About Lee & Co. Walking and Training

Lee & Co. is Lee Cahill's practice. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, insured and bonded by the Pet Sitters Association, and states she is in her eleventh year of training with over a thousand logged hours and sixteen years working with animals.

Method, and the reasoning behind it

She uses positive reinforcement, and the site gives the argument rather than just the label: reward-based techniques are more effective than old-school intimidation, which can worsen or create fear-based aggression. She also makes a point that not all dogs respond the same way, and that the most effective training is the one the owner actually enjoys doing.

Three courses

Beginner Training, for puppies and untrained dogs, covers sit, stay and come alongside the real problems – potty training, nipping, barking, jumping on people and pulling on the leash. Advanced Training, for dogs who have completed the beginner course or can demonstrate equivalent skills, adds harder work including heel and go-to-bed. Tricks, also for graduates, teaches play dead, roll over and sit pretty, framed as bond-building and mental exercise.

Private sessions

Private one-to-one training is offered in person or over Zoom, and the site is clear about who it suits: a dog needing extra attention, a dog who does not get along with others, a dog whose problems only appear inside the home, an owner with only one or two issues to fix, or a schedule that cannot accommodate a class meeting weekly for five weeks. Private sessions take place at the client's home.

The walking side

Walks are provided in parts of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn and Boerum Hill. Group walks run Monday to Friday at $22 for twenty to thirty minutes, $27 for forty-five minutes and $32 for an hour, with different terms for fewer than three walks a week.