NWA School for Dogs is currently located in the Midtown business district of Fayetteville on Township Street.
It is our mission to help each dog reach their potential through fun, easy and proven positive reinforcement training techniques.
We also offer private lessons around the region and group training classes in Rogers, AR at Faithful Friends Animal Clinic. The school serves as a fear-free and force-free learning environment for dogs and their owners of all ages. We began in 2014 at the Mount Sequoyah Center until we outgrew the small facility. We moved into our current location on Township Street in 2018 and quickly filled the space with group classes, day school, and private lessons. Our growth has pushed us to find a larger facility to offer more services to our ever-growing clientele. We have secured a 3,000 square foot facility on Front Street here and are excited to expand to provide our services to the ever-expanding Northwest Arkansas region.
Shanthi’s story
I am Shanthi, owner of NWA School for Dogs, LLC located in Fayetteville Arkansas. I was raised in a home that encouraged building relationships with a variety of animals. We had dogs, horses, cats, hamsters, birds, and rabbits. My mother’s approach was to observe animal’s behaviors, understand their needs and foster a trusting relationship. This is how I approached my first dog, Niko the Doberman. I also attended many reward-based dog training courses where I learned you don’t have to use force or intimidation to achieve good dog behaviors. Through my time with Niko, I learned to watch dogs and their cues to understand what they were feeling and thinking. This experience all worked so well for Niko that I was often approached by several people at local dog parks to help them train their dogs. In 2005 I was given an amazing opportunity to mentor under a local trainer in my local dog obedience club, and so all this lead to my desire to become a full-time paid dog trainer. Moving to Fayetteville in 2011 I continued training at a local pet store as well as volunteering with a service dog organization. In 2015, I completed the professional training program at Karen Pryor Academy, one of the leading academies that focus on positive reinforcement training. I then officially opened the doors of NWA School for Dogs, LLC and have spent the last six years growing the business, and I have recently signed a lease on a 3000 square foot facility to be able to meet the growing need for our services in Northwest Arkansas (NWA). NWA is now one of the fastest-growing parts of the country with over 500,000 residents and people moving here for high-paying jobs, seeking an outdoor lifestyle, and many of them bringing dogs with them!