How Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews' Dog Trainer Tom Davis Became a Viral Star

"I am so grateful for Brittany and Patrick," dog trainer Tom Davis tells PEOPLE of his celebrity clients

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Published on June 3, 2022 10:00 AM

Tom Davis and his dog Lakota--6-year-old Dutch Shepherd-- in Saratoga Springs, may 26, 2022--taken by Shawn Lachapelle — Photo: Shawn Lachapelle

Dog trainer Tom Davis was recently in Texas — on a break from working with Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Matthews, and the couple's two dogs — when he decided to visit a park with a "Free Dog Training" sign.

Davis' impromptu efforts to assist dog owners, including helping a woman train her pooch in a few minutes, ended up making him a viral star, and he credits his celebrity clients for his quick success.

"They're both really great people, genuine people," Davis, 33, tells PEOPLE of the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Matthews, both 26, who are expecting their second child.

"On every single break, I would go out and hold up a 'Free Dog Training' sign and try to help people," the dog trainer says of how his work with the couple turned into a viral moment.

"I go out, and I filmed one thing with one dog, and the owner was blown away. She was like, 'I never thought about it like that,' and it was probably a 10-minute thing, but over a million people within 24 hours saw it and were commenting," Davis adds.

credit: Shawn Lachapelle tom davis dog trainer offering free dog may 25, 2022 training at Congress Park, Saratoga Springs, NY... 6-month-old Golden Retriever named "Honey." I am using leash pressure to teach Honey not to jump on guests. The owner of the dog was having a really hard time with Honey jumping. Each time Honey would get excited and jump, I used the leash to correct the jump and said, "OFF." After two small corrections, Honey greeted people with all four paws on the ground! You can find this training video on my youtube channel, Upstate Canine Academy! — Shawn Lachapelle

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During his free training sessions, Davis often travels with a cameraperson to capture the progress he can make with a dog in a couple of minutes. The trainer then shares the videos on TikTok (@AmericasCanineEducator), where Davis has over 1.2 million followers and millions of views. He credits his success to his ability to connect with dogs and their owners quickly, but that success didn't come easy.

After living in his friend's backyard, Davis began a dog walking business. This passion for pooches led the animal lover to go from dog walker to canine trainer, and his impressive services rapidly spread by word of mouth. Davis now has his own training facility, Upstate Canine Academy, in Saratoga County, New York.

Today, Davis is famous enough to be recognized on the street sometimes when offering his free training services.

To learn more about Davis and his work with dogs, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.

"I'm sitting there, literally on my hands and knees, helping this guy with his dog, explaining different types of training styles," Davis tells PEOPLE of one amusing incident. "And he's freaking out because I know Patrick. And it was just like this kind of this moment where I was like, 'Yeah, that's why I'm here, but I'm also here to help you, so let's work on that.' It was pretty cool."

dog trainer tom davis training Patrick Mahomes dogs in Texas april 2022-- and with wife brittany matthews credit: Abby Koskinos — Abby Koskinos

Davis says his only mission is to help owners better understand their animals as he believes only good dogs exist in this world.

"I feel like any moment that I'm not helping dogs is a wasted moment because I have this knowledge," Davis, whose YouTube channel now has over 530,000 subscribers, says. "I have this innateness. I have this passion."