Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Bassett.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alexandra. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started out as a shelter volunteer, initially walking rescue dogs in my free time, and got more interested in dog training as a result. I noticed that the dogs that I thought were the coolest were often labeled “bad dogs” and sought to help those dogs learn some basic skills in order to help them get adopted.
One of the shelters that I volunteered at recognized that I had a “way with dogs,” so they asked me to start training some of the volunteers on how to work with some of the more excitable or unruly dogs, and that’s when I realized that working with dogs and people was really a passion for me.
After being a bit of a rolling stone and working abroad in Dubai as a copywriter, I moved out west to work as an assistant trainer at a big dog training company in Los Angeles and was quickly offered a position teaching puppy kindergarten classes. From there, I started taking on private training clients who needed help with a variety of issues they were encountering with their dogs and eventually became a behavior specialist who could solve a variety of “hard to live with” behaviors like canine separation anxiety, leash reactivity, and aggression.
I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and, after three years of working for a large training company, felt that it was time to spread my wings, so I started my own dog & puppy training company. It has simultaneously been the most fun and challenging thing I have ever done, and has really given me the opportunity to advocate for positive methods of solving problem dog behaviors, as well as game-based dog training, which is the fastest, most effective way to train dogs in existence today.
Has it been a smooth road?
Like any new business, finding clients was the biggest hurdle. Luckily, word of mouth is very strong in Los Angeles, and I got tons of recommendations that carried me through what would otherwise have been very difficult times. My background as a copywriter and PR executive gave me a lot of insight into how to make my company more visible in local search results, so I put a lot of time and energy into outreach and building a blog for Dog Savvy Los Angeles, and eventually clients started to trickle in.
I would say that dog guardians in Los Angeles are hungry for positive methods of training, so my biggest hurdle right now is finding ways to keep up with the demand!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Dog Savvy Los Angeles is a private dog & puppy training company that specializes in positive, game-based dog training and solving problem dog behaviors like canine separation anxiety, leash reactivity, and aggression.
We are very client-focused and excel at coaching our clients, as well as training dogs. Our goal is to help build a lasting, trusting bond between dogs and their people, and we offer holistic methods for solving problem dog behaviors that have both an immediate and long-term impact on our client’s quality of life with their dogs.
We are proud to be able to say that we have helped many Los Angeles dog guardians solve a variety of behavior issues that has allowed them to go on to live happy lives with their dogs.
We are also big advocates of early puppy training and socialization in order to prevent bad habits and behavior issues from developing, and believe we offer one of the best, private puppy training programs in the city!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles is probably one of the best places in the world to be a dog trainer. It is one of the most dog-friendly cities I’ve ever lived in and everyone seems to have a dog! Plus, Angelenos are very sophisticated and understand the value of investing in training for their dogs. Anyone looking to work with dogs will find plenty of opportunities to do so here.
Pricing:
- We offer a virtual, 6-week, canine separation anxiety training program for $595 (On sale for $476).
- We offer a 2-hour, Puppy Headstart session for $225 (On sale for $180).
- We offer a 2-hour, behavior session for solving problem dog behaviors for $250 (On sale for $200).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dogsavvylosangeles.com
- Phone: (213) 294-1519
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogsavvylosangeles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogSavvyLosAngeles2/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DogSavvyLA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dog-savvy-los-angeles-los-angeles
Image Credit:
Photographer credit goes to Aileen Duffy & Alexander Garbin.
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
