Today we’d like to introduce you to Terry and Nancy Cadle.
Hi Terry and Nancy we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
We started training dogs in New Hampshire in 1986. We would have people come in daily, and we would teach them how to train their own dogs using different methods. We trained all forms of working dogs, border collies for a stock dogs, shepherds for protection, We left there and moved to Texas, where we started training service dogs. We’ve been doing that exclusively now for approximately 15 years. We are a family-owned business. All our dogs are trained by us. We put everything we have into these dogs, but the truth is the real training comes from the owners. Our job truly becomes more of training the people than the dogs. The dogs are basic. If Most people are willing to listen and learn. They know these dogs can save lives. We have delivered dogs all over the country, from Washington St. to Calf and over to New England.
We take great pride in what we do!
We train dogs for type 1 diabetics, epilepsy, PTSD, and mobility assistance. People always ask us if we will miss the dogs when they go to their new home. Of course we will! But the greatest reward is when we get that text or call that the dog has live alerted or woke someone up to let them know they were low. These dogs tend to beat technology by approx. 20 min. We are truly blessed to do what we do! We have our middle son Lucas working with us which is a great help.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The clients can be the biggest struggle. They have a preconceived idea of what the dog should be like, especially if they have had Dogs before.
It’s a job that keeps us all very busy! It’s not all playtime. A lot of hours are spent cleaning up after the dogs, doing scent detection work, acclimating them to new situations out in the real world, working on their obedience, grooming them, and of course, we spend quite a bit of time speaking with people on the phone about their needs and wants and if we would be able to help them.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
We specialize in doing dogs for type 1 diabetics. The kids that are in high school that will be going off to college in a couple years will not have the protection of their parents on campus. Our dogs are another tool in the toolbox to help them in this transition. The dogs are taught to jump on the person in bed when their Dexcom alarm goes off and they aren’t responding to it. We are so proud of our dogs and their partners that pay attention and know how to read what the dog is telling them. Hearing that our dogs are out there saving someone from going low or feeling horrible gives us such joy.
We are different than many other training places for several reasons. A few of those are we stand behind our dogs! We educate the people, not just the dog! Our aftercare program is so important! This is our lives! It’s who we are and what we live to do!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Initially, we saw a lot of people getting into this line of business, thinking it would be easy and they could make a good income quickly. They didn’t realize all of the problems that can arise after a dog goes home and won’t able to help solve those problems. We believe the fact that we have been doing this for so many years we have mentored under great people, and we have incredible people mentoring under us to carry on our legacy. I think people realize that having a dog added to their technology can make such a huge difference. Dogs are known to be the technology by at least 20 minutes if not longer, you don’t always have Wi-Fi wherever you go, but you can always have your dog…
Contact Info:
- Website: Riversedgeda.com
- Instagram: River’s Edge Dog Academy
- Facebook: River’s Edge Dog Academy
- Youtube: River’s Edge Dog Academy
