me.
Jeanette Rosen
I cannot thank Elisabeth more…the change in our dogs has been miraculous! We have a 5 year old Papillon and…
I cannot thank Elisabeth more…the change in our dogs has been miraculous!
We have a 5 year old Papillon and recently adopted a 1 year old Papillon. Our older dog Henry always had serious behavioral concerns yet we somehow learned to “live” with them. With the addition of our new dog Mochi, Henry’s problems somehow became magnified. To add insult to injury, Mochi was exhibiting fear aggression issues that needed to be addressed immediately.
Elisabeth was recommended to us and we could not be any happier. Her patient and gentle approach with our dogs has helped transform them into much happier and well adjusted dogs. She partnered with us and gave us weekly exercises that we could practice with both dogs – we saw change in them immediately. Her training methods are logical and results oriented. As novices, we learned how to use a clicker, ignore undesirable behavior and reinforce the right behaviors.
Henry’s incessant barking is so much less. Mochi now allows strangers to pet her and has virtually stopped growling. We were so worried for so long and can now breathe a sigh of relief.
In addition, Elisabeth is always available via text or phone or email should you need a quick fix. She encourages the owner to reach out and ask questions and provide updates on how the dogs are doing. Elisabeth always responds quickly and provides a solution.
Our little “imperfect Paps” have a long way to go on the road to becoming model dogs. We feel so lucky to have found DogRelations and know we have a true partner in Elisabeth on this journey.
We ADORE Elisabeth and so do Mochi & Henry!
Holly and Eric Grannan
Dear Elisabeth, David and I read your wonderful and enlightening letter. We cannot thank you enough for taking the time…
Dear Elisabeth,
David and I read your wonderful and enlightening letter. We cannot thank you enough for taking the time to care and relate your experience and wisdom to our problem.
When you said “Fear Aggression” the biggest lightbulb went off. We always thought that Zeus was over protective of David, but I think you absolutely have nailed it. Now we have an entirely different perspective.
We also are thankful for you excellent description of Schutzhund training and why that would not be a good option for Zeus. And most of all in one simple sentence, you have explained to us the importance of the positive reinforcement training. When you said that it is much better to do something because you want to do it, than worrying about some terrible thing happening if you don’t, again the sky actually parted for us. I never knew that was the reason for that kind of training. When we worked with the folks at Santa Fe Tails previously, no one ever said that. We just thought it was a newer, more modern way to train dogs. And we worried that they gave far too many treats. And finally your wonderful explanation of deferential behavior gives us such hope for Zeus’s future. I could not bear the thought of living a life of constant fear about him and for him and you actually have lifted a terrible and ominous weight off of the situation. Our only challenge now, is can these folks train us to understand and work in this way with Zeus?
Could I ask you to recommend a book or DVD that would be appropriate for us to learn to work with Zeus in this manner?
I am ever grateful to Freddie and Myrna for discussing our problem with you and I am ever grateful to you for your amazing expertise and for being so generous in sharing this with us.
Warm regards,
Roberta Remy and David Shields
Roberta Remy and David Shields
The turn around has been amazing! This is a message from our walker… “Okay, who is this new dog I’m…
The turn around has been amazing!
This is a message from our walker…
“Okay, who is this new dog I’m walking, and what have you done with Maddie? She is a whole different girl!”
This is just after the initial consultation!
Sara and Jonathan Carter
Elisabeth Weiss is a gifted trainer and a true animal lover. When I adopted my adorable and lovable cock-a-poo from…
Elisabeth Weiss is a gifted trainer and a true animal lover. When I adopted my adorable and lovable cock-a-poo from the AC&C he came with a host of challenging behavior issues. Elisabeth has successfully helped me resolve his problems. What I liked most was that she made it easy for me.
The lessons for my dog were so much fun that my smart cat started to participate in the dog’s lessons. I then asked Elisabeth to set aside some time to train the cat as well!
Both dog and cat training have been huge successes! We all look forward to their lessons every week!
Eileen Robert
I am not certain it is possible to have a puppy without Elisabeth! To me Elisabeth does what no other…
I am not certain it is possible to have a puppy without Elisabeth! To me Elisabeth does what no other trainer can (or is willing to commit to) and takes customer service to an entirely new level. I secretly think she has Petzi and Cosi trained to answer emails – it’s the only explanation. She has become such a support system providing me with endless skills, knowledge and tranquility through all the magical little “puppy crisis” moments along the way. To Madison, she is playtime!
Having grown up in a house surrounded by horses and dogs I was reluctant to get a trainer, as I clearly knew what I was doing.
Think again! Madison was a far cry from the “I’ll do anything for you” labs I grew up with. She was a pint-sized ball of nervous fun with so much enthusiasm that needed directing. From the day we first met Elisabeth I knew this would be the best thing I could do for myself, and my dog.
Before Elisabeth I was worried I would be evicted because my little Pomeranian screamed and barked as soon as I walked out of her line of sight. After 2 sessions and a couple emailed instructions Madison learned that sitting, not screaming, gets her everything she desires.
It is amazing to watch Elisabeth interact with Madison because you can see how she listens to the dog and tailors the training to them.
In the beginning of our training when Madison was literally bouncing off her, she used that energy and made her focus on tricks that played to Madison’s innate ability to spin around. Once trust was gained she progressed to more “serious” games and now I can proudly say that my pup will sit still whenever she needs to; something I know would not have happened without Elisabeth.
Maddie and I are so grateful a Google search placed her in our lives and can’t imagine life without her!
John Doe
What I love about Elisabeth is that she looks at the companion animal as a whole being!! She considers how…
What I love about Elisabeth is that she looks at the companion animal as a whole being!! She considers how and what the dog is being fed, the lifestyle and all established habits in the relationship between the client and the dog. Then she starts.
Elisabeth is quite focused. I can truly say that she understands the dogs’ needs and the reasons for their behavioral issues. She makes it easy for the humans to see the roots of the difficulties they are experiencing and creates an effective path to improvement in quality of life for all.
Last week my dog’s behavior and my reaction to it prompted me to call a professional trainer. What an amazing…
Last week my dog’s behavior and my reaction to it prompted me to call a professional trainer. What an amazing experience. Elisabeth came to our home and gently guided the three of us through the training process. She was tough and patient through Max’s barking, and showed us how we could be too. The training technique is subtle and I wasn’t sure I’d get it, but one day in and Max is looking to me and his daddy for cues and his anxiety level is way down. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience and outcome. Now it’s up to us to keep up the training, but it’s really a joy.
Andrea Jalickee
Elisabeth gets great results quickly. The lessons are a happy, fun experience for the dog and the rest of the…
Elisabeth gets great results quickly. The lessons are a happy, fun experience for the dog and the rest of the family.
Our dog (Max) is always really delighted to see her and has learned so much in a very short time.
Elisabeth is a fount of information about training and other topics such as diet, health care, grooming and even travel tips.
Jann Wenner
Co-Founder and Publisher of Rolling Stone Magazine and Chairman of Wenner Media
Rolling Stone
Elisabeth came to our home for the standard 90 minute consultation. It was the perfect amount of time. We worked…
Elisabeth came to our home for the standard 90 minute consultation. It was the perfect amount of time. We worked on basic puppy manors and learned the tools needed to teach our little guy many skills. Thanks!
BEING MINDFULI always think that the best way to “train” a puppy is by reinforcing them in time. Of course, that requires us humans to be mindful enough to notice and observe our dogs just as they observe us. So often, I hear people say that their dog has trained…
Challenging Size Stereotypes: The Importance of Training Small Dogs Dogs’ intelligence and prowess are all too often measured by their size. Generally, it is assumed that larger dogs need to be “trained” just because of their sheer size. Sure, a Rottweiler can cause more damage than a chihuahua. But is…
Let’s Say You Have a Persistent Behavior Issue With Your Dog: I hear these complaints worded in such a way a lot… Fill in the blank: “When I want them to ____” “when we say____”, “when they see____”, “when they hear____” “When they are _______they do not _____” “What should…
Reward Placement I talk quite a bit about reward placement and delivery (thrown, rewarding directly to the dog, or on the floor in front of the dog, etc.); but I have not thought about clarifying the aspect of the timing of the reward. Reward Timing Here is a good example: …
BEING MINDFUL I always think that the best way to “train” a puppy is by reinforcing them in time. Of course, that requires us humans to be mindful enough to notice and observe our dogs just as they observe us. So often, I hear people say that their dog has…
Common Puppy Behavior Challenges I often receive inquiries from people who are frustrated with their puppies’ overall behavior. “They don’t listen” “they jump” “they bark” “they pull on the leash” are very common complaints. Teaching Your Puppy Essential Skills I will then ask a couple of questions along the lines…
Recently, I have seen a noticeable rise in the use of prong collars and choke chains on dogs and even tiny puppies. I find this trend deeply concerning and feel compelled to raise awareness about the cruelty of these devices. Consider the perspective of an excited puppy: “I want to…
I am pleased to share some exciting news. I was recently featured in not just one but two articles in NYMag’s renowned column, “The Strategist.” These articles, “10 Best Chew Toys and Treats for Teething Puppies” and “11 Best Dog Harnesses,” have allowed me to share some of my favorite…
All reinforced behaviors will increase in frequency in the future. This includes behaviors the puppy finds reinforcing simply because they work in their favor or they are simply self-reinforcing because they are fun. For the latter great examples are barking and jumping. Barking and jumping very often get the puppy…
Do you remember the story of June, the rescue mini dachshund with the megaesophagus? Yesterday I got a text that June was able to stay alone without any signs of anxiety or barking for a whole hour! It is an excellent example demonstrating that separation anxiety is largely a function…
Spring has sprung, and so have Haqihana’s new harness colors!
Embrace the season of renewal by prioritizing your companion’s comfort, safety, and style by ditching that collar for a Haqihana harness!
To make this season even more special, enjoy an exclusive 50% off any 3M leash when you purchase any harness. Mix, match, and create the perfect ensemble for your pup!
**disclaimers: if ordering a harness in colors: Early Spring, Blossom Blue, or Blossom Pink, they will be preorder only and will have a shipping delay. Discount does not apply to Leather leashes.