About Laurie
Laurie Lawless is a nationally recognized expert in shelter dog behavior, with over 16 years of in behavior, sheltering, leadership, consulting, and animal cruelty response. Her career was sparked in 2008 when she rescued an 85‑lb Boxer named Charlie - his behavioral challenges launched her into the world of professional dog behavior work, and she’s been “blaming Charlie” ever since.
In 2023, Laurie founded Shelter Behavior Integrations to help shelter teams implement behavior-forward practices in ways that are accessible, practical, and deeply impactful. Her passion lies in finding calm within the daily chaos of sheltering by streamlining operations and positive outcomes while improving behavioral support for the animals.
Animal Behavior Philosophy
In every Shelter Behavior Integrations program, positive reinforcement is the foundation for teaching, training, and lasting behavior change. It should always be the first strategy we reach for and the most consistently applied. When used intentionally and with skill, positive reinforcement not only shapes behavior effectively, but it builds trust, reduces fear, and supports emotional safety for both dogs and people. Both research and hands-on experience have shaped Laurie’s methods over the years because real-life implementation has consistently shown her that positive reinforcement is associated with the lowest rates of aggression, avoidance, and attention-seeking behaviors, making it the most welfare-driven approach available.
Effective application in shelters requires us to set aside any personal feelings or anthropomorphization of an animal’s behavior and recognize that the shelter is a difficult place to live, let alone learn. The question is always is, how are we meeting this animal’s needs, or what needs to we need to meet, to help this animal succeed and get adopted. In each and every program, whether it is enrichment, behavior modification, assessments, or playgroups, we should always strive to provide low-stress environments and reinforcement- based feedback to each and every animal while balancing the resources and time we have available to do so.
Past SBI Clients & Speaking Engagements
2021
Humane Society of Chittenden County - Staff Training and Canine Consulting
2022
SPCA Brevard - Assessments, Playgroups and Defensive Handling
2023
Humane Society of Chittenden County - Staff Training and Canine Consulting
2024
Humane Society of Chittenden County - Behavior Pathway Planning
Potsdamn Humane Society - Playgroup Intensive
Wayside Waifs - Playgroup Intensive
Aggression in Dogs Conference - Shelter Dog Assessments
New Mexico Humane Conference - Building a Volunteer Behavior Team
2025
New England Federation of Humane Society Conference - Considering Breed Specific Needs for Enrichment in Shelters
Adopt-A-Pet TailTalk Webinar Series - Matching Making Adopters with Personality Traits
Rethinking Reactivity Podcast with Jessica Wheatcraft
Seattle Animal Shelter (collaboration with Michael Shikashio) - Defensive Handling and Playgroups
Best Friends Animal Society (Dogtown) - Dog Introductions, Evaluations, and Playgroups
Friends of Saratoga County Humane Society - Intake Pathways and Enrichment Program