The Dog Institute of Williamsburg

I can not speak more highly of Elizabeth and the crew at the Dog Institute. Remy (our golden doodle) has been going there since she was 12 weeks old (she's now 3) and is more well behaved than we could have imagined. In addition to the institute day training Elizabeth provided 1:1 at home lessons which helped us understand the fundamentals of training. One of the biggest hurdles we had was introducing Remy to my mother who is afraid of dogs. Thanks to Elizabeth’s training we were able to introduce them without any complications and my mother is now completely comfortable with Remy. Elizabeth is incredibly compassionate and caring for every dog she looks after and we are so grateful that we were able to take Remy to her.

When my boyfriend and I adopted our pit bull / german shepherd mix puppy rather spontaneously, we were scrambling to figure out what to do as first-time dog owners. After trying a few different places out, we walked into The Dog Institute of Williamsburg for the first time for their puppy play group, met Elizabeth and never looked back. We’ll always remember that first day because of how freaked out we were about owning our first dog and how much Elizabeth helped right from the start. We probably talked for close to an hour after the play group ended, and we came out of there with a clear path forward for our dog Lester and a sense that we were in great hands. From Day 1, Elizabeth stressed the importance of early socialization for Lester. We immediately enrolled 2-month old Lester into her Day Training program, which is a highly structured version of doggy daycare. While The Dog Institute’s day training may be a bit more expensive than other options, you certainly get what you pay for. Unlike other daycares that let dogs run wild, peeing and pooping all over the place and going crazy all day, The Dog Institute’s day training helps to enforce good training behaviors in your dog, gives the dogs structured socializing playtime with each other, provides individual walks for each dog throughout the day, and even sends you daily videos and photos of your dog! Lester had shown some signs of aggression / resource guarding at his first puppy play group, and we fully credit the day training program for helping Lester to develop into the well-mannered and friendly pup he is today, loving of all dogs and people. When we drop him off for the day, we rest easy knowing he’s having a blast and being cared for by a responsible staff. Lester has also been enrolled in Elizabeth’s training and obedience classes (right now he’s in the teen puppy training group). Elizabeth’s training method is really what sets her apart from other places in the city. Most places offer a set curriculum (ie. 5 weeks set up chronologically that build on each week). Elizabeth revolutionized the training process by customizing each class based on what dogs happen to be there that day. This results in a level of personal attention not seen at other training facilities, and Elizabeth knows every dog so well that she knows when to keep the training moving to hit important milestones for each dog. Instead of being rushed through a rigid curriculum, Lester has been able to focus on his problem areas and develop a close bond with Elizabeth. It’s also nice to be able to go to training when you can and not worry about missing a week, and like our puppy play group story, Elizabeth often spends extra time with you after class to talk about whatever you’re working on with your dog. When we were torn up about if/when to neuter Lester, Elizabeth was extremely patient with us and helped talk us through the pros and cons almost daily and monitored him for behavioral issues we should be concerned about. Even though she knew it was the right thing to neuter, she bared with us while we struggled and eventually came to terms with the decision — and she ended up being so right! We could go on and on about how great this place is. The space itself is lovely — it smells nice, they place good music, and it’s clean and comfortable. It’s actually fun to be there for training class, unlike some other cold and dirty training facilities out there. The entire staff is friendly & caring and love the dogs just as much as Elizabeth does. Elizabeth has been in Williamsburg for so long that she has close relationships with the local vets, which makes caring for our dog even easier. And while we haven’t taken advantage of it yet, she also offers overnight boarding and private lessons, two services we are sure are just as great as everything else we’ve experienced. We really don’t know what we’d do without The Dog Institute. It’s a second home for our dog Lester, and Elizabeth is truly his second mom. Do yourself and your dog a favor and bring them here!

I’ve gotten two puppies in the past year, Max (in January) and Rosie (in October), and have taken both to The Dog Institute’s puppy classes and playgroups. I had an excellent experience both times. One of the best things about The Dog Institute is that rather than having a fixed schedule of classes (which is what most trainers offer), puppy classes and playgroups are offered multiple times a week and you have the flexibility to schedule sessions at your convenience, with classes available on Wednesday evening, Saturday and Sunday. The classes really are intended to teach owners as much as teaching the basics to puppies. For owners, Elizabeth and her team really clearly convey what to expect through the different stages of puppy development and how to best manage through the puppy craziness! They also spend time teaching the basics to the puppies - sit, down, impulse control, etc. The puppy playgroups are excellent for socializing new puppies - especially important given that Williamsburg is chock full of people and dogs. To be honest, I only really fully appreciated the puppy classes/playgroups as Max grew up, and I realized how key getting a solid foundation from the classes and playgroups was to having a well-socialized, well-behaved dog. Highly recommend!

We love the WDI. Our sweet cocker spaniel Wilson has been going to the WDI for 1 1/2 years at least twice a week. Elizabeth, a professional trainer, and her compassionate team ensure him a safe and comfortable environment balanced with lots of play time and rest when needed - although he always comes home happily exhausted. The WDI is his favorite place to be besides home with his parents. It is a gift we love giving him! 🐾

We have a 2-year old terrier / chihuahua mix rescue, Bodhi, who has come such a long way thanks to Elizabeth and her team at The Dog Institute! When we got Bodhi at 4 months old, he was afraid to walk, afraid of all the city noises, and had terrible separation anxiety–we could barely leave our house for 10 min without him panicking. Thanks to The Dog Institute’s day training program, our dog got over his separation anxiety, he’s become a much better walker (thanks to Elizabeth’s coaching in particular) and Bodhi has generally become a much happier, more confident dog. Elizabeth is the only trainer we really trust, and it’s so nice to know that she and her team love Bodhi as much as we do. I highly recommend The Dog Institute – our dog truly loves it there and pulls on the leash every time we get near it.