About Better Together Dog Training

Better Together Dog Training is Nicole Poliseno's in-home practice, listed on Bellmore Street in Floral Park and serving Long Island. The business name is also its thesis: the site's stated purpose is helping people understand and live better together with their dogs.

Four programs, named by the owner's problem

The programs are labeled the way a worried owner would describe the situation, which is unusual and useful. Puppy Training Program: 'I just got a new puppy – now what?' Obedience Training Program: 'My dog is NOT listening – what should I do?' Advanced Training Program, which the site glosses as off-leash fun. And the Specialty Training Program: 'My dog is out of control – HELP!'

What in-home means here

The site is specific that the whole household is trained, not just the dog: the trainer comes to the home, teaches the whole family how to communicate with and understand the dog's behavior, and teaches skills, techniques and reinforcement designed for that dog, that lifestyle and that activity level.

Method, explained rather than labeled

Nicole Poliseno describes herself as a balance trainer and then defines what that means in her practice as a sequence of assessments: the dog's breed, characteristics and temperament; the household's lifestyle, described as active, moderate or low level; and the owner's actual concerns. Only then is a program built. The published client accounts match that – a pit bull that had begun chasing and jumping on two resident Boston terriers, worked weekly in the home until the three dogs could settle together; an owner on her third trainer before this one; a mini dachshund taught basic commands and calm leash walking as a puppy.

Also offered

Dog walking is published as a newer, separate service.