About The Dog Wizard Nashville

The Dog Wizard Nashville is a local territory of a national network, operating mobile and by appointment rather than from a walk-in facility. What follows is what the Nashville location page says about the Nashville operation.

What you can book here

Obedience programs, American Kennel Club training, private lessons, group classes, board and train, puppy programs and a puppy group class, behavioral modification and specialty training. The behavior list is granular: problem solving for barking, chewing, jumping, begging, counter surfing, digging, leash pulling, play biting, marking, door bolting and housebreaking, plus resource guarding, dog aggression, separation anxiety, an adopted and rescue dog program, and socialization. Baby Prep is listed as an additional service. Programs come with what the network calls lifetime support – indefinite access to group class training after graduation.

Hours and coverage

Unusually wide: by appointment, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week. Areas served are listed as Antioch, Brentwood, Forest Hills, Franklin, Hendersonville and Murfreesboro.

Method and tools, stated openly

Balanced, and the FAQ is refreshingly concrete on the tool question: trainers are "well versed in a variety of training tools; from food to collars to remote collars", with the choice made per dog and per owner – "whatever tool you're comfortable in using will be the one you're most consistent in using and that's what's most important to us." On the goal, the page distinguishes itself from command drilling: "Our approach focuses on helping your dog make better choices and respond to you instead of their impulses."

The local trainer

The Nashville team section names Melissa Thomson, an advanced trainer with six years of experience holding AKC CGC Evaluator, AKC Trick Dog Evaluator and AKC ATT Evaluator qualifications, with a background as a vet tech and a therapeutic horseback riding instructor. Client reviews on the same page name a trainer called Jessie repeatedly, so the territory runs more than one trainer – ask who you would be assigned.

Pricing

Set per dog, by stated policy: "We do not have a one size fits all approach to training. Each dog owner team that has a free evaluation will have a customized program designed to fit your specific needs." One client review is candid that it is "a hefty investment" payable in two large instalments within two weeks of each other unless you finance it – worth raising at the free evaluation.