We are rewards-based Professional Dog Trainers in Johnson City, TN based out of Bluff City, TN, and serving the larger Southwest VA, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina area. We use science to guide our understanding of how dogs function in the modern world. We do not use force, intimidation, pain, threats or coercion. This means that we do not use aversive methods (such as prong collars, e-collars, citronella, leash corrections, etc.) in our training protocols, but instead use a force free approach to training. We believe that all dogs have the right to exist in their natural states of mind and behavior. And we believe that dogs are not robots for humans to program, but rather canine partners with their own thoughts, feelings and desires and training should reflect this truth. We don't believe that there are “bad dogs”, but rather some dogs that lack the framework for how to exist in our homes and society. We are committed to the highest standards of the industry and strive to work toward those with each client. We also believe that it is important to be transparent and honest with our clients when discussing behavior modification for each client’s individual needs. We are committed to continuing to learn as reliable information is presented to the industry and to accommodate our methods as ethically as we can. A little about Courtney & Austin:
Courtney is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) who completed an apprenticeship under Kim Wegel of Wags by Wegel in Roanoke, VA. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Companion Animal Science from Virginia Tech. Courtney has been training her own dogs since she was young, but truly began her training journey when she adopted her now 12-year-old Husky + Corgi mix from the shelter when she was 19 years old. He good naturedly lets her practice and hone her training skills as she continues to learn more about the ever-changing dog training industry. Courtney also has extensive experience with reactive dogs, as she owned a reactive Great Pyrenees and has worked with reactive dog-owner teams since beginning her career. She understands the stress and frustration dog owners can feel when they don’t know how to best help their pets and she can help to alleviate much of those feelings through her training protocols.
