THE #1 IN-HOME DOG TRAINING SPECIALISTS
- ABOUT US -
HOW WE BECAME ONE-OF-A-KIND DOG TRAINERS
When we got started years ago...
We experimented with all of the popular dog training business models, but found all of them had significant issues IF you wanted a fully trained house dog, so we developed a MUCH better way by simply shifting WHERE we trained them - so now we ONLY train dogs where they live, play, eat, run and poop, which makes sense because that is where their triggers are!
In the end, Wonder Dog became like the CarMax of dog trainers: We took what people hated about dog training and flipped it on its head so that we could do what no one else was willing to do. For instance...
In-Home - Almost no one is willing to come out to your house to train you and your dog at the same time. It's unheard of in our industry! Crazy, but true!
Problem Behaviors - Of the 1 or 2 rare exceptions who will come to your home, they use positive-only stimuli (treats and praise) which is thoroughly ineffective to get rid of unwanted problem behaviors that require corrective stimuli like pulling on the leash, bolting out the door, pooping on the rug, barking at the mailman, etc - which is why no one will offer to get rid of those frustrating behaviors for you, offering instead to only train your dog in the basics like sit, down, stay, come, heel, bed and release.
Payment Plans - Instead asking for a large amount of money up front, we offer a payment plan through our bank so that you can get your training now and pay later. Easy.
Guaranteed Results - We are the ONLY trainers who offer regression insurance as a FREE bonus to all of our programs. This means that if your dog forgets his training in any way, or if new problem behaviors arise later, then just call us and we’ll be out to get him back to good again. Why? Because we don't sell lessons that may or may not work; we sell results...and then we guarantee them. Isn't that the right way to do business?
Games - Literally no one that we can find anywhere in the world has anything like the Wonder Dog Games - a fun family environment to play with your dog no matter how basic or advanced their training is, meet other dog lovers and re-enforce all of the work you are doing at-home in a high-energy, supervised, socialized environment. How fun!
Price - Since we offer so much more than the typical trainer (imagine a personal fitness trainer coming to your house vs you going to a gym), you would think that our prices would be DOUBLE what others charge, but instead, you’ll find that our prices are HALF of what many trainers in town charge! Wow.
OUR TEAM
- HQ -
COREY MCDANIEL - MASTER DOG TRAINER
Corey was raised around border collies and loved how easy it was to train them to do…anything. By the time he was out of school, he had a Belgian Malinois of his own (see pic to the left) and was working for FREE, scooping poop for any trainer in town just to learn about dog training.
After going to the #1 dog training school in North America and being certified in all 6 categories of dog training, he came back to Memphis to start Wonder Dog with the aim to disrupt the dog training industry at it’s core - starting with in-home training, dog games and several more innovations which will soon be announced. Corey is also an avid CrossFitter (if he hasn't already invited you to a workout…LOL).
SALLY HARRISON - ADMINISTRATOR
I was a client and then became a Team Member in April 2019.
I make and answer calls, I schedule the evaluations, I order the training supplies, I run payroll and can even do spreadsheets. You can teach an old dog new tricks.
I’m from England, moving to Memphis in 2003 and becoming an American citizen in July 2018.
As you can see I use a mobility scooter so let me tell you why. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in July 2000. My attitude towards this however is, 'I have MS but it doesn't have me.'
Lenny is in the picture with me and went through training, walking beautiful by my scooter and enjoying the games. He’s my shadow and thinks he’s a lap dog.
My older Black Lab, Mable, recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge, our home is not the same without her. However I need to say that I contacted Lap of Love who supported us through a painful time in such a beautiful way.
I have spoken to and met so many wonderful people in my role and get to work with a fantastic team of trainers. I see the results and the happiness in owners having a well trained dog that they can enjoy.
Tell me a better place to work…….I’ll wait!
CASEY WING - SOCIAL MEDIA
I became a huge fan of Wonder Dog when my pup, Elvis, joined the Tribe several years ago. Because it was so much fun, I wanted to help other families experience the same joy of having a Wonder Dog!
I spend most of my time with my two littles, Cooper (2) and Charley (7 months), along with our furry boy, Elvis! We enjoy being outside and spending time together as a family!
ALYSSA LINGUA - ADMINISTRATOR
Hello beautiful people! My name is Alyssa and I am home grown in Memphis, Tennessee.
These 2 fur babies you see here are Buster and Smokie, my literal reason for living, aka “I work hard so they can have a better life”. Buster is my oldest, but somehow still my wildest and keeps me on my toes. Smokie is a natural born caregiver and watches over his brother and me. We love going on outdoor adventures, and riding in the car to visit their grandma in Bartlett.
I feel truly blessed to be a part of the mission and vision at Wonder Dog Training. Can’t wait to see Wonder Dogs across the world !
- MEMPHIS -
JESSE ARMOUR - CERTIFIED DOG PRO
Originally from Colorado, Jesse made the move to Memphis in 2016 after college to be closer to family. After spending 6 years pursuing a career in the field of mental health, Jesse realized life is too short not to pursue your passions and made the move to work full time with animals. In her spare time Jesse enjoys creative pursuits, like painting and crafting.
Jesse currently lives with her husband and their three cats, and recently moved into a home that will finally allow her to give the pup she's been dreaming of the home it deserves. She and her husband are passionate about adopting and are actively on the search for the right dog to give a forever home.
- NASHVILLE -
GABI SMITH - CERTIFIED DOG PRO
Gabi is excited to be a part of the Wonder Dog team! She is empathetic, outdoorsy, and bubbly. Gabi loves adventure and bringing along a furry adventure partner is always preferred to hiking solo.
In her free time, Gabi is a dancer and artist and loves to stay active by getting outdoors. She also loves spending time with friends and family and searching for the new restaurants to try in the Nashville area.
Gabi has a huge heart for dogs and hopes to one day adopt a rescue from a shelter. Her living situation right now unfortunately doesn’t allow her to have any pets, but soon she will be moving and she will be heading straight to the nearest shelter to find her forever adventure pup!
LEE ROSE - CERTIFIED DOG PRO
Lee grew up in Kansas City, but returned to his home state attending the University of Tennessee on the banks of the Tennessee River, where he graduated with a degree in Animal Science. GO VOLS!
An avid outdoorsman, Lee enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, hunting, fishing, and hiking. He is a "Girl-Dad" to a beautiful daughter who has had him wrapped around his finger since before she was born. Also a "Girl-Dog -Dad" to a Boxer-German Shepard mix named Annie, who has embraced the role of big sister.
LEYLA LEWIS - CERTIFIED DOG PRO
Hey! I’m Leyla! I’m a Tennessee Tech Alumni with a degree in Animal Science. I’ve lived in middle TN most of my life and currently reside in Murfreesboro. This is my pride and joy Luna.She is a lab/terrier mix and has my whole heart. (I know she looks nervous, but that’s just her face LOL)
I’ve been an avid dog lover my whole life and have always known that they would somehow be involved in my future career. In my free time, I’m usually spending time with family or friends or taking my sweet girl to the park.
I’m so excited to be apart of the Wonder Dog Team and help families live their best lives with their best friends!
GIDEON "DEON" POTGIETER - CERTIFIED DOG PRO
Deon grew up in rural Africa with working dogs such as Boerboels, Alsatians, and a lone Poodle named Fifi, whom did not do much livestock guarding, but did bring a certain sense of style and poise to the pack. Deon is a 20 year veteran of the defense and energy sector in the United States, with an innate appreciation of military dogs.
He has two sons, and he loves one more than the other. Deon’s eldest son, a former 68W of the US Army, is selfishly sailing the open seas with Deon’s daughter in law and two granddaughters (thousands of nautical miles away from grandpa). His youngest son is 4th year at Johns Hopkins, has no interest in sailing the world, and answers the phone because he’s within cellular range.
Interesting facts about Deon… he gets emotional around rescue shelters, he believes that Basset Hounds are stealth athletes, and there’s a really good chance that you’ve heard his voice before.
- AUSTIN -
COURTNEY GRISSOM - OWNER/MANAGING TRAINER
Courtney is our Managing Trainer for the Austin, Tx area. Originally from Mississippi, she has lived all over the country including Memphis, TN where she got started with Wonder Dog back in 2021.
She has two dogs pictured (Samantha - 4y/o GSD & Hazel - 11y/o Black Lab) and a cat named Tiny Cat. She has grown up around animals her entire life and enjoys going on off - leash hikes with her dogs. Other hobbies include traveling, playing the drums, exercising, and being a crazy plant lady!
MAYA BAR-NER - CERTIFIED DOG PRO
Hi, I’m Maya! I’ve lived all over the world, including Amsterdam, England, Phoenix, Arizona, and Israel, before finally settling in Austin, Texas with my husband, Niko. We moved here a year ago with our two dogs, Kiara and Asia, and our two parrots, Charlie and Tony. Our animal family also includes two family dogs, Samara and Ollie, four cats, a crested gecko, a Pac-Man frog, and two jumping spiders!
With a BA in Criminology, I’ve combined my love for understanding behavior with my lifelong dedication to animals. I am committed to helping owners cultivate meaningful, lasting relationships with their dogs, believing that with the right guidance, every dog can flourish. My focus is on empowering both dogs and their owners to develop strong, positive connections that stand the test of time.
OUR MISSION
A Vision of the Future
OUR CLIENT-FACING MISSION THAT DRIVES US EVERY DAY
We help families enjoy life with their best friend (without all the frustrations).
OUR INDUSTRY-FACING CRUSADE
We aim to turn the tide, changing WHERE most dogs are trained in obedience - from the riskier board & train business model (behind closed doors) to the much safer, cheaper & effective in-home training model.
OUR BIG GOAL!
We aim to train 1 MILLION dogs by the year 2050. Whoa!
The big idea is simply this: If we can help train 1 million dogs by 2050, then we’ll have restored 1 million homes back to a sense of sanity (if you have ever lived with an unruly animal, then you know EXACTLY what we mean!) which means we’ve helped changed the world for 1 million dogs and 1 million households!
OUR 7 CORE VALUES
#1 - DELIVER “WOW!"
This is the first and primary core value of Wonder Dog. It means that we want to EXCEED expectations in every situation to the point where everyone involved (including us) is emotionally moved by what we do.
#2 - THIS ONE MATTERS
In any given repetitive task, it’s tempting to get lost in a sea of numbers and ratios and gigs, where the next one coming down the line is just like the last one - each as forgettable as the next as they all start looking the same. This can happen as a server walks up to the next table during rush hour, or a doctor delivers his third baby for the day, or a cop pulls over the tenth person of the day. It’s easy to fall into the trap of, “This is just one more, just like the last several.” But…
Wonder Dog aims to continually push against that temptation by declaring and acting as each and every relationship matters. Each dog matters. Each client matters. Each interaction matters. Each lead matters. Each teammate matters. And so we want to focus on what is right in front of us and act as if it’s our first and last chance at getting this right.
#3 - EASE + SIMPLICITY
At Wonder Dog, easy and simplicity are the unspoken, internal agreement that we want everyone to make when we ask them to do anything. That is, because Wonder Dog aims to make positive changes in the world around us, we want to make the pathway to change easy, otherwise, the change we are asking for will be resisted. So we aim for our policies, our training stimuli, our client communications, our compensation plans - everything - to be simple and easy. So simple, in fact, that a 5 year old could understand them.
#4 - DO THE RIGHT THING
At Wonder Dog, we aim to do the right thing. It’s obvious in most cases. When it’s not, we could probably just ask what we would do if our grandma was behind us when we did or said whatever we were thinking of. If that is still not clear, then we should run it past our supervisor and our teams to get some new perspectives. Overall, however, we want to lean towards grace until the grace we’re giving is hurting others as well.
#5 - TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
At Wonder Dog, we take responsibility for the things that come up. We do not make excuses for when things go wrong, and we don’t point fingers. Instead, we take responsibility for the problems at hand and come up with solutions to the problem as best we can. Instead of complaining, we just fix whatever is irritating us (if we are able), or make suggestions on how to fix it (if we aren't able).
#6 - GROWTH THROUGH DOING HARD THINGS PAYS OFF
We are all in a state of becoming. Life is all about growth and change, constantly emerging desires, sprouting needs, new opportunities, fresh challenges, surprise afflictions - all of which grows us, and thus brings about a whole host of goodies that could not be attained in any other way. And if we are honest, most growth and change is not a pleasant process, nor is it triggered or driven by anything pleasant.
So while growth can and does come through beauty and pleasure, it most often comes through pain, agony, angst, suffering and various kinds of affliction, but there is a profit on the other side of the pain! Just think: birthing a baby gives you a child, studying hard to get that A+ gets you the scholarship, building a thriving marriage gets you a oneness that is incomparable, learning to dance plunges you into a world of elevated feelings whenever you want, learning to lead people helps you build a better world, and so on. So the culture of Wonder Dog faces off with and embraces doing hard things because we know that it leads to growth, which leads to a better life!
VALUE #7 - WE’LL DO THIS, TOGETHER.
Everything we do, we do together. Internally, we are a team that can only move forward together. Externally, we sell a dog training experience from evaluation to a trained dog, and we do it as partners with their family.
Copyright 2024 - Wonder Dog Training