What People Say About Us

“You all were recommended by Dr. Preston at Healing Paws. We have met with Lauren twice. We have a sweet rescue dog who is scared of everything and is a puller and big. Lauren has been wonderful. She is so kind, positive and encouraging. She makes me feel like I can do this. She is clear and focuses on what's important and is so nice and responsive to emails and questions and I've had a lot. I am thrilled with her. We are having some good success with Gordy already and the walking with the prong collar is helping me because the pulling was a strain on my back.
Also your articles are very clear and concise and helpful.
Thanks so much.

- Margie

“I wanted to give a special thank you to Kara with Paws and Possibilities. I have a brindle hound-pit rescue who had some major issues with strangers coming into the house as well as walking by other dogs on the street. By the end of our private sessions our dog was listening to my wife and I in a way she never had before and was comfortable in her element around other dogs and people. We learned many valuable tools we will keep with us beyond our sessions. Thank you Kara and the team, you were fantastic! Highly recommend!

- Ben and Molly, MD

“I seriously do not know where to begin, Jovone is an amazing pet therapy trainer. Jovone brings so much positive energy, passion and dedication to her work as a pet therapy trainer. Her enthusiasm for her mission to create strong pet therapy teams is contagious. Not only have Ziggy and I become a pet therapy team, I can say that Jovone has helped me strengthen my bond with my dog and we have a fabulous time together bringing smiles to patients in the hospital and at numerous community service events. With the skills that Jovone taught me and Ziggy, we were able to confidently take and pass the pet therapy certification the very first time. In addition to learning about the exam, we also worked on advanced dog training to help troubleshoot and foster positive experiences for both Ziggy and me. Jovone helped navigate me through the entire process of becoming a pet therapy team from start to finish and has inspired me to do so many things out of my comfort zone, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have her as my mentor. There were no surprises at the evaluation because I was prepared for all aspects of the exam and more. Jovone is a true gem and is the perfect advocate for pet therapy. Paws and Possibilities is lucky to have her.

- Rebecca & Ziggy, MD

“Maisy and I passed our exam today! Thank you all for getting us ready and for being our starting point on this new journey. We are beyond excited and can’t wait to start bringing a little comfort to those that need it! I’m going to miss being in your class; I had a lot of fun with the training process and seeing our progression as a team. Watching Maisy’s skills improve each time was amazing! 

Thank you all again!”

- Cat & Maisy, MD

Meet Oakley & Hear What He Has To Say About Working With Paws and Possibilities

“When I signed up I thought that $247 was an outrageous amount of money to spend on a month of training. We went to our first class this morning and also stayed for puppy socialization. I wanted to email you right away and say that I couldn’t be happier!!! After just one class I can honestly say that I would pay twice and much! The trainers were amazing! So informative, knowledgeable and kind. Thank you thank you and thank you again! What an awesome experience already! I can’t wait to see where we are at in a month! I can say that we will definitely keep the training up and hopefully move up the ranks!”

- Katelyn L. | Maryland

“We adopted Dylan knowing nothing of his history other than he was abandoned at a very young age. We reached out to Paws & Possibilities at the recommendation of Severna Park Veterinary Hospital, who was aware of the difficulties we were experiencing integrating Dylan into our existing pack of four adult dogs. Dylan was scared of just about everything new and he coped with this by lashing out at other dogs and hiding in fear from new sounds and objects. Yet Dylan yearned for acceptance from our existing pack, who was not always tolerant of having such a young puppy in the home. Lauren helped us alter Dylan’s behavior immediately and improve the dynamic in the home. We saw progress instantly during our first in-home session with her and the progress continued each week. Lauren was responsive to our questions in-between sessions and provided us knowledge and tools that not only improved our relationship with Dylan, but also enhanced our existing relationships with our other dogs. Thank you Paws and Possibilities for facilitating Dylan’s beautiful transition into a tolerant and well-mannered pup and for fostering a better and safer environment for the pack as a whole. Dylan receives endless compliments from people, who are always amazed that such a young puppy has wonderful manners. Our friends have even noticed improvements in our other dogs. We were able to improve their manners in areas where we struggled for years thanks to Lauren. We are so very grateful to Paws and Possibilities. Thank you so much Lauren!!!”

- Liz and Jen | Crownsville, Maryland

dylan

“I just finished four in-home sessions with Lauren and my four-year-old newly rescued St. Bernard, Mochi. Mochi has special needs because he is deaf and partially blind. My daughter and I needed help dealing with his separation anxiety and fear aggression. Lauren was a role model for how to interact with him and give him clear commands. She was also exceptionally articulate, detailed, and clear in how to give him clear instructions, how to break down new behaviors into small steps, and how to reward these small steps and set firm limits. My daughter and I had thousands of questions along the way and she answered all of them clearly, patiently, and gave lots of examples. She was also very responsive when I had questions in-between sessions and responded to e-mails with clarifying details (and a lot of patience). Mochi and I learned so much from her and these are invaluable lessons I will carry forward with not just Mochi but any other dogs I meet or own in the future. Lauren is a fountain of knowledge. I can’t recommend Paws and Possibilities highly enough!!”

- Kimberly | Maryland

“We are thrilled with our puppy socialization class at Paws and Possibilities! Caylen and Aleah are very patient and skilled with the dogs and in ” training” us owners . They have total command of the room which has had from 6-12 dogs at various times! My fiancé and I were instructed about the behaviors other dogs might exhibit to show dominance vs aggression with our puppy, and we were taught that it is ok for the puppies to take their time in introducing themselves to the other dogs. With subtle movements and single word commands, Caylen has controlled the dogs that needed guidance to behave properly and in turn all of us parents learned from her. Our 12 week old puppy has “held her own” at Broadneck dog park after only two puppy socialization classes. We all look forward to the remaining 4 sessions. Our puppy really likes it there! I highly recommend Paws and Possibilities!”

- Janet J. | Maryland

“When we first adopted our puppy, Charlotte, we knew we wanted to start off on the right foot by hiring a trainer right away. Our vet, Severna Park Veterinary Hospital, highly recommended Paws and Possibilities. I contacted Kim, the owner of Paws and Possibilities, and she was wonderful. I explained to Kim that a year prior we adopted a shelter dog who bit one of my children and myself. Unfortunately we had to return the dog. After a year, we were ready to try again with a new puppy. My kids were nervous around the new puppy, regardless of how much my husband and I tried to reassure them that our new puppy would not hurt them. Kim was so understanding and got us in touch with her head trainer, Lauren. Lauren came to our house once a week for several weeks and was amazing! Lauren worked one-on-one with our whole family and explained things in a way that even my 8 year old could understand! Lauren not only helped us by teaching us the necessary skills to train our dog Charlotte, but she also helped our family understand how a dog thinks and why they do the behaviors they do. Lauren was always there if we had a question in between sessions either via phone or email. Lauren was incredibly patient with us and our children. Thanks to Lauren, we now have an amazing dog who fits in perfectly with our family. Whenever we are out with our dog people compliment how well behaved our dog is and we give all the credit to Paws and Possibilities!

Thanks for everything, Lauren!”

- Amy l. | Maryland

“We would like to take this opportunity to recognize Lauren and Caylen for their expertise in training our two Labs, Gracie and Ally. They always arrived at our house on time and walked my wife and I through the valuable training process. Lauren and Caylen modeled each specific training technique with care and reinforcement to assure that we, the dog owners, were comfortable in performing the exercise. Both ladies were firm and caring for Gracie and Ally. Each training session was sequential and always allowed time for owner questions regarding inside and outside behaviors of our dogs. My wife and I are pleased with Paws and Possibilities’ Lauren and Caylen for a job well done and much improved behaviors of Gracie and Ally. Bravo!!!”

Ronnie & Joe R. | Maryland

“When we first started working together, we were having trouble even walking Max because he would react to every dog and many people he saw. It has been a complete turnaround. This summer we took Max with us to Bethany Beach for a week, where he got multiple walks per day. He was perfect! We would walk past other people with their dogs going nuts and hear them say, “why can’t you be good like that dog”. We never thought Max would be “that good dog”. It was amazing. It was an upward spiral of positive reinforcement, he got better and better and we got more and more relaxed walking him. Now we can actually walk all three of them at the same time which we never thought we’d be able to do. Even past the husky around the corner that always used to set Max off. Mischa and Dallas are doing great too. Mischa will never be calm, but we can have people walk in the front door now at least without getting jumped on and bathed by the never ending tongue. And all three dogs are getting along well with all the cats at Bill’s. It is certainly much easier to have so many animals when they are so much better behaved. Thank you so much! We appreciate all you did for us.”

- Monica B. & Bill M. | Maryland

“When I first called you, Lucy was the issue. She had bitten the mail man, couldn’t be brushed, and chased every car arriving and leaving the property. In addition, she barked at every noise the neighbors made, without ceasing!! Most recently, the FedEx man has delivered with out a bark. I am brushing her every evening without threat, and much to my delight, all three dogs were barking at the kids at the driveway and when I opened the door, they stopped (which means they knew I would say STOP, their command to be quiet when people arrive). I am still working on their behavior when I am not home: I want them to bark (just not bite). Lucy has not been aggressive since we have been working with her. Her confidence seems to have dramatically increased. She is obedient and loves the positive reinforcement. I have corrected her a handful of times. If you remember, the breeder suggested to my son in law that we put her down because that breed is not very apt to change/improve. She has made significant progress! Thanks so much for your help!”

Rusty A. | Maryland

“You fixed Huckleberry! Astounding the difference the right tool makes. I’ve had great walks with him all day and Ted just came in with him, raving about how great he walked. Ted ran out of treats for the first time ever – there were oh so many clickable moments. We are thrilled!"

Lisa & Ted, MD

“I wanted to give you an update on how Bristol has been doing since we moved to Texas. I feel like for the first time, she’s really starting to come into her own here. She seems very happy and she’s been doing great with her training. I was able to find a dog day care facility here that had a great option for dogs like Bristol who aren’t the best with other dogs. The facility is set up so that she had her own private play area next to where all the other dogs were. Well, apparently she was doing so well playing with the other dogs through the fence, that the staff was able to slowly introduce her to the other dogs and she was fully integrated into the pack! They said she was one of the best players they’ve seen and she’s very sweet with the other dogs. They said they started laughing when she was trying to teach some of the other dogs how to bite at the sprinklers. I couldn’t believe it when I saw her playing with the pups when I came to pick her up! Never in a million years would I have expected to see that. She will be heading out for her boot camp with James at the end of the month, but I was so proud of her today when I picked her up, that I wanted to share and say THANK YOU! Thanks for everything you helped us with. Working with you was one of the best decisions we’ve made.”

Tori, MD

“Sarah at Paws and Possibilities quite simply changed my life as a foster mom and most importantly, Puppy Paws Rescue, foster dog Zena! Her training method not only works, but it makes sense. She gives great explanations and insight behind the lessons and they’re very simple to follow through at home. I now have the tools to continue on my own. Sarah tirelessly answered my questions, listened to my nervous “dog mom” anxieties and offered caring and expert advice. I felt like Zena and I were her only priority while we were together. There were many nights that I cried thinking I had made a huge mistake fostering this dog and couldn’t imagine how in the world I was going to get through to this dog. And then came Sarah! She taught me how to interpret Zena’s behavior as fearful and anxious versus her being bad or her ignoring me. I couldn’t believe how she was able to connect with Zena. She was a different dog around her. Zena was extremely fearful of her crate, had already been through 2 and it was a tedious and strategic effort for me to get her in the crate, without having a panic attack while in there. Sarah took Zena in for a 7 day, full immersion course and Zena now goes in to her crate on first command. Zena came out a much more self-assured, confident and well-mannered dog.”

Meredith A., MD

“My family room looks like we own it again! We used to have the ottoman upside down on the chair so our dog Rudder couldn't jump on either. All the pillows and the throw were in the closet and he was jumping from couch to chair regularly. After only a few corrections in two weeks, we put the pillows back on and took the ottoman down and not only has he not jumped on the couch...not even once, but he is ignoring the pillows and throw! Thank you for giving us the gift of a well-trained dog.”

- Andrea W. | Maryland

“I approached Paws and Possibilities after adopting Rambo (a rescue dog). Lauren, senior trainer was out private trainer. Lauren is truly amazing with dogs. Her presence is strong and her understanding and explanation of a dog’s world helps the owner better deal with their animal. She gave us clear training techniques (1 per week) to practice, until her next visit. The most profound technique was the ‘blocking’. The ‘block’ controls the dogs movement by managing the space around you, using your body. This technique is truly incredible, as it created a great deal of respect between Rambo and myself. I feel like a am completely in charge now and he looks to me for guidance, which was not the case to begin with. I found the experience to be incredibly helpful in every way. Utilizing all of the techniques seems to assist in the communication between dog and owner. Rambo and I continue to practice what we have learned. Rambo was a very good dog to begin with, but I want a great dog and he is on his way thanks to Lauren and Paws and Possibilities. I highly recommend anyone with a new dog to invest in training, it is worth every cent.”

- Peggy G. | Maryland

“I highly recommend Lauren and the team at Paws and Possibilities. Over the course of 4 private sessions with our new, very rambunctious Havanese puppy and our 8 year old, sometimes nervous and growly, toy poodle, we learned effective ways to eliminate unwanted behaviors, and we are well on our way to having polite, well mannered dogs. Lauren was excellent at explaining her techniques to our entirely family. She was gentle and caring, and totally in tune with our needs and issues with both dogs. Her techniques make total sense, and she spent a lot of time demonstrating and practicing with us, making sure that we understood how to do everything correctly and in real life situations, and everything actually works! Within a month, the change in our household is amazing. We have taken training classes at pet stores, and these were minimally effective by comparison. If it is within your means, it is very worthwhile to have the one-on-one personal training with Lauren, especially if your dog has particular behavior issues or if you have a new puppy. It is 100% more effective to have the individualized attention in my opinion, but I am sure her group classes are also of good quality. Lauren is so talented and an unlimited resource, and always stayed until all of our questions were answered, and this was invaluable! Thank you so much, Lauren (and lovely assistant).”

- Laura T. | Maryland

“My husband and I have owned dogs for 50+ years, and have had numerous trainers over the years. Your methods are by far the most successful, and the easiest to integrate into how we relate to our dog(s). You were also a pleasure to work with. Daisy and we will miss you. You’ll notice in the photo of Daisy, she is playing with a ball she discovered in her yard. Until your training, we could not let Daisy loose without a leash because she would leave the yard, and not come back. She now knows her boundaries, has been running free, and playing in her backyard for the past several weeks.”

- Casey & Rex P. | Maryland

“Paws and Possibilities repaired my relationship with my dog. My two dog household had become overwhelming as one of my small dogs developed aggressive and anxious behaviors including growling, snarling and even biting towards me and my other dog. He was territorial and seemed to have a split personality going from calm to vicious in a moment’s notice. I reached a point where I was fearful of him and thought I may have to re-home him; something as an outspoken advocate for pet adoption, I never thought I would do. After ruling out health issues with my vet, I contacted Paws and Possibilities for help. I worked with Lauren and within a few days after our first session, I started seeing big results with both of my dogs. By the time we concluded our final session, I was saying things like miracle, new dog and amazing. It’s been hard work and training for me too but I’ve learned so much and feel confident that I now have the tools and knowledge to continue training my dogs and keep my house a safe, happy place for all of us. Instead of being fearful of my beloved dog, I am now extremely proud of him. “

- Katie R. | Maryland

“Paws and Possibilities has been a the most positive experience for our dog and family. We wanted to enjoy walking our 8 year old Maltese in Downtown Annapolis and enjoy the water, outdoor events, restaurants and other dogs. We wanted our dog to not pull on the leash, bark and lunge at other dogs and behave well. I met Kim a few years ago at a dog event and was so impressed with her dogs as they sat by her side while she talked and enjoyed an evening of conversation and camaraderie. I decided to start training with Paws and Possibilities, so that my dog could be the best dog she could be. We started training with Lauren in our home, immediately we saw positive results with leash training, walking and behavior. With each training session we continued to see progress with notes, reminders, videos and phone calls if we ever had questions. Using the methods Paws and Possibilities have given us and continuing to utilize the techniques, our dog, Cece is now confident, walks without lunging or pulling and is well behaved in crowds and with other dogs. The training has allowed CeCe to attend Dogwood Acres and enjoy play days with other dogs. Our 2 year old granddaughter is able to walk her on leash. By continuing to use the techniques Paws and Possibilities have taught us, Cece continues to grow confident, well behaved and happy. Paws and Possibilities has been the most positive experience for Cece and our family. I have recommended several people who have seen positive results.”

- Tracy M. | Maryland

“Working with Lauren and Sarah at Paws and Possibilities has been one of the best things my husband and I could have done for our 7 month old beagle mix named Nola and our 1.5 year old Terrier mix named Jackson. Nola has a lot of spunk, when going on walks she would constantly bark at everyone and jump up at people. Jackson would occasionally show aggression towards other dogs, jump on us when we would come home from work, and constant leash pulling when walking. Basically they enjoyed doing whatever they wanted. I called Paws and Possibilities and after their first session I could notice a difference. At the end of the 6 sessions we had the dogs that we were always hoping for, well behaved. Paws and Possibilities taught us how to be better owners and in turn we were able to teach our dogs better manners. I highly recommend Paws and Possibilities to anyone who is interested in the correct way to train their dogs to have manners and become the well behaved dogs that they’ve always wanted.”

Adele & Erik B.| Maryland

“I am the proud owner of two adorable, but naughty, French Bulldogs. I contacted Paws and Possibilities for help with managing some of my dogs’ behaviors and reached Lauren Dillard. Lauren has been amazing! She worked with me one-on-one to teach me about how to prevent my dogs’ undesirable behaviors and reinforce more appropriate and polite behaviors. With Lauren’s help, both of my dogs successfully passed their test to become therapy dogs. I am a child psychologist, so this means that my dogs can now accompany me to work and assist me with my clients. Lauren is confident and extremely knowledgeable about dog training. She taught me simple, but effective, strategies to use with my dogs. Lauren worked with me at my pace, so I felt confident to manage my dogs’ behaviors when she was not with me. Lauren also was extremely helpful and accessible outside of our training sessions. She was flexible, professional, and knowledgeable. I am so grateful to have met Lauren and would highly recommend her as a trainer!”

- Gina M.| Maryland

“We were so pleased when we received your name through Poodles By Design and that you would come to our house to train our new poodle puppy, Shaker. These past 6 weeks just flew by! Shaker learned so many things. He learned how to sit, lay down, dance, and roll over. He learned proper dog etiquette by waiting for his treats and to stop barking once a person came to the door and we knew them. You also managed to train us, the owners, somehow. We learned how we could inadvertently be causing some bad behavior for Shaker. Everything you taught us and Shaker has been a pure pleasure. Shaker is more self-confident and willing to learn as he possibly can. We look forward to a continuing relationship with you. The knowledge and patience you bring to us is amazing. Thank you so very much!”

Sheila & Eric N. | Frederick, MD

“When I first met Kim Wendkos, owner of Paws & Possibilities, I knew I had found a goldmine. Kim has an impressive background in animal behavior and operant conditioning. Her knowledge of positive dog training combined with a unique ability to communicate that knowledge to “everyday” dog owners like me make her stand out in her field. Kim built an immediate rapport with my dog and it is clear that she loves what she does. I enjoy working with Kim because she is respectful, kind, and genuine – with my dog and with me! In just one training session, Kim taught me how to teach my dog NOT to chase cats. This is something that created quite a disturbance whenever my Mom came to visit with her two calicos in tow. Not anymore! My dog and my Mom’s cats now live in peace which is a great relief to us. I will continue to go to Kim whenever I have a training need. She is one of a kind!”

Lynn Tickner | Clarksville, MD

“I first met Kim Greco six years ago while working in the marine mammal department at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Kim’s natural gift for animal training was immediately obvious, as she developed strong relationships with all the animals and consistently produced measurable results. In addition to thriving as animal trainer, Kim’s ability to understand the psychology of behavior enabled her to relate exceptionally well to her peers, and as such, she was a natural coach to many fellow staff members. She excelled at simplifying complex ideas and presenting them in a very easy-to-understand manner. Her creative problem solving techniques, as well as her calm and patient demeanor are part of what make her such a natural, in working with both animals and people. Anyone fortunate enough to benefit from Kim’s training knowledge and experience will no doubt have a completely new perspective on animal behavior and is sure to see fantastic results!”

- Carrie M. | Calgary, Canada

“Kim’s training method is not just about getting your dog to do something, its about helping you understand your dog better so he just naturally wants to do what you want. If you are looking for a positive way to work with your dog on proper etiquette, this is what you need. We recently rescued a one year old Labradoodle from a backyard breeder. The sweet dog was completely in his shell and had no dog manners, but after a few weeks, we’ve got a dog who walks well on a leash, loves to play ball (including dropping the ball so we’ll throw again), likes to ride in the car, and is learning that we like it when he sits or lies down. In no time at all, he’ll be our perfect companion.”

- Chris R. | Severna Park, Maryland

“Our beautiful 3 year old Australian Shepherd, Rio, loves people and is sweet and gentle, but he was aggressive to other dogs. I was unable to walk him in our neighborhood because he would lunge and bark and was practically uncontrollable when he would encounter another dog or even hear a dog bark. I couldn’t take him to the vet for an appointment because he would get so worked up around other animals that he would make himself sick. Our veterinarian recommended Kim to us, and I admit I was skeptical. His condition seemed so severe to me that I didn’t really believe he would be able to be helped. Within a few weeks, Kim was able to change his behavior completely. I was amazed (and still am) as to how well he is doing. I now can walk Rio around the entire neighborhood. We encounter all kinds of dogs – large and small – leashed or not – barking or quiet, and Rio behaves beautifully, thanks to Kim’s expert knowledge and training skills. Kim made a real difference in our lives as well as Rio’s. Thank you, Kim!”

Heather T. | Arnold, Maryland

“My family and I had a wonderful experience working with Paws and Possibilities. She tailored her approach to fit our lifestyle and our goals for our 1 year old rescued German Shepherd and 10 year old Lab mix. By week 6, both dogs had made great progress. She takes complex animal behavior concepts and makes them simple to understand and applicable to our household. To me, the best part of training has been that it is so fun! The dogs and I both look forward to Kim’s visit. By the time she leaves, I have learned something new and useful and the dogs are happily exhausted. Based on my experience, I would highly recommend Kim to anyone who has a dog at any level along the training spectrum; from one with major behavioral issues, (due to past abuse, our rescued dog had problems to be worked out) to one who is quite advanced and ready to get “to the next level” (our lab started off very well-behaved with a fairly expansive list of commands she followed, but is now an even better dog!)”

- Amy K. | Arnold, Maryland

“My husband and I have attended training classes when we adopted our first dog about 10 years ago. When we got our new puppy this year, we assured ourselves that we know what we're doing, and we don't need to go to training again. Boy, were we wrong about that! Turns out we had forgotten much of what we needed to do, and the trainers at Paws and Possibilities helped us with first puppy socialization, then basic training. Caylen is wonderful with the dogs and with us humans too! She is very patient and ensures that each customer is taken care of in the class. We saw a difference in our puppy Sierra so quickly, and the training was easy to follow.”

Carol S. | Maryland

“We have been so happy with our experience at Paws and Possibilities -- Hunter has improved so much!! We wish we would have videoed his first class because his progress would have been the perfect testimonial :)! We will definitely be back to you guys for many more classes in the future. Thank you!”

- Jen | Maryland

“Since working with Caylen from Paws and Possibilities, Chloe has done amazing with leash walking and meeting and greeting people and other dogs. For a rescue dog with no leash training and trust issues, she has made a remarkable turnaround in just two months. She now wants and looks forward to meeting people in the neighborhood. She is so much more confident and trusting, making us happy and proud owners, thank you Caylen.”

Carol S. | Maryland