I found Off-Leash through Facebook. Couldn't have come at a better time, as I was at my wit's end with my Australian Cattle Dog puppy, Walker. He would heel me. He would bite me. He would trip me. It was cute when he was tiny, but he was 45 lbs by this time! I couldn't walk through the house without him grabbing my arm, pants leg, shoe, and in most cases, my leg or ankle itself. He would pick fights with his pack mates. I was bruised and scarred. I was afraid of him, and he knew it. He had earned the nickname of The Spotted Menace, and I was on the verge of rehoming him. As a lady Resort, because I didn't want to give up on my dog, I started looking at training facilities. I looked on Off-Leash's Facebook page, read reviews, looked at pictures, saw success stories...I called and spoke to Fallon Houser. I explained my problems, and how I need help ASAP. I got an appointment that week! Talk about prompt! Walker's trainer was Sandra Gudger. He was very unsure of her at first, as he wasn't used to someone that was assertive. He grew to love her as the lessons continued. I very much appreciate her no-nonsense approach. Walker is stubborn. Sandra helped ease his fears, gave him confidence, and in no time, he came out of his shell. After the first lesson, I kid you not, Walker never heeled or bit me again. The first lesson! He only improved from there, learning various basic commands such as recall, sit, extended sit, heel, place, and down. I was so impressed, we signed up for advanced training. Walker had so much fun learning things such as a watch command, a directional send away, and a through command, which suited him well, since he feels most safe right next to me. He just finished up K9 Scent Detection. He has become a completely different dog! So well-behaved, so sweet, and very well-rounded. I couldn't stop with the praise for these trainers! We had help along the way from Jen Belle, Jonathan Paul, and also Sarah Morin. All have accepted Walker's stubbornness and worked with him with a kind and gentle hand. So, all this jabbering has been for one reason: if you need help with your dog, no matter what the age or breed, go see these folks!! You will be amazed! It is worth it 100%!! I can't stop complementing them! I'm constantly recommending Off-Leash. Go there, you won't be disappointed. I can promise you that! read more

Life changing! Walking Hanna was an absolute nightmare, she is an incredibly stubborn dog and my attempts to get her to walk nicely on a loose leash failed. When I would let her off-leash, she entered her own world and wouldn't pay a lick of attention to me. I heard about OLK9 from a previous client, that I met at a local dog event. I talked to Fallon and discussed my needs and goals. She assured me she could help me and get Hanna offleash. I was incredibly skeptical. They had a money back guarantee after the first class, so I'd figured I'd give it try. The first class went well and the following day we went on a walk around the neighborhood - life changing. That was the most pleasant walk I've ever had with my dog. I was dumbfounded, I couldn't believe my eyes. Things only got better during the next three classes. Because of OLK9 Training, I was able to adopt a rescue dog I fell in love with. Prior going through the program with my two dogs, I never thought I, a single guy, could handle three dogs. My dogs have so much more freedom now, we can enjoy off-leash walks in public parks (leaving other humans/dogs alone) and off-leash hikes. Prior to OLK9, none of my dogs had good recall. My dogs now have solid recall. Knowing they will came back when called, is such a relief. We rarely use the e-collar at home. When we are out in public, they wear the e-collar, but its rare I actually have to use it. OLK9 will give you the foundation, but it is essential you continuously practice what you've learned with your four legged friend. Is this the cheapest training program ? No! But, you get what you pay for. Every dollar I've spent has been well worth it. Huge thank you to Shannon (trainer) who has trained my three girls! read more

I adopted a very sweet rescue dog with major anxiety issues about five weeks ago. He had two speeds: Asleep or Total Spaz. And he didn't listen to anything, ever. There was a lot of leash pulling and counter surfing and jumping and whining and all around "wild puppy" behavior from him. To top it off, everything terrified him. We were referred to Off Leash K9 Training by the Rescue organization and I'm so happy we followed through. We did the Basic Obedience program over four weeks. Rufus is more confident, more compliant, calmer, and happier. He learned his commands like a champ thanks to the amazing Sandra! We now walk daily off leash with no problems. He doesn't run away or pull me. He listens and follows instructions. And he's so much happier now that he has built up his confidence. I haven't had dogs since I was a kid/teenager so this experience helped me feel more confident as well. It seemed like a lot of money to spend on obedience training, but I will tell anyone it was worth every penny! Rufus seems like a totally different dog now, and I can spend more time enjoying him and spoiling him and less time yelling "NO!" and worrying that he's going to run away when he goes outside (we don't have a fenced yard, so the off-leash training was really important to me). Totally deserving of five stars. THANK YOU, SANDRA! read more

When I first started taking Zoey to K9 off leash she only really know how to sit...and that was even shakey. Zoey was never loud and in your face, but she definitely had her moments of selective hearing and teaching her new things were difficult for me. Zoey and I have completed beginning and half of advanced training now with K9OL. Zoey has learned to come, sit, down, extended sit, extended down, sit and down in motion and from a distance, go through my legs when motioned, and walks in a heel beautifully! She has also started learning touch and how to do deep pressure therapy in a therapy setting. Zoey was definitely pulling my leg before because she learns super well with the help of K9OL. Every time we walk in the door we feel so welcomed. These trainers love your doggos and it shows. Zoey has passed her K9 Good Citizen test at K9OL and had started the basics to become a therapy dog. I am sad that advanced training is almost over and may have to find some more classes just to keep coming back. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. This place is amazing! (Trainer Ellie/ Shannon for a session) read more

Sandra worked with my little boxer mutt, Roxy. She was SEVEN years old, very hardheaded, not food oriented, and smart. Sandra worked magic. Roxy has done great! Training has allowed us to take Roxy into busy areas without her getting distracted and allowed peaceful walks without squirrel chasing. Also, place worked wonders during the holiday season with elderly and young family around. Roxy would be placed for hours without moving from her designed area while we were up walking, eating, and mingling. That was extremely helpful! Training as also allowed us to pass other dog without batting an eye which says a lot since little Roxy was bitten as a puppy and had some aggression toward dogs that ran up to her. She can now focus on me and ignore the passing, annoying dog that bounces in her face. Training does require time and effort by owner as well, about 2 hours a day practicing and perfecting the skills before the next lesson (perhaps less for the owner with the board and train). I couldn't be more pleased and also suggest Sandra to anyone who needs training! read more

Sandra was awesome with Diesel. I rescued him from a no-kill shelter in NC were he had been for two years. He showed major signs of aggression but warmed up to me. I needed him to be a better mannered dog since I knew he was going to be around other dogs from time to time as well as other people. I signed Diesel up with Off Leash K9 Training for the 8 session Aggression training and Sandra was the trainer that worked with Diesel. He was showing his normal mouthy aggression when we arrived. Barking, smarwling, trawling, and all. The think one of the other trainers noticed is his aggression was out of fear of people. Sandra started to work with Diesel on the sit command. He was soon following the command like a pro. Although Diesel has only gone through 4 training lessons. He is a completely different companion. He is much more social. Sandra was very patient and determined with Diesel. I could not have asked for better results. I have recommend Off-Leash and Sandra to many of my friends and will continue to do so. The program is great! read more

I rescued my dog Maxwell in the summer. He is a 5 year old Pit Bull with no previous training. He came from an abusive home where he was kept outside chained. Maxwell suffered from crippling shyness and a fear of people. Maxwell completed basic and advance training. Sandra and Shannon were absolutely amazing with him. After just the first lesson his confidence started to grow. Maxwell is now a happy dog and has completely come out of his shell. He has perfect house manners and gets compliments on his behavior at the park and Market Square. Sandra and Shannon both individualized the training to teach Maxwell his commands while increasing his trust and working on his social anxiety. Maxwell has to wear a harness due to a collapsed trachea. Many of the commands are taught using leash pressure with a collar. The trainers adapted the training and used different methods to teach Maxwell his commands. I am very pleased with the results and couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

We have learned so much through our basic obedience class!! My once wildly unruly puppy we called "Carl" (when he misbehaved) has learned to sit, come to me, sit on place, off for those bad manners like jumping or barking at people and dogs and my favorite HEEL!! Walk times are now a breeze. We can go on or off the leash and he is right on point! Plus, I no longer have to wrestle a poodle when friends and family come over. Our trainer Shannon Thurston is top notch! She is kind but firm, very confident and knowledgeable! She was accessible between classes with questions which I greatly appreciated. She has given me the tools and shown me how to use them for a well mannered pup! It was an absolute joy to work with her and watch how she handles Cooper. Everyone here is very friendly and genuinely enjoy what they are doing. I am overjoyed that we found them! They even facilitated our AKC Canine Good Citizen test! I would highly recommend their services, especially Shannon! read more

When i approached Fallon with my issues, i was at the end pf my rope. My nearly year old (at the time) coonhound was an absolute nightmare. She was destrictive at home and highly reactive. She had already scared off the trainer who we attempted to have come to our home for classes... she had failed a treat training class... I could not take her into public for fear she would bite someone. After training, we can go out as we please. Miss Eva acts better than most dogs we meet. She prefers not tp be touched by strangers still (we are working on this independently), but she can be around people and other dogs now without me worrying about how she will react. I know so much more now about Miss Eva now, and feel like i have a better knowledge of some aspects of the way a dog thinks after the basic obedience course. Fallon really took the time to explain everything to me. If not for OLK9, idk what would have happened for us. read more

Absolutely fabulous experience! Thank you Shannon for saving our families sanity. Sought out training for our then 7 month out rescue dog. My family has always had multiple rescue dogs of all shapes and sizes, but our most recent rescue was proving to be our biggest challenge yet. I'm so glad Shannon was the one who got my voicemail as she proved to be a great fit for my family both 2 legged and 4. All in all we spent almost 5 months of weekly visits with her while training all 4 of our dogs. We stagger started each dog by two weeks and all completed beginning and advanced. I'm so glad she took into account each one of our pups individual personalities and altered her approach with each one. She even took the time to incorporate my 6 yrs old daughter into training to give her the skills to handle each one of our dogs. Like any program, you've got to do the homework, you get out of it what you put into it. read more

Shannon Thurston has been such a blessing to our family! We have two high-spirited and anxious German Shepherds named Cash and Waylon. Our first lesson was a true struggle! We couldn't even get either of them to sit because they were so freaked out. The first few days after the first lesson I had lots of questions and she always provided prompt answers and reassurance. With her help and guidance, we were able to practice at home and accomplish lesson 1 and 2 in a single session the second time around. Leaving that lesson I felt proud and encouraged. She displays all of the assets of a great trainer and is a true expert in her field. I am thrilled that Shannon was the trainer we were assigned on that first visit and I look forward to seeing continued progress with my favorite boys! I would highly recommend her to my closest friends and family. She's a rockstar! read more

I had made the decision to have my next dog trained by Shannon at K9 Off Leash before I even made the decision to get my dog. I had watched Shannon's passion for training dogs on Facebook and it was obvious it was not just a job for her. Juneau, our Border Collie, is now 8 months old and is the best dog I could ever imagine having. The skills we have learned via Shannon's training has allowed us to have so much fun with our dog. You simply cannot put a price tag on being able to confidently be able to take your dog biking, trail running, hiking, and swimming and be able to have complete and total verbal control over them. Every where we go people always comment how well behaved my dog is and how happy she is. We have completed the basic obedience, the good citizen certificate, and are starting advanced training with Shannon- I highly recommend!! read more

I cannot say enough amazing things about Sandra!!! She took my German Shepherd, Meeko, for a 2 week puppy board and train. Before Meeko went to her she had MAJOR a.d.d issues. She could not follow any commands because she just could not stay still. When Meeko came home she was a COMPLETELY new dog!! Everyone is shocked with amazingly she behaves. She will stay "placed" for hours. (I dont make her of course, but she would lol.) Even with my 1 and 4 year old daughters running, throwing balls, bouncing, screaming, etc. etc. etc. nothing phases her now. Words cannot express how thankful we are for Sandra!! She turned our nightmare pup into an almost perfect dog! You can truly see the love she has for all dogs. So patient and kind. I would recommend her to everyone! She is AMAZING!!!! Now if she could train my kiddos... haha just kidding... sort of. read more

Before taking my dog Nala to OLK9 she did not listen well, would run off if she got out, was extremely stubborn, and wanted to do what she wanted to do. However, after doing the basic obedience package with Sandra, Nala is like a whole new dog. She can go anywhere offleash, with distractions, and listens so well. I used to envy the people I saw whose dogs walked well on a leash, were wonderful in public, and listened to their every command. Well now I have one of those dogs and I couldn't have accomplished it without the help of Sandra, OLK9, and them giving myself the tools to work with Nala outside of class. Being able to trust my dog has made both her life and mine better. Sandra couldn't have done a better job working with Nala and I look forward to taking her back in the future to do the advanced training sessions! read more

Shannon Thurston is wonderful! I adopted Luna from HSTV. She was great in the shelter but once we got outside she was scarred of everything! Once she got use to me, my house and the yard were safe zones and her personality really started to come out but she was still scarred of everything else (people in particular). Just taking her on walks around my neighborhood were scary for her. Through OFK9-Knoxville Shannon taught Luna to have more confidence. I could really tell from the first lesson to the last one how much she grew. She still gets scared in the outside world but she is getting much better and she is super smart and learning commands fast! I'm hoping through more exposure and training she will be completely confident and ready to take on the world and be a happy puppy outside like she is inside! read more

We are absolutely so grateful we found Off Leash K-9 Training!! My buddy Knox, was a wild-child. He wouldn't listen to us, he would counter-surf, he would pull us on a leash when we tried to walk him and some other bad behaviors. We went to Off Leash K-9 training in Knoxville and had trainer Shannon Thurston! She is absolutely the best and really took the time with our buddy Knox! If I or my daughter had some questions or wasn't for sure how to do a command, Shannon was right there ready to help us! If your dog is a wild-child and does what my dog Knox did listed above, then I would recommend Off Leash K-9 Training in Knoxville! If you give Off Leash K-9 Training and trainer Shannon Thurston a chance, then you will definitely see a difference in your buddy!!!!! read more

I highly recommend Off Leash K9 Training and more specifically Shannon Thurston. I have a very intelligent and high energy pitbull mix named Cammi and at a certain point she was becoming incredibly destructive and was very hyper and overall ill mannered. From day one Shannon connected with Cammi and was able to win her trust almost immediately. She was patient with both Cammi and myself and taught us both so much. Shannon helped me understand that dogs like my Cammi need both physical and mental exercise. She grasped the psychology behind Cammi's behavior and also helped me understand that ultimately I have to be the "alpha". Cammi's behavior has improved so much and we owe it all to Shannon and Off Leash K9 Training. read more

I am so very grateful for Shannon Thurston and everything she has done for Levee! I knew I had an amazing dog with a crazy good brain, but I didn't know how to help her focus and learn. Shannon has helped Levee reach her fullest potential, from paying attention to me in the midst of chaos to distance running without darting after cars or squirrels. It is obvious that Shannon loves her job and the works hard to make a personal connection with each of her clients, both human and furry. I know Levee loves Shannon just as much as I do, and we are both so excited to continue our training this spring! I cannot recommend Off Leash K9 Training and our trainer Shannon enough! Thank you!! read more

Off leash has been one of the best investments we have ever made. When we started Patches wasn't a "bad" dog, but he was/is easily excited, stubborn, and unaware of his size. While he still is all three of these things, we now have a set of skills that make sure that he and everyone around us stays safe. I can not thank Sandra, Jonathan and the whole off-leash team for giving us the piece of mind that is hard to come by when you own a bully breed. Another thing to note, scheduling could not have been easier. There are tons of available times and it's easy to work into any schedule. As someone who works nights, that's usually not the case. read more