About Nashville Center for Canine Behavior

Nashville Center for Canine Behavior frames its work around the dog's mental state rather than command lists, and it says so directly: "it is not just about obedience but also about the mental balance of the dog. If a dog is mentally balanced it will be calmer with better behavior."

What you can book here

Three services. Training is the general obedience offer – structure, manners and a consistent response to commands, delivered "with calm and patient training", and specifically addressing whichever behaviors your dog displays rather than running a fixed syllabus. Board and Train has the dog live in the trainers' own home, and the reasoning is stated: "It is essential to train with dogs in a home environment and that's why your dog stays with us in our home." The site says a custom program is built for each dog and household, covering everything from counter surfing and jumping on people or furniture through to separation anxiety, obedience and balance, and that having the dog in a home lets them address problems that only show up in a home. Service and Therapy Dogs is the third track: the business trains service dogs for medical, psychological and mental disabilities as well as emotional support dogs, working closely with the handler because "each dog needs to perform specific tasks designated by their human". Ask about prices.

Background

Alex is described as having trained dogs since the late 1970s with an extensive background in all types of training. The site says he was a columnist answering canine behavior questions for the Chicago Daily Herald and Journal & Topics, has worked with local police canine units, has trained narcotics dogs, and does evaluations for animal control including appearing in court as an expert witness. It also describes ongoing volunteer work with local animal shelters and rescue organizations training dogs to make them easier to place, and training dogs to help physically challenged handlers gain independence. These are the business's own claims as published on its site.

Who this suits

Owners who want a residential program in a home rather than a kennel, and in particular anyone looking for service, therapy or emotional support dog training, which few Nashville trainers name explicitly as an offer.