Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Lynn.
Hi Abigail, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started by training my own service dog, Affinity. I worked with various trainers with different specialties. Some I even had flown in. After gaining that experience, I started working with close friends and family to help them with their dogs. I began growing my business from there and expanding to offer a more varied set of services. After working with so many people with experience in different areas, I was able to expand my toolbox and really learn how to work with dogs as the individuals they are.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Things started smoothly but when COVID hit, it posed a unique challenge. For one, I couldn’t go out and meet people the way I could before. Second, a lot of these COVID puppies lacked the proper socialization and therefore struggled with lack of confidence. I had to change the way I worked in order to maintain everyone’s safety by offering virtual sessions and other means to avoid exposure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in a variety of fields surrounding dog training from service work, medical alert training, obedience and behavioral modification. I have a balanced approach I individualize for each dog depending on their needs. My toolbox in regards to training is expansive, meaning I don’t approach different dogs in the same manner. Each dog needs to be matched with the approach that best fits them.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned that as much as I focus on the dogs while training, I need to focus as much or more on the owners. The dogs can’t learn if I’m the only one being consistent with the expectations. I need the owners to follow through and aid in the training process as well. I’ve also learned that dogs are individuals and need to be treated as such. Just because one approach works wonders for one dog doesn’t mean it’ll work for another.
Pricing:
- Private sessions- $100 per hour
- Board and training- $1200 per week
- Day training- $200 per day
- Virtual training- $60 per hour
Contact Info:
- Website: https://affinityk9s.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love.affinity?igsh=MTJpZWRkMDdpZ3J5dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
