About Us

While I can certainly relate to writing a long, generic yet informative detailed biography about our company and what we can do for you, I would rather take this time and use this section to allow you to get to know all of us as a family, and your new support system.

While yes, we are a professional dog training company providing these amazing ground breaking services alongside our signature program to the community and around the globe, we did not get here because we achieved any particular degree or read the right book. We are where we are today because of YOU and the lessons you and your dog have taught us along the way.

Dog Training is an amazing career, and an important staple that all dog owners need while providing a wonderful public service, the commands sit, down or stay are just the beginning. Our “job” is to change lives through our understanding that not only does your dog need a dog trainer, they need someone who can help them get to the highest portion of their psychological potential, because that is where the magic is. You don’t need a dog trainer who teaches you how to train your dog, you need a coach who can help you achieve psychological (I know, this can be a  large and slightly confusing term) balance within your dog to ensure your dog WANTS to train with you, even without a cookie present.

Our goal is to utilize all elements of each dog's personal needs, paired with the goals of you and your family to achieve LASTING results and progress, not simply to teach your dog how to lay down upon command. Our goal is to ensure you and your dog have the right state of mind, an amazing relationship and an important friendship so that you and your dog are rewarded with an easy path going forward.

Tranquil Dog Training by S.A.S K-9 has helped many families over the course of sixteen years (almost unheard of for a Training Company to STILL be present after so long), and part of our secret is that we actually care! We LOVE what we do, and our clients love us for that. We do not believe in “fast” bandaid approaches with your dog, rather taking the time your dog deserves to achieve a fulfilled life with many success stories to prove how successful we can make you and your dog in a realistic and achievable way, so you can also achieve an Ultimate 360 with your dog!

We focus on the psychological (this means your dog's current state of mind) needs first, to determine what personalized steps your dog may need to create calm and ease within themselves, ensuring that as we move forward to the “come, sit and stay” tasks, your dog is accurately equipped to actually learn what these requests mean, and how to incorporate them accurately to ensure you do not always need a collar or remote in hand, a cookie for negotiation or built up tension and frustration. While we believe in a balanced approach, the use of tools, snacks, the word no, corrections and positive reinforcement - we don’t get bogged down on “YOU MUST!” Because let's face it, some of these methods are too much OR not enough for some dogs, and each dog deserves a fair shot to succeed.

Additionally we believe that each dog deserves our TIME, not a revolving door of in-and-out like most dog training companies. Science says it takes a human sixty six days to form/learn a habit, and many convince you that your dog can be fully trained in two weeks with a little bit of magic. Though your dog can make incredible strides in two weeks, imagine what they can accomplish with sixty days of well deserved effort, routine and guidance? We believe your investment is worth that investment from us. 

Welcome to the Tranquil Dog Training Family!

These were the words that Samantha said to me when I contacted her and her company when I had made arrangements to adopt a new dream dog of mine, a Bluetick Coonhound named Maggie. I went through many massive changes within my life and decided it was time to add a new member of the family to not just my own life, but my two daughters' lives. What I did not quite expect was that not only did I find the dog of my dreams at a local shelter, I found two! Quickly deciding that Maggie, the shy, odd, fearful and timid dog was the one that we wanted to add to our family, before even bringing her home I contacted Tranquil Dog Training at the recommendation of a close friend and client of TDT,  in slight panic with the unknown of owning and training a seemingly feral dog. Samantha reassured me that everything would be just fine, and she was there for us the entire step of the way.

When enrolling my dog into their Train and Stay program, I knew I was hiring a dog trainer to help me and my family through this new phase in life, but what I wasn’t prepared for was that I then made another friend for life. At one of our lessons with my dog, Samantha asked if I was afraid of “big mean dogs” to which I happily answered, no. She asked for some assistance to see where a very large and aggressive Weimaraner was within his training, with a stranger, and from there, I began offering to help with the dogs who needed a new friend to possibly bite (though I’m happy to announce, no one has bitten me!) 

Samantha and I grew a friendship that helped me professionally and personally grow into the person I am today. Beyond the dogs, she had inspired me to get healthy both mentally and physically. She inspired me to change my habits from playing video games, to walking my dog (seemingly simple tasks but a task we all forget), and so much more. She has been an inspiration to not just myself, but an excellent friend and inspirational role model for my two daughters. Her drive and knowledge is an inspiration to all of us, and she truly has a gift for working with animals and seeing what many of us can not.

As a United States Marine Corps Veteran, I have maintained the next stage of my life within the civilian workforce upon Camp Lejeune and began learning how to train dogs early 2023 alongside Samantha Porter, and have learned so much and have already been blessed to help many families with the knowledge and skills I have learned , and I look forward to helping and meeting even more families who need help just  like I did, to inspire them to make the changes within their own lives for their dog(s), to create an even more amazing member of the family for many years to come.

Additionally we believe that each dog deserves our TIME, not a revolving door of in-and-out like most dog training companies. Science says it takes a human sixty six days to form/learn a habit, and many convince you that your dog can be fully trained in two weeks with a little bit of magic. Though your dog can make incredible strides in two weeks, imagine what they can accomplish with sixty days of well deserved effort, routine and guidance? We believe your investment is worth that investment from us.

Chris

I have always had a calling to animals from the time I was little that remains present to this very day. It always seems that stray dogs and cats always followed me home when I was a child and that continued into adulthood. A quality that drove my parents crazy I am sure. I began  training along the way but I've always had the drive to learn and do more with dogs. I learned a lot just by spending time hanging out with different dogs and decided it was time to take it to the next level. In 2018 I got my Great Dane Edgar and knew I had to commit to a higher level of training than I had before. I spent most of my time researching every bit of dog training information I could and applied it to my own dogs. I was amazed because it was working! We've formed such a strong bond in the process and that's what I'm hoping to bring to any clients that decide to invite us to help them.

Courtney

Why do we call it the Ultimate 3-60 program?

After over fifteen years training many different dogs for many busy families, I found it became very difficult for families to “make the time” to actually spend training their dog. When many trainer’s give you a list of what you must do X-Y-Z for a period of time, it can get overwhelming and chaotic to fit into many busy schedules. So rather than a college course on training their dog each and every day, I needed a realistic solution, and YOU deserve a realistic solution.

This became even more obvious when I received my newest Doberman puppy, Salem who was in fact quite a challenging case. I began getting frustrated with him, and even grew to not bond with him. I spent a lot of time with challenging dogs, however my own dog became my problem, and in some ways a “chore”.

One afternoon my puppy jumped up on me while carrying a hot cup of coffee, and the coffee went everywhere, the cup shattered into pieces and in that moment I knew, I had to make a change so that HE could change. Now let me explain…

At that moment I was angry and disappointed, and if I’m being honest, a little irritated. Though oddly, not at him. At myself. I felt as though I failed somewhere, even though I was doing all the same things I did for many of my dogs before.

While many dogs learn in an ideal fashion, with a little trial and error, and guidance from existing dogs and with the tips and tricks I would traditionally give to other families, Salem was different, and I knew that he was… he required more.

My schedule is pretty chaotic with this amazing business and revolves around training dogs all day long, the tiny bug in my brain just ASSUMES that my own dogs will train themselves. While going through calculated training schedules in my brain, I immediately stopped and said to myself “stop planning for calculated hours on end training this dog, it isn’t realistic.”

So what was my solution? I referenced back to what I would tell every client in the past, life happens. Schedules get in the way, and routines change. But, if you want to lose five pounds, it starts with 5 minutes per day of walking, it starts with 3 minutes of exercise, and you’ll see big changes. So if all you can give to your dog is three minutes of FORMAL training per day, that’s all you can give. And you will see massive changes in your dog (or your waistline!), and from there, the Ultimate 3-60 was created! Moving forward, I ensured that each day, my own dog had minimally 3 minutes of FORMAL training per day, outside from regular daily lifestyle, exercises, etc. The changes were remarkable, and within 60 days, he made an ultimate 360 change! And for what? The cost of a few minutes scrolling through social media?

Not only did I gain a well behaved companion who now wanted to spend time with me, he now wanted to engage with me, cuddle with me and be around me. And I gained a friend, for the rest of his life. Big changes can start with small steps, if I can do it, so can you!