5 Limiting Beliefs Dog Trainers Have About Their Businesses

5 Limiting Beliefs Dog Trainers Have About Their Businesses

After having the opportunity to talk to many other dog trainers over the years, I’ve discovered some trends that I want to bring to your attention.

Limiting beliefs are beliefs that are unconsciously inhibiting you from making the right moves to create your dream dog training business.

Here are a few I’ve identified that could be blocking you from growing your business.


1. Dog trainers (unfortunately) believe their work isn’t super valuable.

This one truly breaks my heart. Your work changes LIVES!

Not just dog’s lives. But PEOPLE’s lives. Families lives. Childrens lives. You are teaching people a new way of thinking. A new way of approaching problems. You’re teaching them stuff that they will literally apply the rest of their lives. Your work is literally life changing. You are valuable. Your information is critical to people’s happiness and quality of life.

2. You can’t make a significant living as a dog trainer. 

If this is something you believe, guess what… You have the power to run your business however you want! You can work with whoever you want. Charge whatever you want. Structure your services however you want. If this limiting belief is stopping you from earning more as a trainer, it’s your turn to change how you’re doing things to make it untrue. Restructure your services. Increase your prices. Do whatever you need to so that you can grow your income.

3. Your clients don’t want to or can’t work with you in an ongoing manner. 

There’s this beliefe that new dog trainers have that people just want to finish the one package they purchased and then never want to work with you again. News flash – your clients need more from you. Their lives will change. New people will join or leave their family. They will adopt other pets. They will move to a new area.

And their dog(s) will need help adjusting to all of those situations.

4. Your clients don’t want to talk to you post-training. 

This couldn’t be further from the truth. If your client had a great time during training, they WANT to keep talking to you. They would love more tips or ideas. They would love to fill out a survey to help you learn and improve. Use that to your advantage to continue to stay in touch with them. Ask them about their experience working with you and then make improvements!

5. Your competition is the enemy.

There’s this old beliefe in dog training that all other dog trainers are the competition and therefore are the enemy. This really couldn’t be further from the truth. Your business is more limited by your beliefs and mindset than it is by your “competition.” I put competition in quotation marks because I don’t truly believe they are your competition.

You are different from your competitors simply because you are YOU. Maybe you communicate differently. Maybe you prefer to help certain case over others. Maybe you prefer working with certain types of people over others. You’ll have different specialities. You’ll have varying levels of experience and expertise. And who doesn’t have a dog these days? There is PLENTY of work to go around.

Focus on building community over competition. Make a network of like-minded trainers in your area like I did. Find others to mentor. Learn from each others’ experiences. Build each other up. This work is hard enough without worrying about “enemies,” too.

Now, here’s an opportunity for you.

If you have a dog training business and you’re not where you want to be.

You’re not working with clients you love. 

Your schedule is maxed out but you’re barely making ends meet. 

You want to have time off. You need more automation in your business. 

Set up a FREE strategy session with me!

Use my link to schedule a strategy session with you so we can take a deep dive into your business and I’ll give you some recommendations.

Last time I opened up time for free strategy sessions, 15 people signed up within 48 hours so don’t delay!

How To Set Yourself Apart From The Pack Of “Trainers”

How To Set Yourself Apart From The Pack Of “Trainers”

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Anyone can be a trainer. How are you setting yourself apart?

Wondering why the word “trainers” is in quotation marks? That’s because we want to emphasize the fact that anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. There are no regulations in the dog training industry – not even minimum standards that must be met. That means anyone off the street who decides he wants to train dogs can call himself a “dog trainer.” It is unfortunate, but it is true.

When you’re in the midst of starting your own dog training business, there are some ways you can show potential customers that you’re different and can provide more value than other trainers in the area.

Provide (Free) Value

Before bringing a stranger into their home to work with their beloved dog, owners want to know who you are and why you’re better. What better way than to share your knowledge with them? Setting up an email marketing campaign will help you connect with your potential clients by giving them information they need and want. Create a free email newsletter through MailChimp with our tutorial and then get started helping out your clients! The most important part of this concept is to allow customers to volunteer their emails and provide them with information they want – not what you think they ought to know.

Walk a mile in their shoes.”

Provide More Than Your Competitors

Clients are always interested in getting the best bang for their buck. Find ways to provide them more for their money. Here are some ideas:

  • Create a special educational email newsletter or ebook just for clients.
  • Create follow-up pdf handouts that they can print and tape to their fridge.
  • Offer monthly seminars that are 1-2 hours long for a small fee, but that are exclusive for current clients.
  • Offer unique services such as training walks or outings for clients who don’t have time to train their own dogs every day.
  • Host a monthly or bi-weekly “yappy hour” for clients whose dogs are social.

The possibilities are endless! You just have to get creative. The ultimate goal is to help your human client’s lives return to a peaceful and normal state.

State Your Mission Clearly

As modern dog trainers, you need to make it clear why you’re different from the man off the street who has no education. Make your mission clear on your website and marketing materials. Briefly explain why you became a dog trainer (don’t forget the part about helping families), discuss the science that drives your methods, and share the results your clients have achieved with your training.

Promote the End Result

In the end, clients are looking for training that will fix their problem. If the behavior issue is driving them insane, they are usually desperate to find a quick fix – and we can’t blame them! Everyone gets a dog to improve their lives, not to increase their stress or anxiety. Make it clear that your methods work and share with them the end goal you are looking to achieve. Training can be fun and games, but will it truly help them with their situation in the end.

Bonus Idea: Make a referral program for existing clients. Entice clients to share information about your services to their friends and reward them for promoting your business!

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