Meet Jessi Tassinari | Professional Dog Trainer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessi Tassinari and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessi, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The amount of true empathy and connection you must have with dogs to do this on a daily basis. I consider myself an empath in general but when it comes to dogs I truly feel every emotion they do, even stronger than I feel them with humans. I have the ability to “think like a dog”, that’s the inspiration behind the name of my business! I notice the slightest change in body. language, the smallest transition from one emotion to another, and many other nearly inconspicuous cues dogs give. A lot of people think dog training and working with animals is a great choice for anyone who “likes dogs”, but you have to be a dog PERSON. There is a huuuuuuge difference between the two.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I was born with a gift that I didn’t truly recognize or appreciate until my mid-20s. I grew up in a dog day care, worked at pet retailers, pet insurance companies, and had various volunteer positions with animals, but never realized that there was something that set me apart from others, and that was my way of communicating so effortlessly with dogs. I understand them better than I understand any other creature or being. I attended Animal Behavior College in early 2021 and started my business in October 2021 when I realized, “it makes NO sense for me NOT to be a dog trainer!”. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. I never thought I was creative enough, entrepreneurial enough, or bold enough to start my own business, but I took a leap of faith and to my surprise, it took off immediately. I’m someone who finishes what they start, and even though some barriers exist, such as my learning disabilities, the positives always outweighed the negatives, and still do. I completed my ABC course in a little under one year and I learned such a wealth of knowledge, I felt prepared to enter the dog training world. The first few clients I took… Whoa baby, I think it was word vomit from start to finish, but the results were still there and I was craving more. I loved seeing the growth of the dogs from week to week. I’m about two years into having this business, and I learn more every single day. Recently, I became a Pet CPR/First Aid Instructor and I’m elated to be able to bring this to the community.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Salem, MA. So, without question we’re going downtown Salem (as long as it’s not October–us residents will do ANYTHING to avoid going near downtown Salem). We’re first going to hit A&J King bakery for breakfast, Life Alive Cafe for lunch, dinner at Longboards, not up for debate!!! Each day we are trying a different restaurant. We will visit the Witch Museum, the various beautiful parks and Common, maybe visit Salem Willows Arcade and get a famous chop suey sandwich from Salem Lowe. We have some really neat historic home tours offered by the Peabody Essex Museum. The ultimate activity in Salem = Salem Willows, so we’re spending a lot of time there!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m eternally grateful for my life circle. Most importantly, I’d like to express immense gratitude to my own dog, who is currently 17 and thriving–she’s my soulmate. To the person who inspired me to name my business, Cindy–you’re a genius. To my parents and siblings, thank you for supporting me through my crazy journey of starting a business. To Zach, my human soulmate, who is eager to see every cute dog photo I take, and is always cheering me on.
Website: thinklikeadogtraining.net
Instagram: thinklikeadog.training
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tladtrainingllc/
Image Credits
Sabrina Ornae Photography
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
