Mission, Vision, and Values
Our mission is to provide inclusive, accessible dog training and behavior resources to the Austin community.
We have a vision for a time when professional, ethical (and fun!) dog training and behavior support is accessible for all of Austin's dogs (and their people). We're all about reaching the thousands of dogs in our area who don't typically receive professional behavior support, often due to finances, accessibility, or lack of awareness.
We play well with others.
1.
We can't do this work alone, so we've got lots of partners. We're all about teamwork and collaboration. Want to work with us? Let us know. Want to learn from us? Great! There's tons of work to do, and we believe in working together to solve problems (not being in competition). We believe in not judging people.
We're honest.
2.
You won't find any 100% guarantees here. We're going to tell you what we can do - and what we can't. Yes, we're going to give you homework. Yes, your new puppy will probably try to eat your favorite loafers if you leave them out!
We're total behavior nerds.
3.
Our training is based on decades worth of science, and we sometimes get a little too excited about a new research study. We like collecting data and using it to help your dog - and the community.
We always train without fear or pain.
4.
You won't find shock, prong or choke collars with us. We use positive reinforcement based techniques and avoid using techniques that will make your dog fearful or uncomfortable. We just think you and your dog should get to learn some awesome, important stuff and also have fun.
We're real humans who like other humans.
5.
We're silly, and sometimes use bad words, and genuinely care about you and your dog. We're here to support our community, and to be with your for the celebrations and the losses. You know those people who say they work with dogs because they don't like people? We're not those people (but we still love them!).
We're really excited about accessibility and inclusion.
6.
Really, really excited! We think that dog behavior support should be accessible for everyone - regardless of their primary language, income level, or individual situation. We specifically look for ways to make dog training more inclusive and accessible.
We're professional.
7.
We may be goofy and idealistic, but our trainers are carefully selected and we take that super seriously. Our teammates are certified by nationally recognized organizations, and we hold them to ridiculously high standards.
We support behavior people
8.
We pay our trainers well. We provide services for local trainers and shelter workers. We know that working with dogs can be "a lot" (even if your Aunt Susan thinks you just play with puppies all day), and we're here to be a resource for you too.
We look for gaps to fill.
9.
We've worked with dogs in shelters (and the people who love them), and we know there are plenty of gaps that need filling. Our goal is to figure out what kind of dog behavior support our community needs, and provide that. Once we tackle that? On to the next one!