Puppy Life
House training, biting, chewing, jumping, settling, early manners, and prevention.
Private in-home dog training
Private Dog Training That Works in Real Life
Personalized, in-home help for puppies, everyday manners, and challenging behavior throughout Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Formerly Tri-Cities Dog Training. Same owner, same approach, and the same commitment to helping dogs and their people.
You’re not alone
Life With Your Dog Should Feel Better Than This
Maybe your puppy is turning every day into damage control. Maybe walks are exhausting, visitors create chaos, or your dog listens only when nothing interesting is happening. More serious concerns such as fear, reactivity, guarding, or aggression can leave an entire household feeling uncertain.
Generic advice rarely accounts for your particular dog, home, family, and goals. Private training lets us work where behavior actually happens and build a plan that fits real life.
Everyday Manners
Leash walking, recall, greetings, household behavior, distractions, and self-control.
Behavior Concerns
Fear, reactivity, aggression, guarding, and behavior needing thoughtful individualized help.
Training programs
Choose the Kind of Help You Need
You don’t need to diagnose the issue yourself. Explore the options or simply tell Erik what’s happening.
Five weeks · Private, in-home
Puppy Foundations
Build good habits, early manners, and emotional skills without pressure or judgment.
$599
Explore Puppy Foundations →Five weeks · Private, in-home
Adult Manners
Practical reliability at home, on walks, around visitors, and in everyday situations.
$699
Explore Adult Manners →Six weeks · Private, in-home
Behavior Training
Careful, individualized help for fear, reactivity, aggression, guarding, and other challenging behavior.
$1,099
Explore Behavior Training →Programs start at $599.
A thoughtful framework
Training Begins With Understanding the Dog
The goal is not simply to suppress unwanted behavior. It is to understand what is driving it, prevent repeated problems, teach useful alternatives, and build skills that hold up in everyday life.
Meet Needs
Health, stress, environment, enrichment, rest, safety, and opportunities shape behavior.
Build Emotional Skills
Dogs learn more effectively when they can regulate arousal, recover from stress, and feel safe enough to think.
Teach Manners
With the foundation in place, we teach practical leash walking, recall, settling, greetings, and household behavior.
“I won’t ever use an e-collar, pinch collar, choke chain, slip leash, or any device meant to cause fear or pain.”
Why in-home?
Training Where Life Actually Happens
Private in-home work is especially useful when the family wants help with the exact places, routines, people, and distractions that shape daily life.
- Work on behavior in the dog’s normal environment
- Address the situations that matter to your family
- Receive individual attention instead of generic instruction
- Learn how to practice between sessions
- Adjust the plan as your dog progresses
- Include the people who live with and care for your dog
Meet your trainer
Experienced Guidance Without Judgment
I’m Erik Grendahl.
A few quick credentials, since I know some people feel awkward asking.
In 2012, I had the privilege of attending the Dog Training Internship Academy (DTIA), where I trained directly under Janis Bradley. DTIA is widely regarded as one of the country’s premier programs for aspiring professional dog trainers.
Since then, I’ve continued pursuing ongoing education to stay current with the best available training and behavior science. I’m currently working through the Aggression in Dogs Master Course to further deepen my expertise in behavior cases.
While I specialize in aggression, reactivity, and fear-related behavior, I also work with a wide variety of everyday training and behavior challenges, from puppies and basic manners to leash walking, recall, and household behavior.
My job is not to judge you for what has already happened. It is to understand the situation, explain what I see, and give you practical steps that you can realistically use.
More about Erik →How it works
A Clear Path Forward
Tell Me About Your Dog
Share age, breed, location, concerns, and what you want life together to look like.
Confirm the Right Program
Erik reviews the situation and asks any needed safety or scheduling questions.
Begin In-Home Training
Sessions focus on the dog, household, and situations that matter most.
Practice With Support
You receive clear homework and a practical plan between sessions.
Service area
Serving East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia
Gladwater Canine provides private, in-home dog training across East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Primary service areas include Knoxville, Farragut, and Maryville, followed by Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol, Greeneville, Rogersville, Bulls Gap, and Abingdon when practical.
Availability depends on location and scheduling. Contact Erik with your city or ZIP code to confirm service.
Check your location →TN
Knoxville · Farragut · Maryville · Tri-Cities · Greeneville · Rogersville · Bulls Gap · Kingsport · Johnson City · Bristol
VAAbingdon · Bristol · nearby areas when practical
Client experiences
Thoughtful Help. Real Progress.
Verified Google reviews from clients of Tri-Cities Dog Training, the former name of Gladwater Canine.
He was patient, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.
Tara Smith · Google reviewDid a great job laying down a foundation.
Brody Norris · Google reviewDefinitely recommend going to him!
Savanah Harrison · Google reviewStart a conversation
Tell Me What Is Happening With Your Dog
You do not need to know exactly which program you need. Facebook Messenger is the most reliable way to reach Erik.
Please note: Cell service at Erik's location is inconsistent. Texts may be delayed, and missed calls may not appear. If you call, please leave a voicemail so Erik can return your call.