Shelter Behavior, Integrated.

Just imagine…

Pathway plans for dogs with behavior challenges at intake

Volunteers trained to assist staff with the toughest parts of their job

Low-stress playgroups that deliver accurate behavior information for adopters

Collaboration between teams that increases daily job fulfillment

I have seen it work, and it can be done!

Any shelter, Any Size. I Can Help.

Free & Low Cost Resources for Shelters

  • $5 Monthly Webinar Series

    Each month Laurie bring on shelter and behavior experts to discuss various topics to help you and your staff on her “Lawless Off Leash” series.

    Register for The Next Webinar!

  • Free Shelter Support

    Join other shelter behavior rock stars on our private Facebook Group: “More Adoptions. Less Burnout!” Laurie curates information specifically for the group in addition to posting about upcoming educational opportunities!

    Join "More Adopts; Less Burnout" Now!

  • Lives with Laurie

    Laurie jumps on Zoom weekly to have discussions about various topics in animal sheltering, and then uploads them right to the website so you can enjoy ongoing education completely for free!

    Explore Topics Here!

Featured Webinar: Shelter Dog Introductions - $25

Laurie Lawless & Trish McMillan

Why do we consider it best practices for shelters to offer off-leash play to those dogs who enjoy it? Well, if you're not doing off-leash dog/dog testing at your shelter, believe me, your adopters will be doing it in the real world - perhaps the moment they get that dog home, or later that day at the dog park. It is our responsibility to ensure the dogs we send home from shelters will be safe around other people's pets. Play is also one of the best ways to exercise, enrich, and maintain social skills in our shelter dog populations, so Laurie and I are big fans of letting dogs interact with suitable play companions daily, if at all possible.

In this online course, we will show you how to successfully assess and introduce dogs in a shelter environment.

Testimonials from Clients & Colleagues

  • "Laurie and team did a fantastic job developing and delivering a custom-made program to help us learn how to run play groups and assess dog-to-dog interactions. Looking to ramp up the quality of the care you offer your dogs? I recommend Shelter Behavior Integrations" 110%!

    Eudora Watson

    Animal Care Manager, Potsdam Humane Society

  • Wayside Waifs Team and Laurie

    "Having Laurie come to Wayside Waifs was absolutely worth the investment for the growth of our Playgroup Program and our team! Laurie observed our team in action, made recommendations for how we could best formalize playgroups utilizing the physical and human resources available to us, and provided hands-on learning for the staff and volunteers...Being able to run almost daily playgroups has resulted in a decrease in noise in the kennel areas and generally more relaxed dogs."

    Alison Reader, CAWA

    Vice President of Animal Welfare
    & Operations, Wayside Waifs 2024

  • SPCA Brevard County

    “Laurie brings realistic solutions that shelter staff can apply to their day to day work and improve the behavior of the dogs in their care. Laurie is passionate about helping shelter dogs and wants to help you succeed. She was so amazing to work with, we had her come back a second time!”

    Lacie Davis

    Executive Director of SPCA of Brevard County 2021

  • "Laurie is a gifted canine behavior consultant, whose talents have consistently helped us rehabilitate challenging rescued dogs. Each individualized intervention plan is thorough, easily implemented, and yields positive outcomes. Laurie’s expertise and commitment to her client’s success is unparalleled. Her support is essential to our goal of being a best practices rescue."

    Michelle Steen Sharp

    Texas Coordinator, The Joshua Fund Rescue, Inc.

  • "I loved working with Laurie Lawless on the ASPCA’s Behavioral Sciences Team – her deep understanding of canine behavior and her keen observational abilities, along with her incredible training and handling skills, made her a superb Behavior Lead. Also, she’s as good with humans as she is with dogs: a patient teacher, able to gracefully maneuver the emotional vicissitudes of working in high-stress situations. And to top it off, she’s really smart and fun to be with."

    Becky Stowe

    Owner, Second Act Dog Training

  • "Laurie spent a full day at the Hudson Valley Dog Farm, educating our staff on dog-dog introductions, managing dog playgroups, and dog body language. We spent about half the day in the classroom and about half the day hands on with dogs, putting into action our classroom learning, with feedback from Laurie. The information Laurie presented to our staff was invaluable and gave all of us a better sense of understanding and confidence. Laurie strikes a perfect balance between being the expert and having an approachable, nonjudgmental style. I would have her back to the Dog Farm over and over again to keep our skills fresh, and continue to learn from her vast understanding of dogs."

    Kara Gilmore

    Hudson Valley Dog Farmre

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