Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Alejos.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I started Save A Life Dog Training the first week of January 2023. It was a huge stepping stone for me, but after many of my friends and my partner told me to go for it, I went for it, and it was the best decision I had made!
I grew up around dogs my entire life, and I would work with and train each dog I was around. I just loved the feeling of accomplishment from it all! My first forever partner was a Pomeranian Poodle mix! She lived to be 13 years old; from the day I got her, she showed me all I needed to learn to work with her. Before we had to say goodbye, I had taught her soo much! She could reliably be off leash and stay in a heel on leash and off leash! She was a pro at sit and down and loved to do a little Spanish walk-type trick! (Like what the horses did, but dog version) It was one of her favorite things to learn! After we had to say goodbye, I adopted a shepherd mix who desperately needed some help! She was reactive and very unsure of her surroundings and had already snapped at the workers at the shelter numerous times. I had her for 6 months. When I got her, I had the entire intention of working with her to get the best home possible. When I brought her in, she was fearful and reactive to other dogs, kids, cats, and others. She would lunge back or forward and be pretty unpredictable. Once you had her trust, she was a sweetheart, but she had a long way to go. It took 6 months of hard work. However, she quickly became very confident and loved every one! Cats, dogs, kids, and people! She loved the attention from all! She had come so far and fueled my flame and passion even more!
After she had gone on to her forever home, my health issues started to worsen, and I ended up bringing home a shepherd mix for myself to be my service dog. She was my lifeline, but it was a challenge! When I brought her home, she was supposed to have already learned all she needed before starting her service dog task training, but that was not true! She did not know heel and barely knew to sit and down. She also was super impatient and couldn’t settle. She also had awful separation anxiety and could not be trusted loose in the apartment when I first got her. It took several months, but after much hard work and training, I got her relaxed and calm for her job. I taught her how to heel properly, sit, lay down, and settle. I taught her all her task work, and she did so awesomely with everything! She even was at the point where she could be left loose for short periods! She had made a lot of progress, and not only did she make progress, but she helped me! She was my lifeline! Unfortunately, my health had declined more, though, and she could not do the major tasks that I was starting to need; one of my good clients is now her handler, and she is doing amazing with her!
Risk (now known as Lilly) was my previous Service Dog. She is the one who fueled my passion and helped me to learn that this is where God needs me at! Since opening up in Jan 2023, We have been able to help handlers all across the USA and even a few in Canada! Our virtual training sessions have helped those who needed help with training certain tasks or fixing behavior issues. Our board and train program is helping to give those who need a service dog! Our local training sessions for pets and service animals are helping animals and their humans!
I started Save A Life Dog Training to do just that, to save lives! We offer low cost, focusing on the dog’s health and happiness! Our first 2 dogs for our board and train program were rescues; with training and love, they became terrific dogs! Lady, one still in training with me today, was shut down in her kennel, and once I brought her home, she feared many things. With time, dedication, love, and hard work, she has started her public access training after she has learned almost all of her task work in such a short amount of time! Go, Lady! Our program is about helping others; we believe that “Until There’s A Cure, We Have Canines.” This is our mission; although we did not start that phrase, we believe it is true! Every day we get to help people and canines! This is why we do what we do: help others who need it the most and provide affordable dog training for all.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a roller-coaster ride to get to where we are today. It is a lot to start a business! But what they need to tell you about getting into the service dog community is how toxic it is. It thrives our purpose even more as we want to build a positive community! We have had a lot of haters on our backs to try to make a difference! Cas McCullough said it best: “The road won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it!” and worth it, it has been! We are going on 2-3 months since we started, and business is busier than ever! Our demand was soo high that I had to bring in a business partner, Kaleigh, our amazing pet trainer! In just 60 days, our website has reached over 800 views worldwide! Most of those views resulted in new/potential clients who messaged or emailed us inquiring about our training! We are blessed with what we get to do each day, and we love that we are helping to make a difference! We are being ourselves and loving the process, which is the most important part! There will always be challenges and roadblocks, but Kaleigh and I are both passionate about it, so it thrives us even more!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We train pets and service animals! We (Kaleigh and I) offer low-cost training! Kaleigh specializes in all of our local pet training sessions! Where-as my focus is on service dogs! I offer a low-cost board and train program, a long-distance and local matchmaking service (where we match dogs in your area and then help with owner training!), I also offer virtual training sessions for pets and service animals! While Kaleigh’s’ focus is mainly in the San Antonio and Austin areas, my focus is on anyone in the USA and Canada! We are proud of our affordable options and positive community; we strive to offer the most for all! We are balanced trainers and want a happy dog, not a forced one! We believe in our lifelines and 4-legged friends to be happy and healthy and love everything we are asking from them.
Our affordable and low-cost options are what sets us apart from others. Most Service Dogs from programs are 30k+, and they require it all at once in most cases! We offer a monthly payment plan, and most of our dogs go home at around 10k, but it can vary depending on the tasks you need! We rescue shelter dogs for our program but occasionally bring in dogs from good breeders! We love working with dogs and giving dogs second chances!
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
If I had to give any advice to those just starting, be you and don’t change yourself just because haters tell you to! Be yourself and be unique! Be a positive role model to others!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.savealifedogtraining.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savealifedogtraining/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090853455852
- Other: https://linktr.ee/savealifedogtraining
Image Credits
Photo of our team-> Kaleigh and Katie
