Efficient, Holistic, and Results-Oriented Dog Training in Knoxville

Experiencing behavioral issues with your dog? Our compassionate, in-home dog training in Knoxville empowers you to overcome challenges fast. 

We teach in your home, where your dog feels the most secure. Through our focused, results-driven approach, you’ll learn how to lead and communicate clearly with your dog, so you can enjoy a calmer, happier life together.

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Personalized Dog & Puppy Training

Every dog is different. That’s why we work with you to create a tailored training plan and bring our experienced trainers to your home on your schedule. Whether you’re looking for puppy training in Knoxville or help with an older dog, we’ve got you covered!

Nurturing, Dog-Friendly Approach

We don’t rely on bribes or punishment. Our proven methods are based on respect, leadership, and trust, the core values that build lasting changes and better behavior.

A Lifetime of Support

With our Gold Service, your Bark Busters Knoxville, Tennessee trainer is a single call away and ready to help at any point in your dog’s life at no additional cost.

Common Dog Behavioral Issues We Address

Our expert puppy training, dog training, and dog behavior services in Knoxville resolve the most challenging dog behavior issues including:

  • Aggression
  • Adjusting to New Home
  • Barking
  • Biting
  • Chewing
  • Destruction
  • Digging
  • Focus & Listening
  • Housebreaking
  • Improving Confidence
  • Jumping
  • Leash Pulling
  • Marking/Peeing
  • New Baby Preparation
  • Obsessiveness
  • Respecting Other Pets
  • Running Away
  • Separation Anxiety
  • Sibling Rivalry – in House Tensions/ Fights


Not sure where your dog could use improvement? Take our free behavioral quiz today.

Meet Connie, Professional Dog Trainer & Dog Behavior Therapist

Knoxville Dog Trainer

Home Dog Training in Knoxville, Tennessee!

Is your dog showing some dog behavioral problems? Or do you need puppy training to get your puppy started on the right paw?

Don't give up! Bark Busters Home Dog Training can help. No more embarrassing moments with your four-legged friend.

Welcome. I am Connie Pinkerton, your Bark Busters Master Dog Trainer and Dog Behavioral Therapist in Knoxville. I grew up with dogs, and I have always enjoyed animals. I was the child in the family who retrieved the dogs when they got out, clipped the nails, cut, combed, shampooed, walked and trained the dogs. I have volunteered at animal shelters for over 13 years. After working in Corporate America for 22 years, it didn't take me long to realize that doing what I have a passion for is much more rewarding. My 4 current dogs are all from shelters. The last one acquired, I call 'Pound Puppy Pepper', was confiscated in a drug raid and never claimed at 3 months old. Pepper is now the 4th permanent member in our dog pack. We also have cats that coexist peacefully with the dogs.

In an effort to make our pets a part of the family, the "loving gestures" that we extend toward our dogs are interpreted in a canine way and much differently than we intended. Therein lies the problem. Bark Busters' dog training methods are very simple, easy to follow and humane. The dog obedience training sessions are essentially about establishing leadership and developing a good relationship with your dog because your dog understands "Speaking Dog."

From dog aggression, to dog jumping up, to barking, separation anxiety, potty training, as a professional dog trainer with 10+ years of experience, I work with all dog behaviors. I am excited to bring Bark Busters to Knoxville, TN after spending many years helping hundreds of dogs and their owners live happier lives together while working and living in Illinois. 

Bark Busters, the world's largest home dog training company, uses pet friendly dog behavior training. We don't resort to coercive shock collars; instead we focus on voice commands, body language and establishing you as the leader of the pack through effective dog communication.

We come to your home where you and your dog are most comfortable and where the dog behavioral problems tend to occur. Dogs learn best in their own environment. When you choose our life of dog support package, unique to our industry, your dog has a partner for life. We can change a difficult dog into a happy dog in just a few hours.

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Connect with us Call 1-877-500-BARK (2275)or enter your zip code.

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Client Reviews

See what our clients in Knoxville have to say

...In one week, we have already seen amazing results with the techniques Connie has given us to use. She is caring and able to connect with my sister who has severe anxiety and help her understand what she needs to do. And helped me to understand why I have been so ineffective with "small" dog training LOL! She is available for any questions, checks back in with us, and basically is willing to help us with any problem as they crop up. I cannot recommend her enough.
Heather C.
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...Before I called Connie with Bark Busters, I could not even invite guests in through my front door without my pups jumping on them and barking at them. Also, getting out my front door was a nightmare because the pups would rush out the front door and I would have to chase them around the neighborhood. Connie has taught me how to relate to my pups (I now speak their language lol) and I am now the pack leader. 😀 If you are thinking about calling Connie for assistance with your pups, just do it! You (and your pups) will be happy that you did!
Tammy M.
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Feeding time used to be chaos. Jumping, running, even knocking bowls out of my hands at times…now, they all four follow behind me. I can stop, step, stop, and even step backwards several times and it’s like doing a ‘dance’ with them. They sit and wait for the ‘free dip’ command to begin eating. Connie has brought so much harmony to my pack! I can’t say thank you enough times! ( I hope the video of this loads in the photo section).
Sharolyn C.
Seymour, TN
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Just one week of faithful training…
I had Rascal on the porch to reprimand him(which I just need to stop doing as it serves no purpose) and I heard the start of a dog fight just inside the front door between Baxter and Zeke-which has been a issue in my pack…immediately, I abandoned Rascal and BAH’d as I entered the door while grabbing the squirt bottle (I have one located in every area of the house for quick access) and squirted each of them maybe twice and the separated! I’m so pleased that the steps were in place to achieve such a quick resolution and ‘peaceful’ event with no injuries or blood as during previous like encounters. Thank you Connie! All I can say is THIS STUFF WORKS-even for sibling rivalry issues!
Sharolyn C.
Seymour, TN
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I'm sure Bark Busters deserves some credit too, but Connie was absolutely AMAZING ! Our 2 dogs changed their behavior DRAMATICALLY within 5 minutes of Connie walking through our front door. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Granted, our 2 Golden Doodles are smart and loving, but they are 6 months and 15 months old, full of energy, and over 50 lbs each. When they got excited, they would rev each other up so much that it was nearly impossible to calm them down. Barking, jumping, mouthing (not biting, but hard enough that it would make you nervous if you didn't know them), pulling really hard on leash. We were worried that someday they were gonna knock or pull our 74 yr old mother down, as they both stay with her. ALL of that stopped, truly, almost within 5 minutes, because she taught us how to "speak Dog", and they responded to it immediately. Of course, we continue to reinforce what she taught us, and they still need a little individual leash work before we can walk them together, but they are absolutely different dogs now. After one session! It was so rapidly effective that it was stunning! And, they are calmer and happier now as well. Connie is fantastic !!! If you are reading this, do it !
Nick M.
Knoxville, TN
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My two miniature dachshunds were extreme barkers that don't like other dogs or people. They wanted to always pull on the leash when I would walk them. After Connie's first visit I have seen such an amazing difference in them. What she taught me to do has worked so well. I am able to control their barking more and am able to start having friends over and can actually talk to them with no barking going on. They are learning so fast, I just can't believe it. I know I as continue to work with them they will continue to improve. I can't recommend Bark Busters and Connie enough. Best investment for me and my doges ever.
Leslie N.
Knoxville, TN
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We have a new puppy and just wanted to start off doing to right thing for her. She went from sleeping in our bed and crying nonstop in the crate to sleeping in her crate without a peep the 1st night after Connie came over! She has been back several times and every time we see big improvements in our dogs behavior, manners, and our control of her. The key is to be consistent after Connie leaves! She has been a wonderful trainer and is always so super helpful and responsive to our needs! I would highly recommend Connie!!
Amy W.
Seymour, TN
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I cannot express enough praise to Bark Busters for giving us Connie. She is AMAZING!! We just got our 5 year old "grand-dog", and never having a pet before, contacted this company to try and restructure our daily routine. On our first visit, Connie arrived on time, listened to our concerns, and helped create a plan. She then began teaching us what needed to happen to better communicate with our dog, before moving on to work with Ollie. On our next visit, she continued with the plan we had developed and showed us more methods to better work with Ollie. Connie is direct, but very patient. She's always quick to respond to any questions I have, and there's no doubt she's the best at what she does!!
Candy B.
Knoxville, TN
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Had an amazing experience with Connie. I can't even believe what a difference just the first session made! We moved to Tennessee from Michigan and my "woolly mammoth" Australian Shepherd has been a nightmare to deal with. She was a complete nightmare to walk. She lunged and barked and snarled at every person and dog we walked by. She is my beautiful baby and I have been so afraid that I couldn't keep her here. I contacted Connie after a horrible walk where we tried to muzzle Dixie and she had it off within two minutes. One session with Connie and she is a completely different dog! All that she taught me really makes sense and is pretty easy to follow. I'm beyond amazed. I now have peace of mind that it's going to be ok!
Brenda W.
Seymour, TN
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Had an amazing experience with Connie. I can't even believe what a difference just the first session made! We moved to Tennessee from Michigan and my "woolly mammoth" Australian Shepherd has been a nightmare to deal with. She was a complete nightmare to walk. She lunged and barked and snarled at every person and dog we walked by. She is my beautiful baby and is have been so afraid that I couldn't keep her here. I contacted Connie after a horrible walk where we tried to muzzle Dixie and she had it off within two minutes. One session with Connie and she is a completely different dog! All that she taught me really makes sense and is pretty easy to follow. I'm beyond amazed. I now have peace of mind that it's going to be ok!
Brenda W.
Seymour, TN
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Connie was amazing! Dusty is a rescue dog. He barked, growled and lunged toward every car, person and dog who came within 50 feet of us. Having anyone come into my apartment was completely out of the question. I was at my wits end when I called Bark Busters. On her first visit, Connie was able to come into the apartment, sit down and even walk around with Dusty off-leash. We went for a walk where we saw a neighbor. Dusty barely acknowledged him. It was incredible!
Mary C.
Knoxville, TN
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We couldn’t be happier with our decision to enlist Connie’s expertise in guiding us in the best way to make our puppy her very best self! Connie is fabulous and her education, experience and methods quickly won me over-skepticism gone! Within days, our pup was responding the way we wanted her to, consistently using the methods Connie taught us. Our 6 month old puppy, sits, stays until released on command, walks without pulling (I couldn’t even walk her before!) and continues to learn and respond rapidly. If you are considering a trainer, DO NOT HESITATE! CALL CONNIE! You will not be disappointed. Thank you, Connie!
Nicole S.
Loudon, TN
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Connie and Bark Busters is the absolute BEST! We have 2 brand new dogs after Connie's visit teaching us & our dogs. She worked magic with our 9 month old puppy & our 9 year old dog. Connie was an absolute joy to work with & her extensive wealth of knowledge of everything dog:)
Megan H.
Powell, TN
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I wanted to wait a couple of days to see how our family did with the training from Connie. My dad is very logical, and with Connie's explanation of why we need to train a certain way, helped get him onboard. My mom is a sweetheart and just wants to love their new puppy, so Connie showed her how the puppy would love and respect her more with the training. And I have a 10 year old lab who was being annoyed by the puppy, which caused me to become very angry and upset.
Within the first 30 minutes of Connie being in our home, the puppy was not jumping on her and started going to her for guidance. Then we brought the older dog up and she had them both in the room without total chaos - we were all in disbelief. For 6 months we had tried several things with no change, in fact, life was getting worse. Within 3 hours, Connie changed our world! I cannot explain how blessed we are that we found Bark Busters and so thankful Connie decided to live and train in Knoxville, TN. She is not only a dog whisperer, she is a "people whisperer" that is teaching us how to create a happy home for all. Now it's our turn to be consistent and watchful for trainable moments, and there are a lot of trainable moments! Also, I thought I knew a lot about dogs, but Connie taught me several new things and that you can teach an old dog new tricks. :) This has been the best weekend with immediate changes... Thank you so much Connie and Bark Busters!
Maria D.
Knoxville, TN
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Connie is amazing. She taught us how to look for signals from our beautiful 1 yr old German shepherd mix. Prior to working with Connie, I couldn't take Basia for a walk, now walking has become so pleasant for both myself and her. Connie is always willing to answer questions, she is patient and speaks "dog" and has taught us to do the same. Thank you Connie!!
Vida K.
Knoxville, TN
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We have 4 large lovable headstrong rescue dogs. When in the yard not everyone came when called, doorbell was a big trigger for them, etc. Connie came for the first session and it was amazing how she got them under control with just normal voice command. There was the "pillow" to get their attention with a noise and a small squirt bottle, but no punishment, threats or treat rewards - just normal positive reinforcement. By the end of the first session there was a dramatic change in the dogs behavior. The amazing thing was the dogs still were listening to us even 2 weeks later and still continue to be better. We had 2 sessions which allowed us to work on our general issues and then walking on a leash. Connie was great with the dogs, taught us how to work with them and what a difference it has made in our lives and the happiness of our dogs lives.
Veronica O.
Knoxville, TN
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The dog trainer, Connie, was nice and addressed all issues with our dog. It was amazing how well our dog responded to the training with a few simple techniques. I'm much more confident and get good results in correcting any behavior issues of our dog. Hey, I've learned how to talk to our dog! She has almost totally stopped jumping up and nipping. I know how to calm her when she gets too hyper. I feel better about her being around my kids.
Robin M.
Knoxville, TN
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Connie gave us a great deal of easily understandable information on our first visit. She walked us through each aspect of the training and helped us feel comfortable with the program. We were amazed at how well the BAH growl worked! Franklin responded well to Connie and is doing great with the program so far. We are extremely pleased!
Mary Lynn T.
Knoxville, TN
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Connie is amazing! Before the end of the first lesson I had a new dog. Before i would get attacked just for standing up or walking into a room but this has not happened since our first lesson. It was well worth the money and Connie was so nice and helpful. She teaches you what to do to correct the issue.
Clay B.
Knoxville, TN
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Lori Crimaldi
in the last week
Connie is amazing! We were skeptical at first when reading the reviews but it's true- within a few minutes our usually aggressive pup was being respectful and listening to commands. Our dog has a history of being abused and was extremely aggressive to my fiancé and strangers. We were about 2 days away from being forced to give up Rupert, but I can happily say that he is a permanent part of our family- and that's 100% because of Connie! Highly recommend her and bark busters, and the price is extremely affordable. For any pet parents struggling to find a solution for aggression or obedience- this is it. Thanks again Connie!
Lori C.
Knoxville, TN
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Connie is great! I have 3 pit bulls that have different personalities and Connie gave me a lesson on each of their personalities. It has only been one week and I have already seen massive improvement from all of them. I cannot wait to see what a difference five weeks make!
Brooke B.
Knoxville, TN
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It's only been a couple days and our Sadie is doing great! She has responded to all the training she and we received. Yesterday we had her favorite guest to jump on come visit us, and she barely lifted one paw off the ground! She's like a new dog. We are so excited to keep working with her for the long-term changes. Thank you, Connie and Bark Busters!
Felicia S.
Knoxville, TN
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Connie was absolutely wonderful. We were blown away at how well the techniques worked, and were amazed to see how simple dominance training (FOR US, not so much our dog) can make such a huge difference in our relationship with Duncan.

Duncan is a very large now 10-month old Lab/Rott/Shepherd mix (just over 7 months when we began training with Connie), and we were really worried we wouldn't be able to handle him, as he had shown what we thought was aggressive behavior (barking aggressively, lunging, jumping). Turns out we just sucked at leading the pack! The skills she taught us have been invaluable, and we cannot thank Connie and Bark Busters enough for helping us bring out the best in our dog.

He definitely still challenges us, as he is just naturally a very dominant pup, but the behaviors and tools we have now are more than enough to keep us in charge, and Duncan could not be a happier puppy! Thank you so much, Connie. We recommend you to everyone!
Sarah L.
Westmont, IL
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What Makes Bark Busters Knoxville Unique

Bark Busters is the worldwide leader of in-home dog training, helping over 1 million families and their dogs around the globe since 1989. We wholeheartedly believe in our methods and 30+ years of results. At Bark Busters Knoxville, we clear up the miscommunication between dogs and humans at the root of many behavioral issues by teaching everyone to speak the same language – dog!

Our nurturing, dog-friendly approach teaches you, the pet parent, the same natural communication methods that dogs understand instinctively. Our efficient, results-oriented, training program prioritizes clear communication and leadership while addressing issues in the locations they occur.

This means faster, longer-lasting solutions for you and your dog.

Dogs learn best in a familiar, safe environment, free of outside distractions and disruptions. That is why we come directly to your home, on your schedule to build an effective foundation for better behavior. We work first to build an effective foundation for better behavior. We teach you how to communicate with your dog. Dogs naturally live in families and look to their family leaders for guidance, safety, and love. Most people don't know how to appeal to a dog's natural sense of leadership or communication. We teach you how to use friendly, canine leadership and to "speak dog" using your body language, voice tones, and timing so you and your dog communicate better! You will see results. You want to see a change in your dog’s behavior, preferably sooner rather than later.

Any Breed. Any Age. Any Issue. Get Started Today!

We customize our training sessions to achieve your specific goals and meet your dog’s unique needs. When you learn to "speak dog" the Bark Busters way, you get real results – and nurture positive relationships and lasting emotional bonds with your canine family member.

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Home Dog Training

Our Services

Bark Buster trainers conduct the one-on-one training in your home, without the distraction of other dogs or the stress of being sent away for dog obedience training at a kennel. After learning in your home, our behavioral therapist and trainer will work with you as needed outside and around real distractions, once you and your dog are ready.

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Life of Dog Support Guarantee

Life of Dog Support Guarantee

Bark Busters Home Dog Training provides a Life of Dog Support Guarantee that is unique in the industry. It is designed to help owners resolve their dog's behavior and obedience problems and to provide customers with the satisfaction of ongoing support and peace of mind.

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Dog Behavior Issues

Tips & Advice

We're here to help. From general dog training tips, to puppy toilet training best practices, to learning about various dog breeds we've worked with, Bark Busters offers our free tips and advice on common dog behavior problems and more.

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Professional Dog Training Near You!

Servicing: Alcoa, Clinton, Corryton, Friendsville, Greenback, Heiskell, Knoxville, Lenoir City, Loudon, Louisville, Maryville, Mascot, Oak Ridge, Powell, Rockford, Seymour, Walland

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