Stout an ‘independent contracted’ trainer
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Puppies get a little special attention from Ann “Susie” Stout of Farragut as she trains them at Meadowbrooke Dog Training Center. Along with puppy training, she also provides obedience and agility training for adult dogs. She is an independent contract trainer at Meadowbrooke with a side business, Susie’s Good Dog! Training. - Tammy Cheek
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Ann “Susie” Stout of Farragut recently became an independent dog trainer, though she still trains dogs at Meadowbrooke Dog Training Center, where she teaches agility classes among others. - Tammy Cheek
While Ann “Susie” Stout of Farragut trains dogs at Meadowbrooke Dog Training Center, 1811 Holston River Road in South Knoxville, she became an independent contracted trainer.
“I have a little business, called Susie’s Good Dog! Training,” she said. While “I’m not an employee at Meadowbrooke, I do all my training there, except for a few in-home lessons here and there,” she said.
Stout previously was one of the owners with K-9 Center (of East Tennessee in Knoxville), which recently closed, and was an employee with Meadowbrooke.
However, “I decided it was easier to be independent,” she said. “It just turned out better all the way around.”
Stout has been training professionally for about seven years — and eight years unprofessionally.
“I have been working with the boarding school dogs (at Meadowbrooke) about seven years,” Stout said. “We have a two-week boarding school program that teaches your dog to get along in your household, teaches them the basics.
“Then, we provide a year of support after that in the form of lessons and classes to help you if you need more help,” she added. “I also do puppy classes, obedience classes and I teach agility out there (at Meadowbrooke).
“We have all the agility equipment, a huge field, so we offer classes and private lessons. Our obedience and puppy classes are kind of unique. We call it ‘buffet style’ classes.
Translated, “that means you don’t have to come six weeks in a row,” Stout said. “You buy a package, and then you’re able to come when it’s convenient for you to come, and you can pick the topic.
“If you’re a beginner, you would start with fundamentals,” she added. “You might move up to more advanced topics as you go along.
“People like it a lot because they are able to come when they can, and if they miss a week, it’s OK. They keep coming until they finish the package.”
Stout’s training at Meadowbrooke “is based on language with your dog, so our very first class is how we talk to dogs,” she said. “It just helps you learn how to communicate and work with your dog. “It’s really a good way to train dogs,” Stout added. “The main problems people need help with (concerning) dogs are walking them on a leash.
“Some of them are reactive to dogs that they pass; puppies bite and jump all over you.”
Stout can be reached through Meadowbrooke at 865-523-9282 or online at mbkennel.com
