About Thank Dog! Training

Thank Dog! Training is Noelle Blessey's Nashville practice, and behavior work is not a sideline here – the site names it as the specialism outright: "Behavior modification is our specialty. From extreme enthusiasm to serious aggression and everything in between."

What you can book here

Six tracks are published. In-home dog training is positioned for owners who have already tried group classes or board and train without success. Basic obedience covers everything non-aggression-related. Behavior modification is the core offer. Off-leash training is framed as freedom for the dog plus a reliable recall for the owner. Board and train is offered, with the site candid that it believes there is "a time and place" for it rather than presenting it as the default. Puppy training covers the behavioral basics for dogs six months and under. A free, no-obligation consultation is the entry point; ask about prices there.

Method

The stated approach is to solve rather than manage: "We focus on getting to the root of the problem and solving it – not managing it, not working around it, and definitely not avoiding it. Our approach is holistic in form – as we treat the dog as a whole, taking their people and their environment into account, and not band-aiding the issues." Programs are described as commitment-based, meaning the trainer stays with you until the objectives are met, and the skills taught are meant to transfer to any future dog you own.

Background

Noelle first apprenticed under the founder of Thank Dog! Training in Los Angeles and was made a business partner and co-owner in 2010. She completed her formal trainer's education at John VanOlden's Canine Trade Group Academy, which the site describes as covering the scientific principles of canine learning theory alongside an in-residence hands-on component. After six years running Thank Dog! Training and its sister company in Los Angeles, she relocated the business headquarters to Nashville. She is a Professional-level member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and names Tyler Muto, Heather Beck and Mark McCabe among the industry figures she continues to learn from.

What clients describe

The reviews the site publishes are consistently about hard cases and about the human side of the work – a dog aggressive towards people, a dog frightened of every male and child, a dog being prepared as a service dog – and repeatedly mention ongoing text access between sessions.