We recently connected with Rosina Barker and have shared our conversation below.

Rosina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Most all dog trainers are very “cookie cutter”. During this session, you will learn these behaviors, not taking into account that the behavior doesn’t fit the lifestyle of the owner or how that dog learns. I wanted to design a curriculum based on the needs of the dog and the goals of the owners. I could move at the speed that fits the dog and use the method that is right for them. Ensuring the success of the training that will last a lifetime. At that point, I sat down and designed the whole process. I am passionate about using a positive dog training method. I got a lot of my inspiration from Sophia Yin, DVM. I based my training methods on her books and videos. The key to my method is that the training has to be in the location the dog spends most their time. Meaning that I would have to train in client’s home. In all honestly, I wasn’t sure that dog training would be a worthwhile endevor. I was not even sure if I could get clients. After laying everything out the risk of taking a finanical loss would be very minimal. Most of the expenses would come from training equipment and training treats. Becoming a mobile business had its own challenges and concerns. In the end, I decided to take the leap into owning my own dog training business.

Rosina, 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?

I started out in the veterinary field as a veterinary assistant. I wanted to expand my knowledge and advance my career. So, I returned to college to get my associate’s degree and become licensed. Trying to find a clinic that would work with college classes was more difficult than I would have ever imagined. That’s when I was introduced to dog training. I worked in a pet store and was trained as a dog trainer and I did not expect to fall in love with it! During my time here I saw a lot of pitfalls in using the “cookie cutter” method and group training. Not every dog learns in the same way or at the same speed as others. I did complete my education and I am a licensed veterinary technician and worked in a clinic for many years. All the while, talking about dog training and how beneficial it is, and how it can help our patients. One day, one of the doctors I worked with told me that I could do dog training on the side. That’s when my creativity began to really come to life.

I provide my clients with one-on-one personalized dog training. I offer obedience, AKC Canine Good Citizen, and behavior modification dog training services. My biggest passion is working with anxiety and aggressive dogs. I recently worked with a handsome Airedale with some pretty intense territorial aggression. Even though the first session did not start off so well, by the end of the session I had already begun to see progress. He managed to get loose from his house and a neighbor kid was able to bring him home without incident. This would not have gone well before his training with me as the dog had a high risk of biting strangers previously. This was after only five sessions with me.

I am so very proud of the progress he has made. I get to know my clients on a personal level and value each and every one of them.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In my experience, word of mouth is the most effective strategy for growing your clientele. If you make an impression on your clients they will talk about it. They will tell their friends, family, and co-works about you. The biggest thing is to make a long-lasting impression one that will benefit you for years to come. In all reality, being genuine and passionate in the service you offer a long-lasting impression will come without any effort from you. Be sure you ask your clients to leave a review and share their experience on your social media.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Managing a team can definitely be tricky at times. One thing you must do is know your team. Know and understand their needs, desires, and motivations. The next step is where it gets tricky. You have to meet each one of those points to the best of your ability. If your staff member travels a long way keep that in mind when scheduling them, for example. If you know they want to advance be sure to inform them of the steps they have to take to reach the goal. When a position opens up seriously consider them for the position. If they are not a good fit be sure to talk to them about it. This helps avoid hard feelings between the team.

I think the biggest part of team morale is showing your support and appreciation. We all have families and lives outside of work. That is more important than any job, you should always remember that. If they have a family emergency do not make them feel like their job is at risk if they miss a shift. This will increase the likelihood of them quitting. Appreciation can go miles. If your team knows how much you appreciate what they do for you the more they will be willing to do more. They will enjoy working with you instead of dreading going to work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barkercanineacademy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barkercanineacademy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarkerCanineAcademy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4QcyPr1eiMtZte1G7df-Jw

Image Credits
Image credit: Athena A Barker