About Us
Training Philosophy
At Impact K9 Academy, we believe in building a relationship with our dogs based on trust and respect. The majority of issues we have with our canine companions stem from a lack of clear communication, which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering we as humans communicate entirely differently than dogs. This leads to frustration and limitations on how much we’re able to enjoy each other. By clarifying our communication, we are able to build the relationship we’ve dreamed of!
Our Approach
We take a balanced approach to dog training, meaning we build our foundation with positive reinforcement and motivation. Once our dogs have a clear understanding of our expectations, we introduce accountability through a corrective collar, creating obedience training & manners that are reliable in a real world setting. It’s important to address the entire dog in training – their mental health, the root cause of their behavior problems, their “vocabulary” of commands, and their physical stimulation needs.
We are here to help you make the most of your time, and money, while still being fair to your dog. While there are no “quick fixes” here, your entire family will benefit from understanding each other better.
Dana O’Lone Long, Owner & Head Trainer:
Dana has had a passion for animals, especially dogs, all of her life. She was fortunate to grow up in a family that embraced animals, and shared her childhood with dogs, rabbits & a bird. As a teenager, she volunteered her weekends at adoption days with a rescue group, and participated in one-on-one & group training with the family dogs, earning Canine Good Citizen certifications with 3 of them.
Dana began her working career in a small animal hospital in 2003, and moved to Chattanooga, TN in 2007 for a job at a Specialty/ Emergency animal hospital. She spent nine years working two jobs in veterinary medicine, and met her husband Nick through a mutual friend in 2011. While working an emergency shift, she met the owner of Valor K9 Academy, Amy Pishner, in early 2015, and had the opportunity to be the first person to go through Valor K9 Academy’s Trainer program in August of that same year.
After completing the Trainer’s Course, Amy offered Dana the opportunity to bring Valor K9 Academy back to Chattanooga, TN. Dana trained hundreds of dogs over her 6 years with Valor, specializing in puppy training, on & off-leash obedience training, behavior rehabilitation & Service Dog training.
Owning her own business has been a long-time dream of Dana’s, and she & Nick have dreamed of living near the beach for many years. Those dreams are both now a reality with Impact K9 Academy! They share their home with 3 personal dogs – Charlie, a German Shepherd, Yedi, a Belgian Malinois, and Essie, another Malinois. Outside of dog training, Dana enjoys the beach, learning as much as possible about canine nutrition & physical fitness, traveling, riding horses, good food, reading & spending time with Nick, their dogs & their families.
Dana is an Evaluator for the AKC, and a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP).