Everything You’re Wondering About Training You’re Family Dog
What is Pups n People?
Pups n People is a family dog training business based in Otisfield, Maine, owned and run by Laurie Wood, a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Dog Trainer (KPA-DT) and Family Paws Parent Educator. It offers positive-reinforcement training for family dogs, including puppy classes, reactive dog support, and dog-and-baby preparation.
Yes. All training at Pups n People is strictly positive and reward-based. No corrections, punishment, or force-based tools are used at any point in training.
Does Pups n People use positive reinforcement only?
What is a Family Paws Parent Educator?
A Family Paws Parent Educator is a trainer certified through Family Paws Parent Education, a program focused specifically on helping dogs and families safely navigate life with babies and young children. Laurie Wood holds this certification and uses it to guide new-baby preparation work at Pups n People.
What is KPA-DT certification?
KPA-DT stands for Karen Pryor Academy Certified Dog Trainer, a credential from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior. It reflects training in positive-reinforcement, science-based dog training methods. Laurie Wood holds this certification.
How do I prepare my dog for a new baby?
Pups n People offers a Family Paws-informed Homecoming Plan that walks families through pre-hospital preparation, homecoming day itself, the first few weeks at home, and how to spot early warning signs of stress in a dog. Pups n People also periodically runs a new-baby/toddler dog-adjustment workshop for expecting and new families; contact pupsnpeople207@gmail.com for current dates.
Do you work with reactive dogs?
Yes. Pups n People works with reactive dogs using positive-reinforcement techniques, including the "Look at That" (LAT) game from Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed, to help dogs learn to stay calm around the people, dogs, or situations that trigger them. If a referral for more intensive support for aggression is needed, Laurie has experienced trainers who specialize in aggression to whom she will refer.
Does my dog really need training if they're already pretty well-behaved?
Yes. Training isn't just about fixing problems, it's how a dog learns to understand your household, communicate its needs safely, and handle situations it hasn't faced before, like a new baby, houseguests, or a busy walk downtown. Even easygoing dogs benefit from clear, consistent communication with their people.
Do rescue dogs need different training than puppies?
Often, yes. A rescue dog may arrive with an unknown history, so training usually starts with building trust and confidence before moving on to specific skills. Positive, reward-based methods are especially important here, since a rescue dog is learning that your home is safe before it can focus on learning cues.
My rescue dog seems anxious or fearful. Can training help?
Training can make a real difference for an anxious or fearful rescue dog, though it looks different from typical obedience work. The focus is on building confidence at the dog's own pace, using positive reinforcement to help the dog form good associations with the people, places, and situations that worry it.
Why do dogs bite, even dogs that "never bite"?
Most bites happen when a dog feels cornered, startled, in pain, or repeatedly unable to communicate discomfort in gentler ways, like moving away or lip-licking, before escalating. Dogs give warning signs first far more often than people realize; a bite is usually the last step in a chain of signals that went unnoticed or unaddressed.
How can I tell if my dog is uncomfortable around my kids before it becomes a problem?
Early warning signs include lip-licking, yawning outside of tiredness, turning the head away, a stiff body, or moving away from a child. Learning to recognize these subtle signals, and giving your dog an easy way to remove itself from a situation, is one of the most effective ways to prevent a bite before it happens.
What should I teach my kids about interacting with the dog?
Simple, consistent rules go a long way: let the dog approach you rather than approaching the dog, no hugging or climbing on the dog, let a sleeping or eating dog be, and always ask before petting an unfamiliar dog. Practicing these as a family, with an adult supervising, helps kids and dogs build a genuinely safe relationship.