Our program started with a very special dog named Harlow and the girl that loves her dearly.

Let’s go back to 1997. This is the year our head trainer, Maggie, was born. She was a child that spent more time with dogs than people. Her mother is an award winning animal rescue advocate for the Maxfund Program. Her godmother was a pioneer in the positive dog training world, traveling to speak on programs like Good Morning America and the BBC.

Flash forward to 1999. Maggie is mauled by a dog. She received 36 stitches in her face—a complete facial reconstruction. She nearly lost an eye at the age of 2, but goes on to be unaffected by the incident.

In 2015, Maggie graduated high school. She still had an immense love for dogs, but like many, feared that animal training would not be a prolific career. The weekend before she was to start at college she contracted a severe illness that rendered her bedridden. At that point she turned to what she new best: dogs.

Maggie picked up Harlow in January of 2016, not knowing that the dog would change her life. She trained Harlow to work as a service dog, but was never prepared to develop the bond that was known to many as a “heart dog”.

Harlow has shown Maggie (and the rest of our team) just how special one dog can be. To many, Harlow is a wonder. She displays advanced emotional understanding, grasp of complex knowledge, and a killer sense of humor. It’s not every day that you see a group of people heading to the movies, bar, etc. with an off-leash Aussie leading the pack.

We want every owner to see their dog for the being that they are, not the “pet” label that defines them. After all, isn’t that what dogs are truly meant to be? Humankind’s best friend?

As for Maggie, she went on to apprentice under several trainers at the K9 Sports Center and earn her stripes through work at boarding kennels. She opened her first business in Colorado in 2017, where she trained service dogs for low-income students at Colorado State University. She traveled the nation, training in many canine disciplines, before settling in Tennessee. She has opened up Everlast in hopes of providing the same bond she discovered with Harlow.

Maggie has provided our mission statement below:

This program is the lovechild of all things dog that sprouted from the beginnings of humble work with countless dogs in disciplines from puppy training, to service work, herding, hunting, rescue, and more.

Dogs have taught us many things. The first is that they are often perceived as mere accessories rather than the emotionally sentient beings they truly are. Viewing training through the lens of “therapy”, rather than a strict regimen akin to a prison, seems paramount, yet it is hard to find. For every trainer leaning into following canine behavior, there are 100 that reach with a firm hand and repetitive drills.

Dogs deserve to be approached with empathy and understanding, recognizing their emotional needs and responding to them accordingly. Treating every interaction with our canine companions as an opportunity for mutual growth and connection allows for some of the best “training” a dog can receive. For this reason, we have started a new program for a new era.

Dogs are being re-homed and given to shelters at a record high level that is not sustainable. We must shift our perspective to understand the history of the dog, and how they communicate so that they are capable of being the best companions they can be.

We want to combine the needs of the dog with modern training methods to produce the best and happiest dogs (and their owners too).