If you know which package you’d like, you may choose from the options below. If you’re not sure, we generally recommend starting with a single appointment to get a feel for the process and you and your consultant can explore what might be best for your goals. If you decide on a package, at the end of your one hour consult, we’ll roll that first appointment into the package you choose.
Please choose your 0ption:
Why did you become a dog trainer? If you’re like most of the trainers we work with, you probably discovered the benefits of R+ training with your own dog, you love helping dogs and their people, and you’re passionate about animal welfare. Your dedication to making the world better for dogs probably extends well beyond your paying clients. And this may sometimes feel like a dilemma. There can be tension between the goal of building a profitable business and the desire to share your skills with dog lovers who may struggle to access them.
The good news is that it is possible to do both, without giving all your time away or feeling like you’re only serving a small portion of your community. Here are some of our favorite ways to build your business and share your expertise with a wider audience.
These days there are a plethora of options to make your dog training knowledge accessible to everyone. Consider creating online resources such as video tutorials, blog posts, or downloadable guides. These resources can cover basic training techniques, common behavioral issues, and tips for dog owners. By offering free, easily accessible content, you contribute to a more informed and empowered canine community while sharing your expertise with potential paying clients.
Running webinars or virtual workshops as a ‘taster’ for your services is another way to use your knowledge to serve a broader audience while serving double-duty as a marketing project. These sorts of projects can be particularly powerful if you have a specific training niche to highlight.
While your premium services may cater to a specific audience, you may also want to create online courses for those on a budget. These courses could cover fundamental training principles, basic behavior modification techniques, and management strategies. Modern learning platforms offer a user-friendly way to structure and deliver online courses, making them easily accessible to a wide range of dog lovers.
Harness the positive side of social media by sharing bite-sized training tips, including short videos or posts that provide quick insights into dog training. While it’s important that this work doesn’t take over your entire schedule, it can be a helpful way to share and democratize your expertise. Schedule these posts as part of your marketing strategy so you can ‘set and forget’ while you focus on other parts of your business.
Reach out to local community centers, libraries, or educational institutions to organize dog training workshops or seminars. Many people may not have access to formal dog training classes, but by partnering with community organizations, you can bring your expertise directly to them. Are wandering dogs a problem in your local neighborhood? Or tension in elevators and tight hallways? Your events can be tailored to address common issues in the community, fostering a sense of shared responsibility.
You could also explore partnerships with animal welfare organizations dedicated to community outreach. Many of these groups are eager to provide educational resources as part of their programs. By collaborating, you can contribute articles, provide advice, or share your knowledge through their channels, reaching dog lovers who may otherwise not have access to a professional dog trainer.
Consider setting aside a certain amount of time each month to offer subsidized or pro bono services to individuals or organizations in need. This could involve volunteering at animal shelters, providing free consultations to rescue organizations, or assisting community projects focused on dog behavior and training. By giving back to the community, you contribute to the welfare of dogs and build a positive reputation for your business.
If you love supporting aspiring dog trainers or enthusiasts, consider developing a mentorship program. This program could involve periodic mentorship sessions, access to exclusive resources, and opportunities for hands-on experience. By nurturing the next generation of dog trainers, you contribute to the growth of the R+ community as a whole.
Giving back to the community and sharing your knowledge can take many forms, and it’s crucial to balance these options against your day-to-day business activities and costs. Done right, it can be an energizing and rewarding way to make dog training more accessible, as well as a great way to get your name out there.
We’d love to hear about approaches you’ve discovered to bridge the training gap! Or if you’re seeking inspiration, our THRIVE! members are always impressing us with their innovative accessibility ideas.
If you know which package you’d like, you may choose from the options below. If you’re not sure, we generally recommend starting with a single appointment to get a feel for the process and you and your consultant can explore what might be best for your goals. If you decide on a package, at the end of your one hour consult, we’ll roll that first appointment into the package you choose.
Please choose your 0ption:
Have you ever heard your website described as your business store front? We’ve all seen physical store fronts we love – bright colors, distinctive signage, clear and welcoming messaging, maybe a free sample at the front (bonus points if it’s chocolate based). The aim is to entice people inside to make a purchase, and your website is no different.
When reviewing your current site (we recommend doing this at least annually), it can be difficult to know which area to focus on. This can lead to a lot of tweaking, without tangible results.
Want to ensure your website is serving your business in as little time as possible? Here are some of our favorite quick wins:
Testimonials are a surefire way to build trust and credibility on your website. Once you’ve gathered some great examples, you want them to work hard for you. Rather than a dedicated testimonials page, consider strategically placing them throughout your website. Sprinkle short, impactful testimonials on every major page, as visitors often enter your site from different entry points. Select testimonials that speak directly to the service you’re highlighting, as well as the type of client you want to attract. These testimonials should reinforce the benefits you offer, whether that’s quick results, your positive training methods, or characteristics like patience and flexibility. If you want to work with first time owners of rescue dogs, for example, a testimonial about how much confidence you instilled in a nervous new dog parent is ideal. Another smart strategy is to position your testimonials near your calls-to-action – this social proof can be the final nudge someone needs to book your services.
High quality images can really elevate a website, and while great stock options exist, these can feel impersonal. This is particularly true for dog training sites. After all, clients are entrusting you with a family member, and often inviting you into their lives, whether in person or virtually. Client photos alongside testimonials, as well ones of you ‘at work,’ provide a glimpse of what it’s like to work with you. These behind-the-scenes images help to convey the fun, transformative experience clients can expect. These days a good phone camera can capture highly usable shots. But if yours tend to fall into the grainy “is that a dog or Bigfoot?” category, you may want to enlist a photography loving friend or professional. A tip for those who don’t love a close up? Go for action shots of you training – you’ll be more distracted and more relaxed!
Photos are also a helpful tool for attracting your ideal clients. Select photos that reflect your target client avatar – for example, using images of young professionals if that’s your niche. And don’t underestimate the power of captions! Captioning your photos is an easy but powerful way to enhance your website’s effectiveness. Captions allow you to reinforce key marketing messages, seamlessly work in relevant keywords for SEO purposes, and educate visitors. For example, under a photo of loose leash walking training, you could say “Luna is learning that staying by her human’s side is more rewarding than chasing cars.” Thoughtful captions make your photos “work smarter” – clarifying the context, catching visitors’ attention, and leaving them better informed.
Everyone loves a freebie. If you want to continue the conversation with your website visitors, consider adding lead magnets. This could be something valuable like an ebook, checklist, video tutorial, or webinar in exchange for the visitor’s email address. Lead magnets allow you to stay top-of-mind with potential clients even if they aren’t quite ready to sign up for services. An ebook on enrichment, for example, can then be followed up with an email recommending your favorite enrichment toys, and/or information about an upcoming workshop you’re offering on the topic. Adding lead magnets to your website helps to build your subscriber list, with the added bonus of providing valuable educational content. When done right, they help to position you as the go-to expert, keeping your business front-and-center for current and potential clients.
Signaling that your dog training business is welcoming and inclusive is another quick win which benefits everyone. There is loads of great information out there about making your website and services accessible to more people. This ranges from the language you use, such as avoiding jargon and providing alternative text for images, to your visual layout. Sufficient contrast between text and background colors, for example, helps to make things more readable. If you’re using audio or video content, transcripts and captions are a good idea. You can also incorporate prominent statements that clearly articulate your commitment to respecting and serving clients regardless of race, gender identity, neurodiversity, or disability. Striking the right tone of kindness, vulnerability and dedication is crucial – avoid just paying lip service and ensure your services truly back up these words. Complementing statements with visual cues such as pride flags can further reinforce these messages. Additionally, listing any diversity/inclusion training or certifications you’ve pursued demonstrates your ongoing efforts. By proactively addressing inclusivity on your website through thoughtful language and visuals, you create a safe space that makes all visitors feel welcome, respected, and supported on their dog training journey with you.
For some dog trainers, writing and designing their own website is a fun and fulfilling creative project. For others, it may be another headachey task in their long list of ‘to-dos’. There are some excellent DIY website design tools out there, but the professionals exist for a reason. Building a website can be time-consuming, and uses up valuable hours you could have spent training (or watching your favorite Netflix series). Whether you need help with some elements of your site, or all it, consider outsourcing to streamline the process. If you’re feeling lost when it comes to copywriting and design, we can help.
We’ve witnessed many dog trainers putting their heart and soul into launching and growing a business they love. It’s a big part of why we exist – we relish seeing talented R+ trainers forging dream careers and helping dogs and people. It’s a huge achievement when you start working with dogs every day and being your own boss. It’s also why it’s so important to celebrate key milestones, and take time out to assess and reflect on how your business is going. Is your dog training business allowing you to live your best life? Or is the daily grind taking its toll? A business that isn’t quite hitting the mark can be draining – financially and emotionally.
Here are five questions to make sure your dog training business is firing on all cylinders and bringing you joy:
While passion is crucial, your dog training business ultimately needs to provide reliable income to support your life. Are you earning enough to achieve your financial goals? Do you have a strong sense of what those goals are? Whether starting or growing your business, do you have enough saved for any shortfalls? If you are consistently struggling in this area, it may be time to raise rates, adjust your services, or re-examine your expenses to cut costs. Asking this question regularly (we recommend quarterly), allows you to spot trends early and steer your business ship in the right direction.
If you’ve given up that 9-5 life for muddy boots and late night puzzling over your latest aggression case, controlling your own schedule can be a welcome perk. Many trainers, particularly those from rigid working backgrounds, love the freedom running a business provides. In an ideal world, you can pick those hours and grab that downtime when you need it. Yet this flexibility has a dark side – you also have to tell yourself when to stop, and it isn’t always easy! If you’re constantly overworked and stressed, something needs to change. You may need to establish clearer boundaries, block out time for yourself, and add more buffers between appointments to reduce rushing. Consider tools you can leverage to streamline tasks, such as online scheduling and automated emails. A healthy business should allow you to unplug, recharge, and nurture a rich life outside of work.
Happy clients create happy dog trainers. When clients feel valued, understood, and delighted by the service you provide, it creates a positive feedback loop. Warm fuzzies all round! It also builds a connection that’s beyond transactional, which tends to lead to better outcomes for dogs. Committed humans who love working with you are more likely to put the work in, and come back for more. Are you wowing your clients or is there room for improvement? Great client experiences generally start with truly understanding the needs, concerns, and goals of each individual. Your patience, clarity, and cheer squad abilities are key, as are your organizational skills. You know you’re crushing it when clients look forward to sessions, stay motivated, and refer others to you. Not every client will be a walk in the park, but the more success you find in this area the happier you are likely to be in your work.
What inspired you to take the leap into dog training? If you’re lying awake at night questioning why you are doing this work, tune in. In the busy day-to-day of running your business, it’s easy to lose touch with your original motivation for becoming a dog trainer. It might simply be a rough patch, but it could also be a sign you aren’t as fulfilled as you’d like to be – or more importantly, could be. Your why isn’t stagnant either. You might have started out focusing on raising resilient puppies, but are increasingly drawn to those tricky aggression cases. Which of your services make you feel most energized? Are there particular clients you can’t wait to show up for? Or ones you secretly hope might cancel that day? Sometimes reigniting your purpose means letting go of the things that aren’t working for you, and zeroing in on those that do.
Continuing to develop your training and business skills is not just a professional need; it’s also a good indicator that you’re invested in your business. Does your inner dog geek still get excited by workshops, courses, events, or a passionate chat over coffee with a fellow trainer? A commitment to ongoing learning, both from a training and business perspective, reflects your dedication to provide the best for your clients. It also keeps your work fresh and exciting. When you find yourself enthusiastically trying out new techniques or growing your business, it’s a good sign that your passion is still very much alive.
If you find yourself pausing at any of these questions, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on your business goals and satisfaction levels. This will help keep your “north star” in sight, and run a dream dog training business that lets you live your dream life.
If you could use some guidance while grappling with these questions, we’d love to see you at our FREE Launch and Grow workshops!
