A year ago, Lindsey and her fiancé hired Doggie Joggie to run their athletic Anatolian Shepherd, Chester, since they both worked full time for the Navy. From our initial meeting, Lindsey was a dream client, easy to work with and low-maintenance. We were extremely impressed with her calm but powerful “pack-leader” energy, and her dedication to her dog. Plus, she was always fostering, rescuing, and volunteering with multiple San Diego dog rescues, which is the way to my heart.

When Lindsey got out of the Navy, with her newfound free time, she didn’t need Doggie Joggie to run Chester anymore. Maybe Lindsey could sense my Chester withdrawals, because after a couple weeks, she did something that made my heart grow three sizes. She said that she had always been interested in working with animals, much more than her job in the navy (which, surprisingly, wasn’t launching rockets from submarines, like I had decided in my mind). She asked if she could work with us as a dog walker. If you know any of our dog walkers, you know how selective we are. But working with Lindsey was a no-brainer. And it was even better than we expected. She was perfect. She was built for this.

Lindsey knew that helping dogs was the right career path for her. She told us she wanted to pursue a formal education in dog training, and she moved to Maysville Georgia to complete a total-immersion dog training program at Custom Canine Unlimited. We stayed in touch via skype, and I was humbled by her experience. Her schooling included lectures in a classroom with hands-on field work, all under the instruction of world-renowned dog trainers. Lindsey got exactly the experience and education she was looking for, including tracking, obedience, scent detection, personal protection and security, and behavior modification. She also earned her Kennel Master Certification, making her proficient in canine first aid, nutrition, administering medication, and maintaining a kennel.

Lindsey was so essential to our team that I wanted to keep working with her when she came back. But with her fancy schmancy education and dog trainer status, she had already outgrown her position at Doggie Joggie, and our business model in general. I have a confession: for a hot second, I secretly hoped that her dog training business might grow slowly so she could still walk dogs for us part-time (Sorry Lindsey!). Luckily Sam had a better thought. If we could quickly figure out how to launch and integrate a training program into our pre-existing business, she might want to continue working with us. She said yes!  So we kicked our ass into gear. It was like starting Doggie Joggie all over again! Web copy, research, contracts, research, pay rates, research, budgets, equipment, services, pricing, marketing materials, insurance, business cards, research, research, research. It was a mountain of work, but we know an A player when we meet one, and we were determined to keep Lindsey on our team. I’ve seen her understand, communicate with, and transform dogs in a way that I only dream about. Plus she has heart: she has been adamant about giving dog training price discounts for rescued dogs and military personnel. Clients wanted to book her for dog training even before she came back from Georgia.

Lindsey’s dog training philosophy focuses on a positive learning process through praise-based rewards. So far, I’ve NEVER seen her use a treat! She believes in keeping training sessions short, while maintaining consistency and follow-through. You can read more about Lindsey’s background, services, and dog training principles on Doggie Joggie’s brand spankin’ new training webpage.

I have learned so much from Lindsey about dog behavior and communication, and I also just love her as a person. She makes dogs better every time she sees them, and you know what? She has the same effect on me.

Have you ever hired a dog trainer? Do you have a question for Lindsey? Leave us a comment below!

About Ali Meza

Hi, I'm Ali, co-founder of Doggie Joggie, a pet care company in San Diego specializing in dog running, dog walking, dog training, and pet sitting. My official title is "Director of Happiness", and my favorite parts of my job are talking too much, discovering new parts of San Diego on foot, kissing dogs on the mouth, and not telling my husband about it. Connect with Doggie Joggie on Instagram or Google+ and stay in touch!