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SunSetter Dog Training, Athens, GA (2026)

01/05/2026

SunSetter Dog Training is BACK! 🐾

After nearly a year away, SunSetter Dog Training is reopening in Winterville, GA! We can’t wait to work with dogs and their families again to build stronger bonds and lasting skills.

At SunSetter Dog Training, we focus on strengthening the bond between you and your dog through simple, effective, positive training techniques tailored to your unique needs.

🐾 Behavioral Support: We help dogs and their owners manage challenges like reactivity, jumping, excessive barking, destructive behaviors, and frustration on the leash, creating calmer, more confident dogs.

🐾 Foundational Skills: We teach essential skills such as potty and crate training, house manners, and focus and engagement, giving your dog the structure they need to succeed at home and in everyday life.

🐾 Obedience & Manners: Dogs learn core obedience commands like sit, down, stay, and place, along with polite greetings, reliable recall, and impulse control to make interactions safe, smooth, and enjoyable.

🐾 Advanced Skills: We build off basic obedience to develop off-leash reliability, proof behaviors in real-world environments, and refine advanced handling skills for more challenging situations.

🐾 Owner Education & Advocacy: We empower owners with tools for clear communication, a better understanding of canine behavior, and personalized training plans so you can confidently guide your dog toward success.

Every dog is an individual. All training plans are customized to meet the needs of the dog and their family—no one-size-fits-all approaches, ever.

✨ Private Training Lessons (at Black Dog Acres):
• 1 lesson – $125
• 3 lessons – $320 (15% off)
• 5 lessons – $500 (20% off)
Prefer training in your own home rather than our HQ in Winterville, GA? Ask about our transportation add-on!

🏡 Boarding:
• 1 dog – $45/night
• 2 dogs – $75/night
• FREE groom for stays of 10+ nights

🛁 Grooming:
• $10 small/medium dogs
• $20 large/XL dogs
(Includes ear cleaning, nail trim, de-shed shampoo, conditioner, and brush & blowout)

🎓 Group Classes:
Back 2 Basics • Advanced Handling / Off-Leash • Puppy Preschool
$120 for 4-week courses — more details coming soon!

🐕 Board & Train:
$75–$150 per night, customized to your dog and goals.

Message us TODAY for a FREE consultation, and let the sun set on your training frustrations!

08/05/2024

Look out, world!

These guys are AKC Canine Good Citizens (CGC)!

A HUGE round of a-paws for the graduates of our Summer 2024 Basic Manners/AKC CGC-prep class! What a fantastic group of pups and people ☀️

07/26/2024

Pet Parents - LAST CALL! My books are CLOSING!

Yep, you read that right! And, unfortunately, I do not mean just for the next month…

As many of you know, I am a current graduate student of the University of Georgia pursuing my Master’s degree in Social Work. My area of emphasis is pet loss grief and bereavement and pet owner & service dog handler advocacy. Very niche and very me! This career path is unique, but the perfect amalgamation of my two favorite things: people and their companion animals! The human-animal bond is a BIG. DEAL!

That being said, as I begin my transition from student to professional, I will be taking a step away from SunSetter Dog Training. It is important to me that I focus on my studies - it is through this educational avenue that I hope to make the most positive impact possible within my community.

In this, I will no longer be accepting new clients as of August 1st - ONE week from today!

I will continue to work with my existing SunSetter clients indefinitely - they will always have a place in my heart (and on my calendar) - by “support for life,” I mean it! I will ALWAYS be an advocate and resource for them!

However, I will only be taking on new private-lesson clients on a referral/case-by-case basis. We will no longer be offering boarding or board-and-train services.

There are no words to describe the impact this journey has had on me. I have learned so much. I have met so many amazing locals, heard their stories, and cheered them on in their training journeys. Every minute spent with them and their dogs has helped shape me into the person I am today. I will forever be grateful for every mile spent on the road, every treat thrown on the floor, and every excited greeting. The title of “Treat Lady” is one of honor and reverence.

A HUGE thanks to each and every one of you and your support of me. Without you, this dream would not have been possible.

Thank you, thank you forever and always,

Donna Daniel ☀️

06/23/2024

Meet Tony (Stark) and Pepper (Potts) - We love them 3000!

This Bull Terrier duo, longtime clients of SunSetter Dog Training, are staying at Camp while their parents take a quick vacay.

While here, Tony and Pepper will be treated like members of the family, and will receive daily walks, enrichment activities, training sessions, cookies (obviously), and SO much love!

Their personalized training plan includes:

☀️ Leash Manners: walking nicely on leash without pulling & minding their manners when out and about. Safety first ALWAYS!
☀️Impulse Control: ignoring distractions at your say so.
☀️ Threshold Training: not bolting through the door when it is open (this applies to doors to enter/exit your home, car doors, and your pup’s kennel).
☀️ Crate Training: Entering and exiting the kennel with ease, and no vocalizing regardless of what is or is not happening around them.
☀️ Polite Greetings: Not jumping up onto your guests.
☀️ “Off Switch”: learning to settle down when getting rowdy/at your say so.
☀️ Place: learning to lay on bed regardless of how far away you walk, what’s happening around them, or how long it’s been.
☀️ Obedience: snappy responses and long duration!

We can’t wait to see what {super} things these two accomplish over the next few days!

06/21/2024

If you’re reading this, then you survived another work week - a round of a-PAWS for you! 🎉

Okay, okay, enough puns! Woof, that was ruff! 😉

Check out our new client, Aspen!

Aspen lives with her mom, dad, and two baby (human) brothers, a seven-month-old and a 3-year-old. Aspen LOVES her tiny humans, and spends days giving them kisses, playing with their toys, and trying to teach them to play fetch!… and sometimes that excitement can get the best of her!

Aspen’s brothers can be a bit overwhelmed by her enthusiastic affection, and Aspen’s parents have their hands full raising two young gentlemen. After struggling to find a Trainer that will accommodate their busy schedule, but wanting to give their scruffy girl the best, Emily and Nathaniel reached out to Sunsetter Dog Training!

Don’t worry, Aspen & Co., we are here to help! ☀️

Today, during Aspen’s first private lesson, we came together as a team and created a unique and personalized training plan that will not only be effective, but will also be easily implemented by her two busy parents!

Our plan includes:

🐾 Meeting Aspen’s biological needs! As a labradoodle, Aspen is a combination of two dog breeds bred to do a job- HUNTING. Aspen is a couch puppy, so if we don’t help her engage in behaviors she would use while hunting (sniffing, digging, shredding, chasing, etc.), she will find her own time and place to do them! By providing her an appropriate outlet for her instincts, we will check those boxes and decrease the frequency of in appropriate behaviors!

🐾 Managing Aspen energy! Aspen is still a puppy, so, just like with her biological needs, we need to give her a productive outlets to burn off some steam. A tired puppy is a good puppy!

🐾 Teaching Aspen to settle down! Though Aspen is very enthusiastic about participating in day-to-day activities, sometimes things are more easily accomplished without a dog under foot. We need to teach Aspen how to be calm, cool, and collected regardless of the chaos happening around her.

At Sunsetter dog training, we understand that you are human! Life happens!! Though the industry may tell you differently, dog training is not black and white. There is no one size fits all! Dog training does not need to be stressful, time-consuming, or feel like daunting. Rather, it should be fun, effective, and easily integrable into your daily life!

At Sunsetter Dog Training, not only are our training programs tailored to each individual client’s needs, but they are also fluid: if something isn’t working or simply isn’t possible given your schedule or mental/emotional/physical bandwidth, we will work together to find a more accessible and equally as effective solution!

Need a hand with your pup but feel like your plate is overflowing? Give us a call! Dog ownership really does take a village ☀️

05/27/2024

📸 Dawg Days of Summer Photo Contest! ☀️

In honor of our two year anniversary, join us in celebrating the pups and paw-rents who embody the SunSetter community!

Send us your pet portraits that embody summertime fun in the sun! We will share your photos on Facebook, and followers will “vote” for their favorite snapshots! The photos with the most likes will win our grand prize!!

Our TWO winners will each receive: One hour of private instruction (face-to-face or virtual), one free day of daycare, SunSetter merchandise, and MORE!! These prizes have a combined value of over $250!! WOW!

In addition the the aforementioned goodies, the winning photo will assume the cover page of “Fun in the Sun,” our online newsletter launching later this summer! What a treat!

Ready to rock? Enrolling is easy-peasy:

1. Send your summery pics to the SunSetter Facebook or Instagram page via messenger OR via email to [email protected]. Be sure to include your pet’s name, age, and breed (or species!)

⏳ PHOTO SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Monday, June 3rd! One week from today!!

2. Visit our page on Monday, June 10th to cast your votes!! Photos will be uploaded to an album titled “Dawg Days of Summer 2024.”

1 Like 👍🏻 = 1 Vote 🗳

⏳ VOTING PERIOD: Monday, June 10th to Monday, June 24th!! TWO WEEKS!

3. Winners will be announced on both Facebook and Instagram on Sunday, June 30th! 🎉

Wasn’t that easy???? Now, let’s discuss some rules and regulations - every contest needs them!

☀️ Participants do NOT have to be active SunSetter clients!!

☀️ One photo per pet, NOT per household! That means one household can submit a photo for each of their pets!

☀️ Notice that I said “pet” and “species”? You read that right! Though I may be a dog trainer, this photo contest is open to ALL animals!!

☀️ Though one household can submit multiple photos, one household cannot win both prizes! Winners will be the top TWO most-liked photos from two separate families!

☀️ Feel free to share your pet’s photo, the album of submissions, and/or this post! However, note that only likes on the original photo posted by our page will count as votes! Tagging your friends in your pet’s photo

We can’t wait to see your submissions! Happy snapping!!

05/26/2024

This June makes TWO years spent serving the Athens community 🎉

On June 24th, 2022, backed by the support of my friends and family, I took a leap of faith and opened the doors of SunSetter Dog Training. I hoped such an endeavor would financially support me and my growing family through grad school. Never could I have imagined the mental, emotional, and spiritual impact such a decision would have on my life.

Since it’s founding…

☀️ We have worked and learned alongside 79 different families welcoming them into the SunSetter community!

☀️ We completed over 225 hours of one-on-one instruction! Those hours were spent delivering personalized training plans directly to pups and people in need of a helping hand!

☀️ We welcomed 24 different dogs into our home to complete our board & train programs! We gave their training journey a jumpstart by laying a strong foundation their paw-rents would later build on!

☀️ We housed an additional 39 pups while their humans travelled the world! Our boarders always love their time spent at Camp SunSetter where every dog is treated like family!

☀️ I became a certified American Kennel Club (AKC) Evaluator meaning I can administer many exciting AKC Family Dog Programs including AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, and more!

☀️ I achieved the title of Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) through The Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), the leading independent certifying organization for the dog training profession!

☀️ I found my calling in animal owner advocacy completing an internship at the University of Georgia’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital working with their clinical counselor. This experience paired with those gained through SunSetter have given me a passion and drive for veterinary social work, pet loss grief and bereavement, and pet ownership policy reform!

These numbers don’t do the last two years justice. Working and learning alongside each and every one of you has been indescribable. I am and will continue to be eternally grateful.

To celebrate such our anniversary, I am launching TWO campaigns aimed at connecting more passionate pet owners with the force-free, fear-free training services offered by SunSetter!

1️⃣ 20% off on ALL training services purchased in the month of June! This discount will be automatically applied to all clients (whether they mention this post or not!)!

2️⃣ The Dawg Days of Summer Photo contest! Let’s come together as a community of animal lovers and enjoy each other’s favorite furry-friend content (and win some free stuff, obviously!!). The winner of our photo contest will receive a gift basket full of goodies and FREE services! More info on this coming soon!

A massive thanks to each and every one of you for your support of SunSetter Dog Training- it is individuals like you who keep small businesses like mine alive and thriving. Again, I appreciate it more than I could ever put into words!

I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for me, my family, and my community.

Thanks a million!

Donna Daniel ☀️

05/22/2024

Say hello to Bruno ☀️

Bruno’s paw-rents have a new tiny human in the home, so it is essential that this handsome fellow mind his manners!

Don’t worry Bruno and family- SunSetter is here to help!!

Bruno’s training plan includes:

🐾 Not jumping up on people! We can’t have Bruno climbing up onto someone who is holding his new baby brother!

🐾 A rock-solid “leave it” so Bruno doesn’t grab any baby supplies he shouldn’t!

🐾 Kennel manners - Bruno needs to be calm, cool, and collected when in his kennel! Barking or whining may wake the sleeping baby!

🐾 Basic obedience and self control! ESSENTIAL skills for any pups in a home with young children!

Bruno is completing both private lessons AND Board & Train Daycare! While his parents visit the baby in the hospital, Bruno comes to Camp SunSetter to work, play, and work some more!

Interested in a personalized training plan of your own? Set up your FREE consultation today!!

05/16/2024

Watch out, world! Asparagus is an AKC Canine Good Citizen ☀️

The AKC Canine Good Citizen is a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to their owners.

CGC is open to all dogs–purebred and mixed breed. There are no age minimums or limits for participating in the Canine Good Citizen program, because yes, you can always teach an old dog new tricks!

Interested? Give us a call today!

05/05/2024

Say hello to Pizza 🍕

Pizza is a six-month-old Bernese Mountain dog, and is the biggest snuggle bug you have ever seen! Oh boy, is she going to be HUGE when fully grown!

Knowing her size, Pizza’s parents reached out to SunSetter for a helping hand with Pizza’s basic manners and socialization. Don’t worry, Pizza, the Treat Lady is on the case!!

Pizza is… well… a little “enthusiastic” when it comes to playing with her feline siblings, Yogurt and Cheese Dip. Okay, okay, maaaaaybe she chases them. But it’s only out of love!!

At our first lesson, we taught Pizza three different skills that her parents can use to redirect her attention away from the kitties and back on to her parents.

Those commands?

1. That her name means we want eye contact! A dog who’s looking you in the eyes is a dog who’s NOT chasing the kitties, jumping on your guests, pulling on leash…. Or really anything else!
2. A “touch“ command which prompts Pizza to come bounding to us and boop her nose into our palm- a FUN way to get Pizza back to us, even when she’d rather be elsewhere!
3. The game of “go find it!“ When she hears these three simple words, Pizza knows that some treats have been scattered on the floor for her to sniff out! The equivalent of telling a person to “just breathe” as sniffing = increased rate of respiration = well-oxygenated blood = a decrease in stress hormones and increase in all the good stuff in the brain!

Today, we helped Pizza‘s parents use these skills, and showed Pizza the good things come to those who ignore the cats!

Pizza also worked on holding down her “place“ (see yesterday‘s post!) when guests enter and exit her backyard of which she’s a ROCKSTAR! We also discussed how to better manage Pizza‘s puppy energy through canine enrichment!

Like what you hear? Schedule your free consultation today! ☀️

SunSetter Dog Training

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