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Psychiatric Service Dog Training
Teaching Your Dog to Respond to Distress Signals
I can teach your dog to perform tasks that help mitigate your stressful moments/anxiety attacks. Together we determine which behaviors your dog should be prompted to perform when you need to be calmed or reminded to take medication or lie down and/or call your healthcare provider…whatever the need might be.
I assess your dog’s knowledge base and building on that, deciding on a protocol while setting specific goals, jump starting needed behaviors and explaining how to practice those new skills with you.
Recently there have been some important changes in the rules and regulations that allow you to travel with your dog by air.
YOUR SERVICE DOG IN PUBLIC:
In order to fulfill the airlines’ and Department of Transportation’s (DOT) requirements your dog must be deemed safe and well behaved. No matter what job your service dog performs for you, traveling requires a behavior skill set that your dog might not really have. I can help your dog acquire those skills so you can be sure that you are both confident and stress-free when you travel.
I will work with you and guide you until I feel comfortable attesting to the fact that your dog indeed can travel with you and can reliably behave in public. I will then provide you with a letter confirming that.
Please note, in order to qualify as a Psychiatric Service Dog your dog needs to be prescribed by a mental health professional, regardless of how well trained they might be.
This service does not include seeing eye dog/guide dog training or protection dog training.
Other requirements prior to training:
Fully House Trained
Able to settle on the floor next to you even with major distractions
This Consultation is an evaluation of your dog’s current skill set for public access and for the actual service provided by the dog. Providing a plan to refine those skills and prepare the dog to perform as a service dog in private and public.
No matter what job your service dog performs for you, traveling requires a behavior skill set that your dog might not really have. I can help your dog acquire those skills so you can be sure that you are both confident and stress-free when you travel.
I will help you train your dog until I feel comfortable attesting to the fact that your dog can travel with you and can reliably behave in public.
Your dog needs to be:
Fully House Trained
Able to settle on the floor next to you even with major distractions
Show no aggression towards other dogs or humans
No jumping up on strangers
No barking
No begging for food
Please note: In order to qualify as a Psychiatric Service Dog your dog needs to be prescribed by a mental health professional, regardless of how well trained they might be. I can only fulfill the airlines’ and Department of Transportation’s (DOT) requirement that the dog is safe in public and well-behaved.
Service Dog Initial Consultation
This Consultation is an evaluation of your dog’s current skill set for public access and for the actual service provided by the dog. Providing a plan to refine those skills and prepare the dog to perform as a service dog in private and public.
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.
Not sure what service would be the best fit for you? Take this easy fast quiz to tell you the perfect service to book.
My Services
Wellness + Enrichment
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 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!
Mark Goldsmith
I have been meaning to write this for a long time. Elisabeth is terrific! I met Elisabeth when I needed…
I have been meaning to write this for a long time.
Elisabeth is terrific! I met Elisabeth when I needed help with my older dog Easter. Since puppyhood, Easter was an anxious dog who was afraid to walk the streets. Loud noises such as truck and car horns scared her and the sounds and flashing lights of emergency vehicles would send her into a panic.
Before Easter began working with Elisabeth she and I had worked with at least two other trainers with mixed results. After a few weeks working with Elisabeth, Easter was a changed dog. She began to look forward to walks and even found the courage to join in the fun at the local dog run.
Today, Easter and I enjoy walks every day.
Now that Easter is comfortable with her daily walks, I plan to contact Elisabeth for some advanced training so that Easter can be the best that she can be.
Easter says: Woof ! Woof ! (Thanks Elisabeth)
Liz Eastman
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
We had gone through several trainers with our standard poodle Annie. We got Annie at four months and she was…
We had gone through several trainers with our standard poodle Annie. We got Annie at four months and she was already fearful ,aggressive and barking non stop. Elisabeth came to the rescue with her patience, humor and dog whispering talents. I highly recommend her. Your dog and neighbors will thank you.
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
Hi Elisabeth! Simba is doing great! I love the change – he got more calm since I switched his food…
Hi Elisabeth!
Simba is doing great!
I love the change – he got more calm since I switched his food and treats, and he loves his crate now as well.
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
Working with Elisabeth is the best decision I’ve made to help transition into life with a new puppy. She is…
Working with Elisabeth is the best decision I’ve made to help transition into life with a new puppy. She is incredibly helpful, responsive, and made an impact in my puppy’s behavior immediately. Elisabeth has been an incredible support as I’ve managed being a brand new dog-mom–I don’t know what I would do without her! Cannot recommend her enough for new puppy parents or any dog owners alike.
Kendra Huffman
I’m so glad to be asked to write a testimonial because I want to tell everyone how great Elisabeth Weiss…
I’m so glad to be asked to write a testimonial because I want to tell everyone how great Elisabeth Weiss is with dogs and people! Animal behavior is my field of interest. I’m a marine biologist working with reef and estuarine ecosystems. I specialize in fish professionally, but dogs are my main hobby. I’ve read maybe 20 books on dog behavior and watched hundreds of hours of video footage on dogs.
Over the last ten years I’ve worked with I think four trainers and a dog psychologist, but didn’t keep it up past a few hours with any of them because I didn’t really like how it was going. Elisabeth Weiss is different from other trainers. Her background is different and I think her methods are more highly advanced and refined. People say “Oh, Your dog is so smart!!”, but I tell them it isn’t my dog, it’s my trainer. I think Elisabeth could train any dog.
I love to watch Elisabeth work with my dog too, because it’s a joyful and happy and funny experience. That’s different from the other trainers too, who made me feel anxious.
My dog Bebo now has 34 tricks or behaviors he can do, some of which can be seen on this website. Thank you, Elisabeth.
Cathy Drew
All we can say about Elisabeth is that she saved us! What a professional!! We brought home two 12-week old…
All we can say about Elisabeth is that she saved us! What a professional!!
We brought home two 12-week old puppies from the North Shore Animal League in May and although we were excited and loved them immediately, there was a lot of reorganizing to do around the house. First and foremost was to start having the pups house trained .
Of course, we didn’t think about this BEFORE we brought the puppies home. We were so excited because they were so cute and cuddly that getting them home was all we cared about. Then reality set in! Big time! Elisabeth came so highly recommended from a woman that we met while sitting in the waiting room of our veterenarian’s office that we called her immediately when we arrived back home.
The beauty of this story is that Elisabeth came to our rescue THAT SAME DAY! When I called her, she asked me a bunch
of questions about what was happening and she gave very helpful advice over the phone so that we could get through the night without barking puppies! We were hooked on Elisabeth from that moment on because she showed us immediately that she cared. She cared and she knew exactly what she was talking about.
That was almost four months ago and today, our puppies are incredibly well-behaved and learning more and more everyday. They are approaching seven months old and we can not believe the difference in them in such a short amount of time. The joy they bring is incredible anyway but imagine the joy they bring when there is zero chaos? We are having the time of our lives with them and we would not be in this position if it were not for Elisabeth’s incredible knowledge and talent with animals. The puppies absolutely adore her and it just makes us smile. We are confident they are getting the best of care and for us, that makes all the difference.
We highly highly highly recommend Elisabeth and would be happy to talk to anyone looking for a
referral. There is no one better!
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…