About Woofs & Wags Ithaca

Woofs & Wags Ithaca is a positive-reinforcement dog trainer working in Ithaca and the surrounding Finger Lakes towns. The business is the Ithaca practice of Cesar Vallejo, who writes on his about page that he is originally from Queens, spent many years in Brooklyn, and now calls Ithaca home. He describes the move plainly: after a long career managing restaurants he changed direction to work with dogs full time.

Method

The stated approach is positive reinforcement, and in places the site goes further and calls it force-free. The puppy program is described as covering name recognition, potty training, crate training, leash manners, and essential commands, "all using positive, force-free methods". The framing throughout is about communication rather than correction – the site's own words are that trust, respect, and clear communication are the foundation of every good relationship.

Group classes

Group obedience runs as a program called Foundations in Focus, held in small groups at Washington Park in Ithaca. It is offered in two tracks, Puppy and Basic Obedience, and runs over five Sunday sessions. The published price is $250 for the five weeks. The site describes the group setting as somewhere to build skills and socialize a dog at the same time.

Private sessions

Not every dog does well in a group, and the site says so. Private sessions are sold as one-on-one work tailored to the individual dog, and the problems named are leash reactivity, anxiety, rescue adjustment, and behavioral challenges that need a personalized plan. This is the part of the offering that reaches past general obedience.

Puppies and basics

The puppy program is aimed at pups from eight weeks to six months. Basic obedience covers sit, stay, come, loose-leash walking, and leave it, and is offered both to dogs new to training and as a refresher. A free written guide, The First 7 Days With Your Dog, is offered as a download for new owners.

Background

Cesar Vallejo describes himself as a graduate of Animal Behavior College and says he gained hands-on experience as a trainer at Urban K-9 in Brooklyn before moving upstate. The site lists the service area as Ithaca, Trumansburg, Lansing, Dryden, Cortland, and the wider Finger Lakes region.