About Us
Our story begins with a heart dog...
The term “heart dog” refers to the dog who comes along once in a lifetime & grabs your heart so tightly that they change the way you live life (Raygan Swan). I’ve worked in animal hospitals since I was 16 years old, but pursued a career in teaching Literature while still working with dogs during holidays.
The summer of 2013, I arrived at my summer job & found a puppy in a cardboard box at the front door of the facility I worked at. I was immediately smitten. I quickly realized, however, that this dog would need more from me than a simple walk every day. She was incredibly smart, driven, & energetic. So I enrolled us into an obedience class & fell in love with training dogs. I dropped my university teaching career & began training full time.
June Bug literally changed the course of my life, gave me new purpose, & continues to teach me every day.
The Trainers
Ashton Wells
Owner/Dog Trainer
CGC Evaluator
Ashton loved dogs at a very early age and had the privilege of growing up alongside some great canine companions. In high school, she worked at a doggie daycare and boarding facility and volunteered at her local humane society. Even while pursuing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and Literature, she spent her summers and holidays working at boarding facilities, vet clinics, and training centers.
Eventually, she decided that she enjoyed teaching dogs more than teenagers and made the leap to training full time! In the 10 years that have followed, She has enjoyed helping dogs and their humans build better relationships by teaching them how to communicate and enjoy each other! She and her husband Nick have two rescued herding breed mixes, June Bug and Kona Bean, and occasionally foster rescues as well.
Chase Cumbie, CPDT-KA
Lead Dog Trainer
Chase has always loved dogs but like most people never really took the time to learn to “speak” their language. That is, until he met Ashton at the vet clinic where they worked. He was fascinated by the training techniques he saw and quickly decided to begin studying on his own. Ashton soon agreed to let him begin shadowing her and the rest is history.
Chase’s favorite part of dog training is figuring out the relationship between a dog and their human as well as learning dog body language to better communicate with them. He is always amazed at how much dogs are capable of learning. He and his wife Lauren see that truth lived out every day with their three rescue pups Caspian, Lewis, and Pete!
Chase Cumbie, CPDT-KA
Lead Dog Trainer
Chase has always loved dogs but like most people never really took the time to learn to “speak” their language. That is, until he met Ashton at the vet clinic where they worked. He was fascinated by the training techniques he saw and quickly decided to begin studying on his own. Ashton soon agreed to let him begin shadowing her and the rest is history.
Chase’s favorite part of dog training is figuring out the relationship between a dog and their human as well as learning dog body language to better communicate with them. He is always amazed at how much dogs are capable of learning. He and his wife Lauren see that truth lived out every day with their two rescue pups Caspian and Lewis.
Erin Jackson
Dog Trainer
Dogs have always been a part of Erin’s life; she cannot remember a time when she hasn’t had a dog! She truly believes that dogs are a gift and loves to see a dog’s true potential reached through building trust and a strong bond. Her greatest desire as a trainer is to help other people reach their potential and develop that strong relationship.
Erin first met Ashton when she needed help with her border collie, Lincoln. Through that training process, and then through further training with her malinois/GSD mix, Willow, Erin began to develop a passion for dog training. She began to shadow lessons with Ashton and Chase and pursue a growing knowledge of training methodologies and styles.
Erin and her husband Mike have two daughters and three rescued pups: Lincoln, Willow, and Theo. She also has two cats!
The Five Freckle Pack
All dogs are good dogs!
We consistently and continually strive to enhance the quality of canine and human lives by enhancing the relational bond between humans and their dogs, promoting mental, emotional, and physical well-being, and celebrating all things dog. We believe that all dogs are inherently good and deserve the very best we can give them, and we work hard to help you unlock that goodness.
Services
Serving Montgomery, Alabama and the surrounding areas.
Study Hall (Group Class)
This is what we call our Group Class because it does not have a strict syllabus or deadline, but instead offers the training teams a chance to work on their personal behavior goals in a group setting and under the guidance of our trainers. This monthly membership includes four Study Hall meetings per month.
The Study Hall membership also includes access to Caspi’s Corner, our private Facebook Group and online community moderated by our trainers. In this group, we post training challenges and helpful information. We encourage you to ask questions, encourage each other’s training journeys, share your progress, and post about dog-related community events!
Private Lessons
This is for the pups who are struggling with specific behavioral issues and provides a much more structured and one-on-one environment for the trainer, human client, and dog client! These private lessons take place in the park or in the client’s home, depending on the behavioral issues and training goals. Your trainer will help you determine which type of lesson is needed during your initial phone/video call consultation. Private lessons can be offered individually or in packages of four.
Day-Training
Our Day-Train Program is designed to build a foundation for a well-mannered family dog. It combines elements of a doggie daycare program (socialization, exercise, and care while mom or dad is at work) and a board-and-train program (intentional training for impulse control, leash skills, obedience, and good manners).
The Day-Train Program includes:
- 60 minutes of one-on-one training
- 60 minutes of “group training” with other dogs present
- 30-60 minutes of group play and socialization
- Intentional “downtime” in a crate or kennel to promote calm behavior
- An enrichment toy session in their crate or kennel
- A leashed walk around the property
- A Daily “Report Card” for Parents
You can’t change a dog’s past, BUT you can re-write their future
Rescued dogs receive a 10% discount on all obedience training services with proof of adoption.
If you are interested in rescuing a dog, we encourage you to check out our journal, Underbite! We offer many informational articles on adopting and rescuing, including how to pick the right dog for your lifestyle!