ABOUT US

The Highest Standards of Care & Training for All Animals

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Our Story

Our Story

Creating better lives for pets & their owners

As the leading provider of animal behavior services in the Chattanooga area, we are dedicated to enhancing the relationship between pets and their owners. Our holistic, balanced and scientifically-based approach not only addresses behavioral issues but also focuses on prevention and community building, making us a trusted partner for pet parents seeking to improve their pets’ well-being and happiness.

We are committed to compassion, innovation, knowledge & trustworthiness — demonstrating genuine care and empathy for pets and their owners by deploying effective, customized solutions and building strong relationships.

Meet the Team

Our team is comprised of skilled professionals dedicated to understanding and improving animal behavior. Our specialists collaborate to develop effective, science-based strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of each pet and owner.

  • Born and raised in Chickamauga, GA, John Hayes was born into a family with working breed dogs. His interest in studying behavior began at a young age, with his grandfather’s dog “Pep”, who had a close bond with John. Pep was a border collie who did not allow certain people to get near John, and John wanted to know why.

    John Hayes’ training career over the last decade has blossomed from hobbyist training into various facets of the training community professionally. Aside from his strides helping families train their pets in obedience professionally, his time spent researching canine behavior and competition obedience provided the opportunity to begin service dog work.  John was a member of a team in Knoxville who helped train the world’s first Addison’s Disease Alert dog. John has since gone on to train Therapy Dogs, PTSD Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals, Diabetic Alert, Psychiatric Alert and Support, Mobility and Autism support.  He is also one of a limited number of trainers certified to train cancer detection dogs through the InSitu Foundation. 

    John is an IACP Professional member, certified with the AKC for Canine Good Citizen.  He is an AKC Judge, and the Chattanooga AKC Fit Dogs Club owner.  He’;s certified to perform evaluations through Therapy Pets Unlimited, and Canine First Aid and CPR.

  • Kaitlin is a professional dog trainer with just under a decade of experience. She has spent the majority of her career training dogs to the highest standards of behavior as service dogs. Working closely with disabled clients and their families has given her a deep understanding of the life-changing impact dogs can have. Having witnessed the joy and fulfillment that dogs derive from having a purpose, Kaitlin's training philosophy centers around giving dogs a "job" and a sense of accomplishment. For companion dogs, sometimes this just means grabbing the newspaper for their owner in the morning or teaching them to put their own toys away! Her goal when training is to make an already loved member of the family, one that their owners and their friends can enjoy being around, and involve in as many areas of life as possible. Her training focuses on reducing dogs' anxiety and giving them healthy outlets for their energy, creating good handling and problem solving skills for owners, and increasing confidence in dogs and humans. Fostering a strong bond and mutual trust is essential. She doesn't just want well trained dogs, but owners who feel confident in their ability to work with their dog and handle situations in the moment.

    Outside her professional career, Kaitlin has been training and competing with her dogs from a young age. She has competed in various dog competitions including rally, barn hunt, and obedience. Inspired by her time training service dogs and seeing the tremendous help they provide to individuals, she now focuses on Search and Rescue and therapy work with her dogs. She grew up with Rottweilers when they were the scary breed of the moment, and has developed a lifelong love for large to giant dogs, and misunderstood breeds often considered "too intimidating" by the general public. Having a St Bernard and Great Dane, she understands some of the unique challenges that come with owning a giant breed: from dealing with a slower maturation process to teaching leash skills to dogs that outweigh their owners. Kaitlin is committed to meeting dogs and owners where they're at and employing positive balanced training methods to allow for a more enjoyable life together. 

  • Lauren has worked with animals since childhood. Her riding career began in her middle school years. From a green rider she worked towards competitive jumping and regularly attended english riding schools. After her family suddenly had to move out of state, her jumping career was cut short.

    Fast forward 10 years later, wrapping up college and entering a professional career offered Lauren the ability to reignite her passion for horsemanship. Lauren began lessons as an adult rider in western pleasure, dressage and Liberty.

    Lauren has a keen interest in ground work and harmony techniques that focus on the relationship between horse and rider. Building trust and confidence is a necessary fundamental that many riding programs overlook. A horse or rider who is under confident, or a rider who just wants to fine-tune their bond with their horse will enjoy working with Lauren in her harmony and horseplay sessions.