Paula's outlook and pedagogy is a breath of fresh air. After two unsuccessful attempts with trainers, I was feeling pretty pessimistic about finding a behavioralist who would be willing to work with my dog. After 3 months, I can confidently say that my dog is more relaxed, content, and settled in thanks to the scaffolding that Paula has provided for us. Paula focuses on how we can change our environment to meet my dog where she's at, not how I can make my dog obey or conform into an unrealistic standard. Thank you to Paula for all that she's done for me and my girl thus far!

If I could recommend ONE thing to a dog owner, it would be to take your dog to Inspire Canine. Paula was so monumental in my relationship with my soul dog, Adeline. She helped me understand how my fur baby thinks and communicates and what it means to be an owner and advocate for your dog. Paula not only helped me develop secure attachment for Adeline she supported us on our life adjustments and gave foundational stepping stones we can grow with she also gave virtual support, consistent check ins and was my personal supprt in adjusting our lives for the better of Adeline. I’m confident knowing I can handle what comes up in the future and knowing we can always trust Inspire Canine. Thank you so much Paula.

I am so happy that I did this work with my 12-year old dog. I originally went to Paula because a neighbor was complaining about her barking in the yard. But now that I know what makes my dog feel calm and confident, it has changed all of her behavior. I've learned to give her what she needs to regulate herself. As a result, I'm so much less worried about her when I'm gone and I enjoy being with her more, seeing how much calmer she is. Paula provided kindness and empathy through the process so I didn't feel guilty about being a "bad dog mom." This video shows how she reacts to the next-door neighbors playing in the yard. Note that in the original video, it takes her less than a minute to decide to ignore the noise but I could only post a 30-second video so I split it in 2 parts.

Paulas perspective and experience with our boy Bruno has been ground breaking to say the least.
Our older pitty has grown leaps and bounds that I can honestly say I was unsure could he done. Bruno has found his voice and has so much more personality. I strongly suggest bringing your fur child to her for a session or a lot of sessions. You will love the outcome!

I came to Paula after having reviewed her method on her website and seeing all of the amazing reviews from people who have worked with her. I adopted a rescue, Levi, who was very anxious around humans and appeared to show anxiety-driven aggression toward other dogs. While Levi has been a very good listener and has excellent behavior, my concern was a lack of confidence, presenting as anxiety. I knew I don’t want “obedience training,” as that wasn’t the issue- I wanted to build Levi’s confidence in a way that would also strengthen our bond.

Cue Paula- I cannot say enough nice things about this woman. Her dedication to understanding dog psychology and passion for improving the dog-human relationship is beautiful and compassionate. Paula has taught me cues to communicate with Levi in a way that he can actually understand, as well as how to recognize the ways in which Levi is communicating with me; she has also taught me the importance of being considerate and respectful of what he is communicating. Since working with Paula, I have been able to hone in on when he needs reassurance and through the method of OSR, I have been able to fulfill that need for him- watching my boy, in a completely new environment, go from hyper-alert to relaxed in a matter of minutes was a huge breakthrough.

Paula has taught me the importance of being the architect of Levi’s environment and being mindful to not put him in situations he is not ready for. The effort we have been putting in to make these lifestyle changes is not going unnoticed- Levi is more exploratory and curious about people since working with Paula, and has even made a couple of new dog friends, which shows the trust we have built together through this process.

Paula has such an incredible and unique approach as a dog behavior specialist. I honestly never knew such a person existed until I found her. I adopted my dog through a rescue and without knowing his history I found it difficult to understand, navigate and correct his behavioral issues. I originally worked with a dog trainer, not knowing the difference between a trainer and behavioral specialist. The trainer just focused on basic obedience which I wasn’t looking for. At that point, I felt discouraged, because I wasn’t looking for that type of help and wasn’t what my dog needed. My only concern at that point was his overall happiness and security. Since working with Paula, she’s helped me understand my dog’s behaviors and how to orchestrate our environment and provide tools for me to create a more harmonious life for him. Over the past several months, he has made significant strides, and I couldn’t be happier and more excited for what’s to come for him. Paula is so knowledgeable and has provided so much useful information. I really enjoy working with her and honestly amazed how much progress we have made.

Last year, my wife and I reached out to Paula because we were struggling to understand why our Great Dane was behaving the way he was. We had challenges in public, on walks, and even at home with our kids. From the very beginning, Paula did an incredible job helping us understand what our Dane was actually communicating to us, rather than just reacting to his behavior.

Through her guidance, we learned that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to training dogs. Paula helped me realize how important it is to understand how our dog thinks, feels, and processes the world. As we adjusted our approach, his anxious demeanor completely changed—he is now a confident dog who is thriving instead of timid and unsure of himself.

The transformation has been amazing to witness. He does wonderfully with our kids, and our home feels calmer and more enjoyable for everyone. A huge part of this success was Paula helping me shift my typical mindset about dog training and handling. She taught me how to work with our Great Dane in a way that allows him to thrive in his own skin, not force him into a method that didn’t fit him.

We couldn’t be happier with the results and would highly recommend Paula to anyone looking for meaningful, lasting change—not just quick fixes.

Paula has made a huge impact on both my dog’s life and my own. She has helped me truly understand my girl, which has set her up for success in this chaotic world. I can already see a difference, her outlook on life is slowly changing, and that is a huge win for us.
For most of her life, my dog viewed people, other dogs, and their actions negatively. Paula’s approach isn’t regular training, it’s true counseling. She has taught me how to be more patient, trust my dog more, and slowly rebuild her confidence. That being said, I have done board-and-train programs before, and they didn’t meet my dog’s needs. Every dog is different, and I truly believe that’s what makes Paula’s work so special. She takes the time to understand each dog needs and tailors her counseling to meet them. Paula’s guidance has made a real difference!

I am so grateful I found Paula. I was at a complete loss with my dog, Velvet, and truly thought I was going to have to rehome her. From the day I brought her home, I hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep. I have two teenagers, three cats, and another dog, and I wanted Velvet both as a companion for my dog and as an ESA for my son. Instead, her anxiety quickly became overwhelming—for her and for us.

Velvet couldn’t be away from me if I was in the house. She destroyed carpet by the doors, could open doors herself, and nothing (hampers, suitcases, barricades) stopped her from barging in. She licked constantly, jumped endlessly, and woke me up at all hours of the night because she couldn’t be alone. Obedience training wasn’t the answer—teaching “sit” or “stay” wasn’t going to fix the root issue.

I was doubtful anything would work, especially since I have a demanding job and knew my kids couldn’t fully participate in the training. But I decided to work with Paula for 3 months before making any hard decisions. From the start, Paula helped me see Velvet’s behaviors through a new lens—most of them were fear-based. She suggested small, realistic changes that made my dog feel safe in our home.

I’m only halfway through the program and I already have a completely different dog. Velvet now sleeps through the night, stays calm around the cats, and can curl up on the couch next to me without constant licking. She’s even starting to play with my other dog. The difference is incredible.

If you’re at your breaking point and don’t know what to do, don’t give up—call Paula. She gave me back hope and gave Velvet the chance to be the happy, relaxed dog she was meant to be.

I first discovered Paula and Inspire Canine through online searching for dog training/a dog behaviorist for our Great Dane.

We adopted our sweet guy through a local rescue and soon discovered that he had anxiety and fear that would manifest in several ways. For example, while out on lead in our neighborhood, certain noises would set off episodes where he would either attempt to flee or he would freeze in fear and refuse to move. It was quite challenging for us as he is a 170lb guy. It got to the point where he would not go beyond a few steps past our home. We would become frustrated because we didn’t understand what was going on with our guy and how to best help him. At home, occasionally he would growl at a family member when they would walk by him resting on his bed or would even growl when they would enter the room. This was very concerning as I didn’t want our Dane’s behavior to escalate further towards our family member. Then, these past six months, our Dane’s behavior seemed to become worse. Walks became more difficult and he would growl at other family members.

Reaching a point of desperation, I reached out to our vet who gave us some recommendations for training and the option of meds to help with his behavior. I began researching the vet recommendations, but nothing seemed to click for what I was looking for. The trainers that I looked at seemed to be more concentrated on just getting a dog to stop the behavior. I was more interested in understanding the what or why that was behind the behavior in order to make effective changes, to help our boy be more relaxed, confident, and comfortable in his surroundings. Enter Paula and Inspire Canine!

From the moment I found the Inspire Canine website, a light bulb went off; an “aha” moment. This is what I had been looking for! Paula responded timely to my inquiry, and during our initial phone call, she listened and responded back, not with judgement, but with true care, concern, and understanding. She provided me with knowledge and direction, I was ready to get started!

Right from the very first session, I learned quite a bit. I realized that this wasn’t just about our Dane’s behavior, it was also about our family’s response to it, what we were doing prior to it, and what kind of environment we were creating or allowing for our Dane to be in. In working with Paula, I began to understand the “why” behind our Dane’s behavior, and received practical ways to create an environment for him to work towards thriving, being confident, and comfortable.

Working with Paula over these past few months, she has consistently provided exceptional coaching and mentoring sessions that have begun the transformation in our Dane that we are seeing in real time. Paula provides easily accessible avenues to reach out for support as well as impactful feedback. In my time spent with Paula, it is evident that she is passionate about what she does and her vast experience speaks volumes. As a direct result of our sessions with Paula, I am able to see a noticeable difference in our Dane already. Allowing what we have learned to change our family’s knowledge, approach, and perspective has been a vital key. Since applying that knowledge, approach, and perspective at home and in outdoor environments, our Dane has had a positive and growing shift in how he navigates certain situations and interacts with family members. I look forward to continuing the journey with Paula in equipping myself and family in helping our Dane so that we can all thrive together. For anyone searching, needing assistance, or at a point of desperation like I was, I highly recommend reaching out to Paula!