Promoting safety for
families with dogs

info@familypaws.com
Find a Presenter near you


Dog and Baby Support hotline
(toll-free) 1-877-247-3407

Family Paws™ Parent Education is the parent organization of two International licensed programs: Dogs & Storks® and the Dog and Baby Connection™ . We provide specialized programs for new and expecting families with dogs.  We offer a wide range of support to families, dog professionals and childbirth professionals to support success between babies, toddlers and family dogs.

Our goal is to increase the safety of children and the success of dogs in homes with children. We seek to decrease the number of dogs surrendered to shelters due to easily preventable behavioral problems and common conflicts.

Jennifer Shryock, Founder, B.A. CDBC

Jennifer Shryock is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), owner of Family Paws™ LLC in Cary, NC and holds a degree in Special Education. A recognized expert on child-dog interactions and safety, Jennifer has written and spoken extensively about these topics. Her two programs, Dogs & Storks® and the Dog & Baby Connection™, along with many of the programs’ expert presenters, have been featured in national media from The Wall Street Journal to TV and radio.

In 2002, Jennifer, herself a mother of 4, had just adopted a rescue dog and subsequently became involved with the rescue organization as a counselor and trainer for families with babies or young children who, overwhelmed by the challenges of their situation, were on the verge of surrendering an otherwise beloved dog. Seeing how many families struggled with these problems, Jennifer decided to create an organization that could provide resources and support to expecting and new parents before a crisis arose. That organization became Dogs & Storks®.In 2010, the Dog & Baby Connection™, aimed at parents with toddlers, followed.

Jennifer lives in Cary, North Carolina, with her husband, 4 children, 4 dogs, and 3 cats.

Helen Nicholls, Assistant Director of Programs, CPDT-KSA, CDBC

Helen Nicholls, owner and operator of No Monkey Business Dog Training, is a Certified Professional DogTrainer-Knowledge Assessed and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. Having trained dogs for over 6 years, Helen is an experienced and sought-after trainer, whose work has been featured on the radio, in print, and on TV. She combines a strong foundation of knowledge about the psychological principles and applications of dog training to her work with expecting parents and families.

Helen lives in Concord, New Hampshire, with her husband, their young daughter Grace, and their three dogs, Atlas, Merlin, and Sweet Pea.

CANADA REPRESENTATIVE

Yamei Ross, CPDT

Yamei Ross, owner of CANINE SOS Inc., is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Canine Behaviour and Aggression Consultant, a dog-bite-prevention educator, and a licensed presenter for Doggone Safe, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting increased child safety around dogs. Yamei is an honor’s graduate of Animal Behavior College.

Through her business, Yamei teaches family pet dog training classes and conducts private consultations for behavior issues ranging from house-training to aggression. She has made appearances on TV and on radio, and has been featured in the local newspaper.

Yamei lives in Oshawa, Ontario, with her husband, three children, and three dogs, Casey, Dasher, and Liza.

MASSACHUSSETTS REPRESENTATIVE

Vera Wilkinson CDBC, CPDT-KA

Vera Wilkinson CDBC, CPDT-KA, owner of The Cooperative Dog based in Brookline, MA. She is a certified dog behavior consultant, certified professional dog trainer, professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and past Dog Division Chair of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).

Vera has worked full-time with families and their dogs throughout Eastern Massachusetts since 1996. She teaches dog training classes and dog behavior education seminars in several locations around Boston and meets with clients in their homes to address a wide array of behavioral problems. Vera is an occasional in-studio guest on The Dan Rea Show on WBZ News Radio 1030AM and the recipient of the 2011 Boston magazine Best of Boston Best Dog Trainer Award.         

She lives in the Boston area with her partner and their cats and dog. 

OHIO REPRESENTATIVE

Jeanyne Gembarski, CPDT-KA 

Jeanyne Gembarski, CPDT-KA is the owner of Graceful Paws LLC based in Solon, Ohio. She offers in-home and group classes for families in the Cleveland area, addressing a variety of dog behavior issues ranging from teaching basic manners and social skills to aggression, but she especially enjoys working with families with young kids to help create a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.

Jeanyne graduated from Hiram College in 1995 with a degree in Psychobiology.  Since then, she has worked for veterinarians and dog daycares and has volunteered as a trainer for the Geauga Humane Society and Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

In addition to her dog training career, she enjoys running her busy household which includes her husband, 2 sons, her yellow Lab and 3 cats. 

MIDWEST REPRESENTATIVE

Kate Anders, CPDT-KA

Kate Anders, owner of Pretty Good Dog, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), and an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator.

Kate became involved with the Dogs & Storks® and the Dog & Baby Connection™ programs after having her first child and has since been instrumental in bringing these services to the Midwest. Having spent five years heading up the Canine U behavior and training program at Minnesota Valley Humane Society, she knows all too well how many new parents find themselves unable to cope with their dog—and how education and resources can prevent a gut-wrenching decision to surrender a family dog.

Kate lives in Minneapolis.

ADOPTIVE FAMILY SUPPORT

Susan Marett CPDT-KA

Susan Marett, owner of Purely Positive Dog Training, is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed, an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT).

Susan has 15 years of dog training experience and has appeared on radio show Pet Docs, the South Carolina Public Radio Business Review, Lowcountry Live, and local TV Channels 4 and 5 to demonstrate training methods and answer questions on dog behavior. Having adopted a young boy from Ethiopia with her husband Steven, Susan became involved in the adoptive family community and she is now the driving force behind our efforts to share the Dogs & Storks® program with adoptive families.

Susan lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband and her son.