About Balanced Pack Training NYC

Balanced Pack Training NYC is run by Stephanie Hartman from 249 Tompkins Ave in Bed-Stuy, and its own subtitle describes her as a dog trainer and behavior consultant based in Brooklyn.

Where she came from

Her background is with shelter dogs and rescue organizations, rehabilitating complex behaviors from fears and phobias through to aggression. She describes the turning point plainly: rather than becoming fearful after an incident with a friend's dog, she went into research mode, became preoccupied with understanding the reason behind the bite, and set out to see whether she could help end that dog's bite history. Enrolling in a behaviorist program followed. Originally from Maryland, she states she has been based in Brooklyn for over a decade.

What she offers

Private training sessions and packages, board and train programs, overnight boarding with specialized care, and adoption and foster consultations – the last of these aimed at the decision point before a dog comes home rather than after.

The standard she works to

The site names LIMA – least intrusive, minimally aversive – as the standard for behavior modification, explaining it as prioritizing the dog's comfort in every session and finding strategies that give the best and most effective experience while taking the owner's own abilities and needs into account.

How the work is sold, and honestly

The site distinguishes between packages and single sessions and does not pretend either suits everything. Packages exist to keep an owner committed, save money and spread sessions across months as life allows. Single pay-as-you-go sessions are recommended for tune-ups and specific problems such as manners, obedience or mild anxiety, and are explicitly not recommended for complex cases. Everything starts with a 90-minute initial consultation, described as a frank appraisal based on a close examination of health, behavior and history. Her stated wider mission is to demystify dog behavior for overwhelmed owners trying to make sense of conflicting advice.