Prioritizing health is the key to living a long, high-quality life and we want that for ourselves but for our pets too!
Adam Intihar has founded Canine Concepts, a one-stop shop for everything needed to keep your dogs and cats in optimum health.
Intihar went from a pop-up tent to a coveted storefront all within 18 months of moving to Nashville. After eight years of serving in the United States Army as a medic, he made the move to Music City in 2017 without knowing a soul to start a new adventure.
Intihar launched the Nashville location of PetWants, a franchise. with humble beginnings, operating as a mobile shop with his Jeep and a 10’ x 10’ tent.
Having been living in the Gulch when the opportunity to lease a storefront in the heart of the neighborhood became available, he jumped at the opportunity to both live and work in the Gulch.
“I literally lived, worked, and hung out in the Gulch.,” he shares. “ It was great to be able to work with my neighbors and serve where I lived and create healthier pets.”
During his time with the franchise, he established his own boarding, training, and breeding company called Canine Concepts. In March of 2025, he stepped away from PetWants, and launched his own store under the Canine Concepts name to accompany the services he’d been offering for years. Canine Concepts is now a one stop shop for all things dogs and cats: food, toys, treats, training, boarding, grooming, and more.
Canine Concepts is far from a typical pet store, focused on products with top nutritional options. Intihar uses his degree and background in nutrition in providing food that is made from the best ingredients and is optimal for their specific needs.
“The store is essentially like a Whole Foods…for cats and dogs,” he explains. “Everything is all natural and/or organic. We have kibble, freeze dried food, frozen, raw, canned, gently cooked [food], toys, gear, baked goods [and more]. We have products from small businesses in Tennessee, and other mom-and-pop businesses around the country. Everything's been handpicked by our team”
Not only does he use his nutrition background, but he uses the tactics and psychology that he learned during his time in the military to provide top training services on his land near Leiper’s Fork. “I'm what you would call a balanced trainer,” he explains. “I believe in positive first and then balancing everything out. I'm huge on dog psychology.”
He explains that his training tactics go beyond a reward system; he aims to teach dogs the meaning behind the commands and trains them to their individualized motives.
“…[W]e have to show [the dogs] exactly what we want before we start saying words to it…” he explains. “ With the training, I always tell everyone ‘we have to figure out the dog's drivers and motivators.’ So what's going to get them to work? Is it treats or toys? Is it positive praise and affirmation or is it leash pressure on and off?...We want to set them up for success, not failure.”
Intihar only takes two dogs at a time for board training and does follow up sessions with owners to ensure that trainings are being reinforced. “It's very hands on,” he shares. “They're with me getting multiple rounds of training throughout the day at my house, when I go into public, dog friendly patios at restaurants, into the store with me, walking around different neighborhoods. They're constantly working with me.”
His lessons go far beyond the typical commands, teaching leash manners, working through distractions, and impulse control. “It's very customized for the client, the dog, and their lifestyle.” he explains.
His lessons are so effective that people bring dogs from out of state for training and virtual follow-ups.
Along with nutrition and training, he ensures dogs look and feel their best with grooming, baths, nail trims, ear cleaning, and soon full-service haircuts.
As the dog dad of five dogs—three Belgian Malinois and two Pitbull mixes—he attributes his dogs' long healthy lives to his nutrition tactics. One of his beloved pups Mara is about to turn 17! Another of his dogs, Zeke, was born with a grade four heart murmur and is still lively and active at age 9. “…[They] are a huge testament to how food and nutrition is super vital for long living healthy dogs,” says Intihar.
Canine Concepts hand delivers in the Nashville area and ships nationwide, so visit CanineConcepts.com for all of your pet’s needs!
“…[They] are a huge testament to how food and nutrition is super vital for long living healthy dogs,”