Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathy Dorchuck.
Cathy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Five years ago, I began my journey training people and their dogs to be service dogs. I was working for a big name box store and training dogs behind a big glass wall. I discovered that there wasn’t anyone training service dogs for children in the Houston area. While training dogs at that pet store, multiple parents would come and ask me, “Where can we get a service dog? My child has blank and the doctors have recommended a service dog” and at that time, I had no answer. In July 2013, I attended the Service Dogs Inc. intensive training course, where I learned about hearing alert and mobility assistance dogs from there, I attended Service Dog Academy, where I began my journey on Diabetic Alert Dogs. For the past three years, I have attended the Debby Kay Super Sniffer Course for Professional Trainers honing my craft on medical alert scent dogs. Last year, I was granted a scholarship to the InSitu Foundation’s Cancer Detection Class. While out in Chico, California, I had the privilege of working with Dina Zaphiris, the creator of Cancer Sniffing Dogs of America where I witnessed the miracle of dogs being able to smell cancer from exhaled breath concentrate at 100% accuracy. I am currently one of 34 people in the US that are certified in Biomedical Dog Training.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Service Dog Training is tough and it’s not for everyone. The emotional toll it takes on your mind and body is intense. My clients depend on me for guidance, advice, cheering up on a bad day, and to guide them on their journey to becoming an independent and confident handler. The road to becoming a service dog trainer hasn’t always been rainbows and unicorns. I have learned that each situation is unique and you keep trying until you get it right. There’s no university you can attend that can teach you how to be a service dog trainer. It helps that I am an outside the box thinker and have made some super creative decisions that have worked.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the A Pawsitive Approach Dog Training story. Tell us more about the business.
As a company, I am most proud of the change I see in my clients. Most of my clients come to me broken down and hurting in some capacity. The joy and love they receive from these amazing dogs tends to start them to becoming healthy again. A Pawsitive Approach Dog Training specializes in Owner Trained Service Dogs, Acute Anxiety Disorder, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder and Diabetic Alert Dogs. I work side by side with my clients on their journey. We meet each week for a private appointment and then we have a group outing each week for fellowship and fun.
I try to make this fun and a confidence building journey to independence. The best feeling is when my clients make plans together without me.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t consider luck to be part of my world. God has planned out my life. He knows what clients need our services and we have been so blessed by the amazing kids and their families over the years. From the outside, it would appear that I have the golden touch. I am determined and confident enough to make things happen. God always provides. HE never gives you a mission without giving you a way to fund it.
The miracles I witness on a daily basis are evidence of God’s grace. I wear a necklace most days to remind me to pray for my clients and my steps because I want everyone to experience the joy I have been so blessed to feel.
There are days when I am tired and spent from giving every piece of me to a client or an outing, but I usually come home to find a tag on Facebook about how wonderful my client is feeling and or doing with their dog. Those are the million dollar days for me.
Pricing:
- Diabetic Alert Dogs – Training Only $ 15,000
- Psychiatric Service Dogs – Training only $ 15,000
- Autism Support Dogs – Training Only $ 15,000
Contact Info:
- Address: 4107 Twin Drive East
- Website: www.apawsitiveapproachtraining.com
- Phone: 281-450-1953
- Email: cdorchuck@comcast.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathydorchuck/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APawsitiveApproachDogTraining/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathydorchuck?lang=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/a-pawsitive-approach-dog-training-santa-fe?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
