Hidden Gems: Meet Michael Danielson of Custom Canine Companion

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Danielson. 

Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
We actually started the business out of my backyard in Germantown (Nashville suburb) and as you can imagine, we quickly outgrew the space. Within a few months of starting the business, we relocated to Chapel Hill so we could have more space for all the dogs to run, exercise and train. We call our place “Grace Acres” and it’s exactly that. Since we began, we’ve really been blessed to have such growth and the continual support of our clients to keep doing what we love which is training and working with dogs!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I don’t think running any kind of small business is ever a smooth road, but at least working with man’s best friend on a daily basis makes it a lot more enjoyable. If we’ve had struggles, they’ve been regarding how to handle the growth in a way that’s organic to us. We know we’re growing, but we have no plans to become a large kennel. We like the thought of sticking to our roots and keeping our training experience more personable. Our main focus has been and will always be about the dogs, their well-being, and how we can make their training experience a positive one! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Custom Canine Companion LLC?
We are a dog training company that offers customizable programs for pet dogs and working dogs. We believe there aren’t any untrainable dogs, it’s just a matter of combining commitment, control, and consistency. By implementing these fundamentals, we can achieve what the dogs need to be successful and help the owners build a lifelong bond. I’d say that we are most proud of the ability to help the dogs reach their fullest potential while giving the owners a peace of mind by creating a happy, healthy, and obedient lifestyle for years to come.

As far as training goes, we offer beginner, intermediate and advanced level obedience for puppies to adults while our specialty is in personal protection dogs and service dogs. As well, each quarter we give back to our community by donating a service dog to an individual in need or by training a dog from our local animal shelter with the hope that it’ll help in finding its forever home. All in all, we are a training company that believes love, time, and obedience are the keys to great companionship and a happy life as a dog owner!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
I love this question because we are always learning and we always should be! We honestly use multiple sources when it comes to helping us be better dog trainers, but if you’re an avid a reader like us we would recommend “Don’t Shoot the Dog” by Karen Pryor or if you like podcasts’, The Canine Paradigm and Working Dog Radio are two really great sources. As far as ownership and business go, the “The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin has been a real inspiration for us. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: customcaninecompanion.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/customcaninecompanion/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CustomCanineCompanion/

Image Credits
MC Dreams Media