Meet Teresa Graves | Dog Trainer, Behaviorist, Owner, Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teresa Graves and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teresa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe taking risks is a big part of life, because becoming the best version of yourself requires multiple leaps of faith. Starting Legacy K9 Training was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done but I’m so grateful and proud of myself for not letting my fear of failing cripple me. There are so many people connected to my purpose that needed me to move in the necessary courage required to acknowledge my fears but not give them any authority to make important decisions.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The foundation of Legacy K9 Training is understanding; for both the dogs and handlers. I bridge the gap of communication between humans and dogs with my knowledge of energy and psychology. Masculine energy communicates differently than feminine energy; not to be confused with male and female, and knowing what energy I need to be in to meet theirs is important to effectively correct unwanted behavior. I get down to the root cause of a problem and work that out instead of just putting a bandaid on it. I’m most proud of my insatiable desire to teach these dogs how to coexist with their human family and teach the human family how to communicate what they want from their dogs. I believe that desire is what got me to where i am today business-wise. I’m knowledgeable and passionate about what I do and it’s evident in the service I provide. I also believe that just because I know how to do something that most people don’t doesn’t give me the right to charge ridiculous prices for my services. With that mentality I hope to encourage more people to get their dogs trained. It hasn’t been easy just getting established, but I’m certain time will remedy that challenge. Along this journey I’ve discovered that dog training and human training are very similar. We all have pretty much the same problems, it’s just a matter of how we express it; and communication is the most important key to correcting those problems. I want the world to know I genuinely care about what I do and that’s reflected in my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly in the year and half that I’ve been in San Diego I haven’t spent much time hanging out so I wouldn’t have any idea what’s fun or interesting to do in the city.

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 would like to recognize the Passion For Pitties rescue. I volunteer my time with some of their fosters and give them the necessary tools to lead and help get their dogs adopted.

Website: www.legacyk9training.com

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LK9Training/?ref=bookmarks

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/legacy-k9-training-san-diego-5

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx_jjQ-TMAaOvVQekSA12AQ

Image Credits
Michael Graves