ANIMAL BEHAVIOR COLLEGE
ABC adds several new programs to its curriculum
By Steven Appelbaum , president , Animal Behavior College
T he world changed after
COVID-19 reared its ugly head in March of 2020 . This is not news as we have all had to deal with the scourge of the virus and the disruption it caused and continues to cause on our businesses and lives . I am a bit of a news junkie and had been following the story of the virus since late December 2019 . The questions people had back then were not if this virus would strike here , but when and how serious it might be . By February 2020 , we had a pretty good sense . However , it didn ’ t occur to us until late February there was a real possibility that businesses would be forced to close to try to mitigate the spread .
Animal Behavior College , which is homebased in Valencia , California , had been experimenting with remote working for some time . I have worked remotely since 2016 , as had some others . Starting in early March 2020 , we concluded that companies were going to be shut down , and we needed to do whatever we could to ensure our staff would be able to function remotely . We were ready two days before the shutdown mandate was given , although it would take us months to iron out all the kinks in this system . Still , I am thrilled we would weather the initial pandemic storm without the loss of a single job . Many other challenges lay ahead of us , but I am proud to state that not only did we stay in business and ensure that all our hard-working staff didn ’ t lose their jobs because of COVID , but we also continued to grow during these times .
There are silver linings in many of the events that happen to us in our lives . As more people stayed home , pet adoptions rose , greater numbers of dogs and cats found forever homes and the need for dog and cat trainers increased . Many people found it was possible to work outside of their offices and function quite effectively and , in doing so , rediscovered the joy of being able to spend more time at home with family . I am not trying to sugarcoat the horror that has been COVID , and I don ’ t know anyone who wouldn ’ t trade the lessons learned for being able to go back to our pre-COVID world . There isn ’ t anyone I know who hasn ’ t been affected by this disease , either by contracting it or had children who lost months or more of
social interaction in school . Nothing makes up for that . However , some businesses reinvented themselves or at least changed / improved the way they worked and created the space to thrive going forward .
During this period , we also launched some new programs . The first isn ’ t a new program but rather a new focus . For about the last 25 years , I have been fascinated by cat behavior . Part of this interest was caused by the fact that about 40-to-50 percent of the dog training clients of mine also had cats and had behavioral questions about their kitties . While I could go on for hours addressing common behavior challenges in dogs like chewing or digging , I was initially stymied when asked how to stop these same clients ’ cats from scratching the furniture . Can cats be trained ? The answer , of course , is yes . Over time , I realized that not only can cats be trained , but it is highly advantageous for dog trainers to learn how . There are numerous reasons for this .
First , since most dog trainers are animal lovers who are passionate about helping pets and the people who love them , being able to expand your ability to help cats , as well as dogs , just feels right . It also broadens your marketability . Most dog trainers start their business by connecting with more established pet professionals like veterinarians , groomers , independent pet stores , and doggie daycare facilities in the hopes of garnering referrals . This practice is a timehonored way of starting a service business . It ’ s how I started my first business in 1981 , and some trainers had been doing this decades before I ever picked up a leash .
The challenge with this approach is that as a new trainer walking into a veterinary hospital or wherever , you are not the first and will likely be asked to stand on the end of a long line of trainers who were there before you . The hope is that you can get a few referrals , do a fabulous job and that your reputation will proceed you over time and result in more . This is an effective strategy , but I can pretty much guarantee that if you walk into one of these offices and introduce yourself not only as a dog trainer but also as a cat trainer , you will be
32 Building Better Trainers Through Education Photo : Shutterstock