We all just want to do the things that will help us be called a good dog (or person), right?
That’s why Maura McKenney and her team at Quadrupeds in Cambridge, MA are focused on building good canine members of society— polite, well-mannered dogs who can effectively live in an urban setting.
The key to making that happen? It’s all about providing consistent communication and reinforcement across training sessions, regular walks, and playgroups.
“I train my staff to know exactly what I am doing with the dogs in training and what they should be reinforcing when they are out with them. That way the dogs don’t get confused or relapse.”
Even though Quadrupeds’ puppy & behavioral training is focused on working with each dog, that alone is not enough according to Maura.
“It’s very much about training the people too (parents, trainers, walkers) - at least 50/50, maybe 60/40 and working with them to create and reinforce a program that meets the needs of that particular dog.”
Maura’s focus on communication came out of her informal apprenticeships in the dog world.
After leaving a job selling mutual funds and other financial products (“I wasn’t very good at it or inspired!”), Maura began working for a dog walker, and eventually a doggie daycare, but had no plans of starting her own business. She simply wanted to spend time with dogs.
Having seen how various pet care businesses operated, however, she eventually thought to herself, “I can do this better.”
Today, Quadrupeds is a team of 4 (bigger before COVID), with 50+ active clients who love the emphasis on transparency and communication across their services.
To handle that level of coordination, Maura needs a tool that fits with her business and her schedule.
“PetPocketbook definitely saves me hours every week. I used to spend all day Sunday doing scheduling and billing and invoicing and now I do it all on the fly, which has been amazing. And I don’t have to text or call my staff every time someone cancels or changes something because I know they will see the updates and any special notes that day on their calendar.”
We’re glad we can help our friends at Quadrupeds and hope that makes us good members of society as well!