08/19/2026
WE MADE THE INC. 5000! 🏆🇺🇸
Obedient K9 Academy has officially been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America.
And our Charlotte story started during one of the strangest times imaginable — the middle of the pandemic.
In 2020, our owners, Louie & Michelle Torres, found Obedient K9 while living in Charlotte with their 8-week-old Blue Heeler, Pepper.
At the time, Obedient K9 was based in Virginia Beach, and because of COVID, Pepper’s entire training program was done virtually through Zoom.
No trainer physically handling her.
No training facility.
Just coaching, communication, consistency, and a completely different approach to dog training.
And the results blew him away.
At only a few months old, Pepper was becoming an incredibly well-behaved dog — all from training through a computer screen.
That sparked a pretty simple thought:
If this is what Obedient K9 can do through Zoom… what could we do in person?
That question eventually brought Obedient K9 to Charlotte.
Since then, thousands of dogs and their families have walked through our doors.
We’ve built an incredible team, expanded our programs, moved into bigger facilities, and continued pushing ourselves to raise the standard for what dog training can look like.
It hasn’t always been easy. We’ve had wins, setbacks, growing pains, and plenty of lessons along the way.
But the mission has never changed:
Help people build better relationships with their dogs and give them the freedom to experience more of life together.
Today, that journey has earned Obedient K9 Academy a place on the Inc. 5000.
One of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America. 🇺🇸
This recognition belongs to our entire team, who pours everything they have into these dogs.
It belongs to every client who has trusted us with a member of their family.
And it belongs to the Charlotte community that embraced Obedient K9 and allowed us to grow into the company we are today.
From training one 8-week-old Blue Heeler over Zoom during a global pandemic…To the Inc. 5000.
Thank you for being part of our story. ❤️🐾
Obedient K9 Academy — Inc. 5000. 🏆
