Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Saul.
Tiffany, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always loved animals as far back as I can remember. I grew up in a small community in Northeast Texas with dairy farms all around and many animals roaming free. I didn’t know at the time of growing up, in college, in grad school, or even with my first business that I would own a successful dog training company. I am thankful for education I have received from both colleges, and the certifications I have earned in the dog training world. I began like many dog owners as a client. I was just beginning my personal training business and my 2.5-year-old Doberman was driving me crazy. My husband and I had rescued her at 10 months old and we were in way over our head regardless of the “research” we had completed. This dog had no recall, would tear up anything she pleased (mainly my thing), was an escape artist, and preferred not to listen. Keep in mind I have loved dogs all my life and had two growing up. Neither of these two dogs were bought or pick out, they chose our family because they just showed up and never left. Back to my Doberman, Zoey is her name. My husband and I loved being outdoors hiking, camping, on our boat, playing in salt flats in south Texas for fishing, playing on the beach. We needed rules and recall and we had none of them. We went to an RV and Boat show and there was this booth and a Dog Trainer working his dogs. The dogs and him communicated so well, and most of all his dog listened. I walked up and said I want that! He replies my Mal? I said no, I want how your Mal listens! Free Consultation here I came. Consultation day came and I was surprised at the cost of such training, but I didn’t hesitate because I saw how his dog was. If that is what it took to get my dog like his I was all in. It was the best decision I have ever made. Was it all easy after sending her to training? NO. I had to put in my work, my time, and effort to learn with her, guide her, earn her respect, and be her leader. Our trainer was there every step of the way and are still one of my best friends to this day. I was so hungry for knowledge, that I signed up for anything extra training-wise that he had to offer and love it. My trainer then asked me to work part-time for him and I gladly said yes. Eventually, I wanted to do lessons and asked what I needed to do to get certified. I closed my business’ down for a month, went to Vegas, paid for half of my certification, and he paid for the other half of my certification so I could be the best trainer I could be for his company. Fast forward 10 months my husband got a job offer in Utah, and I didn’t know what to do with my company or my job as a trainer. My boss, with the dog training company helped me transfer to another franchise of the company I was currently working. I didn’t need to really peruse my personal training business her in Utah, but I flourished as a dog trainer immediately. I loved the difference I was making, and the help I brought to that franchise. Eventually, that franchise location was making business changes and we no longer meshed on the ideas, so it was time for me to part ways and it was a hard parting. I adored the company and both franchises, and yet I wasn’t ready (in my mind) to take on my own business. I took a job to build a training program for an existing boarding and training facility. Due to COVID emerging that plan didn’t work out and I was at a loss for what I should do. Even my husband said to get a job on base and leave dog training. My ambitions were different, I prayed, and prayed about what my decision should be and if it was the right one. I decided it was time for me to do my own business, and opened on April 20th, 2020, as my own company of K9 Fluent Dog Training. I grew so quickly working as a mobile dog trainer that I needed employees within a month and have continued to grow faster than I can keep up. I have learned things the hard way, who to trust, who to hire, if I should hire, that I can take steps forward and it’s okay to take steps back to progress. I have a company that is coming together and is still in the very new stage of business life, but we are beginning to see my full dream come to life. I became an LLC so we are now K9 Fluent Professional Dog Training, LLC, I can provide paid time off and health insurance to my employees. We have the ability to help with the community as we foster for the Utah Doberman Rescue (I am a board member), as well as host an internship program for the Davis County schools for students interested in dog trainings. We not only make a difference in dogs’ lives, but humans’ lives as well. This has not been an easy journey, nor do I expect it to be in the future. However, the lives changed for the better is all worth it!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I will say there is no smooth road to owning a business. You learn never to hire those you think are your friends. They take advantage of you and think they deserve something for nothing. You learn that clients become the best friends, supporters, and employees you could have asked for. You learn that no matter how nice, accommodating, patient, or helpful you are to your employees you are never going to give enough, be good enough, and it will always be your fault no matter what happened. You learn that anything an employee does, and the public sees its never that employee’s fault, it is yours the business owner. I have learned that very few care if your business gets paid for the service it is providing and I have to double check everything. I lost $92,0000 that is right $92,000 in unpaid bills from clients that never paid for the services they received, and I had office staff whose job was to make sure invoices were paid. Yet with that loss I still had to pay my employees. I have learned that the labor laws are all in favor of employees and not employers. Most of all, I have learned that no one will ever care as much about my business, the clients, or the dogs as much as I do. I put my heart and soul into them, and most employees just want to show up. Most of all I have learned that those who want to be a dog trainers really don’t. They just want to play with dogs and go home and never have to deal or learn what it takes. Dog training isn’t a job you clock in and out of it becomes a lifestyle and is your life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
K9 Fluent Dog Training is a company that knows you how you feel. Each of us trainers have at some point been in your shoes. We have felt defeated, lost, and failure at dog parenting. All is not lost, as a team, we each have knowledge gain, skills acquired, and thirst to keep learning more. Since we have been in your shoes, we know how hard it is to take on a new way of communicating with your dog. It’s hard yet we are here each step of the way, to guide you and for moral support. We are not a one-trainer system; we are a training team. We as a team work together to train each dog to deliver the closest to real-life interactions as we can achieve. Each of our programs have been designed by our Owner with the best results in mind for your dog, but also to guide and keep you the owner accountable. Each one of our programs yield a result to be gained with the help of K9 Fluent and you the dog parent. All our programs included depend on you doing your homework and complying with the program assignments. We have a core protocol we adhere too as our base for each program and as each dog begins, we change what is needed to accommodate to your dog’s individual needs. During each lesson we update you and teach YOU what you should be doing, and what your dog needs from you. During this process not only do we fall in love with your dog as if it were our own, but we feel connected with you as we obtain results together for your fur kid. To us, you and your dog become family.
K9 Fluent specializes in basic obedience, rehabilitation of dog reactive/aggressive dogs, human reactive/aggressive dogs, and off-leash reliability.
We have base programs and lessons that are our foundations of the beginning of our training so each of us are on the same page and as we work with a dog, we change what we need to and accommodate what the dog and owner need.
I am very proud of my logo as it symbolizes my love for dogs, my two favorite colors, my favorite breed, and the continuation of learning.
K9 Fluent is about the human as much as we are the dog. We are proud to have programs that the human is required to learn, interact, and progress with their dog. They live with them, not us. Our job is to teach clients how to succeed without us and to never need us again, yet instead want us.
We have group classes free with all programs, we have day and trains with lessons, we have boot camps with lessons, all the products needed are included with our programs, we do board and trains on a case-by-case basis, we have barn hunt lessons and memberships, we have agility lessons and memberships, we have puppy lessons and socials for those pups 8-16 weeks of age, advanced class memberships, and AKC CGC class memberships. We have a lot to offer you and your dog.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support us by giving us honest reviews, referring us everywhere, and often. Word of mouth matters. We actually have a working relationship with Titans Doggy Daycare in Sunset, as well as, with Quail Point Veterinary Hospital. All 3 of us support each other. K9 Fluent is also the sponsor of Walking For Gold and they sponsor a child with cancer each year and raise money via fashion shows and venders to help pay for the Child’s medical bills. So, to help us support us all with likes, review, referrals, and prayers.
Pricing:
- Free In-Facility Consultation / Evaluation
- Puppy Prep Program $229
Contact Info:
- Website: www.K9Fluent.com
- Instagram: @K9Fluent
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/K9Fluent
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k9fluent/
- Twitter: @K9Fluent
- Youtube: @k9fluentdogtraining107
Image Credits
Katherine Winrich Photography
Karina Magill
