About Lake Cumberland K-9 Training Center

Who runs it

Alisa Peterson-White, and the site puts the length of the career at the center of everything: "35+ Years of Professional Dog Training." Her own account starts on a farm: "Alisa Peterson-White didn't learn that in a classroom. She learned it on her grandfather's farm in Jackson, Tennessee, where she was taught to read animals not with commands, but with quiet understanding. That foundation became a 35-year career."

The philosophy, stated bluntly

The site leads with a quote from her: "I can train your dog. I can fix almost any behavioral problem. But if you don't change too, your dog will regress faster than you can say sit-stay." The house line is "dogs aren't born difficult, they're shaped by the humans around them," and the site warns you what that means in the room: "Alisa's approach is direct, some would say blunt." Her book, sold on the site at $50.00, is titled "What the Hell is Wrong with My Dog? YOU ARE What's Wrong!" and "emphasizes the importance of owners stepping up as the 'alpha,' providing structure, discipline, and clear communication."

Programs and what they cost

The pricing page publishes the whole ladder. "Six (6) Week Course @ One Hour a Week Obedience Class at our facility ~ This covers obedience and light behaviors… ($500) (This option is available on a very limited basis.)" A "three (3) week 'Doggie Boot Camp'" runs "$1150, $1450 for dogs 60 lbs and up" and covers obedience, behavioral modification, socialization and housebreaking — "I will totally housebreak your dog to ring a bell on a door and show you how to follow through." A "5 to 6 week 'Behavior Modification Camp'" at "$2000, $2300 for dogs 60 lbs and up" targets "separation anxiety, aggression (towards people and/or other dogs), destruction, antisocial" behavior. AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and AKC Canine Good Citizen each run "six (6) week course @ one hour per week. ($350 + $25 Evaluation Fee)."

After the program

"Phone calls are FREE. Home visits $150, plus mileage if applicable. One week tune up, within a month from graduation day ~ $250.00. Refresher class together for one (1) hour ~ FREE." Evaluations stay free: "Regular Dog evaluations will remain as always FREE."

Two costs worth knowing up front

A late-collection charge — "When your dog is fully trained and ready to go home, there will be a boarding charge of $35 per day if your dog is not picked up on graduation day" — and a grooming one: "Coat Blow… We recommend you have this taken care of prior to bringing your dog for training. If this needs to be handled during training there will be a $25 fee."

Boarding

Boarding is offered alongside training, including "Boarding with Training — Intensive one-on-one training while your dog stays with us."

Where it is

"200 Phelps Cemetery Road, Somerset, KY 42501, (606) 423-3320."

Before you book

One page puts experience at "over 10 years" against the 35 years stated elsewhere on the site. Ask which body certifies the "Certified Trainers" the site mentions.