About

DNea Smith, owner and Head Trainer of Praising Paws, has been working with and training dogs for more than 25 years. What started out as a childhood love became a passion and later a career. First, as a business of her own, teaching dog training at her home. Later, having moved to middle GA, she spent almost 6 years working at a local Petsmart as the lead pet training instructor. She’s worked in the area of training for obedience (trials and for fun), spent a short period of time in the training of tracking, and has also worked with and trained dogs for service and therapy work. She is also an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and a Certified Evaluator for Therapy Pets Unlimited.

She currently is a parent to Streifen – the 8 yr old Great Dane (our first Dane!), Slevin – the 4 yr old Great Dane (Double Diamond Danes – South Georgia), Elijah – the 3 yr old Great Dane (Slevin’s full brother / Double Diamond Danes), Ohso Vega – the 2 yr old Great Dane ( Vega Danes – Miami, Florida), Daivah – the 2 yr old Great Dane (rescued by Save Rocky the Great Dane/ a foster fail for us), Gus – the 2 yr old Great Dane (also rescued by Save Rocky the Great Dane/ another foster fail!), Raider the 11 yr old Australian Shepherd (training demo dog and retired Service Dog for my oldest daughter), Grace – 11 yr old Border Collie mix (rescued by Heart of Georgia/ 1st foster fail with them! Chloe’s first dog ever! Also, occasionally, does some training demo work.), Olivia Frae – 1 yr old Dachshund Beagle mix (rescued by Heart of Georgia/umm layover at my house sorta foster fail? ha ha), Enli Rose Noel – less than a yr old Shih- Tzu/Chihuahua/Something-something mix (rescued by Pawsome Southern Rescue/ and our first foster fail with them), and Cherokee – the 2 yr old German Shepherd Dog (rescued by Heart of Georgia in an animal cruelty case/ foster fail again…. Currently being trained as a Service Dog for myself and training demo dog.)