Show Transcript
Clay Clark:
All right, welcome back to another exciting edition of the Make Your Dog Epic podcast. My name’s Clay Clark. I’m joined here with JT Lawson. Now, JT Lawson, we’re talking today on this Tulsa Dog Training podcast. About how many Tulsa Dog Training lessons does it take to train a dog? Again, how many lessons does it take? So let’s say I go to Makeyourdogepic.com and I schedule that first lesson for 50 cents. How many lessons does it take for you to train White Fang to stop peeing in my closet, for you to train Cujo to stop pulling on the leash? How many lessons does it take for you to successfully train a dog, sir?
JT Lawson:
Yeah, typically it takes between three and seven lessons, if we’re doing private lessons. We fix about ninety-eight percent of issues in about one to four weeks.
Clay Clark:
So when people show up with their Tulsa Dog to train, they say they’ve got this dog and they probably got the dog because they thought it was a good idea to get this beautiful new puppy. Maybe they adopted a pet. I don’t know the circumstances that lead most people to getting a dog, but I think we all love dogs. But I got to ask you this, when you talk to the customers and you talk to people for that first 50 cent lesson, what are the most commonly asked questions that people ask you about training their dog?
JT Lawson:
Yeah, so a lot of them ask how long it’ll take, if it’s too late or if it’s too early. If I have multiple dogs in the house, is it possible to just have one of them trained? Can I really stop pulling on the leash? What toys are acceptable? What food? There’s a bunch of different questions people have, but those are the main ones off the top of my head.
Clay Clark:
Who are the most commonly … Who’s your ideal and likely buyer? I mean, who most often reaches out to you? Is it the man? Is it the woman? Is it a mom? Is it a dad? Is it grandma? Is it a young kid? Who’s typically going to Make Your Dog Epic and requesting information about training their dog?
JT Lawson:
Really, it’s anyone. Normally it’s not kids, but it’s normally people over, I would say, twenty-five. And then normally the cut-off range is normally around sixty-ish. We have some older clients, but not normally. Because normally they just have little bitty dogs that they can just pull around on the leash and they don’t really care what they do, because they’re so small it doesn’t really affect anything with them. So that’s typically women and men. Normally dads are like, “Hey, just send the dog away to boot camp and let them do that,” or … And moms are normally more of a, “Hey, I want to do the lessons with the dog.”
Clay Clark:
Is it, let’s say, 70% of the people are women that reach out, 70% men, or is it pretty much split right down the middle?
JT Lawson:
Pretty much split right down the middle. I would say it leans a little bit towards women, but almost down in the middle.
Clay Clark:
That first lesson, the first lesson is 50 cents. So people go to Makeyourdogepic.com. The first lesson is 50 cents. Why do you train the first dog for 50 cents as opposed to just quoting a random price over the phone? Why do you actually sit down with people for that first lesson and do that first lesson for 50 cents?
JT Lawson:
Because every dog’s different and every human is different. So you’re going to have different goals for your dogs, and then your specific dog is going to need different things to get you to those goals. So basically, my goal at the 50 cent first lesson is to figure out your goals and tell you what it’ll take to get your specific dog to your specific goal. And then that way you can also make sure that we are a good fit for you. You like our training style, you like our methods, you like us as people, because that’s your baby that you’re going to be sending away or giving or doing lessons with somebody to train. So you need to be able to trust them. So we want to build that trust in that first lesson and let you know what you’re getting into and get you a package that’s specifically tailored for you.
Clay Clark:
Now, this might sound crazy, as a crazy question, but you don’t see a lot of cat trainers out there. You don’t see a lot of professional cat trainers that are out there teaching people how to successfully train their cat, but you do see a lot of dog trainers. Why are there not cat trainers and why are there only dog trainers?
JT Lawson:
Well, I would say because cats are impossible to train. They’re almost … I would say, huskies borderline on cat behavioral, where they’re very independent. So dogs are loyal and they want to please, where cats are like, “Screw off buddy. I don’t really want to do what you want me to do. I want to go live my life.” So that’s kind of the reason why.
Clay Clark:
Now, as far as the pricing goes, I mean, there’s so many wonderful Tulsa Dog trainers, Oklahoma Dog trainers, we happen to be the highest rated, most reviewed dog trainers. But I’ve got to ask you, why do you work with people on their budget? Why do you sit down with somebody? And if someone’s in a tight spot, why do you try to work with people’s budget? Why not just say, “Sorry, not a good fit,” why do you sit down and work with people on their budget?
JT Lawson:
Because the goal is happy. A dog that listens gets more freedom, and I don’t want anyone to miss out on that because of funds. So I want to make sure that we have an option for everyone because behavioral issues is one of the number one reasons why dogs get put down and we want to fix that, and we don’t want anyone to miss out because of funds, because of that.
Clay Clark:
When you say a dog gets put down, what do you mean by put down? We have some new listeners here that don’t know all your dog lingo there, buddy. So tell us what you mean by … Don’t talk down to us. Tell us what you mean when you say put the dog down.
JT Lawson:
Yeah. Well, for example, I got a dog named Riley from an animal shelter months ago, and she was there for six months because when somebody would walk by the kennel, she would growl and bark and do all that stuff and no one walked by and was like, “Oh, yeah, that’s not what I need by my kids.” So no one would adopt her because of behavioral issues. If dogs are in the pound long enough, or if dogs are biting people or they just can’t get along with the family in the house, then they have to euthanize, which means they’re putting the dog down. Basically, they’re killing the dog because pounds are booked up and there’s nowhere else to put the dog. So if I wouldn’t have adopted Riley, because she was there for six months, so she was almost like a month away from getting put down. So she didn’t have much longer, and now she’s doing great. She can be around kids and people and dogs and everything.
Clay Clark:
Now you’ve got a history here of training dogs and people come to you because they trust you guys. What makes a good Tulsa Dog trainer versus a bad Tulsa Dog trainer?
JT Lawson:
I can teach somebody to be good at dog training. It’s tough to teach people to have good attitudes and show up on time. So really what makes a good dog trainer is if you have work ethic, if you show up on time, if you’re a diligent human being and if you’re coachable, and really that’s it. I mean, if you’re coachable and show up on time, I can work with you. So we can make you a good dog trainer. I don’t need you to already have certifications or anything like that because certifications in the dog training world means nothing because everyone just certifies themselves. So even if you go to a “dog training school”, there’s no governing body over it. So the school could be teaching whatever and not actually things that work. So as long as you’re coachable and will show up on time, we’ll train you to be a good dog trainer and you’ll be a good fit, as long as you’re energetic and have a good attitude as well. Those are big things.
Clay Clark:
Now, again, for people out there that are kind of on the fence, they’re going, “Yeah, I might fill out the form. I might schedule my first lesson for 50 cents.” Walk us through, what does that first lesson look like when you first meet somebody, where are you meeting your potential Tulsa Dog Training clients, and what does that first Tulsa Dog Training lesson look like?
JT Lawson:
Yeah, so we’re meeting there either at a park, your house, or at our facility, whichever one fits best for everyone. And then, first step is we have to figure out what’s going on. So we want to talk about your dog. We want to figure out what you’re currently struggling with, what your current issues are, and then what your goals are. And then after that, we’d like to tell you a little bit about us because we don’t know where you heard us from or how much information you know. And then we’ll talk to you about the different types of training, kind of where we fall, and then we’re going to tell you what it’ll take to get your dog to your goals. And then at the end, we’ll go over different options and figure out a package that’s specifically tailored for you so we can figure out what the best fit is for you.
Clay Clark:
Now, this is going to be a little bit of a controversial question here. You got some trainers out there that are pretty rough and tough. I mean, you got some trainers out there that you almost worry about what’s going to happen to your dog if you take your dog to this Tulsa Dog Trainer. Is it shock treatment that people are doing that scares customers? Again, for people that are kind of new to the dog world, it would seem like that’s really not a pleasant experience and you guys have a process where you do a focused-based training where you’re training the dog, you’re giving the dog some positive reinforcement. Just kind of walk us through that because I think a lot of people are nervous about training their dog because they’re worried that their dog will be shocked.
JT Lawson:
Yeah, so there’s two main types of training in the United States. One would be negative and one would be positive. The one people fear most is a negative training because … Take for instance, I’ll show you how they used to fix running away. One of the methods that they would fix of running away would you would put a fifteen-foot leash on a dog, and then you would open up the back gate and that dog would take sprinting off. And then in the book, and this is a book written in 1950s, it would tell you that you turn and you run the opposite direction, and basically you clothesline the dog. And in this specific book, it tells you to drag the dog for another seven to eight feet to assert dominance. Now, it will …
Clay Clark:
What? No, it doesn’t.
JT Lawson:
Oh, yeah.
Clay Clark:
No, it doesn’t. Okay, JT, this is crazy.
JT Lawson:
It really does. And then I’ll tell you this, it will 100% work. However, it is going to ruin your dog’s personality. It is just going to crush your dog’s soul, and that’s not what we want. So what’s the point of having a dog if it’s going to ruin its soul? What’s the point of having a trained dog if it’s going to have no soul? I’ve had trainers tell me that my dog can’t be on my bed. It has to sleep outside. It has to do all of this stuff. It can’t have fun, basically. I have to have a leash and have the dog attached to my hip for the first three months of his life. It’s like, get out of my face. I got my dog to enjoy them. I want my dog in my bed, and I want to have a happy, fun dog and not a dog where the spirit’s crushed. So that’s what a bunch of people fear, and we absolutely do not train that way because we never want obedience at the expense of personality. That’s our number one rule.
Clay Clark:
Well, I’ll tell you what folks, if you’re out there today and you’re looking to schedule a dog training lesson, you’re looking for a Tulsa Dog Trainer that you can trust, JT Lawson and his team over there at Make Your Dog Epic, do a phenomenal job. What you’re going to do today though is just go to makeyourdogepic.com, schedule that first lesson for 50 cents, and then they’re going to work with you. Also, one thing a lot of people don’t know at Make Your Dog Epic, JT and the team, they’re willing to work with your budget. They’re also willing to beat any price for a comparative service. So if you find kind of a apples to apples comparison, JT Lawson and the team will be happy to beat at anyone’s price there. JT Lawson, I’ll give you the final word. Why should everybody schedule their first 50 cent lesson with you at Make Your Dog Epic Tulsa?
JT Lawson:
Because one of the big things is we offer a money back guarantee. So worst case, it doesn’t work, I’ll give you your money back. It’s basically me putting my money where our mouth is saying, “Hey, I know we can get your dog to where you want it to be and still have all the same personality. We still want Fluffy to be fluffy. We just want you to be able to take Fluffy out in public and have fun with Fluffy, not have a dog that doesn’t have a soul,” because that’s not the point of training. Point of training is the dog just listens and is happy and a trained dog gets more freedom.
Clay Clark:
JT, we appreciate you carving out time. We’re going to call you back in five minutes.
Carl:
Is your dog and furry friend holding you hostage?
Clay Clark:
Will your dog not stop pulling on its leash and eating your sausage? Who wrote that?
Carl:
Well, I don’t mean to brag, but I actually wrote it and …
Clay Clark:
Wow.
Carl:
… it rhymes. People dig it like a dog. You get it?
Clay Clark:
Okay. So I’m just going to keep reading. Will your dog not stop jumping on you or pooping in your house like you’re on the set of Jumanji or living in a zoo?
Carl:
It only took me two weeks to write that line while sitting at the base of a waterfall while gazing upon my epic dog. The dog that once held me hostage was now my best friend.
Clay Clark:
It’s so good.
Carl:
The dog that would never listen was now all ears.
Clay Clark:
It’s so good. I just want to cry.
Carl:
Pull yourself together, man. And if you two want to transform your dog from a furry terrorist into your best friend, what you need to do is schedule your first lesson at makeyourdogepic.com, where your first lesson is always just 50 cents. And with the savings, you can use that to pay the rent. Again, your first lesson is always just 50 cents at makeyourdogepic.com.
Clay Clark:
Wow.
Carl:
Stop the endless barking, reduce the aggressive behaviors, prevent dog jumping. Stop your dog from chasing the elderly UPS driver as he attempts to deliver a package. Stop your dog from biting Pam, your yoga pants wearing neighbor as she just attempts to speed walk in peace. Stop your dog from eating your wife’s wedding dress and peeing in your closet on top of your Christmas gifts. Stop the madness at makeyourdogepic.com. Experience the revolutionary focus-based positive reinforcement training and methodology. Our goal is dog obedience, but never at the expense of dog personality. It’s the same dog, but now it’s all ears.
Clay Clark:
Man. Carl. You are a talented vocal artist.
Carl:
Well … Well, I …
Clay Clark:
I can feel the passion. It’s contagious.
Carl:
Well, my friend, I am passionate about the product. I once went 60 days without sleeping.
Clay Clark:
Really?
Carl:
My wife’s wedding dress got eaten and my neighbor Pam was bitten by my dog and …
Clay Clark:
Oh, man.
Carl:
My quality of life was an all time low. I actually, I didn’t invite people over to my home for months because of the new dog. And I always smelled like urine.
Clay Clark:
You do still smell a little bit like dog urine. Just a little, just …
Carl:
That’s why I made my dog epic. I was hostage. And that’s where the passion comes from. You’ve got to believe in your product and you’ve got to project from the diaphragm.
Clay Clark:
The diaphragm.
Carl:
You’ve got to bend your knees.
Clay Clark:
Bend the knees, bend the knees.
Carl:
Drink ginger.
Clay Clark:
Drink the ginger.
Carl:
In the morning you’ve got to ingest apple cider vinegar.
Clay Clark:
Apple cider … I can do that.
Carl:
With a dog bone. You want to chew on the dog bone before the …
Clay Clark:
Hard pass, I’m not going to …
Carl:
You’re recording so that you can emulate the dog. And you should listen to Atomic Dog.
Clay Clark:
I can do that.
Carl:
But you’re not a dog, but you …
Clay Clark:
Right, right [inaudible 00:15:25] …
Carl:
You want to just chew on the bone. The oversized bone, not the regular sized bone.
Clay Clark:
[inaudible 00:15:29], hard pass. Just not going to … Not going to chew on the bone.