The Dog Institute of Williamsburg

My dog LOVES Elizabeth, almost as much as I do! She is hands down the best dog trainer, period. She was my one year old’s kindergarten teacher, and we have maintained a relationship well past graduation. She has corrected the problems he was having with walking and with company at the house — her methods of training stick. She is also an amazing dog sitter, my dog Meeshu never wants to leave when I come pick him up. I trust Elizabeth when it comes to every aspect of Meeshu, I’m lucky she only lives a few blocks away! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Elizabeth is a patient and creative trainer.
My rescue puppy had behavioral and potty training issues and Elizabeth helped me channel aggressive natural instincts into good behavior using gentle leash work and rewards instead of just saying «no!» After just a few months, my puppy both walks well and plays well with other dogs, and everybody loves her! Elizabeth also helped me learn to be a more sensitive pet owner, and to both recognize and understand the signals that my dog was giving, which really helps with potty training. She’s even learned to love spending time in her crate!
I go out of town for a few days to a week at a time, and my dog stays with Elizabeth and The Dog Institute, which I’ve come to call Puppy Camp. Every time I’ve left my dog there, she comes home more socialized, better behaved, and sometimes even understanding a new voice command!
I’m convinced Elizabeth secretly speaks Dog.

Elizabeth is the best! I have a very insecure young corgi and Elizabeth has been a wonderful sitter and trainer… every time my corgi comes back from a stay, she’s beaming with confidence and happiness. I give her my highest recommendation…

Elizabeth is great. You can’t find a better dog trainer anywhere. Elizabeth was like magic. After just one visit from her we learned many things to help us with our puppy. She is very knowledgeable about dog behavior and knows how to make them obey commands using rewards and gentle handling.

Elizabeth is wonderful! Three years ago I was struggling with my rescue (Bones) and her lessons, training tips, and love really turned things around for us. Bones tends to be reactive on walks and in the house– everything from people jogging to trash blowing to kids screaming… mailmen, garbage trucks, sirens… basically everything you encounter every second of every day in Brooklyn. He gradually grew into this behavior and by the time he was 2 years old I had a (very handsome) 76 pound barking, lunging, anxious mess. Elizabeth’s patience and guidance drastically improved not only Bones’s behavior but also the quality of our walks and time together. He’s better in the house and he’s happier and more confident outside. Bones will always be a dog that requires extra care, but with Elizabeth’s training and refresher lessons I know he will continue to make great strides!

If you have a puppy or dog and live in Williamsburg, look absolutely no further than The Dog Institute! When we first got our puppy, we were inexperienced dog owners, but wanted nothing more than to have a well-​trained dog that could go anywhere with us. We did lots of research and started the training on our own, but something was amiss and we weren’t getting results. We called in Elizabeth, the owner of The Dog Institute, and she connected the dots.
She taught us about our dog’s breed and personality and provided invaluable tips and tricks to support good behavior. For example, we have a labrador, a work dog, we need to give her puzzles and ‘work’ to tire her out and meet her energy needs. Not only will she train your dog, but she will train you to be a better dog owner and parent leading to a very fulfilling relationship with your pup.
We have been sending our dog to The Dog Institute once a week ever since we got her (she’s 3 years old now) and it’s the best money we’ve spent on the pup. Word to the wise, you have to be consistent and use the tools she teaches you and continue the training at home for maximum results.
Beyond training and day care, we also use The Dog Institute for boarding when we go out of town. Our dog comes home relaxed, unstressed and ready to resume her normal routine. I’m not sure we’d have the same result or confidence boarding her at a kennel.
We can’t even say the name Elizabeth without our dog getting extremely excited and sitting at the door to go see her buddy. Your dog will be in the best care with Elizabeth at The Dog Institute. We highly recommend for puppy training, day care and beyond! She is truly a dog whisperer!

What sets Elizabeth apart from other dog trainers is that not only does she get dogs, she gets *you* as a dog owner and a human being.
Time and again we’ve turned to Elizabeth for problem solving in managing our pup in and out of the house. She’s quick to identify problem areas, is thoroughly insightful and inventive in proposing solutions. There’s no one right answer necessarily to pup challenges. And even the «right answer» can’t be right if it doesn’t work for you.

I met Elizabeth, the owner of The Dog Institute, at puppy kindergarten class about three years ago. She helped us house train our pup who was having major potty issues. Elizabeth is the best trainer, and has a really special connection with all of the dogs that she cares for. Her method is all about positive reinforcement, and encouraging dogs when they behave well! It’s the best way to help pups that are skittish, shy, or aggressive! These days Penny gets so excited to see Elizabeth, like more excited than when I pick her up from daycare to go home! (#dogmomproblems)
Everyone knows that your dogs are like your kids and I wouldn’t trust anyone else on the planet more than I trust Elizabeth with my baby, Penny! Elizabeth has become part of the fam! Take your dog to her whether you are having issues or you just want to give your dog some quality play time with other pups!

Ah yes, Elizabeth. She is like a second mom to my dog, Petula. Elizabeth knows Petula, and I mean KNOWS her. I can’t tell you what an amazing gift that is; I have a trainer that really knows my dog.
My dog is a rescue, and at about 18 months started displaying leash reactivity toward unfamiliar dogs. Elizabeth was on it, and we began a régime to get Petula back on track. Not only are her skills as a trainer top-​notch, she also has an innate intuition and understanding of dogs, which is invaluable when it comes to «diagnosing» what training techniques are needed. She trains using positive reinforcement, and most dog owners will tell you, there is no other way to go. This philosophy and method is not always a quick fix, but the results are long lasting since you have actually changed brain chemistry, not just behavior. She encourages diligence and persistence while training your dog, and the pay-​off is tremendous. Petula and I have a stronger bond because of all the hours we have clocked on her training.
Elizabeth also provides a caring and loving environment for the dogs she boards and does daycare with. She really does treat her «pack» like family, providing a balanced daily schedule of play-​time, walks and rest-​time. Petula, under Elizabeth’s care, makes new friends every week now, as well as socializing with the familiar faces she sees all the time. As long as Elizabeth will have us, we are hers. Forever.

Elizabeth is the most amazing dog trainer! A friend of mine recommended I contact her after I mentioned how poorly behaved my dog was (Rocky is a Maltese/​Yorkie mix). Rocky was always jumping on people, demand barking and ripping up everything in my house. I had read every dog training book, watched countless you tube video’s and scoured the internet for dog training advice and nothing I did seemed to work.
After one session with her I noticed a change in his behavior. I also realized I was doing everything wrong. She could immediately see everything I learned online and from books was having the opposite effect on my dog and actually making him more aggressive and badly behaved. She didn’t agree with using scare tactics to get a dogs attention/​punish him (shaking a can of coins or keys at a dog) or acting dominant to show power (yanking a dogs leash). She taught me that such methods only frighten a dog and cause him not to trust his owner.
Since that initial session I have had many lessons with her and my dog has gone from out of control to pretty well behaved. Her approach to dog training is respectful, loving and kind. Rocky still has his «moments» but that is usually a result of my lack of continued training. If you practice what she teaches, your dog will absolutely improve. My dog is proof that her methods work and my neighbors comment all the time that Rocky has gotten so much better!

My wife and I have known Elizabeth for 4 years. We took our then Cairn Terrier puppy to one of her training sessions and she became our «go to» for anything Bunson. Our little guy is going on 4 years now and he is a well adjusted awesome little terrier. I’m not sure what we would have done during his puppy stage without Elizabeth. Bunson loves her! I highly recommend Elizabeth to anyone in need of puppy training. She’s the best!

After adopting our puppy ‘Birdie’ from Sean Casey Animal Rescue in the fall my husband and I knew the first thing we had to do was start training our new pup ASAP! Prior to adopting Birdie, we lived for 16 years with the our much loved but poorly behaved (i.e. poorly trained) Jack Russell Terror. This time we vowed to do things right!
We started puppy classes (group and semi-​private) with Elizabeth from the very beginning and can’t recommend her enough! Elizabeth is clear, direct and very knowledgable — a true dog training professional. She has high expectations of her dogs and the families she supports and clearly demonstrates her proven techniques in order for those in her class to learn and mirror that behavior. Her straightforward, no-​nonsense, yet warm and friendly (and funny!) demeanor made the classes not only highly informative but actionable and fun! Our two young sons often attended class with us — Elizabeth made them not only feel welcome but also was highly engaged with helping them be included in the process. Our family has come away not only with the beginnings of a well-​trained dog but also as well trained pet owners! Yay Elizabeth! Thank you! We adore you!