Wag More NYC

05/20/2026

May is giving us a preview of what this summer is going to look like. With temperatures already at 85°.☀️
Heat can be fatally dangerous to both humans and dogs. Here are some ways to prepare for the summer’s sweltering temps 🥵🔥

Shed the extra pounds: Heat is a killer, but so is obesity. Not only is it cruel to your dog, but it’s putting extra strain on their body and makes it excessively more difficult to regulate their body temperature. If your dogs not at a goal weight, start working to shed those pounds. Canine heat stroke is not a joke. Neither is arthritis and underlying pain. All are contributing factors to how your dog handles the change in climate.

Keep your pups hydrated 💦
Adding water to your dog’s meals is a great way to sneak in some extra hydration!
⚠️Avoid giving your dog water during excessive panting⚠️
Drinking during excessive panting can lead to bloat and possibly death. This isn’t something to mess around with. Panting is how dogs cool down their body. Wait at least 15-30 minutes before offering them water depending on strain and size.

Abide to the “pavement rules” 🍳
Test the pavement with the back of your hand. Holding it for at least 8 seconds. If it’s uncomfortably warm for your hand- your dog’s paws are at risk of blistering.
Consider dog shoes 👟 🐕. Brands like & .pup help keep your dog’s paws safe from heat and dangerous objects that cover the city’s streets.

Wait till sundown for longer walks and activity 🌅
UV numbers above 5 make surfaces hotter and warrant proper sun protection. Waiting for the sun to go down or catching it before the UV is high, often keeps the temperature cooler.
Air Quality is just as important! For us, and our pups!

Save this video and share with your friends to help keep your pups safe this summer 🐕💦☀️

05/12/2026

04/16/2026

Come find me THIS SATURDAY! At 📍Travers Park for Partners and Paws community fair! Hosted by the 115th Precinct and !!
Stop by and see me and my golden girl Maple! While we run some training drills, work on settling and say hi to some kiddos!

I’ll be around from 11am-2pm answering training questions, modeling examples of what my training program looks like and offering a raffle for a FREE ONE-ON-ONE DOG TRAINING session with me!

Come learn about canine behavior and handling, canine nutrition and different ways to exercise and stimulate your dog based on their breed, age, and needs! Bring your dog by and get a free evaluation and training advice ON THE SPOT!

Maple and I hope to see you there! 🐶

04/07/2026

I can vividly recall every time I’ve ended a session in a big hug and a pool of tears. And thankfully I can confidently say, they have all been happy tears. And last week my session with Jasper and his Mom were added to the small part of my brain that stores those unique memories.
For the first time since we have been working together, and since being adopted by his mom. Jasper acted like a dog. And I mean that so literally.
For the first time ever, we got a dog who galavanted, who ran, and who even made a friend.
Our session started off really slow and for a second I could feel that hope was fading. After some sniffs Jasper got comfortable with the space he had around him and even took some treats from me. As soon as I got him to take a treat I made a game of it. I would bring the treat to his nose and throw it into the grass and say “get it!” and encourage his run off to get the treat. I repeated this every time he came back and he started to add som bunny hops!
He then showed interest in a dog on the outside of the enclosed area (shout out Coco Puffs! Who is not pictured) and we chatted with the owners while he closed the gap between the fence and the other dog and discovered comfortability.
Shortly after, little Rocco (brown toy poodle) entered the park and asked if it was okay to meet. Because I felt confident that Jasper would create space for himself if needed I told Rocco’s owner to come on in and unclip him.
The rest, well it’s history… no just kidding, the rest is the clips pictured here. And it is still bringing some tears to my eyes while I post this.
The last two clips in the carousel was Jasper when we first started together.. and if you’ve followed Jaspers highlight, you can really see how he has blossomed.
Big shoutout to Jaspers mom for her amazing, consistent dedication to training, and to for working with us to address Jaspers anxiety while also respecting his hard work and training. It takes a good team and we’ve definitely got one here. ❤️🥇

04/01/2026

You can teach your dog to STOP PULLING by reinforcing where the leash ends.
Every time your pup extends to the end of the leash, offer them a treat back at your side.
You can use their name and a walk back to encourage their return!
By pairing the leash pressure and simple name association I am teaching the dog that it’s time to come back when they feel the pressure against the leash!

Reinforcing an alternative behavior will lead you to your preferred outcome!
Remember be consistent, use reinforcement, and be patient. Allow your dog time to figure it out as they become familiar with this new “game”. Don’t forget to heavily reward your dog when they come back, AS WELL as when the leash remains loose!
If you want a behavior from your dog, it must be reinforced.

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03/27/2026

Withholding a dog’s food, a basic necessity- is not training. It’s compulsion. Your dog is not complying because they want to but because they are starving and fear they have no other choice.
There are many alternatives to getting a higher drive dog or a more focused dog during training; than to remove a basics resource.

Experimenting with hand feeding, or replacing food rewards for high value toys or games is literally a much more respectable option than “taking away a meal”.

Food isn’t a bribe, it’s not something that comes with good behavior. It’s a necessity, that should be given no matter the behavior.

Unfortunately a lot of the times when clients say they previously did board and trains the dogs come back malnourished. Some trainers believe that holding the dogs food until training is the only way they will work instead of actually trying to build a relationship with them and respect their thresholds of being ready and receptive to training.

Food isn’t the only resource you can use for training. And if a dog won’t take treats from you, starving them wont make them “like” the treats, it will put them into survival.

A hungry dog needs to eat. Now
hunger strike dogs- are a different story 😭- sometimes we need to get creative. A dog who won’t take treats is not untrainable.

03/24/2026

Most dog owners don’t understand canine body language.
So a lot of the times the “bad behaviors” they refer to have to do with owners putting them in a situation they aren’t ready for.

Pet friendly places have become quite popular in cities like New York, and some of these indoor events become overwhelmed with dog palooza. Which sounds fun right? But it might not be for your dog.

Dogs who are nervous or shut down may look to an owner like they are calm and behaving nicely as they shuffle them through a crowd, but unfortunately what I usually see is a dog with its tail tucked, head low, and serious disengagement. And what happens is, when we have a dog who is clearly communicating their feelings like that and owners aren’t aware the dog is learning that their owner won’t give them clear leadership and advocacy and they are left to fend for themselves. Dogs who aren’t shown leadership have a harder time making the right decision.
I’ve seen so many dogs “say hi” to dogs simply out of compliance, not fun.

Now this isn’t the case for every dog at an event. Some dogs suffer from the opposite, over arousal. Which is more dangerous than a dog with just a tucked tail. Over aroused and non friendly behavior can often look like, a dog locking in on one dog (stalking or following them), inability to settle, over exertion, and most importantly failure to understand an appropriate correction or response from another dog.

So here’s what you should ask yourself before putting your dog into an overstimulating, overwhelming environment:
“Will my dog be able to maintain balance in this environment , and will they be able to LISTEN to my commands in this environment.
If you want a dog who can handle these situations, you must train them to behave, remain stable and feel confident in these situations.

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03/22/2026

Trail Etiquette: Leashing your dogs when passing other people or pets.
The first step to even unclipping the leash is recall.
But re clipping the leash when seeing people even with good recall? That’s called respect.
Not only is it respectful to move out of the way for others but it’s a guaranteed safety for others and allows them to feel more comfortable when passing.
No matter how strong your dogs recall, it’s important to respect other people may not like dogs, and other dogs may not like the either.
Don’t wait to practice when people are approaching. Start when no one’s around. Like this. Strengthen the behavior in an easy environment before expecting it in a hard one.

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11/12/2025

Aloe is searching for his forever home! Aloe is a little under one year old and has been training extra hard to become a well-behaved young pup for his forever family. Aloe would ideally do best with an experienced dog owner. He thrives on structure and explicit instruction, which will allow him to be a sound, stable dog in the near future if he can find a home willing to put in the work!
From my time with Aloe, I learned that he is an absolute lover. Off the walk-in, he was excited about greeting me! (He’s so friendly, he would try to kiss a robber) Aloe loves to meet new people and is learning to sit nicely for pets! He has a lot of puppy energy and would benefit from an active household. If you like to hike, jog, or bike, this could be the dog for you!

My dedication to finding Aloe the perfect forever home is unmatched. I am offering a free post-adoption training session. The training will reiterate what a sound system and structure looks like for bringing home a new dog, as well as training demonstrations to continue incorporating basic obedience and good behaviors into your dog’s everyday life. Upon request, I can walk potential adopters through what Aloe’s evaluation with me looked like and go further in depth about his personality traits, as well as answer any other questions you may have.

I can't stress enough how much potential I see in this puppy to grow into a stable adult in a home that sees how far this boy is willing to go to be the best dog ever. If you're ready for a best friend —a loyal, playful, energy-matching pup —this one is for you!

If you are interested in adopting Aloe, please reach out to his fabulous foster,

If you're not interested in adopting, a quick share, like, and comment could help Aloe find his forever home.
Thank you!

- Wag More NYC