Training Both Ends of the Leash It’s All About Focus, Optimism & Relationship at The Perfect Pup

by RONA MANN

So you got a new puppy, or maybe you are one of those wonderful souls who rescued and adopted an older dog. Either way, congratulations.

Now it’s time to do something beneficial for both you and that dog...something that will ensure a good life for both of you for many years to come. You already know that he or she is “the perfect pup,” bragging like the Dog Mom or Dad you have just become, now cement that with a visit to The Perfect Pup in Deep River for professional, loving, compassionate training that will serve you both for a lifetime.

When you contact The Perfect Pup you are not merely receiving training, you are getting Janice Liscinsky, and that’s more than just the owner of a business...it represents a lifetime of ongoing training, a fierce commitment, and hey, the lady also happens to be nuts about dogs!

Liscinsky was born and raised just down the highway in Bridgeport where she begged her mother to have a dog even though they lived in a small two family home above a meat market. Her persistence, even as a young child paid off, and her first dog came to live in the cramped quarters, enjoying the benefits of bones from the business below. Liscinsky started her career in corporate America as a computer programmer, “But I liked people too much, and I liked to talk, so I moved into management.” Once again that patience and persistence paid off, leading to becoming Vice President of the company. Mergers and acquisition eventually took her to a larger firm in Manhattan, which meant an exhausting daily commute that ended abruptly September 11, 2001 when America was attacked. “I just remember getting on the train with a crowd of others all piling in, dazed, bloody, dusty, and I realized, this was the end for me. I wasn’t going back.”

Where Janice and her husband did go, however, was to Deep River, a town she clearly loves because it’s small, accessible, and “is filled with wonderful people.” She decided it was now time to do something for herself. She always loved dogs, now it was time to put that love and knowledge to the test. First, she became fully educated and certified. That involved a rigorous program from Animal Behavior College in California (she graduated with honors) that included working at a shelter, training with a mentor, teaching classes, and then receiving her CPDT-KA certification (Certified Professional Dog Trainer) from the State of Connecticut. She is also a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.

Her dog training center, conveniently located just off Rt. 9 at Exit 4, is large, clean, bright, and welcoming. In one word, it is a POSITIVE place, both for you and your best friend. Liscinsky’s mantra never waives. It is positive reinforcement at all times, and she claims to be the only “positive dog trainer in the area.” There is no such thing as “No!” No prong collars, no harsh words nor punishment, no negative responses to commands and behaviors missed. She bases everything on rewards...”first we train with treats so the dog realizes, ‘I must have done something good because I’m getting a treat;’ eventually as the dog matures and progresses, the treats can go away. Then they get life rewards,” Janice adds.

She also believes “what we teach inside, you have to take outside,” so the dog learns positive behaviors at the dog training center, then goes outside where the same lessons are taught and reinforced. “It’s the same with what you teach at home. What you teach at home, you have to take on the road.”

It really all comes down to common sense, and Licinsky has it to spare, both personally and professionally. Training a dog for life is not rocket science, but it involves focus, positive reinforcement, repetition, and consistency. These are not just words, but the cornerstone upon which The Perfect Pup is built and something Janice insists she get from both her animal and human clients.

Each dog is evaluated thoroughly before beginning any classes. “You have to really know and study the breed. A Jack Russell learns differently than a German Shepherd,” she advises. Janice offers both private classes done right in the client’s home, or group classes held at the dog training center. Almost all the training centers around games, first for the humans, then interactively with their dogs. The games serve to give focus to reinforcing the behaviors, and dogs respond well to this. Classes may begin as early as six weeks for puppies and have names like Perfect Puppy I and II, Perfect Family Dog I and II, Not-So Perfect Pup, etc. They are geared for age, level, experience, and behavior,, and Janice makes sure all dogs get a fair shake.

“The focus is always optimistic, with a puppy you have to build optimism in order for them to function in our world. It’s a relationship. Training is first and foremost about building a relationship,” the trainer says. “You are there to protect them, and they have to know that at all times.”

Heavy emphasis is given to the games and to a client learning how their dog thinks, why they think what they think, and how they react to the myriad of stimuli in the great big world at the end of their leash, outside their window, across the street, and with other dogs.

Janice Liscinsky is a woman who loves dogs, who has always loved dogs, and loves the process of training any dog to be the very best they can be for themselves and for the humans with whom they share their lives. It’s what powers her to look a dog in the eyes and only say, “Yes!”

Pet shop, breeder, shelter, rescue organization...however you acquired this new member of your family, from the moment you laid eyes on each other, you have an investment. An investment in that dog’s future, in their well being, in their interaction with your family and the outside world; and perhaps most important of all, an investment borne out at both ends of the leash.

Protect that investment! Contact Janice Liscinsky at The Perfect Pup and let her determine what is the perfect training for both of you. (203) 943-2579

www.theperfectpupllc.com 500 Main Street, Unit 30, Deep River