We’ve all heard anecdotes like, “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” and “It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.” Well, anyone who has opened a business in Manhattan knows that truer words were never spoken – especially in the dog training business. And one doggie oriented entrepreneur, a former aspiring actress no less, who spent decades beating the sidewalks, doorsteps and parks of our great city for business, can attest to this. Meet Kate Perry, owner of Kate Perry Dog Training & Daycare.
Kate is largely considered to be one of the best trainers in the US. Her method of training and approach to those animals in her charge is so well respected, she has been regularly featured on virtually every morning news show of note, both nationally and locally, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, PIX 11 Morning News, and more. And the notoriety doesn’t stop there as Kate is also a best-selling author with her book from Penguin Publishing, “Training for Both Ends of the Leash.”
So how did Perry get started and what drove her to where she is today? Believe it or not, Kate began rescuing whilst growing up in the Canary Islands, Greece, and England; including donkeys, rabbits, ducks, goats, cats, dogs, and even a few fish!
Professionally, Kate, as an aspiring actress, began her training career in 1999 in NYC, opening her own dog-walking business after recognizing her natural affinity with animals and the need to make money between gigs. She was then invited by Breon O’Farrell of Philosophy Dog Training to be his apprentice and studied intensively with him for two years. Kate helped develop the group classes that she now specializes in, which complement the “lifestyle-specific” training approach she provides to her clients.
Of her time transitioning from being an aspiring actor to working with dogs in New York, Kate said, “It was showing up come rain or come shine. It was 7 days a week of “walking” my ass off. And living on the 4th floor walkup of an old railroad apartment in the West Village.
It was making homemade fliers and posting on doors and dog runs and handing out business cards.” Her determination and grit paid off. Today, Perry has clients that run the gamut from the everyday person to the Fortune 500 executive to those that would make Page Six jealous
So, what made her business so successful? A mix of Kate’s philosophy and methodology, and her determination to not only make a living, but to help dogs and pet parents realize a better life.
Kate Perry’s method has been approved by numerous veterinarians, and centers on the use of positive reinforcement techniques –a scientifically proven teaching method, which is derived from dolphin training, using a marker signal (i.e. a “clicker” or use of the word YES) to reinforce desired behavior. This method helps dogs learn faster and better enables both dog and owner to enjoy the training process.
Throughout the next 24 years, Kate, on top of using Washington Square Park, would use her business relationships to secure places like various dog grooming and pet store locations to host her classes. And even though Kate became a renowned trainer, all those years later she didn’t have a storefront to call home. Then COVID hit.
They say out of adversity comes opportunity – something Kate has always made work for her. Throughout the pandemic, pet parents, after dropping them off at off at various locations depending on the day, would watch Kate train their furrever ones through web cams for distancing. But Kate knew something was missing. She knew she needed a permanent home.
After nearly 25 years in the business, thanks to post-COVID pricing and a few of her notable clients, Perry was able to realize her dream and opened Kate Perry Dog Training + Daycare Center in Chelsea.
Today, Kate’s classes are more popular than ever. Part of that business formula can be found in pet parents’ desire for positive reinforcement training, and a daycare they can rely on. All of the dogs that use the daycare center have to have been trained by Kate and her team.
When asked what Kate is most proud of after 25 years of beating the streets, she said, “Helping dogs and pet parents have a better relationship and mentoring new trainers to continue on that path.”
To learn more, please visit kateperrydogtraining.com