Dog trainer

[Clogdle]

Hello I hope you can help me. I am a dog trainer. I have been training for 7 years and I love it but Covid hit my business hard and now I am trying to recover.
I am not here to tout for business but I would like to ask where would you look if you wanted to hire a dog trainer, dog walker or pet sitter?
if I can get some ideas I can start marketing in those areas.
I specialise in puppies and nervous dogs/owners x

Thanks in advance. Claire x

Local Facebook pages
Nextdoor app
instagram

you should be inundated!

I'm surprised you don't have enquiries coming out of your ears - all the trainers near us (and there are loads) are fully booked with waiting lists!

I would advertise on Facebook, Instagram and NextDoor, and make sure your business is visible on Google too.

I'm a dog walker and all that helped me for me - as well as advertising in groomers and pet shops.

Me too! I think it might be because I only train 121 and there is a lady down the road who charges half what I charge.
I am definitely not the most expensive in my area and I provide a lot of free advice and time on top of the sessions.

Thank you
I do advertise on those but added next door today x

Sorry nothing to add to PPs on where to place ads but just wanted to make a point about what to say in your ad.

Make it clear you can help with not just training but break it down what that means like:
new puppy package:
prep your home (our dog lady gave us advice where to put the crate/pen, how to crate train etc)
toys and chews (what’s suitable for what age, when to give etc)
Common problems eg mouthing and biting, barking, jumping up etc
food and nutrition advice
socialisation advice (human and canine)
in home basics (sit stay quiet etc)
out and about basics (walk to heel, wait etc)

we always joked our dog lady was actually a human trainer first and dog trainer second. Good luck!

I have a reactive, nervous but scary (to some) looking dog. I hired his trainer after I saw her van with details on and checked out her website. Force free trainer with countless of qualifications offering a variety of training courses. She also advertises at the local private dog walking fields - might be useful for people who take their reactive dogs there.
For a pet sitter I’d like someone to take time get to know our boy before I’d feel comfortable leaving him.
I’d really want to know about qualifications and experience and to read good reviews for dogs with similar needs.

Thank you so much I love your insight and yes it is true we do train people more than dogs.

A great trainer will build a relationship with the whole family as well as the pup.
I will take this into consideration and get this into my repertoire

Thanks yes my van has been a great advertisement and I am in the process of getting it redone as the stickers were all peeling off where it hadnt been done for 7 years lol.
Maybe I need to repackage some of my courses - I only train 121 so tend to keep it quite basic.
I have some great reviews from people so that shouldnt be an issue either. I might have a look at the website and redo it. Thank you again great food for thought.

@Clogdle stop giving away your time and advice for free - nobody is going to pay for it otherwise.

If people want professional help they need to pay for it.

I'm on a few FB groups for the breed of dog we have. I'd look at those first as they usually have experience of the problems that they often have.

Are you on Insta too @Clogdle?

I am yes - I havent had as much traction on Insta as Facebook mind you - I do Tiktok too. Havent quite cracked the social media thing but trying to post daily to build my presence

I am yes - I havent had as much traction on Insta as Facebook mind you - I do Tiktok too. Havent quite cracked the social media thing but trying to post daily to build my presence

It might be useful to follow every other business you can think of in your town, if you haven't already. Hopefully they'll follow you back

Local Facebook pages

Have a good website, so when someone Google’s puppy classes or dog classes in Grange Hill, your name comes up

whenever someone asks for recommendations on local Facebook page, make sure your name is mentioned (the more times, the better).

And make sure your business is registered in google

Good idea Thank you x
All registered on Google and my site is https://petsgreatandsmall.co.uk

Could you advertise alongside dog sitting services, and dog walking.

My first step would be to Google ‘dog trainers in your area’

I don’t use Facebook or instagram or twitter.

It's great to see your dedication to dog training! To market your services, consider local pet stores, veterinarian clinics, and community bulletin boards.

Since you specialize in puppies and nervous dogs/owners, focus on reaching out to local dog owners' groups or rescue organizations that might need your expertise. Building a strong online presence and networking within your community will help you recover your business post-Covid.

Also, I'd recommend checking out this article on What does a dog trainer do on a daily basis? Best of luck with your recovery and continued success in your dog training journey!

Your website is coming up as "Private SiteThis site is currently private. Log in to WordPress.com to request access" so that might not be helping!