About Paws and Progress

Paws and Progress exists because dog training and dog care advice online ranges from excellent to actively harmful, with nothing reliable at a glance distinguishing the two. A dog owner searching for help with a behavior problem can find a YouTube video recommending a technique that has decades of scientific support for effectiveness and animal welfare immediately adjacent to a video recommending a technique that makes the problem worse and harms the dog. Without the background knowledge to evaluate what you’re reading or watching, the most confident presentation often gets the most trust — and confidence has no reliable correlation with accuracy in the dog training world.

My name is Jessica Thorne. I’ve been a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and a certified animal behavior consultant for over twelve years, working with dogs across the full behavioral spectrum — from basic manners for new puppies to serious aggression cases that require collaboration with veterinary behaviorists. I’m based in Denver, Colorado, where I run a small training practice and teach classes through a local humane society. I’ve owned six dogs in my adult life, ranging from an extremely easy Labrador Retriever who forgave every training error I made as a beginner to a rescue dog with a history that required two years of careful, systematic rehabilitation work to produce a dog who could be comfortable in normal daily situations.

What You Will Find Here

Behavior and training content grounded in behavioral science, written for owners rather than trainers — specific, practical, and honest about what works well, what works less well, and what requires professional help beyond what an owner can reasonably do independently. Health and care content that prioritizes preventive thinking and practical management over reactive problem-solving. And honest assessments of where the science is clear, where it is still developing, and where reasonable people who know the research well still disagree.

Questions, corrections, and dog stories: editor@pawsandprogress.com