An increase in pet ownership, in part due to the pandemic, and wider exposure of the benefits of professional pet training, is leading to an increase in businesses catering to four-legged clients.
Professional dog training has always been available in one form or another, but the growing demand for services has created a booming industry.
After two of their beloved pets died in 2020, Jack DeBussey and his family decided to get another companion dog.
It was during the pandemic. Both DeBussey and his wife, Melody, worked from their East Cobb home.
They brought home Fritz, a black giant schnauzer.
Credit: Hand
Credit: Hand
Giant schnauzers are intelligent, powerful, athletic dogs, but they can also be stubborn and determined.
DeBussey wanted to make sure that when he wasn’t around, his 80-pound, four-legged family member would also obey his wife, who stands 5-feet, 4-inches tall, and their young daughter.
He knew he needed professional help and reached out to trainer Jacob Weaver, the owner of Altamaha Canine Consulting in Wayne County.
“I think some people can probably (train) and hold their pets accountable, but that can be very challenging,” DeBussey said. “I think the advantage of having a professional trainer is that they understand what a dog needs. ... Do I need a carrot or a stick?”
Do I need a carrot or a stick?
“All dogs need a certain level of socialization and training to understand the expectations of living in the human world,” said Bradley Phifer, executive director for the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.
Obtaining a dog from a rescue group or shelter is more common than in previous years and some of these dogs may have had behavioral issues in their previous living situations. Additionally, awareness has grown because of exposure from trainers turned TV celebrities such as Victoria Stilwell or author Paul Owens.
There is a system that works in terms of teaching new behavior and commands, but “with each individual dog there’s going to be nuances and changes in the game plan,” said trainer Anthony Todaro, who works with Atlanta Dog Wizard.
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
The DeBussey family sent Fritz to Altamaha Canine Consulting, where he stayed for eight weeks on the company’s 40-acre property in Southeast Georgia. The DeBusseys visited him after four weeks and received regular updates about this progress. He said they paid about $2,000 for the eight-week course that included boarding, food and training.
He obeys more commands and is easier to walk with on a leash.
Credit: Michael Blackshire
Credit: Michael Blackshire
“Unless you’ve ever had a fully-trained animal, you can’t really appreciate what that looks like,” said Weaver.
He said his company has always had steady clientele but business jumped 30% during the pandemic.
Prices can vary by trainer whether a pet owner wants group training, private courses, whether at your home or at a trainer’s home for more intensive training.
PetSmart offers group, private and virtual training classes, according to its website, with some series starting at $149.
Some people will instead do it themselves using a book or by watching YouTube videos.
Sharon Byrd lives in East Atlanta with her 2 1/2-year-old French bulldog Matisse, who has “100% of that stubborn bulldog attitude.”
Byrd said she got Matisse as a companion during the pandemic so she wouldn’t be lonely as she worked from home.
This was Byrd’s first dog.
“I hired the dog trainer for me. Not necessarily for the dog,” said Byrd, who works for Cox Communications, owned by Cox Enterprises, which also owns the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I needed to learn how to relate to the dog, I needed to know what the signals mean ... and also I wanted him to be a well-behaved dog.”
The trainer came to her house for a five-week puppy training program, which cost about $800 and later for another more advanced training series that cost around the same price.
Although he was small “he was pulling me down the street. It was embarrassing.” She also didn’t want the dog to jump on people when they visited her home or make people uncomfortable.
Was it worth it?
“It was completely worth it,” she said.
And, it’s not just your average dog owners turning to professional help.
Recently President Joe Biden’s First Dog, “Commander,” a two-year-old German shepherd, made the news for biting Secret Service agents and aggressive behavior. Another Biden canine, Major, had similar issues and was exiled to Delaware.
According to Politico, the White House is working on additional leashing protocols and training.
Joe Norfleet, owner of Marietta-based Devoted Pack Services, grew up around dogs while living in Chicago.
Norfleet, who owns an 85-pound dogo Argentino named Ziggy, helped his uncle train dogs, and has always had dogs of his own. He offers basic obedience and behavior modification training and private lessons.
“Holding a dog accountable 100% of the time, is the key to obedience,” he said.
Most dogs can learn correct behavior. “It’s never the dog,” he said. “It’s always the owner. The circumstances will dictate the problem with the dog. It’s either hot or cold. There’s no in between.”
Tips on selecting a trainer:
Interview the trainer and observe a class without your dog before signing up.
- What is their training philosophy?
- Does the trainer have experience in the area in which you want to train? (e.g., agility)
- How long has the trainer been teaching classes?
- Does the trainer have experience with their own dog?
- Is the trainer able to deliver the instruction in a logical manner—directions are clear, training is broken into small steps
- The trainer can explain why something is done a certain way
- Are the students able to follow the instructions and get success with their dogs? (e.g., if the trainer is teaching them how to teach their dogs to sit, are the dogs sitting?)
- Is the trainer a positive, supportive person? Humans need reinforcement too — not only the dogs.
- Does the trainer get continuing education, compete with their own dog or participate in dog sports, or do they have any dog trainer certifications?
- Is the trainer available to help you (text, email) between classes?
Source: Mary R. Burch, a certified applied animal behaviorist and director of the American Kennel Club’s Family Dog Program
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