Testimonials
Hugo & Hope & the Tucker Family
We adopted two rescues from Puerto Rico
The first one Hope was extremely fearful and timid. She came to us first.
Rachel helped us tremendously by coaching and mentoring us throughout our first couple of days. At first, Hope would not come out of the crate and after talking to Rachel several times, we had Hope out of her crate, walking and eating! We wouldn’t have been able to get her to this point without Rachel’s support, kindness and tough love. We leaned into the dogs fear and Rachel helped us how to be pack leaders! Now, Hope is completely transitioned to her forever home and we couldn’t be happier! So much so that we adopted her brother Nigel (now Hugo).
Hugo was even more terrified of everything and it made us scared. He wouldn’t allow us to put a lead on him. It was like fighting a wild horse to get the lead on!
We drove to the city to see Rachel and within 4 mins she had his lead on and had Hugo walking the streets of NYC! Amazing dog whisperer! Rachel again with her love, support and guidance helped our family overcome both our dog and our own fears!
She is absolutely amazing! We are ever grateful for her support and guidance.
With gratitude, The Tucker’s
Bubby & Bergen
Frankie, Nicole & Zach
When we rescued Frankie, she was seven months old and had spent most of her short life crated while her humans were hospitalized. We worked with a trainer recommended by the rescue who was able to help us get up to speed on being dog parents and how to ensure Frankie’s safety. We knew she was smart when she immediately picked up on “sit”, “let’s go!”, and “wait,” but we needed more help with ending her habit of emotional tinkling.
Working with Rachel changed everything for us. Rachel’s deep knowledge of dog psychology helped us reframe our thinking and better understand the root causes of Frankie’s actions. We also learned a lot about ourselves and how to always carry a sense of confidence and calm with us. Frankie remains stubborn, but already she is much better at being on the leash, doesn’t try to eat so much garbage, waits (mostly) patiently for her food, and sits calmly when we stop to chat with our neighbors on the street.
As Rachel says, a willingness to be open and a commitment to being consistent is critical to being a good dog owner and she is right!
Thank you, Rachel!!
Joey, Rachel & Bobby
I cannot say enough great things about Rachel and her approach to dog training/dog psychology!! We rescued our sweet pup last summer and we always get so many comments on how well behaved he is, how well trained, etc. and it's all thanks to Rachel's support and guidance.
Even before we picked up our pup, Rachel provided us with so many resources & tools to help get us prepared for what we were doing. All of the materials were so helpful in beginning to understand what would be needed from us as new dog owners to establish both trust and respect between our dog and us. Anything we had questions about Rachel responded promptly and thoroughly, which really put any of our worries at ease.
Fast forward to actually getting our dog, putting all of the resources into practice, THEY WORK. If you put the time and energy in, you will see the results with Rachel's guidance!! We of course had moments, but Rachel was right there to help us and guide us through puppy life.
Fast forward a little over 6 months we have the BEST DOG EVER. Again, people constantly comment how wonderful he is, how well behaved, and it truly wouldn't have been with all the support and guidance.
Thank you thank you Rachel for everything!!!
Rita, Mayte & Santiago
We were living abroad when we welcomed Rita into our family, so she was used to peaceful walks in a small town. Needless to say, moving to New York was a big adjustment, and she was having a really hard time on walks, often freezing and refusing to move or pulling on her leash out of fear.
We were starting to get really frustrated because even after three months of high-value rewards when outside to create a positive association, she was still not enjoying her walks at all. I first met Rachel, her husband, and their three adorable dogs while I was (unsuccessfully) trying to get Rita to walk on the park. Rita was not having it, not even wanting to take the treats because she was so afraid. I casually mentioned that I was trying to bribe her with little pieces of hot dog and right away Rachel was emphatic: “No need to bribe her, just a matter of energy and leadership. If you enjoy her walk, she will too”.
We got to talking and she asked to take Rita’s leash to show me how to make her more confident. Then she offered to help and gave me her card. Me and my husband met with Rachel, Bryan and the dogs during that same weekend and long story short, in less than an hour Rita was walking happily by our side, sniffing around with the park with her perky little tail pointing up, and sitting down to calmly take treats in the middle of busy Broadway on our way back home!
We couldn’t believe the transformation. We’re still practicing on our walking skills using what Rachel taught us, but Rita is already more confident than she’s ever been since we brought her to the big city.
Thank you so much Rachel!
Henry, Christina & Dan
Before we met up with Rachel we tried the lead leash on our own and even watched videos on it, but we just couldn’t get it right, our dog kept pulling and walks were very stressful. When we met up with Rachel for a training session, once she got hold of the leash our dog immediately took to it. Then she showed us the right way to use it and we were able to walk him with no pulling and completely stress free. Rachel also gave us obedience tips and showed us how to properly get our dog in the car.
She was very pleasant to work with and made the two hours we spent with her fun and informative.
We are so thankful to Rachel for giving us her time and knowledge to help us better help our dog.
Speck, Little Man, Danielle & Kevin
When we rescued Speck, she came to us afraid of everything.
We’ve both had dogs and rescues before, but we quickly realized how little prepared for what we saw as a
significant “fear case”.
This dog was literally scared shitless. (No joke, she pooped herself when I approached her to put her leash on. Twice.)
We reached out to Rachel who quickly organized a phone call with us to talk us through our situation and approach, and feeling our uncertainty, then offered to help us by meeting up in person. Truly after only a few hours of focused pack-walking and training (for us even more so than Speck), she transformed into the dog she really has been all along!
She is joyful, playful, sweet, and well-behaved, and she loves our previous dog, Littleman.
Speck — who was so afraid to walk she made her paws bleed — now walks better than our other dog of eight years. She’s a champ and loves long hikes through the park. The foundation of trust we desperately needed with Speck is all thanks to Rachel’s guidance, and with that trust has come some truly glorious play and affection.
We are so grateful for Rachel’s clarity, assertiveness, professionalism, and patience. She is a remarkable dog trainer with so much passion for what she does so well.
Without a doubt, Rachel would be our top recommendation for anyone who wants to make sure their dog is as happy as they can be.
Rusty & The Stillwell Family
We adopted Rusty just 6 weeks ago, he is about 6 months old, we rescued him from Puerto Rico. He was so shy and afraid of everything when we got him. He spent the first 2 weeks we had him trembling in fear and barely moving out of our kitchen. He was afraid to venture and explore any of his new surroundings that’s when I reached out to Rachel. Rachel is so kind and patient, our first contact was by phone and she took the time to answer all my questions and I had a lot of them. Since then she had followed up with me weekly by email to check on our progress. Rachel is insightful, smart, funny and really loves dogs. She taught us that we needed to be Rusty’s pack and once he trusted us as his pack leaders he would come out of his shell. Since putting Rachel’s advice into practice we have a completely different puppy. He is affectionate and much more confident, comfortable and exploring all of his new surroundings. Of course we are still working on lots of things like walking on leash and not barking at strangers, Rusty has made such unbelievable progress in such a short time thanks to Rachel’s help.
Poppy, Tag, Katie & Matt
I was so excited to finally be getting the puppy I’d always wanted. And I also always said if I had a dog she would be well trained! That was a fantasy goal, of course I knew almost nothing about how to train a dog. Rachel came to us as part of the package from the rescue agency when we adopted Poppy. She set us up before Poppy even arrived with so much information and so many resources on dog training and dog psychology. Rachel was also always promptly responsive to all my questions and clearly happy to be providing her assistance to us. Once Poppy arrived she continued to be so responsive to all my emailed questions, was generous enough to provide us a lengthy phone consult and is always thrilled to see pictures of Poppy and hear the updates of how she is settling in with us and her elderly golden retriever brother.
It has been quite clear that Rachel adores dogs and is highly motivated to provide the guidance humans need to make sure that dogs feels happy and safe in their homes. I can’t imagine a more motivated or caring trainer. With Rachel’s guidance we have had a smooth and joyful experience welcoming Poppy into our family. We constantly can’t believe how lucky we got with Poppy and we know we owe so much of that to Rachel- she was part of the team that picked us to be Poppy’s humans and she gave us all the tools and personal guidance to be sure it was a positive experience.
Thanks Rachel!!!
The first time Rachel and I met to discuss my timid rescue, Bubby, the call ended with us both saying "love you.” To me, this speaks to Rachel’s training style - accessible, approachable, and passionate. Not only was I extremely appreciative of the 1 hour she dedicated to answer my many questions, she also follows up for status updates and to share helpful articles. Rachel continues to give me the pep talk I need to be a calm, confident pack leader as my shy pup takes on his next adventure.
I would recommend Rachel to anyone looking for a knowledgeable cheerleader to help them understand and implement dog psychology into their dog’s routine. Bubby and I are both SO grateful for your continued help and I’m sure will be coming back for more advice soon!
Jasper & the Noone Family
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Nori, Rachel & Eric
Within one day we saw results thanks to our trainer Rachel Witz!!
Our newly adopted puppy, Nori was urinating all over our rug, ruff times for us. With the quick and easy steps given by Rachel, we are pee free after living among the pee for 2 weeks!!
We can’t thank her enough!!! All of the tips and understanding how to be better pack leaders, she has given us and our new puppy have been amazing.
Thanks for your help and all that you do !
We called Rachel when we were afraid that our 6 month old rescue might develop separation anxiety. Not only did Rachel remember the specifics of our family and our rescue application, she took the time to explain and discuss separation anxiety in dogs, specifically rescue dogs. She answered our many questions and helped us with advice on how to move forward so our puppy becomes a family dog.
Rachel also talked through other behavioral items and how to work on them along with some obedience tasks that we can work on.
Rachel cares about the well being of our whole family and her care doesn’t stop there. I received a thoughtful follow up after our phone call and was offered any services that we may need in the future. With Rachel, we know that going forward our family and our puppy are in good hands.
Thank you Rachel for all you have done for our new pup and for our whole family.
With gratitude,
The Noone Family
Coco & Rebecca
My experience with Rachel has been amazing. Her wealth of knowledge of dog psychology has helped me immensely to understand exactly what I need to do for my dog Coco. My husband and I rescued Coco, a 4 year old Chihuahua mix, from a re-home situation.
Coco bonded to me very quickly but was very skittish and territorial. She barked excessively when anyone came to the door or walked by our house. She was very nervous to travel in the car. Coco followed me constantly in the house and daily I would trip over her. On our walks if a neighbor or anyone stopped to say hello Coco was very aggressive. She was scared of cars and trucks that passed by us. She would hide behind me tangling the leash around my legs. I finally decided to seek professional help after Coco bit my brother when he came over for a visit.
Rachel came highly recommended from the Chihuahua rescue organization which helped facilitate our adoption of Coco.
Right from the beginning of our training session Rachel made me feel comfortable. Rachel’s friendliness, compassion and humor helped me relax. She showed me precisely how to walk Coco. Rachel explained that it was my job to become the Leader of the pack to provide Coco with the protection and leadership she needed. Rachel gave me so much information about Coco and myself and how my energy effects Coco.
After just 2 hours with Rachel Coco is a completely different dog. I continue to give Coco the exercise and leadership she needs. On our daily walks she is confident and does not bark or coward when we pass anyone or anything loud. She is calm in the house and has stopped constantly following me. Coco is doing so much better in the car. This past weekend we took a 4 hour car ride to Vermont and Coco handled it extremely well!
Rachel continues to reach out to check in on how Coco is doing. She is available to answer any questions or concerns I have. I am so grateful for Rachel. I highly recommend her to anyone who needs help with their furry babies. Thank you so much Rachel! 💟
Sparky, Sally & Dan
Our beagle/Jack Russell mix, Sparky, is now 6. He’s adored chasing his ball in Riverside Park since we adopted him in 2013. But he began growling at other dogs who came near us when he had the ball, and I was concerned he would become more aggressive.
I heard about Rachel through a friend. She’d seen Sparky in the park and understood the problem immediately. After we spoke, she came to our apartment to meet him and we then took him out. She had a lot of good suggestions for me after seeing us in the park together-the most important one was to establish my husband and me as pack leaders for Sparky. That basically meant starting over for me. I learned how to put on his leash, how to keep him from straining when we walked, when and how to give him treats. We also asked her to work with us on being in the car. We make frequent trips in it and he’s been miserable, so she showed us how to acclimate him to it. She also taught me to be patient with myself and with him. We’re getting there.
I’m like a different owner and Sparky’s like a different dog now. I can’t recommend Rachel highly enough! She’s so knowledgeable and thoughtful, with a teaching style that’s so supportive and positive. She likes hearing all about Sparky and his progress, and seems to know when I need reassuring. If I need more help in the future, I’ll call her.
Fiona, Julie & Bob
We started working with Rachel to teach our pup that we are the pack leader , which we had done when she was a puppy but at four years old she had become quite dominant and demanding. She had also shown signs of some anxiety which I attribute to her not being taught boundaries and respecting us.
After just our first one hour phone call with Rachel, in about 2 days Fiona was walking at our side with a loose leash and pulling a lot less to sniff grass (which is her favorite thing to do on walks). Also Rachel taught us how to enter our home, and ignore Fiona's antics jumping, squealing and mouthing us every time. After just two different times we came home from being out, she understood she was not getting petted or any attention at all until she calmed down completely. This amazed me, and I have had dogs my entire life...thought I knew just about every training trick in the book. We were also told to put her crate in our room at night, as she had been sleeping downstairs alone in the living room. She had barked off and on at 2 am, 3 am and now that she is sleeping with her PACK .. she is sleeping sound without making a peep.
We are learning that she is a dog not a human child of ours, and she is much calmer and happier with more structure, boundaries and OUR less stressed out energy around her. Energy is everything, and when people have confidence and are in the leader role the dog will also feel confident, calm and relaxed. We HAVE the results to prove it. We will continue to work with Rachel, and highly recommend her for any family that needs behavioral and training help with their dog !
P.S. Just wanted to say , have an amazing holiday & because of YOU , Fiona is not spending Christmas alone with our petsitter!! We are bringing her with us and soooo grateful for you !! ❤️❤️❤️
Digby, Jomari and Anthony
We came to Rachel to help my dog Digby with his social anxieties. He was barking & lunging at large dogs and lunging and even biting random people. After spending time with Rachel, I received a great deal of understanding that a lot of his behavior was due to my behavior when approaching other dogs and people. He was feeding off of my nervous reaction and I had no idea I was creating his hostile approach. Now, I keep my approach much more relaxed and happy and I see the difference in our daily walks. Rachel helped me realize that it’s all about my energy and not his. Rachel's expertise is exactly what we needed to help us all.
Rachel, you are great and your help with him has been tremendous!!
We are all so much happier!!
We can’t thank you enough! <3
Mo, Lauren, Tab, Chico & Maggie
My wife and I were fostering a dog, Mo, that had been in a NJ shelter for over nine months. He had been adopted and returned multiple times; the reason cited was biting. Indeed, Mo would bite and it was usually in response to unwanted and/or unexpected touch. While he was living harmoniously with our two rescue dogs and cat, we had multiple biting incidents and were concerned about his adoptability.
We asked Rachel to help us so that we could set Mo up for success in his future adoptive home. Rachel spent over two hours with us. Rachel taught us that at Mo had never had a proper leader; he had always had to guide himself. Mo's biting was a function of feeling unprotected.
Rachel’s instruction provided us with a framework for understanding Mo’s behaviors and psychology. Among other practices, she provided instruction on how to lead pack walks, feed, and approach affection with Mo. Our session with Rachel gave us practical techniques, but, perhaps more importantly, she provided the information and philosophy that enabled us to assume the role of pack leaders.
There is no one more committed to the happiness and well being of dogs than Rachel. Her training is infused with love and respect for them. She recognizes that in order for them to be happy, their humans need to understand their needs.
Rachel is warm, generous, committed – and hilarious.
Training with her is fun and inspiring.
She gives you a way to feel deeply connected to your dog.
P.S. Mo was adopted into a fantastic home !
Willa, Sully, Maria & family
I met Rachel while adopting my pittie mix Willa. I always loved the pit bull breed and was excited to finally have one join my family of little boy, Frenchie Sully, and senior kitty, Danger. As Willa grew...and grew...and grew to a 75lb love bug I was finding it very difficult to control her on walks or even her energy when someone would enter the house. She was so excited and eager to say hello to everyone but everyone was NOT feeling the same way to be jumped on by such a large dog. I still was friends with Rachel through Instagram and something about her energy I always was drawn to and really connected with. I spoke about my frustrations with my big baby and she instantly offered a phone session (since I'm over an hour outside the city). She spent at least an hour and a half listening and asking questions about Willa and my Frenchie Sully (who can get aggressive only on the leash when she sees other dogs). After she told ME how I need to act with my dogs and how they need to follow my lead.
I realized that a lot of the changes I needed to make started with how I treated and interacted with my girls. Additionally, Rachel sent me multiple resources and tools on how to help my little pack fall into order. It's only been about 3 weeks and I notice such a difference. I always loved Willa but now I don't find her behavior as over whelming.
I'm so appreciative for not only how knowledgeable Rachel is with training and animal (and people!) behavior but how she genuinely cares! I will always reach out to her should I ever have any additional questions and would recommend her to anyone and everyone!!
Myself and my crew can't thank her enough!!
Samson & Kelsey
When I adopted my cat Samson from a neglectful home it was a tough transition for us both. Samson hid constantly, hissed and swatted when approached, and just seemed overall miserable. I reached out to Rachel for advice and she was wonderful. I had lost all hope that Samson would ever be comfortable with me and in my home but her advice encouragement and support really got me through. Some tips she had me try were no eye contact, no talking, and no uninvited contact. She also had me change up his meal routine so instead of one meal that I put and left out in the morning I fed him once in the morning and once at night so that he would be forced out of his hiding place while I was home if he wanted to eat...and he did haha. After a few months Samson is a completely reformed lap cat and I am eternally grateful to Rachel :)
Thank you!
Coco & Darya
Not that long ago I decided to adopt a dog. I remember scrolling through different websites that were offering senior dog adoption. When I saw Coco’s face, I immediately fell in love with her. I guess it was match made in heaven. I immediately contacted LI Chihuahua rescue. A little after a week I was able to bring Coco to my house. Coco was a dream dog. On a first day she gave me a lot of love and affection. She was following me everywhere and she was simply a perfect dog. However, the next day things changed. Suddenly, she started growling at me and she would not come close to me. Furthermore, she would not allow me to handle her or to take off her leash. Any attempt to come closer to her ended up in me being bitten. Sure enough by the third day I was ready to give up on Coco and on the idea of being a dog owner. To tell the truth, I was even suspected that Coco might be bipolar. One minute she was calm and warm, the next minute she was growling at me. Consequently, I contacted Tracey from LI Chihuahua rescue and explained her situation. I felt absolutely horrible. Coco is a senior rat terrier. Unfortunately, Coco was given up at age 8 and then had a couple of adoptions in the past that did not work out. Hence, I felt extremely guilty, but I did not know what to do. Fortunately, Tracey was very understanding. She encouraged me to talk to a professional dog behaviorist who has been helping her throughout the years.
Rachel is amazing. She reached out to me first and took her time to listen to me and to my situation. For the next couple of weeks we worked together via conference calls. She basically explained me everything about dogs, about their way of thinking and their behavior from A to Z. I almost felt like I was in information overload. However, I started to think like a dog. That’s when I noticed my progress with Coco. Rachel explained to me that a daily walks are a must for a dog. In addition, it was our bonding time. Of course, I had no clue how to walk a dog correctly. Every time we went for a walk, Coco would pull me into different directions. Seeing other people walking their dogs the same way, I thought it was a norm.
took her time and offered Coco a private training session. You won’t believe it, but I came back with a different dog. She was very calm; she stopped pulling me on a leash. She was walking by my side waiting for my commands. She was not the leader anymore. I became a leader for HER. Finally, that day was the first day she allowed me to take of her leash off, without growling or biting me !
Since then I have been seeing only progress in my sweet girl, Coco. For anyone out there, please take your time with your dog. They need time and understanding of dog psychology. Once you establish a routine, and understanding of dog behavior, you will see great results. I can’t thank Rachel enough, who was literally holding my hand every step of the way. Without her time, dedication and passion, Coco would not achieve such great results, or I should say I would have not known how to give Coco what she needs !
Thank you so much Rachel
Darya & Coco XOXOXO
Jordy & Kavita & Ankur
Rachel is a wonderful trainer, and is so generous with her time and advice. She continues to ask about Jordy and email suggestions even though our training session was over 6 months ago.
We were having some difficulty with our young Golden Retriever – he had a lot of puppy energy and we didn’t know how to handle him, especially on the leash. He was walking us instead of the other way around. The moment Rachel walked in to our apartment, she assessed Jordy’s aura in 5 seconds and assumed the appropriate demeanor to work with him . It was really impressive to see how her calm, assertive energy instantly calmed our dog. It was also a relief to see that he was receptive and she made us realize the issue was more about us and our approach, not the puppy. She of course helped us work on specific issues like impulse control and leash manners – she took a walk with us and gave us pointers on corrective behavior. But most importantly of all, she showed us how our demeanor and energy affect our puppy and his reactive behaviors. We continue to keep this in mind when encountering new situations. I highly recommend Rachel as a trainer - she certainly helped us change the way we approach things and she really knows what she’s doing!
Bear & Yuko
Bear was surrendered by previous owner at age 11. He looked like he lived his whole life as a cute little accessory.
He was scared of everything. Whenever he got stressed out, he tried to jump into a nearest thing that looks like a purse. His pows were soft and pink like a house cat. He probably didn’t go outside much (except for inside purses). He didn’t know how to properly take a walk.
Everything I read on line says “long walks are the best way to destress”. But what do I do when he doesn’t even walk? Can I teach old dog a new trick?
Nothing worked the first 3-4 months. He was always tense and cranky.
I finally asked Rachel for help.
Surprisingly, Rachel taught him to walk on the leash within the first session! It felt like a magic.
After about three sessions, Bear started to change dramatically.
Now, we walk about a mile every morning. He jumps out of the bag to walk as soon as I get out of a subway stop.
He looks a lot more relaxed, which I can see in his face, as well as the way he sleeps.
Before I worked with Rachel, many people told me ‘you can’t teach an old dog a new trick. It’s just how he is and you have to accept it’.
She, together with Bear, now a happier pup, proved it wrong.
Bear, Michael & Astrid
Being the caretakers of a newly rescued senior dog from an abusive home, is quite the undertaking. While we knew we were doing something good, it quickly became apparent that we needed help in caring correctly for our newest senior member.
I’m fairly certain that if it weren’t for Rachel, we would have asked someone else to care for the dog. For convincing us not to do that, and instead, providing Bear, with a home, we owe her our complete thanks.
In the beginning it was very difficult for us to accommodate the dogs needs. He required a lot of attention as well as several walks during the day. He was urinating around the house, and becoming aggressive with our cats.
With help from Rachel, over the course of several weeks, we were able to establish boundaries and leadership with the dog, as well as curtail his assertive nature with the cats. Now, I can sit with the dog and the cats, albeit separately, on the same couch without any ruckus ensuing.
Her generosity and willingness to help, did not stop there. She was also very helpful with some medical problems we were having with bear. She sent me great information on polydipsia and polyuria in elderly dogs, the underlying causes, what to do and how to Abate the symptoms.
Rachel has been there to help with any problem no matter how big or small. She is always quick to respond, and willing to go the extra mile to make sure that both dog and owner are living their best lives, together.
Words cannot truly express our gratefulness or our confidence in Rachel. I would absolutely recommend her services to anyone who is looking for a better life with their canine.
Sincerely,
Michael, Astrid and Bear Girolamo