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        (212) 419-2500 Upper East Side 1535 First Ave. Monday - Friday 7am - 9pm Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Staffed 24 hours Park Avenue 1067 Park Ave. Monday - Friday 8am - 7pm Sat 9am - 5pm Sun Closed Upper West Side 469 Columbus Ave. Monday - Friday 7am - 9pm Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Staffed 24 hours Riverside Blvd. 160 Riverside Blvd. Monday - Friday 7am - 9pm Sat & Sun 9am - 7pm Murray Hill 701 Second Ave. Monday - Friday 7am - 9pm Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Staffed 24 hours Greenwich Village 41 West 13th St. Monday - Friday 7am - 9pm Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm Staffed 24 hours Tribeca 73 Hudson St. Monday - Thurs 7am - 9pm Friday 7am - 8pm Sat & Sun 9am - 7pm 
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Return to Training  A Word from David Muriello, Director of Dog Training and Behavior
I am thrilled that my lifelong fascination with animals has led me to have one of the best jobs in the world: helping dogs and their parents lead great lives together. Through private lessons or a group class, we can teach you how to eliminate unwanted behaviors, instill manners, and maintain control using leadership and basic commands. You will gain a deeper understanding of how your dog thinks and learns, which will make you an excellent owner, teacher, and leader. Most importantly, you and your dog will have fun and strengthen your bond! Call us with any questions you have about behavior or training. We love what we do and would be happy to talk to you about your dog! 
Meet Trainer Erica Wittenberg, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and AKC Canine Good Citizen EvaluatorErica Wittenberg's fascination with animals motivated her to want to better understand dogs and how they learn. After completing her B.A. at Hamilton College and her Masters at The New School, Erica was not sure what path to follow, but she knew she wanted to work with animals. The idea of positive dog training was something she was so intrigued by that she could not wait to learn more, not just from books, but straight from the source! She volunteered with Manhattan’s Bideawee Shelter for over six months when the head trainer noticed her eagerness and aptitude and invited her to work as an apprentice trainer. Erica learned quickly that when dogs walk well on leashes, they get adopted faster. Whenever she was at Bideawee she did her best to work with each dog on their leash-walking skills. After understanding how essential walking is for dogs, Erica began working for a boutique company that offers training walks for dogs. On each walk they worked on sit, down, stay, come, leave it, heel and name recognition. While pursuing her interest in animal behavior through reading and attending seminars, she decided it was time to try to work more with behavior cases. This is when Erica joined the Biscuits & Bath team and found a place where she would not only make a difference in a dog’s life through obedience but, by being supportive, she could enhance the relationship between a dog and its person as well. Erica has a cat, a dog and personally cares for her two horses. “Observing dogs, cats and horses on a weekly basis keeps me thinking. Sometimes watching the horses interact will give me the answer to a dog training question, or sometimes my dog training helps my relationship with my other pets.” Erica explains that one of her best training successes was in using a clicker to aid her in teaching her rescue cat to allow his nails to be clipped. As the most senior member of our behavior counselor team, Erica has spent the last few years helping owners throughout the city with their dog’s obedience skills, leash-walking, separation anxiety, aggression and even agility. Erica believes in "spoiling" your dog with positive reinforcement; “Anytime you want to give your dog a treat, just ask them to do something for it! They will love it and you will love the results.” 
Meet Trainer Tamar Paltin, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and AKC Canine Good Citizen EvaluatorTamar is a smart, enthusiastic dog lover and experienced animal trainer who graduated Arcadia University with a BA in Psychobiology. Her experience teaching animals and people has literally spanned the globe from the London Zoo to the Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania. At these zoos, Tamar led fascinating public shows and classroom lectures. She displayed animals and shared her experiences enriching and training species such as raptors, parrots, snakes, skunks, sugar gliders, and kinkajous! As a professional dog trainer at PetSmart, and through her own training business for over 3 years, Tamar has enjoyed making a difference for dogs of all shapes and sizes, from brand new pups to adults presenting behavior challenges. She has a talent for teaching and training which was in part developed through her work as a child educator for 5 years. Tamar believes that clear communication and understanding is the key to a well behaved dog and a happy family/pack. Her goal is to show you how training can enhance the quality of life for your dog and you. "A tired dog is a happy dog and mental stimulation is key to exercising the mind the in same way that running around is key to exercising the body. A good owner can be a benevolent leader who is respected but loving and gentle in a way which molds a dog to love being led and behaving well." Tamar grew up with two Golden Retrievers (Ash and Brandy) and then one Bullmastiff (Shiba) and her family now has two Leonbergers (Teva and Barr). Her latest rescue is a Boxer (Jolie) who she secured from a family who did not realize the challenges that getting a boxer puppy would present. Tamar has enjoyed training Jolie the most as she was a rambunctious adolescent with very few skills when she first got her at 9 months. Now Jolie is a happy, well-mannered member of the family (who happens to know a few cute tricks, too)! 
Meet Trainer Andrea Smith, AKC Canine Good Citizen EvaluatorAndrea is a calm, cool and collected Trainer whose demeanor has a positive effect on the dogs and human students that surround her! She studied psychology at Mount Vernon College in Washington D.C., well before she knew she would be using the principles of learning theory on dogs as a Trainer years later. It was back in 2001, when Andrea volunteered to help with the canine rescue teams working the World Trade Center site, that she found her calling. She was fascinated by the rescue dogs' natural abilities, connection with their handlers, and determination. Wanting to learn all she could about canine behavior, Andrea began studying at the NYC ASPCA training and behavior program. For two years at the "A," she shadowed experienced trainers and attended courses in behavior, nutrition, and dog handling. As Andrea became more experienced, she developed a talent for working with dogs of all kinds, especially those rescues who were stressed, fearful and potentially dangerous. It was a natural next step for her to take on a full time job handling and training dogs. This came at the New York Dog Spa where Andrea was asked to help develop the design of their indoor play space to create an effective environment for dog socialization. She then took on the job of Manager and primary handler at the Dog Spa for two years, entrenching herself in the world of dog behavior and the unique group dynamic of dog day care. Since that time, Andrea has worked as a Trainer in California and here in the northeast, helping every type of dog and owner you could imagine to overcome every type of challenge you can imagine. She is experienced in both the classroom and one-on-one settings, having led reward-based group classes at PetSmart and also customized private lessons in clients' homes. With over 8 years of dog training and behavior experience, Andrea looks forward to helping you and your dog with any goal you want to achieve! 
Meet Trainer Elizabeth SevinLizz is a skilled positive reinforcement trainer and one of the few we've ever met who went to a University that offered a modern Dog Training course in their curriculum (way to go University of Vermont!). Lizz first experienced training animals as a child when she worked with horses in Southern Vermont. She primarily competed in Eventing with a strong base in Dressage. The patience, timing, and communication skills she gained working with horses has translated into very effective abilities training dogs. Lizz had many different dogs in the home when growing up and she noticed they all listened well to her Father, though he had no formal training background. She took note of the qualities that made her Dad an effective leader to the animals her family cared for. Lizz's passion for animals led to a double major at the University of Vermont in Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Medicine and a minor in Wildlife Biology. One semester she added a course called Dog Training and Behavior to her schedule, and after that was hooked on this field. While still in college, Lizz worked for, and mentored with, a professional dog trainer who had a private business in Vermont, offering board-and-train, classes, and private lessons. After college she spent time training horses in Greece and then came back to the states to work as a Dog Trainer and Adoption Counselor at a shelter in Southern Vermont. Lizz's desire to live and work in NYC has brought her to Biscuits & Bath, where she thrives in the role of helping city dogs and parents lead great lives together. Lizz believes in positive reinforcement training and the idea that dogs inherently want to please. Her philosophy is that as long as you are clear and patient in what you are asking, training can be fun and successful for the dog and owner alike. Lizz's dog, Baloo, is a handsome and well-mannered 5-year-old Chocolate Labrador. He has taught her the incalculable value of great socialization from puppyhood. Take note parents - Lizz is right when she calls socialization "the gift that never stops giving!" Her favorite activities with Baloo are going for runs, swims, hikes, playing Frisbee, and watching movies. Click here to view the upcoming class schedule. © 2010 Biscuits & Bath. All rights reserved. |