Pawsitive Practice Training & Behavior Consulting - Tallahassee, Florida

Charlotte G.

Lisa Matthews is just wonderful! From her many certifications to her joy and caring, I would recommend her to anyone who needs help with their doggo. She knew when our dog was ill (it took us/vet a long time to figure it out). She knew what the dog’s temperament would be and what was coming for us (all true). She has so much experience that she knows how to treat whatever problem you might face. Lisa is stuffed full of dog treatos and “ good decisions!” Haha. She’s simply the best!

Bonnie T.

We rescued an 18 month old Australian Cattle Dog/ German Shepherd/ Pit Bull mix in January of 2022. When we rescued her we had no idea of the extent of her issues but they became apparent very quickly. While she is extremely smart, she is also very reactive, fear aggressive and exhibits a great deal of anxiety. My husband could not really go near her or pet her without her growling at him and showing her teeth. We had no idea how to help her and I even had a vet suggest that we euthanize her because she was beyond help. That wasn't going to happen so I started researching behavior training and behavior training facilities. I read so many great reviews for Pawsitive Practice so I contacted them. I cannot begin to express how incredibly grateful I am for Pawsitive Practice and especially for Tyler.

Tyler possesses a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dog behavior and training. He was able to recommend a Veterinarian who was also very knowledgeable regarding behavior issues in dogs and using medications to help with reactiveness and anxiety. We got Ari on a medication regimen and booked a 5 session training with Tyler. I am not exaggerating when I say that because of Tyler and the medication Ari is a completely different dog today.

It was so wonderful to witness the bond that developed between Tyler and Ari. She doesn't trust easily yet she would get so excited every time she saw him. He had so many great suggestions as far as resource materials and books that would be helpful. He showed us how to redirect her when needed, how to use positive reinforcement to get her to do what we wanted her to do and how to build trust with her. She still has a ways to go, but she is miles from where she started and we now have the tools needed to continue to train her and help her to become the best dog that she can be.

It is very evident that Tyler truly cares about the dogs that he helps train. He would call weekly to check on Ari and ask how she was doing or to give me some recommendations on things to try. He sent me some articles that he came across that he felt would be helpful and even took time to come to a couple of her vet visits. He far exceeded any expectations that I had regarding training and Ari and I will be forever grateful for the help he was able to provide.

Sarah B.

Lisa was amazing with our 6-year old rescue who came to us displaying anxiety, some fear aggression, and limited basic training. The main problem areas we wanted to address were: lunging and snarling at cars or people that passed us on walks and also growling/snapping at new visitors that would come to the house. We signed up for a 5-session package. After a couple sessions, Lisa advised us to speak with our vet to find a medication to help calm her anxiety. I'm so glad we did! When we combined the medication along with Lisa's training techniques we have been able to achieve a much happier, responsive, calm, and self confident dog.

As a trainer, Lisa is patient and effusively positive. She's all about the love and treats. She was very knowledgeable and always explained the reasoning behind the various techniques and how to effectively employ them. I liked that we were able to train both at her facility and in our own home depending on the skills we had to work on.

Wilda C.

Finding Lisa Matthews with Pawsitive Practice was the best thing for our furry family member. She deserves every one of those 5 stars. And more!

Piper had been a part of our family for 2 years when my son moved out, taking his dog, Audrey, with him. Audrey was Piper’s BFF and, unknown to us, her calming factor. We’d known that Piper was an anxious dog but it’s severity surfaced with Audrey out of the picture. It was when Piper destroyed the kitchen door moldings and doorknob that we knew we needed more help than medication could provide. I thought the situation was hopeless and those fears were reinforced when I spoke with a trainer who said Piper’s problems were out of his league. He referred me to Lisa Matthews. I wasn’t very optimistic, but as soon as I explained what we were going through with Piper, Lisa put together a plan of action with amazing results. She was Piper’s saving grace. Today, we have routines in place and Piper knows that she can handle being alone.

Lisa also helped with Piper’s leash frustration. I was terrified to take this 85-pound baby on a walk. With Lisa’s training and reassurance, I now have the confidence to handle Piper.

Karen W.

Tyler was a huge help with our 3 month old rescue, Odin. We had some of the basic commands in check but we were struggling with serious biting issues, begging at the table and impulse control. We did the 5 session package and by the end of the first night we felt as though Odin was a new puppy. There is as much involved in training "us" as there was Odin. Tyler made sure that we understood why dogs behave certain ways or do certain things rather than just teaching us to eliminate the behavior. Tyler was extremely patient - making sure myself, my husband and 10 year old son all had a grasp on the commands we were learning before he left each session. You can definitely tell that Tyler has a passion for dogs and our puppy certainly responded positively to that. I would definitely recommend Tyler and Pawsitive Practice to anyone seeking assistance with their fuzzy friend.

Danny A. L. S.

We truly enjoyed working with Lisa for our new puppy training needs! We recently got a 2 month old Aussie puppy and appreciated all of the tips and tricks Lisa provided us with. She helped stimulate our active puppies curious mind and taught him very crucial commands that jump started our new puppy training. She also spent time with our other dog and gave us some recommendations for him (and we did not even pay her for this service), which we greatly appreciated. Lisa is very outgoing and truly cares for your puppy, we would highly recommend her!

Michelle V.

I was at a loss at how to handle a new 2 year old dog with a lot of anxiety. I just knew there was something wrong with that dog!
Lisa brought out the best in him and helped me recognize his greatness and taught me how to handle his issues. I have continued working on his confidence and a couple of months in I have an amazing, and much loved border collie! Things are better every day! Lisa gave this story a happy ending with a promising future ahead! Thank you Lisa!

Christopher M.

We used Pawsitive for our 4 month old German Shepard/Lab mix. Within a few sessions, Lisa had our puppy doing a lot of the basic commands. The biggest take away for our family was training us how to train the puppy. Lisa gave us some very good tips/answers for other questions we had as new dog owners. I would highly recommend Lisa with Pawsitive Practice.