Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Keaney
Hi Emily, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, I was fortunate to be around a lot of animals in my life. My first pet was an orphaned black lab named Annie. Throughout my childhood, I lived with many pets, including ducks, rabbits, parrots, cats, fish, reptiles, hamsters, and guinea pigs; this experience fostered a deep love for these beautiful critters. In 2010, I moved across the country on a whim with my 5-year-old daughter, Bella, to sunny San Diego and we brought our 4 cats, 3 birds and 2 turtles along for the journey. Once here, we adopted an amazing & unique dog with some challenging personality quirks who inspired me to become a trainer. Rodney, a pit bull mix, was on his last day at the Oceanside Humane Society when we adopted him; he had a rough start in life, leaving Rodney with separation anxiety and a distrust of strangers. These behavioral challenges inspired me to begin an apprenticeship with a well-known trainer in San Diego, Kyle Rayon, who utilized her own intuition along with modern, reward-based reinforcement training. We discovered that Rodney had a unique ability to read and teach other dogs how to interact appropriately in a calm manner. He was an excellent puppy teacher as well. It was through this experience that I discovered my niche for working with groups of dogs and helping them to build social skills and have positive interactions with other dogs. I have also enjoyed fostering and volunteering with several animal welfare organizations, including working with misunderstood breeds such as pit bulls; these experiences have strengthened my passion and love for these beautiful creatures. In addition, Bella has learned and grown knowledgeable about dog care & behavior and (now at 20 years old) has become an integral part of the business. We feel fortunate to have served the community through our doggy daycare and boarding space in our home for the last 15 years. At our home, we can provide a comfortable space for the dogs to play with other social dogs, rest, eat, and enjoy their best life.
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?
I have learned so much on my journey, and although I have had my fair share of challenges along the way, I am grateful for the presence of dogs in my life. Working with dogs has always been a big part of who I am.
I wouldn’t say that building my business has been difficult. Rather, I would say that it has taken time, patience, and determination. Anyone who knows me is aware that perseverance is one of my traits!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Down To Earth Dogs, we take the time to get to know each dog, including their quirks and personality traits. We customize the daycare and boarding needs to suit each dog. Our business is all-breed friendly in support of our firm belief that each dog has his/her own personality and needs. We evaluate each dog to ensure our environment is a good fit for them.
Our mission is to provide proper enrichment and mental stimulation to sustain good behavior for our clients’ dogs and help foster appropriate social skills with other dogs.
We stand apart from the larger boarding facilities where there are often are so many dogs that individualized attention is not possible. We have a home-based setting where small group play is part of every day with several distinct play areas; our goal is to ensure that each dog is happy, comfortable, and relaxed. In essence, our home becomes a “second home” to the dogs. We have clients who have been returning for 10+ years. Our knowledge of dog behavior combined with the ability to provide both a quiet environment for older dogs and a more active setting for the younger, more exuberant dogs is a key to our success. We have over 100 five star reviews on Yelp, Google and Facebook and many more happy and loyal clients.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along the way is to always trust that life will guide us where we are meant to go if we listen to our inner voice and follow it. When something changes or comes to an end, as humans, we tend to reject and resist it. However, I have learned those changes or endings are often blessings as they create space for something new that is in higher alignment with who we are meant to be to arise. I knew before I left the East Coast that I was meant to follow a new path and career, working with animals; I just wasn’t sure exactly what that path would be. I followed my intuition and took a leap of faith, leaving my old life behind with no set plan. Down to Earth Dogs came to fruition in 2010, and I couldn’t be more happy with where life took me than I am today.
Pricing:
- Daycare $60 per day
- Overnight Boarding $82 per night
- Holiday Boarding $90 per night
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Downtoearthdogs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downtoearthdogs/#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/down2earthdogs/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/down-to-earth-dogs-san-diego
