We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenny Brisson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jenny, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
We spent hours and hours working on the name of our business. Do we go with something super catchy or something more simple? We felt like we had this blank canvas in front of us and we wanted to paint the most authentic name to illustrate what we can help our clients with and ultimately, most clients are looking for a difference in behavior or new learning style for their dog(s). And voila, we had it- A Different Dog.
Jenny, 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?
Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Brisson
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have Type 1 Diabetes, commonly known as Juvenile Diabetes. In 2010, my husband and I had 2 children, a baby under a year and a 2 year old. I had left my career in Human Resources to be a stay at home mom. While I loved being able to stay home with my children, I was struggling with Hypoglycemia Unawareness. Hypoglycemia Unawareness is a condition in which the body does not recognize that the blood sugar is dropping and can result in an emergency. We decided to pursue a search for another tool for me to have at home and learned from a neighbor about a local non-profit Assistance Dog organization that had begun training dogs to detect low blood sugar by using scent work. I applied for a Diabetic Assistance Dog and was accepted into the program. In the spring of 2011, I was matched with a male, Smooth Coat Collie, named Apollo. For 8 years we were a team and my catalyst to becoming a Professional Dog Trainer. While working for a local dog training company I met my future business partner, Aly. We bonded over our love of training dogs and training styles. My career came full circle in 2021 when I accepted a position as a Client Services Coordinator at the very organization that had provided me with my Type 1 Assistance Dog, Apollo. For almost two years I worked with clients with physical disabilities and autism and the dogs they were matched with. Aly had come on board at the same organization in the puppy program as a trainer. In March of 2024, we started our business, A Different Dog, LLC.
We specialize in Basic and Advanced Levels of Obedience, Canine Good Citizen, Reactivity, Aggression, Task-trained Working Dogs, and Specialized Services. We specialize in relationship building between dogs and their human handlers by using a learner centered model, and rewards-based training. We provide in-home, public (dog friendly or Assistance Dog in training) and neighborhood training for our clients.
We have years of experience with dogs of all ages, breeds, and learning styles. We focus on the dog in front of us, their medical history, the lifestyle of their guardians, the learning style(s) of their guardians, and focusing on progression and not perfection. We believe wholeheartedly that each dog should be approached through the lens of Positive Reinforcement first and foremost, but understand that that rehabilitation of our most serious cases should provide some flexibility in our decisions..
Our successes have included long term client development and support, rehabilitation of a serious case of canine fear, and onboarding an intern.
We want our clients to know we will work in partnership to helping you understand how the canine brain functions, how to greatly improve your communication skills with your dog(s), how to correct reinforce wanted behaviors and how to extinguish unwanted behaviors. Most importantly, our goal is to improve the quality of the relationship a dog guardian has with their dog(s).
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy we have experienced is by “word of mouth”. When the word gets out, when a client Has these new experiences with their dog, they share it. They tell their family, they tell their friends and the share it on their social media accounts. We do advertise, and that has been helpful, but when you are in this business, you get known for your approach, your communication and your ability to work with a wide and diverse group of people and their dogs.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
We have always had a very strong work ethic and we care deeply about our clients and their dogs. It’s really that simple. The clients come to us for a variety of reasons, but the number one reason is their are looking for professional help to partner in dog learning and training with. We don’t misrepresent what we do, we have clear communication with our clients and we always follow through. Dogs are our family members, our sports partners, our hunting partners, livestock partners, disability mitigation partners and many other roles. When a behavioral issue needs to be addressed, often there is something medically happening to the dog and they can’t voice it, but it’s affecting their behavior. Maybe it’s a complex case or an easier case. We will work with the client to best identify the source, make a plan, and be the support they need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://adifferentdog.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adifferentdogmn?igsh=N3BzbDExYWcyZ3Zu&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18seoLjpRZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-brisson-2393a66?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/4qZpfFQYbx
Image Credits
Jodi Moore Elkins and Jennifer Brisson