Helping Dogs and Families Speak the Same Language
Dogs and humans don’t naturally speak the same language.
If life with your dog feels harder than you expected, you’re not alone.
Whether you’re raising a new puppy, struggling with frustrating behaviors, or trying to help a newly adopted dog settle into your home, we’re here to help.
Our goal is to help you understand what your dog is communicating, teach your dog how to successfully navigate in your world, and help your family develop the skills needed to succeed together.
The Foundation First Method
The Foundation First Method was developed by Loving Arms Pet Services founder Rachelle Steele after more than 25 years working with thousands of dogs through rescue, shelter work, pet sitting, behavior support, and private training.
Rather than asking:
“How do we stop this behavior?”
We ask:
“What is this behavior telling us, and what does this dog need to succeed?”
Because lasting success comes from helping dogs and families learn together.
Many trainers focus on teaching dogs new behaviors. We focus on helping dogs and families understand each other so progress continues long after training ends. Because lasting success isn’t just about what happens during a lesson—it’s about what happens after the trainer leaves.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“Rachelle does a great job , she has a real gift with dogs and people. We highly recommend her” Mike via Google Review
How Can We Help?
Puppy Training
Whether you’re dealing with potty accidents, crate training, puppy biting, socialization, adolescence, or simply wondering what’s normal, we’ll help you build the skills and habits that support a lifetime together.
Puppy training options include:
- Puppy Foundations
- Raising Your Puppy Right
Learn More About Puppy Training
Behavior Reset
For dogs over 6 months old whose behaviors are creating frustration, stress, or tension in daily life.
Whether you’re struggling with barking, pulling, jumping, difficulty settling, attention-seeking behaviors, household manners, or feeling frustrated and stuck, you’re not alone.
All Behavior Reset clients begin with a Foundation First Assessment. The assessment helps us understand your dog’s history, environment, routines, and challenges so we can recommend the level of support most likely to help your family succeed.
Behavior support options include:
- Behavior Reset
- Intensive Behavior Reset
Learn More About Behavior Reset
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”Rachelle was great and was so helpful with our dog. After 3 lessons, he has improved so much with coming when called, barking, jumping, and dropping/leaving things along. I would definitely recommend Loving Arms, and it was well worth it!” Jake J. via Google review
Ready to Get Started?
The first step is a Discovery Call.
We’ll discuss what’s happening, your goals, your dog’s history, and whether we believe we’re the right fit to help.
*** Self-Guided Support*** New Puppy Basics – Complete Guide with tracking logs. $39
A calm, practical guide for new puppy parents covering potty training, rest, routines, behavior, and common challenges. This 40 page guide focuses on understanding patterns, preventing overwhelm, and making small adjustments that support learning — without punishment or unrealistic expectations. Includes printable tracking logs to help you spot patterns quickly and adjust routines with confidence. Designed to be supportive, realistic, and easy to use during the first weeks at home. Digital product. Download link will be emailed after purchase. Due to the nature of the guide, refunds not available.
Loving Arms Pet Services (LAPS) 