NY, NYC Queens Brooklyn Long Island Manhattan Dog Trainer, New York City Dog Obedience Training School

 

"Life before Christina of NY Clever K9: Formal complaints from apartment neighbors who don't quite appreciate incessant barking; a tired, impatient, at-her-wits-end owner who had never witnessed her dog sleep for more than 20 minutes and who barked whenever he was awake; crumbs in my bed from a dog who refused to remove himself from it; never an uninterrupted eating experience without an entire turkey or pizza being snatched from the table; a wild dog jumping up on every table and person; did I mention the incessant barking?  Life after Christina: Compliments from neighbors and friends about my well behaved, gorgeous 'angel'; a rested owner who enjoys a full night sleep on her crumb free bed with her dog on his own bed on the floor; dinners at the dining room table for the 2-leggeds only; a dog who tries very hard to sit when greeting people, but in any event, no longer jumps; a doggie and owner who happily understand each other!  Thank you, Christina, for making Mac's world less frustrating and my world more peaceful!"
- Bridget Meenaghan, NYC


"My name is Moxie. I am a Chihuahua Miniature Pinscher mix. That's a lot of doggy personality for someone my size. I was recently adopted by Moxietwo amazing women and their adorable young boys(ages 8 and 10). I am very fortunate to live in a very loving home, but sometimes my family thinks of me more as a toy and not a dog. I know I'm cute, but there's a limit to how much I can take. You see, given my size and my background (rescued from Animal Care and Control), I have lots of fear based aggression. It wasn't until Christina came into our lives that anyone understood my feelings. Christina helped translate my behavior. Christina came in and taught my family how to handle my needs in a very loving and gentle way. Her methods not only showed my humans how to treat me but also reassured them that any behavioral issues could be easily corrected with a firm but compassionate hand, repetition, rewards and, of course, patience. Would you believe I used to bark incessantly when our next door neighbor came home from work? Now, I barely raise an eyebrow when he comes home. I'm so much calmer when we go for walks now. I was a nervous wreck out there with all the sights and sounds of the city coming at me. Christina showed my humans how to manage my walks and navigate the sidewalks. It's not easy being me but with Christina on my side, it's so much better than it was. Some would say the dog is man's best friend, but I would say, Christina is the dog's best friend. Two paws up for Christina!"

                                                   ~ Moxie Mintz Killmer - with input from Rachel and Jenni (my humans), NYC

Hannah & Sydney

When we first called Christina we were frustrated and quickly losing hope with our 7 month old French Bulldog, Hannah. Hannah barked constantly for attention, and we had received several complaints from neighbors in our NYC apartment who were losing hours of sleep each night. We had tried products such as the 'citronella collar' to reduce barking, and had even enrolled Hannah and Sydney, our pug puppy, in basic group obedience classes.  Nothing had helped control the barking and after 6 group obedience classes, our puppies had only learned how to 'sit' because when they were there, all they wanted to do was play with the other dogs.  After the first 20 minutes with Christina, my dogs had learned more than after all 6 group classes.  My dogs greatly enjoyed these sessions each week and Christina's obvious passion and expertise made learning fun for everyone.  Now that they realize that I am in control and that barking is a futile attempt to get my attention, both Hannah and Sydney's behavior have drastically improved, and I have found that they are much happier dogs altogether. I would highly recommend Christina to anyone. We can't thank you enough!"
- Allie, Sydney, and Hannah Butler, NYC
Heidi
"Shortly after I got Heidi she became more and more frightened of strangers.  She began to shake and hide whenever a visitor came to our house and would not come out until they left, even if it took hours.  When I tried to walk her outside, she would be terrified and shake, pant and lunge back indoors so that I was unable to walk her.  She would also jump and run at every new noise. Through Christina's behavior modification program Heidi's stranger phobia is almost completely gone.  She can still be a little skittish, but no longer hides from visitors and now looks forward to our walks.  The difference is remarkable.  Christina transformed her from a terrified dog who was limited to our house to a happy and confident one who is now capable of enjoying w life.  I really recommend NY Clever K9!"
- Christine Marino, Queens
Miller
"Prior to Christina, Lizzy waas in complete control of the house - in one word DISOBEDIENT. She's like a different dog now! We can actually sit on the couch without being trampled. We're even receiving compliments from the neighbors who have told us "Hiring that trainer was the best money you've ever spent!" Thanks Christina!"

- Laura & John Tuseo, Queens
Parker

"Steven and I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done for Parker.  Although we were lucky enough to have a found a puppy with such a great temperament, thanks to you, we are now also on our way to helping Parker lead a happy lifestyle, where he now knows how to communicate with us, and in turn we can communicate with him.  I believe it is this obedience that will truly help Parker to live a fulfilling and happy life.  We are so excited for what's to come, and thank you for giving us all the tools we may need to help Parker along the way.  Enjoy the pictures and we will keep you posted on Parker's developments!!"

- Erika & Steven Bekoff, Queens

"Christina really helped us with our dogs. The older dog Sky was becoming increasingly more aggressive towards our younger dog Fen as well as towards myself. Christina showed us a way to incorporate training techniques into our everyday lives that worked for all of us. I was really impressed by Christina's understanding of dogs as well as owners. We really enjoyed working with her and appreciate all she has done to help us better understand Sky and Fen so we can all live together in harmony. It was a true learning experience to see her work and how fast she could get them to learn, she showed us our guys have far greater potential than we thought possible. Thank you Christina you have made a big difference in making our lives more rewarding!" Joel Lasher, NYC

 


"It was very embarrassing for us to have our dog Bailey show aggression to other dogs, especially after moving to a very pet friendly apartment building.  Needless to say, there are dogs everywhere.  With Christina's help Bailey overcame his leash aggression in just a few sessions, he is unconcerned with other dogs, more relaxed and is behaving better every day.  He even had a very friendly encounter with another dog yesterday, they were sniffing each other, wagging tails, it was great!  He also actually listens to us outside!  No more embarrassing days. Working with Christina was a wonderful experience as she made it simple and fun, we highly recommend her!"
- Valisa, Neal & Bailey, Queens, NY

"Christina is the best dog trainer I’ve worked with. She uses only positive reinforcement and helped me train my dog to snap out of her longstanding fear aggression to people, something that other behaviorists I’ve seen have not been able to do.  We were severely limited in where we could take Flurry and even avoided having guests over due to her constant barking, following and jumping at them. The transformation in Flurry has been amazing, we recently were able to take her to an indoor barbecue full of people all strangers to her. Not only did she not bark at any of the guests (even when they stood up and walked around!) she was really friendly and even bonded with one guest in particular. We're thrilled to say that she's becoming quite the socialite!"
- Suzanne Flannery, Queens, NY
Parker
"I brought home to NYC the cutest 11-week-old puppy, Ginger. However, I found that when I tried to walk Ginger outside she would not even leave my apartment to go out into the hallway. Ginger was petrified, terrified of leaving my apartment and much less the building. Enter into my life Christina Shusterich. Christina began with Basic Obedience and then developed a desensitization program to build up Ginger’s confidence and reduce her fear of outside by bringing successful obedience, exercise and fun games into the hallway that I could do with her.  Slowly but surely Ginger found the hallway to be the best place ever, she became curious about the noises from other apartments and she got used to the ones that frightened her. We worked our way to the lobby and then to the sidewalk. Ginger has been taking long walks with ease for about 2 months. Not only does she takes walks, she loves them. It was a difficult time for me as I thought it was the strangest thing to have a dog that didn’t want to go for a walk, but I am so glad that I stuck with the training program that Christina provided. Ginger brings so much joy to my life and we love to spend our days together strolling through the park. I whole-heartedly recommend Christina and NY Clever K9 whether it is for Basic Obedience or working with your fearful dog."  

- Stacey Giunta, NYC
"Christina is fabulous. I’m handicapped and needed someone to work with my reserved standard poodle and train her as a service dog. Christina worked wonders and turned Hanna into a fabulous mobility dog. Christina is not only my dog’s trainer, she’s also become a friend and even though Hanna’s intensive training has come to an end, Christina makes it a point to visit us once a month and take us out on field trips, going to local stores, restaurants or just to the park, making sure Hanna is up to par. She’s an excellent trainer and I can think of no other person or place that deserves the honor of being named the best in Queens!"
- Judy Hartfield, Queens, NY

Izzy & Jellybean

"Christina is a magician.  Kate and Ginger try really hard but aren't able to always understand us.  Granted, we have some issues: Izzy is blind and barks to try to communicate and Jellybean has some submissive urination issues.  With kindness and patience Christina determines, develops and translates for us what we can really do (a lot!) and how to effectively communicate with us.  If you need your linguistically challenged humans to learn 'The Ways of the Dog,' training, leadership skills and make your life less stressful and better all around give Christina a call, you won't be disappointed.  An extra benefit we got from the confidence we gained through Christina obedience program and our improved relationships is that Izzy no longer needs to bark constantly to try to get his point across and Jellybean's urination problems have really decreased.  Christina we love you!"


- Izzy, Jellybean, Kate & Ginger, Brooklyn, NY
"Christina is amazing.  My black Labrador/Chow mix Gina was like the Tasmanian Devil before Christina began working with her.  I don't know how she does it but she is able to connect with my dog on a level I've never seen before.  In just a few sessions Gina was following commands and her behavior in general was really improved.  Christina is so great because she doesn't just train the dog and have you sit there, she makes sure you are involved so when she leaves you know exactly what to do and what to practice on.  She is on time and great with scheduling and I would recommend her to anyone.  Thanks Christina for the great investment!"
- Brad Mitchell, NYC
 


~Pluto and I are so glad Christina came into our lives! Pluto had a big problem with other large dogs whenever we went on walks. He would pull, bark, stare and even cry if he could not get close to the other dog.  Christina took the time to evaluate Pluto, by talking with me and by observing him carefully.  She worked with him (and myself) gently, consistently and effectively. She helped me to understand my dog’s anxiety, its origins and how to treat it. She encouraged me to keep practicing with Pluto, and to not be discouraged by minor lapses. The result: a calmer, happier dog, who is complimented on his beautiful walk and nonchalant attitude toward other excitable dogs. I love to walk him now! Christina truly helped develop a stronger bond and mutual respect between Pluto and I.                                                                                  - Nicole and Pluto Hernandez, Queens, NY

~"Denver", a Blind, 12 year old Labrador mix.  Re-Housetraining in new home and reduction of anxiety.  "Remarkable.  Denver is more comfortable here than he ever was in our old home. Thanks so much!" - Jim Palefe, Queens, NY

~"O'Brien", a 2 year old Golden Retriever.  Trained for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test.  "Christina is a superb trainer with a very intelligent and constructive approach, she is a pleasure to work with.  O'Brien was trained in a very short time frame." - Charles Scherer, NYC