We were lucky to catch up with Diana Ozimek recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I’m not sure I did, it might have been my mom but I don’t remember. I know the name came about because the main goal of my business is to work with families from puppyhood through adolescence. Good Dog in the Making is just that, creating a good dog who is socially appropriate that can take part in all the fun things families do. “In the making” really describes the process of building a foundation as a puppy and helping along the way as they grow into a dog.

Diana, 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?

My name is Diana Ozimek and I am the owner and lead dog trainer at Good Dog in the Making. I went into dog training after volunteering at an open access animal shelter in Chicago, IL. It’s hard to see so many dogs given up for issues that can be helped with some training. We support all types of pet dog training from bringing home a puppy to advanced off leash obedience. We want to make sure our help sticks. Our programs offer follow up lessons as well as a on going monthly class for clients who have finished a training program so they can keep practicing and gaining support along the way. Our next step will be to build our own location so we can offer more training services as well as a day care and boarding facility for clients with a training forward thought process. We want our clients to know their dogs will receive enrichment and fun in a place built with their dog in mind from safety to a calming environment where they can be relaxed and enjoy their stay.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Definitely my customer service. I’m very supportive, sometimes too available to my customer needs. While dogs are in training with me a take a lot of footage to share on social media so their owners can see what they are up to on a daily basis. Once they have their lessons and go home, my client is welcome to reach out with any questions they have while they are practicing with their dog. They can call, text, email, send videos…. I also think offering the monthly class as ongoing support is an important part of programming and customer service. Growing from client referrals has been a major part of finding new clientele. Customer service can take a lot of time in your day but when you are growing your business, especially in a small town like I am, it’s very important to keep your reputation in tact.

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

I keep in touch with my client through social media, emails and an ongoing monthly class when we can meet in person. If my clients have social media they are urged to follow my pages to see updates on their dogs if they are staying for training as well as tips along the way. Since most of my clients do follow my social media they stay engaged through posts they are interested in, a neighbors dog they see in training or a topic they are interested in. My email is limited, I only email them to announce the next class or anything new that is happening. Hosting a monthly class where clients can meet up face-to-face is very valuable. When clients get to know each other and help each other out that can be very powerful and create extra loyalty to the group. When you work in certain services and families trust you with their live animal they want you to be their go-to for all things involving that pet. As I grow and I can offer more services like day care and boarding it will increase brand loyalty even more since they already trust me to take care of them and their pet and will be able to take advantage of other activities.

Contact Info:

• Website: gooddoginthemaking.com
• Instagram: good_dog_in_the_making
• Facebook: facebook.com/gooddoginthemaking

Image Credits
Diana Ozimek