The Dog Institute of Williamsburg

I can't recommend them enough! We did both the puppy curriculum and play and train, and Elizabeth and her team made us feel so at ease with how knowledgeable and thoughtful they are. The puppy curriculum really sets you up for success and understanding your puppy's needs and how their brain works, beyond just obedience training. Elizabeth was great about helping us work through any concerns and take a proactive approach to training, and the team at play and train have been so instrumental in helping make sure we have a well socialized puppy. Every time we approach the building he's SO excited to be there and loves both his friends and teachers at play and train - and we get such amazing updates throughout the day! We initially started at the Dog Institute because we wanted to make sure our puppy was well socialized and had a great foundation and my only regret is not starting with them sooner!

We've had a great experience with TDI! Elizabeth and all the ladies working at the institute (Masami, Ally, etc.) are so thoughtful, loving and patient with our pup - Riggins. We have used them for puppy training classes, play & train socialization school and teen training classes. Not only do they breed a culture of love and support at TDI, they really know their stuff. Multiple times we've been having a FaceTime lesson with Elizabeth and she will call out the exact move Riggins is about to perform. She knows dog behavior, signals, emotions, reactions and cues better than anyone I've ever seen. I fully expected the puppy training to be a 'sit, stay, come' type of course - but the content goes beyond... we were guided on when / how / where to feed, potty train, sleep, etc. when Riggins was a puppy. All the advice was specifically tailored to city dogs too, which was a major plus for us. The play & train courses are also a great complement to the training - Riggins comes home absolutely zonked after socializing with other puppies for 4 hours (and I can rest assured that he's not picking up any bad behaviors while at school). If you're in the NYC area - or beyond, given training sessions are phone calls / FT - this place is a must for your dog, especially puppies! The upfront investment is so worth it.

We’ve been taking our puppy, Pippa, to the Institute in Williamsburg consistently since she was 3 months old, and words cannot express how incredibly effective the program is. Elizabeth and her team treat the puppies like their own – training, mediation, playtime, cuddles - in a very clean and cheerful environment. The classes are 4-hour, drop-off, where they practice socialization and skills like impulse control, sit/down/stay, leash walking, etc. with a positive reinforcement approach. They send lots of videos and photos throughout so you can see how your puppy is doing (SO fun to see all the cuties interacting). Since the classes are only open to young pups who are all doing consistent training, they aren’t exposed to bad/unsafe playtime habits, and are kept extra safe with the team checking in regularly on vaccine status and health testing. When our pup was brand new to the city, she was shy and a little nervous about socializing, but after a few classes she started to come out of her shell. These days she is truly the most confident, sweet, well-adjusted dog around, and it is 100% thanks to Play & Train classes at the Institute. Over time we’ve noticed she’s gotten really good at playing and socializing with all different dogs – she has learned to be gentle with small dogs, knows when someone is too shy or doesn’t want to engage, and she is completely unfazed by dogs who are grumpy or anxious. The program works so well because it’s meant to be in tandem with individual puppy training sessions where they learn core structure, commands, and skills. Really love this setup and approach, and it WORKS!! Elizabeth is an expert trainer with a special talent for teaching dogs AND their parents. The facilities are also very nice - love that there is a ton of natural sunlight and multidimensional play space with cushions to help get up and down. The team takes the puppies for walks during the sessions which also keeps the area clean and enforces their potty training. We HIGHLY recommend the Dog Institute! As a side note, we discovered the Institute through word of mouth around the neighborhood – lots of dog owners around Williamsburg go there, and they all speak very highly of it -- reassuring to know everyone who has been there loves it!