About Fresh Canine Training Academy

Fresh Canine Training Academy works out of a facility at "5070 Carothers Parkway Franklin, TN, 37067", in the Cool Springs commercial strip, and states its catchment as "our clients come from Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Nashville & Spring Hill."

The day-train model

This is the program the business leads with, and the reasoning behind it is published: "Our Day Train Program is 'work day' program. You get to pick up your dog at the end of each day to head home, practice what they've learned, and settle in for the evening with your best friend by your side." Owner involvement is built in – "As your dog progresses through the program, your dog's trainer will meet with you weekly to practice your dog's new skills." A continuing-education day-train tier and a drop-in option are listed separately.

Classes and board and train

Group classes are graded: "Classes range from Puppy, Teenage to Basic and Advanced", with an advanced class listed in its own right, and the stated aim is "a family pet that is well behaved in the home as well as in public". Board and train is the intensive end – "Our Board and Train Program is an intense lifestyle training program" – and the setting is specific: "Your dog will live in a structured home environment with our Trainer." Private lessons are offered alongside.

Method

Stated outright on the trainers page: "Fresh Canine uses a balanced approach to training a dog. During the learning phase, we use positive reinforcement, shaping, and luring- performing several hundred repetitions of each command and exercise." Rewards are then faded, and "Once a dog has mastered the commands, we proof and generalize the behavior by working under distractions."

The bench

Six trainers are profiled, which is unusual depth for a Williamson County business. Charlotte Blake is the head trainer; she trained "at Longmont Humane Society under Aimee Sadler", worked at Animal Farm Foundation in New York and as "the Public Training Coordinator at Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation", "relocated to Franklin, TN in June 2014" and opened Fresh Canine soon after. "She is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator through the American Kennel Club", and competes hard – "She has 7 World Champion Dock Diving Dogs." Abigail Hoffman completed "her education at the Kennelwood Academy for Professional Dog Trainers", competes in Protection Sports Association and AKC Obedience, and "At Fresh Canine, she specializes in remote collar training and is passionate about helping dogs gain reliable off-leash freedom." Jennifer Biggs came through the Williamson County Animal Shelter, where "Charlotte trained Jen to work with reactive dogs, high arousal dogs, and dogs who were struggling in playgroup". Tate Wolf, Hannah Hermosa and Shae Edwards complete the team, all with shelter or kennel backgrounds.

What to ask

Ask about prices and program lengths. The phone number and a testimonials page are the route in.