Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Alarcon.
Hi Jo, 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?
My dad once told me at a young age, “A dog is a man’s best friend” and from then on, I needed to know everything about dogs and have them in my life as much as possible. My wish for my first dog came true on my 12th birthday and training started on day one with Jake, my rescue American shorthair pointer. From that point forward, I began learning more about dogs, dog training and helping whoever I could, human or dog. Cesar Milan was a huge influence for me. The growth from this being a passion to turning it into my business was slow. I spent many years dedicated to photography, art, and music. But even with that, the dogs and building a balanced life with dogs was always there. After laying roots in Austin, TX I worked with a couple of different training companies. This is where my confidence in what I was doing really grew. After becoming a mom of twins and then the pandemic hitting, the path became clear. Starting my own Dog Training and Pet care business was calling. Now, I am helping people find that balance with their dogs in their homes, and it is the most satisfying thing I could do for a living.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is any road to success smooth? And my road is still being paved. I got the dog training down, but running a business is new! Any business owner will tell you about the ups and downs. My struggle is feeling like I haven’t helped enough people with their dog struggles. I strive to reach more people, to help more dogs, and to grow with my community in a positive direction for our animals.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My goal when I work with dog owners is to educate. Most people think I am going to train their dog, and I do; but I also spend the time to educate the dog owner. “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime” This is the basis on my training. Not only do we reach a place where my clients have a balanced dog in their home, but my clients are able to understand their dogs and navigate through life in any given situation as well. After a free consultation, I am able to offer one of my three packages to best meet their needs. I specialize in basic obedience training, house/social manners and reactivity rewiring. All my training sessions are documented with video, so we have a full timeline of progress during the course. Each course comes with all equipment included and a free refresher session, and each referral also gets a free session. I also offer in-home pet sitting or boarding, which also includes videos, pictures, and a daily report of the animals in my care.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am an artist. My first side hustle was and still is painting portraits. I especially love doing pet portraits and have gifted portraits to my clients. I do graphic art and logos as well. I spent many years doing photography and photoshop. So most of the photos of me, my art, my band or band promo are all done by me. I am a musician and chose to move to Austin, Tx because it is the live music capitol of the world. I play keys in my band, The Holy Child, with my husband Robert Alarcon. And I am a mother of identical twin daughters, which I was lucky enough to have the gene carried down from my father, who was a twin himself.
Pricing:
- Free consultations
Contact Info:
- Website: https://josdogos.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josdogos/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JosDogos
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChH8Wcm7zdAV3HUmjjeDyKQ
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-holy-child
Image Credits
Johanna Alarcon
