2004-07-06
by Elaine G. West
Daily Times Correspondent
Professional dog trainer Steve Evans teaches old tricks to new dog owners. And he assigns homework.
Evans, 54, established Top Gun Kennels in Greenback in July 2002. He offers basic dog obedience classes, gun dog training, field trial and hunting test preparation, boarding, and puppy socialization.
The kennels are named in memory of Evans' beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chesbrook Top Gun Hank, a dog that went six-for-six in obtaining his Master Hunter title in 1991.
About 100 clients have learned to command their dogs to sit, stay, come, and heel in the basic obedience classes which are taught in a picturesque setting overlooking expansive training fields at Top Gun Kennels.
``What makes us unique is we only take seven dogs in a class,'' said Evans. ``I take dog `A' out and work that dog and put it up. I never have all the dogs out at once. I send you home with homework and you come back the next week and we start step two. I teach (the owner) to train their own dog.''
Carol Lambert of Louisville phoned Evans after she acquired two blue heeler puppies last summer.
``We were having some discipline problems in the house,'' Lambert said. ``Steve taught us how to talk to them and showed us what to do and how to do it. They're improved was remarkable.''
Evans' training philosophy emphasizes the basics, simplicity and success.
``I put (the dogs) in a situation where they're going to succeed,'' Evans said. ``It's situations and simulations -- a lot of repetition, over and over and over again.''
Another characteristic of Evans' training approach is teamwork. His wife is an intricate part of the Top Gun Kennels business.
``She deals with people. We wouldn't be as successful as we are if it weren't for my wife.'' She handles all advertising, phone calls, paperwork, lesson plans and legal aspects of the business.
``It's really a partnership,'' she said.
When Evans told his wife that he thought it finally might be time to retire from coaching baseball at Greenback School after six years and to realize his 15-year-old dream of owning a dog training facility, his wife supported him completely. “She said, ‘OK. Let’s do it.”
Together with 8-year-old daughter, the couple opened Top Gun Kennels at their Greenback home located at 6471 U.S. 411 South. The facilities include four dog runs for clients and a large, air conditioned/heated garage where classes are held during rainy weather.
Evans also uses decoys, training dummies, a dummy launcher, rubber ducks, real birds, bird wings, and a simulated duck blind for training gun dogs with whistles and hand signals.
He trains the hunting dogs to obey voice, silent and whistle commands when marking birds and completing line, double and blind retrieves.
Gaining a reputation
Top Gun Kennels is gaining a reputation throughout East Tennessee and beyond. Clients have enrolled from Sevierville, Seymour, Townsend, Sweetwater, the Watts Bar area, Louisville, Rockford, and as far away as California.
``We got a call from a guy in Florida, ``He said we were highly recommended by the city of Madisonville and we would be the only one they would recommend.''
Evans believes the kennels have been successful because he has been given a gift.
``I realized God had given me a gift,'' he said. ``(I) give God the credit.'' ``He's the one who's really blesses this business,'' agreed his wife.
The couple hopes to continue to grow the business enough to be able to give back to the community.
``The ultimate dream is to have the kennels completely full of gun dogs and retrievers and have a waiting list,'' his wife said. Update – 2/8/05 Since this article our ultimate dream has been fulfilled. We now have waiting room only.
Giving a sense of pride and accomplishment to dog owners is Evans' reward as a professional dog trainer.
He finished training Brent Trentham's 9-month-old German shorthair named Bruno this month.
``Did you see Brent's face?'' Evans asked. ``He's just like a proud papa passing out cigars. To be able to see that in his face and pass it on is wonderful. It's about the people that I teach.''