How To Start A Dog Training Business – Volumetree

Dogs, our loyal furry companions are frequently spotted everywhere. They are the most common pets. In fact, dogs are synonymous with the word ‘pet’. When in conversation someone mentions a pet, it’s common to assume they must be talking about a dog.

Besides being adorable and independent, dogs are great resources for the differently-abled. Dogs prove to be great assets for the police department and are great guards of their territory even as pets at home. No wonder they are so popular as pets.

For a dog to be a manageable, pet training period has to be factored in. Dog training is an essential part of a dog’s life as well as a dog owner’s life. A lot of time and patience goes into training a pet dog. Dogs were never made to be domesticated. Unfortunately, not every pet owner has a huge open space for their pets while living in the city. So, dog training is a must.

The pet product industry is booming and reached a whopping $72.5 Billion in America alone, according to the American pet products association. The pet industry is quickly scaling up in the services sector as well. You can now spot dog and cat cafes, dog grooming salons, etc. Of this lot, it’s the dog training centers that are the most sought after. The services industry other than vet care stands at $6.31 billion for 2019 as estimated within the U.S market alone.

Business Model For Dog Training Business

A customer-centric business model is a key to success when it comes to dog training centers. No matter how low business is scaled, what matters the most is a suitable business structure. What makes or breaks a company is the people in it. Employees with the right skillset coming together as one and working towards a common objective and vision of the company ensure its success.

Something crucial for any business is the location it is situated in. The right location followed by a grand opening and advertising the event on different mediums can help grab a fair share of the market. The aim should be to put the pet owner at easy and make communication with their pet stress-free, help them bond and understand what their pet is trying to convey.

Opportunities are limitless for businesses that aim to create an impression. When starting this business, you need to understand where your clients come from in terms of thought process. The two situations where pet owners will contact you are if they recently acquired a puppy or if their existing pet is misbehaving or has issues that need resolving, for better and clear communication.

A dog training business can be started with low capital as money for overhead costs is quite low. Overhead costs are minimal as they pertain to equipment such as leashes, dog treats, clickers, etc. that ensure an efficiently run business.

Another important aspect is the pricing structure that falls into two categories half-hourly and hourly rates, especially for a private session. The rates could be discounted for a group training class. Dog training centers could benefit from networking with kernel boarding facilities, pet boutiques and groomers for referrals and beneficial collaborations.

The services provided could be split into three:

1. Puppy or first-pet obedience training-
   This is the primary service that most dog trainers offer. They train your pet for on and off-leash obedience, hand signals, voice commands, puppy obedience and more. These services are essential for new and existing pet owners to have a lasting, loving and healthy relationship with their furry companions.
2. Owner participation training –
   Some pet owners or their family members might be apprehensive or even scared of handing their dogs. An owner participation program can help reduce the fear factor of dogs and help pet owners and their families accept their dog as a part of their family.
3. Competition obedience training –
   Pet owners with a competitive spirit can benefit from this service by learning techniques to handle their pets at competitions.

Additionally, a dog trainer could also offer a pre-pet awareness program to help potential pet owners decide which breed best fits their lifestyle. Some trainers also offer grooming services that help your pets look their best.

Existing Market Players

Wagfield– A pet care business based in San Francisco which aims to enrich and save dog’s lives even. They aim to do this by offering affordable, accessible dog training solutions. They provide a host of online training classes that cover a plethora of skills that are needed for happy furry family members.

OneMind Dogs– This Finland based dog training company helps you understand your dog’s natural behavior and train them accordingly. Their mission is to give a happy life to dogs by helping pet parents become amazing and mindful to their pet’s needs. The aim to increase mutual understanding between the dog and the owner.

Snau– This Madrid based company acts as a vetted marketplace for all dog-related services such as training, sitting, walking and grooming. They aim at training dogs through positive behavioral reinforcement. Certified dog handlers and educated professionals are appointed and sent your way to help train dogs in their familiar environment.

Fur Ball Story– This Indian pet startup offers dog training and learning services. They aim at making pet ownership hassle-free. Besides dog training, they offer a host of services such as dog creche, pet therapy, dog café, etc. With international quality standards, this startup has been gaining quite the momentum.

See more: Best Dog Training Apps

Revenue model

An ideal client is someone with at least one dog with a discretionary income at hand. Businesses can cater to pet owners with multi-week classes, or one-on-one programs and even remedial behavior correction sessions. Additionally, businesses can offer tangential offerings like dog walking, dog sitting and dog grooming to name a few that help build on revenue.

Once a facility has been set up and is doing well, the business can be scaled up by opening up satellite locations to reach a larger number of potential clients. If that goes well, a local chain can be turned into a franchise with programs situated around cities.

It is crucial to create a business account and get all the permits and licenses needed to function such a business. Defining your brand and how it is perceived plays a huge role in the revenue you generate and the audience that you will be catering to.

Profit-making lessons such as individual training sessions with the pet should be encouraged. Getting trainers additional certifications and adding other services will also lead to increased revenue. Services like dog grooming, dog sitting, and dog walking will help keep a steady income flowing even after the dog has been trained.

Additional services like these help strengthen the customer relationship bond, leading to customer loyalty and word of mouth referrals. Selling merchandise is also a great way to promote your brand while increasing revenue.

Conclusion

The pet industry is on an all-time high and with work and metropolitan cities having a dearth of time and abundance of money, the industry is bound to grow. There are several areas in the pet care arena that need technology to step in.

It’s great to see tech making an impact and helping our furry friends have a better life. There are a lot of areas in pet care like vet consultations online, medical transportation, dog walking, dog sitting, online portals that are vetted for the adoption of pets, the ideas are endless and the impact they are making on the lives of pets are incredible.

Dogs bring about such a loving nurturing side in any human being and to see them make an impact big enough to channel businesses is motivational. We hope you get inspired by your pets as well, and if you do, we’d be happy to vet your ideas.

FAQs:

1. How much does it cost to build a mobile app for pets?

A mobile app is all the rage today. From apps to order bread online to booking air tickets, there’s an app for nearly everything. This technology has permeated our lives and now governs nearly every aspect of what we do daily. Mobile apps are especially popular with millennials… read here. 

2. What are the best business models in the Online Meal Delivery Subscription For Pets? 

The world has come a long way since the economic meltdown in 2008. As economies have stumbled back to a path of growth and markets have risen, so has the amount of disposable income available with people. This has given rise to a new set of pet owners… read here.

3. How is technology impacting the pet healthcare industry?

Technology has always played a pivotal role in the development of healthcare systems. Since the advent and acceptance of pet health as a science, vets have been leveraging their knowledge with technology to create innovative solutions to pet problems… read here.