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Psychiatric Service Dog Training
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
We can only say wonderful things about Elisabeth. We got Sydney, an 8 week old Weimaraner puppy, and didn’t have…
We can only say wonderful things about Elisabeth. We got Sydney, an 8 week old Weimaraner puppy, and didn’t have any of the proper training tools in our pockets. Sydney lived in a rule free house until he was 8 months old. Although we loved him very much, we were getting frustrated with his inability to settle down in the house. We were considering various training methods when a fellow Weimaraner owner referred us to Elisabeth. All we can say is what a blessing! Immediately upon meeting Elisabeth we knew she was the right trainer for us. Her methods are loving and gentle while producing the desired result–a well trained companion! Sydney immediately loved her and responded to her techniques after the first session. He now lives in a home with rules that requires him to use his mind and enables him to settle while in the house. We have been working with Elisabeth for a few months and Sydney is a different dog! He still has his loving, gentle, funny personality while being able to listen and respond to commands. As Sydney continues to work with Elisabeth every week he continues to come leaps and bounds from the rule free puppy he once was.
Michelle Pironti and Dan Geller
Simba is doing great! I love the change – he got more calm since I switched his food and treats,…
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
Anastasija Kondratjeva
Hi Elisabeth, after you left today, I took Chi-chi for a walk. She peacefully walked past at least 5 dogs…
Hi Elisabeth, after you left today, I took Chi-chi for a walk. She peacefully walked past at least 5 dogs on the street!!!! Thank you God and Elisabeth! !!!Will contact you soon for another session. We had a great day today. She’s smiling!!!! Me too. Thanks for helping to make this day possible.
Thanks for everything.
Carol Labarbera
My ex-wife and I have a now 11 year-old Border Collie named Oreo. In late September, 2013 she completely tore…
My ex-wife and I have a now 11 year-old Border Collie named Oreo. In late September, 2013 she completely tore her ACL and partially tore the medial meniscus on her left hind leg. Needless to say, we were besides ourselves. She had surgery the next day, and did well in the post-op period. One thing the vet made clear from the beginning was the importance of good physical therapy and rehab starting a few weeks post-op. We did some research, and ended up with two referrals: the physical therapist in the animal hospital, and Elisabeth Weiss of DogRelations. We had Oreo see both, to figure out which one we liked better. Elisabeth started off with a comprehensive evaluation of Oreo and her needs from a very holistic approach. She gave recommendations about Oreo’s feeding and her weight, her general behavior, and her rehab plans. After a few sessions with Elisabeth, we dropped the other PT like a hot potato. What can I say about Elisabeth? She’s phenomenal! She has a great rapport with our dog and is constantly giving Oreo praise and TLC. Oreo responded to her right from the get-go. Over the past three months, Oreo is a changed dog! She’s running around, dancing sideways and is clearly more agile now then she was before the injury. Elisabeth has gone from focusing primarily on the injury, to working on Oreo’s arthritis and even working on some of her “bad” behaviors. Oreo loves to see Elisabeth and is always exhausted after her workouts. Quite simply, Elisabeth is great. You can tell that she truly loves dogs, and is working with a great deal of knowledge in the field. Parenthetically, she’s extremely professional, reliable, and trustworthy. Thanks, Elisabeth for everything that you’ve done for Oreo!!
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
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!
Janet Wilkinson and Susan Lefevre
My ex-wife and I have a now 11 year-old Border Collie named Oreo. In late September, 2013 she completely tore…
My ex-wife and I have a now 11 year-old Border Collie named Oreo. In late September, 2013 she completely tore her ACL and partially tore the medial meniscus on her left hind leg. Needless to say, we were besides ourselves. She had surgery the next day, and did well in the post-op period. One thing the vet made clear from the beginning was the importance of good physical therapy and rehab starting a few weeks post-op. We did some research, and ended up with two referrals: the physical therapist in the animal hospital, and Elisabeth Weiss of DogRelations. We had Oreo see both, to figure out which one we liked better. Elisabeth started off with a comprehensive evaluation of Oreo and her needs from a very holistic approach. She gave recommendations about Oreo’s feeding and her weight, her general behavior, and her rehab plans. After a few sessions with Elisabeth, we dropped the other PT like a hot potato. What can I say about Elisabeth? She’s phenomenal! She has a great rapport with our dog and is constantly giving Oreo praise and TLC. Oreo responded to her right from the get-go. Over the past three months, Oreo is a changed dog! She’s running around, dancing sideways and is clearly more agile now then she was before the injury. Elisabeth has gone from focusing primarily on the injury, to working on Oreo’s arthritis and even working on some of her “bad” behaviors. Oreo loves to see Elisabeth and is always exhausted after her workouts. Quite simply, Elisabeth is great. You can tell that she truly loves dogs, and is working with a great deal of knowledge in the field. Parenthetically, she’s extremely professional, reliable, and trustworthy. Thanks, Elisabeth for everything that you’ve done for Oreo!!
Ramon Solhkhah
M.D.
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
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.
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 them…
Challenging Size Stereotypes: The Importance of Training Small DogsDogs’ 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 that…
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 I do?”…
Reward PlacementI 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 TimingHere is a good example: The other day I…
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 them…
Common Puppy Behavior ChallengesI 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 SkillsI will then ask a couple of questions along the lines of: Have you taught…
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 jump…
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 of dependency,…
**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.
