Setting Dogs and Their People Up for Success in Behavior, Health, and Life - Progress Thread

[REV5028]

The biggest thing it’s missing is a reason to reply to the ad right now, today, at this very moment that I am reading the ad.

There’s no price, there’s no offer. No scarcity or limited time (“respond today, only 3 spots left for fall 2024” or whatever). Too much left up to the imagination which equals resistance to action.

Great feedback, thank you!

My dog is doing ok on the walks now!

Awesome! So glad to hear that.

New challenge is how to get her to stop barking at people through the window. When I give her a command she will stop barking. But how to get her to not do it in the first place?

There are a few things you can try.

1. You can manage rather than fix. This would be doing things like closing curtains/blinds, applying a tint film to the window to make visibility less, rearrange furniture if she's getting on it to see out the window, limit her accessibility to windows during busy times of the day. Sometimes things like this work faster with less stress than fully addressing the situation, and as long as everyone is happy, it's a totally fair way to go about it.

2. Sometimes dogs just need validation. She barks, you calmly and quietly go to the window with her, say something you can say consistently like "no threat, thank you," and walk away. I met someone who is very well known for their work with their dog using those voice buttons. She said that her dog used to go nuts about giant sea birds outside. When they started using buttons, her dog would bark, then go push the "bird" button, and then the lady would just calmly say "yes, that is a bird." And now her dog doesn't really react at all to the birds.

3. Get ahead of her barking behavior. Instead of waiting for her to bark and then call her off, get her attention when you notice someone outside or you notice her behaviors leading up to her barking (ears perking up, eyes focused on the window, getting up, etc.). Then when she engages with you rather than what's outside, you reward her for looking to you and choosing not to bark in the first place. At first you'll probably want to use high value treats or toys. Eventually she'll just look to you for what she should do instead, and then maybe she'll just not respond at all to what's out there.

 

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[amp0193]

Get ahead of her barking behavior. Instead of waiting for her to bark and then call her off, get her attention when you notice someone outside or you notice her behaviors leading up to her barking (ears perking up, eyes focused on the window, getting up, etc.). Then when she engages with you rather than what's outside, you reward her for looking to you and choosing not to bark in the first place. At first you'll probably want to use high value treats or toys. Eventually she'll just look to you for what she should do instead, and then maybe she'll just not respond at all to what's out there.

Thanks for this. I figured the answer would be something like this. We have tried, but not consistently. Will keep working on it

 

[REV5028]

Roughly 74% of people who have contacted me have completed an assessment (pre-program "interview").
About 47% of the people who completed an assessment have signed up for a program (or are scheduled to sign contracts within the next week).
Which means almost 35% of the people who have contacted me over the last 3 months have ended up in a program.

I mostly feel hopeful looking at these stats, but I know these stats are based on small numbers and there's still a lot of room for improvement.

I sent out another flyer. Assuming the post office sent them out the day after I dropped them off, it would seem people have been hanging on to them based on website traffic. Although, website traffic hasn't been phenomenal. Maybe a flyer around the holidays wasn't the best move, but maybe it'll plant a seed for the spring?

Otherwise, I'm continuing to build a positive relationships with other relevant people/entities and still learning/reading a lot.

 

[amp0193]

Roughly 74% of people who have contacted me have completed an assessment (pre-program "interview").
About 47% of the people who completed an assessment have signed up for a program (or are scheduled to sign contracts within the next week).
Which means almost 35% of the people who have contacted me over the last 3 months have ended up in a program.

I mostly feel hopeful looking at these stats, but I know these stats are based on small numbers and there's still a lot of room for improvement.

I sent out another flyer. Assuming the post office sent them out the day after I dropped them off, it would seem people have been hanging on to them based on website traffic. Although, website traffic hasn't been phenomenal. Maybe a flyer around the holidays wasn't the best move, but maybe it'll plant a seed for the spring?

Otherwise, I'm continuing to build a positive relationships with other relevant people/entities and still learning/reading a lot.



View attachment 60793View attachment 60794

Much better direction for the mailers. Good work.

 

[Andy Black]

website traffic hasn't been phenomenal

Tip: Don't use the word "traffic". Think of visitors. 10 visitors yesterday? Wow... that's 10 *people* who visited your website because they want to improve their dog's behaviour.

Also, the Mother Theresa quote in my signature should help:

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person closest to you."

If you're worried 10 visitors is too low. Think about how 1 may turn into a client, and they'll then tell their friends. Or maybe one is someone in the industry who can get you access to 100s more?

 

[REV5028]

Tip: Don't use the word "traffic". Think of visitors. 10 visitors yesterday? Wow... that's 10 *people* who visited your website because they want to improve their dog's behaviour.

Also, the Mother Theresa quote in my signature should help:

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person closest to you."

If you're worried 10 visitors is too low. Think about how 1 may turn into a client, and they'll then tell their friends. Or maybe one is someone in the industry who can get you access to 100s more?

Thanks for the reminder, Andy. I would be ecstatic if I had even just one or two more people sign up for a program this year. I'd like to get to a point where enough people saw my website, a flyer, or heard about me from someone else that I consistently have people reaching out and signing up for programs. I'm trying to figure out where I need the most improvement.

 

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[REV5028]

I'm feeling fortunate for something my grandmother instilled in me. She always used to write people cards. Christmas, birthday, etc. I've always loved doing it too, but now I'm expanding the personal practice into my business. Thank you notes, condolences on the passing of a pet, etc. People seem to take note of it more than a thoughtful text or email. And I think there are bonus points to earn when the card itself is especially fitting to the person.

I just had my last shadowing session with a more veteran dog trainer. I learned a lot, but perhaps most importantly it really boosted my confidence. I did my best to provide value to this trainer (and their client) and I think the effort was appreciated - I left them a Google review, I provided helpful insight during the sessions, and I gave them a small acrylic "tap to leave a Google review" sign to help their flywheel process. They've indicated that they'd like me to join in again for another case soon, and also promised to get me an introduction with another trainer who does fear/aggression work which I'm very much interested in. Hopefully that pans out into another shadowing/networking opportunity.

I attempted to get other small local business owners to go in on a mailout flyer with holiday ads, but I didn't get much interest there. A lot of them seem to be struggling financially and others seem to think everyone already knows about them. I probably could have done a better job picking businesses to ask (though there aren't a whole lot here in town), "selling" them on the opportunity, or following up. Maybe I'll try again in the spring. Or in a different area.

I spent a few days making my programs and website better. And I think I'm doing okay with my sales process, so I think the next thing I need to strengthen is my website's SEO and getting more visitors to my website each month. I've started bragging more about my clients and their successes on Facebook and that seems to be getting more attention than other posts, but ultimately I think I'm going to have to try my hand at Google ads again. I will probably also revisit that in the spring. For now I think I'll take a few weeks to become a better dog trainer and let word of mouth keep doing its thing (and also getting former/current clients to leave me Google reviews).

If I don't get anymore new clients this month, I will have brought in ~$20k revenue this year from this venture. That's double what I was expecting for my first full calendar year in business. My goal for 2025 is $50k, but it'd be amazing to achieve double that goal as well.

 

[StrikingViper69]

Your flyer says the program is a fixed price and the time is not specified how does that work? Is it 1–2-1 or a small group?

I’m not sure if it’s been previously mentioned, but could you also offer a group agility class? My sister took her dog to a weekly agility class and they both loved it.

 

[REV5028]

Your flyer says the program is a fixed price and the time is not specified how does that work? Is it 1–2-1 or a small group?

I’m not sure if it’s been previously mentioned, but could you also offer a group agility class? My sister took her dog to a weekly agility class and they both loved it.

Thanks for your comments!

Instead of charging hourly, people pay for the result. So, if someone really wants to make progress fast, we can meet 2x a week and if it's just basic obedience they'll be done in about 4 weeks (usually). If someone has a lot of other stuff going on, then we meet once a week and it'll take a little longer. It's really up to the client. This also allows time without feeling pressure in the case the dog is a bit tricky. The only thing I require is that we don't skip more than 3 weeks in a row.

All of my programs are one on one, no group programs. I'm shying away from group programs because I want to make sure everyone is getting my best and full attention. It's also a lot harder to manage different dog and people personalities and learning styles in a group setting. I'm also not really into dog sports, and I don't have a good place to host group classes. Maybe I'll revisit this in the future, but for now I'm pretty set on the one on one format.

 

[REV5028]

I can't believe it's only the 9th day of the new year.

Things seem to be moving very fast, but maybe it's still too soon to tell if I'm having a small streak of luck or if things are actually taking off.

At this point in 2025 I've already brought in ~$5,200. I just signed up a new client yesterday who enthusiastically wanted my largest training program currently priced at $4,175, and they paid in full. If I don't get any new clients this month, with payment plans of existing clients, I'm expecting to bring in ~$8K. My goal for the whole year was to get to $10K per month .. I might be reassessing that goal much sooner than expected. We'll see!

 

[BizyDad]

I can't believe it's only the 9th day of the new year.

Things seem to be moving very fast, but maybe it's still too soon to tell if I'm having a small streak of luck or if things are actually taking off.

At this point in 2025 I've already brought in ~$5,200. I just signed up a new client yesterday who enthusiastically wanted my largest training program currently priced at $4,175, and they paid in full. If I don't get any new clients this month, with payment plans of existing clients, I'm expecting to bring in ~$8K. My goal for the whole year was to get to $10K per month .. I might be reassessing that goal much sooner than expected. We'll see!

That is fantastic! Congrats!

As you get busier, don't lose focus on the fundamentals. Keep the prospecting going. Keep building.

 

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[REV5028]

January feels like a nice win. I currently have 11 active clients (some carried over from last year) and I brought in ~$10.8K. My new goal is to have at least 3 months this year that are $10K. Maybe even have a $15K month by the end of the year.

Still learning and growing and really enjoying it.

I was nominated to be on a committee between the city and community regarding animal welfare and community safety. The other lady who was nominated has similar visions and goals as I do, but mostly regarding cats (she feels the same way about cats as I do about dogs, but we both care about the welfare of the other animal). She and I have been chatting about working together on creating an animal rescue and resource center of sorts. All of our ideas feel like pipe dreams right now, but yolo.

I've given up on sending out mail flyers. I've had very little come out of them. Instead, I've been focused on getting more active with established groups in my area. One of my new clients is an animal rescue, and another new one is on the board of a local spay/neuter non profit. I'm planning to host another seminar/webinar, and I just posted a "cans for cats and canines" fundraiser where people can drop off their aluminum cans with me and at the end of the month I'll redeem them for cash and buy our existing city-run animal shelter items for the animals. I also pitched a fundraising idea for my animal rescue client where we choose a few dog/trick combos and whichever dog/trick combo gets the most donations gets chosen and then the training process gets documented.

I might start considering taking on virtual clients.

 

[Andy Black]

January feels like a nice win. I currently have 11 active clients (some carried over from last year) and I brought in ~$10.8K. My new goal is to have at least 3 months this year that are $10K. Maybe even have a $15K month by the end of the year.

Still learning and growing and really enjoying it.

I was nominated to be on a committee between the city and community regarding animal welfare and community safety. The other lady who was nominated has similar visions and goals as I do, but mostly regarding cats (she feels the same way about cats as I do about dogs, but we both care about the welfare of the other animal). She and I have been chatting about working together on creating an animal rescue and resource center of sorts. All of our ideas feel like pipe dreams right now, but yolo.

I've given up on sending out mail flyers. I've had very little come out of them. Instead, I've been focused on getting more active with established groups in my area. One of my new clients is an animal rescue, and another new one is on the board of a local spay/neuter non profit. I'm planning to host another seminar/webinar, and I just posted a "cans for cats and canines" fundraiser where people can drop off their aluminum cans with me and at the end of the month I'll redeem them for cash and buy our existing city-run animal shelter items for the animals. I also pitched a fundraising idea for my animal rescue client where we choose a few dog/trick combos and whichever dog/trick combo gets the most donations gets chosen and then the training process gets documented.

I might start considering taking on virtual clients.

Well done. Delighted for you.

I've given up on sending out mail flyers. I've had very little come out of them. Instead, I've been focused on getting more active with established groups

"Who already has your clients?" (Jay Abraham)

Build relationships with them. They'll bring you loads of clients.

 

[Goodfella999]

Maybe you guys can give me some insight on this. I have a pain point. My rescue litter eats disposable pee pee pads so I bought an amazon washable pee pee pad. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKMSGHM3?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I find myself doing laundry every day because while it does absorb pee, it smells and also Diarrhea needs to be hosed off outside before I put it in the wash machine. Im trying to find a material that is absorbent but also can just be quickly washed off with a hose outside and dried without having to clog up my entire wash machine daily. Something like the old SHAMWOW commercial. I cant seem to find this on the market anywhere.

 

[MattR82]

I have a belgian malinois that is kind of stubborn.

Ahhh man when I'm not away so much for work and can start having a dog again, I want to work my skill level up to being able to one day have a Belgian mallinois.
I'm addicted to the modern mallinois YouTube channel. Amazing dogs.

A housemate of mine had 2 bull arab rescue dogs that I was an uncle to. Definitely needed more training than when I had my German Shephard but once they got the hang of it they were super easy to train. Biggest issue was being around other dogs which took about a year of work.

The main issue was that they both did cruciate ligaments within about 2 weeks of each other. Trying to keep 2 large and active dogs from moving for a few weeks was a massive challenge.

This is the pissy look I get if I take 5 seconds too long to take them on their walk lol.



The white one, Murphy, recently passed away due to lymphoma. We found a large lump on him and the vet said he would have died within a few days if radiation treatment didn't start immediately, which gave him another 6 months. I was surprised to learn that radiation treatment doesn't really wipe them out either.

 

[MattR82]

Finally got Bella to go on a walk with just me this morning.

For the last two months she's insisted on only going for walks with two or more of us, although my wife managed once last week by dropping the lead and walking off without her so she ended up following.

I did it using one of those 5m training leads and allowing her to lag behind or go ahead without feeling she's on a lead. Had to watch a YouTube video to figure out how to use one of them dang leads without getting tangled up.

I swear it's me on the learning curve, not Bella.

Here's where she suddenly realised she was just with me and sat down in protest. A little bit of luring with a treat got her to come to me and then we kept walking.

View attachment 56036

Ha, the white bull arab I showed above would stop and refuse to walk pretty often. I was told that if I walk up to him and whisper in his ear his name and call him a good boy he will start walking again. I thought it was a joke, but I shit you not, this worked every time.
Pretty sure we were getting scammed

 

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[REV5028]

Maybe you guys can give me some insight on this. I have a pain point. My rescue litter eats disposable pee pee pads so I bought an amazon washable pee pee pad. Amazon.com

I find myself doing laundry every day because while it does absorb pee, it smells and also Diarrhea needs to be hosed off outside before I put it in the wash machine. Im trying to find a material that is absorbent but also can just be quickly washed off with a hose outside and dried without having to clog up my entire wash machine daily. Something like the old SHAMWOW commercial. I cant seem to find this on the market anywhere.

About how old are these rascals? I give puppy rearers a TON of credit.

I've heard of some people teaching small dogs, including puppies, to use a litter box (not with kitty litter though, see video below).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smi2toypYSE&ab_channel=MustLoveLabs

 

[REV5028]

The white one, Murphy, recently passed away due to lymphoma. We found a large lump on him and the vet said he would have died within a few days if radiation treatment didn't start immediately, which gave him another 6 months. I was surprised to learn that radiation treatment doesn't really wipe them out either.

I'm sorry for your loss

I thought it was a joke, but I shit you not, this worked every time.

My guess is that by doing this you gave him an extra moment to assess his surroundings and feel safe enough to continue walking. A lot of times things can be solved just by us humans slowing down a few seconds.

 

[Goodfella999]

About how old are these rascals? I give puppy rearers a TON of credit.

I've heard of some people teaching small dogs, including puppies, to use a litter box (not with kitty litter though, see video below).

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smi2toypYSE&ab_channel=MustLoveLabs

The litter box is interesting! Ive had a few litters of puppies I fostered and I never forgot this pain point even though Ive taken a few months break. I feel like there could be a market for an easily and quickly washable/dry-able pee pee pad. I was cursing up a storm washing those big pee pee pads in my machine machine every day lol

 

[REV5028]

The litter box is interesting! Ive had a few litters of puppies I fostered and I never forgot this pain point even though Ive taken a few months break. I feel like there could be a market for an easily and quickly washable/dry-able pee pee pad. I was cursing up a storm washing those big pee pee pads in my machine machine every day lol

Puppies are so much work lol I tell people all the time that I'll stick to my 4 y.o. rescues with aggression Glad there are people like you looking out for rescue puppies!

They also make these alternative potty boxes. The first one has a permeable turf cover that catches liquids in a bin. The second one is similar, only it uses wood chips. The turf one is probably more long-term and seems like it's all materials that could be hosed out. The wood one would just be tossed after a while (claims it can be used for a month or more in some cases).

Amazon.com : porch potties for dogs

Bark Potty: All Natural Pee Pad

Bark Potty is made of real bark and like real grass, contains the natural smells that compel dogs to "go." The tray is lined to prevent leaks, the proprietary bark naturally neutralizes odors, and one Potty replaces up to sixty pee pads! Make the switch to the eco-friendly potty pad that's...

barkpotty.com

 

[Goodfella999]

Puppies are so much work lol I tell people all the time that I'll stick to my 4 y.o. rescues with aggression Glad there are people like you looking out for rescue puppies!

They also make these alternative potty boxes. The first one has a permeable turf cover that catches liquids in a bin. The second one is similar, only it uses wood chips. The turf one is probably more long-term and seems like it's all materials that could be hosed out. The wood one would just be tossed after a while (claims it can be used for a month or more in some cases).

Amazon.com : porch potties for dogs

Bark Potty: All Natural Pee Pad

Bark Potty is made of real bark and like real grass, contains the natural smells that compel dogs to "go." The tray is lined to prevent leaks, the proprietary bark naturally neutralizes odors, and one Potty replaces up to sixty pee pads! Make the switch to the eco-friendly potty pad that's...

barkpotty.com

@REV5028 while those are good suggestions (I will definitely use the litter box one you sent in the future), I still havent found the solution I was looking for. Maybe @biophase has some suggestions too.

 

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[StrikingViper69]

January feels like a nice win. I currently have 11 active clients (some carried over from last year) and I brought in ~$10.8K. My new goal is to have at least 3 months this year that are $10K. Maybe even have a $15K month by the end of the year.

Still learning and growing and really enjoying it.

I was nominated to be on a committee between the city and community regarding animal welfare and community safety. The other lady who was nominated has similar visions and goals as I do, but mostly regarding cats (she feels the same way about cats as I do about dogs, but we both care about the welfare of the other animal). She and I have been chatting about working together on creating an animal rescue and resource center of sorts. All of our ideas feel like pipe dreams right now, but yolo.

I've given up on sending out mail flyers. I've had very little come out of them. Instead, I've been focused on getting more active with established groups in my area. One of my new clients is an animal rescue, and another new one is on the board of a local spay/neuter non profit. I'm planning to host another seminar/webinar, and I just posted a "cans for cats and canines" fundraiser where people can drop off their aluminum cans with me and at the end of the month I'll redeem them for cash and buy our existing city-run animal shelter items for the animals. I also pitched a fundraising idea for my animal rescue client where we choose a few dog/trick combos and whichever dog/trick combo gets the most donations gets chosen and then the training process gets documented.

I might start considering taking on virtual clients.

How many flyers did you send? I found I needed to send about 1000 flyers for 1-3 enquiries. If you’re testing them, you probably want to send 2000-3000 to know if it’ll work or not. But of course this depends if your customer LTV can support that cost

 

[REV5028]

@REV5028 while those are good suggestions (I will definitely use the litter box one you sent in the future), I still havent found the solution I was looking for. Maybe @biophase has some suggestions too.

Not sure if this is the original original you were thinking of, but: https://www.amazon.com/ShamWow-Original-Absorbent-Multi-Purpose-Cleaning/dp/B07CND4MCC?th=1

Probably still not what you've been looking for, but maybe someone else like biophase has some input.

 

[REV5028]

How many flyers did you send? I found I needed to send about 1000 flyers for 1-3 enquiries. If you’re testing them, you probably want to send 2000-3000 to know if it’ll work or not. But of course this depends if your customer LTV can support that cost

The first round with the first flyer, I sent out ~3,000 and got about 3 or 4 calls. The second round during the winter holiday season I sent out 7,500 and got 0 calls. I currently can't support the cost of trying this again. I've found that most of my calls come from word of mouth. A few from seeing my car, a few from flyers/cards I put out, and a few from searching "dog trainer near me."

 

[Andy Black]

a few from searching "dog trainer near me."

Happy to setup some Google Ads for you if you'd like.

 

[REV5028]

Happy to setup some Google Ads for you if you'd like.

Thank you, Andy; I'll send you a message!

 

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[REV5028]

February. Another month gone by so fast.

Income was not as great as January, but the most important bills are getting paid.

I organized a "Cans for Cats and Canines" fundraiser for the local animal shelter. I made it into a competition, where people who donated aluminum cans chose Team Cat or Team Canine. I actually got a bit more participation than I was expecting. I'll redeem the cans for cash tomorrow then buy the shelter much needed items. One person saw the decal on my car when they dropped off cans at my house and then submitted the contact form on my website. Possibly a new client?

I got my first video testimonial for my website!

At the end of March I'm expecting to join a paid mini-mastermind group for marketing specifically for dog trainers. I've been in a couple of programs put together by the creator of this group and they have been excellent returns on my investments, so I'm super excited to see where this mini-mastermind takes me.

I also enrolled in the Victoria Stilwell Academy. It'll be a 10-month long journey of learning to become a better dog trainer. I'm beyond excited for it. At the end I'll even get to meet Victoria in person and work with her and my other classmates for a week. I finally finished an aggression in dogs course too.

I'm having some nice little wins along the way. An older lady can now sleep with her husband again after two years of having their dog defend the bed from the husband. A man's dogs who I couldn't pet (I couldn't even be in the house without growling or barking) for 5 months are now going to the farmer's market and on occasion allowing people to pet them (and now they jump all over me with excitement when they see me). A young dog who would bark at every noise she heard and jump all over me relentlessly is now 90% quieter and calmer. This is so much more rewarding than the government work I was doing previously.

I've been hearing a lot from former colleagues or people working in similar lines of work that I was doing previously (environmental/earth sciences) who are nervous about their future careers or have lost their jobs altogether under the current administration. I feel sorry for them, but at the same time I feel even more certain in my decision to pursue my business.

And even though dog training has been super rewarding and fun for me, I recently learned about compassion fatigue in a module of a course I finished. I know taking care of myself is important and that my health and wellbeing affects my family and how well I operate, but for some reason it has still been "easy" to not take some time for myself and go on that trail run I've been longing for. But when this module explained "you have an ethical obligation to take care of yourself" it sunk in a bit more. Idk, maybe someone else out there would benefit from hearing it put this way.

Oh and I still have a foster dog. Anyone looking for a new buddy?

 

[heavy_industry]

An older lady can now sleep with her husband again after two years of having their dog defend the bed from the husband.

I laughed way harder than I should have.


I don't care how old I get. I could be 120 years old.

If my dog "defends" the bed and prevents me from sleeping with my wife:

• The dog will need that "fear recovery training" module
• And I would need the "aggression control training" module

See you in 90 years @REV5028! We will be needing your services!

 

[Andy Black]

February. Another month gone by so fast.

Income was not as great as January, but the most important bills are getting paid.

I organized a "Cans for Cats and Canines" fundraiser for the local animal shelter. I made it into a competition, where people who donated aluminum cans chose Team Cat or Team Canine. I actually got a bit more participation than I was expecting. I'll redeem the cans for cash tomorrow then buy the shelter much needed items. One person saw the decal on my car when they dropped off cans at my house and then submitted the contact form on my website. Possibly a new client?

I got my first video testimonial for my website!

At the end of March I'm expecting to join a paid mini-mastermind group for marketing specifically for dog trainers. I've been in a couple of programs put together by the creator of this group and they have been excellent returns on my investments, so I'm super excited to see where this mini-mastermind takes me.

I also enrolled in the Victoria Stilwell Academy. It'll be a 10-month long journey of learning to become a better dog trainer. I'm beyond excited for it. At the end I'll even get to meet Victoria in person and work with her and my other classmates for a week. I finally finished an aggression in dogs course too.

I'm having some nice little wins along the way. An older lady can now sleep with her husband again after two years of having their dog defend the bed from the husband. A man's dogs who I couldn't pet (I couldn't even be in the house without growling or barking) for 5 months are now going to the farmer's market and on occasion allowing people to pet them (and now they jump all over me with excitement when they see me). A young dog who would bark at every noise she heard and jump all over me relentlessly is now 90% quieter and calmer. This is so much more rewarding than the government work I was doing previously.

I've been hearing a lot from former colleagues or people working in similar lines of work that I was doing previously (environmental/earth sciences) who are nervous about their future careers or have lost their jobs altogether under the current administration. I feel sorry for them, but at the same time I feel even more certain in my decision to pursue my business.

And even though dog training has been super rewarding and fun for me, I recently learned about compassion fatigue in a module of a course I finished. I know taking care of myself is important and that my health and wellbeing affects my family and how well I operate, but for some reason it has still been "easy" to not take some time for myself and go on that trail run I've been longing for. But when this module explained "you have an ethical obligation to take care of yourself" it sunk in a bit more. Idk, maybe someone else out there would benefit from hearing it put this way.

Oh and I still have a foster dog. Anyone looking for a new buddy?

Sounds like you're winning to me @REV5028

 

[REV5028]

I laughed way harder than I should have.


I don't care how old I get. I could be 120 years old.

If my dog "defends" the bed and prevents me from sleeping with my wife:

• The dog will need that "fear recovery training" module
• And I would need the "aggression control training" module

See you in 90 years @REV5028! We will be needing your services!

I know I reacted with a laugh, but it's really kind of sad how people live with their dogs sometimes. It means a lot when people trust me enough to let me into their homes, their lives, to help with these kinds of things and teach/show them a better way/what's possible.