For The Luv Of The Dog

Trusted local dog grooming & pet care

Bringing joy to FURiends and peace of mind to their owners with my compassionate services.

Dog walking

Let me take the leash and lead your pup on adventures, while you take a well-deserved break! Take your pick of individual or group walk (household dogs only) options.

Starting at $25 – 1/2h

Drop In Visits

Quick check-ins and cuddle sessions, including food and water refills, to ensure your pet feels loved and cared for while you’re out and about. I care about the plants too!

Starting at $15 – 1/2h

Dog Training

I’m a fresh new dog trainer—recently certified and a few months into my training journey. Because I’m still gaining experience, I offer lower rates right now, so your pup gets quality training without breaking the bank.

Flat Rate- $25

House-Call Grooming

Your dog deserves a spa day without the chaos. House-call grooming means no crates, no car rides, and no scary new places — just gentle care right at home.

Prices Vary On Location

Meet the pack

Hi, I’m Tana, the heart behind For The Luv of the Dog.

I’ve known since I was four years old that I wanted to work with dogs. Over the years, that childhood dream grew into a lifelong passion — one that I’ve turned into a profession. I’ve spent more than a decade grooming, pet sitting, and learning everything I can about dogs, because I believe they deserve the very best care we can give them.

I’m both a certified dog trainer through CATCH Canine Trainers Academy and a certified groomer through Animal Behavior College. But beyond certifications, I’m a bit of a dog nerd — I spend a lot of my free time reading, researching, and attending seminars. I’m autistic, which means when I love something, I love it with my whole heart and obsess over doing it right. And dogs are my everything.

One of my own dogs is reactive, which inspired me to dive deep into behavior and training. I know firsthand what it’s like to help a stressed pup learn to feel safe in the world. That personal journey has shaped my training philosophy — meeting dogs where they are, with empathy and respect.

I’ve worked in this industry long enough to see that not every place puts the dog’s well-being first. That’s why I built my business around doing right by dogs — not just as a slogan, but as a promise. Every walk, every groom, every training session is rooted in love, patience, and care.

I’m proud to offer a space (and services) where your dog’s comfort matters more than profit. And if you ever want to warm me up — just start talking about dogs. 🐾

Learn more

What people are saying

“Tana is an amazing person! She’s so kind and gentle with animals. I’d recommend her to anyone!”

— Holly C., Owner of Bearmoon Waxing ❤️

We had both of our dogs nails trimmed yesterday which they desperately needed . She was so kind and gentle and FAST it was over before they knew it .Great experience and will definitely be booking again!

— Jean H.

Tana is awesome. She was so patient with my wiggly 6 month old Mini Schnauzer, Murphy. And was very careful due to his special needs. I could not ask for a better groomer. She works as a team with the dogs and is very gentle and I believe Murphy loves. her, too. You will be very happy you booked!

— Kathy T.

What IS Groom Training?

Groom Training is the combination of grooming and training! That’s over simplified, let me elaborate!
When your dog is anxious, nervous, or even reactive when it comes to grooming, that can make taking care of them really difficult. Not only is it hard for your groomer to manage, it’s a lot of stress on your dog. Imagine going to the dentist and you absolutely don’t want to do it, despise it even; but the dentist grabs you in a chokehold while the hygienists straddles your hands and feet restricting your movement so the dentist can get their job done… sounds kind of traumatizing doesn’t it? Well that’s because it totally is. Grooming is essential like getting our dental work done. However there’s a better method than get it done no matter what! If you are familiar with Pavlov’s work with his study around the dinner bell and the salivating dogs you are going to love this! Counter classical conditioning! It’s the sister to Pavlov’s classical conditioning method. We are taking an already existing association and making it into a positive one. We want our dogs to trust us and we also want to be kind to them. It’s simple-ish process or at least the dog trainer side of my brain says so. I can’t do it alone. I need your dogs most trusted human, the one they run to whenever they are scared or want attention. You, me and the dog will work as a team to gently guide your dog into making the correct decision. It’s truly a lot of fun. I talk about dogs a lot so think of it as a way for you to get a free education. I am always happy to answer any training questions you have. My goal is for you to succeed with your dogs. I want to see you all thrive in everyway possible.

That was a long winded way for me to say that your bitey dog doesn’t scare me and I love neurotic dogs. Those dogs that other groomers reject, I take them with compassion and joy.

Service Areas

We service the following communities:

I’m proud to provide in-home grooming, training, pet sitting, and dog walking services to families and their pups across Weaverville, NC, Erwin, TN, and Jonesborough, TN — as well as the surrounding communities.

Whether it’s a gentle nail trim, a structured walk, or a relaxing at-home grooming session, I bring care and comfort right to your doorstep.

Currently serving:

Weaverville, NC
Erwin, TN
Jonesborough, TN
Unicoi, TN
Johnson City, TN (select areas)
Mars Hill, NC (select areas)

📍 If you’re just outside these areas, feel free to reach out — I may be able to accommodate you!

Books From The Trainer’s Library

About The Books:

📘 Calming Signals
This book is an absolute must-read for dog lovers of every experience level. It breaks down how a dog’s stress levels escalate, what those subtle gestures and behaviors mean, and how to read their body language clearly. Even better—it teaches you how to communicate back to dogs using the same calming signals, helping to de-escalate stressful situations and show them you’re not a threat.
✨ A fantastic foundation for truly understanding canine behavior and building trust.

📘 Decoding Your Dog
If you’re new to dog ownership or simply want a clear, fundamental guide to canine behavior, this one’s for you. Written by board-certified veterinary behaviorists and edited for everyday readers, it breaks down why dogs act the way they do—from body language and learning to housetraining, separation anxiety, senior dog care, and more. Barnes & Noble+3Stale Cheerios+3Whole Dog Journal+3
It’s not just “what to do,” but understanding your dog on a basic but knowledgeable level—and that makes all the difference. I highly recommend it for beginners and anyone seeking to deepen their dog-owner relationship.

📘 Don’t Shoot the Dog! – The Art of Teaching and Training
This is one of my all-time favorite books, and for good reason: it dives deep into the why behind behavior—whether in dogs, kids, spouses or coworkers—and lays out the training methods (and consequences) with honesty and clarity.

Key highlights:

Pryor explores all the major methods you might use in training: reinforcement, punishment, negative reinforcement, extinction and more.
She explains “shaping” behavior step-by-step (a little bit at a time) and how to bring behavior under stimulus control.
There’s a powerful section on un-training unwanted behavior: she lists eight ways to end behavior you don’t want (starting from the worst option “shoot the animal” to the humane “change the motivation”).
While the examples span animals, she makes it applicable to humans too—so it’s not just for dog training, but for understanding behavior in all kinds of relationships.
It encourages a positive reinforcement mindset rather than the “correction / punishment” only mindset. (balanced is a combination of the two with more R+ than corrections.)

✨ Why I recommend it:

If you want to train dogs (or understand behaviour) from the ground up, this book gives you the framework, not just a list of tricks.
It will change how you see behaviour—both your dog’s and your own.
It’s great whether you’re brand-new to dog ownership or you’ve been working with dogs for years and want to deepen your understanding.
It pairs well with your goal of helping dog owners understand what’s going on, not just do something.

📗 The Dog Training Manual — by Nate Schomer
This book is a clear, structured, and practical guide for anyone looking to train their dog using balanced methods. Much like The Art of Training Your Dog, it breaks training down step by step in a way that’s approachable and easy to follow, making it a great choice for both beginners and intermediate handlers.
Schomer covers the four quadrants of operant conditioning—positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment—defining each clearly and showing how they apply to real-world training scenarios. He explains not just what to do but why certain approaches work better than others, helping owners build a deeper understanding of their dog’s behavior.
As a balanced trainer, Schomer emphasizes accountability without harshness, teaching owners how to communicate clearly with their dogs. He also includes practical guidance on e-collars, prong collars, pressure-release training with slip leads, and how to use these tools responsibly and humanely.
✨ An excellent resource for dog owners who want structure, clarity, and balanced methods rooted in real-world training experience.

📖 The Other End of the Leash — by Patricia McConnell
This book offers a beautiful and honest perspective on the human–dog relationship, drawn from McConnell’s personal experiences with dogs over the years—her own and those she’s helped through her work. She dives into how dogs experience the world primarily through scent, explores real-life training stories, and shares the emotional highs and lows that come with truly understanding our canine companions.

What makes this book special is McConnell’s compassionate, no-guilt approach: she discusses everything from training breakthroughs to the tough reality that sometimes rehoming can be the most humane option for a dog’s well-being. With her background as a professor of animal behavior, her insights are both deeply empathetic and rooted in expertise.

✨ A heartfelt, insightful read that encourages us to see the world through a dog’s nose and heart.

🐾 The Art of Training Your Dog — by Monks of New Skete
This book is a standout resource for anyone serious about training their dog at home. It lays out a clear, step-by-step day-by-day program—the same type of structured training you’d receive from an expensive board-and-train facility, but in book form. What makes it so approachable is how it explains everything as if to someone brand new to the world of dogs, leaving no question unanswered.

This guide uses a balanced training philosophy—holding dogs accountable while maintaining respect and kindness. If you’re someone who wants firm structure without ever crossing into harshness, this is a powerful and practical read. It helps your dog understand boundaries while strengthening your bond and communication.

✨ An excellent choice for dog owners who want to achieve professional-level training results from home.