We were lucky to catch up with Lindsey Haislop recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission as a dog trainer is to help empower dog owners with enough skills and information to create a confident, polite and manageable family member. Over the 10+ years I’ve been in this field, I have found that your average pet owner simply does not know enough about the language and behavior of dogs which is a big factor in what drives some of the most common behavioral issues. These issues have potential to be dangerous and are often times the reason dogs get surrendered to shelters across America. Shelters are at maximum capacity all over the place. If I can play even a small role in helping decrease these numbers then I will do everything I can to do so.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been training professionally for 9 years. The company I work for offers a broad set of group classes and private lessons where owners can work one on one with me to get a more tailored lesson plan to fit their needs. I also use my skills at another company that offers in home training and board and train programs. Think “boot camp” for dogs. Whether you choose group classes or a board & train program – there are pros and cons to each. I consider myself a balanced trainer which means I do not keep myself in one box. Some trainers are purely positive and other trainers utilize more aversive methods. I do it all. Because of this, I feel that I am able to avoid pressuring owners into using methods they are not comfortable with thus building trust between us. Dog trainers are very passionate about the work they do so sometimes they can forget that there are other ways to get the same results that they get. There is no black and white answer to anything in dog training so I feel that keeping an open mind, to pretty much anything training related, is what sets me apart from others.

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

Confidence and sincerity. Admittedly, when I was just a baby trainer, I was pretty nervous about instructing people that were 20 or 30 years my senior. But as I pushed through and continued to gain experience and get good results, my confidence started to build. Now that is something that is most frequently commented on when I work with clients. Creating a more relaxed environment and talking to clients like they were my friends instead of paying customers has helped me immensely. It also opens up the people I work with and I work best with people who are actively involved in conversations. I make suggestions as necessary and I am honest with my clients about everything we are working on. If I don’t think what their doing will create the best results, then I tell them. If I think they are doing a great job with something, then I tell them. Any feedback is good feedback.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I read somewhere that “when you don’t have all the facts, try to give people the most generous reason you can for their behavior. This mindset will make you less reactive and more passionate” and I think that is such a great thing to have in mind when you are managing a team.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/lindseyah
• Instagram: instagram.com/trainingwithcgandme