Worry about your dog? You are not alone.

The Distressed Dog Parent Support Group provides a safe, supportive environment for dog owners to express and share their challenges of caring for difficult pets. All too often, dog owners are left feeling isolated, frustrated and exhausted when coping with dog-specific issues.  Depending on the needs of the group, topics may include, but not be limited to, separation anxiety, aggressive behavior, excessive barking, fearfulness and hiding, illness, aging and loss.  Facilitated by Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Cari Lewis-Osborne and Certified Behavior Consultant Canine, Anamarie Johnson, this group will offer an empathetic, nonjudgmental space to explore shared experiences, form new bonds and develop coping strategies.
 
Cari Lewis-Osborne, LCSW  
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Cari Lewis-Osborne is a licensed clinical social worker living in NYC with her husband, two children and 18 month-old Siberian Husky.  For over 10 years, Cari provided individual and group psychotherapy to clients– as well as clinical supervision for staff– in varied settings including residential substance abuse treatment, outpatient mental health, Continuing Day treatment, Adult Day Health Care, and the Criminal Justice System. Before starting a small practice in 2007, Cari was the Clinical Director at Midtown Community Court for three years, where she headed an onsite Clinic that provided services for both mandated and voluntary clients.  Although Cari grew up with cats as pets, she quickly joined the dog lover world and hopes to combine her clinical background with Therapy Dog work.  Cari is a graduate of Wesleyan University and New York University's School of Social Work and received postgraduate training at The National Institute for the Psychotherapies.

Anamarie Johnson, CBCC-KA

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Anamarie recently completed her masters degree in Animal Behavior and Conservation at Hunter College. She has a particular interest in working with nervous and under-socialized dogs. When she isn’t at School For The Dogs, she is at the ASPCA, as an Animal Behavior Counselor for their adoptable dogs.

She loves the challenge of working with dogs with behavior issues, and enjoys watching the changes that can occur over time as they develop and grow. She has two rescue dogs of her own who help perfect her training abilities daily: a Labrador mix, Velvet, and a German Shepherd mix, Bailey.

School for the Dogs
Using creative and modern training methods, School for the Dogs will help you change your dog's behavior, cultivate leadership and improve your relationship.

Certified Professional Dog Trainers Annie and Kate came together in 2011 to found School for the Dogs after several years of training dogs and humans on their own.

They work with all ages and breeds, from puppies to seniors, Malteses to Pit Bulls, and have been featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and on NPR. They offer private sessions and small, personalized group classes in which they work to show dogs and their owners how to exist safely and happily together in New York City.

The next Distressed Dog Parent Support Group will be on Monday, May 22 from 6:30pm-8:00pm and continue to meet monthly thereafter.  Our group will be limited to ten participants (Humans Only) with a suggested donation of $20.  Please register here to reserve a space; walk-ins are welcome if not at capacity.

Anamarie Johnson
johnsonanamariec@Gmail.com

Anamarie Johnson is a PhD candidate in Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology at Arizona State University.