Dog Star Academy

08/07/2026

Meet cutie Eggplant!! Eggplant is a high-energy pup who's parents sought me out to help with excitability on walks and greeting guests. An interesting thing about high-energy dogs is people (and even trainers) often assume a dog like this needs more outlets to release the energy. Which can be the case, but often it can also be that the dog is also in a chronic state of alertness/stress; where their nervous system can't relax. Dogs like this have a hard time winding down to a calmer state and so can appear very excitable and full of energy! I can often tell after meeting the dog a couple times what they need and sometimes they need a combo of more exercise & also practicing calm! For Eggplant, given she is 7 and (not typically a high-energy age), I shared with her parents some exercise reccomendations and also some games/exercises on teaching her body how to be calm. Sometimes adding in more exercise for these dogs can backfire and create a more high alert/excitable dog! You often need to try out both options and follow the route that shows the best progress . Her parents were onboard with all of my suggestions and so I'm certain Eggplant will be enjoying life even more than she already is! ❤🐕❤

07/16/2026

06/30/2026

With fireworks season upon us, it can be a very stressful time for pet parents who have animals that have a deep fear of the noise and lights. While some anxiety medication and even behavioral training exercises can help ease an animals fears, it will never completely make it go away. Much like a person who deeply fears snakes will likely never be totally ok with them.

I have found the best thing we can do for our pets is to be home with them when fireworks shows are scheduled near your home. Luckily there are plenty of shows we can go to, so missing one is not a big deal. But it is a HUGE deal for your pets!! Your presence provides the comfort they need to help get them through this scary experience. Will they still have fear.. very likely, but your presence will ease their fears just a bit, and for me thats plenty motivation for me to be home with them. Happy 4th of July!! Stay Safe!!🐾❤

03/17/2026

With Spring right around the corner (Yes!!) I wanted to share some key leash training tips with you. If you've got a puller on your hands, please reach out, I'd love to help you and your pup have more enjoyable walks! It is possible..I promise! 😁 ❤ 🐾

02/27/2026

Looking to volunteer with some adorable pups!! This rescue is amazing I’ve worked with them in the past & right in Monmouth County! 🐾❤️

Happy Friday! Every weekend is a chance to change a life. If you have a few hours to spare, consider volunteering with Castle of Dreams Animal Rescue. Your kindness can give hope to dogs in need and bring joy to our community. Apply today at www.codarnj.com. Together, we can make dreams come true. 🐾💖

02/27/2026

With Spring quickly approaching 🌷 (thinking positively!) I wanted to share some common puppy behaviors with you all. I think it's very important to share the realities of raising a puppy. It is A LOT of work!! I always suggest that families with young children first consider adopting a dog that's 2+ years old because the labor of raising a puppy is huge - especially with young kids! While they are super cute & cuddly they require a lot of commitment, time, and patience. ALL puppies need some training to get them on the right path to adulthood.

If you've just adopted a puppy, want to stop some behaviors your seeing in your young dog or simply need advice on the best dog for you or your family, please reach out!! We can schedule an In Home Session or Consultation Call depending on your needs! 🐾

02/21/2026

Meet soulful Stormy! This sweet Cane Corso had a sad start to life landing in the hands of an abusive breeder. She was used as a breeding mother, likely many times and abused in the process. Many breeders are unfortunately abusive and neglectful to their dogs. Luckily, she landed in rescue and was scooped up by a loving family who is incredibly dedicated to set her on a path to a happy life! She's struggling most with trusting humans again (no surprise!) and so I offered her parents some ways to help her gain trust with people and also build up confidence as I find these things go hand-in-hand with dogs that come from pasts with human trauma. Her parents have already done a tremendous amount of training with her and so she's already made great progress in just 7 months time. With continued work and some added exercises that I shared, she's on a very positive road to trusting humans again.

Sadly I work with many dogs in my training practice that were either used as "breeding dogs" or puppies who came from breeders who have suffered trauma and neglect. I know everyone has an opinion on buying dogs from breeders/shops, but I must share that I see first-hand in my training practice that SO many of these dogs are traumatized and it's heartbreaking. Please consider adopting a dog from a reputable rescue/shelter instead of buying from a breeder/store. It's the more ethical choice in our world today. ❤️‍🩹 🐾

02/19/2026

Free Rabies Clinic - Cats & Dogs

01/21/2026

Meet the adorable duo Chance & Jett!! They are half brothers and now part of a great family! While I am working with their family on puppy basics like House Training, we're also tackling something called Littermate Syndrome. While it's not an actual diagnosis, it has been found to considerably disrupt a puppies' development and create long term behavioral issues that are hard to undo. Puppies that remain with littermates as they grow beyond 8 weeks often become unhealthily dependent on each other which causes things like: inability to bond with humans, guarding, lack of confidence, aggression, and several other tricky behaviors. Luckily, their family is very aware of the risk and so we're proactively working on things like gentle separation and working on their individuality! That's the key to prevent these behaviors. Allowing the dogs to develop into individuals while maintaining a healthy relationship with their sibling. It can be difficult to prevent, but since they are still young and the family is so dedicated on their success, I think they will grow into the sweet individuals they are meant to be!! 💕

01/18/2026

The special story of the sweet dog I fostered in November through Bruno Project USA who are saving dogs everyday from St. Lucia! 🐾 🥰 And why fostering any animal is so important, it saves lives!
https://dogstarnj.com/blog/