We recently connected with Alexandra Bassett and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandra, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My purpose of working with dogs was always calling to me but I did a bunch of other things like working in restaurants, teaching yoga, and copywriting before I became a dog trainer. I was a “weekend warrior” for a long time and volunteered at animal shelters before I realized I should try to find a way to work with dogs professionally. Honestly, I was always obsessed with dogs, and one day it became apparent to me that it was my calling. When I realized this, I also just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, and was lucky enough to get hired by a big dog training company while visiting a friend in Los Angeles.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a positive reinforcement dog trainer who uses a specific methodology called “Learning through Games of Choice.” It’s a rewards-based training system that teaches a dog to earn the things it wants in life through good behavior. It’s the most progressive approach to dog training in existence today because it provides a dog with choices while training and empowers them to make good behavioral choices on their own. We all like being given a choice and dogs are no different! As a result, a dog who is trained this way becomes more confident about how to behave in different situations. and because the training is fun, it helps to build a loving, trusting bond between a dog and their guardian.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My experience working as a copywriter at an ad agency helped me tremendously in the development of my brand. It’s important to be able to convey your core values as a business to the general public to attract the kind of clients who will appreciate what you do. I was lucky that I could do all of the writing for my website myself, so it does a good job of reflecting what my business stands for and who I am as a dog trainer.
My formative years entering the workforce were spent in NYC where customer service standards are high, so that taught me to listen and go the extra mile for my clients and has helped me gain a lot of “word of mouth” business. I try to consider someone’s lifestyle when developing training plans for them because it’s important to create actionable steps for people to help them make genuine behavioral shifts in their dogs.
I have also never sat on my laurels. I constantly strive to learn more and do better as a trainer and continue to invest in continuing education to get better at what I do.. There is always more to learn and room for improvement no matter how good you get at something – I think that’s the best advice I can give!
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
There is a HUGE demand for dog trainers in Los Angeles. I would love to partner up with an entrepreneur/investor who wants to handle the business side of things while I expand my service offerings to include a dog trainer academy and online training programs for puppies and dogs with behavioral problems.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dogsavvylosangeles.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogsavvylosangeles/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogSavvyLosAngeles2
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-bassett/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DogSavvyLA
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dogsavvylosangeles
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dog-savvy-los-angeles-los-angeles
