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

Alyson, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Eighteen years ago, my husband and I had two children in private school, and buying an Australian Labradoodle just wasn’t in the budget. (I was hooked on the breed—that’s another amazing story for another day!) So, instead of buying a puppy, I began researching how to become a guardian for a dog through a reputable breeder.

That’s when I found Gail Ferrell of Gail’s Doodles. I was immediately impressed—not just with her dogs, but with her morals, her ethics, and the way she did business. We quickly connected over our shared life values, and I became the guardian for her first male dog in her program. Up until then, she had only ever placed females with guardians.

Fast forward two years: Kozi, the male I was raising, was called to do his first “job” as a breeding dog. That night, Gail called me and asked, “What have you done to this dog?” My heart dropped. I said, “He better be behaving himself!” She replied, “He’s not just good—he’s the best dog I’ve ever had in my home as a breeding dog. Did you do this training on him?”

“Yes,” I answered.

Then she said words that changed my life: “Do you get paid for this?”

I couldn’t shake that question. Deep down, I knew I had a gift with dogs. I had a heart for them, an understanding of them, and I loved people passionately. I truly believed I could make a difference—for these adorable doodles and for the families who loved them.

About a month later, I called Gail back and said, “You’ve seen what I’ve done with Kozi. I think I can help your clients too. I want to become a dog trainer, and I believe I can help people live better, together, with their dogs.”

Her response was simple: “What about training puppies?”

I laughed and said, “Heck yes! If you get it right from the start, you’ve got it right for life.”

Gail told me, “I think you can do it. You’ve already proven it with Kozi. Get back to me when you’ve figured out your first program and all the details.”

That night, I stayed up until morning. I built my first website, wrote my mission statement, and created my very first program with a price tag. The next day, I called Gail back to share it all.

Her reply? “Perfect. I have your first client. He’s in the Netherlands, and we need a place for his puppy to go until he’s eligible to travel overseas.”

And just like that, Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp was born. From that moment on, there has never been a single day without a dog in training. Not one.

Alyson, 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?

I’m Alyson Rodges—most people call me Aly—and I’m the founder of Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp® and creator of The patented Good Walker® Leash line. Eighteen years ago, I never imagined I’d be leading a company that has trained over 7,000 dogs, with our dogs in every state of the nation and in 7 countries, shipped leashes across the U.S. and helped countless families find peace and joy with their beloved 4-legged companions. My journey started in a very grassroots way: we didn’t have the funds to buy a dog I was passionate about, so I became a guardian for a breeder’s male dog. I trained him as I would any family companion, and the breeder was so impressed she asked, “Do you get paid for this?” That question lit a fire. I stayed up all night building my first website, writing a mission statement, and creating my first program—and Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp was born. I haven’t had a single day without a dog in training since.

Today, my business is multi-layered. On one side, we provide in-person training through boot camp programs where dogs live with us and learn everything from basic obedience to advanced off-leash work. We also offer elite trained dogs for sale through our Doodle Ambassador and World Class Ambassador programs.

On the digital side, I’ve created Aly’s Academy and Aly’s Insider Community, where dog owners anywhere in the world can access training videos, guided challenges, and ongoing coaching and support. Beyond that, we also help train other trainers and professionals in dog-related businesses through Aly’s Insider Training. People come to learn from us and discover how to implement the APBC way into their own business protocols, bringing structure, clarity, and calm leadership into their programs.

I also wrote a book, The Pillars of Pack Leadership®, which shares my core philosophy and strategies for creating safe, sane, and civilized dogs and helping people truly live better together with their companions.

And then there’s The Good Walker® Leash—our patented leash line designed to solve the #1 problem dog owners face: pulling. With multiple styles (standard, hands-free, long line, and beach/lake), it’s become a favorite tool for thousands of professionals and dog owners who finally get to enjoy calm, connected walks.

The Heart of My Work: The Pillars of Pack Leadership®

At the heart of everything I do are my five core guiding strategies that I call my Pillars of Pack Leadership. This is the beginning of everything for me. These principles shape every program, product, and service I offer. They teach people that dog training isn’t just about obedience commands—it’s about leadership, structure, respect for space, and creating a calm state of mind. I often remind owners: You cannot command calm, and you cannot compel acceptance. True calmness and trust must be earned, and the Pillars give people a roadmap to guide their dogs toward that.

What sets me apart is that I’m not a “positive-only” trainer or a one-tool trainer. I’m a balanced trainer, and I believe in matching the right tool to the dog and the owner so they both succeed. My analogies often help people see this clearly: a tool is like a pair of shoes—you can walk barefoot, but why would you when shoes keep you safe and supported? It’s not the tool that’s the problem; it’s the hands that use it. My mission is to help people become responsible, thoughtful handlers who guide their dogs with clarity and compassion.

I’m most proud of the ripple effect. I’ve had the honor of working with families across the U.S. and internationally, watching once-overwhelmed owners step into leadership and dogs transform into confident, calm companions. It never gets old to hear, “We finally enjoy walks again,” or, “We trust our dog in public for the first time.” Those moments fuel me.

What I want potential clients and followers to know is this: there is hope. No matter your dog’s age, breed, or baggage, change is possible. With structure, leadership, the right tools, and a commitment to the relationship, you can have the dog you dreamed of. My brand isn’t just about products or programs—it’s about equipping people to live better, together, with their dogs.

It is my heart that every person and their dog can truly learn to live life together in a safe, sane and civilized way.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I started my business, it was me, myself, and I doing absolutely everything. At first, it seemed manageable—one dog a day, then seven dogs a day, and before I knew it, 17 dogs a day. But the truth was, I was working 20-hour days, and it was unsustainable. I thought carrying it all on my shoulders was strength, but it was slowly crushing me.

My family finally staged an intervention. They said, “Aly, you are building something amazing here, but it’s all for nothing if you’re dead. You need to hire help.” That was a wake-up call.

It was hard for me to spend desperately needed money on things I knew I could do myself—cleaning, sterilizing, bookkeeping—but I had to learn to let people in. The first step was hiring my very first assistant. From there, I hired a bookkeeper and a payroll processor, which freed up time I used to spend buried in numbers. I hired someone to help me automate all the manual tasks that were eating up my days—just answering emails alone was taking me two to three hours every day. And eventually, I hired someone to design a better website, because I couldn’t keep duct-taping it together myself if I wanted to grow.

Each of those steps stretched me. Delegating was uncomfortable at first, but it taught me that leadership isn’t about doing everything—it’s about creating the systems and team that allow the mission to thrive.

The big lesson I had to unlearn? That doing it all myself was the “strong” way. Real strength was trusting others, building a team, and allowing Aly’s Puppy Boot Camp to grow into something bigger than just me.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Getting automated and learning computers beyond using them like a typewriter was excruciating for me. Websites, automations, emails, video posting—it was a whole new world, and there were plenty of bumps along the way.

From day one, my idea was simple: film what I was doing with clients’ dogs and upload it so they could see the progress. At the time, cell phones didn’t do what they do now. I ran around with my kids’ little Flip video camera, and it worked—until suddenly, Flip stopped making them. I scoured eBay and bought every one I could find, but eventually they all broke. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Then phones finally evolved enough to record video, and I had to learn (the hard way) how to get video from a phone onto a computer. Nothing about any of it came easy.

And when it came to running the “business side” of the business, the misses were just as real. I missed hitting SEND on more things than I care to admit—payroll, payments, important emails. Each miss felt huge. But through all the mess-ups and close calls, I chose transparency. I owned it. I’d send out a message like: “We love technology until we don’t—and today, I don’t. Please forgive me for missing X.” And you know what? People gave me mercy. Employees and vendors knew my heart and that I was always good for it.

As for payroll, one near miss still makes me laugh now—but it wasn’t funny then. The system wasn’t working, payday was here, and my employees needed to be paid. So I literally ran to the bank, withdrew cash, handed it to my team, and said, “Once payroll gets figured out and your checks clear, just pay me back.” And they did. That trust was everything.

Those scrappy, humbling moments taught me that transparency and integrity matter more than perfection. My team knew I’d never leave them hanging, even if I had to do it the old-fashioned way with cash in hand.

There there was another technology hold-up the Venmo story: When Venmo first came onto the scene, I thought it was going to make my life easier. Clients loved the convenience, and payments started rolling in that way. What I didn’t expect was how often Venmo would hold onto that money for days—or even weeks—before releasing it.

I’ll never forget one day in particular. I sat at my desk and cried because I didn’t know where the next dollar I needed was going to come from. Bills were due, payroll was looming, and the funds I should have had in hand were locked up in limbo. I was desperate.

And then—grace showed up. The very next day, a client casually asked, “Hey, is it OK if I pay cash?” I cried tears of relief as I accepted it. That cash was just enough to cover what needed covering until Venmo finally released the money.

That moment taught me something I’ll never forget: entrepreneurship is equal parts grit and grace. There will be times the systems fail, the money stalls, and the stress feels overwhelming. But if you stay honest, keep showing up, and cling to faith that the next step will appear, somehow it always does.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alyspuppybootcamp.com
• Instagram: alyspuppybootcamp
• Facebook: alyspuppybootcamp
• Linkedin: alyspuppybootcamp
• Twitter: alyspuppybootcamp
• Youtube: alyspuppybootcamp

Image Credits

Alyson Rodges credits for all images