About The Dog Behaviorist NYC

The Dog Behaviorist NYC is Dominik Feichtner's practice, based at 86 Fleet Pl in Downtown Brooklyn. Originally from Munich, he moved to Brooklyn in 2015 to build a business around behavioral challenges after taking up dog work full time in 2013.

What he takes on

The three published pillars are behavior modification, general obedience and puppy training. Behavior modification covers reactivity, leash pulling, jumping, anxiety and fear, aggression and resource guarding. Obedience is the concrete list: sit, stand, down, recall, place relaxation, leash manners, greeting people and off-leash obedience. Puppy training is about structure, boundaries and socialization.

Where he positions himself

The site is explicit about method, and unusually argumentative about it. It says most trainers work on obedience and come unstuck when the real problem is behavioral, and that owners often arrive having already worked with someone not equipped for the deeper work. It rejects both poles: the positive-only approach, on the grounds that asking a highly aroused dog to look at a treat does not address what is happening, and old-school compulsion, on the grounds that it produces a shut-down dog that has suppressed behavior rather than changed. What he calls balanced training uses rewards, corrections and play according to what the individual dog needs.

On puppies

Asked whether he trains puppies, the site answers that puppy training is the most valuable investment an owner can make, and that the dogs he most often sees for behavior modification are ones he wishes he had met at eight weeks. Reactivity, aggression, resource guarding and anxiety are described as either preventable or far easier to address when the foundation is built inside the narrow socialization window.

How it starts, and what it costs

Every new client begins with an in-person behavior assessment at $250, where the dog is evaluated and a plan is put together. Packages then run from $750 for a three-session Bronze package up to $1,800 for an eight-session Gold package covering aggression, reactivity and anxiety. A virtual consultation is $75. Sessions are conducted in-home and in-neighborhood across parts of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Long Island City and Westchester.