WoofGang LLC

05/29/2026

05/26/2026

This darling little peanut is Posie, the English Bulldog puppy. Her face says it all... she is so sweet and good-natured

05/20/2026

This beautiful gal is Penny, the Lab. She is "sibling" to Boomer, who we met yesterday. Penny contributes to some of the Boomer's stress and anxiety, simply by nature of being a constant presence in the household, as well as having some of her own behavioral quirks. Certainly the behavior of each dog impacts the other, both positively and negatively. And, as important as social interaction is to behavioral and mental health -- and no matter how much the two may love each other -- social negotiations are taxing. Having private time away from each other can be beneficial to each dog. Further, each having quality private time with the human family members is essential to fostering strong family relationships.

Deep relationships between dogs share many of the characteristics and qualities of deep human bonds... loving, necessary, but also tiring and stressful. Sometimes getting some uninterrupted cuddle time on the couch is the best medicine

05/19/2026

This sensitive boy is Boomer the boxer. Handsome and intelligent, he also tends to be anxious, particularly when being walked on leash. Some of that can be attributed to his reactivity when he sees dogs; he looks a bit like a hot head! And the rest of his walk, then, is his anxious anticipation of when a dog might come into view.

There are several approaches that will contribute to decreasing Boomer's anxiety. First, obviously, reducing his reactivity by making the sight of other dogs a positive, not upsetting, experience. Also, having an engaged walk with him, so that he is thinking and working on other things, thus keeping his mind occupied. Finally, reducing stress elsewhere in Boomer's life will lower his overall behavioral temperature, thus reducing his global levels of anxiety.

Anxiety is no healthier for our dogs than it is for us. It's important that we recognize when our dogs are suffering stress and anxiety and that we respond by helping them mitigate those feelings. WoofGang can help! We offer in-person sessions as well as online training. Contact us at (646) 345-5116 to set up a session. Like this page for posts about all things dog! And sign up for the WoofGang emailing list... with tips, tricks, special offers and Mutt Morsels -- training tips that solve everyday problems. Simply click on http://eepurl.com/gQDqLX to subscribe and join! (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

05/13/2026

Tilly is enjoying a foraging box... crumpled newspaper in a cardboard box with tasty things sprinkled throughout, a treat here, a biscuit there, a Kong or chewy in the depths. Anything can be hidden treasure in a foraging box. It's Christmas every day!

And Steffi is enjoying the aftermath

05/11/2026

This gorgeous boy is Teddy, the German Shepherd puppy. He is smart as a whip and very motivated to learn. Recently adopted, Teddy takes treats hard, using teeth a bit too forcefully. Bite inhibition is set by about 5 months, after which time it can be a little harder to teach a puppy to use his teeth more carefully. Still, we can affect bite inhibition using a simple exercise...

Make a fist with your hand, your thumb and index finger making a round donut, and tucking a treat inside the palm. Let him work away at it. Using teeth will not be effective for getting the treat out. So, when this proves unsuccessful, he will likely try licking at your hand instead. When he licks, push the treat forward into the opening with your 3rd finger and allow him to get it, or simply open your palm flat to reveal the treat. Teddy has gotten much better about using a softer mouth since his family has begun consistently using this method.

There are so many tricks of the trade in dog training, simple little tips that make training and ownership easier and more pleasurable. Like this page for posts about all things dog! And sign up for the WoofGang emailing list... with tips, tricks, special offers and Mutt Morsels -- training tips that solve everyday problems. Simply click on http://eepurl.com/gQDqLX to subscribe and join! (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

05/06/2026

Enrichment games don't need to be complicated. Tilly is playing "go find it!", sniffing through the grass to find scattered treats. It needn't even amount to very much food... in this case I used Saint Rocco's Sprinkles. They're TINY! And she's having a ball