Alumni Cheers
Judy A., Lead Shelter Volunteer
Todd is fantastic! He absolutely knows his stuff and he is an incredible teacher. When I first contacted Todd Vehring, ‘The Doggie Lama', I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical. I was a very active volunteer with the Williamson County Animal Shelter, and quite comfortable training my own dogs and the dogs at the shelter, but I was having chronic issues with one of my own dogs and I couldn’t seem to correct it. What I really needed was a dog psychologist, to figure out what was going on, and tell me how to fix it. Todd arrived, talked through the issues with me, met the dogs, and then offered a solution which we implemented with great success. I needed a couple of follow up coaching sessions over the phone when another issue popped up, and Todd was always there to help.
He also volunteered to help with a very difficult dog aggression case at the Animal Shelter and has since donated countless hours of his time to helping many of the shelter dogs with serious issues become adoptable. The things I learned from Todd about dogs and most importantly, the reasons why their behavior goes off track, enabled me to go on to successfully foster over 40 dogs with behavior issues. These issues rendered them un-adoptable, but by using Todd’s methods, I was able to work through the problems and they all went on to find loving homes. His methods absolutely work and the time and money I invested were worth every penny! He is fantastic dog behaviorist who really knows his stuff, and if you implement his advice, ‘Calm will Come’.
Carla G., Shelter Volunteer Trainer
Todd is a game changer. Period. When allowed the freedom to do so, Todd can eventually create the peaceful situation he’s looking for regardless of your previous challenges. The question is can you? Most dogs have lost their way and fallen into the trap of becoming over humanized and very out of balance. All kinds of odd issues arise due to this and humans are challenged.
Todd has a way of immediately connecting with your dogs primal side and therefore reconnecting your dog back to a more natural balanced state. If you follow his prescribed protocols carefully, learn to relax yourself and become the leader your dog needs you to be you will enjoy all the beauty that follows.
I volunteer with a local shelter and see many different types of behaviors. Todd has been a lifesaver for so many shelter dogs! My best buddy Jordan was in desperate need at the ninth hour when I called Todd. The only thing standing in the way of Jordan and his perfect forever home was Pierre, the family cat. Jordan wanted to kill Pierre with everything in him and this was standing in the way of the only home that was probably a fit for this very challenging dog. - Today, Jordan and Pierre are best friends and inseparable!!! Jordan is a certified therapy dog and frequently visits Maury County Hospital and now Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
Pierce M., Thompson Station, TN
In 2013, we were excited to add an English Mastiff puppy, Gus, to our family. The joy of a new pup quickly turned to frustration as Gus started to incessantly bark, be very mouthy, jump and be impatient at mealtimes. Gus was only 60lbs at the time and we knew we had to get control of him before he turned 200lbs!
Todd “The Doggie Lama” Vehring was referred to us by a friend who he helped with her wolf. When Todd arrived at our home, Gus barked anxiously at him non-stop. Patiently, Todd explained why Gus was doing what he was doing and within minutes of arriving, had Gus in a calm happy state of mind. What a relief! Todd showed us how to help Gus live peacefully and not feel like he has to control everything. We use Todd’s techniques to this day to keep Gus a peaceful obedient boy.
Gus reacted immediately to our changes in behavior and remains a great member of the family. So much so that Gus joined Todd for the filming of a TV ad that airs nationally during bowl games. We had no idea how great our dog could be and didn’t expect him to be on TV.
Todd trained us how to help Gus thrive, walk well on leash and have manners that are especially important when your dog weighs over 200lbs! Todd also helped us integrate Gus’ “little brother” Jones into our family.
Thanks Todd!!!!
Chris B., Lebanon, TN
There are just too many good things to say about Todd, The Doggie Lama, when it comes to helping you live happy lives with your dogs.
I met Todd when one of my Great Danes, Otis, began to behave aggressively towards everyone after my husband passed away. Prior to Georges passing, Otis loved everybody. The transformation was astonishing. Todd explained how Otis’ behavior was a result of my own behavior and attitude. After a couple sessions with Todd, we were doing so much better. Otis was back to his old self again.
In 2017, I called on Todd again to help me with my young Dane Tuck. Again, Tuck was not the issue. It was the human in his life, me!!! With help from Todd, Tuck is no longer bullish, waits patiently for his food and is well mannered. It is amazing what I have learned from Todd and my life is so much more peaceful.
I cannot recommend him highly enough. If you have issues, call him. He will help you work it out.
Annette D., Franklin, TN
We were so blessed to work with Todd. We had a brand new Great Dane puppy and four small children. We knew it was important to train her well and early. Our Bella is such a delight to our home because we implemented all that we were taught from Todd. We are so grateful. He understands dogs and their behavior and goes beyond the usual training of simple commands. He taught us to understand her and lead her and properly motivate her. He was helpful and willing to come to our home more than once to make sure we were doing well. When we began fostering two dogs for our friends, he came again to help us with those transitions. We cannot recommend him enough!
Chad and Mandy Davis
If anyone is looking for a dog trainer in or around Nashville, you have to check out Todd Thedoggielama Vehring !! Todd is seriously the dog whisperer! We were referred Todd by a gentleman at Lowe’s and checked out his site...which had incredible reviews!!! He did in 2hrs what I would have said was impossible with our four month old mastiff. It would not quit biting and jumping on us our our couch. In 15min Todd had it doing none of those things and he was a different animal! I would have never believed it if I hadn’t seen it. If you have any of these issues, or anything other issue, with your dog, you have to give Todd a try!!!!!
Margaret Rose, Leipers Fork, TN
I initially contacted Todd because of aggression between Goldie, Pit Bull and Kiana, our Husky. We had some terrible fights. Being a horse trainer with a lot of experience with dogs, I thought I could handle this myself. But the behaviors worsened. For the safety of the pack, I had to do something different. Todd explained the difference between dog training and managing unwanted behaviors. Like most people, I thought I needed to train the dogs. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Todd came to our home and trained us on how to improve our relationships with our dogs to bring peace to the pack of 6. His methods worked instantly. With such fast results I called him back about other issues. We live on a horse farm and every day when I feed the horses, some of the dogs would get into the paddock and chase the horses. We can’t have dogs chasing horses! Todd came up with a solution and we implemented, again, with instant results. In doing so the dogs now come when called and will sit quietly in the Kubota when I feed the horses and heal to us off leash as we ride or walk the farm. My training assistant was very skeptical at first. But like me, she is an enthusiastic believer and can’t thank Todd enough for solving what we thought were very difficult issues.
It's easy!
It's fun!
It works!
(and it keeps on working!)
Thanks, Todd!!
Katie K. Nashville, TN
I adopted Bear as a puppy from the wonderful Proverbs 12:10 Rescue here in Nashville. Bear was very intelligent but extremely dominant from the beginning. His dominance quickly led to signs of aggression. We went to 3 trainers unsuccessfully before we found Todd. Todd was the perfect fit for us. Todd taught us games, tools and techniques to practice at home which put me back into the leadership role and resolved a lot of Bear’s behavioral issues. The more consistent I was with these techniques, the more success Bear achieved in his positive behavior. Bear has made leaps and bounds of improvement; he is now a pleasure to walk on the leash and very friendly towards strangers. Todd was a true pleasure to work with. He was excellent at explaining his methods as well as patient. Bear and I are very grateful to Todd and we highly recommend him!
Denise B., Phone call from Memphis, TN
I have an 8 month old German Shepherd that I raised from birth. She is a gorgeous delightful precocious girl with a dark secret. She poops in her crate EVERY SINGLE NIGHT and lays in it. I talked to my vet and tried everything I knew to do and finally gave up and called Todd. He asked a few questions and determined that my darling girl was suffering from anxiety. I never entertained this possibility. I implemented Todd's suggestions and the first night...BINGO. No more pooping in the crate!!!! He explained the cause of her anxiety and how she felt unprotected. Who knew?! As we talked through life with 10 rescue dogs, Todd pointed out that our dogs were without an effective pack leader. I was a little hurt, but I listened intently. I thought we had a very sound situation here, though chaotic at times, and felt pretty good about the chain of command established. Well come to find out, my boyfriend was being owned by one, another thought she was the queen, but they were all pretty much feeling that they were a band of misfits lacking a leader, adrift in life. We were making so many mistakes and have 10 dogs, most on the bigger side and definitely with large personalities. Not the kind of pack that needs to get out of hand, or ever feel like they need to take charge of the household. Todd pointed out some EASY changes we could make, which did not equate to neglect or harsh treatment, which would speak volumes to our dogs. We are taking his direction by speaking to our dogs in the language that they understand. I am forever grateful for his willingness to share his experiences and knowledge with me, in a way that makes complete sense. He is FUN to talk to and work with and he just knows how to communicate with dogs and how to convey that information to people so they can have successful, positive, healthy relationships with their pets. For me, Todd did all of this while on the phone.
Shawn S. Thompson Station, TN
We were so fortunate to meet Todd. We had struggled with our 90 lb. Old English Bulldogge, Oxford, and his aggression to us and our small dogs. We had been through other trainers, sent Oxford to boot camp for over a month, and when we thought we had it licked we would have another dog fight. Many people would have put him down and we certainly struggled with this. We knew the risk of keeping him, but “everyday” Oxford was the sweetest boy. We desperately wanted to fix our family, but instead our home got more and more tense trying to keep the dogs apart and we had little or no trust in him. I searched for answers and other trainers and I found Todd. Todd is the KING of CALM! He came in and showed us how each of us needed to kindly assert our dominance. We always thought the fights came out of nowhere, but he showed us how to recognize and understand dog behavior so we could stop the fight before it even started. We followed his advice and added a program of exercise for all of our dogs and before you knew it we were a balanced household. I will never forget how tense we were when Todd had Oxford laying on his side in peaceful submission and he brought our little girls out to check him out. We were sure it would be the end of Oxford’s good behavior, but he just lay there in total peace while we were completely speechless with amazement. Oxford passed away peacefully in his sleep April 9, 2017. We are so grateful to Todd for showing us that peace was possible and he was one of the few people that did not give up on Oxford. Oxford was my “dog” soul mate. It was difficult for me to think about getting another dog, but in October 2017, I found Jack in a high kill shelter. I knew in my heart that Oxford had brought him to us. We now have two grandchildren and are teaching them to be pack leaders. Our 5 year old will readily help Jack peacefully submit when he is being too rambunctious. It truly is a wonderful site. We will be forever grateful to Todd. My love for Oxford continues to grow as I see him call out to me on a daily basis dealing with Jack who is young and very playful!
Amy from "The Bobby Bones Show"
After our session, Amy was kind enough to talk about her experience with The Doggie Lama on her radio show. You can listen to a students perspective by pulling up the audio file on this link. https://bobbybones.iheart.com/featured/bobby-bones/content/2018-10-28-amys-doggie-llama-experience-was-unforgettable/
Wayne and Vicki P. Franklin, TN
We gave our newly rescued 3 month old Tobi, free reign of the house. Lile did we know that our dog did NOT want to be Queen of the house. She wanted needed…someone else to be in charge. Tobi showed her anxiety by chewing anything wood…coffee table, end tables, piano bench etc. By the time she was about a year old, we were beginning to wonder if we could afford to keep her. Todd came to our house and spent a couple of hours with Tobi and us. He taught us how to be the Alpha dog in Tobi’s pack and to expect her to be obedient. The change was dramatic to put it mildly! In one evening Tobi became a totally different and fabulous dog. From day one she no longer chewed furniture. Todd truly showed us how to have the dog we wanted and enjoy, so much more than the “destroyer.” Most people can’t believe how well behaved our dog is now and want to know our secret. It’s no secret, it’s the Doggie Lama!
Sarah H., Phone call from Atlanta GA
Meet Boomer- a very anxious 140lbs St Bernard that I rescued 4 months ago. He was a sweet boy but could never find his chill moment-. He constantly paced throughout the house, aggressively jealous of other animals....Kujo at times with dogs and people- I was at my wits end. I didn't want to give him back to the rescue but what could I do?!?
I called The Doggie Lama in TN from Atlanta. Had a 2 hr phone session with him. Holy Cow....Boomer is a totally different dog! I learned to the be the pack leader/Momma that he needed me to be- all over the PHONE!!!! 😱
The picture shows he is currently leaving one of his most favorite treats alone because I said not to bother it 😱 less than 24hrs from my phone call with Todd! Amazing! Boomer owes his life to Todd!
Cheers From The Pros
Dog Rescue with Few Returns
Pet Store with Desperate Customers
Dog Rescue with Few Returns
Todd Vehring is our Dog Rescue's favorite trainer. He IS the Doggie Lama. You’ll think you are on a famous dog rehabilitation TV show but Todd’s much taller than the usual host. The Doggie Lama can help you with almost any odd behavior in your dog that the usual manual can’t seem to handle. Just a few sessions with Todd will earn you that special designation of Pack Leader!
Busy Veterinarian
Pet Store with Desperate Customers
Dog Rescue with Few Returns
Running a busy Vet Clinic, we have to treat lots of dogs with behavior issues, as well puppies needing house training help. We always refer them to Todd with confidence in receiving glowing appreciation of his fast results.
Pet Store with Desperate Customers
Pet Store with Desperate Customers
Pet Store with Desperate Customers
Customers bring dogs with almost any imaginable challenge into the Pet Store. We enjoy sending them to Todd knowing the next time we see them, their dog will be behaving better and we get to see big smiles of appreciation.