PAWSITIVE PAWS ACADEMY

We started Pawsitive Paws Academy because we all had the same goal: to offer dog owners a positive way of training, a fun way to bond with their dog, & to help the fearful dogs as well as the reactive ones.  While training in the Kirkwood Continuing Education Canine Program, we saw corrective training as a detriment to the well being of the dogs we were working with.  We turned to the positive training appropach we were using in the KW Agility Program to help owners build the kind of relationship they wanted with their dog.  The PPA team brought together their experiences and various strengths to cooperatively develop the positive training approach that we began in the KW Manners classes.  Pawsitive Paws Academy INC opened in February 2008 with classes, private training and grooming in 1800 sq. ft. in northeast Cedar Rapids.  In less than one year, we had over 300 dogs go through our classes.

In March of 2009 we began offering doggie daycare and at Kirkwood's request, we resumed training for the Continuing Education Classes in Cedar Rapids.  In May we moved to our current location of over 6500 square feet just off 1st Avenue on the SE side of Cedar Rapids.  At the request of several clients, we added boarding services in June.  As we have grown, we have been able to bring in wonderful staff members to help us provide and care for our canine friends.

Chuck and Connie Adams are two of the founding owners of PPA. They teach a variety of classes at PPA, including puppy and adult obedience, puppy and adult agility, rally, and flyball.  In addition, they have been teaching for the Kirkwood Continuing Education Canine Program for over seven years in obedience classes, agility, and rally classes.  Both are Animal Behavioral College Certified Trainers, AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluators (CGC and STAR), and members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. They compete in various canine activities and have titles in flyball, obedience, rally obedience, and agility.  With a border collie, a parson russell terrier, and terrier mix at home, they have trained a variety of sizes and breeds. Chuck and Connie continually look for ways to improve their training skills and experiences through various resources and seminars in order to provide the best to their students.  Both are certified through the Red Cross in Pet First aid and CPR. 

Stephanie Neff is one of the founding owners of PPA. In addition to teaching a variety of PPA classes, she has been training for the Kirkwood Continuing Education Canine Program for five years, including puppy and adult obedience, agility, and rally classes.  She is an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator (CGC and STAR).  She competes in a variety of canine activities, including flyball, agility, and rally obedience.  In addition to multiple titles in these activities, she is Delta Certified in pet therapy. She shares her home with an All-American dog and 3 Weimaraners. She is certified through the Red Cross in Pet First aid and CPR.  Stephanie continues to attend seminars ton continue to provide the best training for her students. 

Dawn Roth is one of the founding owners of PPA.  She has trained for the Kirkwood Continuing Education Canine Program for over seven years, including puppy and adult obedience classes, pet therapy, and rally obedience.  She teaches a variety of PPA classes as well.  Dawn competes in various canine activities, including flyball and rally obedience, with titles in flyball. She has pet therapy certifications and is an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator (CGC and STAR).  She also has grooming experience.  Dawn attends seminars to keep her training skills and experiences up to date as well.  She has worked with variety of dogs, including those she shares her home with:  a lab mix, rat terrier, a border collie, and a rat-jack mix.  She is certified through the Red Cross in Pet First aid and CPR. In

Original Location 2008                                       

New Location 2009 Before Renovation

 

New Location 2009 After Renovation                                                                        

Our fenced Outdoor Area