Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Spence.
Hi Whitney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I have always had an interest in dog training. One of my favorite shows I watched growing up was “It’s Me or the Dog,” where the Professional Dog Trainer, Victoria Stilwell, would go into people’s homes to help their dogs with behavioral problems using positive reinforcement dog training. My family and I went to a shelter to adopt a dog named Holly. When we brought her home, we realized she had leash reactivity to people and dogs, and we had problems with introducing her to new people in our home. We took her into PetSmart’s dog training classes, where I saw the training in action. While helping with her reactivity training, I began to work on teaching her a plethora of tricks that amazed people. I was really into making short films and had my dog “star” in a zombie apocalypse video. I moved to Austin, Texas, in 2016 while working for the dog food company Science Diet and would go into pet stores to educate owners/store employees on the products or any new ones that would come out. I built a friendship with one of the managers at Tech Ridge Petco and showed the video of my dog Holly and all the training we had done with her. The manager said they don’t have a dog trainer at the store and said that my history and understanding of training made me a great candidate and had me apply for the job. A couple of weeks later, I had the job.
I went through the basic Petco training and studied their material and other videos and books from world-renowned professional dog trainers to further my education and understanding. I excelled at growing my classes with full days of classes, even getting asked to train other trainers at different stores. I realized there was more potential to further my education and career in dog training, so I took a job at DogBoy’s Dog Ranch in Pflugerville, Texas. DogBoy’s was the Austin area’s first positive reinforcement dog boarding, daycare, and training. It was the perfect place for me to grow into the trainer I am today while working with a fantastic team of already certified trainers through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. I could study, send in an application with my training hours and signatures from other professionals, and take the 4-hour test to earn my certification, CCPDT-KA. I then contracted under other trainers before, in 2021, I started my own company, Sweet Potato Dog Training.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have learned so many things and continue to grow and learn. It is impossible to know everything, and training is forever increasing. The only challenge was knowing I needed to improve my knowledge, skills, and mechanics when working with dogs and humans. There have been long hours of studying new material, speaking about cases with colleagues, attending in-person and online seminars, listening to podcasts, and problem-solving on the spot. I am very grateful for all of my experiences to get to where I am today, and I look forward to the challenges in the future. Challenges mean I am improving and growing as a person, business owner, and trainer.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Sweet Potato Dog Training?
I am a female-operated and owned professional dog training business. I am a certified professional dog trainer under the Council of Professional Dog Trainers. This means that I use science-based positive reinforcement dog training methods and do not believe in/or use pain, fear, or intimidation in my training. I uphold my certification as the dog training world is unregulated. It is important that my clients know that I have an education and have continuing education to keep and renew my certification. I service Austin and the surrounding areas, where I will go to my client’s homes and dog-friendly stores or meet at a park to work on meeting my client’s goals for their dogs. I specialize in dog-dog and dog-human reactivity, but I always love working with new puppies to help set new owners up for success. I offer private sessions and day training where it is just me and the dog-building skills that I then transfer over to the owners to help continue the success of the training.
How do you think about luck?
I have been so lucky and grateful to have so many wonderful clients. Most of my business has grown and thrived through word of mouth. I was terrified to leap, leaving everything to start over and build my own business. With a stroke of luck, my business quickly jumped off the ground, and my name has been passed along to many dog owners needing guidance. I thank my clients for helping my business become what it is today.
Contact Info:
- Website: sweetpotatodogtraining.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetpotatodogtraining/
