Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Carlson.
Hi Robyn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After I graduated High School I had a couple of months before I was moving to North Carolina to fulfill a Nanny contract so I decided to volunteer my time with the local animal rescue groups and shelters through Furburbia, which had just opened up in Cottonwood mall. I fell in love with helping the groups and working with the dogs. When I moved to NC, I wanted to experience that feeling again so I began volunteering with the SPCA on my weekends and other days off from my nanny job. They were so impressed with my hard work, dedication, and thirst for learning that they eventually hired me on to help with their outreach and education program.
After My year in NC, I moved back to Utah and jumped right back into working with animals[. I got hired on to the outreach program with the Humane Society of Utah, which had me taking the animals to offsite adoption events, including Furburbia again, where I was able to reconnect with all my rescue friends. I tried to absorb as much from them about animals that I possibly could. They are a wealth of hidden knowledge.
After some dramatics with the Humane Society, I left and Became the manager at a rescue group, then known as Wasatch Humane. At only 22, I was managing one of the larger animal rescues in Utah.
I LOVED my job but Rescue work is a very life-consuming career. So after 3 or so years, I made the very difficult decision to step away from Rescue and concentrate on my relationship with my long-time boyfriend, who is now my husband.
I moved to Logan with him and was just working at a retail store. Eventually, I missed working with animals so I took a job at a vet clinic up there. It was much different working in the vet world but I loved learning as much as I could about animals from wherever I could.
When My husband graduated from Utah State, we moved back to Salt Lake City and I got a job at the Humane Society of Utah again but in the vet clinic and became the head surgery tech.
When I became pregnant, I decided to just take an easy job so I left the Humane Society, but soon missed working with animals again so quickly after my son was born I went and visited my friend Brenda who was a trainer at PetSmart, and who I met when I was working with Wasatch Humane. She mentioned that they were hiring for a trainer position and I was so excited to apply.
I was eventually hired on and worked my way up to becoming the area trainer in Utah for PetSmart. I trained all the new trainers that got hired on. This is where I found my calling. As much as I loved working in rescue and even the vet world, it was also so frustrating to see animals being turned over due to easy issues to fix. So getting into the training world helped me help pet parents keep their pets.
After 7 years at PetSmart, I felt I had hit my full potential there and felt I could help more dogs and people by opening up my own business. I made it my 2013 New Years’ resolution to leave mt comfort zone and open my own training business.
I will be celebrating 10 years in February and I am still astounded at how quickly my business took off and has become such a success.
I have been married to my best friend for 18 years now and am a mom to 4 amazing kids.
My Family and friends are my everything and I will do anything for them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been some struggles along the way, Finding places to train dogs, dealing with employees, figuring out how to balance home life, and owning a business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We are a positively balanced dog training facility that specializes in group classes. We are open to the use of all different training tools and have spent a lot of time and money learning about how they all work the best for the dogs and the owners.
Our training facility is different from others I feel because of the family-type atmosphere I have created. Yes, you can bring your kids to training with you. We want the kids to be involved.
Many of my clients have created friendships with other people that they meet in my classes. I want people to know that they are a part of my family and a part of a community when they train with me or at my facility.
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?
I still work very closely with many rescue groups and shelters around the Salt Lake Valley to help dogs get ready for adoption and help foster homes have more success with their foster dogs. I also love to get to know and meet up with other trainers from all over the world. I know there is always more to learn.
Pricing:
- Group classes are very informative and affordable. Bright Beginnings is $175, and our Kudos Smart Start Puppy class is $295
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kudos2canines.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kudos2canines
