Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Gardner and Sadler Bass.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Both: We met while working at a training facility where we each worked for several years. While we were there, we developed our training skills with a variety of dogs, and we also became close friends. We realized that we both had a passion for helping dogs and shared similar personal goals and a vision for the future. We made the decision to work together to start a business, and we are so grateful for the support we have already received, especially from our previous clients. Even though our goals within the company are the same, we both have very different backgrounds that have shaped our interest in dogs and our motivations for helping others.
Melissa: I have loved animals all my life, but I have always particularly loved dogs. While I was in college, I decided to take in a stray pit bull mix that we found in a dumpster behind my house. I was very excited and ready to have a dog of my own, but I wasn’t ready to handle a dog with severe trauma and behavioral problems. She developed aggression toward both people and dogs, and I struggled to control her. I had done some basic obedience training before, but I realized there was so much I still needed to learn. I devoted myself to learning how to manage aggression and did tons of personal research. After finishing a Master’s degree in a completely unrelated field, I decided to follow my passion and started working with dogs full-time at a training facility. While there, I learned so much more than I could have ever learned on my own, and I was able to work with a wide variety of dogs. I gained new techniques from other skilled trainers and was able to use my personal experiences to relate to my clients. Helping dogs and their owners is something I am deeply passionate about because I was once in a position where I truly needed help.
Sadler: A few months after my childhood dog passed away, I got my first puppy, Meka, a Mini Aussie. I was in school and started working at a dog daycare at the same time. I had always loved dogs, they were consistently a huge part of my life and personality. I found that I really enjoyed training Meka, raising her, socializing her, and teaching her lots of tricks. I wanted to pursue more in the realm of dog sports and performance with her. However, during adolescence, she began to become more anxious and reactive. I spent a lot of time working her through that phase and building her confidence. During this time, I continued working at dog daycares and eventually moved from Austin to Denton, away from my whole life, to attend UNT. I pursued Media Arts while also getting my first job professionally training dogs. I had wanted to train dogs professionally for years and was so happy to finally have the opportunity. I also got a Border Collie puppy, Fisher, and he ended up being the dog I had dreamed of for so long. I really enjoy the process of raising puppies and helping them be confident dogs that can handle the world! I also really learned a lot from managing two high energy, differing personalities in a small space.
Both Meka and Fisher heavily inspired me to pursue training as a career. Helping Meka through her anxiety also helped me work through my own. Fisher’s zest for life, confidence, and drive strengthened my confidence in myself and in my skills. The bond I’ve built with my dogs through all of this is incredibly strong. I want to help dogs and their owners build relationships like that, and give people the ability to create deep, meaningful bonds with their own dogs.
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?
Both: In some ways we have been incredibly lucky. We were able to maintain contact with many clients from our previous training facility, and most of them have continued to support us. The strong network we have built has definitely helped us in our transition to training dogs independently. However, there is so much to learn about starting a business, and that part has been a challenge for us. We have been funding everything completely on our own, and we do all of our own advertising, social media, scheduling, you name it. There is still a lot that we need to learn. We have especially struggled with giving ourselves time to breathe and step away from the business, and we have had to modify many aspects of our business as we’ve grown. Managing everything has been hard, but we have always been able to communicate and adjust as needed. All things considered, we are very grateful for the opportunities we’ve received and the support we have had.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Both: To oversimplify what we do, we are dog trainers. We both have experience working with a variety of behavioral and obedience issues, and we pride ourselves on being able to handle almost anything. However, we both have very different specialties, and we each bring something unique to the table. Additionally, we have a wide network of other trainers with whom we have maintained contact, and we love sharing ideas and troubleshooting unique problems that we run into. One thing we are proud of is our ability to do what is best for the dog, even if it means putting our egos aside and asking for help. No two dogs are the same, and even though we have worked with hundreds of dogs, there may still be situations that we have never encountered before. We will always proudly put the dog first.
Melissa: My previous experience learning to manage my aggressive dog has made me particularly passionate about helping dogs and their owners manage aggression or reactivity. I feel that I have a unique connection to these cases that allows me to connect on a personal level with the people I am working with. I am also able to share the strategies and techniques that have actually worked for me and talk about what I do at home to continue managing the situation. It is one thing to have experience training an aggressive dog, but it is another thing entirely to have experience living with an aggressive dog. Even though I love working with intense behavioral cases, I am especially drawn to cases of severe anxiety. I am a naturally soft-spoken person, and I find it very easy to work slowly and ease anxious dogs into a training program that suits them.
The part of our training that really sets us apart is our ability to conduct all of our training in the client’s home. Most behavioral problems take place in that particular environment, so it is hugely beneficial for us to be able to work where the problems happen. Many trainers bring dogs to their own home or to a training facility, so we have found that our training methods are notably effective at targeting the dog’s specific issues. Additionally, we are able to take dogs to different locations that the owner would actually like to take them to, such as local pet stores or their normal walking trails. I’ve even been taking a current training dog to the vet each week for practice! We really enjoy being flexible and targeting specific client goals.
Sadler: Owning two high energy, intelligent (and occasionally neurotic) herding dogs has given me a real knack for that type of dog. I especially enjoy working with high energy dogs, puppies, reactive or anxious dogs, and dogs who are lacking structure and mental enrichment. I also really enjoy trick training for this reason. It’s not something I do as often for clients, but I love working on the intricate details of communication when it comes to complex tricks. It gives the dog a purpose, a job, and strengthens your bond even more.
I love helping dogs and their owners create better systems to keep their dogs happy and fulfilled. I find that many dogs in this category who display mild reactivity or anxiety can improve greatly with the right kind of enrichment, exercise, and consistent routines. As someone with raging ADHD, I feel like I can relate to these dogs. I understand the importance of balancing their need for stimulation so they stay fulfilled but not overwhelmed.
I also love pet photography, drawing and needle felting! I love to offer these services to clients as well.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Melissa: I have always been a fairly quiet and shy person. My childhood self would never have imagined that I would be running group classes and teaching private lessons on a daily basis! I have absolutely had to teach myself to be comfortable speaking to groups as well as to individuals. I am happy to say that it is something I am now fully comfortable with, and part of that has come from simply being confident in what I’m doing. Being quiet was always something I felt insecure about, and it created some problems for me in school and sports. I was very active in band, and I played volleyball fairly competitively for a while, but I struggled to really put myself out there. I was also naturally inquisitive and observant, and was drawn to hobbies like reading, art, and puzzles. I have come to appreciate all of these qualities, as they have helped me so much in my current career. Many dogs, especially fearful or anxious dogs, warm up to me quickly because I am able to stay quiet, observe their body language, and respond in ways that make them feel comfortable.
Sadler: Growing up, I was always very curious and wanted to be involved in whatever was going on around me. I definitely struggled with managing my ADHD.I asked LOTS of questions all the time and jumped from activity to activity. I was really into art and dogs from a young age, which led to lots of drawings of dogs.
While I wasn’t necessarily shy, I didn’t always fit in. I had a hard time connecting with some people. I could talk your ear off about dogs or other niche topics, but I struggled to relate to other conversations. That awkwardness led me to develop a strong bond with my childhood dog. Stella was truly my best friend and solidified my love of dogs and how much I valued that relationship.
As I’ve grown up, I still sometimes have trouble relating to certain people and conversations, but I’ve improved a lot. I’ve always been very intuitive and empathetic. My ability to communicate, hyper-focus on my passions, and quickly adapt to different situations has helped me tremendously when teaching clients and adjusting to the context of various training scenarios.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://captivatingk9s.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captivatingk9s
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HGLd19Gmh/
Image Credits
Phil McKinney (Frisbee photo)
Scott Williams (main photo in red shirts, photos of us in green shirts, photo of dog on top of feet)
Sadler Bass (photo of group of dogs, photo of two dogs in snow)
