I ' m excited to see what other people might suggest, I know our market has been down lately as well.
ELIZABETH‘ KIZZ’ ROBINSON, CDBC, CPDT-KA, FAMILY DOG MEDIATOR PumpkinPups Dog Training( Brooklyn, New York) I’ m a member of dogbiz Success’ s Thrive! membership and my answer to this question is coming from things they’ ve taught me. It sounds like the query is coming from a place of doing marketing when times are tight and lightening up on marketing when classes are full. Most marketing projects yield clients 6-12 months later. Finding things that we can do consistently to put our information out into our community can be super helpful. Projects that bring back clients more quickly usually focus on retention. So, creating a“ next level” class and sending a personal invitation to previous clients to come to this class that builds on what they learned with you before.
ABBY HARRISON, CPDT-KA Sit Dog Stay( Houston, Texas) It helps to remember that some things are not under our control, like the state of the economy. We don’ t have a lot of control over how soon we will be needed for training the new puppy when an older dog has passed on. Will they remember you and your name 10 years later? And, for many, training is not really necessary. They grew up with untrained dogs or they don’ t realize some of the fallout from not training. How many trainers are located in your zip code? I once talked to a trainer who mentioned that there were more than 100 CPDT KAs in their zip code. That’ s a lot competition for X number of dogs per year.
What can you do to stand out? Think of specific concerns / training needs and offer services you are experienced with, i. e. aggression, children and dogs, house training, resource guarding, service dog, separation anxiety, companion events to name some beyond basic good dog manners. Consider specializing in an area so you become a trainer others refer to.
What about pet sitting or dog walking? Many owners need help with leash reactive dogs and might want to work with someone who can help them or even walk their leash reactive dog.
How will you be remembered? Is there a mnemonic of your name, the business so you can be more easily found? I tell them: It’ s Abby. Like Dear Abby. I’ m here to help you fix this problem. People might shove a paper business card in a pocket but the eyes tend to light up more with a business card on a magnet instead.
Make sure you thank people when they refer someone to you. I recently gave a Starbucks gift card to someone who sent me a new puppy client. This new puppy client is suddenly now also fostering a rescue dog and their son has a new dog.
I give hand outs( Dr. Sophia Yin’ s on arousal, how to be and not be around a dog, check list for socialization from Dogwise). I show and talk about books— as a resource for a student to know that this kind of thing is out there if needed later. They can think of it as a very specialized reference library a phone call away.
JAMIE MCKAY, CPDT-KSA McKay9 Dog Training( Westchester, New York) www. McKay9. com Our facility closed for a time during COVID. Once reopened classes had wait lists and extra classes were added to the schedule. During the pandemic as people transitioned to remote work / school many also acquired pets. As things improved people looked for more activities they could do outside the home and classes enrollment increased as pet ownership increased. Recently, our“ pet” class enrollments have been down. Enrollment usually drops off slightly in summer and around the Christmas holidays but that we expect. It’ s my impression that the numbers of dogs adopted from shelters or obtained from breeders may be less than during the pandemic, which can impact class enrollment.
We are a club but our group classes are open to the general public. To help get the word out I post classes and events on local area Facebook dog park and pet parent groups. Free advertising. We have a public club Facebook group. We are updating our website and revising our Instagram account. Volunteer club members bring flyers to area veterinarians, dog related businesses and shelter / rescue groups. We volunteer at a local shelter working with volunteers and dogs awaiting forever homes. We offer a $ 50 discount for first class enrollment to those who adopted a dog from a shelter / rescue. Club members man booths and demos at local rescue events and at events sponsored by The American Kennel Club including Meet The Breeds.
In addition to full session classes, we offer some half session classes that address specific concerns such as jumping( Eager Greeters), coming when called( Ricochet Recalls) and counter surfing / eating things on walks( Drop It and Leave It). We have half session classes for people who miss the start of a full session but want to get started( Puppy PreK and Jump Start For Foundations) Having classes on the schedule that meet early evenings and weekends brings in those who can’ t attend day classes. We’ re adding a class to help owners with Leash Reactivity as that is something that many owners struggle with.
One advantage of being a club is that volunteer members receive a discounted class fee and the opportunity to enroll a day early than nonmembers. If people get the training bug and enjoy classes hopefully, they will want to become members and continue taking classes year-round. New students should feel supported and welcome. Often times their first introduction to our facility are puppy and / or general manners classes. Even if they don’ t continue taking classes after their initial class or two it’ s likely they’ ll recommend you to friends and family looking for training help.
Jamie McKay, CPDT-KSA, gained her early experience at the Humane Society of Westchester teaching safe handling skills to volunteers to enhance the adoptability of shelter dogs. Jamie teaches group classes at Port Chester Obedience Training Club in New York. She is a Canine Good Citizen evaluator and competes in agility and rally obedience. Jamie and her husband, Stephen, CPDT-KSA, own McKay9 Dog Training, LLC.
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Summer 2025 45