Live a Happier Life with Your Furry Friend
Certified
balanced trainers you can trust
Since 2005
helping families nationwide
Lifetime Support
to keep training on track
National Network
of local trainers near you
Free Evaluation
to start your dog’s training
How It Works
We offer a wide range of dog training programs designed to fit your goals, whether you need board and train, private lessons, puppy training, or group classes. Each program is led by certified trainers, with flexible scheduling and lifetime support after graduation.
Free Evaluation
We assess your dog’s needs and create a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle.
Customized Training Plan
Certified trainers guide you and your dog through proven, positive methods for behavior improvement.
Hands-On Training
Choose from in-home or mobile programs designed for lasting results.
Ongoing Support
Receive tools, guidance, and follow-ups to maintain progress and reinforce skills at home.
Our Dog Training Programs
and Services
Meet Your Dog Trainers
Every dog trainer on the The Dog Wizard Gastonia team is extensively trained and experienced in balanced training techniques that address a range of behavioral issues to help your dog reach their full potential.
Kassie Johnson
Lead Trainer
Kassie’s connection to The Dog Wizard started long before she worked here — as a client. Her own dog, Lynn, went through the program five years ago to work through some serious leash reactivity, and watching that transformation changed the direction of Kassie’s life. What began as a general love of animals turned into a real passion for behavior modification.
That experience led her straight into a role at the Lake Norman and Gastonia locations, where she’s now approaching her five-year mark as a trainer. She still credits Lynn, now seven, as the reason she found this career in the first place.
When she’s not working with dogs and their people, Kassie is usually keeping up with her three-year-old, checking out local coffee shops, or out exploring with Lynn by her side. Her favorite breed is the Golden Retriever — she loves their intelligence, friendliness, and easygoing nature.
Lindsi Larck
Advanced Trainer
Lindsi’s love for dogs started close to home, spending time helping her uncle, a husky breeder, train and care for his pups. She fell for their goofy voices and endless energy, and that early experience stuck with her.
Before joining The Dog Wizard, Lindsi worked as a bather at a grooming facility, where she built the patience needed to work with all kinds of dogs. She’s also an Advanced Trainer Graduate of The Dog Wizard Academy, having read Dog Training for Dummies front to back along the way.
For Lindsi, meeting new people and their dogs, and helping them learn to communicate with each other, is the most rewarding part of the job. She’s grateful for every new dog and owner she gets to work with, and outside of training, she can usually be found reading, gaming, or catching a movie.
See What Other Dog Owners are Saying
My 2 year Pyredoodle was wild and crazy until her training with Melanie, Chris and the team. Her training made such a difference in her behavior that it's now enjoyable socializing her with other dogs knowing she behaves much better. I need an addition week of training..LOL but Piper is doing great! I use them for boarding too! The refresh her commands while she stays.
Thanks to the team for your ongoing support!
Would sooooo reccommend sending your dog to train with Melanie and Chris. They care for them like they are their own!
About The Dog Wizard Gastonia
Our dog training goes beyond basic commands like Sit, Come, and Down. Our approach focuses on helping your dog make better choices and respond to you instead of their impulses.
We cover all the essential obedience commands you need to communicate effectively with your dog. But more importantly, we teach your dog to stay engaged and follow through with these commands, even in the most distracting environments.
Our goal is to enhance your dog’s understanding of obedience, making it a natural part of their behavior, not just a few tricks they perform when they feel like it.
Why Choose The Dog Wizard
Magical Methodologies
All of our trainers use balanced training techniques that are proven to be effective in and out of the classroom.
Everywhere Dogs Are
With over 100 locations — the majority of them being mobile — we have the ability to bring balanced dog training right to you.
Trained to Transform
Our knowledgeable trainers complete a rigorous dog training curriculum through The Dog Wizard Academy that teaches them methods that truly work
A Lifetime of Support
Those who complete our obedience programs have access to indefinite group class training support.
