SFTD's Behavior Therapy Trainer Jen Nastanski on working with guide dogs, competitive Obedience and more (Also featuring special guest: Melanie Friedson)

School For The Dogs' Behavior Therapy Trainer Jen Nastanski came to work at our New York-based facility after two decades of working with dogs at professional and competitive levels. She tells Annie about getting trained to be a trainer at PetSmart, getting involved in competitive Obedience using positive-reinforcement-based techniques, teaching (and helping to raise) guide dogs, and, most recently working at New York City's ASPCA, working to enrich the lives of dogs seized and held in custody by the NYPD. Special guest on this episode: Annie's friend Melanie Friedson, mom to Bichpoo, Herschel Stanley. Like this podcast? Leave a review on iTunes at http://schoolforthedogs.com/listen Need help leaving a review? See here: https://www.schoolforthedogs.com/subscribe/ Shop with us at http://storeforthedogs.com Support us by shopping with us online at storeforthedogs.com Book a session with Jen at http://schoolforthedogs.com/jen or call 212-353-3647 --- Partial Transcript: Annie: Can I include your funny dog voice on the podcast? I don't have to attach it to your name. Melanie Friedson: [funny voice] Of course. It's not funny. It's just how it is. Annie: [laughs] I should introduce you and say that you are – Melanie: You can. I'm not ashamed of my dog voice, Annie. Annie: You are one of my best friends, Melanie Friedson, human owner. How do you refer to yourself when it comes to Herschel? Melanie: [voice] I'm his mom . Annie: Okay. Mom to Herscshel Stanley [laughs]. 12 year old cavapoo? Melanie: Bichpoo. Annie: A bichpoo, of Washington, DC. Melanie: Yep. Annie: Anyway, so it's the last day of the year. And I'm putting up the last podcast episode of the year. I wanted to say to listeners that if they have enjoyed this podcast this year, that maybe they could leave a review on iTunes or shop at storeforthedogs.com to support us. But I thought it would be more fun if it was in your dog voice than in my normal human voice. Melanie: Oh, okay. So you want me to say that? Annie: Yeah. [laughing] Melanie: If you like this podcast, please support us! Leave a good review on iTunes, or you can shop for us at storeforthedogs.com . This is Herschel Stanley Friedson’s mom! [intro and music] Annie: Jen Nastanski. Jen Nastanski: Hello. Annie: Hello. Thank you for being on School For The Dogs podcast. And thank you for being part of School For The Dogs since, what, has it been two months now? Something like that? Jen: Something like that. Time is a little nebulous right now. Annie: Remind me of your official title, cause I'm bad with titles. Jen: I'm a behavior therapy trainer. Annie: And you've been doing private lessons. You've been doing Day School , right? Jen: Mm-hmm, yep. Full Transcript at SchoolfortheDogs.com/Podcast Get full access to Don't Be a Dick to Your Dog at dogtraining.substack.com/subscribe