Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elise M.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Elise, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

One of the biggest trends right now in dog training is the use of e-collars. These devices use a stimulus (not a shock), to communicate to the dog even when he is off-leash. A lot of professional dog trainers and serious dog handlers will use e-collars for off leash walking and training. Some dog trainers will also use e-collars for behavior modification; mostly to “fix” the dog’s aggression or reactivity.
A big plus of using e-collars is the ability to communicate to your dog even when he is off leash. This allows the dog more freedom, and allows the owner more peace of mind. A downside of e-collars is that, when used to correct aggressive or reactive behavior, it can potentially make the dog start hiding his warning signals; such as growling or showing teeth, and react without warning. In addition, some dog-reactive/dog-aggressive dogs may start to associate other dogs with the pain from the stimulus. Once this happens, it is very difficult, and may not even be possible, to fix the dog’s reactivity or aggression.
Despite the off-leash benefits, I do not use e-collars in my training. Some reasons being, that I have definitely seen dogs learn to hide their warning signals towards other dogs, and I have watched other trainers lose their tempers with dogs and turn the e-collar up too high. Most memorably, I watched a trainer correct the wrong dog on a high level; causing the innocent dog to yelp, and, immediately, a more aggressive dog sensed the moment of weakness, and jumped in and attacked him. My opinion of e-collars is that they are a great tool if used for low-level stimulation obedience work, off-leash work, or redirection exercises, but should not be used as a corrective tool in most cases.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Elise, and I am the dog trainer and owner of Peaceful Pups Dog Training LLC. I am an IACP certified dog trainer who is insured, bonded, and licensed, and I teach private dog training lessons in most areas of San Diego County. I offer petsitting services for clients who have completed training with me.
I have been working with dogs professionally for over 15 years, and I started my business two years ago. I got into dog training because I already had a lot of dog experience and I had wanted to learn how to train dogs since elementary school. After completing dog training school, I formed my own business. I focus on being ethical to both people and animals, and I specialize in behavior modification for dogs. This means that I fix behavior problems such as leash pulling, barking, reactivity, etc. I also offer obedience training, puppy training, and a free 30 min. educational session to those who purchase a training package from me!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

Before I formed Peaceful Pups, I was walking dogs on Wag!. I did this to make extra money when my retail job cut my hours. Soon, I started petsitting on Wag!. I started getting regular clients and began to wonder if I could take my dog experience to the next level; by learning to be a dog trainer. So I did a few google searches, interviewed a couple companies, and signed up for dog training school. After I completed dog training school, I went back to Wag! as a trainer. This wasn’t as successful as I had hoped, and since none of the dog training businesses that were hiring at the time aligned with my ethics, I started my own business.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

For me, this comes down to treating people the way you would like to be treated, and drawing on my past customer service experiences in the retail and food service industry. I always try and be considerate of clients’ time and schedules, and I try to remember key events like my clients’ birthdays, their dogs’ birthdays, or other important days to them. In addition, every year I give out Christmas gifts to my regular clients as a thank you for supporting my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.peacefulpupsdogtraining.com
• Instagram: @peacefulpupsdogtraining
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553570967990
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@peacefulpupsdogtraining
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/peaceful-pups-dog-training-san-diego
• Other: Google: https://g.co/kgs/yRhYXck