Every Dog and University of Tennessee Launch National Study on Training Access

Every Dog Behavior & Training has teamed up with the University of Tennessee's Center for Pet Family Well-Being to find out just how hard it actually is for dog owners across the country to get professional training and behavior support. The national research project, backed by a grant from Maddie's Fund, was publicly announced on March 10, 2026, and sets its sights on mapping access to dog behavior and training services across the United States.

For a community that regularly debates the gap between dogs who get professional guidance and those who don't, this study is asking the questions that have long floated around forums and Facebook groups without any hard data behind them. The partnership brings together Every Dog's hands-on expertise in dog behavior and training with the academic infrastructure of UT's Center for Pet Family Well-Being, a combination that suggests the findings will carry serious weight when they arrive.

Maddie's Fund, the foundation known for funding animal welfare research and sheltering initiatives, is providing the financial backing. That kind of support signals this isn't a small-scale survey but a project designed for national scope and meaningful conclusions.

The research is ongoing, and with the announcement barely a week old, the full methodology and timeline are still coming into focus. What's already clear is that Every Dog and the University of Tennessee are treating training access as a welfare issue worth studying rigorously, not just a talking point.