Whether you are preparing for your new puppy’s arrival or already in the thick of the joyous and sometimes overwhelming training process, I am here to guide you through this precious phase one puppy step at a time.

It is rare that I have not had a dog in my life. Even during the seasons when I did not have one of my own, I found ways to be around them. In graduate school, my favorite job was dog-sitting, which in many ways was the most therapeutic part of my journey toward becoming a psychotherapist over 20 years ago.

Since then, I have continued working with dogs any chance I could. While teaching film photography to youth at The Door in SoHo, I collaborated with The Good Dog Foundation to create a Dog Photography and Counseling program that blended art and animal-assisted therapy. I later published a playful dog book with Penguin Books, and one of my most exciting New York moments was auctioning my work at Christie's for a fundraiser supporting The Door.

In 2011, life brought me to Hong Kong for three years, where I collaborated with Professor Paws and the University of Hong Kong. I was not joking when I said I took every opportunity to work with dogs.

When the pandemic hit, I stood in line like so many New Yorkers to adopt a dog. This time, I wanted to be deeply prepared. I enrolled in VSA’s training program. It felt like returning to graduate school, only now I was immersed in understanding canine development and behavior while learning how to strengthen the extraordinary bond between dogs and their humans. In many ways, I had come full circle from my dog-sitting days.

Add New York City, Google, and AI to puppy raising and you get stimulation and information overload.

I am here to help you simplify, customize, and balance the training process to meet your puppy’s unique personality and your household’s needs through a thoughtful mix of in-home and online support.

A puppy’s attention span can be 60 seconds or less. Each session may include training, caretaker coaching, and healthy socialization. Like any meaningful relationship, progress requires patience and practice. It is important to remember that you are half of this partnership.

Beyond basic cues, potty training both indoors and outdoors for small breeds, and setting up your space, I will help you:

1. Desensitize your pup to city noises and stimulation

2. See the world from your puppy’s eye level

3. Be a good neighbor

4. Get everyone in your household aligned

5. Prepare small dogs for buses, subways, trains, and air travel

6. Be kinder to yourself in the process

And yes, I continue my therapy practice with human clients, now assisted by Kermit, my Therapy Dog Trainee.