Meet Kate Welch | Co-Owner & Marketing Director/Professional Puppy Wrangler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Welch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, what role has risk played in your life or career?
These days, both Corey and myself are generally risk averse. Calculated risks are necessary to move forward in life and to create the life that you want for yourself, so we are willing to make them, but not without a safety net.

The biggest risk I have made in my life was moving to Arizona. I’m originally from Michigan and moved here in 2014 because I felt stuck. I graduated from Grand Valley State University in that beautiful time where jobs were sparse, particularly for a new graduate with a photography degree. I could have started a photography business back then, but I was pretty certain I didn’t want to stay in Metro Detroit and wasn’t sure if that’s even what I wanted to do, so I waited. I had an opportunity to move to here to Arizona and jumped on it even though I didn’t have a job or a place to live. I’ve had my fair share of disappointments and heartbreak since the move, but after many years of building a network and finding Corey, that risk has definitely paid off.

The second biggest risk was leaving my job to work with Corey full time on Dog’s Eye View. Going from having a steady paycheck to relying 100% on the business was terrifying. We were lucky in that Corey had been working the business full time and I had worked on it on the side for a while, but it took time to build a cushion before we decided that the business could support us both. Again, totally worth it though. I absolutely loved my last job and the people I met there, but I was ready to be my own boss and have more control over my life.

Last thing that pops up in my mind when thinking about risk is with the dogs. When it comes to the dogs and their training, we are super cautious. We tend to work with the super naughties with severe behavior issues, so especially with those kids, we have to be ultra careful. But even with easy peasy cases, we’re not going to put them in a situation where they can be harmed mentally or physically. It’s not worth it, even if it does work out ok. We move quite slowly when it comes to the training process and ensure that the dog has a solid foundation for their training before adding big challenges or stressors. We focus on the long game instead of trying to get a quick “fix”. Primarily because quick fixes do not exist in the dog training world, but that’s an entirely different ball game!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
My husband and I are the owners of Dog’s Eye View Training and Boarding in Tempe, Arizona. We offer dog training services via our online courses, private lessons, and board & train program. We have a two pronged approach. First, is setting our dogs up for success through establishing boundaries, predictable daily routines, and identifying our dogs’ needs as an individual.

Once this is in place, we begin to establish a set of four sounds we call “The Communication”. We teach the dogs the meaning behind four sounds which becomes a hot and cold game so to speak. That way, the human can effectively guide their dog through virtually any situation. We teach The Communication through teaching basic obedience, so our client dogs will get a solid understanding of their basics in the process, but the goal is for our dogs to understand The Communication.

I’m most excited about our future plans for the business. Our next big goal is to move to a larger property so we can have more space to grow. Eventually, we will build a team so we can help even more dogs.

We got to where we are today by focusing on the next best step. Starting and running a small business is a huge undertaking, so it is vital to break it down into manageable steps and focus on one at a time. It hasn’t been easy necessarily, but to me it is one of those aspects of life where you have to choose your hard. Working towards someone else’s dream on someone else’s timeline is hard in it’s own way. There’s pros and cons to both, but as they say, you have to choose your hard. As far as overcoming challenges, focusing on the little steps has been key. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I determine what is the highest priority and do that thing, then the next thing, and then the next. Some days I’m more efficient with this than others, because I’m human, but generally speaking, that’s what has worked best for me so far.

The biggest lesson that comes to mind is letting go of clients who aren’t our people. Our program is intensive, and some folks just can’t manage it whether that is due to things going on in their lives or they simply do not have the desire to put in the work. Either way, it’s totally ok, we all have our own path to tread, but if they’re not willing to make the change and put in the work, there’s nothing we can reasonably do. So we have to let them go with love and the knowledge that we’re always here to encourage, support, and teach when they’re ready.

I want people to know that they’re not alone in their struggles with their dogs. Part of my draw towards Corey was my own difficult dog who I had when Corey and I first met. His name was Riley. When Corey and I met, Riley was 10 years old and he had been with me for 5 years. When I took him in at 5 years old, he was an absolute lunatic. He was incredibly intelligent, super high energy, and had a whole host of bad habits. He was reactive towards literally everything, pulled on leash like a freight train, marked in the house, and was an anxious mess most of the time. I never invested in proper training, because I always thought it would be too expensive, but really, had I done so early on, it would have saved me a boatload in the long run. Between the stress of having to manage his “bad” behaviors to replacing items he had destroyed to the years of doggy day care I paid for, he was absurdly expensive….

After 3 months of implementing Corey’s suggestions and constructively working on our training, Riley was an entirely different dog. He was so much more relaxed overall, and much more engaged with me than he ever had been. I thought we had a great relationship before, but after a little bit of effort on my part, it was solidified like I never could have dreamed. All that is to say that I’ve been there. I understand how difficult it is to live with a challenging dog. It doesn’t have to be that difficult. There are so many incredible trainers out there, ourselves included (LOL), who will change your life for the better. We pride ourselves on being a solid support for our clients. As one example, we had a client run into a big problem with their dog and Corey was on the phone with them for at least 45 minutes at 11pm, all while we were on our honeymoon. That’s how available we make ourselves because we want our people to know that we have their back when they need help, no matter what.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Usually, there’s quite a bit of hiking with the pups. We’re super close to South Mountain, so that’s an easy commute for us, but sometimes we’ll head out to San Tan. Or I’ll cruise over to the west side to the White Tanks to hike with my friend Ashley since she lives out that way.

As for food and drink, Walter Station is a must. Their beer is always on point and the food is equally delicious. Cornish Pasty Co. is another one of our favorites, can’t go wrong there. If we’re feeling sushi, our current fav is Dozo Izakaya in Tempe. Or if we’re craving tacos, we head over to Sahuaro’s Taco Shop in Mesa or Maskadores.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh my gosh, so many people. Gonna try to keep this list short because we could be here all day. First off, my Corey, for being my greatest constant and the visionary behind DEV. Of course both my and Corey’s families. From our parents to siblings to extended family, they have always been supportive and encouraging. Last, but not least, my great friends Sara Hubbard, Ashley Dudas, Shawn Walker, April Zavala, Caitlin Penny, Kira Garcia & Kathryn McGuire to name a few. From being by my side through traumatic times, to connecting about our respective businesses, to enjoying a good ol game night, I would certainly be lost without my friends.

As for books/podcasts, I’d like to shout out Simon Sinek and his works, particularly Start With Why. That book has had a huge influence on how Corey and I run our business and live our lives in general. Last one, I promise, Cathy Heller was also a great influence. Her podcast was called “Don’t Keep Your Day Job” at the time and it was one of my favorites, particularly when I realized my path was to leave the 9-5 and make my own way with Corey.

Website: www.dogseyeviewtraining.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devdogtraining/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogseyeviewtraining

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dogs-eye-view-training-and-boarding-tempe

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dogseyeviewtraining

Other: For anyone ready to dive into training with us, head to www.dogseyeviewtraining.com/start

Image Credits
Nic Dudek – Nic Dudek Photography Barbara Lucas Kate Welch