Today we’d like to introduce you to Maurice Fomby.
Maurice, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Ever since I could remember, I’ve always had a love for animals; dogs in particular. My dad bred and raised Rottweilers when I was a kid and he was a big influence on me growing up. Due to his involvement with me and my brother in sports, he sold all the dogs and focused on raising us. Reflecting on it as I got older it made me have more respect for him dropping something that he loved for a greater purpose. Once I went to college, I knew I wanted to get another dog but wanted to make sure that the dog could provide something for me in return. I knew I wanted to eventually breed.
However, females take longer than males to be ready so I started with 1 female Rottweiler named Jojo. Jojo was a great dog and taught me a lot, especially the responsibility that comes with being a dog owner and how deep the dog world can get. Having the experience handling Rottweilers growing up, I wanted to make sure I learned from my dad’s mistakes and elevated the business. This leads me to do countless amounts of research into various aspects of dogs and being a dog owner. After doing my research, I knew I didn’t want to be viewed as just a breeder but instead a business owner. At the time and throughout life, I was dealing with so much on the inside but not showing it on the outside just as so many people in life experience. This inspired me on the naming of my business Dawg Life. ( D.A.W.G Doing All Worth Greatness).
I wanted people to feel like they too could be apart of something even if they didn’t own dogs, but could still be motivated to continue striving for success even when no one sees all the hard work put in. Growing up, all of my dad’s dogs were mean and very protective and never left the yard which was normal growing up in the country. However, living in the city is a completely different story. Everyone in the city wants to be able to take their dog on walks, dog parks, or to brunch. So that’s where I put my focus. I currently own four Rottweilers and co-own one. Two of my females are registered service animals and have been inside a variety of public places. Each of my dogs taught me various lessons and even opened my eyes to how much a dog could actually provide for you. I currently use my dogs in multiple ways such as breeding, security, show ring, training, kids parties, photography work, vendor partnerships and so much more.
Great, 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?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road during my journey. The dog world is just like any other industry such as the medical field, education field, etc. It gets very complex and requires you to research and learn. I think the biggest struggle I’ve encountered was not having a trustworthy mentor. I could always ask for my dad’s advice but he has been out of the dog game for over 10 years. Not having anyone to make sure I was staying on track and dropping gems was a real struggle. However, even though I didn’t have the mentors like I would have liked, it forced me to research and put in the leg work rather than having anything handed to me.
Most importantly it allowed me to create my own lane and not get caught up with what others in the dog game were doing. There were other challenges along the way such as housing conflicts and finding places to live that would accept you having what’s considered aggressive breed dogs. I even had some legal battles with breeders due to them not keeping their word and making it more difficult to trust people that could be in a position to help me. It was also a struggle getting to the point where my brand was recognized by friends and others as an actual business rather than just “Maurice and the dogs.” Although my road hasn’t always been smooth, I wouldn’t want it any other way because without the experiences I have faced, Dawg Life wouldn’t be where it is today and I look forward to embracing future bumps in the road.
Please tell us about your business.
Dawg Life is involved in all aspects of the dog world. We breed top quality European champion bloodline Rottweilers focusing on temperament, socialization and work. We also offer boarding and daycare for dog owners with limited time or those who want their dog to get the opportunity to socialize or just needing a baby sitter while away on trips. We also work on obedience training with puppies and have various 3rd party trainers for different aspects of dog training. We also use our dog’s photography work and various types of media videos. Dawg Life also serves as a vendor to various events and also has dog products such as collars and leashes along with apparel. As a business, I’m very proud of my Dawg Life team and partnerships work ethic and professionalism. I am appreciative of all my supporters. I am also proud of our dogs and the work they put in along with the love and protection they give back. Something that sets us apart from others is the work we put in and not taking any shortcuts. It’s very easy to take short cuts in the dog game but our dog’s health and future is our #1 priority.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Favorite childhood memory would have to be watching my dad train the dogs and seeing how the dogs reacted to him compared to anyone else. It was a daily demonstration of leadership, communication, and consistency and always interesting to see the differences in dogs’ behavior / body language in certain situations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dfwdawglife.com
- Email: DfwDawgLife@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfw_dawglife/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DfwDawgLife
Image Credit:
CJ Cannon
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