So I know I’ve been gone from the blog for a while, it’s been a crazy few months for me. Some things I will share in this blog but majority of the content will be posted in my lifestyle blog www.javaandjabber.com . We haven’t been doing any real formal training in a while. I just finished up with two great boxers. One a pup named Lexie and her older sister Ellie. Pictured below:
She graduated from her In-Home 6 week course. So proud of her and her parents. Being a parent to two boxers is hard, not only because they are a working breed but the health-tests that boxers should have to make sure that they will be with you for the next 13-15 years is a little daunting on your nerves and on your wallet. But I have no reservations about this family. They know their stuff. They are also the first recipients of my new incentive for signing up for In-Home Private lessons. At the end of our training, the dog will receive a certificate of completion and a pet cot by 4Legs 4 Pets dog cots free of charge. This is a $50-$98 value. Just a little thank-you for being such great clients.
Now I’ve coined this term over the past months “Train. Unapologetically”. Its going to be the new mantra for Evolution Dog Training, LLC. What this means to me is to train as much as you can and as hard as you can but always remember that success is not measured only by a title it is also measured by the relationship that one has with their dog. Sometimes us competitors get so caught up on the “titles” that we forget to enjoy the training and journey as well. It also means to me to be prepared going into training. I’ve had a few swift kicks in the rear to remind me that one must always be prepared for training. I thought I was doing this before but now that I have a new sense on training, I realize I haven’t been practicing what I’ve been preaching to my students at Evolution Dog Training, LLC. I always tell my students to be sure to do the homework. Be sure to have at least two 10-15 minute sessions a day with their dog. Have I always done that? No. Do I intend to get better at it? Yes. For the people that don’t know about my health issues it could seem as if I am not “taking training seriously” or that I’m being lazy. To an extent I had to do some soul searching but in the middle of all that soul searching I came to the realization: “I have got to stop comparing myself to others” My journey is “MY JOURNEY” and their journey is theirs. I have to be up front and honest with myself. Hold my own self accountable and stop depending on people to do it for me. The last week and a half I have been practicing what I preach with Tia and I’ve grown so much with her. I am now more comfortable with her being off leash around me. She does not run off and I think that’s because she does not see the wonky awkwardness I used to have. I might not have trained everyday but I made our training sessions count. It may take me longer to get a certain title and with my competitive nature it kills me but I will get there when I get there on my own timeframe and not anyone else’s. So going forward, I will give myself a break and realize that it’s not a race to the finish, its all about the journey getting there. I do have a lot going on with the business, training my own dogs, and keeping up with my own health. I ask for no sympathy or pity from anyone. I didn’t ask to have these diseases, but it was the card I got dealt and so I deal with it the best way I know how and to not waste any time because people are literally dying everyday due to complications with Lupus and other “invisible chronic diseases”. I don’t post about my health to get attention, I post about it to make people aware that it exists and to educate the many oh so many people who “think” they know the answer and what goes on with the diseases (from the textbook). I am here and I live with these diseases and I fight every day to have a seemingly normal life and do normal things but the truth of the matter is, like the breed I love so much I take a different course of action than most to get to the finish line. In my own time.
As far as business goes, we are still waiting on the funds to come through for the building. Even with my newfound take on training I’ve actually come up with two plans for the business. Either A) we get the investor money and can get the dream building that I love and work hard at promotion and getting clients or B) I hold off on getting the building and build more clientele/money up. During this time I would like to also go to Karen Pryor Academy for Dog Trainers. I know experience is one thing but I want to be a professional at my craft. I want to learn more about animal/dog behavior. I can get a scholarship to attend the majority online program. I think also my future clients will feel a little more comfortable with a dog training professional who went to school and got certified as well as having hands-on experience. At this point I am actually leaning towards option B. I will still take on clients and will still continue to train Tia and Capone in IGP and AKC Obedience. Also you might notice that the website looks a bit different. Again I have revamped it and cut back on my services. So lets discuss this now.
We are now using the Propet System. You will follow the link given below to the propet portal and follow the instructions on how to make a profile. I will go further into this in a future post. This will be the hub of our business, we will check dogs in and out, keep vaccination records, client records, and you can actually pay for your classes in the portal. Services are now as listed:
Beginner Obedience Group Class $159.00
Advanced Obedience Group Class $159.00
Human Only Group Classes $100.00
- Heeling 101
- Responsible Dog Ownership
- Puppy/Adult Dog Finder
AKC Novice Obedience $159.00
AKC Rally Class $165.00
Puppy Class $95.00
Trial Prep $149.00
Private Lessons $100.00
Puppy In-Home Package $1060.00
Adult In-Home Package $1484.00
Membership $149.00
Look for a more detail description over the weeks as I update the website. And remember to Train Unapologetically!!
Ellasha
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