What does it take to trade a 9-to-5 desk job for a business built around dogs, family, and community? For Kurtis, an Army veteran and father of four, the answer was The Dog Wizard. In just two years, he has grown The Dog Wizard Westlake in Northeast Ohio from a mobile operation into a full training facility. Along the way, he’s transformed fearful, reactive dogs into confident companions and built a business his whole family is part of every day. In this Q&A, Kurtis shares why he chose The Dog Wizard, what surprised him most as a franchisee, and his advice for anyone thinking about taking the same leap.
How It All Started…
Question: Can you introduce yourself, your dog, and your Dog Wizard location, and share a bit about what you were doing before becoming a franchisee?
Kurtis: Hi, my name is Kurtis. I own The Dog Wizard Westlake up here in Northeast Ohio. I’m an army vet, a husband, and a father to four amazing kids.
Question: What was happening in your life or career when you decided to join The Dog Wizard, and what made this franchise stand out from other options?
Kurtis: I chose to open my own Dog Wizard franchise because after I got out of the military, I was in a sales job behind a desk 9-to-5 and couldn’t see myself doing that for my career for the rest of my life.
The Benefits of the Business Model
Question: The Dog Wizard model doesn’t require a storefront. How has that affected your startup costs, monthly expenses, and overall risk?
Kurtis: I started Westlake as a mobile location, however, we grew so fast by month 7 we were already into a full blown facility. In my mind, we can house more dogs, offer a wider variety of programs, and generate more revenue. Now, this does come with more overhead expenses, but it was a no-brainer with the amount of dogs we can train and provide for each month vs when we were mobile.
Question: After you became a Dog Wizard franchisee, what surprised you the most?
Kurtis: One of the biggest surprises I had was the change in my life. Like I said, I’m a father of four and my kids, they’re young. They come into the facility every day with us. We’re able to build and grow this as a family. My wife as well.
A Day in Kurtis’ Life and Some of His Lifestyle Changes
Question: What does a typical day look like for you now, and how has this business changed life for you and your family?
Kurtis: A day-to-day looks different by the hour. One hour I might be on the training floor working a scared and nervous pup and helping them break out of their shell. The next hour I might be on the phone with a client trying to solve all their problems and help build better relationships. And then the next hour I might be at a park or in the community in the public at an adoption event trying to help one of these dogs find their forever home. And so typically it changes day-by-day, but that was one of the reasons that drew me close to this career field.
The Immense Levels of Support Received from Corporate
Question: What kind of support have you received from the Dog Wizard corporate team and other franchisees, and can you share one time when that support made a big difference?
Kurtis: One thing that surprised me the most when opening up my own franchise was two twofold. We have the corporate side. They provide the recipe and help every step of the way to make sure we get success. But also the franchisee side as well. If I have a hard case that I don’t know the answer to, I know I’m only a message away from somebody in our network that has been down the journey or had a case like this to help make sure we get success.
What Growth and Traction Look Like
Question: Looking at your business today, what growth or traction are you most proud of—whether it’s revenue, client volume, or training packages sold?
Kurtis: We’ve been able to build our businesses together and work side by side and grow. The team is basically an extension of our family already. The one thing I’m proud of in my franchise specifically is the speed in which we were able to grow. Westlake’s only two years old and month by month we’re increasing revenue. We’re increasing our clients and our dogs. And it’s truly fulfilling being able to come into work every day and love the team you’re doing this with and love the field that you’re working in.
A Warm and Memorable Transformation Story
Question: Is there a particular dog or family story that really captures the impact your business has had on your community?
Kurtis: One dog that really sticks with me is Noelle, a rescue pit bull who was found on the streets eating rocks. A sweet couple adopted her, named her Noelle, and brought her to The Dog Wizard Westlake for help. When she first came in, she was a reactive dog. She was fearful of people and other dogs, scared and skittish, and wanted nothing to do with humans.
We enrolled Noelle in our 14-day Jumpstart board and train program. Our focus was reshaping her image of humans and building her confidence through positive, structured training and socialization. We worked on her fear and reactivity step by step and taught her that new people and new places could be safe. We also gave her owners the tools to keep that progress going at home.
Noelle did a complete 180. The scared, reactive rescue dog who came to us is now a confident, friendly social butterfly who loves everyone she meets. She goes to restaurants, shopping, and out and about with her family. She keeps building on that progress at our lifetime support group classes. For any Northeast Ohio dog owner struggling with a fearful or reactive dog, Noelle is proof that the right dog training program can transform a dog’s life and the whole family’s.
Why Kurtis Loves The Dog Wizard
Question: In one sentence, why do you love being a Dog Wizard franchise owner?
Kurtis: Since opening up my own Dog Wizard, I’ve not only gotten the freedom and the flexibility that this career offers, but also the fulfillment of watching all of these transformations, both dogs, owners, and their relationship throughout my whole process here.
Advice for Prospective Franchisees
Question: What would you tell someone who’s thinking about becoming a Dog Wizard franchisee, and what kind of person do you think is a great fit for this business?
Kurtis: One thing that I would say to somebody looking into getting into The Dog Wizard franchise is follow the recipe. If you follow the recipe, you’re going to bake the cake and it’s going to come out great. And two, make sure you’re doing it to help people. If you come into the mindset that I’m going to help dogs, I’m going to help clients, they’ll come to you, solve their problems, help them, and the rest will start to grow.
Kurtis’s story shows what’s possible when a proven system meets someone who’s driven to help people and their dogs. From his first month as a mobile location to a growing facility with a team that feels like family, The Dog Wizard Westlake is proof that following the recipe works. If you’re ready to build a business with purpose, flexibility, and the full support of corporate and a network of fellow franchisees, explore The Dog Wizard franchise opportunity and start your own success story.
