About Music City K9 Training

Music City K9 Training is Chris Steele's in-home practice in Nashville, and it rules two things out at the top of its own homepage: "No board & train. No shock collars." That is a clearer statement of scope than most local sites give you, and it is the first thing to check against what you want.

What you can book here, with prices

The "Surviving Your Puppy" class is a private lesson taught in your home for $150, covering crating, potty training and feeding, appropriate toys, teething, biting and chewing, socialization, and spaying and neutering, with phone, text and email support afterwards. Private obedience lessons at your home are $750 for five consecutive weekly lessons including the test, with homework sheets and training logs each week; additional lessons afterwards are $125 a visit. Behavioral modification runs 6-8 weekly lessons starting at $900 for six visits, $125 per additional visit, with 2-5 of those sessions held away from the home at a nearby park or public space. Seasonal group classes run a few times a year in spring and summer, six weeks at a park, $250, with a minimum of four people. All bookings take a $50 deposit that goes toward the course, and payment plans may be available.

What the courses contain

The private obedience curriculum is spelled out: sit, down, stand, various heeling techniques, circles, changes of pace, recall, a 25ft one-minute sit stay, stand stay and a 25ft three-minute down stay, plus house manners, jumping, pulling, barking, counter surfing, chewing and digging. Behavioral modification adds leash reactivity, overall reactivity, aggression, lack of socialization, separation anxiety and resource guarding.

Method and pricing philosophy

Chris describes positive reinforcement combined with traditional methods and states "We don't believe in shocking your dog if they make the wrong one", adding that natural training requires 4-6 weeks. The affordability argument is made explicitly: the site notes that lack of training is the top reason dogs are surrendered and cost is the top reason given for not training, and says prices are kept low deliberately. The group classes were designed with rescue adopters in mind.

Background

Chris started training and showing dogs as a youth with the Hillsdale County 4H Club and graduated from K9-University, part of the Canine Behavioral Specialists Network. The group class is stated as not suitable for dogs showing aggression towards other dogs.