Resources: Care, Training, Information, and Providers
The links below will help you with dog training, behavior, breed information, rehoming and rescue organizations, and more.
We try to keep links up to date, so apologies if some have expired.
Training Resources
Behavior and Training
- The Well-mannered Dog: Training, Play, and Socialization (Best Friends)
- Training Shelter Dogs (Best Friends)
- Crate Training: The Best Housebreaking Method
- Incontinence in Dogs (Indoor Peeing after Housebreaking)
- Not a Bad Dog: Submissive and Excited Peeing in Dogs (Best Friends)
- Pet Behavior Helplines (Best Friends)
- Separation Anxiety in Dogs (ASPCA)
- July Fourth: Safety Tips (AKC)
Specific Training Issues
- How to stop dogs Barking (Battersea.org)
- Basics of Clicker Training (Battersea.org)
- Blind Dog Care and Training (Battersea.org)
- Dealing with Resource Guarding (Food and Toy Aggression)
- Desensitizing your Dog to Loud Noises (Battersea.org)
- Introducing your dog to other dogs on walks (Battersea.org)
- Introducing your new dog to other dogs in the home and how to introduce your dog to cats (Battersea.org)
- Dealing with “Sleep Startle” in dogs (Battersea.org)
- Dog Park Etiquette (and don’t bring your puppy to the dog park) (WebMD)
- Off property, On Leash! Or, Too Many Off-Leash Dogs (SteveDalePetWorld)
- The Dangers of the Flexi-lead (retractable dog leash) (Schertz Animal Hospital)
Local Resources
Local Training and Dog Care Resources
- The Courteous Canine of Jackson County (low-cost training offered throughout the year)
- Best Day Ever Doggy Day Care (soon to be offering grooming as well)
- The Pet Stop (Sylva and Franklin)
- Tuckasegee Trading Company (Petfood and farm supplies)
- K9 Curriculum (Clyde)
- The Complete K9 (Asheville)
- Dog Boarding Kennels:
- Creekside Kennels (Franklin)
- Creature Comforts (Waynesville)
- Rahama Kennel and Cattery (Waynesville) 828-452-2176
- Dogwood Acres Boarding Kennel
- Some Vets also provide boarding
Local Dog Groomers:
- Smoky Mountain Pets Supplies and Grooming (Sylva) 828-631-3988
- Pet Grooming by Kimberly
- Shelby (Trained by Brenda Blake) 828-507-6652
- Snips, Dips, and Bows
Veterinarians
- Sylva Animal Hospital (not currently taking new clients)
- Cope Creek Animal Hospital
- Jackson County Animal Clinic
- Cherokee Animal Care Clinic (does some farm/large animal care)
- Smoky Mountain Integrative Medicine (specialty practice serves seniors, chronically ill, trauma care, pain management plus routine care)
- Smoky Mountain Mobile Vet 828-421-0030
- Mobile Vet: Cowee Cowgirl Mobile Large Animal Services 828-332-2924 or (828) 524-1957
- Emergency Vet (till 10 PM) Junaluska Animal Hospital Urgent Care (828) 484-4313 or (828) 452-5856
- After Hours: MedVet Asheville (828) 665-4399
- Veterinary Specialists: Upstate Veterinary Specialists (828) 210-8285
- VEG (Veterinary Emergency Group) Asheville (828) 470-7802
Toxic Foods, Plants & Other Dog Care
Toxic Foods and Plants (You’ll be amazed)
- Toxic Food for Dogs (Battersea.org)
- A longer list, including undercooked foods (ASPCA)
- Plants and Flowers That Will Kill Your Dog
- Top 10 Plants Poisonous to Pets (petpoisonhelpline.com)
- For Immediate Help:
- Poison Help: Emergency I.D. of Plants and Fungus (Facebook Group–Read the rules!)
- Animal Poison Control Center 24-hour emergency hotline 1-888-426-4435
Care, Exercise, Health (You and Your Dog)
- Dog Diseases A-Z (PetMD)
- Vaccinations for your pet (ASPCA)
- Fleas and Ticks (ASPCA)
- About Heartworms (FDA)
- Kennel Cough in Dogs (AKC)
- Coping with Pet Allergies (ASPCA)
- Health Concerns for Senior Dogs (AKC)
Adopting & Rehoming
Adoption, Rescue, Rehoming Resources and Directories
- Breed Rescue Groups Directory (BARK)
- Adopting from animal shelters or rescues (HSUS)
- Adopting Free Dogs and Puppies (and Why You Shouldn’t–Dogster)
- Dog Microchips (What You Need to Know even if your dog is already chipped) (RescueDogs101)
- ARF Dog Microchip Registries
- Adopters’ Remorse (If You Regret Adopting Your Dog) (RescueDogs101)
- Dog Breeds’ Care and Health Issues (PetMD)
Wildlife Rehab
- What to do if you find an injured wild animal?
- Locate a licensed rehabber near you
Other Local Rescues, Shelters, and Help
- Catman2 (Private Cat Shelter offers low-cost spay neuter in collaboration with ARF and the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance)
- Jackson County Animal Shelter (County-run; low-kill open admission shelter) 828-586-6138
- PAWS Animal Shelter (Private shelter in Bryson City)
- Cashiers-Highlands Shelter (Private, no-kill)
- Appalachian Animal Rescue Center (Private, no-kill; Franklin)
- SARGE Animal Rescue Foundation (Waynesville)
- Noah’s Advocates for Animals of WNC (Their Angel Fund helps with expenses and other resources to keep pets in homes)
- Lost and Found Animals of Jackson County (Facebook)