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

Hi Matt, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was a vet tech in my late 20’s which was my first paying job that involved animals. I had a team of sled dogs in Colorado when I turned 30. I watched how Huskies interacted in a pack, and I started understanding how their hierarchy works. I knew I could never work a “real job “ again after having a team of sled dogs. I worked at a Petco in Albuquerque training dogs for a stint, and then started Wagg the Dog Trainer in Texas late 2015.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
HARD AND LOTS OF WORK. I get 21 days off a year. That leaves 49 weeks of 12-14 hour days 7 days a week. The dogs are in our home so there is never a time I’m not with them. There is no “quick fix” with most dogs. It takes consistency and EFFORT. Once people saw my dedication most of them knew that making money was a side effect of my work. I like making dogs that are on the edge of losing their families to the favorite family member.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend in town for a week they would probably only stay 2 or 3 days. I’d make them walk dogs with me constantly, and then they would go see a different “friend” lol

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe my success to pretty much all the strangers that trusted me enough to leave their dogs with me and my girlfriend for 2 weeks. To me that’s like leaving your kid with a complete stranger. We treat every dog like it’s ours while they are with us. My clients have been AMAZING at helping spread my name around Texas

Instagram: @waggthedogtrainer

Facebook: Wagg the Dog Trainer

Other: Tiktok: @waggthedogtrainer

Image Credits
Ashley Muller Wilson

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