Paws & Footprints Training Academy Reviews

David Easley 2026.01.31

     

My wife and I took in a beautiful German Shepherd from north Texas at 1.5 years old. Talking with the previous owners, he just had too much energy for them. I have wanted a Geman Shepherd ever since I was a kid and this was my golden opportunity. This was March of 2025. We make the deal and bring Ryder home. As time goes by, it turns out Ryder has many more issues, not just too much energy. He was never socialized and was fear reactive and exhibited fear aggression. I had been told he had previous professional training and was really good on leash. When I took him for walks, he exhibited every bad behavior on a leash of which you could think. Haydee and I had talked before deciding to get Ryder, and decided if he needed more training than my limited knowledge could provide, we would seek professional help. That came via Racheal Study and Joshua Araujo of Paws and Footprints Training Academy. I sent in my email with the necessary information, and the next day was contacted by Josh, via phone. Without knowing, whether or not we would hire them, Josh spent over 45 minutes on the phone with us hearing our concerns, Ryder’s behaviors and providing suggestions. Once we told him we definitely wanted their help, he provided explicit instructions, based on info we provided, to assist in Ryder’s progression once he arrived at training. In September, we left our new fur baby with Josh and Racheal. After handing the leash to Josh, we all continued to talk. I noticed Ryder was calmly sitting and leaning against Josh’s leg. It was at this moment I knew we were definitely in the right place. I have always trusted the instincts of animals and Ryder already knew he was safe and in good hands. During the training process, we received videos 2-3 times per week, in which we saw a marked improvement as well as texts relating how he was doing. When we picked Ryder up, Josh spent a solid hour and a half with all three of us, making sure Haydee and I understood what Ryder had been taught and how we best could communicate with him. We knew all of his issues could not be solved in the three weeks we booked and Josh confirmed this. However, we now had the tools to move forward and progress on our own. I feel the communication system we learned is crucial and we have made great progress using techniques provided by Paws and Footprints. I 10/10 recommend them for any of your dog training needs, no matter the problem. Racheal and Josh are in business, but their business is the love and passion of caring about every dog they encounter. With Paws and Footprints Training Academy, the dog comes first. As it should be. David, Haydee and Ryder Easley Bastrop, Texas

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Thierry Suty 2025.12.01

     

Review Update I couldn’t be happier with my experience at Paws and Footprints! Racheal and Joshua took care of my Belgian Malinois, Gin, for the second time, and once again they absolutely exceeded expectations. They did an incredible job brushing up his obedience and even got him started on detection work — the progress has been amazing. What really sets them apart is their passion and professionalism. You can feel how much they truly care about the dogs they work with. They always take the time to answer my questions and help me better understand my dog, which I appreciate more than I can say. If you’re looking for high-quality trainers who deliver real results, I can’t recommend Racheal and Joshua enough. Gin and I will definitely be back! 🐾 Previous Review There are so many options when it comes to dog trainers and other boarding/training. I was lucky enough to bump into a stranger with a very well-behaved trained by Racheal and Joshua. When it came to training my pup, it had been a pretty hectic journey. Paws and Footprints was my third attempt to get professional help for my 2 year old Belgian Malinois. Gin was with Racheal and Joshua for 5 weeks and man was this the best decision I’ve ever made when it comes to my beautiful Maligator!! While he was away, communication was amazing! I’d get text updates as well as Youtube videos to check on his progress. When there was any doubt about how to say his French commands, they’d reach out. The “pick-up” lesson wasn’t rushed and Racheal sent a Youtube video going over everything that they had worked on with Gin. My pup has been back for 2 weeks now. Racheal and Joshua are still reaching out, making sure everything is running smoothly and answer all the questions I send their way! They are amazing and anybody who meets them can see how passionate they are about what they do. I can’t thank them enough for their hard work!!

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Jose 2025.07.25

     

I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the incredible team(Josh and Rachel) at Paws and Footprints. They’ve truly transformed my dog, Peach, in ways I never thought possible. Before training, Peach struggled with reactivity and confidence issues that made daily life feel unpredictable and stressful. From the moment we started working with Paws and Footprints, it was clear we were in the hands of dedicated professionals who genuinely care about both dogs and their owners. The board and train program was structured, transparent, and tailored specifically to Peach’s needs. I was regularly updated with progress reports, videos, and personalized feedback that helped me feel confident and included throughout the process. The trainers went above and beyond — not just working with Peach, but also ensuring I had the tools, knowledge, and support to continue her training at home. Today, Peach is calmer, more focused, and responds beautifully to commands. Walks are enjoyable, training is fun, and we finally feel like a team. I couldn’t have done this without Paws and Footprints, and I’ll always be thankful for the patience, passion, and expertise they brought into our lives. If you’re struggling with your dog or simply want to build a stronger relationship with them, I highly recommend Paws and Footprints. They changed everything for us — and I know they can do the same for you.

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Jennifer Neal 2025.06.15

     

Paws & Footprints were wonderful at training our two dogs. They are clearly passionate about their work and are very caring and compassionate with the pups. The follow up session after initial training was a great addition that addressed any lingering issues once the dogs transitioned back home. Highly recommend!

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tim price 2025.04.16

     

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sara buchanan 2025.04.16

     

Very beneficial course taught by experienced and knowledgeable trainers. Has assisted with many of our working dogs and creating more detailed training plans going forward

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Alyssa Carter 2025.04.16

     

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Raven Vignati 2025.04.14

     

Josh and Racheal are beyond professional, passionate and knowledgeable. Truly could not recommend working with them more.

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Charles Gaines 2025.04.11

     

Josh and Rachel are exceptional trainers, instructors, and genuinely wonderful people. The environment they create during their courses is unlike anything I’ve experienced—supportive, engaging, and incredibly effective. They empower both handlers and trainers to learn through hands-on experience, all while offering expert guidance every step of the way. I would absolutely give Paws and Footprints a 10/10 and recommend them to anyone looking to grow with their dog.

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Kenny Griffy 2024.12.19

     

Worth every penny. Our dog was in bad shape when he arrived (long story) but Josh and Rachel took him in as one of their own and nursed him back to health, all while training him exceptionally. They’re clearly passionate about dogs and extremely proficient at training. We received video updates and phone calls regarding his progress. We even shipped him internationally and they handled the whole process without a hitch, door to door delivery. If you’re serious about serious dog training, I highly recommend them. My quality of life has significantly improved with a trained dog.

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trisha sellers 2024.10.20

     

We took our Mini Red Heeler to Rachael and Josh because we needed her to have goid manners, good recalls etc as we want to fly with her. They exceeded our goals and we ate so happy with how our girl is progressing in her adventures of traveling the world. We highly recommend this team of trainers.

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Mike Natalizio 2024.10.07

     

I recently had my 1-year-old Belgian Malinois trained at Paws and Footprints Training Academy LLC for 4 weeks, focusing on obedience and reactivity to other animals and people. I couldn’t be more impressed with the results! Josh and Racheal did an exceptional job honing in on his command skills, not only reinforcing what he already knew but also adding a few new commands to his toolkit. The transformation I’ve seen in his behavior has been remarkable—he's more confident, calm, and responsive in challenging situations. Their dedication, expertise, and personalized approach made all the difference. I highly recommend Paws and Footprints to anyone looking to train their furry family member. Josh and Rachel truly go above and beyond to ensure both pets and owners succeed. I wouldn’t hesitate to send anyone their way!

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Gina Hunter 2024.09.05

     

If you’re considering Paws & Footprints aka Racheal & Joshua - pull the trigger and get your goals accomplished faster than anticipated with your furbabies. I brought my two GSD furbabies into the Paws & Footprints fam and knew right away - these two were “THE ONES”. I found Paws&Footprints right when I got my furbabies when they were actually furbabies. I saw the price tag and thought I couldn’t afford the training - so I bought every online program and attempted to do it myself … Ugh to no avail! We were great (yeah right-walking reactivity, car riding reactivity, fence reactivity) until I finally hit my on my major limits — my boy Kylo was starting to get aggressive at home with family. At that point, I thought no this cannot continue. I must set my boy up for success…I’m gonna have to follow thru on what I know who will be THE BEST trainers to guide my furbabies and teach them and myself so we can be successful. So I reached out and got them scheduled for a board and train program. It was well worth it! What did success look like for me and my girl and boy? I wanted them to have more confidence and to know with confidence what was expected of them. I am a proud veteran. And I am a veteran who suffers from anxiety and depression as well as PTSD. I know my furbabies are protective of me and my state of mind. I wish I was always at peace but that’s just not the case. These guys are masters. If you’re grappling with “is it worth it to spend the money” the answer is a resounding YES! Both of them have such a connection with the furbabies that you will know that #1 Your Furbaby was cared for #2 Your Furbaby was brilliantly communicated with #3 Your Furbaby and YOU were set up for success. Both Kylo and Kyra are doing amazingly. Kyra would bark at the tv, bark outside and was anxious. Now, she doesn’t bark at the tv, she doesn’t bark for no reason outside and she’s much more calm. Kylo was anxious riding in the car and now he’s great! Both of them would attack my fence when my neighbor’s dogs would come out. Now, when the dogs come out and I call them they come and I can out then in a sit or down or just tell them off and they obey. I had family over one night and after a bit I brought Kylo out and put him in “place” and he didn’t bark nor did he show aggressive behaviors. Yes, I still have to actively train beard on what I’ve learned BUT these babies are DOING GREAT!!! I was afraid to take my boy to the vet, and Racheal held my hand thru the process. My Kylo boy deserves to be able to go to the vet without being afraid … I couldn’t help him, but she did. And she helped me and will continue to help me until I can take him and he will be ok when he needs to get a physical or if he ever needs emergency treatment, I will be able to take him - which if you have ever had an aggressive canine that you love you know you must be able to do this if need be! I don’t want him to have to be sedated everytime he goes to the vet so we are working towards this goal together. It feels good to feel “not alone” and to have someone who knows, understands and loves your Furbaby the way you do and can help guide you to become a better leader for your furbabies. I have been nothing but affirmed in my choice for choosing Racheal and Joshua. These guys are outstanding. It took a minute to save the money but I can say without a doubt it was the BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT! Knowing that my babies were understood, loved and taught properly and professionally. My furbabies Kylo & Kyra are on a better path to feeling confident and comfortable and I am too as their leader. Thanks to Joshua and Racheal and I’m so happy and can’t wait to see their continued success! I plan on continued boarding and training plus lessons to help with our overall achievement of my goals. Thank you Joshua and Racheal!!! Gina Hunter

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Leslie Gay Bertolino 2024.03.28

     

Racheal and Joshua are dog training wizards. They worked literal magic with training our very reactive coonhound (and us!) into being relaxed and chill around other dogs and people. Their love for dogs and love for their profession is clear in all aspects of their business. Communication was easy, quick and clear from start to expectations at home after training. Any dog we get going forward will be spending time with them at some point. We cannot recommend them enough.

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Brandon Spears 2024.02.14

     

The paws and footprints company is a well diverse, multi faceted dog training company that has many training methodologies for the complexities of all sorts of dog training. They incorporate psychological theories and how it is incorporated into dog training. The courses they have taught to my Detachment were immensely helpful to my kennels and lessons learned from the courses are still utilized today. Josh has one of the most impressive working dog backgrounds in the industry, and he applies a phenomenal mix of all his training experience into his work and training. Josh is a true SME in how the DOD trains their MWDs (due to his MWDTC and SSD instructor experience). Because of this, he flawlessly is able to train on all facets of imperative training techniques.

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Michael Grossman 2023.12.03

     

I am so happy I found Josh and Rachel to train our 50/50 GSD/Belgian. They went above and beyond what I was expecting. They took the time to train our dog in multiple public settings. Videos were posted and sent as promised and they were inclusive of each days training venue. Then they provided the e collar and “place” bed at the commencement of the training. They genuinely loved our dog and it showed in the training. I will be using them for our next dog as well.

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Celena Courage 2023.11.20

     

Jocko and I first met Joshua and Racheal, over a year ago, at Bass Pro Shop. Paws & Footprints was there training the pups, and I was impressed with their professionalism and knowledge on training dogs. However, what won me over was how patient Joshua was with Jocko helping him overcome his fear of the fish tank even though Jocko was not in his doggy training class. Fast forward to the present, my husband and I were having some behavior quirks with our pup so we sought out help from Paws & Footprints. Jocko did a 2 weeks stint at their home, and we couldn’t be happier. Joshua and Racheal are really invested in each individual dog and train them base off of the dog’s personality and history. They do not follow a one size fits all training approach, and we love that. Throughout the coarse of Jocko’s stay, they were in continual communication with us sending us regular videos updates. What we appreciated most was that they provide honest feed back on not only Jocko, but also on how we can improve our behavior and interaction with our beloved pup. We are beyond pleased with Jocko’s results and look forward to train with Joshua and Racheal in the future.

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Kylie Yoemans 2023.01.05

     

We sent our 8 month Belgian Malinois to be boarded and trained with them. He would not listen, jumped on people, pulled on the leash, loved to bark in our apartment, and had many more bad behaviors. Within the first week of him being there they had made AMAZING progress with him. The last week of him being there was cementing what they had taught him and they even got him off-leash in a public space!! They are the BEST! I could not be happier. I recommend them to everyone. I will be using them in the future to board my dog when I go on trips, and to train any future dogs I get.

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Cortland Kierum 2022.11.07

     

Where do I even begin. Josh and his wife (the owners) are absolutely amazing and are truly experts in their field with an incredible resume to back up their work. They helped turn a bad situation for us with our dog into a wonderful comeback where we are able to still have our dog and have the confidence that he is well and sound. Their training here is absolutely top notch and I promise you, you will never find anyone more kind, caring, and passionate about what they do than Josh and Rachel. Thank y’all so much for everything.

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Freeland Ackley 2022.10.22

     

Can’t say enough about them!! Truly amazing work. We brought them our Great Dane puppies right as they became old enough to train. Before they left we had so many issues and when they came back they were perfectly trained and still are today. They helped the dogs keep their personalities and great qualities and gently broke the habits that we couldn’t There is no other place to get your dog trained. For us it was a 3.5hr drive that was well worth it!!

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