How did I get into the dog training business?

Boris, Me, Tommy, and Leon (10/8/2004-9/20/2012) on Long
Sands in York Maine.

I'm often asked how I got into dog training and doing this for a living.  Here are some things that you may not know.

I've always loved animals, and thought I had to be a veterinarian to work with them. No one ever talked to me about animal or dog training as an actual career. My career ended up in finance for about 15 successful years. The last three years I truly hated what I was doing for a living and feeling unfulfilled.




My first attempt at having a dog and my third dog indirectly led me to this career after many years. The first dog I failed as an inexperienced owner with a Rottweiler puppy of 6 months displaying aggressive tendencies towards humans. When I realized we had been working with the wrong trainer, I managed to get him back into the rescue, which had placed him with us. My third dog, Neptune, displayed aggressive tendencies towards dogs. He came from Doberman Rescue Unlimited, who helped us in choosing a way to deal with it successfully. Many years later, I apprenticed at Doberman Rescue Unlimited in the training program for behaviourally challenged Dobermans, while I was at a fork in the road regarding what I wanted to do for a living. I also keep my education current by attending seminars, purchasing DVDs from trainers I am interested in to study from, and reading dog related books that interest me. I've also put three companion dog titles on three dogs, and completed to CGCs on my own dogs. One companion dog was my own, and two companion dogs were my clients. I did the companion dog titling for free in order to further my education in this.



In 2003, I began training dogs by offering free services or really cheap services to anyone who would have me. In 2005, I moved my home and business from Worcester Mass to York Maine (from .10 acres to 4 acres). We changed from an on the road travelling business to being able to use our home and land. Our dog training business has flourished here. We grow an average of 10% a year. Customers who had trained with us in the past refer about half of our business, and half of our new business is from people who find us on Internet searches.



We do specialize in dogs with behavioural problems, and problems with multiple dogs living in the same home. Our business comes from private lessons and residency programs. Out of our previous training clients, a boarding and day-care business has also been developed. This provides lots of real life distractions for training clients when on our property in a safe and predictable way for set ups.  We also do a lot of training on beaches, in the city, and on the back roads here.   Mannerly Mutts is unusual in this approach to training our humans to train their dogs:)

http://www.mannerlymutts.com
http://mannerlymutts.blogspot.com