Starting a Doggy Business

[Dogsareme]

Hi all,

Well I mentioned awhile back that I planned on starting a dog business. I am almost done. Next weekend I go away for 4 weeks to work with my Training Mentor. Then when I come back I will be starting my own business.

I plan on doing group classes, private lessons, working at the shelters, dog walking, and dog sitting (when owners go out of town).
This is just for now. Down the road I want to buy property and start an Akita Rescue and doggy motel.

Most of you I am sure have taken some kind of obedience lessons. And I wanted everyones thoughts and input on what they think should be done, what should not be done because they had a bad experience with it, etc.

I would also appreciate any input or other ideas on ANYTHING.
Things such as something someone else had in their business and it was unique and would be helpful, or something someone did that you did not like or agree with and I should stay away from. Any advice, absolutly anything.

I go in next week to write up my business plan with a place who is going to help me get started and I want all the input I can get.

Thanks in advance.

[linnie]

I just wanted to say I wish you all the best in your new venture and I am sure many will have some great tips

[Buddy'sMom]

That is so neat! Congratulations and the best of luck with it all!!

[mrsgrubby]

The dog walking and dog sitting sound great!!!! We certainly could use more of those in our area as well.

[Jamila]

This is great news....good luck with everything!

[PawNclaws]

I wish we had a doggie motel around here, sure sounds like a great idea.. I have plans to open up a cafe'..The Cafe' name would be Midnite Cafe'. I'd serve human foods and pet foods- open from 7am to 3pm week days and 8am to 1pm weekends.. I even have a menu layed out and every thing.... Anyhoo Congrats and best of luck with your buisness.. I wish I could be of help with ideas but I am short of any at the moment.

[Dogsareme]

I LOVE your resturant idea. I sure wish we had something like that around here. It would be awsome if somone had a resturant that allowed dogs in, much less serve them. Good luck with that

No idea's so far?
Oh well. I am sure I will get some more.
I just wanted some inputs on do's and don't. I know their are certain things that alot of people don't like in group classes and I just wanted to try and avoid those problems. I know one thing I read a while back is that some trainer mentioned to his class to bring all the dogs with pinch/prong collars. Why would any trainer say that? expecially for puppies. Just those kind of things I have been trying to hear about so I don't follow in those foot steps.

Thank you for all the good wishes. Once I actually get this going (which won't be till the middle of July at the earliest) I will let everyone know

[PawNclaws]

Thanks.. It'll be some time befor I go into "opening mode" tho. I haven't yet desided on a few things plus I'm young and know little on running a business so it'll be about 5yrs or longer. I guess I could take a collage course for small buisness managment for the knowledge but then I need the money---- that'll be the hard part of starting it..

[annie_so_pink]

Congrats!! That is so exciting!
I want to be a dog trainer/behaviorist, and start my own buisness when I am older(I'm only 14 right now).
But as far as advice goes, I don't really know what kind of advice you want, but here is some stuff that I wish the class I went to before would have done, and what the agility classes I go to know do that I like.
In agility classes, The trainers always explain WHY their methods work and are always willing (and happy) to answer any questions that we might have(unlike the classes I went to before). In the classes I went to before, the instructor was very into "traditional" training methods and was very forceful that we do her way of training, even when we were not comfortable with it. She even sprayed Wesley(my dog, who was at the time only 4 months old) with vinegar for barking in group classes. Ok, I don't know what your opinion on this is, but I definately did not agree with it. I think that she should have at least asked us, the owners, before doing it. I use positive reinforcement and clicker training now and thats what the agility classes we go to now use, and they are awesome!
I don't know if thats the kind of advice that you wanted, or if that even helped at all, but I hope it did.
Good Luck on starting your own buisness, and I can't wait to hear more about it!

[gsp4619]

Congrats and I wish you alot of success!!

[bigdoglover]

Congrats on the biz! As for advice, I would say be open to new methods of training, but don't completely abandon the old ones. Remember that each dog is different, and may require a different method. Not to mention it's all about training the owners as well!

I would also start with small classes, so you aren't overwhelmed. JMO

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but I gotta run at the moment. I'll get back to this later!

[mrsgrubby]

I am really interested in your new business. I hope you don't mind me asking you some questions about it. I think it would be interesting to be a dog trainer. The guy I use sure has a following of people who just love him. He does group classes, individual classes, and doggy daycare. He doesn't do walking or individual pet sitting.

Where do you have to go to work with your mentor? Is it training on owning your own business or training on how to train dogs? Is it with a professional dog trainer?

You mentioned once you were taking classes to help with your business. Was this at college, like business classes, or a dog training school and were classes on animal behavior and training techniques?

The biggest thing I HATE about dog classes is when there are dogs in the class that clearly should NOT be there. For example, Jasmine just finished her advanced obedience class Monday night, but there were dogs in that class that had no "stay" skills at all, and one dog would hardly even lay down on command. The class was an off leash class for the most part, so the dogs that had no "stay" were running all over and upsetting the dogs that were behaving. This was a problem because my dog does not like other dogs jumping on her and two different times dogs ran up and jumped on her during class exercises and it caused a "tussle".

[lowens]

anyone have ideas on starting a treat business?

[Rivsky]

Best of luck in the new venture sounds great!!

I think the most important thing with group classes is to find ways to keep the people motivated - that way they are more likely to come back. One club we used to go to had monthly awards - dog of the month, happiest worker, most improved etc which included certificates and a little dog treat - I thought it was great!!! Also I hate it when the classes spend loads of time doing heelwork - particularly with young dogs that tire easily. Tricks are also a good way to keep people interested.

As others have said it's important to keep an open mind and don't get sucked into thinking one method is particularly bad and shouldn't be used - eg check chains while I'd never use one on my dog can and do have their uses in certain cases - particularly with stronger breeds).

And I couldn't agree more with what MrsGrubby said - my pet peeve is people who continue to want to push their dogs up when they are clearly not ready for it - it's not a race and IMO if there's criteria to be met to pass a level it should be adhered to in all cases.