Shelby Semel-Dog Training / Behavior Modification

Shelby Semel-Dog Training / Behavior Modification Shelby Semel Dog Training LLC I hold Puppy Socialization Classes/ Basic Obedience Classes.

I am a positive reinforcement trainer who wants to make the process of training your dog ( or modifying its behavior) fun, exciting, and easy! I also do 1-2 hour in-home private consultations for the following issues:

Puppy training ( barking, nipping, chewing, housebreaking, apartment set-up)
Adjustment to NYC
Leash Frustration/ Aggression ( barking and lunging on leash)
Handling issues
Doorbel

l Excitement ( barking at buzzer, strangers entering)
Socialization for shy dogs- bringing them out of their shell.

08/14/2026

I’ll never miss a chance to let my dog sniff the groceries!

Sniffing is one of the best ways to provide dogs with enrichment, stress reduction and new experiences. All the smells that come in from the store are a huge opportunity for a quick moment of fun for any dog.

And of course, finding a restock of their favorite treats is an added bonus 🦴

08/11/2026

The truth is, you just can’t prepare for everything! But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare your dog at all before you bring your baby home.

Here are some of the top things we recommend you prepare for in advance:
- desensitizing to baby crying sounds
- utilizing gates or doors to have time separated from your dog while you are home
- setting up any larger items and helping your dog get used to them (think play mats, bouncers, swings, etc)
- brush up cues like leave it, drop it, place and touch

And now that you’ve seen this video, you can add diaper box race car + sounds to your baby prep training list 😂

08/11/2026

Here’s a mistake you might be making that you aren’t even aware of:

After you ask your dog to leave it, don’t reward them with the treats you just asked them to leave alone. A treat is a treat, but a pizza crust or chicken bone is not something you want your dog snacking on. Your ‘leave it’ essential becomes a ‘wait for the food’ cue.

Instead, remove the ‘leave it’ treats, and reward them with treats from somewhere else! This helps your dog learn that ‘leave it’ means ‘leave it alone for good, and bring your attention back to me’.

If you were making this mistake, you aren’t alone. As you make the switch, you might find covering the treats after you mark YES is necessary to help your dog adjust to the change.

08/08/2026

Training a ‘leave it’ cue? Don’t forget to reward with a different treat!

Here’s why — when practicing with treats, it doesn’t seem like a big deal to let your dog eat the treat you use asked them to leave. But this can lead to them thinking that ‘leave it’ simply means “wait a few seconds, then I can eat it”.

But now imagine it’s not a treat at all, it’s a nasty item off the street like a cigarette butt or dead rat. The last thing we want is for them to think that ‘leave it’ just means to wait a few seconds and then they can go for it!

To prevent this, reward with a different treat than the one you asked your dog to leave alone, ideally a treat of higher value!

08/06/2026

When we think of muzzles, we often have a negative mindset around them or feel bad if our dog needs to wear one.

But for our dog, we can make the experience really positive! For this client, blueberries helped make the muzzle so positive, this is how they respond when it’s time to practice muzzle training!

What treat does your dog absolutely love that you could use for muzzle training?

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