(847) 306-0841

info@wolfwoodpath.com

Serving Anne Arundel County and surrounding counties, with virtual consultations available beyond the locaservice Anne Arundel and surrounding MD and VA counties. Travel fees may apply depending on location.

Hi, I'm Cynthia, founder of Wolfwood Canine Connection. As a certified dog and cat trainer, I help dogs, cats, and their people navigate training challenges, behavior concerns, and the changes that come with everyday life. Through force-free, trauma-informed training, behavior consulting, and therapeutic touch, I help build stronger, healthier relationships based on trust, communication, and respect for each individual.

I believe lasting change happens when we support not only behavior, but the emotional and physical wellbeing of both the animal and the person. Every pet and every person brings their own experiences, strengths, and challenges to the relationship. My goal is to create a safe, supportive, and individualized learning environment where learning is engaging, success is celebrated, and both pets and their people can grow in confidence while having fun together.

Featured Client Testimonial

“Cynthia cared for my two Basenjis, Mia and Zaki, while I was away. She went beyond simply taking care of their daily needs and spent time working with them through training, enrichment activities, and therapeutic touch for relaxation.

Mia and Zaki are intelligent, active dogs who need plenty of mental engagement, and Cynthia took the time to get to know each of them and find activities they enjoyed. She kept me updated with photos and videos and provided detailed reports about their care, activities, and how they were doing while I was gone.

It was clear that Cynthia genuinely cared about making the experience positive and enriching for both Mia and Zaki, rather than simply completing their daily care.”

— Lisa C.
Mia & Zaki

How I Can Help

Dogs and their people need different kinds of support at different stages of life. You may be welcoming a new puppy, navigating adolescence, helping an adopted dog settle in, building practical skills with an adult dog, or facing behavior concerns that are affecting everyday life.

I provide individualized dog training and behavior consulting for needs that may include:

• Puppy foundations and early learning
• Adolescent and adult dog training
• Newly adopted and rescue dog support
• Household manners and practical life skills
• Leash walking, recall, focus, and engagement
• Confidence building and adjustment to new experiences
• Fearful, anxious, reactive, or highly excitable behavior
• Barking, jumping, pulling, guarding, and other challenging behaviors
• Cooperative handling and greater comfort with everyday care
• Dog–cat introductions, interactions, and shared-home concerns

What makes working with me different is my focus on listening to and understanding your dog—not simply asking your dog to listen to us. Canine body language is an important part of that conversation, but listening also means recognizing your dog’s emotions, needs, preferences, experiences, and individual way of learning.

Rather than giving commands or expecting compliance, we use clear cues and positive reinforcement while giving your dog meaningful opportunities for agency and choice. This helps create willing cooperation, build trust, and nurture a loving relationship between you and your dog.

My background in both dog and cat training also allows me to consider the needs of every animal in a multi-species household, rather than treating dog–cat concerns as solely a “dog problem.”

Together, we will build a practical plan around your household, your priorities, and the relationship you want with your dog. You will learn to understand one another more clearly, develop skills that make everyday life easier, and discover how rewarding training can be when it is built on trust, choice, and connection. Every success—large or small—is worth celebrating, and the journey should bring more confidence, more joy, and more fun into the life you share.

Training for Real Life

Training is most valuable when it helps you and your dog enjoy everyday life together. We can work on practical skills such as walking together, coming when called, greeting people politely, settling at home or in public, waiting at doors, leaving or trading items, and feeling more comfortable with handling and care.

These skills are taught through clear cues, positive reinforcement, games, and activities that keep your dog interested and involved. Instead of pursuing perfection, we build each skill through achievable steps, helping your dog gain confidence while you learn how to guide and support them.

The goal is not simply a dog who performs certain behaviors. It is a dog-and-person team who communicate well, trust one another, and can navigate daily life with greater ease—and have fun doing it.

Behavior Consulting & Support

Behavior is communication—and understanding is where meaningful change begins.

Living with challenging behavior can be stressful, confusing, and sometimes isolating. You may be struggling with fear, anxiety, reactivity, guarding, excessive barking, difficulty settling, sensitivity to handling, or other behaviors affecting daily life with your dog.

Behavior is communication. Instead of simply trying to stop what your dog is doing, we will explore what may be contributing to the behavior and what your dog may be expressing through it. By considering body language, emotional state, environment, learning history, health, and individual needs, we can develop a thoughtful and practical plan for moving forward.

My approach is force-free, trauma-informed, and centered on safety, trust, and achievable progress. You will receive individualized coaching, compassionate support, and strategies designed for your particular dog and household—without blame, intimidation, or unrealistic promises.

When appropriate, I may also recommend collaboration with your veterinarian or another qualified professional so that your dog receives the support they need as a whole individual.

Supporting the Whole Dog

Lasting progress begins with understanding the whole individual

Behavior does not happen in isolation. A dog’s physical comfort, emotional wellbeing, environment, past experiences, stress level, opportunities for rest and enrichment, and relationships can all influence how they feel and respond.

We will look beyond the behavior itself to consider what may be making everyday life easier or harder for your dog. When appropriate and welcomed by the dog, therapeutic touch may be incorporated to support relaxation, body awareness, and emotional regulation alongside training and behavior work.

By supporting the whole dog—not merely addressing a single behavior—we can create conditions in which learning, confidence, and connection can grow.

Sharing Your Home with Dogs and Cats?

Supporting safer interactions, clearer communication, and greater harmony across species.

Dog–cat relationships can bring tremendous joy, but differences in communication and behavior can also lead to misunderstandings, stress, fear, chasing, overexcitement, or difficulty sharing space and resources.

Because I work with both dogs and cats, I consider the body language, emotional needs, safety, and comfort of each animal—not only the dog’s behavior. Whether you are preparing for a new introduction or supporting animals who already live together, we can develop individualized strategies for thoughtful management, calmer interactions, and a more comfortable shared home.

For support focused more specifically on your cat’s needs, please visit my Cat Training & Behavior Consulting page.

What Working Together Looks Like

Individualized support, flexible options, and a plan designed for you and your dog.

Our work begins with an initial consultation so that I can learn about your dog, your household, your concerns, and what you hope to accomplish. We will discuss your dog’s history, daily life, current behavior, and individual needs before deciding on the most appropriate path forward.

Depending on your needs and location, services may include:

• Initial training and behavior consultations
• Private, in-home sessions
• Live virtual consultations and training sessions through Zoom
• Outdoor sessions in the Millersville, Maryland area
• Sessions in an appropriate local park or another agreed-upon setting
• Individual sessions or a structured training package

The location and setting for each session will be selected thoughtfully based on your dog’s comfort, your goals, safety, and the skills or concerns we are addressing. Specific arrangements will be discussed privately during the consultation.

Structured packages are available for puppy and adult-dog foundations, basic manners, intermediate and advanced manners, and loose-leash walking. When behavior concerns or more individualized goals are involved, I may recommend a customized plan rather than a predetermined curriculum.

Throughout our work together, I will coach you as you develop skills with your dog, explain the purpose behind each strategy, and provide practical activities to continue between sessions. We will observe how your dog responds, celebrate progress, and adjust the plan as needed rather than expecting either of you to follow a rigid timetable.

Whether we meet in your home, online, or in a carefully selected outdoor setting, our work will remain centered on helping you and your dog understand one another more clearly, build useful skills, and move forward with greater confidence, connection, and enjoyment.

Ready to Begin?

Let’s take the next step toward greater understanding, confidence, connection, and joy—for both you and your dog.

Whether you are welcoming a new puppy, developing practical skills, or seeking support for behavior concerns, you do not have to figure everything out alone. Together, we will create an individualized path forward that listens to your dog, supports your needs, and strengthens the loving relationship you share.

Contact me to schedule an initial consultation and discover how enjoyable learning and growing together can be.

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