welcome to top dog Academy!

Top Dog Academy, Inc. was founded in 1997 with the idea that pet obedience training should be both owner and dog friendly as well as affordable. Drake was the guy with the dog savvy knowledge, John brought the business sense, and Bill had a marketing vision. All of these talents combined created the opportunity to introduce eastern North Carolina's first dog training facility offering pet obedience classes and an interactive daycare experience. Any place these guys go with their canine companions, there is constant acknowledgement in just seeing their calm control and the easy adoration emulating from their dogs. The examples these originators maintain are the goals we set for every customer entering our facility. 

Although John and Bill ventured into other careers, Drake partnered with his wife, Angela, in 2001 to continue training dogs and teaching people. They have worked side by side for over 20 years and raised two amazing kids along the way. The Parkers are truly grateful for the ongoing support received from area animal shelters, rescue groups, veterinary offices, pet related businesses and most importantly Top Dog's dedicated customer base! 

Just a little fun fact as to the origin of our question, "Who's Top Dog?" -  Drake has a signature trick with each of his dogs. However, there have been several throughout the years that would bark enthusiastically when asked this particular question. 

Top Dog methods were originally created by our founder, Drake Parker, to teach simple communication techniques in a way our dogs can learn to trust our guidance. We believe that in order to have a confident and well-mannered pet, you must first learn how your dog interprets the world. Today, there is the belief that food is the strongest motivator in teaching a dog obedience tasks. This approach is really very impractical for the average pet owner or general public. Many times the line is crossed and food based training becomes a bribe. For Conformation training or to begin a complicated task in service work, the use of food may be more practical, but not always necessary. However, when taking your dog for a walk, food often falls short of what you need to stay in control. Training or behavior modification should be based on consistency and repetition, as well as emphasis on praise and interaction with vocal tones and body language. This is the way dogs interact with each other and therefore a sound approach to lasting success. It’s a more personal approach as well. We fully believe that in order to change unwanted behaviors they must first be confronted. Ignoring bad habits does not necessarily mean they will go away. Corrections given in a fair manner will simply let a dog know they are wrong. The level at which you take the correction is of utmost importance. Corrections aren’t to be given due to frustration or anger and should never be abusive. The flip side of this, the reward, is your personal interaction with your dog. An encouraging “Good Boy!” along with tactile reinforcement can be your most rewarding motivation. It takes conditioning and time to build a bond with your dog. Trust and respect must be earned, not forced. Timing is also an important communication tool. Right now is all that matters to a dog. Five seconds ago is the past and five seconds from now is the future. If you cannot make your point in the present, you lose your teachable moment. Owners must be willing to be consistent during early stages of teaching to receive long-term benefits. Our society today seems to look for a quick fix to every problem. However, immediate gratification is not always the best answer for lasting results. Just as with raising children, boundaries, structure, respect, and fairness are absolutely necessary in having a balanced and  well-mannered pet.