We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Robyn Slusky. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Robyn below.
Robyn , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Ever since I was a kid, I have had a passion for rescue and helping animals. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work with animals for a living; but it wasn’t until after graduating college and getting a job at a local rescue, that I realized my desire to get into the world of training and behavior.
I wanted to be a part of the solution and help stop the revolving door of animals being surrendered to the city shelter. I joined our “behavior team” and started fostering and rehabilitating dogs who had “issues” and who weren’t showing well in the stressful shelter environment. Eventually, I was hired on by the woman who ran our behavior program and went on to continue my education in training & behavior before eventually branching out on my own.
I have a MS degree in Canine Life Sciences and am a Fear Free Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the CCPDT. Education is never finished though, and I am committed to staying up to date, learning the latest developments in humane, science-based training and behavior modification.
After over a decade of professional experience in the field, I am still very much in love with what I do. I have a passion for rehabilitating reactive and fearful dogs, teaching and utilizing cooperative care techniques, building and strengthening the human-animal bond and getting dogs out in nature to just enjoy being dogs.
Robyn , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Rescue is what got me into the world of behavior modification and training. I wanted to be part of the solution, helping to prevent dogs from being surrendered or re-homed in the first place.
I do all in-home training at the moment, but I am hoping to expand that to offer some board and train options in the coming future. I work with a wide range of “behavior issues” from aggression, fear, and anxiety to your typical unruly behaviors. I teach humans how to better understand their dogs, their body language, their behavior, and how to communicate with them in ways that they understand. Through training, we can help build meaningful relationships that are built around trust, understanding, and a true appreciation for the dog in front of you.
I pride myself on my continued education and years of experience in the field. I strive to pursue further certifications and stay up to date with humane, science-based research and training so that I am able to continue providing the best help possible to my clients and their dogs.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I made the choice to leave my last training company in 2019, I had also just gotten into the world of sky diving and had recently earned my A-License.
I was TERRIFIED of heights, I still am, but through the process of learning how to fly I learned to conquer my fears. I learned that failure was just an opportunity to learn, to grow and to be better. I realized that I was capable of so much more than I ever thought possible and I no longer was willing to let fear hold me back from anything in life.
I had no idea how I was going to make it work on my own, I just knew that I had to make a change. I had been struggling to make ends meet and I had too high of an education to still be living paycheck to paycheck. I wanted better for myself.
After I got my skydiving license, I was offered a part time job working in the office of the skydiving center and given a place to live that allowed my pets (3 dogs and 1 cat) for dirt cheap. So, I took a temporary side step, a huge pay cut and a leap of faith.
While working in their office part time, I started my training business. I didn’t have any days off, I was always working; but within 6 moths, I grew my clientele base to the point where I was able to cut down to two days a week in the office and focussed on dog training full time.
I left my office job in 2020 and have been focussed fully on my training clients ever since.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
ALL of my clients have come to me through word of mouth and/or social media groups.
Contact Info: