Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Brent.
Hi Emma, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began my journey into dog training in 2018 as I looked for a way to create a career for myself. I have always been a self-starter, and I knew that dog training was my best shot at being able to make a living without sacrificing doing what I love. I spent the first two years learning as much as I could from anyone who give me a chance. Over those two years, I was able to build a small clientele, and in January 2020, I started Urban Pawsibilities. It was quite the time to start a brand new business! By March 2020, the whole world was in lockdown. Fortuitously, everyone got dogs during lockdown, and what could have been the end of the story, turned into just the beginning. By May 2021, I expanded the business to a training facility in SE Portland.
Six years later, I now have 6 trainers on staff, and we offer group training classes, private lessons, puppy socials, and daytraining, a drop off service, for clients looking for us to train their dogs while they are at work, a program we call the School for Dogs. When I’m not training client dogs, I spend all of my free time training my own dogs. We like to train for dog sports, go for hikes around the PNW, and travel around the country to attend seminars with other dog trainers as we continue to learn and grow as much as we can.
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?
It has not always been smooth sailing. I struggled the first few years at the facility trying to create a good team. I also struggled with creating effective systems to make sure operations ran smoothly. I pushed myself really hard. There were times that I was working seven days a week, sometimes 12hr days back to back, and sometimes without even a paycheck! I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle whatever the universe threw my way. Ultimately, that intense effort paid off, and I’m in such a good place now. I have a great team that is reliable and cares deeply for the dogs and the clients we work with. I have systems in place to ensure that our day-to-day operations are running smoothly and don’t always depend on me picking up the slack. I am grateful every day for being able to do what I love, with people who love what they do, and make a meaningful impact in our community on the relationships people have with their pets.
We’ve been impressed with Urban Pawsibilities, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Urban Pawsibilities is a dog training facility located in SE Portland. We offer group training classes, private lessons, puppy socials, and drop-off daytraining. We specialize in pet dog training, and we are well known in the community for our work rehabilitating reactive dogs. Our methods center positive reinforcement training, and our goal is to foster a collaborative relationship with our clients. We understand the weight of the work we do, getting personal in people’s lives through their pets. Through this work, our goal is to ensure that needs are met, expectations are clear, and behavior is reliable. We are very proud of the work we do, and the 5-star rating we’ve earned on Google reflects our commitment to quality training!
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?
For anyone living in Portland, OR looking for help with training their dog, the best way to reach out is through our website: www.urbanpawsibilities.com
We also love to collaborate with other trainers, and other dog related businesses, and would be happy to chat. And for anyone else who would like to support our business, follow us on Instagram @urban.pawsibilities
Pricing:
- Daytraining = $100 for an evaluation
- Group Training Classes = $270
- Private Lessons = $145
- Puppy Socials = $35 per visit
- Discovery Calls are free and can be scheduled through our website!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.urbanpawsibilities.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban.pawsibilities
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanpawsibilities
