DarkWood is a small training facility located in middle Tennessee.
Here we focus on basic obedience, but also offer Agility and Competitive Obedience classes. Whether you are looking for somebody to potty train your puppy or help you achieve a Utility Dog Excellent title, DarkWood Dog Training is the place for you!
Here we focus on basic obedience, but also offer Agility and Competitive Obedience classes. Whether you are looking for somebody to potty train your puppy or help you achieve a Utility Dog Excellent title, DarkWood Dog Training is the place for you!
Our services include,
- In-Kennel Training- Your dog will come and stay with us for a minimum of one week and learn the basics. Your dog will learn such commands as: Sit/Stay, Down/Stay, Coming when called, Walking on a loose leash, No jumping up, No biting, and more! For every week that your dog is here, you will get a complimentary lesson where we show you what your dog has been working on that week and give you the chance work with your dog yourself so you will know how to keep up with the training when you take your dog home.
Price: $400 per week, this includes food and board while your dog is here. - The Off-Leash Club- If you're searching for training that would allow you to take your dog off-leash hiking, have reliability in an open field, or just be leash-less in everyday life, this program is for you! Your dog will come and stay with us for three weeks and we will be working exclusively on off-leash reliability. All of the commands in our regular In-Kennel Training program are taught in this program as well, just with the added distraction of being completely off-leash. This program can be tailored to meet specific needs and, just like with our In-Kennel program, you get a lesson for each week your dog is with us.
Price: $1600, includes food & board in addition to an e-collar to take home. - House Sitting + Training- Don't want your pup to go to a boarding kennel while you are away? Want more than just a drop-by pet sitter that comes to feed once a day? We can help! In this program, we come to your home and stay with your dog day & night while you are away! We can check mail, take out trash, and other basic household tasks as well as work with your pooch on brushing up his or her obedience. This program is booked fairly well in advance and we can only work with one family at a time so if you are interested, please contact before your trip is booked!
Price: $450 per week or $65/day if less than a week. - Service Dog Training- Offered on a case-by-case basis, this program is designed to select, train, and certify a Service Dog tailored to your specific needs. Please visit our Service Dog page via the navigation menu at the top of this page.
- Search & Rescue (SAR) Training- This program is designed for those who have an interest in learning about Search & Rescue training and would like to put their dog to the test.
1. You and your dog will come once a week for an undetermined period (amount of time dependent on dog and handler commitment and work ethic) going over the same things listed above.
At this time, only Wilderness or Non-Urban SAR teaching is available. At the end of the program your dog will be able to locate a lost human that is up to a mile away.
*Obedience training is essential for this program to be successful; discounts given to handlers who enroll in one of our other training programs first.
Price: $60/lesson, with no time limit on lessons, we work for as long as the dog is interested. - In-Home Lessons- I come to your house and train you and your dog in his own environment. This is great for specific issues such as: Barking when the doorbell rings, resource guarding, bolting out the door, or any other specific problem you might be experiencing.
Price: $55 per half hour, with discounts if 5 or more lessons are purchased. - Private Lessons- You bring your dog here and work on all the basics; sit/stay, down/stay, walking on a loose leash, coming when called, and much more!
Price: $45 per half hour, with discounts if 5 or more lessons are purchased. - Tracking Lessons- These are one hour classes that cover everything from starting tracking with your new puppy to advanced SAR tracking and Competition tracking.
Price: $60 per lesson, with discounts if 5 or more lessons are purchased. - Group Lessons- Group lessons have a maximum of 6 dogs per class. Specific course outlines are available upon request. We do a CGC-prep class, ending with a test and we also offer more advanced courses as well. Please contact us for more information.
Price: $100 per dog - Retrieve Training- This program can be included in our In-Kennel Training program for an additional $100 per week, by itself (no formal obedience taught) as a Retrieve 'n' Stay program for $350 per week, or can be included in our Off-Leash Club training program for an additional $400 (total cost of Off-Leash Club would be brought to $2000). The finished product is a dog who retrieves to a sit-front or heel on command over jumps, through water, and on the flat. The dog will retrieve anything from a bird to a set of keys to a dropped pencil.
- Conformation Training- These are one-hour classes and cover all the ring basics: stand for exam, gaiting, stacking, basic grooming, and more.
Price: $50 per lesson, with discounts given to clients who purchase 5 or more at a time.
- Agility Classes- These are group classes that cover all agility basics. We are not yet equipped to offer these classes so please check back for availability!
- Play Groups- Bring your dog or puppy for a weekly 2-hour play session with other dogs. Vaccination and flea/tick/heartworm records are required. No age requirement other than being finished with puppy shots! There are dog-friendly games and plenty of socialization for dog and human alike.
Price: $15 per session - Day Training- Don't really want to leave your dog overnight? Well the DarkWood Day Training program is designed just for you! Drop your dog off before you head to work and pick him up on your way home. This is offered for both 3 and 5 day weeks. Dogs will work on the same things as the in-kennel training offers. *This program is currently only available Monday/Wednesday/Friday and only for dogs that have already gone through our Board & Train program*
Price: $50 per day, with discounts given for 5 consecutive days. - Pet Photography- I either come to you or you come to me for a photo session of your four-legged companion. Posed or candid shots, plenty of picturesque spots for that perfect picture. Price includes an edited CD of your pictures.
Price: $60 per session at my house or $75 per session at yours. - Canine Good Citizen Testing- The Canine Good Citizenship program is a special award system that the AKC has created rewarding dogs that are well behaved and under control. The test involves 10 different items including: Accepting a friendly stranger, Coming when called, sit/down, etc. I am an AKC Approved Evaluator and hold tests periodically. Please let me know if you have any interest in this program!
Price: $15 dollars for test only. - Canine Actors- Here at DarkWood, we can provide you with the perfect canine cast member for your photo-shoot, play, music video, or even movie! Please see our "Media" section of the site for information on our current actors or call us to see if we can find the perfect dog to fit your needs. Most breeds available and can be trained to do just about anything! We charge $40-$50 per hour for shoots (contact us for our DAY RATE!) and, depending on the distance from DarkWood, a mileage fee might be added.