Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Early.
Gina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I never set out to become a dog trainer, but life had other plans — and a German Shepherd puppy I found changed my trajectory forever. I named her Lakota.
I’ve always been around dogs and thought I was pretty good at understanding them. Then Lakota came into my life, and she completely stumped me. I followed what I believed was solid advice from trainers I trusted, but instead of improving, her behavior only got worse. I felt isolated, hopeless, and heartbroken. I blamed myself, convinced I was failing her. I did everything I could, but it wasn’t enough.
Losing Lakota left a pain that has never really gone away. That heartbreak lit a fire in me. I became determined to figure out why everything had gone so wrong and how we could have done better. That mission eventually led me to start Lakota’s Legacy eight years ago.
I quickly learned how unregulated the dog training industry is — anyone can call themselves a trainer. That lack of standards cost us dearly in time, money, energy, and most painfully, in Lakota’s well-being. So I spent years studying dog behavior and learning how dogs truly think.
Today, I’m a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a Concept Trainer certified with Absolute Dogs, and a Family Dog Mediator (LEGS FDM).
My whole approach is built around one simple promise: no family should ever have to feel the isolation and heartbreak I once did.
At Lakota’s Legacy, I help dogs and their people with reactivity, anxiety, fear, and the wild chaos that often comes with puppies and adolescents. I work with dogs starting at just 8 weeks old and support them through every stage of life.
Using the LEGS ethological framework, I look at both nature (genetics) and nurture (environment) to truly understand why a dog is behaving the way they are. From there, we focus on total welfare — meeting their physical, emotional, and mental needs with kind, force-free methods. A big part of what I do is educating owners so they can better understand their dog. When people learn to see the world through their dog’s eyes, everything starts to shift — confusion turns into clarity, frustration into empathy, and the bond grows deeper and stronger.
One of the things I love most is Concept Training. It’s about teaching practical life skills that make daily life easier and more enjoyable for both the dog and their family. Instead of just drilling commands, we build real-world abilities like calm greetings, relaxed leash walking, polite manners around guests, confidence in new situations, and handling everyday frustrations without spiraling into reactivity or anxiety. All of it is done with rewards-based methods that are fun, easy to implement, and surprisingly deep and empowering.
Whether we’re working together in your home in the Clarksville, Nashville, or Knoxville areas, or connecting virtually from anywhere in the country, my sessions are gentle, personalized, and completely judgment-free. I want every owner to know they’re not failing — and their dog isn’t “bad.”
With the right understanding and kinder strategies, real, lasting change is absolutely possible. Lakota may not be here anymore, but her legacy lives on in every family I get to help. She’s my powerful why, and she reminds me every single day why this work matters so much.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road wasn’t easy. I spent years studying dog behavior, taking countless exams, and learning how dogs truly think — all while walking away from a stable salary to pursue this full time. Because the industry isn’t regulated, I saw firsthand how harmful that can be. I wanted to do things differently.
I’m also neurodivergent, so figuring out the business side — admin tasks, building a website, marketing, and all the behind-the-scenes work — frustrated me to no end. I love the heart of this work: being with the dogs and their humans, doing behavior modification, and watching those beautiful “aha” moments when everything clicks. But I detest the admin. On top of that, I’m competing against big franchises with huge marketing budgets while bootstrapping everything myself.
Explaining what I do has been another challenge, because my approach looks so different from what most people expect dog training to look like. There’s no dominance, no quick fixes, no yelling or corrections, no shock collars — just science-based, force-free methods rooted in empathy and real understanding. And of course, FUN! Puppies learn best when they are playing so I try to keep it as fun as possible, even as they grow up!
As you know, we’re big fans of Lakota’s Legacy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a small business owner based outside of Clarksville, TN that offers private one on one sessions, local in home or virtually online. If you have internet, I can help you.
I specialize in stressed out owners 😂 Just kidding. They come along with my specialty, which is the young and wild dogs. From puppy training to out of control adolescents who have no clue how to manage themselves and life with human. I also help dogs who have suffered trauma, deal with anxiety and cope using aggressive behaviors. I don’t practice deceptive practices by burying the use of shock collars in my services. I am opposed to those. Dogs who struggle with their behavior don’t need a heavy hand. They need to be understood. That is what I help people do.
“Training” doesn’t look like obedience to me. I don’t even use the word. I am focused on educating the human end of the leash so they can provide the best life for their dog, meeting as many needs as possible. I want them to have fun with each other and learn together so I try to stay as hands off the dog as possible. I feel the owner being with their dog on the journey is one not to be missed by them. I want that partnership to be strong, trusting, and fun!
I am a crossover trainer, meaning that I used to train dogs in a balanced way – using both praise and punishment. That’s how dogs used to be trained decades ago. We have evolved since then and there are better methods out there. Since learning Concept training, I have never looked back. This learning is geeky and fun, steeped in science, with a holistic approach, using rewards based methods. There aren’t many folks in the US who do Concept Training. I pride myself in it.
Over the years I have watched puppies flourish and become amazing confident, problem solvers as adults. I have helped countless of reactive out of control adolescent dogs walk like silk on a leash. I have seen humans who thought their dog would never be able to: allow guests in the house due to aggressive behavior; go outside and enjoy the fresh air because they were so traumatized; have friends because they were too afraid; reduce their barking and crazy behavior because they learned new skills; watched pups grow to adults without behavior issues like jumping, counter0surfing, resource guarding, separation anxiety. I have watched humans fall in love with their dog on levels they never imagined. This is all so gratifying to me. Sometimes it’s hard work! I get a dog with a complicated life, or a few issues going on that really has the family stressed. Maybe they had a rough start. If I can get the family to hang in there and stick with it, many times those dogs make amazing comebacks! I love to see families who felt hopeless and doomed, become inspired, hopeful and fall in love with their dogs.
I don’t think of myself as so much of a dog trainer. Clients say I do more training them than their dogs, love the education I provide them and are grateful for the support they have from me while they navigate the incredible world of dog behavior.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
One of my greatest mentors is Dr. Tom Mitchell who has a podcast called Help! My Dogs.
I love the ethological approach to dog welfare so Kim Brophey is another one I follow. She has a book called Meet Your Dog that is an excellent resource for helping you understand the dog in front of you.
Pricing:
- Behavior Assessment Pups up to 6 mos $125
- Behavior Consultation starts at $300
- Puppy Life Skills (up to 6 mos) $115 per session
- Life Skills (6 mos and up) $125 per session
- Behavior Modification starting at $140 per session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lakotaslegacy.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LakotasLegacy
