Home - Family Paws Parent Education

For Pet Pros - Start Your Family Paws Journey

Need Dog and Baby Support?

Welcome to Family Paws!

Dogs, babies, toddlers, and families! That is what we are all about here at Family Paws. Chances are, if you are here, you or someone you know is expecting or adopting a baby sometime in the future. Or maybe you have a baby who is growing and changing, and you want to make sure they and your family dog are comfortable and safe. You might be worried or concerned about some behaviors you have seen or just want to put your mind at ease by talking with an expert. We are here for you. Which means you can reach out to an expert any time to put your mind at ease and set up a plan for success right away.

Programs & Services

For Dog Professionals

Do you ever feel overwhelmed or intimidated about providing the best possible help and advice to families with babies or toddlers?
For Veterinary Professionals

Knowledge is power! Prevent bites and relinquishment to create lifelong patients!
For Parents and Families

Dogs & Storks® is an international program that helps expecting families with dogs get ready for life with baby.
For Birth and Family Professionals

As a parent educator who specializes in dog and baby/toddler dynamics I believe that having many connections and resources for the families we support is essential.

Meet Jennifer

I’m Jennifer Shryock, the founder of Family Paws. Dogs and babies are my passion and have been since 2002. As a Mother of four children, I have a duo degree in Special Ed/El Ed, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and Licensed Family Dog Mediator, I understand firsthand how important it is to feel prepared and comfortable as you ease into parenthood with family dogs included. I also understand the worry and anxiety that comes with change and wanting all to go well. For 20 years, I have been honored to support parents and professionals who have questions and often concerns about dog and baby safety and dynamics. Having pioneered this important niche, I have had the privilege of mentoring hundreds of dog professionals about this very important specialty. Many of these professionals have chosen to become a part of Family Paws by becoming licensed Family Paws Parent Educators. Which means there is a team of very talented professionals ready to support you and your family towards success.

We know the addition of children is an exciting time in a family’s life and one that can be filled with many unknowns and concerns. We also understand you want the most qualified professionals to support your family during this life-changing time. Rest assured: You have come to the right place! Our goal is to increase safety and decrease stress through positive, practical real-life strategies as well as to provide education to support you and your family dog. Our goal is to strengthen your Dog Aware skills and prepare with your dog for life with children. We are dedicated to positive solutions for busy lives. Our licensed educators are dedicated to positive training techniques and relationship building and are ready to answer your questions and support you. Reach out to us today and let’s get started!

Family Paws is dedicated to creating dog aware generations.

What is Dog Aware^®?

Find Out Here!

Why

Choose Us

Experience & History

Jennifer Shryock founded Family Paws in 2002 due to a lack of information and resources for families with dogs and young children. Family Paws has been supporting new and expecting families for almost 20 years — making us the leading experts in dog and baby/toddler dynamics!

Our Licensed Educator Team

Our network of Family Paws Parent Educators provides families across the country (and the world) with access to dog professionals in their area who have been trained in our unique methodologies. Unlike typical animal trainers or behaviorists, our Educators understand the complexities of child/dog behavior and the grey areas that can arise when trying to make the best decisions for your family members — whether they have two legs or four.

With professional support and guidance, our Educators help ease your transition from pet parent to parent with pet, and offer ongoing support and programs that grow with your baby. Because a happy childhood filled with a dog’s love is one of the best experiences you can give.

Through resources, courses, and our network of Educators, we’re here to guide you every step of the way!

Going through the Family Paws Program and becoming a presentor was a positive experience both for myself and my veterinary practice. I feel I now have the knowledge and skills to not only help pets but entire families! As a veterinarian I would recommend not only using Family Paws as a primary resource but also for all veterinary practices to have a staff member as a presentor!

Colleen Quinn

DVM-Indiana
Our weekend seminar with FPPE far exceeded my expectations. We had such an amazing time with Jennifer and learned so much that will help our clients both immediately and in the future. I would highly recommend FPPE for your professional dog training team! You will not regret it!-

Abigail Witthauer
Family Paws weekend is a must! I thinking having Jen in person is definitely an incredible benefit, not only for learning purposes but because she’s a fantastic person to do life with, even if only for a weekend. As a mother and a trainer who has always been passionate about the topic of dogs and children, I still learned so much from this program and am so proud to be a part of it.

April Shoe
I've known Jen Shryock a long time. (So long now that I can't remember exactly when we met.) Over the years, she has consistently impressed me with her passion for providing high-quality, helpful, and easy-to-understand materials to professionals who help families navigate living with babies, young children, and dogs. This is a complex and high-stakes niche, but Jen has a blend of strengths that make her perfect for the task. She's a terrific educator, capable of breaking concepts down into bite-sized bits. She's warm, supportive, and encouraging, which makes her programs a safe place for people to ask questions and learn without fear of judgment. She's got tremendous emotional intelligence, which helps her see the big picture in each situation and take actions to set everyone up for success. Because she leans into those strengths, Jen is one of the most generous, collaborative, and creative people I know. She sees the best in people and helps draw it out of them.

Colleen Pelar

CPDT-KA, CDBC Living with Kids and dogs Proud Family Paws Parent Educator

Every Young Family Needs a Support System.

Find a Family Paw’s Educator near you and get the support you need to safely and happily raise your dogs and children, together.

Find Now!

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Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bulgarian	Hindi	Portuguese
Catalan	Hmong Daw	Romanian
Chinese Simplified	Hungarian	Russian
Chinese Traditional	Indonesian	Slovak
Czech	Italian	Slovenian
Danish	Japanese	Spanish
Dutch	Klingon	Swedish
English	Korean	Thai
Estonian	Latvian	Turkish
Finnish	Lithuanian	Ukrainian
French	Malay	Urdu
German	Maltese	Vietnamese
Greek	Norwegian	Welsh
Haitian Creole	Persian

Arabic	Hebrew	Polish
Bulgarian	Hindi	Portuguese
Catalan	Hmong Daw	Romanian
Chinese Simplified	Hungarian	Russian
Chinese Traditional	Indonesian	Slovak
Czech	Italian	Slovenian
Danish	Japanese	Spanish
Dutch	Klingon	Swedish
English	Korean	Thai
Estonian	Latvian	Turkish
Finnish	Lithuanian	Ukrainian
French	Malay	Urdu
German	Maltese	Vietnamese
Greek	Norwegian	Welsh
Haitian Creole	Persian

For Pet Pros - Start Your Family Paws Journey

Need Dog and Baby Support?

Welcome to Family Paws!

Programs & Services

For Dog Professionals

For Veterinary Professionals

For Parents and Families

For Birth and Family Professionals

Meet Jennifer

Family Paws is dedicated to creating dog aware generations.

What is Dog Aware^®?

Why

Choose Us

Experience & History

Our Licensed Educator Team

Colleen Quinn

DVM-Indiana

Abigail Witthauer

April Shoe

Colleen Pelar

CPDT-KA, CDBC Living with Kids and dogs Proud Family Paws Parent Educator

Every Young Family Needs a Support System.

Cyber Monday SALE!!! 30% off!

EARLY CYBER MONDAY 30% sale!

Educator course $300 off!

For Pet Pros - Start Your Family Paws Journey

Need Dog and Baby Support?

Welcome to Family Paws!

Programs & Services

For Dog Professionals

For Veterinary Professionals

For Parents and Families

For Birth and Family Professionals

Meet Jennifer

Family Paws is dedicated to creating dog aware generations.

What is Dog Aware®?

Why

Choose Us

Experience & History

Our Licensed Educator Team

Colleen Quinn

DVM-Indiana

Abigail Witthauer

April Shoe

Colleen Pelar

CPDT-KA, CDBC Living with Kids and dogs Proud Family Paws Parent Educator

Every Young Family Needs a Support System.

What is Dog Aware^®?