Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristine Schwartz
Hi Kristine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2018, I got my first puppy. A 10 week old English Springer Spaniel, named Dex. He was a puppy I’d been wanting for a long time – since high school when I worked at a boarding kennel where I was first introduced to the breed. When Dex was about five and a half months old, we thought it would be a good idea to add another puppy to the mix. We got a Belgian Malinois mix, named Zeus. He sure was a handful! When Zeus was about two he started becoming aggressive towards Dex and sometimes people. I wasn’t sure what to do. There were really no trainers in the area and I didn’t want to send him off to a board and train. No one I talked to had any real solutions. I spent countless hours online researching resource guarding and aggression between dogs living together. It was a long road working with my boys to get them to coexist peacefully and it was accomplished. This is when I decided to start my own training business – so I could help people in similar situations, as well as with basic obedience, in my area.
I went on to train Zeus in rally obedience and earned titles through the highest level of competition through the United Kennel Club. He was also trained to hunt upland birds which he enjoyed immensely. Dex is also competes in rally obedience, nosework, shed hunting and upland hunting.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the beginning, getting my name out there was difficult. Starting a small business is hard. I was relying on Facebook and Google to hopefully spread the word and show up in searches. Thanks to friends sharing my posts, handing out business cards in their businesses and by word of of mouth, my business has grown dramatically in the past year and a half. I can’t thank them enough.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I offer in home – in your home – pet dog training services. From basic obedience to behavioral issues I want to help clients have the best dog for them. I also have knowledge in rally obedience, nosework, and hunting if those are things clients are interested in doing with their dog.
How do you think about happiness?
My client’s succeeding with their dogs is what makes me the happiest in this profession. I want every client to be happy and have a good relationship with their dog. Living with an out of control, untrained, reactive or aggressive dog is no fun. It’s much easier and enjoyable to have a trained, well behaved dog and that is what I strive to teach my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://northernskydogtraining.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zdxdogtraining/
