Describe your business to our readers
Hi, I'm Syrah and I birthed The Dog Squad to enrich the lives of pet dogs through scentwork and other mentally challenging activities.
Do you have your own dog(s)?
My training journey began ten years ago with a little Papillon, Woody, who really gave me the dog training bug. Scentwork gave him a fresh lease of life in his last 18 months with us and I can't recommend it enough for senior dogs. My second dog, Golden Retriever, Elsa, got me into pet gundog and then nosework sports, she is my logo dog! Both she and my third dog, who is a rescue, forced me to level up my own skills as a pet dog owner/trainer due to behavioural complexities and I began to look at dog training from all angles, birthing in me a deep interest in behavioural dog training. Charlie, Border Collie X, has taken me on quite a journey with reactivity towards dogs, sound and pretty much anything that moves quickly! Between working on these issues, we do Hoopers which he loves and he is now trialling in scentwork, even if he has tested my patience as an instructor to the nth degree!
I am also a cat lover and after losing our original Maine Coon last year, we have two more mischievous Maines, Forrest and Dodger. Dodger definitely thinks he's a dog!
How do you start your day?
With a cup of tea and a cuddle from Dodger!
How does a typical business day look for you?
It's very random compared to normal jobs! My week is made up of day time, evening and weekend work. Scentwork classes run during the day and evenings, some outdoors, some indoors especially now we've lost the evening light. Retrieve Team (pet gundog) and Hoopers are restriced to day time whilst the Winter is upon us. Between group classes I do one to ones in sport or life skills and a couple of Stay and Trains, where I train a dog without the owner present. And Puppies and Neutrality take place on Saturday mornings. I didn't think I'd ever work on Saturdays yet here I am! Monday and Sunday are the only days I don't have scheduled classes but Charlie and I do Hoopers on Mondays and we sometimes trial on Sundays! I am guilty of spending some of those days working on admin, socials or watching webinars and studying! Like some dogs, I do not have a very good off switch!
How do you finish your day?
I finish the day with another cup of tea and more cuddles with Dodger and Charlie on the sofa whilst watching TV with my husband.
What do you most love about running your own business?
Although not always dog training, I've been running my own business for over 10 years and have loved being available for my children before and after school when they were little. Now they are older, I am needed less but I still love being able to schedule time off over half terms and holidays to ensure we have some quality family time together.
And your least favourite thing?
Oh definitely the social media side of things! I hate that it's such a big part of small businesses now when all I really want is to be present in class and not think about photos and videos and online marketing! It is what it is but for me it takes a lot of time for not a lot of return so please give me a like and a follow lol!
What would you like to say to dog owners reading this?
Dogs have one of the most advanced olfactory systems on the planet (that's their ability to smell things). If we could see as well as dogs can smell, it's thought we could stand in London and see New York City! How incredible is that?! And yet most pet dogs never get to fully work their olfactory system; it's a bit like having wings and never learning to fly! Scentwork training gives dogs the chance to fly! Please, please, please get out there and do some scentwork with your dog. I'd love you to come to me but if you find someone more local then please join them! Your dog will love you for it and you will be amazed at what they can do!
If you liked reading this then click here to read some more Days in the Life of our Doggy Directory Businesses >>