The Pawsitive Dog

Truly do not have enough wonderful things to say about our experience at Pawsitive. We truly weren't sure what else to do to help our very sweet but very anxious rescue dog, Abby, when a friend suggested we reach out to Pawsitive. Right away, we were so impressed by Jen's confidence and reassurance. She and all the trainers at Pawsitive not only helped empower us to be the people our dog needed but they fundamentally changed how we viewed our relationship with our dog for the better. The skills we learned at Pawsitive have made us kinder, more patient, more fun-loving, and more relaxed dog owners and also helped our dog gain skills and confidence. So many people remark on how beautifully trained our dog is, and she is a favorite at the vet for her calmness and adaptability :). We feel like we owe so much to Jen, Francis, and the other trainers and truly feel like they will always be a part of our family! The photo below is of our dog grinning ear to ear after her most favorite thing in the world: a class at Pawsitive!

We had never had a dog before a 12 week old Black Lab named Pepper came to join our family. We were all completely at sea, but Francis, Jen and the rest of the Pawsitive Dog staff trained us *all* beautifully. When we are out for walks with Miss P, we regularly hear how happy and well-behaved she is. One of our neighbors, who has had several Labs himself says, "she's the happiest dog I've ever seen." She even gets compliments from strangers on how well she gets into her car crate, which Francis knows was a real area of development for us. I can't say enough about how patient and knowledgeable everyone there is. We had no idea what we were doing, and we were overwhelmed with a smart, opinionated puppy, but Pawsitive Dog taught us all how to be a pack!

Working with The Pawsitive Dog has been the most impactful thing we've done to build a strong partnership with our dog, Fuji. One of the first things we learned in class was that though people start with dog obedience (sit, down, stay, etc.), that's not even half of it; teaching your dog good manners, relaxation, and patience are what yields behaviors that make you and your dog happy. Now try doing that yourself?! Jen, Francis, Aileen, and Rebecca make the most incredible team. They are knowledgeable, have so much experience, and have been able to teach us (& talk us) through all of our questions. For example, as a first-time owner of a livestock guardian dog, I needed expert guidance on understanding and complementing how my dog thinks; he's a bit more shy and observant, and knowing how to handle that in a highly-populous area to ensure he is comfortable was really important to me. I trust them with taking care of Fuji during the day and for camp (overnight stays) as if he were their own. We are so grateful for them!! Thank you team

The hardest thing to do is hand your dog over to somebody to handle and care for them. I got over that immediately once I started sending my two year old dog for day school at The Pawsitive Dog a year ago. At the time, he had a very basic grasp of obedience commands, but showed signs of separation anxiety. I had never crate trained him as a puppy, and he would go into freak out mode anytime he did go in to the crate. The trainers at The Pawsitive Dog have helped him immensely, starting with basic building blocks to motivate him to be calm on his own, and voluntarily offer behaviors I want. I got a new puppy a few months ago and he immediately started attending day school as well. I’ve seen so many positive changes since getting him into The Pawsitive Dog at a young age. Jen, Francis, Rebecca, and Aileen treat my dogs wonderful and have been instrumental in raising both of my dogs, to which I’m extremely grateful for.

We’ve been clients of Pawsitive Dog since 2020. Each member of their team is professional, enthusiastic, and dedicated to their craft. From every interaction, you can tell these people just love dogs and love what they do. Pawsitive Dog has helped us build a strong relationship with our dog Goose through both classes and day school. Goose loves his day school visits and they provide a great foundation for our training at home. The classes we attend with Goose help us problem solve behavioral challenges at home. These classes also help train us so we can practice training at home that reinforces good behavior while also keeping our dog physically and mentally engaged (and a tired Goose is a good Goose!). My wife and I can’t say enough good things about this business.