Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Brisson
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have Type 1 Diabetes, commonly known as Juvenile Diabetes. In 2010, my husband and I had 2 children, a baby under a year and a 2 year old. I had left my career in Human Resources to be a stay at home mom. While I loved being able to stay home with my children, I was struggling with Hypoglycemia Unawareness. Hypoglycemia Unawareness is a condition in which the body does not recognize that the blood sugar is dropping and can result in an emergency. We decided to pursue a search for another tool for me to have at home and learned from a neighbor about a local non-profit Assistance Dog organization that had begun training dogs to detect low blood sugar by using scent work. I applied for a Diabetic Assistance Dog and was accepted into the program. In the spring of 2011, I was matched with a male, Smooth Coat Collie, named Apollo. For 8 years we were a team and my catalyst to becoming a Professional Dog Trainer. While working for a local dog training company I met my future business partner, Aly. We bonded over our love of training dogs and training styles. My career came full circle in 2021 when I accepted a position as a Client Services Coordinator at the very organization that had provided me with my Type 1 Assistance Dog, Apollo. For almost two years I worked with clients with physical disabilities and autism and the dogs they were matched with. Aly had come on board at the same organization in the puppy program as a trainer. In March of 2024, we started our business, A Different Dog, LLC.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We went into this knowing we have to build our business as the trainers that we are by building off of each small and successful step. This is by far one of the most word of mouth industries and there are a lot of differing opinions on methodologies, but Aly and I are clear eyed about our goals. It has been about as smooth as we could have predicted.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At A Different Dog, LLC, we look at each dog and client as individual learners first and foremost. Clients don’t know what they don’t know, but they come to us because they want to solve problems. We are Professional Dog Trainers with extensive history in Basic and Advanced Levels of Obedience, Canine Good Citizen, Reactivity, Aggression, Task-trained Working Dogs, and Specialized Services. We specialize in relationship building and problem solving between dogs and their human handlers by using a learner centered model, and rewards-based training. We provide in-home, public (dog friendly or Assistance Dog in training) and neighborhood training for our clients. Our approach is individualized and client/dog specific. This allows us to form relationships with our clients that not only benefit from results, but increase the confidence of the client and the ability to better understand their dog’s communication.
The name of our business is what matters to us most brand wise . Clients reach out to us for a variety of reasons, but the most common reason is the desire for different behaviors from their dog.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Dogs deserve to be understood and given the space to learn, thrive and experience a joyful life. This beyond all else, is the reason we do what we do.
Pricing:
- $145 for the initial consultation,. 1.5 hour
- $120 for follow up sessions. 1 hour
- $75 for virtual sessions
- $120 Per Day for our Stay and Train service. Some dog case exclusions apply.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @adifferentdogmn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/jTDJombiGoBTt2NK/
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTpYcHsj_K
