Today, we’d like to introduce you to Alec deGroot.
Hi Alec, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Being as it may, I walk for a living, and I would love to walk down memory lane to paint a picture of how my journey has evolved over the years. I am a business owner, professional dog walker, and pet sitter, and I am forever learning while teaching the art of dog training and behavior modification.
I remember sitting in a Starbucks looking for “big boy” jobs while on a break in between dogs, thinking to myself, what if I made dog walking/sitting my career? From that moment on, I focused all my energy and attention on everything about the dog. I had a few recurring clients I had built a rapport with in the beginning, which eventually led to more clients who needed assistance with their dog(s) while they were away at work or on vacation. Through the hundreds if not thousands of walks I have done with so many amazing pups, I began to pick up on their behaviors, leading me to become intrigued into the world of dog training.
I met the love of my life, Krista, on this journey, who happened to be a lover of all animals, animal behaviorist, vet tech, and dog trainer. We decided to join forces to create our company, All Four Paws Pet Concierge, where we both walk dogs, pet sit, work through key issues in behavior modification and dog training, and provide the best peace of mind possible.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Like the long walks I go on each day, which contain many obstacles, pitfalls, and uneven pavement, the journey I have been on has not been smooth.
There were hours, days, and weeks in the early days of starting when I made absolutely zero dollars, feeling like I had zero reason to be in the pet care industry. I found that the constant flutter in my heart each day I awoke drove me to continue to pursue my dream of walking dogs every day for the rest of my life a reality. Slowly, gradually, and arduously, I began to climb the mountain of success in business while maintaining a healthy lifestyle both on and off the road.
I am forever grateful for the pups with me through some of the darkest days of my life. I had gotten a woman pregnant within the first two years of starting my solo venture into the pet industry. Things exacerbated when we realized we could not make sense, and all I wanted was to be in my son’s life. I ended up having to forgo countless hours in court, a huge stack of attorney fees, and a lost sense of what being a father really meant.
Being around so many dogs, cats, and even exotics helped me to keep focused on what truly matters while also feeling like I had the best therapists alongside me the whole way. I remember being on a Zoom court hearing and having my then vizsla client Rosie next to me resting, which kept me calm and relaxed during such intense and uncertain times. I ended up getting full legal and physical custody of my son at the age of 2.
Also, my living situation came with its own challenges. Due to the rising prices of EVERYTHING, I decided to take out a small loan to purchase a 23′ travel trailer where I would live in on a piece of large property for three complete years with Krista, Landon, our dog Keeba, a hedgehog, and four tortoises.
In conclusion, I have found that I actually prefer that the road not be smooth but rather winding, brutal, and up a mountain. These obstacles have shaped me into the strongest person I know!
As you know, we’re big fans of All Four Paws Pet Concierge. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with the brand?
All Four Paws Pet Concierge is a business where we treat each client like family and each pet like our own, and we provide excellent service to produce peace of mind in both clients and animals. We specialize in meeting, exceeding, and wowing the people who choose to utilize our services.
The services range from our most popular dog walking to drop-in visits, to pet sitting in clients’ homes, to behavior modification. For each service, we provide a detailed report, including GPS, a list of whether the dog went potty, and pictures/videos of the pup having a blast. We feel that our feeling like a family, our reachability, and our prompt response time purposefully set us apart from others.
We are most proud brand-wise that the people who utilize our services promote us to their friends, colleagues, family, and neighbors. The constant “thank you,” can I have more of your cards to pass around, “I appreciate you,” and overall positive vibes from clients keep us loving what we get to do.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Having my son Landon full-time came with its own obstacles, as I now had to juggle my business and be a father. I would take him with me in his stroller from house to house, dog to dog, where he learned canine boundaries and etiquette. The experience of being able to take him with me to my profession has been both a blessing and a challenge. He has been diagnosed with autism and severe ADHD and proclaimed a danger to himself and others.
He has a very hard time making transitions, speaking, and choosing the appropriate behavior when he’s having difficulty. These nuances have challenged me to dig deep and find what I am actually made of as I, like I do with animals, have to change my verbiage, tone, and body language to reach him. I have spent countless hours learning about his condition while also seeing many parallels to canine behavior, which, in turn, has become intriguing, to the point that my focus has become more on the side of animal behavior.
Pricing:
- 30 min dog walk $35
- 60 min dog walk $55
- Overnight $95
- Puppy training $75/hr
- Behavior modification $95/hr
Contact Info:
