My Woof Gang

Fear-Free Certified Trainer

WoofGang Vet Partners

* Services

It's never too soon to build the skills that will help your pet accept a visit to the vet's office with ease. Even routine annual exams can be scary and, as pets age, their need for medical care is likely to become more frequent, so now is the best time to plan for a future of check-ups and vet procedures.

Contact Laura Garber to arrange for a Fear-Free Training for Vet Care session today!

Download the Fear-Free Training for Vet Care poster and brochure.

* Resource Articles

Resources for Dog Guardians

Home Alone		Stuffing a Kong Fit for a King		How to Housetrain your Pup
Dogs and Kids		Preparing Fido for a New Baby		Keeping the Peace in a Multi-Animal Household
The Destructive Dog		The Bark Stops Here		The Mouthy Dog
Taking Home Your New Dog		How to Crate Train your Dog		Calming the Anxious Dog
Desensitizing to a Muzzle		Desensitizing to Handling		Intro to a Head Collar
Fear of Car Rides		Fear of the Vet's Office		Making Sense of Dog Play
Adopting a Shelter Dog		Puppy Socialization

Resources for Cat Guardians

Taking Home your New Cat		Thinking Inside the Box		Cats and Dogs

Resources from Other Sources

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) statements on
Positive Training and a Fear-Free Initiative, the Use of Punishment, the Dominance Theory, and Puppy Socialization

Body Language:
Lili Chen on Dogs, Dr. Sophie Yin on Fearful Dogs, and Lili Chen on Cats

Thanks to the following Vet Partners:

All Creatures Vet Care (Sewell, NJ)
Audubon Vet Associates (Audubon, NJ)
Burl-Moor-Driben Animal Hospital (Moorestown, NJ)
Chews Landing Veterinary Hospital (Laurel Springs, NJ)
Cinnaminson Animal Hospital (Cinnaminson, NJ)
Clayton Veterinary (Clayton, NJ)
Neabore Vet Clinic (Haddonfield, NJ)
Pet PT (Cherry Hill, NJ)
Regional Vet (Turnersville, NJ)
Society Hill Vet Hospital (Philadelophia, PA)
World of Animals (Rittenhouse, Bethayres, Mayfair, & Elkins Park, PA)

Veterinary Recommendations

"Laura Garber is my go-to resource for canine behavior modification and training. Her extensive education and training ensures veterinary approved compassionate methods are utilized. Furthermore, her passion for dogs and dedication to each client results in improved outcomes and a strengthening of the human-animal bond." Dr. Jeff Stupine, VMD, Medical Director of World of Animals

"It is with great pleasure that I write [... a] recommendation in support of Ms. Laura Garber. [...] My own special-needs dog, "Shorty" [...] is a young male mixed breed dog from the Caribbean, who suffers from documented PTSD, and has been a difficult and unpredictable member of our family since I acquired him. [...] Within a month of beginning training [with Laura], we began to see a glimmer of hope. She worked with Shorty for over a year, and in that time, he has become a different dog. He can socialize safely in many situations, his anxiety and anger levels have become manageable and most importantly, I feel like he now has a good quality of life, perhaps for the first time ever. I am convinced that without her intervention, Shorty would not be with us today. Laura's method of training involves compassion, kindness, boundary setting and appropriate discipline, and is fully in line with the accepted method of training set forth in veterinary medicine."   (excerpted from a longer letter of recommendation) Dr. Darlene Fletcher, DVM

Fear-Free Client Testimonials

"We got our Standard Poodle Sherman when he was 8 weeks old and from the beginning we knew it was important to us that he be well trained. My sister was about to have a baby girl and we see family often so having a well-behaved dog who could join us on all adventures and handle various situations felt important.    We started working with Laura and he loved her immediately. He knew who had the good treats! He has always been super food-motivated which has been helpful in our training. Unfortunately on Father's Day Sherman followed his stomach and not my commands and ate a whole chicken wing.    We googled and consulted with friends and kept a close eye on him overnight. We called the vet Monday and we're told to bring him in for X-rays. The tech was explaining to us the positions he would need to be in for the test and immediately I knew he would do well. The week before Laura had taught us the start of learning to "play dead". Sherman would lay on his back with the lure of a treat and stay in that position as long as the treats kept coming. I showed the vet tech what he could do and she was able to perform the X-rays without restraints or difficulty.    Luckily after another round of X-rays and careful monitoring he passed the chicken bones in a few days!    We are so thankful to Laura for showing us fun party tricks that can also be helpful at the vet!" Michelle Henritzy, Haddon Township, NJ, Sherman's human family

"This past weekend we found ourselves at UPenn emergency veterinary hospital with Gus, our beloved 10 month old Frenchie, with non-stop bleeding gums, non-stop vomiting and regurgitation; things were getting serious and FAST. The doctor told us they needed to do chest and abdominal xrays but, given his extreme and constant regurgitation, it was EXTREMELY dangerous and didn't look good. As I sat there crying I had a moment of clarity; I heard your voice, Laura, explaining these "tricks" were actually useful and so I told the vet that he's trained with "vet friendly" cues. I explained to her "bang" (roll over and play dead so they can inspect his belly -- Gus' favorite) and "rest" (he lays his head in my hands while the vets do what they need to do). I begged her to try these as I could not bear to lose my baby. After what seemed like a decade, the vet emerged and had successfully taken the xrays WITHOUT the need for sedatives but instead by using these techniques. Laura, at that moment I was thanking you from the very bottom of my heart and thanking God I found you to train Gus. You and your methods literally saved his life and I am forever indebted. I wish more people knew of these techniques because it could literally save a life. I know it did for us." Kate Eimer, Wenonah, NJ, Gus' human family