Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Sadowski.
Hi Jake, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my career with dogs as a young teenager, helping my parents breed and raise service dogs. As time passed and I realized I had a passion and aptitude for dogs, I decided to further my skills by learning to teach them professionally. I took a year-long unpaid internship in Georgia and quickly rose through the ranks, from intern to head trainer and kennel master, within a year and a half. Towards the end of 2021, I started my own training business, taking the skills I had learned and perfecting my craft.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course not- what small business starts smoothly after all? I’ve been provided with plenty of learning opportunities as my business has begun to grow. Learning how to do the more technical/online aspects of small business ownership has been difficult since technology and I don’t get along very well. But, as with any skill, the longer I work towards it, the more I learn!
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m new to the Saint Louis area, having only moved here at the end of January 2023. I’ve been helping dogs and their owners for years nationwide. I specialize in many areas that most trainers won’t bother with. My passion is service dogs, but more commonly, I specialize in many reactivity and aggression cases, so many bite risks that many trainers don’t want to deal with due to their nature. My thought process is these types of dogs and owners are the ones that need the most help! The biggest thing that sets me apart from other trainers and the key to my success is how I do business. My biggest focus with training is owner education; an area sorely lacking is the dog world, as many trainers don’t want to give away “trade secrets,” so to speak. This is something I’m very much against. If we want to give our furry companions the best chance at success, the owner needs to know what to do and why they are doing it. When we work together to help a dog, we take a deep dive into canine psychology and body language, areas of study in which dog trainers need to gain more knowledge. The information is not common in my industry, so many never have the chance to learn it. Most of my training is done via lessons, but I also do day training and travel training, which has been far more desired than I thought it would be. In 2022 alone, I had clients in 16 states, and I was on the road for 172 days, which is something I wasn’t expecting to be able to do for a long time.
What’s next?
My plans for the future are to keep growing my business and helping as many dogs as I can! For the most part, I want to become a larger figure in the Saint Louis community and help educate as many dogs and owners as I can! I recently partnered with Pet Supplies Plus in St. Charles (off Zumbehl Rd) to offer budget-friendly group classes hosted in their store. The goal is to have a bigger impact on our community, and it’s gaining popularity so far.
Pricing:
- Private Lessons: 150$
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jakethedogtrainer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakethedogtrainer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakethedogtrainer/
