Today we’d like to introduce you to Dakoda and Shiloh Riddle.
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?
We both grew up with dogs and have always had a love for them.
When Dakoda joined the Air Force in 2009, he found his calling and started as a K9 handler. He served for 11 years, and throughout that time he worked with dual-purpose dogs, meaning they are trained in both detection and patrol. My heart dog Callie was actually the 2019 Dog of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!
One evening we were at the park training our dogs and noticed people watching us. A couple of people asked if we trained dogs professionally and were interested in getting help with their personal dogs. We explained that we didn’t have a dog training business, but that conversation started a chain of events.
On our walk home, we saw so many people struggling with their dogs and something just clicked. Over dinner, Dakoda asked me if we could start taking a couple of clients a day, just people from the neighborhood, and that night we started our Facebook page.
Business picked up quickly and we grew out of the neighborhood and expanded out to the greater San Antonio area. At this time, we were in a rental, so our lease wouldn’t let us take Board and Train clients, and with the number of people who were interested in lessons and boarding, we knew a life change had to happen.
We are now on 12 acres, so plenty of space for the dogs to run around, and in addition to private lessons, we now take roughly 6 board and train clients a month.
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?
If I had to guess, I would say that very few businesses had a smooth start. Our company is still young, so we’ve had the growing pains that are to be expected with entrepreneurship. San Antonio is saturated with trainers, so we had to find our niche and market ourselves as different.
On top of that, when you have animals on your property, it can be hard to find a work/life balance. They are living and breathing pets that someone holds near and dear to their heart so there is a pressure to make sure that everything goes perfect.
I constantly worry about the safety and well-being of the dogs, so I’ve had cameras installed to ease my anxiety. We’ve never had any issues with either of those things, but accidents happen and we take a proactive versus reactive approach. Texas weather is no joke, so preparing for extreme conditions is always top of mind, and it was critical for us to have a plan.
In the beginning, the rotation schedule was hard. We both have full-time jobs, 6 dogs of our own, personal lives, and the business, so balancing all of those things and making sure that we were making time for ourselves was hard. It’s a little funny that we always tell owners that their dogs need structure and a schedule, but we were struggling with the exact same thing.
Once we got a schedule down, it was easy to manage the business and make sure that all the dogs has adequate time to train, play, and relax.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a veteran-owned company providing obedience, protection, sport, and detection training to both pet and working dog homes. With over 450,000 pets in San Antonio, there are many options for trainers and programs.
We offer private lessons, as well as board and train programs and each client is treated with individual care to make sure their dog is getting what they need. As balanced trainers, we believe in using the tools and methods that make the most sense for the dog in front of us.
We want our owners and dogs to walk away from training with a stronger bond and more confidence than when we started working. There is a reason why we have such a loyal client base. We guarantee your happiness with the training you receive for your pup and provide a lifetime of support to ensure you stay on track.
We are balanced trainers. This science-based method uses treats and aversive tools to encourage clear communication between dog and owner while also proofing real-world reliability. Some of the benefits of this approach are clear boundaries, rewarding wanted behaviors while allowing the ability to correct unwanted behavior, and utilizing motivation and drive to create behaviors.
We want dogs to be happy and enthusiastic learners, and this encourages a strong relationship while still being able to adapt to each dog’s individual needs.
We aren’t like the big places where you drop your dog off with 50 other dogs and they are unattended overnight. Our facility is located on our private property. We can see the kennel runs from our couch, and we treat the dogs like they are our own when they are here.
Our clients receive a lifetime of support and never have to wonder how their dog is doing because we are available to send updates via text, social media, and phone calls.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It’s tempting to want to be a big company fast and make tons of money right away. The reality of being a business owner is that it doesn’t always work that way.
Start small, find your niche, and don’t try to be an expert at everything. There are so many different paths to choose in the dog world, and the first step is to do a skills assessment of yourself. What are you passionate about? What are you good at? What do you want to be great at?
If you’re going to provide a service, your clients are going to want to see results that you can show them firsthand. Think of it this way: if you want to be a hunting dog trainer, but you’ve never been hunting, and have never worked with hunting dogs, there are probably some steps to take before opening up your business.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to trainers and ask questions or ask to shadow. Community is what makes this industry strong, and we are all here to help each other out. Quality over quantity is huge, and you want to make sure that you’re giving the dogs in your care the best experience possible for both them and their owners.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@lonestarstatek9.com
- Website: LSSK9.com
- Instagram: @lonestarstatek9
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoneStarStateK9
Image Credits
Scorey’s Photos
