Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruth Smith.
Ruth, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I moved to Charlotte to finish my degree in Psychology and started working as a Veterinarian assistant to help pay my way through college. I wanted a dog for a while but was waiting until the right time. While I was a Veterinarian Assistant, a dog had been thrown out of a car and dumped in a subdivision. This was my first dog named Stark and the reason I got into dog training and the behavior world.
Stark was human aggressive, dog aggressive, and had severe separation anxiety. Trying to find every way possible to rehabilitate him, I started interning with a dog training company at the time. Unfortunately, it is not a happy story where Stark did get to live the best life I could give him, but his traumas became irreversible. I had to make one of the hardest decisions to choose behavior euthanasia.
After Stark, I saw the need for more dog trainers that understood the whole dog’s past traumas, genetics, nutrition, and not just looking at typical “obedience.” Fast forward to years later, and I still saw a huge gap in the training and behavior world when my Akita mix named Oakley and Husky mix named Zena was in their stubborn teenage phase. They were unruly and a pain in the ass during their adolescence.
At the time, it was all about correcting, not actually teaching the dog. Wanting to be able to take my two dogs on adventures without them acting a fool is when A-Z DOGS was created. Most dog trainers start by having a dog like this and seeing the need to look outside of a typical “Fix It” lens per se. Oakley has helped me re-socialize 100s of dogs with his ready-to-work and happy-go-lucky attitude.
Zena has taught me so much about what working breeds and motivates them to work. After I started getting their behavior under wrap and learning crucial skills like dog body language and more dog psychology, I added my third rescue dog, a very small Chihuahua named Bean. She weighs 4.8 pounds soaking wet.
Bean has also helped me socialize with little dogs and bring awareness that the breed is not bad nor “untrainable.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road to starting my own business—actually, the opposite. The biggest struggle along the way has been my own mind. Overcoming my past traumas and mindset and learning how to be self-disciplined for my dogs and business.
I was raised dirt poor and have had to go through extensive EMDR therapy to overcome childhood trauma, neglect, and abuse. Each time my business has scaled to the next level, I have had to fight off my own past demons telling me I am not good enough to succeed. There is a lot of truth to that corny saying, “You are the only thing standing in your way to happiness and success.”
Learning to face my demons head-on and stop ignoring them and pushing them under the rug has been a huge challenge. Knowing I was a damn good dog trainer, I started this company but knew nothing about being an entrepreneur.
Learning how to bookkeep, market myself, and social media algorithms were just a few smaller challenges.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about A-Z DOGS LLC?
I specialize in looking at the whole dog from a holistic approach to behavior and nutrition. I want to help teach my clients to have an amazing bond with their dogs to have that stress-free life. My programs help teach owners how to communicate, advocate, and be the best dog parent possible.
That goes beyond just teaching owners obedience. It starts with coaching and empowering them to help overcome their own personal baggage that could be hindering their dog’s success. My brand is empowering dogs and owners to be the best badass self possible.
Boujee Board & Train Programs.
This is where your pup comes to live with me for at least three weeks to help create a stress-free environment that aids canine learning. This program focuses on basic to advanced obedience and behavior and implements the structure, boundaries, and routine dogs need to thrive.
The best part of this program is socializing and your pup getting to explore the world through daily adventures like hiking, parks, restaurants, and building their confidence up so by the time your doggo comes home, they are thriving, not just surviving.
A-Z Academy Program.
This is where I have built an online academy with eight years of dog experience and knowledge for my owners to use as a resource guide in addition to private coaching lessons.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Yes, to succeed in business, you have to take risks. It is not easy to take risks and takes grit but it’s a necessary evil or you will always settle in life and never reach your full potential.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.a-zdogs.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/azdogsllc
- Facebook: Facebook.com/azdogsllc
Image Credits
Aubrey and Charlotte sweatnet.com
