Today we’d like to introduce you to Tricia Hawkins.
Hi Tricia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up with dogs, I was always fascinated by animals, we raised hounds for hunting dogs in Vermont and it was always interesting to watch the different dogs learn their commands. When I was 19, I rescued an 18 months old dog, Louie, from an abusive home. He needed a lot of support and more importantly, patience. I started doing research to help rehabilitate my new family member so he could finally feel safe in the world. I worked a full-time job and the rest of my time was spent working with him, boosting his confidence and exploring the trails. Not too long after, Louie’s personality started to show. He went from being a timid, anxious, fearful dog to a curious, loving, confident dog. This was my first taste of how powerfully love, positive reinforcement and consistency can work to heal abused animals.
After spending over a decade in the service industry (and rescuing several other dogs in the meantime). I knew I wanted a change. My wife saw an ad for a position working as a dog trainer/walker and I thought “hey, why not do something I feel passionate about?” I applied and soon began taking groups of dogs out on daily off leash hikes. Unfortunately, the pandemic impacted the company I was working for and I thought I would end up back in kitchen work. After a few weeks of feeling sorry for myself and as things started opening back up, I realized that nothing was stopping me from creating my own off leash adventure business and Ultimutt Adventures was born.
Now I take up to ten dogs a day out Monday through Friday to Austin’s many wonderful off leash hiking trails. Every day I work with my pack on both leash and off leash manners, impulse control, confidence and, most importantly, we have a fun adventure together! As I always tell my clients, a tired dog is a well-behaved dog. In addition to the hikes, I work with my clients to determine what other issues they’re having with their pup and set up a game plan to work on that behavior with sessions outside the hikes as necessary and also provide them with tools to work on at home. I cannot imagine a more fulfilling career!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The transition to going from working under someone to owning my own business was pretty smooth. I had a lot of managing experience working in the restaurant industry. The most difficult part was when I opened the business. I opened in summer of 2020 so it was difficult to plan too far into the future with the pandemic still in full swing and guidelines constantly changing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a dog trainer who takes dogs out on off-leash hikes throughout Austin. I provide a way for people’s beloved dogs to get enrichment, behavioral training, mental and physical exercise while they are busy at work. I pick up the dog from home, take them on a 90-minute hike to one of the many beautiful trail in Austin, then drop them back off at home tired and fulfilled. I would say my specialty is training dogs how to be off-leash while also helping the client maintain certain mindsets at home or on walks with them. I have also provided basic obedience training to lots of other people while out on the trails.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’ve always loved animals. My childhood wasn’t ideal, as I grew up in foster care and was later adopted by my aunt. My family was very poor and had to grew our food or hunt to put food on the table. I loved our hunting dogs, guinea pigs, and all the animals I met on the farms where I grew up. My favorite memories as a kid were spending time with animals.
Contact Info:
- Email: ultimuttadventuresatx@gmail.com
- Website: https://ultimuttadventuresatx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Ultimutt_adventures/
Image Credits:
Tricia Hawkins
