Pawsitive Pups Academy

10/13/2026

I think I can officially check “can recall off of and be neutral towards livestock” off on the Pretzel training goals check list.

10/13/2026

The goal of my “Success with Low Drive Pets” program is not to amp up low energy dogs, it’s to help people learn how to build cooperative relationships with dogs who are independent, stubborn, environmentally motivated and/or sensitive to social pressure.

While we do talk extensively about how to build food and toy drive so that it is usable for training purposes, this program is a welfare based framework at its core. The ultimate goal is to build joy, optimism and relationships in order to improve these dogs’ lives, not just teach them cool tricks.

Want to learn more? My two-day virtual seminar is coming up! Link in bio for more information.

10/10/2026

And that’s on FOOD FLUENCY.

Food fluency is a training plan I developed for both humans and dogs to learn the skills they need to use food strategically, increase the likelihood of a dog eating during high arousal and stress, which allows us to make food management and reinforcement possible in scenarios where dogs normally won’t eat.

This is especially important for reactive, shy, stubborn, fearful and/or independent dogs.

We will be taking a deep dive into this program during my upcoming virtual seminar. Link in bio for more information.

10/09/2026

Eating when frustrated is one of the skills I teach in my Food Fluency program. I’ll be taking a deep dive into this during my upcoming two-day virtual seminar. Link in bio to find out more.

10/07/2026

Bear is officially available for adoption!

I initially thought he’d need more time with me but he has warmed up so quickly in just a few days, and while he is an absolute angel and can hang out as long as he needs to, I would like to help him find his person sooner than later.

About Bear 🧸

Age: ~1 year
Breed: Lab mix
Weight: Currently ~45lbs and gaining (he was pretty thin when he came to me. I’d guess he’ll sit at a healthy low 50s)
Neutered

🐶 Dog friendly, all sizes and including unaltered males
🧍Fearful and avoidant of strange humans but friendly with all (including kids) once he warms up
🐱 Cats and small mammals unknown, but can be tested. I suspect he’d be fine.

✅ crate trained
✅ does not pull on leash
✅ good recall
✅ knows a few basic cues (sit, down, off furniture, kennel up)
✅ great with potty training if given an age appropriate schedule and supervision

(More info in comments)

10/04/2026

Sometimes an environment is just not right for a dog to thrive.

Bear is a snuggly, silly, playful and very friendly guy who just needs a patient human and some good dog friends to make him feel safe.

He is available for adoption through Until They’re Home in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Until They're Home

09/28/2026

Independent and environmentally motivated dogs are exceptionally difficult to have off leash safely, and yet they are the dogs that benefit from this kind of freedom the most.

Most people would not let a dog like Pickle (or any cairn terrier) off leash period. He is a dog that values his freedom and autonomy over everything else. No amount of high value food is going to override that.

So how am I able to provide him with regular off leash freedom?

The process is a little too complicated for an instagram caption, but I will be talking about it in depth during my upcoming virtual 2-day seminar. Link in bio to find out more.

09/27/2026

09/27/2026

Working with dogs who are less biddable and not super interested in food is about more than knowing how to build food drive, it’s also knowing when and how to NOT rely on food for training.

We will be discussing non-food based training plans for long line and leash walking skills, off leash foundations and reactivity bmod in depth during my upcoming Success with Low Drive Pets two-day seminar.

Link in bio to learn more