School For The Dogs

We brought our dog to Sidewalk Psychos, and learned so much from Anna on how to train him using positive reinforcement. When he's triggered, he's not interested in treats, so she taught us alternatives that get his attention. The space is neat and clean, and the trainers are kind and attentive. I'd definitely recommend anyone with a dog of any age to reach out to find out which trainings will work best for them!

We rescued our boy Joey who had been terribly neglected and possibly abused, and even though we were giving him as much love and support as we could on our own, we were at a loss in terms of how to handle his behavioral issues. Unfortunately, despite all the interventions that we tried based on our own research, the situation was only getting worse. We loved Joey so much, but we knew that things were not sustainable if they would have continued the way they were going. We were feeling scared, hopeless, and discouraged. Finally, we found School for the Dogs and Anna, and that’s when things finally started to turn around. Being students with extremely limited resources, we knew that we couldn’t afford to pay for the type of care that Joey needed, and we felt so sad and guilty that we were not able to provide the best possible life for him. When we were approved for the scholarship program, we finally saw the first glimmer of hope for our family. Anna completely changed our perception of what is possible when it comes to training dogs. Her methodology, which involves lots of positive reinforcement and not punishment, helped to strengthen our relationship with Joey, and to understand his needs, preferences, and communication style better than ever before. It almost feels like she taught us to read his mind, and to anticipate his reactions, which gives us a much better handle on them. She taught us new commands and feasible ways for us to continue implementing Joey’s training on our own. She also helped to guide us through the intimidating process of seeking out medication for Joey, helping to round out the support that he needs. Today, we are so proud and grateful to report that things are finally getting better, not worse. Joey is moving in the right direction, and we are more confident than ever before that we know what to do to help him be calmer and to even keep himself under control. I was most impressed with how Anna employs principles of psychology into her training, recognizing both the individualized and universal needs of her students (including dogs and humans alike). I used to joke that it seems like she is ‘psychic’ with dogs, but now I understand that by knowing what to look for and how to approach different situations, anyone can learn to communicate and work with their dog more effectively, no matter how far-gone things may once have appeared. We will be eternally thankful to School for the Dogs for the amazing work that they do, as well as to the generous benefactors of the scholarship program for enabling us to attain the resources we needed to finally enjoy greater peace and happiness in our home. Thank you to Anna and everyone else at School for the Dogs for all the incredible work that you do for our community!

Nothing but good things to say about School For The Dogs! We did all of our puppy training here with our dog, Scully, and it was the best thing we could have done. The small-group, puppy training classes were hosted by trained experts who helped us learn a ton about our dog, including important behavioral cues that we still rely on years later. Thanks to The School For The Dogs, our dog is properly socialized and can be around dogs of any shape, size, temperament, age, etc. This makes things so easy when it comes to finding daycares, groomers, dog walkers, dog sitters, etc. In addition to puppy classes, we also had a trainer come to our home and help us with commands, walking on leash, etc which was super helpful (we had a bad experience with an "old school" style trainer beforehand so it was really nice to have a friendly instructor who used a positive reinforcement approach). Another cool thing -- the school has this great little "store" built in so you can grab whatever you need for you pup (toys, treats, etc). So convenient! I recommend The School For The Dogs to anyone I meet, it's 5 stars all the way!

Thank you, Annie & the dedicated team for teaching me "How to Dog!" 'Cause isn't that at the very core of every great relationship—getting into their world? And, man it's been fun. I feel more related, more connected, more bonded to my furry companion through "training." Maybe we should stop call it training altogether? If anyone can do it, Annie and her team can. I've been into dogs my entire life. I've gotten both good and bad advice, some of it cringe worthy in retrospect. Everything that the School for The Dogs has taught me has resonated; kindness, mutual respect and understanding-- powerful engagement vs. force. And, we've just gotten started. I can't wait to see what the coming year will bring. Thank You.