Today we’d like to introduce you to Michaela Anne Collins, CPDT-KA.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Michaela Anne. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Om Obedience was founded in 2015 after the birth of our second child. It was with the support of my family, mentors, colleagues, and clients that I took the plunge out of the corporate world to make my dream come true. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to work with animals just not in what capacity.
I spent my adolescence in a stable – riding horses and loving on the various dogs that came. Lessons of hard work, patience, consistency, and awareness were quickly learned. In college, I studied to become a teacher, began teaching 5th grade at a private school, and loved watching my students grow and learn. However, knowing that I needed to continue my education, I took a hiatus and a job in the financial industry.
On July 2, 2008, a litter of Boxer puppies were born and the one with the arrow on the back of his head, Lennox, was meant for me. I fell in love with his soulful brown eyes and smushy face (Brachycephalic head structure). I wanted to do everything I possibly could to train him “correctly” and began looking into the different types of training. Coming from the force-free (Natural Horsemanship) world, I knew that positive reinforcement was the way to go and delved into every publication I could get my hands on.
It wasn’t long before one of our trainers asked if I wanted a part-time job at the store where we were taking classes. I jumped on the opportunity to receive more formal training and quickly found myself in a teaching role once again. Part-time became full time, a promotion had me training fellow trainers and I took every opportunity to continue to grow as a trainer outside of the store. Fast forward a few years, 2 kids and 4 dogs later, with the positive reinforcement from those around me, it was time to grow.
Has it been a smooth road?
There is always something to keep the road winding and I find that balance has been the most difficult part. Balancing staying up to date on current training practices and improving myself as a trainer and instructor with time spent working with clients. Balancing the business side while leaving ample time for charitable work. I think that we all feel that there isn’t enough time in the day.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our motto is positive reinforcement for a peaceful home. We use force-free training methods to teach canine good citizenship, basic through advanced obedience, therapy dog skills, and to improve communication skills. We are here to ease the transition when bringing a baby into a dog’s home, We also handle behavior cases such involving resource guarding, aggression, leash reactivity, and anxiety.
I am most proud of the community that has been created. Our monthly Out & About meetings are a wonderful way to come together and share our love for our dogs. It’s been amazing to watch clients get involved with rescue organizations and volunteer in shelters as well as bring their second and third dog into their home,
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I would absolutely recommend starting out here as the canine community is thriving. As a mentor for CATCH Canine Trainers Academy, I enjoy mentoring dog training students and helping them find their niche. A few have gone on to start their own businesses and having a referral network is so important.
Pricing:
- Group Classes are $160 for 6 weeks
- On-Site Private Training $90/session (multiple session packages are available)
- In-Home Private Training $125/session (multiple session packages are available)
Contact Info:
- Address: 70 Forest Street
West Bridgewater, MA 02379 - Website: www.omobedience.com
- Phone: 781-929-5446
- Email: omobedience@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omobedience/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omobedience/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
