We recently connected with Jillian Skalky and have shared our conversation below.

Jillian , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I had been working with a trainer that trained Service Dogs, and also working at a Vet’s office as a vet Tech. My health had become much more complicated, and I had learned how invaluable a Service Dog could be after training my own. I had recently changed the direction I was planning to go with my life due to my chronic illness, and decided it was time to create new tales of my own. So the company became Creating New Tails LLC. I now create “new tails” for not only myself, but the many happy handlers I have placed dogs with. I learned that everyone has a story that brings them to having a Service Dog in their life. They get to write their own story together.

Jillian , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The story of my business begins with my own. In 2001, while I was in Middle school, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease named Crohn’s disease. I didn’t realize at the time that diagnosis would change my world in more ways than one. In 2010 I was attending college focusing on the arts and art therapy when I had one of my worst initial flares of the disease, and I was hospitalized on more than one occasion, and I also had life saving surgery. They removed affected intestines, and I began to live life with an ostomy. I had to take time off of school. Up until this point I felt like I had goals I was working towards in my life, and felt like I was in a really good place in my life at that time. Things were further complicated when I got sepsis, and went into septic shock. I almost died. This was the first time I really began to feel disabled, and managing a chronic illness can be a full time job all on it’s own. It caused me to look at my life, and re-evaluate what I was doing. I did finish my degrees, but there were days I couldn’t walk up the steps to my apartment without my legs shaking every step of the way. I was interested in getting a companion, and found my way to Rosie, my first Service Dog. Rosie was a “potcake” rescue pup from the Bahamas, and it was with her I started looking into Service Dogs. At first I didn’t even realize I could benefit from a Service Dog as a Crohn’s disease patient, but after doing some research I learned a lot more about Service Dogs’ jobs and their extensive training. I watched videos about training your own Service Dog, and what tasks they learn to assist their disabled handlers, and I read what information I could find on the subject. I did most of Rosie’s training myself, until it came time to really “finish” her training I partnered with an experienced Service Dog trainer in the area, and learned something from him as well. For awhile I was working for him dog training, and working as a vet tech. I decided to open my own dog training and Service Dog training business. I wanted to empower other people like me, and help people lead fuller lives with disability. I wanted to help others, and in doing so I was fulfilling a new purpose, and discovered a new passion in training and providing assistance dogs for a broad range of disabilities. I train and place Service Dogs for many different types of jobs like: Mobility Service Dogs, Autism Service Dogs, Gluten/Dairy/Allergen Detection Service Dogs, Medical Alert Service Dogs that can be trained to alert to things like blood sugar, seizures, sepsis, and cancer just to name a few. I have two options for training–one is a fully trained Service Dog, or you can do owner-train where I support and offer training guidance throughout the dog’s training (which takes between 1 and 2 years). I also use a variety of breeds of dogs, and help choose what dog will be the best fit for their future handler. I also have continued to learn about many different types of dog training including detection and PSA work with dogs. I also worked under other local trainers to learn many different approaches to dog training. Because of my broad scope of experience I have become good at figuring out what motivates dogs to learn and work, and how to train them to work best with their handler. I think being a disabled Service Handler myself allows me understand on a more empathetic level with my clients what it feels like to live in an unpredictable body. I feel rewarded by the work I do.I was giving these kids that empowerment, independence, and security and knowing that their dog is going to help keep them safe is one of the most rewarding feelings that I could experience. I could never leave this job no matter how hard this job can be with you know raising dogs and just training them and everything that goes into both raising and breeding, raising, and training a service dogs. It’s so worth it when the dog goes home to see the look on the kids face when they’re dog checks they’re there their food there plate at their favorite restaurant that they haven’t been able to eat for years because of the uncertainty that it could be cross contaminated to see the sheer joy that they get from their dog clearing a plate of pasta that’s what makes it all worthwhile and why I’m gonna keep doing this job for the rest of my life. 90% of the Service Dogs I place are with disabled children. There are not many Service Dog training organizations that work with that many kids. Sometimes working with kids requires out of the box thinking, like asking them to draw what they learned in a day instead of explaining it speaking. Not everyone has the patience to work with young handlers, but they still have a legitimate need and potential benefit from partnering with a Service Dog. I also love seeing young handlers persevere through their own trials and succeed–that’s priceless to me. Knowing the dogs I place are stable in many environments and situations so their young handlers can go out to eat with friends, attend sporting events, attend classes, and go out shopping with their parents more safely than before they had a Service Dog. I’m proud of giving that independence back to them. Check out Creating New Tails social media for more success stories and information.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth. Then it would have to be social media.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My own health problems can make it difficult to physically keep up with everything being a business owner comes with, especially when I have to be admitted to the hospital. However, despite these extra challenges I am driven to produce the best Service Dogs that I can, and to never stop learning more. Working my own Service Dogs have allowed me to understand how fully a Service Dog can change someone’s life, and that’s the thing that makes it all worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.creatingnewtails.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creatingnewtails/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/creatingnewtails/posts

Image Credits
Jillian Skalky own image credits.