Testimonials

Where do I begin! Passionate educators, exceptional curriculum, and true support for their Family Paws Parent Educators and Parent Educators to be! As a certified dog trainer/behavior consultant and Educational Specialist, I can say hands-down that the Family Paws Parent Educator Course is in a class of its own!  This 13-week course is like no other program I have ever taken- the knowledge and skills that I learned in teaching and supporting both families and the dogs they care for has created a paradigm shift in what creates thriving family members and thriving dogs under the same roof! The program is taught by educators Jennifer and Bethany, a dynamic duo, who differentiate their teaching so that all students can succeed. Having more parent educators in our communities will help close the gap on the miscommunication between dogs and humans that can so often lead to either tragic events or the rehoming of family dogs when newborns and/or toddlers are in the home. I do not know of any other program with such expertise on how a baby’s development into toddlerhood can have such a profound effect on the well-being of the family dog. After just the first class, I started to use my new knowledge to help coworkers (who work with kids and bring their dogs to work) navigate safe, joyful interactions. Sharing  “Dog Aware” (Family Paws) skills with others is a game-changer, and it often presents itself like a “eureka” moment when all family members learn to effectively communicate with their dog.  The unfortunate truth, as exemplified by large numbers of social media postings, is that many families encourage interactions between their baby and/or toddler with their dog that they deem safe; in actuality, the dog is showing signs of discomfort, distress, and feeling conflicted.

I am truly proud to be a part of this amazing team! Helping people who coexist with dogs become both dog and baby aware can help close the communication gap between dog and human. As I write this review, I am overwhelmed with excitement and hope to make a powerful positive difference in my community!

5 Stars – A Lifesaver for Our Growing Family!

Jennifer at Family Paws was exactly what we needed. With two mini poodles and a toddler at home, I wanted to make sure everyone felt safe and loved — and Jennifer delivered!

She took the time to modify our dogs’ training to better suit our new family dynamic. Her communication was clear and consistent, and it was obvious from the start that she’s passionate about what she does. Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable, but she also made the whole process feel supportive and encouraging.

Thanks to her guidance, our home feels more peaceful, and I feel confident managing both pups and a toddler under one roof. Highly recommend Family Paws to any growing family with pets!

Jen is someone who changed our family permanently – our lives, our daughter’s life, is permanently better for Jen’s support.

If you have a dog and a young child or have young children frequent your home, you need to be reviewing Family Paws educational content, and if you have ANY instinct about your dog’s trustworthiness with children, reach out to Family Paws.

I’ve never met someone so willing to love and support my family in a time of need. I was connected with Jen after my 21 month old daughter was badly bitten by our dog. I reached out to Jen, wondering if she knew of reputable therapy dog programs. Jen invited a totally different conversation; she put us on a healing journey with validation we so desperately needed. She just gets it – the nuance, the second-guessing, the trying to do it all right all the time. She helped us see our dog as an individual responsible for his actions and supported us through our journey of devastation. Our healing was accelerated by Jen’s involvement, and we gained confidence in a decision to bring a new dog into our home. Jen has also helped us through our family’s furry addition with awareness of our deepest fears and encouragement to see our new puppy as the individual SHE is. Without Jen’s help, it would have been many years later before we were ready to have a dog again.

Jen and her approach is helping us confidently keep both our new pup safe/trained and our toddler dog aware and dog happy. Her approach is creative about ways to support both dog and toddler needs, with awareness of what it takes to be the parent of a young kid.

I loved every moment of learning with Family Paws! I first dipped my toes in with the Dog Aware mini course for dog professionals, and I was hooked right away. It covers the basics of dog and baby/toddler safety, and I truly feel it should be required for all professionals working in the dog behavior field. The Family Paws Parent Educator course really blew my mind in the best way. We covered so many important considerations and nuances that are absolutely essential to be mindful of when supporting new and expecting families with dogs. This is such a rich niche to work in, and I feel like I learned so much in each and every class. The discussions were thought provoking and helped me to apply the new knowledge to scenarios that many families face every day. Jen and Bethany are excellent at what they do. Their passion for the work is so evident, and the empathy they extend to their human and canine learners is so special to witness and really made me feel supported as a student. The Parent Educator course was an excellent experience and I am so proud to call myself a Licensed Parent Educator and be part of the important work we are doing as an organization. I highly recommend this course!

We called the support line and spoke with Jen who was a phenomenal listener. She talked through the situation with us, asked questions, supported us and our emotions, and gave us feedback on what to do going forward/things to change. Additionally, we have purchased Family Paws bundle with self-guided courses, which we also found to be incredibly informative and helpful in prepping us and helping us prep with our dog for baby. Highly recommend purchasing and utilizing other resources Family Paws has to offer.

The work Jennifer did with our family and our dog, Winston, was truly life-changing. Winston was a rescue, and early on, my wife and I realized he must have had negative experiences with children in the past. He is the most amazing, loving hound/pit mix who adores his humans—but around small children, he wasn’t safe.

We tried behavioral specialists and traditional dog trainers, but nothing worked. As we prepared to welcome our first child, we were heartbroken at the thought that we might have to rehome Winston. Then we found Jennifer.

Her approach and tools—primarily teaching my wife and me to recognize and respect Winston’s warning signs when he was uncomfortable—gave us the knowledge and confidence to work through his challenges. She guided us through a gradual, structured process, starting with separation (gating off rooms), then progressing to supervised tethering, and ultimately allowing Winston the time and space to adjust.

Thanks to Jennifer, Winston not only remained part of our family but fully embraced his role in it. Today, we have a 5- and 2-year-old who absolutely adore their “big brother” Winston—and he adores them right back! We truly could not have successfully grown our family while keeping our beloved fur baby without Jennifer.

I cannot thank Family Paws enough for helping us help our reactive dog, Bear, become comfortable with our baby. We had made some progress with training, but reached a point where progress stopped, and I was worried we would have to rehome him. 

Family Paws guided us the entire way with a solid training plan and incredibly responsive communication. Bear learned not to be afraid of his brother, and I learned so much about dog body language and training. Most of all, I’m so happy our son gets to grow up with his BearBear.♥️

Prior to being in Jen’s program, I had only the occasional case relating to dogs and babies/kids. Even though I’m a parent myself, it was difficult to know the best way to share information with already overwhelmed parents/soon-to-be parents. The information I learned in Jen’s course has given me the knowledge and confidence to work with parents and dogs in often emotionally fraught situations. I learned so much! I don’t feel alone, and I feel much more confident now. The educational resources, including handouts, are incredibly useful in educating my clients and helping them to feel more confident as well. Jen has truly transformed my career, and thanks to her, this has now become my main client base and a source of tremendous meaning and satisfaction for me. Jen is also just a wonderful person. If you are questioning whether you should take this course, do it!

We have a sweet, wonderful four-year-old dog named Winston who is also anxious and afraid of most things. The smartest ones always are! He has been working so so hard to adjust to life with our new baby, as have we. One day, there was some behavior that Winston displayed that caused us some concern as we were not sure why it happened, or what it meant, and it seemed really surprising as we feel we know Winston and his behavior patterns very well. We ended up calling the Family Paws support line and we were nervous to do so. We were afraid of being judged or Winston being judged and we weren’t sure what we were going to get or if it would actually help. Managing dogs and babies under one roof is such an unbelievably emotional experience by itself, let alone when things are feeling especially challenging. We are so glad we called the support line as it was tremendously helpful. We were able to receive clarity around the behavior and guidance on what to do moving forward to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort, as well as an opportunity to acknowledge how hard doing this is. We would highly recommend utilizing this resource as well as all other resources Family Paws offers.

Jennifer Shryock of Family Paws has been part of the Emerald Doulas’ Community Prenatal Meeting curriculum for six years. Her vast knowledge of dog (and cat) behavior, coupled with her calming reassurance has provided our pregnant clients with the valuable information they seek to help them feel confident that their newborn babies, and fur babies, will all be safe and happy as their families grow. Her sessions are always a hit! She has also provided additional education for our birth and postpartum doulas, so they can do their part to promote harmony in our client’s homes during support visits.