PAWSitiveTransformations

Ryder may have already flown home to Florida with his mom and aunt, but I found this video in my camera roll and had to share it!

Watch closely and pay attention to how little I have to use the leash. We’re at Bass Pro Shops, and there’s another puppy nearby that is clearly excited, playful, and would love nothing more than to run over and say hello. Ryder would have loved that too!

Instead of relying on leash corrections or physical management, I’m using verbal communication, engagement, and rewards to help Ryder make good decisions. You’ll see me use treats as lures when needed, but the real goal is teaching impulse control and helping him learn that he doesn’t have to act on every impulse just because he’s excited.

This is one of the most important skills a dog can learn. A well-trained dog isn’t one that never wants to chase, play, greet, or investigate. A well-trained dog is one that can choose to listen despite those distractions.

Ryder made tremendous progress during his Stay & Play Training, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. Safe travels back to Florida, sweet boy. We miss you already!

Today Flint and I headed to the dog park, but only because we had the entire place to ourselves! Safety always comes first, and an empty park gave us the perfect opportunity to work on building Lucy’s confidence.

Using the park equipment, we’re helping Lucy learn that new surfaces, movement, and unusual obstacles aren’t scary. The seesaw is a big challenge for many dogs, but confidence is built one positive experience at a time. Every brave step she takes today helps create a more resilient, confident dog tomorrow.

If you listen closely to the video, you’ll hear Flint and me joking back and forth. Now that school is out for the summer, Flint is spending more time helping with the dogs and learning what it takes to run a small business. From filming training sessions and helping care for dogs to learning responsibility, communication skills, work ethic, customer service, and money management, these are lessons that can’t always be taught in a classroom.

When you choose PAWSitive Transformations, you’re not just investing in your dog’s success. You’re also helping support a young man who’s learning valuable life skills, building confidence, and discovering the rewards that come from hard work and helping others.

Thank you for trusting us with your dogs and allowing us to do what we love every single day. ❤️🐾

Ryder is doing absolutely phenomenal!

Today we spent the day training at the Tennessee Aquarium and the surrounding downtown area, and it was the perfect opportunity to work through real-world distractions. Between the River Market, food vendors, merchants selling their products, children running and playing in the fountains, and all the exciting sights and smells, there was no shortage of challenges!

One of Ryder’s greatest strengths is also one of the things we’re working on most right now. Thanks to the incredible foundation provided by , Ryder is extremely social and loves people. He wants to greet everyone he sees and soak up all the attention, pets, and affection he can get!

While we love his friendly personality, we’re focusing on impulse control and teaching him that he can’t run up to every person he meets. Learning to stay focused, make good choices, and look to his handler for direction is an important part of becoming a well-mannered companion.

I’m incredibly proud of how far Ryder has come. Days like today are a great reminder that training isn’t just about commands, it’s about helping dogs learn how to navigate the world successfully. Ryder continues to impress me, and I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next!

I want to apologize for being a little quieter than usual on this page.

Many of you know that PAWSitive Transformations is more than a dog training business to me. The support and trust you’ve given me not only helps provide for my family, but also gives me the ability to help our unhoused neighbors and their pets through Atypical Place for Transformations.

Lately, it feels like there is a war being waged against our unhoused neighbors. What started as helping my friends and their animals has evolved into advocacy, public speaking, and fighting for solutions. If you know me, you know I hate public speaking, but my heart keeps leading me back to the same place: Chattanooga needs more compassion and a truly low barrier shelter that helps people where they are AND their pets.

The beautiful guitar music at the beginning of this video is from one of our unhoused neighbors. Behind every tent is a human being with talents, stories, and value.

I’d also like to introduce Ryder! We’re working on heel, and you can see him beginning to understand that when I stop, he should automatically stop and sit too, even when my attention is on Lucy. It’s not perfect yet, and that’s okay. Learning is messy.

Toward the end, you’ll see me using leash pressure to work on his sit. He’s still figuring it out, so I adjust and help him find the right answer. Training is all about communication and helping dogs understand one small step at a time.

Ryder is progressing phenomenally, and I’m so proud of him.

Thank you to everyone who trusts me with your dogs. Your support helps more people and animals than you know. ❤️

Somehow while digging through my video editor, I found throwback clips I never posted and this one hit me right in the heart.

This is Flint working with AK, a beautiful Belgian Malinois. Looking back at these videos is wild because you don’t realize how much time has passed until you see it in front of you. His voice, his confidence, his handling skills, his patience with dogs… he’s grown and changed so much.

I’m so incredibly proud of the young man he’s becoming and the skills he’s worked so hard to learn over the years. Watching him grow up alongside these dogs has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Part of me wishes time would just slow down for a little while.

These old videos are such a reminder that all the little moments matter.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at PAWSitive Transformations.

Today I just want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you to every single person who has trusted me with your dogs, supported my small business, shared my posts, recommended me to friends, believed in my training, and helped this dream continue to grow. Your support has done far more than help build a business. It has helped provide for my family, helped support our nonprofit efforts through Atypical Place for Transformations, and allowed me to continue giving back to our community and neighbors in need.

To all the moms out there, whether you’re raising children, rescuing animals, fostering, mentoring, surviving, healing, or simply showing up every day with love in your heart, I hope today reminded you how important and appreciated you are.

I hope everyone had a beautiful Mother’s Day filled with love, laughter, healing, peace, and time with the people and animals who matter most to you.

Thank you all for being part of this journey with me. Truly. 🐾

This is Belle.

When Belle first came to me, she was highly reactive. Pulling on the leash, fixating on people, jumping on strangers and struggling when guests entered the home. She wasn’t a “bad dog” she just didn’t have clear direction, boundaries, or the tools to exist calmly in the real world.

In this video we’re at Barnes and Noble working in a real life environment with real distractions. People walking by, stopping to talk, noise, movement all the things that used to overwhelm her. And instead of reacting, she’s choosing to stay engaged, calm, and neutral.

What you’re seeing is the result of consistent training through distance, duration, and distraction. We don’t avoid the world we teach dogs how to exist in it.

You’ll notice strangers stopping me to talk about how well she’s doing and that’s the goal. A dog that can be out in public, handle interactions appropriately, and make good choices even when life is happening around them.

At the very end, we even test some off leash work and Belle absolutely shines. That level of trust is earned, not forced.

I’m incredibly proud of her.

I also work closely with her owner in parks and locations near their home so this training transfers into her everyday life. Because training isn’t about what a dog does with me it’s about what they can do when they go home.

Belle is learning how to just be a dog. Calm, confident, and free within clear boundaries.

That’s the goal every single time.