Little Monsters Dog Care & Training in Chattanooga: Board-and-Train Programs for Reactive Dogs
Little Monsters Dog Care & Training is a specialized boarding facility paired with in-house training, located in Chattanooga and focused on dogs with behavior problems—reactivity, aggression, anxiety—rather than basic obedience or puppies. The business boards dogs for 2 to 4 weeks while trainers work them daily, then sends them home with an owner training session. It fills a gap between standard boarding facilities and board-and-train operations in Nashville or Atlanta that charge significantly more.
What Little Monsters actually is
Little Monsters operates as a board-and-train facility, meaning your dog stays overnight while certified trainers conduct multiple sessions per day. The focus is problem behavior: leash reactivity toward other dogs, food aggression, fence aggression, and anxiety-driven behaviors. It is not a daycare drop-off service, not a basic obedience school, and not equipped for dogs requiring medical monitoring beyond standard care. The facility accepts dogs of any size but screens for safety before intake, declining dogs with a bite history toward people or severe cases requiring veterinary behavior medication management.
Services and pricing
Board-and-train packages run from $1,200 for a 2-week program to $2,400 for a full 4-week intensive, with daily training sessions included. The 2-week option targets dogs with manageable reactivity; the 4-week program addresses deeply ingrained behaviors. Both packages include a 1.5-hour owner training session at the end so you learn to maintain the dog's progress at home. Additional owner sessions cost $150 each. Boarding alone, without training, is not offered; the model assumes behavior change requires ongoing work. Vaccination records (rabies, DHPP) are required before arrival. Pricing has remained stable, but confirm the current schedule when inquiring, as seasonal demand affects availability windows.
How Little Monsters compares to other Chattanooga options
Chattanooga has general boarding facilities—Northgate Kennel, for instance—that accept dogs but do not provide behavior training; those run roughly $30 to $50 per day and suit dogs with no serious behavior problems. Little Monsters costs more daily but delivers measurable behavior change, which general boarding does not. For reactive dogs, the alternative is hiring a private trainer for daily sessions in your home ($60 to $100 per session) while boarding your dog elsewhere, which totals more money and splits responsibility. Trainers offering board-and-train programs closer to Chattanooga's price point are limited; most Nashville-based board-and-train facilities charge $3,000 to $5,000 for comparable programs. Little Monsters positions itself for owners whose dogs need intervention but whose budgets do not stretch to high-end programs in larger markets.
Who it suits and who it does not
Little Monsters is a fit if your dog lunges at other dogs on-leash, refuses to settle around guests, or guards food or toys, and you have time to practice what the trainers teach you. It does not suit owners who want a quick fix without follow-up work at home; behavior change requires your participation. Dogs with medical conditions (seizures, chronic pain, heart problems) that need frequent medication or monitoring should be boarding at facilities with veterinary oversight. Puppies under 6 months are typically declined. Owners who prefer positive-reinforcement-only methods should ask about the facility's specific training philosophy before booking, as board-and-train operations sometimes use aversive techniques.
What the first visit involves
Intake includes a meet-and-greet where trainers assess your dog's behavior around new people and other dogs, usually scheduled the day before or morning of boarding. You'll bring records of vaccinations, any medications, feeding instructions, and medical history. Trainers will ask detailed questions about your dog's triggers, past incidents, and what has already been attempted. You will not observe training sessions during the boarding period; the facility keeps dogs separated from distractions to accelerate learning. Near the end of week two (or week four), you'll return for the owner session, where trainers demonstrate what your dog has learned and teach you how to handle the behaviors in your home.
Hours, parking, and logistics
The facility operates Monday through Friday with limited weekend hours for pick-up and drop-off. Street parking is available; no dedicated lot. Standard boarding hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for drop-off and pick-up, though emergency pickup can sometimes be arranged outside those windows—call ahead. The facility is not accessible by public transit; you will need your own vehicle. Confirm current hours before arrival, as they occasionally shift with staff availability.
Little Monsters serves a real need in Chattanooga: dog owners with reactive or aggressive dogs who lack the budget for out-of-state programs but need results beyond standard boarding. Its 2 to 4-week model and owner training session separate it from one-off obedience classes and generic boarding kennels.
