Tara's School for Dogs
Humans and Dogs in Partnership. Let us show you how!
Masks for indoor lessons are mandatory, even for vaccinated people. The policy is non-negotiable.
Puppy and Adult Obedience, Manners & Problem Solving
Rates That Support Our Pet Owning Community
Out-Door, In-Home or Remote Zoom Lessons
Start Training with Us Next Week
Private One on One In-Home Lessons
These lessons are in-home, individualized to
your dog or puppy's specific training needs.
A great option for welcoming home your
new puppy or adopted dog.
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Training in the Park for Puppies
Private Lessons
Spring and Summer 2022
Use the contact form to request
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Watch us in action at Instagram,
FaceBook and YouTube
Outdoor 3 Pack One Hour Lessons
Loose Leash Walking
Available Locations Are
East Side 79 to 91 Streets
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Positive Reinforcement is the most effective and bond building training method available. When using positive reinforcement to train your dog the behaviors you want are rewarded and behaviors you don't want are ignored.
Use the contact form below to ask questions, book a free 15 minute phone call or sign up for in-home lesson or to ask about our new 2022 Puppy Syllabus.
Humans and Dogs in Partnership
Let Us Show You How
Lesson Offerings
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Puppy Obedience, Manners
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Effective Puppy Socialization
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Welcome Home Puppy Set-Up
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Adult Dog Obedience and Manners
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Transition Help for Rescue Dogs
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Adult Dogs and Puppies Problem Solving
Private lessons customized to your individual training needs
Schedule at your convenience Weekdays and Weekends
Locations: Outdoors Park, In-Home, Remote Zoom
Serving Manhattan Upper West Side, Upper East Side & Midtown
Combo Location Lessons are Encouraged. Ask us why!
Mary Paranicas BA, CCDT, CPDT-KA
Founder & Owner
Mary is a professional dog trainer with certification from CATCH Canine Trainers Academy (CCDT) and from Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA). She is a member of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers, certified in pet first aid by the American Red Cross, an American Kennel Club (AKC) Evaluator and a supporting member of IAABC. Mary avidly pursues continuing education by attending conferences and staying current on dog training literature. She has also volunteered at a number of dog rescue organizations and been a therapy team with her dog, Tara at New York Therapy Animals.
You’ll find that Mary is committed to positive reinforcement dog training and providing the most effective training methods to meet her clients’ dog training needs. She will help you build a lifetime bond with your dog through informative and fun classes. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself and your dog laughing and smiling in class as you learn together!
Retiring from a professional ballet career and after a 25 year career as a clinical research specialist at Weill Cornell Medical College, Mary has become a professional dog trainer. She brings with her a sophisticated understanding of scientific principles and a true love for people and dogs. She is a life-long resident of Manhattan and lives with her human and animal family that includes an 18-year-old Sphynx cat, a Chinese Crested dog, a Maltipoo puppy, and a 20-year-old turtle.
Tara's School for Dogs is named after Mary's Chinese Crested named Tara. She's an expert on dogs!
HAPPY DOGS & HAPPY PET PARENTS * HAPPY PET PARENTS & HAPPY DOGS
Private Lessons
Customized Training
Lessons will be customized to your specific training needs in a way that best fits the way you and your dog learn. There is no better way to start life with a new puppy than with the guidance of a professional trainer that can help you raise your puppy into the best dog possible. If you have a senior or disabled dog, training can be tailored to their needs. Let me show you how to teach an old dog new tricks!
Puppy Foundations 1, Puppy Foundations 2, Individualized Adult Classes
American Kennel Club Certificates are now offered for Puppies and Dogs.
AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Advance AKC Urban CGC
Our private family class will offer the opportunity to work as a team in training your dog. Not only will you enhance the human-animal bond between your family and your dog, but it will also give you a happier, well-behaved dog that you can do more with. All household members impact the dog's behavior, making that a positive experience by training the family dog as a team.
Behavior Modification
Behavior modification techniques can help change unwanted behaviors in your dog. Behaviors such as jumping, barking, resource guarding and separation anxiety can be treated by use of behavior modification techniques. This approach to changing unwanted behaviors uses management, desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques.
Private Lesson Locations
We offer private lessons, in-Home, out-doors or remote over Zoom. Each location offers its unique benefits in terms of the environment it affords your dog and you. When you purchase a package of classes you may use a different location for classes. We will discuss and decide which is best for you and your dog or puppy. For indoor locations, we are requesting that humans wear a mask and maintain a distance. Remember at Tara's School for Dogs having fun and enjoying the human-animal bond is required!
Private Packages Are Individualized
Puppy Foundations 1
Six One-Hour Lessons
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Socialization
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Handling & Manners
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House Training
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Sit, Down, Stand
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Targeting
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And more
Just like a human infant your puppy's brain and body are in an accelerated period of growth during this early stage of their life. Training at this time will set them up to be amazing adult dogs. At about 8 to 18 weeks of age, puppies are primed for bonding to animals and individuals, for learning that objects, people, and environments are safe, and for learning what the body cues and signals of others mean. Besides socialization, at this age, your puppy is mature enough to begin basic training. This not only teaches them basic obedience and manners but also how to learn. Introducing Positive Reinforcement Methods to your puppy will help them experience learning in this paradigm as second nature, which will serve them well throughout their lifetime.
Puppy Foundations 2
Five One-Hour Lessons
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Loose Leash Walking
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Stay Advanced
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Advanced Manners
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Leave It & Release
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Tricks
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And more
This important second level of your puppy's training includes continued improvements on all the Level 1 behaviors. Let's face it, your puppy is still young and goofy. It's important to continue working on the Level 1 behaviors by proofing them so your dog can do them in various environments, not just at home. Your puppy will learn to keep their focus on the person walking them when on leash, so they do not pull and look for things to eat on the ground. Your puppy will also learn some fun and silly tricks. At Tara's School for Dogs tricks are an important part of training because the dog gets lots of treats and smiles!
Adult Dogs
Pack or Single Lessons
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Adult Rescue Dog
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Transition to New Home
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Sit, Down, Come, Stay
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Leash Walking
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Behavior Problems
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And more
If you adopted an adult dog or just want to train your adult dog you have come to the right place. At Tara's School for Dogs we are firm believers in old dogs learning new tricks! Your dog can learn obedience and manners or address problem behaviors. Often times rescue dogs have a bit of trouble adjusting to their new home. We can help with that and be there to support you through the initial transition period. If you have just moved to the city or have a change in your living situation such as moving to a new place we can help with that as well. If you have a senior dog and they develop health-related issues, such as blindness we can help with management and other techniques.
Puppy & Adult
Problem Solving and Behavior Modification
Problems in puppies and adults can come up in response to changes in the environment, daily routines or physical illness. It may be important to first rule out any underlying medical issues with a visit to the veterinarian.
Common problems include: Barking, Separation Anxiety, Chewing, Leash Pulling, Nipping, Resource Guarding, Jumping, House Accidents,etc. First we'll determine the underlying causes of your puppy or dog's issues and then decide on the best management and training methods to address them.
* Puppy Socialization in a Pandemic
Socialization especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic requires some creativity. It's important that socialization occurs during this critical period of development which ends between 13 to 16 weeks of age. There is no substitution for intensive and ongoing socialization for your puppy during the critical socialization period. Puppy socialization can be fun and easy even during the pandemic. It's not just about meeting other dogs and people. Think about puppy socialization as a process of experiencing new things and enjoying enrichment activities. At Tara's School for dogs we help make puppy socialization easy, fun and effective. Puppy Stages of Development on AKC website
Dogs must be vaccinated according to their age and have documentation from a veterinarian. Titers are acceptable proof of immunity, rabies as per New York State Law. Please see resources and Protect the Pets for more information about vaccines and immunity.
Click on a dog below to see our Google Reviews
These position statements were developed through the cooperation of the members of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and reflect the opinion of this association on a variety of topics related to the field of animal behavior. At Tara's School for Dogs we adhere to these postions.
The Primary and most important time for puppy socialization is the first three months of life.1, 2 During this time puppies should be exposed to as many new people, animals, stimuli and environments as can be achieved safely and without causing over-stimulation manifested as excessive fear, withdrawal or avoidance behavior. For this reason, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior believes that it should be the standard of care for puppies to receive such socialization before they are fully vaccinated
Choosing a dog trainer can be one of the most important decisions that you make in your dog’s life. The techniques that a trainer uses can strongly affect how you interact with your dog for years to come. Therefore, it is very important to choose your trainer wisely. Look for these characteristics among others:
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Reward-based training
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Good teacher
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Continual education
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Respectful
To Spay or to Neuter, That is the Question
Dr. Becker: The Truth About Spaying and Neutering
Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative veterinarian,
discusses neutering or spaying pets. To watch Dr. Becker's
discussion click the dog!
Links to more Resources
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry there's loads of helpful information for pet owners of any dog, mixed breed or purebreed. Click AKC Logo for more.
Vaccines are necessary to protect your pet against deadly diseases. Please click the logo to learn more about Titer Testing. It's a test which can determine if your dog still has immunity from a past vaccine before giving a booster. Click for the scientific literature.
When vaccines are needed consider a dose based on the weight of the pet.
Click here for more information about correct dosing.
Titers are very affordable. Click here to learn more about labs and costs.
Click on TEDEd to watch a video
Dogs see with their noses!
You may have heard the expression that dogs ‘see with their noses.’ But these creature’s amazing nasal architecture actually reveals a whole world beyond what we can see. Alexandra Horowitz illustrates how the dog’s nose can smell the past, the future and even things that can’t be seen at all.
Pandemic Rules: Humans wear a mask and practice social distancing for indoor lessons. If you are not feeling well, diagnosed with Covid-19 or around someone who is diagnosed with Covid-19 let's reschedule. These precautions work to keep us all safe.
