About Canis Major Dog Training

What they do

Canis Major Dog Training and Behavior Consulting publishes a named program menu rather than a generic service list. The site's own navigation sets out:

– **Traditional Private Lessons**

– **Just Get Us Started**

– **Live With The Trainer Program**

– **VIP Training**

– **Freaked Out To Chilled Out Specialty Program**

– **The Ultimate Puppy Specialty Program**

– **Forever Trained Specialty Program**

– **Group Classes**

– **Boarding**

A separate **Pro To Pro Consulting** line is published for other professionals, alongside a merch store, e-gift cards and a blog.

Service area

The site footer states the area directly: "Serving: The SOKY region and parts of Tennessee."

Method

The About page is explicit about the philosophy: "Canis Major utilizes modern dog training methodologies rooted in positive reinforcement and promotes the belief that 'a dog is not a robot to be programmed, but a sentient being that requires understanding and guidance'." The same page frames the goal as a working partnership – "We love to see owners and dogs working together as a cooperative team as opposed to the archaic master-dog dynamic."

Who runs it

**Ashley Parker, ABCDT, CPDT-KA**, is the founder and certified trainer. Her published path into the work is unusually well documented. She started with dogs in 2013 as a kennel attendant at Dog's Day Out in Bowling Green – a business also listed in this directory – and progressed through several roles there. After finishing a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Western Kentucky University she completed her first training certification through Animal Behavior College in 2017 and immediately began managing the dog training programs at Dog's Day Out. She credits that start openly:

> "Dog's Day Out was a great way of beginning my dog training career. Pam Brown, the owner of DDO, had multiple years of training experience and was always available to provide direction and advice whenever I needed it. As a fledgling trainer that was a huge asset!"

In 2019 she added the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers credential and took professional memberships with the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the Pet Professional Guild, then started Canis Major to offer services she could not provide in her employed role.

Credentials

The site publishes a continuing-education log running year by year from 2017 to 2024 – completed certifications, courses and a long reading list. Documented milestones include the Animal Behavior College Dog Trainer Program (ABCDT, 2017), approval as an AKC Family Dog Evaluator across S.T.A.R. Puppy, Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine, Urban Canine and Trick Dog, CPDT-KA (2019), the Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification Course (2022), Pet Tech CPR & First Aid Certification (2023), and approval as an AKC Fetch Judge (2024). Named coursework includes Michael Shikashio's Master Course on Aggression in Dogs, Malena DeMartini-Price on separation anxiety, and a CATCH Canine Trainers Academy mentorship. The badge strip published on the site carries the AKC, CCPDT, Fear Free Certified Professional, Animal Behavior College and Pet Professional Guild marks.

The site also states, in its own footer: "*This website does not produce or publish AI generated content*". Photography is credited to Sur La Lune Photography.